"Well, our excellent Professor Lockhart. Didn't you notice someone was missing from your class today?" Snape asked with biting sarcasm.
"Really? I must have stayed up too late studying last night. I was so tired I didn't notice!" Lockhart gave an awkward laugh, then scanned the room.
At Snape's words, the students began whispering among themselves.
"Malfoy isn't here!" Jerry spotted the missing student at once. Goyle and Crabbe, his two lackeys, were both present. Only Malfoy was gone.
Harry and the others soon noticed too. Harry leaned toward Ron and Neville. "No wonder the classroom seemed so quiet today. Malfoy didn't come to class!"
Slytherin and Gryffindor were taking the lesson together, but there still weren't many students. And Malfoy was hardly the quiet type. Before long, everyone knew whom Snape meant.
Snape ignored the bewildered Lockhart, walked straight over to Goyle and Crabbe, and took them away.
"Students, read your textbooks for now. I'll be back shortly!" Lockhart said, finally catching on. Then he turned and hurried out the door.
As soon as Lockhart disappeared, the quiet classroom became as noisy as Diagon Alley. Everyone began talking loudly about Malfoy, and chaos broke out.
"Could Draco Malfoy have been attacked by the heir of the Chamber of Secrets too? He's a Slytherin pure-blood. That's terrifying!"
"Do you think Harry Potter really did it? None of the other Slytherins have been hurt. Only Malfoy, who offended him."
"Who knows? Maybe Malfoy just overslept, or maybe he didn't want to attend Lockhart's class!"
"Jerry, do you think something might have happened to Malfoy...?" Hermione asked worriedly, listening to the students around her.
"Malfoy's probably fine," Jerry said thoughtfully. Snape had been in a hurry, but Jerry had heard no worry or anxiety in his voice or seen any on