As he descended into the Entrance Hall, Ron shivered several times at the gust of cold wind blowing in and stopped, instinctively looking outside.
A misty drizzle shrouded the gray world. Far away, the peaks rising at the very edge of his vision had already been touched with a streak of white.
That whiteness seemed to be spreading, like winter quietly drawing near.
At the usual mealtime, the Great Hall's bustle had suddenly diminished by more than half. The hall, made quiet by the absence of so many students, filled everyone entering for breakfast with an odd feeling.
The oppressive mood born from that strangeness made the Great Hall even quieter than usual.
There were only a few people at the staff table.
Professor Trelawney, who loved staying in her tower, was absent as usual. Hagrid also sometimes remained in his hut to look after the animals, while Professor Lahansen, like Hagrid, preferred staying in his wooden cabin to commune with nature.
Other than those three, the rest of the staff rarely missed mealtimes. Yet today, only Professor Dumbledore and Professor Bubage were chatting at the staff table.
It was rare for all four Heads of House to be absent together.
"Maybe they went to Hogsmeade for a meal—"
Facing Ron's confusion, Lavender said fearlessly.
It was certainly possible. Professors were ordinary wizards too; they needed to socialize, relax, and rest.
Ron nodded and did not dwell on the matter, though he still felt an inexplicable unease.
Perhaps it was just an illusion created by the quiet Great Hall.
By the time Ron sat down, he had cast those stray thoughts from his mind.
One advantage of there being fewer people was that nothing blocked his view.
A few upper-year students were scattered across the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables.
The