An eerie silence settled over the crowd that gradually gathered to watch.
After Professor McGonagall stood up, the focus of the Christmas ball seemed to shift in a strange direction...
As the floating candles flared to life, Professor McGonagall's cold, taut expression was finally revealed to everyone. From the look on her face, it was clear she could hardly believe what she was seeing.
What had she just walked into at a Christmas ball?
A scene like a pile of ruins, a head whose condition was unclear, and Beauxbatons students rushing over after hearing the commotion. Everything had spiraled completely out of control, and Professor McGonagall's face darkened instantly.
Off to the side, Harry Potter recognized the fiery red hair buried beneath the debris. Without hesitation, he rushed over to the only visible head and crouched down.
He wrapped both hands around it and pulled hard.
"Ron! Are you okay? I'll get you out right now!"
"Mmm… ugh…"
"Move aside, Potter. Reparo!"
Harry's rough tugging looked like an attempt to drag Ron Weasley out by sheer brute force.
Realizing that if she didn't intervene, Ron Weasley might very well be killed by Harry Potter's reckless stupidity, Professor McGonagall snapped back to her senses. She immediately drew her wand and cast a restoration spell, returning the area to its original state.
As the magic unfolded like time reversing itself, Ron Weasley was finally freed from beneath the wreckage, spared from any further damage at Harry Potter's hands.
Seeing that Ron was still breathing, Professor McGonagall finally let out a breath.
"Pomfrey, please."
"Don't worry, dear. Mr. Weasley has only fainted."
Madam Pomfrey, who had arrived with the others and already finished her examination, gave Professor McGonagall a reassuring answer.
It seemed that more than physical pain, it was the psychological shock that had caused Ron Weasley to lose consciousness.
In short, once she realized the situation hadn't reached the worst possible outcome, Professor McGonagall relaxed slightly.
However, before Minerva McGonagall could fully understand what had happened, Harry Potter suddenly turned and pointed straight at Draco, who stood at the center.
"Professor, it was him! Malfoy definitely attacked Ron!"
Whether personal emotions were mixed into his accusation or not, Harry Potter wasn't entirely wrong. Ron collapsing unconscious did indeed have a great deal to do with Draco.
More accurately, Draco was responsible.
Faced with Harry Potter's accusation, Hermione, who had been standing under Draco's protection, couldn't hold back any longer.
"Professor, it was because—"
"You can't listen to Granger! She's clearly on his side! Obviously none of that's true!"
"Harry Potter! You don't know anything!"
"I—I wasn't even there, but who else could've done this? Tell me! You Gryffindor traitor!"
"You—!"
Never particularly good with words, Harry Potter was instantly pushed into furious embarrassment. Especially under Pansy's openly disdainful gaze, his already unstable emotions completely snapped, and he began speaking without thinking.
That final remark, in particular, made Hermione's face flush bright red with anger.
As the Head of Gryffindor, Professor McGonagall felt a chill run through her upon hearing those words. She had never imagined she would hear something like that come from Harry Potter.
In her eyes, there was no such thing as house divisions. Every student was simply a member of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
As for "traitors," the very notion was absurd.
"Mr. Potter, what you should be doing right now is staying with Mr. Weasley, not arguing here."
"But Professor—"
"Potter!"
"…I understand, Professor."
Under Professor McGonagall's sharp gaze, Harry clenched his teeth and hurried after Ron in the direction he'd been taken. Before leaving, he shot Draco a deeply resentful look.
It seemed that what had once been mere hostility toward Draco had now fully transformed into outright disgust.
...
After Harry Potter disappeared from the scene, Professor McGonagall finally turned her gaze to Draco and Hermione standing beside him.
That look made Hermione, who had been worried Professor McGonagall might be influenced by Harry Potter, hurry forward to speak.
"Professor, this was because—"
"No need to explain. I trust that in your eyes, Miss Granger, I haven't yet reached the point of being senile?"
"That's not what I meant, Professor."
"In any case, Mr. Malfoy will come with me to my office. Of course, if Miss Granger is still concerned, you may come along as well."
Seeing the flustered look on her favorite student's face, a faint trace of amusement flickered across Professor McGonagall's usually stern expression.
"I…"
"I understand."
"Draco, you—!"
"Relax. It'll be fine."
Seeing Hermione's worried expression and her slightly indignant, flustered look, Professor McGonagall couldn't help but drift into her memories.
Despite her current demeanor, when she was younger, she too had experienced a time when boys competed over her. Back then, she had also…
So, from just a few small details, the witch could already discern the general situation.
However.
That was still no justification for attacking a fellow student.
...
That evening.
Hermione accompanied Draco to the Deputy Headmistress's office.
What exactly was said inside remained unknown afterward. The only thing anyone knew was that Draco Malfoy and Ron Weasley had both violated school rules and received the punishments they deserved.
...
The following night.
In a corridor lined with suits of armor.
"Students who make mistakes deserve harsh punishment… of course, I'm not talking about you. A distinguished gentleman like Mr. Malfoy is clearly different from those troublemaking wizards."
Filch, who was in charge of overseeing Draco's punishment, rambled nonstop about his philosophy as they walked.
His attitude of treating students like criminals, along with his constant attempts to flatter Draco, made Hermione, who was accompanying them, roll her eyes again and again.
Hermione's presence here was largely due to her own request to Professor McGonagall. In her view, part of the responsibility for what happened lay with her.
Although that way of thinking had earned her a sharp chop from Draco…
Worth mentioning was that Ron Weasley, the one who had caused the trouble in the first place, had been sentenced to scrub the toilets.
Naturally, without using magic.
Just as Hermione was reaching the limits of her patience with Filch's endless chatter, Crookshanks and Mrs Norris, the two cats leading the way, suddenly came to a halt.
It seemed they had arrived at their destination.
More precisely, the place where the punishment would be carried out.
The Trophy Room…