Harry stopped dead, his expression stiffening.
He had heard that voice again. That hoarse, chilling voice that made anyone uneasy the moment they heard it.
"What's wrong?" Padma and Turpin, who had been chatting and laughing, asked in puzzlement when Harry suddenly stopped. Noticing that he looked rather pale, Padma moved a little closer. "Are you feeling unwell?"
"Ah... no, nothing... I just suddenly thought of something." Harry came back to himself and gave a couple of dry laughs. From Padma's and Sally's reactions, he could already be certain that neither of them had heard that voice just now.
Just like last time in Lockhart's office, I was the only one who heard it again. Was it really whispers?
More than a month had passed since he last heard the whispers. Harry had thought it was over, but just as he was about to forget about it, the voice had unexpectedly returned.
No!
Don't investigate. Don't pay attention!
Harry recalled what Ron and Neville had said and decided that, no matter what, he must not pay any attention to something so terrifying.
"Are you really all right?" Padma asked, a little worried.
"I really am. I've just been studying hard these past couple of days, so I'm a little tired. For a moment, I thought I'd forgotten to do my Transfiguration homework. But then I remembered I'd already finished it."
Harry made up an excuse to get past Padma's questions. Seeing that there really did seem to be nothing wrong with him, Padma did not dwell on it.
The three of them went inside and headed toward the Great Hall, the two girls chatting and laughing. Harry forced himself to look calm, but his thoughts churned, refusing to settle.
Fortunately, just like last time, the voice had been fleeting. It