https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-262-The-Capitalist-and-the-Wizard/12937736/
Chapter 261: I Didn't Know It Would Be Like This
Chapter 261: I Didn't Know It Would Be Like This
Draco trembled, his entire body shaking with fear as he lifted his head.
"I..."
He stammered, as if struggling to speak, and after a moment, he managed to squeeze out a feeble defense from between his teeth.
"I didn't know... I didn't know he would end up like this... I just... I just wanted to humiliate him..."
He spoke in terror, his words punctuated by sobs.
Draco wasn't unfamiliar with seeing others injured; even the Slytherin common room often witnessed students engaging in physical altercations.
However, the impact of seeing someone with severed limbs, a deep gash, or having their entrails suddenly pulled out was entirely different.
His mind was in disarray, and the image of Vincent collapsing replayed relentlessly in his head.
His excuse sounded ridiculous, but seeing Draco's terrified state, even Crabbe Sr. knew he wasn't lying.
Indeed...
The Gutting Jinx, though an extremely malevolent Dark Magic spell, was merely a method of treating constipation in the hands of a skilled healer.
It was quick and convenient, aside from the occasional side effect of pulling out the intestines due to its rapid effect.
Snape couldn't help but display a look of disgust.
The thoughts in this foolish boy's mind were almost transparent, and everyone could see the cogs turning in his head—
Draco had only intended to make Vincent, who had offended him, soil himself in public.
For a twelve-year-old boy, the mental trauma of defecating in front of others was enough to socially ruin him until graduation, or even beyond, into his grave.
However, the issue was that the Gutting Jinx was a fine line between a healing spell and a devastating Dark Magic curse, depending on the intent of the wizard casting it.
The precision required for this was incredibly high, far beyond the capabilities of an ordinary second-year student.
For instance—
Even at St. Mungo's, where the best healers in the United Kingdom were gathered, people typically used a hard-to-drink potion to address constipation rather than directly casting the Gutting Jinx on patients.
This alone demonstrated the danger of this spell.
It was common knowledge that before learning any spell, one had to study a plethora of gruesome failure cases to warn young wizards against the careless use of their powers.
However, Draco, who had learned the Gutting Jinx, seemed to have skipped this critical step.
"Who taught you the Gutting Jinx?"
Dumbledore didn't scold the terrified student but patiently explained the dangers of the spell before asking again.
Draco's expression froze.
He glanced at Dumbledore, his gaze shifting between his father's straight back and Professor Snape's dark face, his toes unconsciously inching towards his mother.
The ring on his finger suddenly felt hot.
The Death Eaters...
Why hadn't they warned him that the consequences could be so severe?
Draco bit his lip, forcing himself to speak:
"No one... I... I read it in a book..."
Considering that Dumbledore might have knowledge of all the books in the school, Draco added, "It was a Malfoy family... an old book..."
Lucius Malfoy closed his eyes slightly.
—You idiot!
He cursed silently, but he didn't expose his son's lie.
No matter how poor Draco's lie was, Lucius Malfoy had no choice but to back him up.
"I believe you understand... this is an unfortunate accident caused by a minor conflict among children, and the reckless nature of youth often leads to catastrophic consequences. Misuse of spells is not uncommon."
He spoke in an unnatural tone, trying to downplay the incident, and then sincerely added:
"Of course, while Draco didn't intend to harm anyone, the injury he inflicted on Vincent is undeniable.
I will provide sufficient compensation."
Narcissa nodded silently, and Draco noticed that her fingers were icy cold.
Dumbledore had been staring intently at Draco, his gaze making him squirm, almost as if the words "I'm lying" were written on his face.
But when Lucius Malfoy spoke, he seemed to casually raise his hand, shielding his son, and Dumbledore's gaze shifted to his face.
The two men locked eyes, and Lucius Malfoy's gray eyes appeared cold.
After a moment, they seemed to reach some sort of unspoken agreement and simultaneously averted their gazes, looking at someone else in the room.
"Is that acceptable, Crabbe?"
Malfoy spoke politely, but his tone carried an unconscious air of superiority.
"I will take full responsibility for Vincent's treatment, and on top of that, I can offer you..."
He recalled Vincent's injuries and doubled the amount he had in mind.
"—Twenty Thousand Galleons."
Crabbe Sr.'s lips tightened, his eyes alternating between anger and hesitation.
He only had one son, Vincent, whom he doted on excessively.
At that moment, Crabbe Sr. felt like shouting,
"To hell with your damn compensation! We don't need it! I just want to send that little bastard straight to Azkaban!"
But the reality was—
They needed it.
The Crabbe family carried the title of pure-blood nobility, but in truth, they had long since exhausted their resources. They mocked the Weasleys for their poverty, but in reality, they weren't much better off.
Maintaining the facade of pure-blood nobility was expensive, especially in the last two years, with various luxurious 'necessities' popping up, almost emptying Crabbe's pockets.
—And the quiet student sitting next to him was largely responsible for this.
Families like theirs, former Death Eaters, found it challenging to earn money. People might not say anything to their faces, but they were always subtly ostracized.
Of course, on the surface, the Crabbes still claimed that they had been under the Imperius Curse like the Malfoys, forced to do bad things.
But everyone knew the truth.
So, the Crabbes and Goyles had no choice but to rely on the Malfoys for survival.
This was true for both the fathers and the sons.
With the Malfoys' wealth, even if they didn't earn a single Galleon for several generations, they could still lie on a pile of gold and count their money.
But without Lucius Malfoy's support, the Crabbe family would become poorer than the Weasleys within half a year.
After much hesitation, Crabbe Sr. finally nodded, ever so slowly and slightly...
He agreed to the private settlement with the Malfoys, but he felt stifled and miserable inside.
Then, he heard Dumbledore say,
"Draco Malfoy attacked a fellow student with his wand within the school, resulting in severe consequences. Even if it wasn't his intention, he must still be punished."
The pale-faced Draco lifted his head and heard the Headmaster's unwavering voice,
"Detention! From this afternoon until the end of the Third Year exams, during which time Mr. Draco Malfoy needs to learn how to respect his classmates, how to use spells correctly, and..."
Dumbledore looked down at Draco with a slightly cold expression,
"He also needs to prove to the school that although he has made a mistake now, there is still a chance for him to improve, so there is no need to destroy his wand or expel him from school."
This meant that if Draco made another mistake during detention, the school might combine the punishments, expelling him directly.
Draco looked at his father anxiously, but this time, Lucius Malfoy did not intervene on his behalf.
He could only nod slightly.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
