"Professor, I was sitting nearby at the time. I am sure no one used a spell on these two people. They fell down by themselves."
"If you don't believe me, I can even let you use a flashback spell to reveal the magic that my wand has previously cast."
Root held his wand but had no intention of handing it forward.
Professor Snape glanced at Crabbe and the other student, who had been sent to the school infirmary, and closed his eyes slightly. When he opened them again, he simply frowned at Root—or perhaps not at him, but at the situation.
Just as he was about to speak, Root continued.
"Professor, there is one more thing."
"When Crabbe and the others came over, I saw Malfoy whisper something to them. That's why they approached."
Professor Snape's expression grew even colder.
As a master of Legilimency, he could clearly sense that Root was telling the absolute truth. He detected no malice or guilt from the Gryffindor students in the stands.
Pursing his lips, he couldn't help but feel disappointed in Draco.
As the head of Slytherin—and even Draco's godfather—he felt almost blinded by the boy's foolishness. Such an obvious provocation, executed in such a crude and thoughtless manner!
Holding his breath, Professor Snape turned and left. His black robes billowed as he walked away. Root watched him go and blinked.
"Why not just give Professor Snape a new robe?" he mused aloud.
Looking up at Malfoy, who sat dazed in the Slytherin stands, Root shook his head.
It was difficult to evaluate him. Malfoy wasn't good enough to be truly successful, nor bad enough to be truly dangerous. He was like dusk that never turned into night or dawn that never brightened into day.
"Hey, Root, why did you use a spell to save those two?" Ron came over.
Root refocused and glanced at him before replying calmly, "After all, we are classmates. We can't just sit there and watch them fall and get hurt."
Ron snorted. "They're just jealous that Harry broke the record for catching the Golden Snitch!"
"But Professor Snape doesn't think you knocked them down, does he?" Hermione asked, stepping forward.
Ron scoffed. "If Root says no, then there must be no spell!"
Neville nodded in agreement. "That's right!"
Hermione opened her mouth but then glanced at Root out of the corner of her eye.
Was that really the case?
If anyone among them could make Crabbe and the others fall without any visible spell, there was only one possible suspect—Root.
Yet, Root had willingly offered to let Snape use a flashback spell. Perhaps, this time, Crabbe and his friends had simply been unlucky.
"Don't worry about them. Harry won the match for Gryffindor, so we have to celebrate!" Ron said excitedly.
Root smiled. "That's right."
"That idiot Malfoy must be fuming!" Ron chuckled.
Root blinked.
In reality, Malfoy and Harry were somewhat related. Sirius was Harry's godfather, and Bellatrix was Sirius' cousin. Narcissa was Bellatrix's sister. This meant Harry should technically call Bellatrix and Narcissa his aunts.
Since Malfoy was Narcissa's son, by birthright, he was Harry's cousin. A cousin who spent every day trying to bully him and looking down on his friends.
But if Malfoy truly saw himself as Harry's cousin, maybe he genuinely believed Harry's friends were not as noble as pureblood families.
Root mulled over the thought and then shook his head.
"After modifying my wand's special effects to colorless, the Imperius Curse becomes so much more concealed. Perhaps it's time to begin the Imperius Curse refinement mission."
Walking behind Ron, Root considered his options.
"For the refinement task, if it's not too difficult, I could just use Ron's pet rat."
He nodded to himself.
"Oh, and there's also the Cruciatus Curse. I need to be cautious—it won't kill anyone, but it would be perfect to test on Scabbers."
This way, he wouldn't have to wait until he ventured into the Forbidden Forest to complete the task.
"I could alternate between the Imperius Curse and the Cruciatus Curse, testing them repeatedly."
While lost in thought, Root and Ron reached Harry, who was being lifted into the air by excited Gryffindor students.
Root watched them—youthful, energetic, and childish—with a distant expression.
Just then, a voice sounded beside him.
"Root, I'm glad you came to watch this exciting match."
Startled, Root turned to see Dumbledore standing next to him.
His heart tightened, but he kept his breath steady and smiled innocently. "Yes, Harry did wonderfully. He worked very hard for this match."
Dumbledore smiled. "Aren't you going to join them?"
Root shook his head. "I'd rather not cause a commotion. What if someone fails to catch Harry and he falls? It would be bad if he got injured like Crabbe and the others."
Dumbledore chuckled. "I saw what happened earlier. I'm glad you chose to lend a hand, even when they were unkind to you."
"For that, Slytherin will lose ten points."
Root blinked.
Dumbledore continued, "But for your kindness and decisiveness, Gryffindor will gain ten points."
Root gave a harmless smile. "Thank you, professor."
"Hehe, it's been a long time since someone called me 'teacher.' You are a kind child, Root." Dumbledore patted Root's shoulder and ruffled his hair. "Time for a haircut?"
Root touched his long hair and nodded. "I plan to cut it during the summer."
"I thought you wanted to copy Severus' hairstyle. His hair looks much cleaner these days. Was that your shampoo?"
"No, just a hair-refreshing potion."
Dumbledore chuckled. "Ah, I forgot you have a great talent for Potions."
As the school year neared its end, the pressure of final exams grew. Professors assigned increasingly difficult homework. While Harry and Ron obsessed over stopping Quirrell, they still had assignments to complete.
"Oh my god! It's the weekend, and I'm still drawing these weird symbols!" Ron groaned.
Root ignored him, engrossed in his books. Hermione occasionally glanced at his work, only to find he had far surpassed her.
Harry, overwhelmed by unfinished assignments, sighed.
"Dylan, have you finished all your homework?" he asked hopefully.
Root glanced up. "Are you asking about Charms and Transfiguration?"
Harry and Ron nodded eagerly.
Hermione scoffed, "Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall exempted Root from homework. Do you think someone who spends every day in the professors' offices still needs to review?"
Harry and Ron exchanged envious glances.
"Oh my god, why doesn't the professor waive my homework too?" Ron wailed.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Because you never get a question right in class."
Ron huffed. "At least Professor Snape doesn't assign too much!"
Harry groaned. "His insults make up for it."
As they buried themselves in their work, Root smirked slightly, returning to his own studies.
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