The sudden changes in the castle intrigued the young wizards.
Senior students were the first to piece together the truth behind these changes.
High-level dark magical creatures rarely had glaring weaknesses, especially not to mundane entities. The number of creatures countered by something as simple as a rooster's crow was exceedingly small. Among them, the basilisk stood out.
As the most famous "man-made" dark magical creature, questions about basilisks often appeared on NEWT-level exams.
The students couldn't help but feel relieved for the two victims lying in the hospital wing.
Thankfully, neither had looked directly into the basilisk's eyes. Their lives were spared, though they had been petrified.
Knowing the identity of the monster in the Chamber of Secrets did little to ease the students' anxiety. Instead, it heightened their unease. Many wrote letters to their families, hoping for comfort or magical protective items.
Every evening at dinner, a flood of red Howlers swooped into the Great Hall, directed at Dumbledore.
Unfortunately, no one else could hear their contents. The headmaster's exceptional magic ensured that the shouting only reached his ears.
Pure-blood wizards, particularly the students of Slytherin, grew bolder.
The legend of the Chamber of Secrets became widely known.
The heir of Slytherin was said to have opened the Chamber to purge the castle of those deemed unworthy of staying—primarily Muggle-borns and half-bloods, with Hufflepuff students as the primary targets, followed by Ravenclaws and Gryffindors.
Slytherins openly supported the "heir" who had stolen the painting from their common room. They expressed their hope that this individual would contact Slytherin House in secret, promising their unwavering support.
The other three houses would hear none of it.
Conflict escalated.
Every night during dinner, fights broke out in the Great Hall.
House points were deducted so frequently that all four houses hovered perpetually at or near zero.
Hogwarts had only one truly happy person.
That was Gilderoy Lockhart.
He had already drafted portions of a new book and couldn't resist reading excerpts to the students during class.
"In July of 1992, fresh from a vacation in Morges, I received a letter from the century's greatest white wizard. Though Albus and I had been friends for many years, I had never seen him write with such a pleading tone…"
Lockhart thought his writing was exceptional.
The students had strong reactions as well.
Typically, after just ten minutes of reading, the classroom erupted into thirty-five minutes of praise. The more points he awarded, the more enthusiastic the adulation became.
Even the other heads of houses seemed to have succumbed to his charm. They no longer interfered with his favoritism toward "talented" students, and some even hinted that he could afford to be even more generous.
November gave way to December, and with it came bitter cold.
A heavy snowstorm blanketed the castle at the very start of the month. Professors began gathering students' plans for the Christmas holidays.
Few students chose to stay at Hogwarts.
Even though the basilisk had not reappeared in over a month, it had not been caught either.
Most students eagerly signed their names under the "Leaving" column. Gryffindor was the only house with an entire family—the Weasleys—staying behind. Even Percy had tried to convince Ginny to return home, but she refused.
Hermione also wanted to stay, but Harry persuaded her to leave.
"If you have parents, spend the holidays with them," he had said.
Ron clung to Harry's sleeve, refusing to let go.
Harry still received many gifts for Christmas.
Dumbledore's was a set of notes on the Patronus Charm. Changing the form of a Patronus required an exceptionally high level of skill. Producing a corporeal Patronus was already an impressive feat, but this, Dumbledore explained, was merely the beginning of a much longer journey.
Snape sent the second volume of Lily Potter's notes, carefully wrapped in foam and placed neatly by Harry's pillow—unlike the chaotic pile of other gifts scattered around. It seemed the house-elves had delivered it.
McGonagall sent two books of James Potter's notes on Transfiguration. Flipping through them, Harry was surprised to find the final pages of the second book contained theoretical work on Animagus transformations.
Had his father been studying this magic as well?
Professor Sprout gifted Harry two herbology journals, gently suggesting that she'd love to see Harry in detention twice a week if he could spare the time.
Lockhart's gift was an enormous photo album, thicker than a fist, filled with pictures of himself. Each photo was adorned with his flamboyant signature.
Harry appreciated the fuel for the fireplace.
Mrs. Weasley had knitted him a sweater in Gryffindor colors, complete with a majestic lion lying atop a large "H" on the chest.
Ron looked on enviously.
His own sweater was green, with nothing but a big "R" on the front.
"Mum's so biased," Ron grumbled, repeatedly comparing his sweater to Harry's.
"She is your mum," Harry teased, poking the yawning lion on his sweater. "And I'm just an orphan. Naturally, she'd be more attentive to me."
"Harry, I didn't mean—" Ron stammered, clutching his sweater tightly.
"I know," Harry replied. "But don't forget—people who are loved often struggle to feel it. Your mum loves you very much."
Mrs. Weasley had even written to Harry before Christmas to ask for his measurements. She hadn't asked Ron or her other children.
Yet every sweater she knitted fit them all perfectly.
Ron opened his mouth, at a loss for words. Sometimes, he truly struggled to follow Harry's train of thought.
By noon, Ron watched eagerly as Harry finished sorting his gifts. Only then did they leave the dormitory and head for the Great Hall.
With so few students staying for Christmas, the castle felt almost empty.
At lunch, fewer than twenty students sat together at a single long table. Gryffindor had six, Slytherin four, and Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw three each.
They were even allowed to drink.
Dumbledore insisted on Harry joining him for three bottles of vodka, much to Snape's visible annoyance.
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts~" Together with the Sorting Hat, they sang the school song to a medieval tune.
Fred and George quickly joined in.
A Hufflepuff senior conjured a drum set to accompany them, while Ravenclaws watched from the sidelines—though whether it could be called "art" was debatable.
The Slytherins, meanwhile, left the hall immediately after their meal, unwilling to celebrate Christmas alongside the others.
The Great Hall buzzed with joy and laughter, brightening everything within—except for Snape.
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Powerstones?
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