Halloween Petrification Incident (5)

Professor McGonagall panted heavily, her face still pale, but most of the tension had faded from her eyes. She glanced at Dumbledore, then silently stepped back a few paces, leaving space for the two old men.

Professor Flitwick dropped onto the floor, gasping for breath, his tiny hands still trembling.

Severus Snape stood in the shadows, his black eyes shifting between Dumbledore and Filch. His expression remained cold, but the hand gripping his wand relaxed slightly, his knuckles no longer white.

At last, his gaze settled on the Cursed Mark symbol on Filch's neck, which had already dimmed. He stared at it for a long time.

Then he looked away and glanced at Draco Malfoy amid the crowd.

Draco looked awful.

The smile at the corner of his mouth had vanished completely, replaced by suppressed rage and unwillingness. A sinister gleam flashed through his gray eyes. His lips were pressed tightly together, and the muscles in his jaw twitched slightly—he was gritting his teeth.

His right hand slipped out of his pocket, empty.

Snape took all of this in and withdrew his gaze without expression.

Dumbledore walked to the wall, his eyes passing over the bloody words without the slightest change in expression. Then he lowered his gaze to Mrs Norris, bent down, and lightly touched the cat's body with his long fingers before pulling them back.

"Madam Pomfrey," he said calmly, "please examine her."

Madam Pomfrey stepped forward, drew her wand, and lightly tapped Mrs Norris. After muttering several detection spells, she frowned and turned around. "Headmaster, Mrs Norris isn't dead. She's been petrified—but what spell or creature caused it will require further examination."

"Petrified?" Filch jerked his head up, tears still streaking his face. "She... she isn't dead?"

"She isn't dead, Argus," Dumbledore said gently. "But she has