[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-wizard-war-at-hogwarts":3,"chapter-wizard-war-at-hogwarts-wizard-war-at-hogwarts-chapter-78":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Wizard War at Hogwarts",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2358051,4612,"Chapter 78: A Christmas Heavy with Worries","wizard-war-at-hogwarts-chapter-78",78,"\u003Cp>Harry didn’t rush to find a teacher; he squatted down right where he was, carefully examining Justin’s condition. From his rigid skin, it was clear he had been petrified too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But unlike Colin, his expression was one of profound shock, his eyes wide open—indicating he had seen something before being petrified. Harry tried mimicking Justin’s expression himself and felt it carried a hint of fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Justin likely saw the creature that attacked him, Harry thought. Once the petrification was lifted, he could serve as a witness to corroborate earlier deductions. But why had Justin been targeted?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry recalled the words he’d overheard on the courtyard that day: many Hufflepuffs feared Harry would attack Justin, and rumors spread that Harry was likely the Heir of Slytherin. There’s a saying: if everyone suspects you of wrongdoing, you might as well have done it. Harry himself thought the logic flawed, but he couldn’t rule out that someone—perhaps Ginny, or someone else—acting out of misguided concern, had added Justin to the attack list because of those rumors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another person had been attacked because of him, Harry thought painfully. But he knew he must pull himself together now; even if Ginny truly had opened the Chamber, he needed solid evidence to end this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Professor! Professor! Is anyone there!” Harry shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first to arrive was Donald, who was equally stunned. After glancing at his watch, he frowned and said nothing. Then Professor McGonagall arrived in her nightgown, followed by Snape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s happened, Potter?” Professor McGonagall asked. “Who is lying on the ground?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Another victim, Professor,” Harry said. “I found him on the way back to the dormitory—he appears to be petrified.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor McGonagall’s face paled. She quickly drew her wand and tapped it against Justin, but nothing happened. Justin did not revive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems another attack linked to the Chamber,” McGonagall said grimly. “We’ll take him to the hospital wing. Professor Fontroy, could you please escort Harry back to his dormitory? The corridors may not be safe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright,” Donald replied simply, placing a hand on Harry’s shoulder and leading him toward Gryffindor Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Professor, do you know anything? Who opened the Chamber?” Harry couldn’t help asking on the way back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can tell you little—just rumors,” Donald said. “The creature inside the Chamber might be a giant spider. The entrance may lie within the Forbidden Forest. The Heir of Slytherin need not be in Slytherin House. And long ago, the Chamber was opened before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry froze. He had seen these exact words before—verbatim—on that diary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the eight-member group wouldn’t admit who had asked the diary about the Chamber. It was Donald who had asked. He must have casually inquired about the Chamber while inspecting the diary. Or perhaps he hadn’t asked casually—he was testing something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry couldn’t help recalling Dumbledore’s trust in Donald. Perhaps Dumbledore and Donald knew everything about the Chamber. The spider in the Forbidden Forest might be their fallback: if they couldn’t find the real Chamber, they’d exterminate the spider and claim the threat was resolved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Donald, deeply trusted by Dumbledore, held the temporary post of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Perhaps the attacks were ordered by Dumbledore himself—and he deliberately released the spiders to steer Harry’s investigation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the rest of the walk, Harry pondered these possibilities in silence. Perhaps sensing the heavy mood, Donald changed the subject.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, according to my predictions,” he said, “Avalon will open between Christmas and Easter. With Arthur’s fall, Britain entered an era of Christian ascendancy. Ancient Celtic legends lie buried in Avalon’s mist—and perhaps, a thousand years later, it truly will open.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mean the strange phenomenon above the Black Lake?” Harry wasn’t particularly interested in treasure hunts, but since it was the Headmaster and professor’s well-intentioned gesture, he feigned curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly. I’ve found two historical records of Avalon’s appearance, but no one ever entered it,” Donald blinked. “You could try. Who knows? You might succeed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry smiled politely. The story of Avalon was indeed well-crafted. After the holidays, he decided, he’d go take a look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This might be the most burdened Christmas Harry had ever known. The wizarding world wasn’t as dreamlike or perfect as he’d imagined—it was still a society of people, and wizards, in their pursuit of power, still used the same political tools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Harry imagined himself in Dumbledore’s shoes, he realized these attacks might actually benefit him—even be a win for both the Ministry and the Order. But Harry’s innate kindness made him unconsciously identify with Colin and Justin. He felt it was unjust to them. To defeat Voldemort, who despised Muggle-borns, sacrificing a few Muggle-borns’ interests was acceptable—after all, a semester’s classes meant little compared to life. Harry understood these things clearly—and precisely because he understood them, he felt a crushing sense of helplessness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Qiu tried to comfort him with the story of her master. Her master was a powerful wizard, as formidable as Dumbledore, who firmly controlled the Ministry of Magic in Tianchao, where no wizard dared ignore his opinion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made Harry feel even more despondent. Last year, Dumbledore had insisted he wouldn’t touch power—but in truth, perhaps he’d have been better off becoming Minister. Dumbledore wasn’t perfect. He had retreated before politics. He may not have trusted his own will enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Harry knew himself: Dumbledore’s character wasn’t as simple as he’d imagined. The current Dumbledore was the sum of all his past experiences—and Harry had no right to judge him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On Christmas Day, Harry’s mood improved slightly. Early that morning, as he woke, he saw Ron already up, beaming: “Let’s open our Christmas presents first, then explore Avalon after the holiday!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ron’s cheerful demeanor lifted Harry’s spirits. Maybe there wouldn’t be a fourth attack, he thought, slowly unwrapping his gifts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hedwig brought Sir Crowley’s Christmas gift: a record. The note said it was the final album by Queen to feature lead singer Freddie Mercury and bassist John Deacon. Originally scheduled for release in 1995, Sir Crowley had obtained a copy early through connections.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry suddenly remembered: their lead singer had died not long ago. What a pity—he’d liked the band. He placed the album, “Made in Heaven,” into the record player. Amid its soaring, melodic music, he felt calmer, as if the Chamber and politics no longer weighed on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry continued unwrapping his other gifts: Ivy gave him a bottle of perfume, Neville gave him an expensive eagle-feather quill, Mrs. Weasley gave him another sweater, and Ron gave him a book: “Quidditch Through the Ages.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry idly placed Hagrid’s syrup on the hearth, planning to warm it and taste a bit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh Harry,” Ron said when the music ended, “I meant to say this earlier—what’s this music? It’s amazing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Some Muggle music. They call it rock,” Harry replied honestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Those Hufflepuff idiots should hear this,” Ron sighed. “How could the Heir of Slytherin listen to Muggle records?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sometimes I think the Muggle world has so many amazing things. Honestly, I envy you getting these,” Ron added. “Look at my gifts—all bought in Diagon Alley. My dad’s head of the Ministry’s Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. We have to set an example.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh, I was wondering,” Harry remembered the car, “your dad’s Ford…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shh!” Ron quickly hushed him. “That’s illegal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, what a shame—if not for the Statute of Secrecy,” Harry mused. “Diagon Alley’s goods would be popular with Muggles.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But the Statute is necessary,” Ron said. “Muggles outnumber wizards by far. The witch hunts of the Middle Ages are still fresh in memory. I don’t want to spend my life hiding.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s coming,” Neville suddenly ruined the mood. “If Voldemort grows stronger, we’ll all be hiding.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can we talk about something cheerful for once?” Harry mimicked Zhang Qiu’s sarcastic tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The cheerful thing is, we can enter Avalon tomorrow,” Neville said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh right! That’s a great thing!” Ron’s eyes lit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think the Christmas feast is more worth celebrating,” Harry said weakly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The feast arrived as scheduled. The Great Hall looked magnificent: two frosted Christmas trees, heavy garlands hanging from the ceiling, evergreen mistletoe arranged in a cross overhead, and snowflakes drifting from the roof, enhancing the festive air. Dumbledore led the singing of his favorite carols.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few cups of eggnog, Harry’s spirits lifted. He listened as students around him excitedly discussed holidays, magic, and occasionally Avalon. Harry gave a wry smile. Perhaps only he was still troubled by the Chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>",1412,"2026-06-21T04:54:27.874Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","fe921d6da065cff98e3e09d5fc1f7b0d15836f1f438dc91af380b9441212a8bd","wizard-war-at-hogwarts-chapter-79","wizard-war-at-hogwarts-chapter-77",528,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwizard-war-at-hogwarts-cover.jpg"]