𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝟐 & 𝐇𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭

𝙁𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨

    "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," Professor McGonagall announced.

    The Gryffindors packed inside the common room listened to Professor McGonagall in silence. She rolled up the parchment from which she had been reading and said in a somewhat choked voice, "I need hardly add that I have rarely been so distressed. It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward."

    She climbed somewhat awkwardly out of the portrait hole, and the Gryffindors began talking immediately.

    "That's two Gryffindors down, not counting a Gryffindor ghost, one Ravenclaw, and one Hufflepuff," said a boy in his Fourth-Year to his friend, counting on his fingers.

    "Haven't any of the teachers noticed that the Slytherins are all safe? Isn't it obvious all this stuff's coming from Slytherin? The Heir of Slytherin, the monster of Slytherin - why don't they just chuck all the Slytherins out?" A third-year roared, to nods and scattered applause.

    Lee Ju Yeon was sitting in a chair behind them, but for once he didn't seem keen to make his views heard. He was looking pale and stunned.

    "Juyeon's in shock, from what I heard from Kevin," Chan told Beomgyu, Taehyun, Jisung, and Daniel. "That Ravenclaw girl - Penelope Clearwater - she's a prefect. I don't think he thought the monster would dare attack a prefect."

    But Beomgyu was only half-listening, he hadn't talked since they entered the Hospital Wing. He didn't seem to be able to get rid of the picture of Rio, lying on the hospital bed as though carved out of stone. And if the culprit wasn't caught soon, he was looking at a lifetime back with the Rohs. Tom Riddle had turned Hagrid in because he was faced with the prospect of a Muggle orphanage if the school closed. Beomgyu now knew exactly how he had felt.

    "What're we going to do?" said Daniel quietly "D'you think they suspect Hagrid?"

    "We've got to go and talk to him," said Jisung, making up his mind. "I can't believe it's him this time, but if he set the monster loose last time he'll know how to get inside the Chamber of Secrets, and that's a start."

    "But McGonagall said we've got to stay in our tower unless we're in class—" Daniel reasoned.

    Taehyun, arms crossed, shot Beomgyu a sharp, knowing look. "I know this is what we have to do, but I also know you're thinking irrationally," he said.

    Beomgyu narrowed his eyes at him. "What do you want me to do then?"

    "You're one of the few of us who're going with Jake to see Hagrid. But you're jumping into sharks too quick. You may have seen what really happened, but remember, this is still Hagrid," Taehyun said sternly.

    Daniel looked between them. "Jake said he's never brought it out since we went to get the Philosopher's Stone last year."

    "We'll have to once more," said Beomgyu, "We'll discuss with the others first thing in the morning."

    The night faded and the day had come, but it's summer warmth nearly felt like winter's chilly breath.

    Jake had inherited from the previous year: a long and silvery Invisibility Cloak. It was their only chance of sneaking out of the school to visit Hagrid without anyone knowing about it.