Chapter 309: A Quiet Christmas
Christmas was approaching, but the mood in the castle was far from festive. The attacks on Nearly Headless Nick and the Bloody Baron had turned the already tense atmosphere into one of genuine fear. Even the ghosts couldn't escape the dread... What kind of terrible force could harm someone who was already dead?
Students were desperate to leave, and even those who had previously planned to stay for the holidays were now begging their professors to let them go. There was a rush to secure seats on the Hogwarts Express, everyone hoping to escape to the safety of home for Christmas.
In the days leading up to the departure, Harry found himself completely isolated. Everywhere he went, people stared at him from afar, keeping their distance yet never letting him out of sight. It was as if they feared he would release the monster from the Chamber of Secrets again at any moment.
"Don't pay any attention to them, Harry," Ron said one evening during dinner, as he slipped a few chicken legs into his bag. "They don't know anything. You've got the Invisibility Cloak—if you really wanted to sneak off and do something, they'd just stand there gawking, none the wiser."
"Yeah, maybe I could give them a real shock with the Invisibility Cloak," Harry replied with a forced smile.
"That's the spirit!" said Ron. "Especially with Macmillan. If you just popped up behind him, he'd probably never try to follow you again."
"Don't be ridiculous, Ron. Harry's in enough trouble as it is," Hermione said, setting a plate of pudding in front of Harry. "Just wait a few more days. The Polyjuice Potion will be ready soon, and we can get Malfoy to talk. Then we'll know the truth."
"I hope so," Harry said, taking a spoonful of pudding. The sweet and tart orange flavor did make him feel a little better.
Beside him, Ron was stowing another piece of toast into his bag.