By the time Harry and Hermione followed the three professors out of the ward, they discovered that the Hospital Wing had already been blocked off.
Their roommates, Ron's siblings, and several students from their House stood at the entrance, looking inside with hesitant expressions.
"Professor Dumbledore, Professor Breen, Professor McGonagall—"
Seeing them emerge from the ward, Neville asked uncertainly,
"Ron and Lavender...?"
Harry noticed Ginny watching him, and he lowered his head in shame.
"Poppy?"
Dumbledore looked at Madam Pomfrey, his tone and gaze conveying his request perfectly.
"All right—"
Madam Pomfrey sighed and looked at the remaining three Weasley children.
"You three may go in and see them, but only for five minutes!"
Professor McGonagall swept her imposing gaze over the remaining Gryffindor students, and they immediately scattered in all directions.
By the time they reached the Great Hall, the meal had ended. Only small groups of students remained at the long tables, chatting.
They watched curiously as Professor Breen and the others crossed the Entrance Hall and disappeared into the entrance to the Slytherin Dungeon.
Knock, knock, knock—
Amosta knocked on Severus's office door. After receiving permission, he pushed it open and entered first.
After Harry urgently squeezed into Snape's cramped, gloomy office, he found him standing beside a square table in the middle of the room, holding a small scale and weighing the dried corpses of some kind of insects, apparently preparing for a lesson.
As so many people filed into his office one after another, Severus immediately realized that something must have happened.
Especially when he saw Harry glancing about, his visibly sinister gaze fixed on Amosta.
"Are we disturbing you, Severus?"
Amosta asked lightly as he walked over and casually perched on the edge of the square table.
At a time like this, was there