As January slipped away, the snow surrounding Hogwarts Castle gradually melted.
The weather, however, did not improve. Instead, a bleak, clammy chill settled across the grounds.
Gray-black clouds hung low above the school, cold winds slicing past the towers, while relentless icy rain turned even the greenhouses slick and muddy...
Fortunately, aside from that, there was no further bad news.
The school slowly emerged from the gloom that had lingered around Christmas, and what had happened in the castle that day was gradually pushed from people's minds. The students who had returned home to wait things out began coming back one after another, resuming their studies at Hogwarts.
Of course, there had been a small incident in between—
In early February, Professor Sybill Trelawney, the Divination professor, was suddenly sent from the Headmaster's Office to the Hospital Wing, then disappeared from the school for at least two weeks...
Even after she returned, she remained listless for quite some time, looking as though she had only just recovered from a serious illness.
Professor Albus Dumbledore's official explanation was that Professor Trelawney had accidentally drunk a bottle of spoiled, oak-aged mead in his office, resulting in severe "food poisoning" that left her bedridden in the Hospital Wing for several weeks.
Only a few knew how grave the matter truly was.
The bottle of mead Professor Trelawney had mistakenly drunk had in fact been a Christmas gift Professor Horace Slughorn had given to Headmaster Albus Dumbledore before the holidays...
And it hadn't been spoiled at all. It had been laced with a terrifying poison. If Professor Dumbledore hadn't immediately forced Professor Trelawney to swallow a piece of "bezoar" and summoned Professor Snape at once, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
In short, it had been an attempted murder—an attempt on Albus Dumbledore's life. Counting the earlier incident involving Gryffindor's Miss Katie Bell, this was already the second attempt by the killer within Hogwarts.
News of Professor Trelawney's collapse spread quickly, though it did not cause the same uproar as Katie's injury. Most people assumed it had been an accident. After all, it had happened in Dumbledore's office, and she had received the antidote immediately, suffering no lasting harm.
Besides, for most students, Professor Trelawney had never been particularly popular—perhaps with the exception of the Gryffindors Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. Not to mention that the school already had another outstanding Divination professor: Professor Firenze the centaur. In a sense, Professor Trelawney's injury was almost welcome news to many students.
As a result, the matter caused no real disturbance within the school.
There was good news as well. Professor Horace Slughorn, who had been injured on Christmas Eve, returned to Hogwarts... and resumed teaching Potions.
For many students, however, that was hardly cause for celebration. It meant saying goodbye to the "interesting" Potions lessons Professor Dumbledore had been teaching in the meantime.
...
As February turned into March, the weather remained much the same, only now the dampness was accompanied by stronger winds.
Notices were posted on every common room bulletin board announcing that all Hogsmeade visits for the rest of the term had been canceled. There was some grumbling, but most students expressed understanding—after all, far too many incidents had taken place over the past few months.
Meanwhile, in the dungeons of Hogwarts Castle, Miss Daphne Greengrass of Slytherin was feeling increasingly frustrated with her Apparition class.
This was a new course introduced for sixth-years, scheduled on Saturday afternoons so as not to interfere with regular lessons.
The instructor was a Ministry of Magic official: Professor Wilkie Twycross. A stern middle-aged man, he had left many students miserably embarrassed with his sharp reprimands. Draco Malfoy, for example, was often the worst offender, frequently whispering with Crabbe and Goyle during lessons and earning himself the most scoldings.
Under normal circumstances, Apparition and Disapparition were impossible within the Hogwarts grounds. Professor Snape had lifted the enchantment—after obtaining the Headmaster's approval—for two hours every Saturday, though only within the Great Hall.
The Apparition lessons proved far more difficult than Daphne had expected. She always felt her determination wasn't strong enough, her concentration lacking, and composure entirely beyond her reach...
After months of classes, she still hadn't made much progress. Yet every Saturday night when she returned to the Slytherin common room, her younger sister Astoria would eagerly come over, asking about techniques for Apparition and Disapparition. She even took out a small notebook to carefully jot everything down, her expression utterly serious.
Daphne found this baffling. As a fifth-year preparing for her O.W.L.s, Astoria already had a heavier academic load than she did. And yet she still had the time and energy to concern herself with Apparition?
Indeed, as the O.W.L.s approached, Astoria had been devoting more and more time to revision. Even in the evenings and on weekends, she often left the common room with her books and headed for the library.
Daphne had enough on her mind and didn't press the matter further, though she couldn't shake the feeling that her sister had been acting strangely ever since recovering from her illness.
"Don't lose heart, sister. You'll definitely succeed next week," Astoria said, giving her a quick pat on the shoulder. She glanced at her watch and realized it was nearly eight. "Oh—I'd better hurry. Library."
Daphne didn't answer, only nodded wearily.
Astoria flashed her a grin, then slipped out through the stone doorway.
...
But Astoria Greengrass, books in hand, was not actually heading to the library.
Her real destination was the eighth floor—toward the Headmaster's Office.
The water-spouting stone gargoyle lazily leapt aside at the password, "Egg Yolk Fingers."
Astoria climbed the spiral staircase step by step. Just as she reached for the brass knocker to knock—
She suddenly heard voices coming from inside.
One belonged to Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
The other was a sharp, almost hysterical female voice