Penelope Clearwater, Cho Chang, and Nearly Headless Nick were all attacked simultaneously, making the young wizards who had just returned to school after the winter holidays feel the atmosphere grow tense.
The perpetrator's power seemed to be growing stronger.
From the first attack on a cat, to the second on a person, and now two people plus a ghost.
What terrified them most was precisely this ghost incident—Nearly Headless Nick's encounter.
What could do such harm to a ghost?
People couldn't help but ask each other: what terrible force could injure someone who was already dead?
Next, Harry became everyone's target.
The reason was simple—Peeves' promotional effect was too good.
In just three days, the entire school knew that Harry Potter had once again appeared at a crime scene.
More importantly, the victims Penelope and Cho Chang happened to be half-blood wizards.
Someone even dug up Nearly Headless Nick's past, saying that in life he had also been a half-blood Muggle.
This way, although he was still the center of attention, Harry's situation was exactly opposite to the previous school year.
At the beginning of last year, all students would crowd around outside Harry's classrooms to watch, and when they encountered him in the corridors, even after walking past, they would turn back for another look.
This year, when people encountered him in the corridors, they would avoid him, or point and whisper about him.
Even some of the little Gryffindor lions seemed to start believing these rumors.
However, the vast majority of little lions thought this was all nonsense.
Like the mischievous Weasley twins. They found it all very amusing.
Every time Harry came to the corridors, they would even deliberately run in front of Harry, putting on an air of proudly clearing the way for him, shouting loudly:
"Make way for the heir of Slytherin!"
"Stand back, the most evil wizard approaches!"
Their third brother Percy was very dissatisfied with their behavior, saying coldly. "This is not something to joke about."
Harry naturally knew this was because Percy's girlfriend Penelope was also one of the victims.
However, the Weasley twins didn't know about this. In their view, Percy had always believed that the monster wouldn't attack prefects.
"Hey, move aside, Percy," Fred said, "Harry's in a hurry."
"Yeah, he has to rush to the Chamber to have tea with his fanged servants." George laughed heartily.
This made Harry both relieved and helpless.
He was relieved that Fred and George obviously thought the idea of him being Slytherin's heir was ridiculous.
He was helpless because every time they did this, it was like pouring salt on his and Percy's wounds.
After all, his only female friend Cho Chang had also been petrified.
What? You say Hermione?
Could she count as female?
She was a good buddy!
"Harry, look over there!"
Ron pointed not far away, where they could see Malfoy watching Fred and George's antics with an angry expression.
"He wishes he could announce that he actually did it."
Whenever analyzing Malfoy's psychology, Ron could display wisdom second only to Hermione's. "You know how much he hates anyone surpassing him in any way.
In his view, the honor Harry has now should rightfully be his.
Hey, don't look at me like that—in Malfoy's view, being Slytherin's heir definitely counts as an honor."
"This situation won't last much longer."
Hermione looked at Harry, then at Malfoy. "I think Professor Dumbledore will be back soon, and then we'll be able to hear the news from him."
She looked toward Sherlock as she spoke, but saw that he wasn't paying attention here at all, but was staring at Malfoy the whole time.
This surprised her somewhat.
Hadn't he said before that Malfoy wouldn't be the one who opened the Chamber?
Why was he paying attention again?
While she was puzzling over this, she suddenly saw Percy and the Weasley twins getting into a tussle.
It turned out that when George pretended to use a bulb of garlic to block Harry's attack, Percy finally flew into a rage.
Several people hurried forward to break up the fight.
Because of this, Hermione also didn't notice that what Sherlock had been watching was not actually Malfoy, but a girl behind him.
This time, Hermione's prediction didn't come true.
Perhaps it really was as Neville's grandmother said—these things often work the opposite way: the good predictions don't come true, but the bad ones do.
After school started, Headmaster Dumbledore never appeared.
No one knew where exactly he had gone.
However, as winter gradually passed, the sun also began to shine weakly on Hogwarts.
People in the castle became more optimistic.
Time, after all, is the best medicine for healing all wounds.
Since Penelope, Cho Chang, and Nearly Headless Nick were petrified, there had been no more attacks at Hogwarts.
Professor Sprout was pleased to tell everyone that the Mandrakes had become moody and secretive.
"This means they're rapidly leaving childhood behind. We'll be able to repot them very soon."
One afternoon, Filch specifically sought out Sherlock.
Because Madam Pomfrey had told him that once the Mandrakes matured, they could be cut and stewed over a fire.
When that time came, Mrs. Norris would return and that day wouldn't be long off.
Of course, the most important reason Filch sought out Sherlock was that he wanted to know who the culprit was that had harmed Mrs. Norris.
"Argus, if you're thinking of revenge, I suggest you give up," Sherlock poured cold water on the excited Filch. "That monster isn't something you can handle."
"Mr. Sherlock, could it really be..."
"That's right, it's the monster from the Chamber."
"Then, for Mrs. Norris's sake, please tell me exactly who opened the Chamber?
Mr. Sherlock, you love her so much, you must be heartbroken about her fate too!"
"I can only tell you now that this matter has nothing to do with Harry."
Watching Filch leave dejectedly, Sherlock's companions all marveled.
"It's hard to imagine that Filch, who usually dislikes us most, would actually believe that Harry isn't Slytherin's heir."
"He's not believing in Harry, but in Sherlock."
Hermione looked toward Sherlock and asked curiously, "Sherlock, just because you cured Mrs. Norris, does he trust you this much?"
Last year's Cho Chang eye shadow theft case—Hermione had personally witnessed the entire process of Sherlock borrowing Mrs. Norris from Filch.
But she still hadn't expected Sherlock's influence on Filch could reach this extent.
Sherlock said calmly, "After curing Mrs. Norris, I had my family send some cat food suitable for her.
Until she was petrified, I would visit her regularly and bring Filch little toys like cat teasers.
However, he overestimated my feelings for Mrs. Norris.
Actually, I had originally wanted to dissect her to take a look."
Hermione: "..."
Seeing Hermione's speechless expression, Sherlock added, "Of course, that's only part of the reason.
Another reason is that I discovered he's a Squib."
"What?"
"What?"
Harry and Ron exclaimed simultaneously.
"What's a Squib?"
"Filch is actually a Squib?"
Ron looked at Harry and couldn't help laughing, "A Squib is someone from a wizarding family who has no magical talent. I wondered why he's always so hostile toward us students—turns out it's because of this!"
"So, his reason for being so accommodating to you also includes not wanting you to reveal this matter."
Hermione said thoughtfully, then turned to Harry and Ron. "You absolutely cannot tell anyone about this!"
"Don't worry, I definitely won't, but Harry's another story."
"Why?" Hermione asked in confusion. "When it comes to keeping secrets, I think Harry is much more reliable than you."
"Because Harry talks in his sleep," Ron said seriously.
Harry: "..."
The topic ended there, and Harry's mood improved somewhat.
Because he felt that now all the teachers and students in the school were on high alert, suspicious of everything. At this time, opening the Chamber would be increasingly risky.
Whatever monster was in the Chamber was probably now settling down, preparing to hibernate for another fifty years.
Or perhaps the real heir of Slytherin had also lost courage.
This was the first time he hadn't shared his thoughts with Sherlock.
Mainly he was worried that once he voiced this opinion, Sherlock would give him a devastating blow and tell him that the perpetrator was simply lying dormant temporarily.
Since he'd known Sherlock, the other's deductions had never been wrong even once.
So, he really worried that Sherlock would say something he didn't want to hear.
Although everything was developing in a good direction, there were always some annoying people that made Harry inexplicably angry.
Malfoy was one of them.
With Sherlock back at school, he naturally didn't dare provoke openly, but sarcastic remarks were inevitable.
Just as Ron had said, it was as if he really wished all these incidents had been his own doing.
There was another type of person even more infuriating than Malfoy.
Compared to them, even the perpetually sour-faced Malfoy seemed acceptable.
After all, he truly believed Harry wasn't Slytherin's heir.
The typical representative of this type was Hufflepuff's Ernie Macmillan.
He firmly believed Harry was the culprit, having accidentally revealed his snake tail at the Dueling Club.
Even though many people including Cedric and Hannah advised him not to do this, it was all useless.
There was also the annoying Peeves, who would suddenly appear in crowded corridors, singing loudly, "Oh, Potter, you rotter..."
Not only slandering Harry as the murderer who harmed his classmates, but even adding fixed dance moves.
The only exception was Gilderoy Lockhart.
He had become unusually high-profile during this period.
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