The Old Ones of Hogwarts

Chapter 268, Section 267: What did you say? He wants to slay a dragon?

Chapter 268, Section 267: What did you say? He wants to slay a dragon?

at this time.

Night fell even deeper.

The moonlight was obscured by thick clouds at some point.

It seemed to foreshadow something big happening tonight.

However, things remained very calm at Hogwarts.

"Mr. Weasley, you are such a rude brat." Snape suddenly stopped, his wand precisely lifting Ron's chin, forcing the other to look up and meet his gaze.

"Didn't your mother teach you to look the other person in the eye when you lie?" Snape's tone was extremely displeased, and the contempt in his dark eyes was so intense it was almost overflowing.

The moonlight shone on Ron's pale face.

She even looked somewhat pitiful.

"I...I don't know what you're talking about." Even though Ron had been taught a lesson by Snape, he still couldn't control his instincts, and his eyes kept darting around.

Well, how should I put it?

It's not that he can't learn.

Rather, the pressure of looking into Snape's eyes was indeed immense.

It was a pressure that a mere wizard like him couldn't withstand. After all, he was only a first-year student and hadn't caught Snape red-handed; instead, Snape had caught him red-handed.

He wanted to give a sharp rebuttal, but he lacked the confidence to do so.

"What a terrible performance!" Cold anger surged in the old bat's dark eyes. He truly felt that Ron was treating him like a fool.

"Mr. Weasley, how arrogant must you be to think I can't find this?" With that, Snape reached out and his withered, claw-like fingers plunged straight into Neville's pocket.

He precisely pulled the dozing Rafe from Neville's pocket.

The unfortunate toad was still croaking and kicking its hind legs when it was pulled out, but it couldn't break free from Snape's control. Perhaps the toad was the one who suffered the greatest misfortune tonight.

First, the forest was banned.

Now it's here again.

Not killing himself on the spot to show Neville was a testament to his deep affection and loyalty to Neville.

"Breaking school rules and lying." Snape held the toad up to Ron's nose, and the toad's slime dripped onto Ron's nose, causing an allergic reaction.

obviously.

This was intentional on Snape's part.

As a Potions Master, he knew very well what Ron was allergic to—however, Snape was indeed petty, but Ron's deception was also the main reason.

"You brat, how stupid and arrogant must you be to think you can fool me? Do you take me for your indulgent father?" Snape hated it most when people acted stupidly in front of him.

Ron, on the other hand, made a series of foolish mistakes.

He was still a Gryffindor student.

This made him even more convinced that Ron was deliberately mocking him. The toad croaked in Snape's hands, then Snape tossed it to Neville, who was standing nearby, his face pale. Neville's lips trembled as he clumsily caught the toad, not daring to utter a single complaint, nor even daring to comfort his pet on the spot.

Hermione nervously twisted the hem of her robe.

My brain is working at lightning speed, but I can't think of anything.

Ron, on the other hand, was like a rooster with its neck being choked, unable to utter a sound.

He would still be the worst off of the three. Ron's little head couldn't quite understand why Snape only targeted him, while his two friends were treated like invisible people.

"He broke school rules by going out at night, got caught, and still refused to repent, deceiving the professor," Snape said in a low voice, gritting his teeth as if each word was being squeezed out from between his teeth.

"It seems you won't learn the meaning of rules unless I teach you a lesson! I'll make you understand that at Hogwarts, any attempt to challenge authority will come at a terrible price!"

"It takes some special punishment to teach you unruly fellows a lesson. For example, the cesspool at Hogwarts needs to be emptied." His gaze swept over the three men.

"Of course, it's also possible that I'll expel you directly. Students like you who don't follow the rules don't deserve to study at Hogwarts. I think wandering the streets would suit your adventurous spirits." Snape's tone was fierce, and his menacing threat, though seemingly cruel, was indeed intended to leave a deep lesson for his students.

Actually.

Very few young wizards are expelled from school.

Even him.

They had never punished a Gryffindor wizard they disliked in this way. The last student expelled had not only violated school rules but also the laws of the Ministry of Magic.

For students.

In reality, Hogwarts is quite lenient, unlike those supposedly strictly managed schools in the Muggle world. Of course, this is something that not only Hermione didn't know, but even Ron and Neville were unaware of.

Neville's face was paler than the moonlight, and Ron's freckles stood out starkly against his deathly pale face.

"Professor, you can't take revenge on me!" Ron blurted out, then immediately regretted it. He wasn't really stupid; he knew that yelling would definitely enrage Snape.

This is not.

Snape's facial muscles tensed abruptly, and the air seemed to freeze. He slowly turned around, the moonlight illuminating his contorted face, making him look like a demon from hell.

"Settling personal scores? You think I'm that kind of professor? Very well, Mr. Weasley, I will do as you wish. The punishment I inflict on you will surely become a 'wonderful' memory that you'll never forget."

"Starting tomorrow, for a week straight, come to my office from 10 PM to 2 AM every night. You'll be responsible for cleaning all the crucibles. If you can't get them clean, lick them with your tongue!"

"Just pray I don't brew a truth serum so you'll reveal your true feelings to your classmates." It must be said, Snape really knew how to threaten these students.

This is not.

Ron's lips instantly turned pale, his legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed to the ground. He shut his mouth like a rooster being choked, no longer daring to show any resistance.

The air grew increasingly still.

In this oppressive and suffocating atmosphere.

"It's all our fault, Professor! We shouldn't have gone out at night, we shouldn't have trespassed into the Forbidden Forest..." Hermione seemed to have figured something out, and her voice carried a hint of urgency.

"Um?"

Snape's black robes fluttered without wind, as if an invisible force was surging within them. He stared intently at Hermione, and his voice suddenly rose in pitch.

"You actually went into the forbidden forest without permission?"

This certainly seems to be a situation that Snape hadn't anticipated.

after all.

Under normal circumstances.

The first-year students in Gryffindor are not yet that daring.

"Miss Granger, do you think a few words of confession will lessen your guilt? Now, you should really start worrying about how miserable your lives will be after you're expelled!"

"I will personally write to your parents and tell them how their children are disregarding school rules and putting themselves and the school in extreme danger!"

"If you ask me, your behavior is absolutely deserving of being sent to Azkaban!" He glared fiercely at the three men, but the worry in his eyes inadvertently betrayed him.

Well, how should I put it?

After all, he knew better than anyone the dangers of the Forbidden Forest. Although he disliked the Gryffindor students, he didn't want to see them die, especially since one of the girls was quite close to his nephew.

to be frank.

Even Snape himself didn't know what was going on. Lately, he had been finding Aurora from his own house increasingly unpleasant to look at, while he found this Gryffindor girl much more agreeable.

Just as Snape frowned.

While wondering if this had anything to do with Ian.

The law that humans can't withstand constant reminders has come into play again.

"Yes, Professor, I don't expect you to forgive our mistakes, but please at least try to save Ian." Hermione was clearly worried about Ian's safety.

She was unaware of Ian's strength.

But he had already experienced firsthand how terrifying dragons could be. Just now, the dragon's roar had terrified her; she didn't think Ian was any match for that creature.

At this moment.

Hermione's mind was filled with images of Ian possibly being torn to pieces.

"What do you mean? Ian? Ian Prince?" Snape was immediately confused after hearing Hermione's words, and he looked at Hermione with uncertain suspicion.

"What does this have to do with him?"

Snape's eyes flickered slightly.

"Hermione!"

Ron anxiously pulled Hermione aside. His thoughts were that Snape had been a Death Eater, and who knew the secrets of the Forbidden Forest? He also wondered if Harry and Ian's unusual behavior was related to this professor.

however.

Hermione had no time to pay attention to his whimsical ideas.

"Ian is also in the Forbidden Forest."

Hermione chose to be honest.

After all, human life is at stake.

Snape's expression froze instantly. In the moonlight, his face visibly darkened once more.

"I will punish him, but you don't need to worry about anything." Snape had some understanding of his nephew's strength, so he wasn't concerned about the possibility of Ian encountering danger in the Forbidden Forest.

Snape's grim expression stemmed from the fact that he suspected Ian was about to embark on a major shopping spree in the Forbidden Forest, and he had a premonition that his potion-making ingredients would become increasingly difficult to collect.

That's why people in the same profession often can't stand each other.

Especially in the area of ​​potions.

There are only so many resources.

Snape's only thought now was to capture the three young wizards and then rush to the Forbidden Forest to see if he could find any scraps—the fact that he would have to stay up all night was the main reason for Snape's displeasure.

"Now, all of you, get back to the castle!"

Snape's tone left no room for argument.

But the Slytherin headmaster didn't seem to care.

Hermione's expression grew increasingly anxious.

"Professor, you really have to go and save Ian! Ian was just in the Forbidden Forest!" Hermione, under pressure from Snape, tried to persuade him to help Ian.

"Miss Granger, it's not a good habit to betray your friends." Snape gave the girl a cold look, his goodwill towards her decreasing considerably.

Seeing this situation.

Ron wanted to mutter a few more words.

However, he has used up all his courage today.

In the end, he only complained in his heart about Snape's differential treatment—he also knew that Ian was Snape's nephew, and it could be said that there were very few junior wizards in the entire house who did not know this.

after all.

Last school year, Ian had already spread the word about his relationship with Snape. Now, in Ron's eyes, Snape was simply favoring his own family.

"He doesn't deserve to be a professor!"

Ron cursed under his breath.

however.

He still saw Snape suddenly look at him, his eyes chillingly cold. He took several steps back and quickly lowered his head, but he still couldn't understand why Snape hated him so much.

Just because I'm from the Weasley family?

Ah!

This guy clearly got bullied by his family a lot when he was a kid!

Ron's mind was still racing.

then.

He then saw Snape kick him, knocking him to the ground, whereupon he cried out in pain.

"Mind your own business!"

Snape gave a stern warning.

"I don't have time to waste here with you," Snape said, and was about to make a move when Hermione ran up to him again.

"Professor... Ian plans to challenge one, or more, dragons in the Forbidden Forest." Hermione's words were like a thunderclap, shaking the very air.

Challenge the dragon?

And there's more than one?

That's a challenge to take on a whole nest!

"What?"

Snape's pupils contracted sharply, and the muscles in his face twitched uncontrollably. In his more than twenty years of teaching, no student had ever dared to be so audacious.

Even though it happened to his own absurd nephew, Snape found it utterly surreal. How dare he! Snape's brow furrowed deeply.

Well, how should I put it?

Despite having some understanding of Ian's abilities, he clearly didn't believe Ian could accomplish such a feat. In fact, he felt Ian's personality was more suited to tricking others into helping him slay dragons.

"Did he tell you, or are you just guessing?"

Snape's eyes kept flashing.

Answer me!

His tone was somewhat hurried.

"We heard the dragon's roar, and he used magic to send us here. It looks like he's going to challenge the dragon," Hermione quickly stated her assessment.

"Take me to him!"

Snape's tone was furious. He grabbed Hermione by the back of her collar, as if lifting a helpless kitten. Hermione's scream mingled with Ron and Neville's gasps echoed through the night.

"But Professor, those two—"

Hermione wanted to say something more.

"Let them feed the Dementors here!" Snape roared, grabbing Hermione and charging toward the Forbidden Forest, his black robes billowing behind him like bat wings.

The withered leaves crunched painfully beneath his feet.

Ron and Neville stared in disbelief as the two disappeared into the darkness.

"What Dementors? Hogwarts has Dementors? That can't be right!" Neville's eyes were filled with terror as he looked around, clearly quite frightened by Snape's words.

"He was just trying to scare us. Dementors only exist in Azkaban." Ron breathed a sigh of relief, having narrowly escaped death, and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

however.

As the saying goes, cold sweat doesn't disappear, it just moves away—Ron looked up and saw that Neville's head was covered in cold sweat, even more than he had when he faced Snape.

"Don't be afraid! That damned Slytherin old bat is gone!" Ron perked up again and began to refer to Snape by his nickname.

"Um... um..."

Neville stammered.

He raised his trembling hand.

Ron looked over.

He plopped down on the ground again.

All I saw was...

"Whoosh whoosh~"

He saw a Dementor wandering outside the castle—no, it seemed to be fleeing, or hiding, as if it were playing hide-and-seek with something terrifying.

(End of this chapter)