Another look at reactions to Hermione's Petrification, but this time from other students at Hogwarts.

HANNAH III

"All students will return to their house common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities."

The voice of Professor Sprout quivered as she gave them the new rules that would be enforced from now on. The atmosphere in the Hufflepuff common room wasn't the happiest one after their defeat this afternoon against Gryffindor on the Quidditch pitch, although they were used to being defeated at this stage. However, the news that two other students were Petrified made the comfortable room totally silent and despondent. Professor Sprout rolled the parchment on which she read the rules.

"If anybody knows anything that might help catch the culprit of these attacks, I urge them, and beg them to come forward and tell me as quickly as they can," Professor Sprout added before she left, still trembling.

Hannah let out a sharp breath once the Head of her house was gone. It had been months since the last attacks took place. She had come to believe that it was all over. Professor Sprout told them every day that the Mandrakes would soon be ready, that Justin would be reanimated. And now, two more students were attacked. Worse, one of these students happened to be Hermione Granger.

Everyone was shocked at the news, but in Hufflepuff, the one person who took it worse than the others was probably Susan. She, Hannah, Megan, Ernie, Wayne, Sally-Anne and a few others were sitting together in the same corner of their common room. They all started whispering once their professor was gone, except for Susan who remained silent. Hannah's friend was never the most talkative. She only spoke when necessary, but it was worse now. She and Hermione were friends. They sat next to each other in all classes Gryffindor and Hufflepuff had in common. They both loved Professor Lockhart, although recently Susan had made a few negative comments on the author. He seemed to have fallen in her esteem. Nonetheless, Susan was obviously deeply affected by the Petrification of Hermione. Hannah worried that her friend was about to break into tears.

"I don't understand," Sally said. "It had been months. Why now?"

"I don't know, Sally," Ernie said. His eyes were empty. "But it seems like the heir of Slytherin is still hunting for Muggle-borns. And now... Hermione. Really?"

Hannah heard a faint gargling noise to her right, so faint that she didn't think anyone else heard it. She turned to Susan who was looking down at her feet. The sound came from her. Her friend abruptly stood up.

"I need... some rest," she said in a strangled voice, and she almost ran to their dormitory. Hannah looked at her walking away, with a feeling of something heavy forming into her throat. She wasn't as close to Hermione as Susan was, but she felt for her friend. She thought about going after Susan to comfort her, but Ernie's voice and her interest in hearing what he had to say held her back.

"I don't get it," he said in such a low tone she barely heard it. "For Mrs Norris, or for Colin, or for Justin, I understand, but... Hermione? Why? Why now?"

Hannah didn't need him to say more. Ernie may not be able to bring himself to say the name, but she knew that he was wondering why Harry Potter would do such a thing to his best friend.

"Perhaps... she found out who he was," Wayne carefully put forward. "Perhaps she had some kind of proof that she wanted to reveal, and he decided to silence..."

"Wayne, shut up!" The words came out of Hannah's mouth before she could think of it.

Images went through her mind. For a time, she had watched Harry and Hermione with interest, wondering whether they were dating or not. After that, she saw them together a lot of time too. Why would Harry want to harm Hermione? And then, there was when he found her today.

"Ernie," she began to say, "you saw him today. You really think he could have hurt Hermione?"

Ernie stared away for a very long time. "No," he finally dropped, as if he was almost ashamed to admit it.

"But... who else could it be then?" Megan asked. " I mean, he arrived not long after we found Hermione. He was close whenever an attack happened."

"Not on Halloween," Hannah said. "I spoke with some Gryffindors, including Harry's friends and the other boys who sleep in his dormitory. He only came back long after Mrs Norris was found, and he really went to Godric's Hollow that night."

"Just like Susan told us," Ernie completed. He seemed very tired. "Come on, Megan. You saw how he looked when he found Hermione. He was horrified. That's not him. But who is it then?"

"Who cares?" Wayne said. "He's going to get all of us. Who knows who will be next?"

They sat there in a prolonged silence. Hannah thought that, by chance, none of them were Muggle-born, so they didn't risk a lot. But what if the heir of Slytherin got tired of attacking Muggle-borns? He had already attacked a ghost and a cat. What if he began going after half-bloods, or even pure-blood wizards who were considered blood traitors? Where would it stop?

"My mother is probably going to bring me back home," Sally said in a weak voice. "She said in her last letter that it was too dangerous here. I had to beg her to let me stay. She won't keep me here now."

Megan put a hand on Sally's shoulder. "Everything will be alright, Sally. Teachers are going to look out after us, now. We are going to be safe here."

"You're sure?"

Megan hesitated. "Yes."

The conversation took a much darker turn as time went on. They were all worried about who might be the next victim, or whether their parents would remove them from Hogwarts, or that the heir of Slytherin would start targeting other people than Muggle-borns, which would make all of them targets. They tried to think positively by telling each other that Mandrakes would soon be ready, but it felt hollow, as it had been some time now that professors told them they would be ready soon.

As the night settled, no one really wanted to go to sleep, but no one really wanted to stay awake either. They lingered on the couches and in the armchairs, like many other people in their common room, not doing much, trying to start conversations that went nowhere. Hannah thought about her own mother. Her mother's parents were Muggles. How would she have felt had she been in Hannah's place? Would her mother be more afraid than Hannah was? Or would she face the danger with more courage and take faith in how professors took matter into their hands? Hannah wished she knew. She wished she could talk to her parents directly, instead of sending letters through owls that could take days to arrive.

Sally-Anne was the first to go to bed. And then, slowly, one by one, they went through the tunnels leading to the dormitories. Hannah was among the last to go to bed. She didn't feel like sleeping. And indeed, after putting on her nightgown and getting into bed, she remained awaken, staring at the bed over her, hearing Sally-Anne snoring.

Hannah turned on herself again and again, but she knew it was useless. It wasn't her position that prevented her from sleeping. It was the thoughts that ran through her mind that posed the main problem. She closed her eyes, then opened them, before she shut them again. But there was no way of getting any sleep. Sometimes she was afraid that the monster of the Chamber of Secrets would come to her and kill while she was asleep.

After an eternity of waiting, Hannah heard someone drawing the curtains behind her. Then she heard the soft sounds of someone walking on the cushioned floor, quietly opening the door and walking out of their dormitory. Hannah carefully opened her own curtains and looked at the hour. It was three o'clock in the morning. Susan's bed was empty. Resigning herself to a night without sleep, Hannah decided to get up and left the dormitory as well.

She found Susan hugging her legs against herself in one of the armchairs. She wasn't the only one in the common room. There were a few other students of all ages who seemingly had not managed to fall asleep and came to the common room. Hannah sat in the armchair right next to Susan's.

"Can't sleep either?" Hannah asked her friend.

"No," Susan replied. She shivered. "I... I keep thinking about Hermione."

Susan had glassy eyes. She was keeping her legs against herself as if she was afraid to be cold, although the common room was quite warm right now. She kept having shivers from time to time. Her long red hair was all messy, tangled, falling all around her face. She really looked miserable.

"Look, Susan. I know that what happened to her is horrible." Hannah herself was traumatized. She, Susan and many of their friends had found Hermione, lying on the floor, together as they left the library. "But she is not dead. They're going to bring her back."

"Hermione asked me if I saw something or someone the day Justin was Petrified," Susan said after a long moment of silence. "I was so close to Justin when it happened. And I saw nothing. No one. I didn't pay attention to the people I crossed. I knew Justin was in danger, and I didn't even try to remember who I met on this day."

"Susan..." Hannah began, but her friend continued.

"I can't remember anybody in particular from before we found Hermione either. Do you realize that this person could have been in the library with us? We could have seen him. Maybe we could have stopped him."

The thought that maybe the heir of Slytherin, the one responsible for all these attacks, had been in the library with them, maybe observing them from behind shelves, looking for his next victim, sent shivers along Hannah's spine. Perhaps he had looked at Hannah, wondering if she was Muggle-born. Hannah felt terrible at the thought that she might have been targeted.

"I saw Hermione before she left the library. I tried to say Hi, but she just walked past me to the exit." Susan hit her forehead against her knees. "I should have stopped her. I should have held her back. I should..."

Her voice broke. Hannah felt pity for Susan. Her friend was the one to find Justin, and she had found Hermione with them as well. Both times, she saw the person who was Petrified not long before the attack happened. She remembered Ernie yelling at her for allowing and even encouraging Justin to go out of the common room. Susan had just wanted to do what she thought was right. Hannah stood up and went to hug Susan. Her friend was now crying, silently, without making any sound, but she was crying. They remained like this for a very long time, Hannah trying to comfort Susan, but her words just felt empty. She wished she could do something more to console her friend, but she couldn't think of any way to do it in her current mental state.

The two girls remained there for almost all the night. They only went back to their dormitory to dress for the day. Hannah felt tired, but her body didn't find the necessary will to sleep. As for Susan, her eyes remained red, and she stayed silent most of the time. They went to the Great Hall once the other students of their year were down, all escorted by Professor Sprout.

Breakfast was dull, lifeless, soundless, gloomy. No one talked very much. There was no laugh or lively discussion to be heard across the Great Hall. Only at the Slytherin table there were some excited whispers exchanged between a few students, though even them looked sullen for the most part. The weather seemed to have joined the general mood of the students. After the sunny day they had yesterday, it was now raining heavily outside, and the grey sky stopped light from entering the Great Hall.

Something else added to the depressing atmosphere. At the staff table, Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster, shone by his absence. Hannah wondered where the Headmaster was. She would have felt safer in the presence of Albus Dumbledore.

"Where is Dumbledore?" Megan asked.

"Perhaps he's gone to the Ministry of Magic," Ernie said. "You know, asking for help." He turned to Susan. "Do you think your aunt could do something?"

Susan almost jumped on the question. "Maybe," she stammered.

"It might not be a bad thing. You know, Dumbledore and the professors couldn't catch the culprit. If the Ministry sent Aurors... I mean, their job is to catch dark wizards, isn't it? It would be helpful if we had a few of them in Hogwarts."

"Maybe," Susan said again. She was looking down at her cereals dipping into milk. Her spoon was in, but she showed no intention of eating anything.

"I'm sure Dumbledore will do what's necessary. It's obvious he takes the situation seriously," Hannah said. But again, she wasn't sure if she was trying to convince herself or the others. Sure, she thought that Dumbledore was doing everything he could, but would that be enough?

"Your attention, please!" The few conversations that were going on stopped as everyone looked at Professor McGonagall who had stood up.

Even from afar, McGonagall looked distressed. The other teachers looked no better. Even Professor Snape, the Head of Slytherin House, looked paler than usual. Gilderoy Lockhart wasn't at the table. McGonagall was clasping her hands again and again, as if she was searching for a good way to hold her hands into each other.

"I think it is safe to say that we are all, students, professors and other members of the school's staff, still in shock from yesterday's events. I'm afraid, though, that I have more dire news to share with you today." The atmosphere grew so thick into the Great Hall that Hannah thought it would have taken a very sharpened knife to cut through it. "Yesterday, the twelve members of Hogwarts' Board of Governors decided to suspend Professor Albus Dumbledore from his position of Headmaster for an undetermined period."

The reaction didn't wait. Students in the Great shouted, yelled, screamed questions at McGonagall all together, making all those questions impossible to understand. Others spoke between them vividly, panicking, adding to the confusion. Some students even began to cry, and others were too shocked to react in any way. Susan was among them. Hannah saw her friend gaping at her, as if she didn't understand what was going on. Hannah barely understood it either.

"Dumbledore is gone?" she asked Ernie, as if he was in any position to confirm.

"Silence! Please, silence!" boomed McGonagall's voice. "I know this is a shock. Professor Dumbledore left clear instructions on how to run the school in his absence. I can assure you that we will continue the activities in the school as normally as possible. And please, I would like to remind you that Professor Dumbledore was only suspended, not fired. He will return to assume the role of headmaster as soon as the Board of Governors judges it appropriate."

"When will he come back?" someone at the Gryffindor table asked.

"We don't know. But he will come back, that I swear to you. In meantime, as Deputy Headmistress, I will assume the interim. I can assure you that this is only temporary. I have no intention of taking Professor Dumbledore's place. I ask you to be patient until he returns."

That did not stop the conversations around the Great Hall, but McGonagall continued speaking nonetheless.

"I must also inform you that in light of the recent events, the Ministry of Magic has decided to put under arrest... Rubeus Hagrid, our gamekeeper." This started another round of conversations. "Listen to me carefully, now. Some of you may have heard stories about Hagrid, but I can guarantee you, and so do all the staff of the school, that Hagrid had nothing to do with this year's attacks. We hope to be able to prove his innocence very soon. Professor Sprout and Madam Pomfrey estimate that it is only a matter of weeks before the Mandrakes are ready. Then we will reanimate all those who were Petrified, and one of them will certainly be able to tell us who attacked them. In the meantime, I ask you to remain cautious. Remain in your common rooms the most you can, and never travel alone in the corridors. I wish you a good day."

The wish sounded hollow. Even Professor McGonagall didn't sound like she believed her own words.

No one left the common room of Hufflepuff this day. It was packed full. With the sheer number of people inside, and despite the fact that everyone talked in hushed voices, the common room sounded louder than ever.

"Hagrid, really?" Hannah asked everybody when they sat down on the couches. "You think that it could be him who attacked everybody?"

"He's scary," Sally-Anne said. "I never dare to approach his hut."

"It's true that he can be frightening," Megan added. "He once hit me on the shoulder so hard that he almost broke my legs. And he was smiling while doing so."

"Perhaps," Susan said in a very low voice next to Hannah.

"And now Dumbledore is gone," Wayne said. "I mean, I get it, he couldn't stop the attacks, but come on. It had been months since Justin was Petrified, and all of a sudden, they decide to suspend him? And to replace him by who? How can we be sure that McGonagall will be any better?"

"I guess the Governors just wanted to show our parents that they were doing something," Ernie muttered. "But I don't think my parents will be happy to learn that he's no longer headmaster."

"Hey, you heard McGonagall," Hannah said. "It's temporary. He will be back soon."

"When?" Ernie asked. "I mean, if they really wanted to name someone capable of stopping the attacks, they would already have done so. If Dumbledore is not here, you really believe the other teachers will be able to stop all that?" No one replied. "Susan, your aunt is at the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Surely there's something she can do. Susan? Susan?"

He had to call her a few times before she looked back at him. It was as if Susan was on another planet.

"Susan, is there something your aunt could do to stop all this?" Ernie asked.

"I don't know. Hogwarts is a little outside the boundaries of the Ministry's sphere of action. There's like... a tradition, or a custom to let the school's authorities deal with everything that happens here, even crimes. The Ministry never had any problem with that because Albus Dumbledore has been the headmaster for a very long time. Now that he's gone though..." She trailed off.

"That didn't stop them from arresting the gamekeeper and suspending Dumbledore," Wayne pointed out.

"No, these are two different things," Susan said. "If I understood correctly, the Ministry of Magic arrested Hagrid. I don't know why. But Dumbledore's suspension... It's not coming from the Ministry. It's the Board of Governors. Only the Board can suspend Hogwarts' Headmaster. The Ministry of Magic has no authority on this. Anyway, Cornelius Fudge is a great friend of Dumbledore. He's always asking for his advice, and Dumbledore gives it to him all the time. My aunt herself has a lot of respect for him. The suspension is not coming from the Ministry of Magic, I'm sure about that."

"Well, whoever suspended Dumbledore, it changes nothing to the fact that he's gone," Megan declared. "And we don't know when he'll be back."

"But why arrest Hagrid?" Ernie asked everybody but looking at Susan as if she held the answers.

"I don't know," Susan said. "I don't get it. I mean, Hagrid was never suspected of being behind the attacks, wasn't he?"

No one answered, but it was obvious that the name of the gamekeeper never came to anyone's mind when they wondered who opened the Chamber of Secrets. They suspected people in Slytherin, and Harry Potter as well, of course, but never did they suspect the large and tall gamekeeper.

"Though..." Susan began. Everyone was locked on her lips, waiting. She seemed to be thinking about something. "Well, there's something. You remember when Justin was attacked? Well, just before he fell upon me and Justin, Harry told me that he walked into Hagrid, maybe only a minute before." Hannah and the others looked between them. They all understood what it meant. Hagrid was near the scene of the crime when Justin was Petrified.

"So it would be Hagrid who attacked Justin," Wayne stated.

"I'm not sure, Wayne. I mean... To my knowledge, he wasn't anywhere close the other times someone was attacked. Do you remember if he was in the Great Hall on Halloween's night?"

Susan had asked the question to everyone. Hannah searched her memory. "I think that he was there, yes," she replied. "Yes, I think I remember him sitting at the staff's table. I mean, he's so big. It's hard to not notice him."

"True," Ernie said. "I have to say, if he is the one who Petrified everyone, I wonder how he managed to do this without anyone noticing him around. For Hagrid, trying to be discreet... It would be like trying to hide a dragon in our dormitory."

"I heard he was expelled from Hogwarts," Megan said.

"Yes, some say it was in his fourth year, but others pretend he may have been younger than that," Hannah said. For gossips and personal stories, she was the most well informed in Hufflepuff.

"Well, if he didn't even finish school, how could he Petrify someone?" Megan asked, perplexed all of a sudden.

"That doesn't mean anything," Ernie said. "You saw the pumpkins he brought into the Great Hall at Halloween? It's impossible that he could grow them so much without using some magic." Ernie shrugged. "Perhaps he did it. If the Ministry of Magic arrested him, they must at least suspect him of something."

"That doesn't make any sense," Susan whispered.

"Susan, he was near Justin when he was Petrified. And unlike Potter, he was at Hogwarts for Halloween. What's telling us he didn't Petrify the cat, then came to the Great Hall, where everyone was, knowing no one would find Mrs Norris before the end of the feast. This way, he could have an alibi. And furthermore, we're all used to seeing him around the school. He may be able to go unnoticed more than we think."

"But how could he have Petrified Hermione and Randolph Burrow without anyone noticing him around?" Susan said, unnerved, rubbing her forehead. "They were close to the library. How could he have gone there without anyone seeing him?"

"I don't know," Ernie finally said. "At least, the Ministry is taking it seriously. I just hope they arrested the right guy."

Everyone seemed to agree. Hannah tried to change the ideas of everyone by suggesting they play games. She herself went to play wizard chess with Susan. However, her friend, who usually was the best chess player of the group, was beaten easily by Hannah, and also by Ernie. She didn't seem into the game, and often had to be called by the person with who she played when it was her turn.

Lunch time didn't prove to be any better than breakfast. However, this time, the Slytherins behaved louder. They weren't yelling or shouting, but they spoke so loudly in comparison of the rest of the Great Hall, which was almost completely silent, that it was hard for anybody to not hear them. Draco Malfoy was especially loud.

"Dumbledore is the worst Headmaster this school ever had. You'll see, soon the Board of Governors will name a new director. This suspension thing is only temporary. Dumbledore will be fired pretty soon. My father will make sure of that," he was saying, with his few friends laughing around him. Hannah noticed though that even at the table of Slytherins, some people didn't feel comfortable with Malfoy bragging like this.

"I guess this Hagrid will not last a single week in Azkaban. He must probably be crying for his mother right now. Not that I think he ever had one."

New laughs. Hannah never liked Draco Malfoy, but now her dislike of him was reaching new heights.

"I wonder who the next victim will be. Mudbloods should pack their things and leave the castle immediately. After all, who says the next one will only be Petrified? He could die. I hope so."

The hostility towards the Slytherins was palpable. Hannah saw Susan and Ernie gripping their forks very tightly. Hannah herself, in this very moment, wanted nothing more than to smack Malfoy in the face.

As they stood up from their table, Susan went to the Gryffindor's table. Hannah saw her exchanging a few words with Harry and Ronald. Susan then walked quickly to catch on Hannah and the others. On their way, Susan somewhat took Hannah apart from the others.

"They don't allow visits to the hospital wing anymore. They're afraid that the culprit might come to finish his work," she told Hannah.

"That's what you asked Harry and Ronald?"

"Yes. I wanted to visit Hermione, but they told me it's not allowed anymore." Susan sighed. "Hannah, it doesn't make any sense that Hagrid Petrified Hermione and Burrow."

"Are you sure? I mean, if the Ministry of Magic arrested him..."

"I'm going to ask my aunt about this, but... I mean, after I found Justin, I had to tell Dumbledore everything that happened. And while I was telling him what I saw, Hagrid just burst into the office, roaring that it wasn't Harry who did it. He said that he was talking to Harry just before Justin was found."

That was something Susan never told her. "Okay, so?"

"Well, why would Hagrid say that if he was behind the attacks? I mean, why not let Harry take the blame?"

Hannah had to admit she didn't know. "Maybe it's because he just didn't want Harry to get the blame. I saw Harry and his friends going to visit Hagrid a few times. They seem quite close to him."

"Yes," Susan conceded. "And that's what I don't understand either. Hermione told me that Hagrid was a friend of hers. If Hermione was his friend, then why Petrify her?"

Hannah, again, was at a loss. "I don't know."

The afternoon was tensed in their common room. After the somewhat gloomy excitement provoked by the news at breakfast, people seemed to have fallen into a deep state of weariness. Hannah and her friends tried to play Exploding Snap, but it didn't succeed to make them forget about everything or to cheer them up, not even a little. At least, it occupied their time. Susan wrote a letter to both her parents and her aunt. She wasn't there any further while they played.

Around them, there were a few conversations taking place.

"I always found this Hagrid weird," one said.

"I think it's Potter who did it," another stated.

"There's been a victim in every house except Slytherin. The heir must be one of them."

"He must be in last grade. I mean, if he can control a monster or Petrify people, it's got to be someone with experience."

Hannah and her friends didn't talk much. However, at one point, Ernie was playing chess with Susan. But they played very slowly. Both seemed very focused, but Hannah had the distinct impression that it wasn't by the game of chess that their minds were so occupied.

"Hey, Susan. You remember, what you told me once. You said that perhaps Harry Potter was being framed," Ernie said in a low voice.

"Yes, I remember," Susan replied faintly. Hannah didn't think anyone else but her could make out what they were saying.

"Well, you know, I've been thinking about it. I think you may be right. What if someone was trying to frame Potter since the beginning? Just so that people wouldn't suspect the real culprit."

"Maybe," Susan said unconvincingly. Hannah was surprised that Susan didn't show any enthusiasm, when Ernie finally believed in a theory Susan had put forward herself months ago.

"Well... We know someone who hates Harry Potter. Who's been hating him ever since the first day he arrived at Hogwarts. Someone who also happens to hate Muggle-borns, and who doesn't hide it. Draco Malfoy."

"Maybe." Susan's eyes didn't leave the chessboard.

"He's the one who made this snake appear at the Duelling Club. Who's telling us that he didn't push it towards Justin through the spell he cast? And he treated Hermione of Mudblood earlier this year. He also said after Mrs Norris was found that soon it would be Muggle-borns who would be targeted. And he was there this night at Halloween. He particularly hated Hermione. I guess he was jealous that she was better than him in everything, especially since her parents were Muggles."

"Probably."

"Well, I have to say, after seeing Harry's face when we found Hermione, I think Malfoy makes a much better heir of Slytherin. Plus, I remember something. His father is sitting on the Board of Governors. I wouldn't be surprised if he's the one who pushed for Dumbledore to be taken away."

Hannah listened attentively to Ernie's arguments. They all made perfect sense. Draco Malfoy was a spoiled, hateful, despicable, insufferable... hateful brat. Hannah wished she could find words to better describe him, but none seemed strong enough, especially after the comments he made during lunch.

At dinner, it was no better. Malfoy continued to joke and mock the situation, insulting Dumbledore, McGonagall, and all the other professors but Snape. Though, it was Professor Snape who left the staff's table, went to the table of Slytherins, grabbed Malfoy by the arm, and forced him out of the Great Hall without dessert. For perhaps the first time since they arrived in Hogwarts, many students appreciated Snape.

After spending a sleepless night, Hannah decided that she would go to bed early tonight. She went to her dormitory as soon as they came back from dinner. She let herself fall on her bed without changing, exhausted despite the fact they almost did nothing today. She had not drawn the curtains, so when Susan walked in to sleep as well, she drew them for Hannah. She fell asleep not long later.

The next morning, Hannah woke up from an agitated sleep. She had woken up at least three times during the night. She didn't have the impression to have slept a lot. Susan didn't look any better. She had dark circles around her eyes, her eyes were red, and her hair so tangled that they looked to be twice the size of Hermione's. When Hannah went to look at herself in the mirror, she realized that she didn't look much better. Sally-Anne was barely better, and only Megan looked like she had enough sleep.

Courses resumed today. They were ordered by Professor Sprout to go to the Great Hall together. Hannah barely had time to arrange her hair into pigtails and to brush it to make it look somewhat decent. In the Great Hall, the mood was just as miserable as yesterday. They all ate in silence. Many looked like they would need a good night of sleep, especially those who Hannah knew were Muggle-borns.

Hannah had the impression she barely had time to begin her breakfast when the professors ordered them to form lines in order to escort them to their respective courses. Professor Sprout arranged the second-year students from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. However, Susan went to see the professor before they were ready. Her friend was in a terrible state. She had not bothered to brush her hair before coming to the Great Hall, something she usually always did. Hannah didn't hear what Susan and Professor Sprout talked about, but she saw the professor nodding in a comprehensive way. She led Susan to Mr Filch, who led her outside the Great Hall. Hannah had no idea why.

All the others followed Professor Sprout to the greenhouses. Not a word was exchanged on the way. Sally-Anne was even more sullen than usual. The ambiance in the greenhouse was so empty. Three students were missing, Justin, Hermione and Susan. Hannah wondered why she was escorted out of the Great Hall by Filch.

They didn't work on Mandrakes. They had reached an advanced stage of their development, and Professor Sprout told them they were too important now to risk the students manipulating the plants. Instead, she set them to work on Abyssinian Shrivelfigs. As they began to take their places, four people per plant, Hannah noticed Harry and Ronald alone working on one. She and Ernie had decided to work together. Hannah wanted to work with Megan and Sally-Anne, but they already found two other partners.

"Hey, Ernie," Hannah said, pointing towards Harry and his friend. Ernie squeezed his lips into a thin line when he understood what she meant. "Come on. I think it's time to make peace."

Ernie looked at the two boys, then nodded and walked straight to them. Hannah followed suit. They stopped on the other side of the plant, and both Harry and Ronald looked at them.

"What do you want?" Ron asked, obviously hostile.

"Need some help?" Ernie asked, uncertain. Harry nodded. He didn't seem angry, like when he surprised their conversation in the library. He just looked... sad, like all of them.

As they started to cut dead twigs, Ernie plunged.

"Harry, there's something I want to say. I'm sorry I ever suspected you. I know you'd never attacked Hermione Granger, and I apologize for all the stuff I said. We're all in the same boat now, and, well..."

Ernie did something Hannah didn't expect. He offered his hand to shake. She wanted Ernie to get on better terms with Harry, of course, but... To her surprise, Harry shook it, almost without hesitation. The two boys didn't say anything else. Hannah guessed there was nothing else to say.

"I'm sorry me too, Harry," she added. She had believed that he was the heir of Slytherin for a time, after all.

Harry nodded. "Thank you, Hannah."

They set to work on their plant.

"Susan told me they don't allow visitors in the infirmary. Is it true?" she asked the two boys of Gryffindor after a moment.

"It's true," Harry replied ruefully.

"As if we were a threat," Ronald mocked. "What? Is Madam Pomfrey still expecting Harry to visit Hermione only so that he can kill all the other people who were Petrified?"

Harry gave a nudge in the ribs of his friend at this moment.

"They're probably just trying to protect us all," Ernie said. "I wish I could visit Justin me too."

"Me too," Hannah said.

"Don't worry, my children," Professor Sprout told them in a very kind voice. She had approached them without anyone noticing. "The Mandrakes are almost grown up. Your friends will not stay Petrified for long. You'll see them again soon."

"Thank you, Professor," Hannah told her.

Professor nodded. "Be careful with that twig, Miss Abbott. You're cutting it too short."

Hannah tried to correct her method, and Ernie showed her how to better do it.

"I wonder what they're going to do next," Ernie said. "I mean, they practically locked us into classrooms and our common rooms. I wonder if that's going to be enough."

"Let's hope so," Harry said.

Ron threw air. "I don't think it's the Fat Lady who's going to stop the heir of Slytherin if he decides to attack someone in the Tower of Gryffindor. The monster already went after two of us, and our ghost. I don't think he will have scruples about attacking a portrait."

Hannah fidgeted at these words. Would their own entrance at Hufflepuff would be enough to repel the heir of Slytherin?

"Well, there's one common that I'm pretty sure the monster will never attack," Ernie said. "Slytherin's common room."

"What a genius you are," Ron said, obviously not believing it.

"It's true. There hasn't been a single victim in Slytherin."

"Maybe because it is the heir of Slytherin who attacks people. He wouldn't attack his own."

"Unless there are Muggle-borns in Slytherin. Are there, by the way?" Harry asked.

Both Ernie and Hannah had no idea.

"One thing is certain, that Draco Malfoy is no Muggle-born," Ernie said.

"Too bad," Ronald replied. "The monster might kill him next then."

Hannah was horrified by what he just said. Malfoy might be despicable, but to the point of killing him?

"That Draco Malfoy character!" Ernie cut the twig dry. "He's bragging all the time, as if the situation was amusing. He even did it this morning."

"We know, Ernie," Harry said. He looked very tired. "We all heard him."

"He seems very pleased about all this, doesn't he? You know, I think that's him who is Slytherin's heir."

"That's clever of you," Ron sarcastically said. Hannah wished he behaved better with Ernie. He apologized to Harry, and Harry seemed to have accepted it, much better than Ronald.

Hannah looked at Harry. He may not be dating her, but it was obvious he took Hermione's Petrification very hard. Hannah would never forget the expression in his eyes when he saw his friend lying on the floor two days ago. She wished that she could comfort it in some way, but no word came to her mind.

"Do you think it's Malfoy, Harry?" Ernie asked him.

"No. It's not Malfoy," Harry said firmly.

Hannah was surprised, and so Ernie seemed to be, by his apparent certitude.

"But..." Hannah nudged him in the ribs, like Harry did for Ronald a moment ago.

It was probably better to not extend on the subject. She didn't think it would make any one of them feel better. Hannah herself was tired of always wondering who Slytherin's heir was. She decided to resume the discussion on another topic.

"By the way, Harry, it was a nice catch you did at the Quidditch game."

"Oh, thanks," he said. "Sorry we won against your team."

Hannah shrugged. "It's not the first time. We're used to it."

"Well, the one against Slytherin was much better," Ernie said. "You remember when Malfoy fell off his broomstick. He was holding his..." Ernie pointed a part of his body down. Hannah laughed, and even Harry and Ronald joined them to a certain point. "I just wished Malfoy got hurt a little bit more. You know, a ripped off arm? A leg cut into pieces? A gouged out eye?"

"Two gouged out eyes, you mean," Ronald said.

"Why not a severed head while we're at it?"

"Or," Hannah tried, blushing a little at the idea of what she was about to suggest, "perhaps just the thing you talked about before Ernie, but no longer functioning."

The three boys looked at her queerly for a moment, before laughing as well. The atmosphere was a little lightened up by this. Sadly, the rest of the day didn't go much better, and the sense of dread lingered on the whole school at all moments of the day.

Hannah didn't see Susan for the whole day. It was only at dinner that they met her at the Hufflepuff table.

"Where have you been the whole day?" Hannah said, sitting next to her.

"Sleeping," Susan said.

"Sleeping?"

"Yes. I told Professor Sprout that I didn't feel well at all. So she sent me with Filch to the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey told me that I was just lacking sleep. She sent me back to our dormitory so I could get some, and she gave me a potion to make sure that I slept."

"You missed the day... because you told Madam Pomfrey that you couldn't sleep?" Hannah asked, unbelieving.

"Look, Hannah. I didn't think she would send me back to our common room. In fact, I was trying to get into the hospital wing to see Hermione and Justin. I thought that, since I looked not well at all anyway, I could try. The worst that could happen was for Madam Pomfrey to send me back into class. Instead, she ordered me to get some sleep. It is true that I haven't slept at all these last two nights."

"Not at all?" Hannah asked. She had trouble sleeping herself, but she had managed to get some last night, even if only a little.

"Not at all," Susan confirmed.

"Did you get to see Justin and the others?" Ernie asked her. He had heard the whole conversation.

"No. They were hidden behind screens. I couldn't see anything. I even asked Madam Pomfrey to let me see them from afar, under her surveillance, just so that I could tell everyone they were fine, but she wouldn't. There's no way to visit them," she concluded, discouraged.

Hannah couldn't believe that Susan faked an illness and went into the infirmary under a false pretext. If someone was serious about respecting rules, it was Susan, even more than the usual Hufflepuff. But then, it was to see her friends. Hannah had to admit she felt ashamed to not have thought about it herself.

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