Based on the number of students who had participated in the unauthorized duel, Gryffindor found itself forty points poorer, while Slytherin suffered a loss of thirty points from their house total.
More surprisingly, Malfoy also received a personal detention assignment from Snape which caught everyone off guard.
During the walk back toward the castle, Harry still struggled to process what had just occurred in that snowy clearing. The winter air hit at his exposed face, but the cold seemed insignificant compared to the confusion swirling in his mind.
"I still can't quite believe it," He said thoughtfully, his breath forming small clouds of vapor in the chilly air.
"Snape actually deducted house points from Malfoy and gave him detention on top of that. It's completely unprecedented in my experience. Do either of you have any theories about why he would break his usual pattern of favoritism?"
Both Hermione and Neville shook their heads with equal confusion, clearly as puzzled by Snape's unexpected show of impartiality as Harry. In all their years at Hogwarts, none of them could recall a single case where Snape had disciplined a Slytherin student with anything approaching the severity he usually did to Gryffindors.
Ron, meanwhile, trekked along behind them like a condemned man walking to his execution, his shoulders were slumped with defeat and his face showed an expression of such dejection that he appeared to have lost all connection to his surroundings.
Observing his friend's distress, Harry felt a familiar sense of helpless frustration wash over him.
Ron's pain was almost physically perceptible, radiating from his hunched body like heat from a fever patient, yet there seemed to be nothing any of them could do to ease his suffering or restore his damaged confidence.
"Please try not to take it so hard, Ron," Neville said in a voice that trembled with nervous sympathy, clearly hoping to provide some measure of comfort despite his own anxiety about addressing such a sensitive topic.
"I mean, yes, you did lose the duel, but... but Malfoy didn't exactly come out of it unscathed either, what with the detention and the house points, and—"
"That's not particularly comforting, Neville," Harry interrupted gently, giving him a subtle elbow nudge to signal.
Neville immediately shrank back like a reprimanded puppy, his face flushing with embarrassment as he closed his mouth and determined to remain silent for the rest of their journey.
Before any of them quite realized how much distance they had covered, the small group were standing in the center of the castle's main courtyard, where a few early snowflakes had begun drifting down from the gray sky above like nature's early warning system.
The wind was picking up as well, carrying with it the promise of more severe weather to come.
Harry couldn't help but notice how the scene perfectly matched their mood—cold, bleak, and somehow deeply desolate despite being surrounded by the comfort of Hogwarts' walls.
Just as they were preparing to continue toward the castle's interior, a group of figures in blue robes drifted past them.
"A blizzard is approaching rapidly, mesdames!" came a familiar and warmly voice from within the group. "I strongly recommend that you return to the castle immediately, or at least to your carriages. I'm certain you must all be longing for the comfort of a warm fireplace and perhaps some hot chocolate... Ah, forgive me, but I must take my leave now. Have a pleasant day. Until tomorrow, Ruskin."
Only at that moment did Harry realize they were seeing a group of Beauxbatons students being escorted by none other than Professor Westeros.
Adrian's eyes had already spotted the four Gryffindor students standing in the courtyard, and after ensuring that the Beauxbatons groupup were safely on their way toward shelter, he approached them with a friendly smile.
"What brings you four out here in this increasingly unpleasant weather?" He inquired with curiosity, though his gaze immediately noticed something amiss in their body language and expressions.
"Ron, why do you look so dejected? What on earth has happened? You look like you just lost a duel or something...."
Adrian had fully expected to receive some sort of humorous reply or self-deprecating joke in response to his lighthearted comment.
However, the silence that met his question was both unexpected and deeply uncomfortable. None of the four students gave any response at all, and Ron's head dropped even lower until his face was completely hidden from view, his fiery red hair falling forward like a curtain to conceal his expression.
Several seconds passed in increasingly awkward silence before Ron finally spoke, his voice so low and hoarse that it was barely clear above the wind.
"I have to go now. Goodbye, Professor."
Without waiting for any kind of response, he turned and began running toward the castle alone.
Adrian raised both eyebrows in genuine surprise and concern, clearly taken aback by such an abrupt and obviously distressed departure.
"What in Merlin's name has occurred here?" He asked with growing seriousness.
"I'm afraid you managed to hit exactly on his most sensitive nerve, Professor," Hermione replied with a helpless sigh.
Harry stepped forward and went to provide Adrian with a complete and detailed explanation of everything that had happened during the past few hours, from the morning's confrontation in the Great Hall through the disastrous duel and its conclusion.
He spared no details about Ron's defeat, Malfoy's cruelty, or Snape's unexpected intervention and punishment.
Adrian listened to this recitation in thoughtful silence. When Harry finally concluded his tale, he remained quiet for several moments.
He mentally cursed his own terrible timing and unfortunate choice of words.
His comment about looking defeated had been intended as nothing more than innocent teasing, it was a casual observation meant to prompt a smile or perhaps a mild complaint about classes or weather. He certainly hadn't expected to deliver a direct hit on such a wound.
But then again, he thought, Ron was still basically a child. Emotional fragility and intense reactions to apparent failures were entirely normal at his age, even if they seemed inconsistent to outside observers.
Adrian released a quiet sigh. 'Teenagers are indeed troublesome.'
"I think I should go find him immediately and try to comfort him," Harry said with worry, "or perhaps help him plan some appropriate revenge against Malfoy."
"As professor, I am officially required to discourage any use of violence," Adrian replied with a meaningful wink and added, "Well, just... don't go too far with whatever you might be planning."
At that moment, Hermione suddenly spoke up.
"I don't think we should immediately rush off to seek revenge on his behalf," She said with calm conviction. "Ron needs to find a way to defeat Malfoy himself, through his own efforts and abilities. Unless he's completely abandoned all self-respect and confidence, he won't want us to fight his battles for him."
Harry turned to stare at her with obvious surprise, clearly not having expected such a seemingly unsympathetic response from her.
"Honestly, Hermione, that's not exactly a simple matter," He said with a frown. "You saw what happened out there. Malfoy has had professional training that Ron simply hasn't received. The playing field isn't even close to level."
"I'm aware of the challenges," Hermione replied with another sigh, this one carrying both frustration and concern. "That's exactly why we need to find some way to help him improve his abilities and confidence, rather than simply taking over and solving his problems for him."
Harry observed her face with curiosity, clearly trying to understand the reasoning behind her position.
"I'm somewhat surprised by your attitude," He said carefully. "You've seemed determined to avoid dealing with him at all lately."
Hermione's lips compressed into a thin line of obvious irritation, though whether that irritation was directed at Ron, at Harry, or at the situation in general remained unclear.
"I simply cannot tolerate his consistently lazy approach to everything important," She said with frustration.
Harry's eyebrows rose as he began to understand. 'Could this be the reason for Hermione's recent bad mood?'
Girls' emotional reasoning could indeed be remarkably difficult to interpret, but at least this particular mystery was beginning to make sense.
More importantly, as long as his two best friends weren't engaged in some sort of permanent falling out, he could work with whatever temporary tensions existed between them. Both Ron and Hermione were his important friends, and the thought of being forced to choose sides between them had been a source of anxiety for him.
"I think you're right, Hermione," Harry said with conviction, nodding his agreement with her judgement. "The first step should be finding some way to provide Ron with proper motivation to improve his magical combat abilities..."
Adrian observed this entire conversation from his position slightly apart from the group, and felt a sense of relief him as he realized that his accidental tactlessness was unlikely to result in any long-term psychological damage to Ron's emotional well-being.
His friends clearly understood both the nature of his problem and the general approach needed to address it.
"In my experience, hatred can serve as an extremely powerful source of motivation," He commented with a slight smile. "Nothing quite focuses the mind like a burning desire to prove one's enemies wrong."
He looked up at the gray sky, where the scattered snowflakes were beginning to multiply into what seem to become a winter storm.
"Ah, that blizzard is definitely approaching faster than I had hoped," He observed with mild dislike. "I've never been fond of such severe weather. I think it would be wise for all of us to return to the castle before conditions deteriorate further, children."
After Harry and Hermione made their way back to the Gryffindor common room, they immediately launched into a search for their missing friend. Their search continued through the early afternoon hours, growing more wide-ranging and desperate as time passed without any sign of dejected Ron.
Soon, the hour for lunch arrived, and the Great Hall began to fill with hungry students. However, despite their thorough scrutiny of every entrance and their observation of all four house tables, Ron remained evidently absent.
At their usual seats along the Gryffindor table, Harry and Hermione sat with their largely untouched meals, their appetites diminished by worry and their attention focused completely on their continuing mystery.
"Where on earth do you think Ron could have disappeared to?" Harry asked with a quiet sigh of frustration. "I conducted a thorough search of the boys' dormitory, including under every bed and behind every trunk, he's definitely not there. I also checked the common room, the tower stairs, and even some of the abandoned classrooms on our floor."
Hermione's expression reflected similar concern and bewilderment as she mentally reviewed her own unsuccessful investigation efforts.
"I searched the library thoroughly, even though I seriously doubted he would be in any mood for reading or studying in his current state," She said with frustration. "I also checked the Owlery, thinking he might have gone there to send a letter home or simply to find some privacy. Nothing whatsoever."
A new and much more alarming possibility suddenly occurred to Harry, causing him to straighten in his seat with anxiety.
"He wouldn't have gone off to find Malfoy alone, would he?" He asked with concern.
That wouldn't be a good choice. But knowing Ron's reckless nature, he might very well do such a thing.
Just as they were discussing this possibility, the person they had been speculating about made his appearance in the Great Hall.
Malfoy strode past the Gryffindor table with his usual arrogant swagger, surrounded by the figures of Crabbe and Goyle. His silver-green Slytherin scarf swayed across his chest with each step, and his pale face had an expression of satisfaction.
"Well, well, Potter," He drawled with obvious pleasure as he paused beside their section of the table, "I notice your sidekick seems to be absent from his usual position. Don't tell me the he is hiding in some dark corner somewhere, crying into his pillow over this morning's experience?"
Harry felt his fingers tighten around his fork as anger flared in his chest.
However, before Harry could give any kind of response, Hermione's hand appeared under the table to press gently against his wrist. She accompanied this restraining gesture with a slight shake of her head that clearly indicated he should remain silent and avoid escalating the situation.
Then, to Harry's surprise, Hermione rose smoothly from her seat to address Malfoy.
"Since you seem to get such enjoyment from dueling, Malfoy," She said with unusual calmness, "Do you dare to have another match with me?"
For a moment, Malfoy was genuinely taken aback by this unexpected development, his eyes widened slightly. Then his expression shifted to one of contemptuous amusement as he recovered from his initial surprise.
"Are you seriously telling that you want to humiliate yourself in the same manner as your pathetic friend?" He asked while laughing. " Haven't you seen enough of what happened to Weasley last time? But... I won't duel with a Mudblood."
Hermione's expression didn't change in the slightest. "What's wrong, won't you even accept a challenge from a Mudblood?"
Harry remained silent beside her.
After hearing Hermione's words, Malfoy shook his head. "I don't have time to waste with Mudbloods. If you want revenge, then let that red-headed failure come find me himself. I welcome it anytime."
He sneered coldly. "But next time he won't be so lucky. I'll record the whole process. What do you think, Potter?"
Just as Harry was about to respond, an angry and familiar voice suddenly came from nearby.
"Malfoy!"
Ron appeared as if from nowhere, striding forward, his fiery red hair catching the light from the floating candles above. His entire body emitted anger, and when he came to a stop directly in front of their small group, his eyes blazed with determination.
"Since you've said so, then let's have another match," His voice was low and appeared calm. "On the second day after the next Triwizard Tournament task, witnessed by all the students."
Harry wanted to remind them that the professors wouldn't allow such a contest, but this clearly wasn't the time to interrupt.
Upon hearing Ron's words, Malfoy raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Since you're so eager to embarrass yourself again, I'll oblige you. I accept your challenge, Weasley."
Ron subtly breathed a sigh of relief.
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