Zheng Qing had not, in the end, sunk to the level of the Yellow Flower Cat. He could not bring himself to trick children out of their treasures.
So Harry was able to return safely to Hogwarts Castle with his Invisibility Cloak.
The next morning, when Harry came downstairs for breakfast, he discovered that the Great Hall, usually noisy and bustling, was unusually quiet. Young wizards from every year were crowded behind the long tables. Everyone seemed to be eating, yet everyone ate absentmindedly. Many leaned together and whispered, not daring to speak loudly.
The teachers' table at the end of the hall was especially crowded today as well.
Lupin sat beside Professor Flitwick, with Snape, his face gloomy, on the other side. Trelawney was wrapped in an enormous shawl, nervously fiddling with the tea leaves before her. The bread in Professor McGonagall's hand had remained suspended in midair from the moment Harry entered, and she still had not put it into her mouth by the time he sat down. Even Professor Binns, who taught History of Magic, was there—Harry remembered that even at the opening feast, the professors' attendance had not been this complete. Unlike the students, the professors did not whisper to one another much, but few of them were actually eating either. Everyone wore grave expressions as they flipped through the newspapers before them.
Harry quickly found his two good friends at the table.
Ron was absentmindedly eating a bacon sandwich that he ordinarily would never have touched. Harry remembered clearly that when they had left the dormitory that morning, Ron had still been excitedly talking about the Quidditch friendly between the Slytherin Team and the Oceania Team that would be held that weekend.
"—I don't know how strong this Oceania Team is, but I hope their