The first weekend of April.
Early in the morning, all the teachers and students of Hogwarts gathered at the castle gates.
Of the nearly thousand students carrying small backpacks, a third were Hufflepuffs.
Helga Hufflepuff had been a witch of great wisdom.
They had the largest number of students, the kitchens were just around the corner, and their dormitories had excellent ventilation and lighting.
They were also the quickest to get back after meals.
Gryffindor and Ravenclaw both had to climb to the Seventh Floor, while Slytherin had a considerable advantage by comparison.
Unfortunately, they had fewer students, so they would be at a disadvantage in a fight.
"Before we set off, I must announce some regrettable news—"
Dumbledore removed his half-moon spectacles and wiped the slightly damp corners of his eyes with his sleeve.
"Professor Snape's experiment met with an accident last night, and he is still lying in the Hospital Wing."
"Praise Merlin!" the twins cheered on the spot.
Quite a few students laughed out loud.
"So—"
Dumbledore put his spectacles back on, his face full of sorrow and loneliness. "So the Slytherin students will be led by Professor McGonagall as well."
"Oh no!" The wail came from Blaise Zabini.
He glanced at the Little Lions on his left, apparently imagining some terrifying scene.
McGonagall might be fair, but some people could barely be restrained even by Snape.
Fred and George were among those staring at him, as was Vincent, whose expression was extremely displeased.
Dumbledore pretended not to smell the gunpowder in the air. "I hope you all have a pleasant weekend.
Now, set off!"
Under the arrangement of the three Heads of House, the students formed three long lines.
Gryffindor and Slytherin together certainly had more students than Hufflepuff.
But a formation like this was not