The first day of November arrived quietly in the pale light of early winter. A cool breeze stirred, and Hogwarts Castle appeared and vanished through the thin morning mist.
"Is it true?"
"It is. They've already taken her to the Hospital Wing!"
"That's terrifying. Do you think we'll be next...?"
After getting up and washing, Jerry came down to the Great Hall and frowned. The mood was unusually tense. Nearly everyone hurried about with their heads lowered, whispering to one another. Unease hung in the air.
"Jerry, over here!"
"What happened? What's wrong with everyone?" Jerry asked as he reached Hermione, gesturing toward the anxious students around them.
"Ron's sister Ginny was attacked this morning. Ron and Harry have both gone to the Hospital Wing!" Hermione sounded uneasy too.
"Are you sure it was Ron's sister, Ginny Weasley?"
Jerry had known Hogwarts would be anything but peaceful for a while, but he hadn't expected Ginny Weasley to be attacked. Had the Basilisk done it? Had Voldemort lost his mind?
"How is she? Was she petrified too?"
"I don't know." Hermione shook her head. "I heard she fell unconscious!"
Could the Apostles have done it? Jerry wondered.
Voldemort needed Ginny Weasley to bring him back to life, so he shouldn't have let anything happen to her yet. And since she was neither dead nor petrified, the Basilisk probably wasn't responsible.
"Let's go to the Hospital Wing and see Ginny."
Jerry nodded. He wanted to find out what had happened too.
"Wait, I forgot something in the Dormitory. I need to go back first. Hermione, you go on to the Hospital Wing. I'll be right there!"
Jerry had been about to go with Hermione, but then he spotted Catherine entering the Great Hall and immediately realized things weren't so simple.
Catherine rarely