Then these Death Eaters really were crazy enough.
But on second thought, Gerald realized that the Death Eaters really were different from the Saints. In a sense, the Death Eaters really were pure terrorists.
They were all lunatics, every last one a desperado who killed without blinking.
They took pleasure in killing and torturing people.
The explosions continued, coming through the thick stone walls one after another. Each blast made the atmosphere in the Common Room even tenser.
Gradually, frightened voices began to rise from the crowd.
A first-year girl sat huddled in a corner, hugging her knees and sobbing. "Didn't they say Hogwarts was safe? If I'd known, I wouldn't have come. Mum, I want to go home."
Another first-year girl beside her was crying too, and the two clung to each other.
"What are you crying for? Are you really a Gryffindor? I say we should charge out there and fight those invaders to the death!" shouted a boy a size bigger than the other first-years.
Gerald noticed that this was Cormac McLaggen, who had also appeared in the original story.
He stood ramrod straight, gripping his wand tightly, with both fear and excitement in his eyes, as though he had long been waiting for the day he could face a Dark Wizard head-on.
At that moment, Wood also prepared to go out and fight, walking toward the portrait hole with his wand in hand.
Charlie stopped him, and the two began arguing on the spot.
"Go out and fight? Have you gone mad? How old are we? Wouldn't going out there just get us killed? If someone really is attacking Hogwarts, they must be well-trained Dark Wizards. You're a student who hasn't even graduated. How are you going to fight them?"
Charlie's face flushed red as he