Chapter 383: An Unusual Path
Chapter 383: An Unusual Path
Harry's first night as a fifth-year was far from ordinary.
It was Hermione who first noticed that Dumbledore and Sherlock were absent from the Great Hall.
After her reminder, Ron and Harry finally noticed the two empty seats at the staff table.
The first-years had not yet arrived at the Great Hall, and the Feast had not officially begun, so Harry and the others did not initially think it was a significant issue.
"Maybe Professor Dumbledore and Professor Forrest are in the Headmaster's Office discussing something?" Harry speculated. "The Order of the Phoenix has been very busy lately, so they probably haven't had much free time."
Ron chimed in, "Or they might be welcoming a new professor for the semester. I wonder if there will be any new professors this year."
"Is Mad-Eye Moody not coming to Hogwarts this year?" Hermione asked, puzzled.
Harry shook his head. "I overheard them talking about it at breakfast. Mad-Eye Moody has other duties and won't be able to come to Hogwarts this year."
Hermione's face showed a hint of disappointment. "I was hoping to ask him about some things related to the Ministry of Magic. Looks like I won't have the chance."
As she said this, Ron's eyes widened in surprise. "You're still so interested in the Ministry of Magic? At 12 Grimmauld Place, you already asked my dad and Kingsley enough questions! What are you thinking, Hermione?"
Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron's dramatic reaction. "What else could I be thinking? I just want to understand more about the wizarding world's political structure. This summer, I read a lot of books about Muggle political systems. In comparison, the Ministry of Magic, with its loose governance, seems quite unique, but it does fit the nature of the wizarding society."
Harry and Ron exchanged a glance. They had spent the entire summer with Hermione and knew exactly what she had been reading.
But the more they knew, the more they felt that Hermione was on a path they had never considered.
They couldn't quite decide if this was good or bad, but the feeling was unsettling.
After advancing to their fifth year, Ron and Hermione were both selected as Gryffindor Prefects. Ron was visibly excited about this, but he still felt a bit awkward and uncomfortable around Harry.
After all, considering both fame and magical prowess, the Prefect position should have gone to Harry. However, for reasons unknown, Professor Mcgonagall chose Ron.
Harry didn't really mind. He had never been particularly interested in power or the limelight.
In fact, he was quite content to have a lighter load, which gave him more time to talk to Lily in private.
As they were chatting, Professor Mcgonagall entered the Great Hall with the first-years.
Her expression was clearly troubled, and most of the students in the Great Hall finally noticed something was wrong.
Dumbledore and Sherlock still hadn't returned.
Even the professors sitting at the staff table looked puzzled. A few of them turned to Silke for answers, but she only frowned and shook her head. Sherlock had not mentioned his plans for the day when he left home.
The Great Hall was in a din when a golden-red light suddenly flickered beside Professor Mcgonagall. Fawkes appeared in the Great Hall, drawing the attention of everyone present.
The students let out a chorus of gasps, and the first-years, who had just been brought in, stared wide-eyed at the red bird.
Most students in the castle were familiar with Fawkes, as anyone who had visited the Headmaster's Office had likely seen the phoenix.
However, this was the first time Fawkes had appeared in the Great Hall in such a public manner.
Professor Mcgonagall's brow furrowed as she retrieved the letter from Fawkes. After reading it quickly, her expression visibly improved.
"Professor Dumbledore and Professor Forrest are currently occupied with some matters and won't be able to attend the opening Feast tonight. So, we will begin without them."
She didn't elaborate further, and the letter from Dumbledore contained only that much information.
The chatter in the Great Hall did not diminish; in fact, it grew louder. The Sorting Ceremony began amidst this atmosphere.
Without Dumbledore, the customary welcoming speech at the end of the Feast was absent, and even the Weasley Twins' favorite school song segment was canceled.
After a sumptuous dinner, the students were led back to their common rooms by the Prefects of each House.
When Ron, who was a Prefect, distributed the new term's schedules and returned to the dormitory, they began discussing the unusual nature of the opening Feast.
"Maybe Professor Forrest discovered the Dark Lord's hiding place and went to capture him with Professor Dumbledore tonight", Seamus said, his face filled with speculation.
Neville nodded vigorously in agreement.
The summer's rumors had elevated Sherlock's reputation in the wizarding world to a level that rivaled, and in some ways even surpassed, Dumbledore's.
The students at Hogwarts were particularly enthusiastic, as Sherlock taught them every day, fostering a sense of shared pride and concern.
Harry and Ron remained silent, not joining in the conversation.
The Order of the Phoenix was not a secret, but it wasn't something to be discussed casually, especially since Seamus's speculation had some merit.
Though they weren't privy to the adults' meetings, they could infer from snippets of conversation that Dumbledore and Sherlock were focusing their main efforts on the Dark Lord, while others were closely monitoring the Death Eaters.
After a few more words in the dormitory, they each climbed into bed to sleep.
Harry felt unusually tired, though he hadn't done much all day. As soon as his head hit the pillow, his consciousness began to blur, as if he were about to drift off to sleep.
Beside his pillow, the old Pendant Box he had brought from 12 Grimmauld Place glowed faintly with a green light, barely noticeable. The box, which had been impossible to open before, now seemed to loosen, with a greenish glow seeping through the cracks.
As Harry fell deeper into sleep, his face began to contort in pain, his brow furrowed, as if he were having an unpleasant nightmare.
(End of Chapter)
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