The students who had left the hall earlier still had a sense of uneasiness. A student had been attacked in school, and it was hard for other students not to be afraid of such an incident.
Charlie Weasley led the way with a wand in his hand and several senior students who also held wands. He loudly comforted the Gryffindor students.
"Don't be afraid, the professors will definitely find the perpetrator. You must believe in Professor Dumbledore, he is the most powerful wizard in the world!"
Under the leadership of the seniors, the team slowly moved forward. Several students who were less courageous could not control their emotions and began to cry softly.
A few senior girls squeezed through the crowd to comfort the distressed younger students. Under their gentle reassurance, the crying gradually subsided.
Eda, Angelina, and Alicia were protected in the middle by Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, who were themselves surrounded by the rest of the Gryffindor group.
Gryffindor placed all the first and second-year students in the center of the formation, ensuring they wouldn't get lost and could be more easily protected by the older students.
"Percy really cares about you two!" Eda remarked to the twins. Just moments ago, Percy Weasley had pushed through the crowd to check on his younger brothers.
Seeing that Fred and George were safe, Percy returned to his classmates. Before leaving, he sternly warned the twins not to wander off and to follow the group back to the common room, or he'd report them to Mrs. Weasley.
Fred and George were a bit surprised by Percy's unexpected concern. Despite his usual annoying demeanor, Percy showed he cared about their safety.
"Maybe his conscience kicked in."
"He finally realized how great we are."
The twins, taking full advantage of their synchronicity, bantered back and forth. Though their older brother's concern made them happy, they were too stubborn to openly admit it.
"I think he just doesn't want you two causing trouble amidst the chaos," Lee Jordan interjected. His comment was likely close to Percy's actual thoughts.
"Lee, if you shut up now, we'll still be friends," the twins said in unison. Fred and George were tempted to silence Lee Jordan and give him a "compassionate" treatment.
"This is Hogwarts. Who would dare attack a student here?" Angelina asked. She and Alicia Spinnet held hands, drawing courage from each other.
Angelina was still too young; with more experience, she would get used to such incidents.
"I don't know, but anyone who dares to do this must have the courage and determination to face everything," Eda said.
Eda tried to link the attack to Snape and Fawley in her mind. It wasn't that she cared much about the truth; she was more concerned about her safety.
She sincerely hoped this had nothing to do with Snape and Fawley, so she could feel relatively safe and not live in constant fear.
If there was indeed a connection, she would have to be extremely cautious. Until the truth was revealed, she needed to be on high alert to guard against possible attacks.
"I believe Professor Dumbledore can handle everything," George said.
"Even though he's an old bee with a sweet tooth, he's omnipotent," Fred added, giving his twin a high-five.
Angelina and Alicia nodded in agreement, and Lee Jordan felt the same way.
Watching everyone place such trust in Dumbledore, Eda couldn't help but wonder: Had Dumbledore traveled to the distant East and learned some extraordinary grandpa magic there? Everyone she knew trusted and admired him unconditionally.
"Do you know who was attacked?" Eda asked, trying to think from a different angle, hoping to find a breakthrough by focusing on the victim.
"Rumor has it that it was a Hufflepuff fifth-year student named Daniel Bell," Lee Jordan said quietly. "I just heard some Hufflepuff students talking about it."
Eda looked at Lee Jordan in surprise. She had asked casually, just to see if she could get any information, and didn't expect Lee to actually have an answer.
Lee Jordan's knack for gathering information was impressive; the boy would have a promising future in broadcasting.
"Is the information reliable?" George whispered, the secrecy making them look like they were engaging in clandestine activities.
"So far, it's the most reliable news we have. His roommates said he didn't attend classes in the afternoon. They thought he was resting in the dorm, but when they returned, he wasn't there," Lee Jordan explained.
"Others also said they hadn't seen him since the afternoon. When Filch announced that a student had been attacked at the feast, they immediately thought of Daniel Bell..." Lee Jordan shared the Hufflepuff students' discussions with everyone.
After listening to Lee Jordan, Eda pondered carefully: Daniel had disappeared in the afternoon. If he was indeed the victim, then the attack must have occurred before the feast, maybe even earlier. But Ida couldn't understand why he was attacked.
From what Lee Jordan said, Daniel was a well-behaved student, almost inconspicuous. Why would someone target such an "invisible" boy?
The crowd finally returned to the Gryffindor Tower. The Fat Lady, seeing them approach, opened the entrance without asking for the password.
The older students at the front of the line made way for the younger ones to enter the common room first. Once the younger students were inside, the older ones followed.
The common room became crowded with the influx of students. The armchairs were quickly occupied, and the students' tense expressions began to ease now that they were back in the safety of their common room.
Charlie Weasley and a female prefect started calling out names, checking each year to ensure everyone had returned. After verifying that everyone was present, most students went to their dormitories, while a few chose to stay in the common room.
Eda and the Weasley brothers secured two armchairs near the fireplace after most people had left.
Charlie Weasley and several other upper-year students stood near the entrance of the common room, preventing anyone from entering or leaving.
The senior students were divided into three shifts to stand guard. Charlie and his group were the first group, and others would replace them in the middle of the night.
These people were also whispering to each other, and they were also very concerned about this matter. After all, since they entered this school, the only high-risk profession has always been the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
Charlie, who was standing guard, glanced at Eda and the other two sitting by the fireplace. His two mischievous brothers did not run around, but stayed around Eda obediently. This made Charlie very relieved.
Eda sat in the armchair, hugged the cushion in her arms, and said to Fred and George: "Have you heard of other attacks in the school?"
"No, Charlie didn't say anything," Fred recalled that he really hadn't heard of anything like this.
"Bill didn't tell us anything, and Mom and Dad didn't say anything either." George continued.
"You seem to be particularly concerned about this matter?" asked the twin brothers. Eda, who usually didn't care about many things, was very abnormal today.
Although it was not certain whether this matter was related to Snape and the DADA professor, Eda still had no intention of telling the two brothers about it. She didn't want to drag them into the dark waters.
"I'm just a little worried. A student was attacked, aren't you worried?" Eda leaned back against the back of the armchair and perfunctorily said to the two brothers.
"I am worried, but not to the extent that you are. You are too worried." Fred said, "It's as if you were the one who was attacked."
"When did your courage become as bad as Percy's stinky rat? You are very strange today! No, you have been very strange recently. You are not like yourself anymore, and you often show a worried look unintentionally." George said.
The twin brothers are actually very smart, they just don't focus on their studies. At the same time, they are very observant. They know that Eda is hiding something in her heart, but if Eda doesn't say it, they won't ask. It is normal for friends to have some little secrets.
Fred said, "At first we thought you were not feeling well."
"It's just that I feel the time is not right..."
George stopped talking halfway. The faces of the two brothers turned red visibly, just like crabs that had just been cooked.
Eda, whose face was as red as a ripe tomato, suddenly understood what it meant to "be most afraid of the sudden silence in the air, and be most afraid of the sudden concern of friends..."
"I just have some troubles recently, but I can't tell you for the time being." Eda, who was thick-skinned, took the lead in breaking the awkward atmosphere.
The brothers Fred and George sat on Eda's left and right.
Fred put his hand on Eda's left shoulder and said, "Ahem... If you don't want to tell for the time being. Let's wait until the day you want to tell me."
George on the right also put his hand on Eda's shoulder and said, "We are your friends and your strong backing!"
"Although this shield is a little small now, it is still a shield no matter how small it is!" The twins patted Eda's shoulders together.
The actions and words of the two brothers made Eda feel warm in her heart, but their hands were a little too strong. It was a lucky thing for Eda to have someone to rely on when she was helpless.
Eda said to the two with a muffled voice and full of apology: "I'm sorry, Fred and George, I will tell you as soon as I believe the time is right!"
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