After spending the entire day in Hogsmeade, everyone reluctantly returned to the castle as evening fell, led by Professor McGonagall.

As they passed the school gates guarded by Dementors once more, Harold noticed that the number of Dementors had increased since earlier in the day.

Seven or eight of them hovered nearby, sweeping rapidly back and forth as if searching for something.

With so many Dementors gathered in one place, the atmosphere had turned wintry—the cold pierced to the bone, and a thick layer of frost coated the grass underfoot, crunching loudly as they stepped across it.

This large group of students also caught the attention of the Dementors, but with Professor McGonagall present, they dared not act. They obediently drifted aside, clearing a path for everyone to return to the castle.

"These creatures are getting more and more unruly. What are they doing, gathering together like that to attack Hogwarts?" Professor McGonagall said grimly.

She had opposed bringing Dementors into the school from the beginning, but the Ministry insisted, claiming it was to protect the students and prevent Sirius Black from breaking into Hogwarts. Yet so far, the Dementors had done nothing useful.

They hadn't caught Sirius Black, and not a single student felt the least bit protected.

Moreover, Dumbledore had explicitly stated that no more than three Dementors were allowed to gather in one place—but that warning now seemed completely ignored.

"Fools..." Professor McGonagall muttered under her breath. It was unclear whether she was referring to the Dementors or someone else entirely.

"Professor McGonagall..." Harold stepped quickly to her side and asked in a low voice, "I think the Dementors looked... angry just now. Do you think something might've happened?"

"Whatever it is, it doesn't concern you, Harold," Professor McGonagall cut him off. "And don't get curious about Dementors. They don't understand courtesy. To them, you're just a tasty treat."

"I understand, Professor," Harold replied with a smile. "They really are quite gluttonous."

Hermione had been about to ask whether Dementors might actually enter the school, but seeing how furious McGonagall was, she wisely kept quiet.

Professor McGonagall quickened her pace. Once everyone had made it safely into the castle, she hurried off to the headmaster's office to report to Dumbledore.

Harold returned to the Gryffindor common room along with the others.

Harry was already there waiting for them.

As soon as Ron came through the portrait hole, he dumped a pile of colorful sweets in front of Harry. The table was too small, and several pieces ended up on Harry's lap.

"Thanks," Harry said, picking up a bag of Pepper Imps. "So... how was Hogsmeade?"

"Amazing—well, maybe not that amazing," Hermione said, blurting it out before quickly correcting herself. "It's kind of like another Diagon Alley, but it still feels completely different..."

Harold didn't join in the conversation. While Hermione and Ron chatted animatedly about the shops, he slipped away upstairs to the dormitory.

"Try the Honeybee Taffy," Ron said, pulling a yellow candy shaped like a bee from the box. As soon as he let go, it started buzzing and circling around Harry's head.

"You just open your mouth and it'll land on your tongue by itself—but be careful not to get stung. I heard they actually have stingers."

Harry, halfway to opening his mouth, immediately closed it again.

"A candy that stings?"

"That's what Fred said," Ron said, examining the bee more closely. "These are premium sweets from Honeydukes—way too pricey for me. I've never had one before... Hmm, looks like it doesn't actually have a stinger. Fred must've been messing with me again."

He opened his mouth and let the taffy land on his tongue.

"See? Nothing to—OW!"

Ron let out a yelp. His tongue had suddenly swelled up right where the bee had landed.

He looked panicked—until his lips brushed the swollen spot. It tasted like blueberry, just like a real piece of candy.

"Fun... stuff," Ron mumbled with a thick tongue. "Oh right, these were Harold's. No way I could afford candy this expensive."

"Where is Harold, anyway?" Harry asked, his own taffy stinging him with a burst of pineapple flavor.

"I just saw him here a moment ago," Hermione said. "Maybe he went back to the dorm? He bought a lot of things in Hogsmeade."

As they talked, the room suddenly felt much colder. Everyone in the common room instinctively drifted closer to the fireplace.

Harry, sitting still, felt his pupils contract.

The sensation was all too familiar. It was just like what he'd felt on the train when the Dementor came. That choking, dreadful cold—it was exactly the same.

Had a Dementor gotten into the Gryffindor common room?

The terrifying thought made him spin toward the portrait hole.

Thankfully, it was still shut. The Fat Lady was at her post, faithfully guarding the entrance.

At the same time, that sudden chill vanished, as if it had never been there.

"October weather's weird, huh?" Ron returned from the fireside. "Warm one minute, freezing the next. You okay, Harry?"

"Didn't that cold feel... familiar?" Harry whispered. "Like the Dementors on the train?"

"Now that you mention it..." Ron frowned in thought. "Yeah, it kinda did. But Harry, the professors would never let a Dementor into the castle—let alone the common room."

"True." Harry nodded slowly. "Maybe I'm just imagining things... Oh right, I wanted to tell you guys about something I saw with Professor Lupin and Snape."

He recounted what had happened that afternoon in Lupin's office, and the three of them quickly became absorbed in the new mystery.

"This afternoon, I saw Snape bring a goblet to Lupin and tell him to drink everything in it."

"Lupin actually drank it?" Ron looked shocked. "Is he mad?"

Hermione glanced at her watch.

"We should head down," she said. "The feast starts in five minutes—"

"Okay, I'll go get Harold." Harry stood and started toward the stairs.

At that moment, Harold was just coming down from the dormitory.

"I was just about to grab you," Harry said. "The feast is about to start. Also—thanks for the candy."

"You're welcome," Harold replied.

"Come on, let's go—oh, you've got something in your hair, right here." Harry pointed at his own forehead.

Harold reached up and felt something icy—it was a frozen strand of hair. As he touched it, the frost melted instantly into water.

"Must've brushed against something cold by accident," Harold said casually. "Anyway, let's not miss the feast."

The three of them slipped out through the portrait hole and joined the stream of students heading to the Great Hall.

Along the way, Harry and Ron continued speculating about what Snape had given Lupin.

Hermione, however, wasn't convinced.

"You two are overthinking it. If Snape really meant to do something bad, he wouldn't have done it right in front of Harry—would he?"

"Maybe," Harry muttered. He still didn't trust Snape one bit.

…(End of Chapter)