Bring a fairy tale to Hogwarts!

One hour later—

"So, that's why you sent Malfoy to the school infirmary?"

Professor McGonagall asked sternly.

"Professor, I didn't!" Harry tried to defend himself.

"I really didn't intend to attack him. I used 'Dragon Emerging from its Cave' to conjure a black snake just to scare him and stop him from attacking—who knew that before the black snake even touched him, it just crawled across his leg, and he fainted from fright!"

"So you mean Mr. Malfoy's shouts on the train, 'It bit me! It's going to kill me!' were all just his imagination?"

"It was just his imagination... Everyone saw it!"

Ah, no, Professor McGonagall, you have to believe me!

Harry tried to move the tall, cold-eyed, stern-faced witch opposite him with his sincere gaze—Professor McGonagall, the deputy headmaster and administrator of Hogwarts.

But Professor McGonagall didn't seem to buy it.

She just stared at Harry coldly.

Harry was personally escorted there by Ron's prefect brother, Percy. He had only been told about the conflict initially, and he wanted to come and maintain order.

But in Percy's words, he found: "When we arrived, Malfoy was already lying on the ground, and Crabbe and Goyle were too terrified to speak, only repeating that Harry was going to kill them."

This dire situation prompted him to immediately decide to put aside his own family ties and bring Ron and Harry to see Professor McGonagall.

Under the light of the only lantern in the office, Professor McGonagall's face looked even more terrifying, like an angry eagle, exuding a strong sense of oppression.

A few seconds later, Ron couldn't help but defend Harry as well:

"Professor, the snake really didn't touch Malfoy! I only saw it brush past Malfoy's feet, and he fainted from fright! It was him..."

"What does a snake look like?" Professor McGonagall interrupted him.

"Oh! That snake was only as thick as a finger and as long as a forearm. Although its dense black scales might look scary, it wasn't actually dangerous at all and wasn't really an attack spell."

"And Professor, it was Malfoy who first insulted our family, it was clearly him—"

"That's enough!"

Professor McGonagall suddenly shouted, startling Ron.

She looked at them with disappointment and frustration.

"Don't you guys get the point? Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter?"

"The point isn't whether your magic is scary or not, but why you used it on the train! The argument may have made you feel wronged, but you could have sought help from your prefect, instead of using magic on your classmates without permission!"

"Mr. Weasley, this is Potter's first encounter with magic, and is it yours too? Don't you think your brother will stand up for you?"

"I will, Professor!"

Percy, who was still waiting at the door, interrupted.

But Professor McGonagall ignored him, her face still tense as she stared at Harry and Ron, coldly concluding:

"If you were adults, you'd be in Azkaban by now, the only difference being the length of your sentences. Malfoy would be locked up for a month, you for half a month, but your lives would be ruined!"

Ron's face turned pale instantly, even showing a hint of despair.

"So we're going to get fired, right?"

Professor McGonagall paused for a moment before saying, "...I'm sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Weasley, but you will still be here for seven more years of rigorous education to ensure that you never make this mistake again."

"The provisions of the 'Law on Reasonable Restraint of Underage Wizards' will not apply to new students for the time being. Although I will propose changes to them later, you have not violated any existing laws. Therefore, the punishment is only a one-month confinement and suspension from school for any further offenses."

Harry and Ron breathed a sigh of relief.

Harry couldn't even imagine what it would be like to be expelled. Back to the Dursleys with his tail between his legs? Go to Stonewall High School? For him, having experienced this wondrous world and then losing it was worse than death.

But Professor McGonagall didn't finish her sentence.

"besides--"

A few seconds later, she looked sternly at Harry: "Mr. Potter, I expect you to tell me truthfully and carefully how you learned that harmful spell?"

"Harmful?" Harry asked in surprise. "I learned it from a book, but the book clearly said it wasn't very dangerous, and the snake wasn't poisonous... I thought it was just a little spell."

Which book?

"From Bloodline to Curse"

"It was given to me by Mr. Borkin Burke. It is said to be a textbook from the Black family. Professor Victor Vanderbom gave it to me when he took me to Knockturn Alley."

Professor McGonagall's expression shifted, and she finally said dryly:

"I see."

"The book has been confiscated. I'll talk to Professor Victor again."

……

Meanwhile, Victor was walking towards the Great Hall with Professor Snape.

He exuded an overwhelming aura when he was dressed neatly. The students around him would be surprised to see the new professor, and then pretend not to be looking at him, only glancing at him out of the corner of their eyes.

At least half of this was because of the new brooch Snape gave him.

Yes, Snape succeeded again.

After much deliberation, Snape couldn't resist his craving for the nightshade, so he asked an older Slytherin student for a brooch and added some of his own treasured possessions before he could finally persuade Victor.

The new brooch given to Victor was a roaring python, finely carved with even its fangs clearly visible, and its mithril material added an ancient feel to it.

This led everyone to mistakenly believe that Victor and Slytherin were together, so no one dared to look at them for more than a second.

...Who knows if the Slytherin professors will deduct house points just because they glance at them!

The root cause of Slytherin's damaged reputation is the evil Professor Snape.

So Victor and Snape Moses parted ways and walked into the Great Hall from among the students who had kept their distance.

The auditorium was now filled with students, lit by hundreds of burning magical candles, and topped with a dome simulating a starry sky. The students, huddled together in robes bearing their respective academy insignia, sat around four long tables. The surrounding vintage decorations made everything seem almost surreal.

This was true even for Victor.

In his case, such gatherings would almost always attract a group of ignorant people who feared magic, turning the gathering into a sinful contest of spellcasting speed, and landing them on the kingdom's wanted list.

After most people were seated, Professor Dumbledore chuckled and began to speak:

"Welcome, welcome, classmates. After a summer apart, we are finally reunited here."

"In this academic year, I hope you can fill your minds, which were emptied during the summer vacation, with new knowledge and spend a new time with your professors..."

The auditorium gradually quieted down.

But a few minutes later, the tightly closed doors of the auditorium suddenly opened again, interrupting him.

Two small heads peeked through the crack in the door and were startled when they realized that everyone inside was watching them.

"Excuse me, gentlemen, hiding behind the door won't lessen the awkwardness at all."

Professor McGonagall spoke from behind them and opened the door.

"...As you can see, we will also have some new friends," Dumbledore added with a smile, "although they may seem a bit reckless, I assure you, this term will be just as enjoyable as any other."

"Alright, I won't waste any more time. Our old friend, the Sorting Hat, is getting impatient."