Chapter 667: The Dismissed High Inquisitor
The news of Voldemort's return caused an uproar at Hogwarts. No matter where you went, conversations about it filled the air.
Students from magical families were particularly shaken, their fear of Voldemort deeply ingrained and now rekindled after reading the newspaper. Even the professors weren't immune to the tension; groups of two or three could often be seen huddling in the corridors, speaking in hushed tones that ceased abruptly whenever a student approached.
This wasn't the case for everyone, though. In Slytherin, the atmosphere was starkly different. Among the pure-blood students, excitement buzzed through the air, as if it were Christmas morning.
At lunch, Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode strutted into the Great Hall with their heads held high, their shrill laughter echoing nonstop. They moved like peacocks displaying their feathers, oblivious to the tension gripping the rest of the school.
"Look at those two turkeys again," Susan Bones muttered in disgust. "I'm sure someone in their family is a Death Eater."
The Bones family's long-standing support of the Order of the Phoenix had placed them in direct opposition to the Death Eaters for over a decade, leaving behind an unshakable animosity. That hatred had simmered quietly while Voldemort was gone and his most infamous followers were imprisoned. But with his return and the recent Azkaban breakout, old hostilities had flared anew, and sides were once again clearly drawn.
Susan usually held no particular grudge against most Slytherins, but recent events had altered her perspective.
"Hey, what are you all talking about?"
Fred and George Weasley joined the Hufflepuff table unceremoniously, taking seats as if they belonged there.
"Those two, obviously," Mikel said, nodding toward the Slytherin table where Pansy and Millicent were loudly holding court.
"Do you think they're on the Death Eaters' side?"