"Ahem!"
Seeing the professors looking at him with complicated eyes, Damon put down his tea awkwardly.
"Are you talking about me?"
His expression was innocent and even a little amused, but none of the professors could laugh.
Professor McGonagall looked at him, wanting to rebuke but unable to. She could only ask,
"Son, are you aware of what happened?"
"No," Damon replied decisively. "But, Professor, if there's anything you want me to do, please tell me."
Seeing his attitude was relatively good, Professor McGonagall paused and glanced at Dumbledore—"You tell me."
Dumbledore looked at Professor McGonagall again—"I don't even know the situation, how can I say anything?"
His relationship with Damon was already a bit tricky—although he had accepted this student, he had never taught him, and now Damon didn't even call him teacher. What would he say?
He didn't want to upset his beloved student.
Moreover, he really didn't know how to resolve this matter—Dumbledore firmly defended his students' right to love freely, even if it meant countless people being heartbroken.
But what had Damon done wrong?
He'd simply chosen a girl for a date; that wouldn't be a problem for anyone.
Professor McGonagall glared at Dumbledore, then looked to Professor Flitwick for help. She truly didn't know what to do. Given her personality, she certainly didn't want to do anything that might go against Damon's wishes.
Flitwick was also a bit torn. This matter wasn't easy, nor was it difficult. He had a solution in mind, but he didn't want to be the "bad guy."
The professors who were best suited to be the bad guy all turned their eyes to Snape.
As if guessing what they were thinking, Snape's face twitched.
But he still spoke. Was he afraid of offending Damon? What a joke!
Besides, this matter was his responsibility in the first place.
"I suggest—" Snape's expression showed a hint of hesitation as he began, "that the school handle Damon's Valentine's Day arrangements."
Everyone turned their attention to Damon again—why was he still eating cake?
"Oh - sorry."
Everyone's eyes dimmed, and then they heard him say:
"I want to eat more sweets while I'm young and won't get fat. You know - if you still like to eat sweets when you are old, you will easily get fat and sick."
Seeing that he was not talking about the previous suggestion, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Dumbledore said gently:
"Well, there is also the issue of dental health. I have a lot of potions for repairing teeth. Take some when you leave."
Because he loves sweets, he is a big consumer of this kind of potion - of course, most of them are made by Snape with school funds.
Snape did retort to him:
"It was clearly me who made the potion, and yet you're playing the good guy here?"
"Yes, yes, Severus, it's all your fault."
Dumbledore acknowledged this, but it didn't make Snape's expression any better. He looked at Damon unceremoniously:
"Well, kid, you still haven't responded to my suggestion."
"Valentine's Day plans? I don't mind, but you have classes that day, so your schedule will be very tight."
"We can make an exception and give you a day off—" Professor McGonagall hadn't expected to say such a thing. Ever since she met Damon, it seemed like things always turned out this way. But for the sake of those students, it had to be this way.
"Anyway—given the situation of those children, it doesn't really make any difference whether they have a day off or not."
At this point, she felt a little more urgent.
"We can't let this get any worse!"
She looked at Dumbledore again.
"I've decided to give Valentine's Day Eve and Valentine's Day a holiday. I've decided to give Daemon two days to the girls from seven grades—one from each grade. We'll have a Transfiguration exam to decide the winner. What do you think?"
"I think it's a brilliant idea, Minerva."
"I disagree," Professor Flitwick suddenly interrupted. "Why not a Charms competition, but a Transfiguration one? You know, Minerva, it'll excite the students. It should be at least 50-50, right?"
"Are you guys pretending I don't exist?"
Snape's expression turned grim.
He was the one who had spoken first, but someone else got the spoils? Why?
"Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts should all be included in the assessment!"
"Snape, could you please not make things worse at this time?"
"How could this be considered a commotion? Professor McGonagall, are you being fair?"
"Alright, alright, we can discuss this in detail—Damon, are you willing?"
Flitwick tried to appease the former teacher and student, then turned to Damon.
"I have no objection. But how exactly are you going to do this? I need to know—and besides, I've already given Luna the 8 p.m. time slot for Valentine's Day."
"Oh! Everyone knows that! Isn't it your foolish and reckless behavior, like a rooster showing off its bright red comb, that has caused so many witches to break up? Do you have to agree to this publicly? Are you so eager to show off your popularity?"
"
Am I giving you too much face, Snape?"
Damon was about to retort, but before he could, the other professors were already listening.
"Severus, I find your accusations completely unfounded." Professor McGonagall looked him straight in the face, her expression stern.
"Damon didn't do anything wrong, he's just... too popular."
"Yes, Professor Snape, I think your assessment of him is unfair—just because he's not a Slytherin, you're looking at Damon through such a biased lens. That's not commendable."
Even Professor Flitwick's tone became more intense. He looked at Damon and quietly raised his eyebrows, as if to say, "Don't worry, we all support you. He won't make any waves."
As he entered his second year, after discovering that Damon had mastered all the spells, Professor Flitwick's favoritism became increasingly apparent. No matter how many points Snape deducted from Damon, Professor Flitwick would always give them back in his own class. Professor McGonagall did the same.
As a result, the more points Snape deducted from Damon, the higher the Gryffindor House Cup score actually became—and everyone accepted this.
This made Snape less likely to deduct points from Damon. He now focused his ire on Harry and Neville, so the other professors wouldn't complain.
"It seems that you are wrong, Professor Snape - you should learn how to be a good professor, especially when you are teaching a se
cond course."
Damon spread his hands to Professor Snape, almost unable to hold back his laughter.
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(End of this chapter)