Chapter 758: Old Grievances
Chapter 758: Old Grievances
Knock! Knock! Knock! The door to the Potions office reverberated with the sound of hurried knocking. Seated at his desk grading papers, Severus Snape set down the parchment in his hand and, prompted by the insistent rapping, opened the wooden door. He furrowed his brow imperceptibly, his eyes narrowing as he beheld the student standing without. "Mr. Malfoy," he queried, his tone laden with suspicion, "what happened to your face?"
"Professor!" Malfoy exclaimed, his voice tinged with fear. "We saw Potter's ghost in Hogsmeade Village!"
"Come in and explain yourself." Snape stepped aside, gesturing for the trio to enter his office. "If you need to calm yourself, I have a calming draught at hand."
"We were talking to Weasley on the outskirts of Hogsmeade Village when a large clump of mud suddenly hit the back of our heads..." Malfoy took a deep breath, recounting how he had seen Harry Potter's head floating in mid-air and how, on the way back to Hogwarts, he had tripped and scraped his cheek, suspecting he had been jinxed.
"I am already aware of this incident," Snape interrupted. "You should go to the hospital wing and tend to your injuries to prevent scarring."
Snape indicated that they could leave, intending to seek out Potter. According to Malfoy, it was clear that Potter had secretly gone to Hogsmeade Village.
As expected, that boy was as rule-breaking as his father.
As Snape strode away, Malfoy's lips curled into a conspiratorial smirk. Harry Potter would surely be punished for this; he was not permitted to go to Hogsmeade Village.
In fact, Malfoy had already devised his revenge during their journey back to Hogwarts Castle.
The near hour-long trip had been more than enough time for him to calm down and piece together the sequence of events.
He had even plotted how to get back at Harry Potter.
Reporting the incident to Professor Snape was just the first step in Malfoy's plan for retribution.
Today was the day that the woolly-haired oaf would be defending himself at the Ministry of Magic, and Malfoy was certain that despite Hagrid's efforts, everything was already decided. He didn't believe that Buckbeak, the hippogriff, could escape the death sentence.
However, Malfoy had decided to interfere and delay the beast's execution.
Yes, delay.
After all, a prolonged agony was always worse than a swift end.
As long as the creature wasn't put to death, there was still hope—hope that he could dangle in front of the half-giant, only to watch him descend into despair. He relished the idea of giving the oaf an unforgettable lesson.
Ideally, he wanted to manipulate Potter into releasing Buckbeak himself, thereby violating the laws of the Ministry of Magic.
If played right, not even Dumbledore could save him. He would surely be expelled, and Malfoy hoped he would end up in Azkaban prison. Just imagining the expressions on Potter and Weasley's faces at that moment brought a smile to Malfoy's lips.
"Ouch!"
The stinging sensation on his face snapped Malfoy back to the present. Madam Pomfrey was tending to the graze on his cheek, applying copious amounts of essence of murtlap to prevent scarring.
"There, Mr. Malfoy, it should be completely healed within a day, and there will be no scarring. But until then, do not wash your face."
Madam Pomfrey put away the bottle of essence and gestured for Malfoy to vacate the bed for his companions, Goyle and Crabbe, who also required treatment for their injuries.
After performing a thorough examination on the trio and ensuring there were no lingering effects, Madam Pomfrey dismissed them from the hospital wing.
"This matter cannot be left unresolved!" Malfoy exclaimed indignantly, his sentiment immediately echoed by his two lackeys.
On their way back to the Slytherin common room, Malfoy shared his plan with his cronies.
"You're right," Crabbe chimed in. "The longer we drag this out, the more it will hurt that idiot. We can even secretly release the beast and pin it on him."
It was common knowledge how close Potter and Hagrid were.
"The verdict should be out by now," Goyle mused. "Do you think the Ministry of Magic will agree to change the execution date?"
"With the right excuse, it won't be a problem," Malfoy replied confidently, certain that his family's influence would suffice.
Elsewhere, a similarly confident Albus Dumbledore, adept in Legilimency, stared at an ancient piece of parchment in his hand, his eyes wide with surprise.
He had never imagined that a day would come when he would be insulted by a mere piece of parchment. Or, to be more precise, when those four would find a way to insult him again.
Those damned fools! Snape's face was contorted with rage.
He had already guessed who the nicknames on the parchment referred to.
Using the Floo Network in the fireplace, Snape summoned Lupin, barely stopping himself from crumpling the offending parchment and throwing it at his face.
The ensuing discussion was less than amicable.
Snape insisted that the parchment was tainted with Dark Magic and accused Lupin of giving it to Potter.
The implication was clear: he was all but accusing Lupin outright.
At the same time, he was sending a clear warning: I'm watching you.
Lupin's response was as Snape had expected—he brushed it off as a joke.
Snape was convinced that the parchment was the handiwork of those four, and he certainly hadn't summoned Lupin just to listen to his excuses.
Just as Snape was about to expose Lupin's lies and burn the damned parchment in front of him...
Things took an unexpected turn.
Ron Weasley burst into the Potions office, breathless, and admitted that the parchment was a gift he had bought for Harry in Hogsmeade a while back.
This was like a stab to Snape's chest.
Of course, Snape knew that the three standing before him were lying, but he couldn't provide any proof. That was what frustrated him the most. He couldn't openly use Legilimency on students and teachers.
At least, not as evidence.
Lupin seized this opportunity, providing an excuse to take the two boys away. Before leaving, he not only took the old parchment but also ensured that Harry Potter wouldn't face detention, thus thwarting all of Snape's plans.
As Harry and Ron followed Lupin out of the Potions office, Snape's face contorted with rage, his anger mingling with unpleasant memories—especially when he recalled the expression on Harry Potter's face as he had mentioned his father saving him.
That foolish boy, so ignorant of the truth.
"Damn that werewolf! I'll find the evidence, and I'll make sure you're the one to take the fall!" Snape seethed, his anger threatening to consume him. He would make sure Potter saw his father for who he truly was.
There would be other opportunities.
Next time, he would make sure Potter transcribed every last detail of his father's despicable deeds.
(End of Chapter)
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