82 It’s time (1/2)

The other victim was a sixth-year girl with long, curly hair. A Ravenclaw called Penelope Clearwater.

However, no one except Percy Wesley and her friends seemed to really care about her. They were occupied with another thing.

The disappearance of Arthur Kingscrown.

No one knew where he had gone. It was as if he had never existed in the first place. All traces of him disappeared.

Professor McGonagall guided the numb Ron and Harry back to the Gryffindor Common room where she made an announcement.

”All students will return to their House common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities.”

The Gryffindors packed inside the common room listened to Professor McGonagall in silence. She rolled up the parchment from which she had been reading and said in a somewhat choked voice, ”I need hardly add that I have rarely been so distressed. It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward.”

She climbed somewhat awkwardly out of the portrait hole, and the Gryffindors began talking immediately.

”That's four Gryffindors down, counting in Arthur who is missing, one Ravenclaw, and one Hufflepuff, ” said the Weasley twins' friend Lee Jordan, counting on his fingers. ”Haven't any of the teachers noticed that the Slytherins are all safe? Isn't it obvious all this stuff's coming from Slytherin? The Heir of Slytherin, the monster of Slytherin — why don't they just chuck all the Slytherins out?” he roared, to nods and scattered applause.

Percy Weasley was sitting in a chair behind Lee, but for once he didn't seem keen to make his views heard. He was looking pale and stunned.

”Percy's in shock,” George told Harry quietly. ”That Ravenclaw girl — Penelope Clearwater — she's a prefect. I don't think he thought the monster would dare attack a prefect.”

But Harry was only half-listening. He didn't seem to be able to get rid of the picture of Hermione, lying on the hospital bed as though carved out of stone. He also couldn't help but feel a sense of loss at the realization that Arth has disappeared.

For the first time in his life, Harry felt powerless. He felt as though he was useless and unable to do anything without the help of his smart friends.

He felt alone.

And the feeling choked him, as if a hand had grabbed his heart and was slowly squeezing it tighter and tighter.

Ron blanket walked over to Harry and sat down right next to him.

”It can't get any worse can it?”