Aunt Rose

45.

Harry broke his arm and then saw Colin Creevey, a muggleborn, brought into the wing. Petrified.

The message on the wall read "The chamber of secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware."

Long story short, the kids believe that the chamber has something to do with Slytherin, as this attacker is targeting muggle-borns. Since Colin, another muggleborn has been targeted.

As well, Harry seems to have the ability to speak to snakes- parseltongue. It's an odd ability that Rose knows dates back to Voldemort. They think there's an heir of Slytherin attacking Muggle-born students or releasing some sort of creature to attack students.

Rose is baffled at this. There's still so much blood supremacy going on in that bloody house? She thought the war might have nipped some of it. But then again, there were no consequences for the rich, powerful families.

Harry is immediately suspicious of the Malfoy boy but Rose knows it isn't him. He and his room temperature father don't have enough wits to be the heir. But Malfoy would know who it was.

Instead of telling Harry this, Rose thanks him for his honesty and tells him to stay away from blood supremacist Slytherins. She doesn't encourage him to investigate or to get to the bottom of it, that isn't his job. It's the job of the staff, the DADA teacher better yet.

Harry and his friends need to stay with buddies and keep each other safe. If they aren't separated, there will at least be witnesses. It's god awful she even has to suggest any of this to him.

By the time Christmas comes around, no one else has been petrified, other than the house ghost, nearly headless Nick.

Rose is antsy to get Harry home, where she knows he will be safe. It's been her entire life's mission to keep this kid safe and alive.

And then she gets the letter telling her that Harry and all of his friends are going to stay at the school over Christmas break and try to figure out who is causing the attacks.

Harry reiterates that they think Malfoy might know who it is and it's their only chance. He's staying at the school for the first time over Christmas. The staff won't accuse a student so they have to do it themselves.

Rose tries feebly to bargain but Harry is dead set on staying and potentially getting petrified himself. Again, just like his father who desperately wanted to find out why his parents were so exhausted, what they were doing.

She knows she cannot march to the castle and order Harry home, so Rose lets him be. She sends off his gifts along with his money to buy his friends their gifts and makes him promise to write every day to make sure he's okay.

But it is a hard Christmas for Rose. She's alone again. And it's made even worse when the day before Christmas Eve, Apollo is very affectionate toward Rose.

He's nuzzling her, squawking in her arms and getting lots of treats. She knows what it means.

At the end of that day, Apollo flies out of the kitchen window one last time, after one last goodbye to his faithful owner of two decades.

Rose is tearful as she watches him fly away. But magical owls prefer to die out in nature, where they live to be and not with their owners, to save them the anguish.