At dinnertime, in Hogwarts' Great Hall.
The atmosphere in the dining hall was quiet, devoid of the usual noise and bustle of mealtime. Students at all four tables silently ate with their heads lowered. It was obvious that no one was in the mood to chat.
Many seats at the staff table were empty. Only Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout attended the feast that evening. Compared with the lifeless students, they looked slightly better.
The most deathly silent Houses were undoubtedly Hufflepuff and Slytherin. The news that Roy and Aisling had been rescued had not yet been made public. In everyone's eyes, the two of them had been missing for weeks, and many feared they had already died in America.
Elias, the culprit behind all this, was also nowhere to be found. He had once been the most beloved professor among all the students in the school. Who could have imagined that the handsome, popular professor would transform into a kidnapper and attacker? It was truly lamentable.
By now, everyone had more or less guessed who was behind the Christmas attack. But compared with a traitorous professor, what was even harder to believe was that the Aurors stationed at Hogwarts to protect the students had been infiltrated by a large number of Dark wizards. When the news appeared in the Daily Prophet, many students found it utterly unbelievable.
Dumbledore and Snape had not shown themselves again either. So much time had passed that many students had lost hope. Everyone thought it was only a matter of time. Once Dumbledore and Snape returned, they would probably be holding memorial services for Roy and Aisling.
Dinner continued in silence. Of the four House tables, the atmosphere at Gryffindor and Ravenclaw was somewhat better, while Hufflepuff and Slytherin were as dead as could