The Last Slytherin - Chapter 68

Hearing Dumbledore’s announcement made everyone under 17 angry and frustrated as they can’t even participate much less win it. Malfoy growled, “Dumbledore is too much. We can play neither Quidditch nor participate in Triwizard Tournament”. At the Gryffindor table, while George was protesting in anger, “c’mon we’ll be 17 in April. It’s just a few months”, Fred whispered, “don’t worry, we can find a way to fool the judge as long as it isn’t Dumbledore”.

Meanwhile, Dumbledore continued, “This is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below a sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion”.

Then he turned especially towards the Twin Weasleys who were discussing a few things to fool the supposed impartial judge who they don’t know, and said, “I, therefore, beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen.

As I have told you before. The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and will remain as our guests throughout the year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected”.

As Dumbledore said his final decision, everyone went to their dormitories to sleep. The next morning breakfast, while a few people from all the houses discussing the magical methods of aging themselves to enter the Triwizard Tournament, Prof. Moody who sat at the High table with the other staff looking at Harry through his magical eye and then turned towards the Slytherin table and looked at Neal briefly while gritting his teeth in anger for some reason.

The term started with Herbology class. Professor Sprout made everyone collect the pus from Bubotubers while warning them to wear dragon-hide gloves. After that, everyone went to the Care for Magical Creatures class which is conducted at the edge of the Forbidden Forest by Hagrid.

As Neal looked at the Blast-Ended Skrewts, he asked, “Hagrid, you do know these are dangerous once they grew after a few months, don’t you?”. Hagrid nodded, “of course, I will release them int the forest, then”.

Neal shook his head and concentrated on the one which he was given and fed them according to Hagrid’s instructions without correcting him at all. Because Neal knew that if he says the correct feed required for them to grow healthy, Hagrid will make sure they will grow up to ten feet for sure”.

In the evening, Neal is walking in the Dungeon corridor and took the Slughorn’s stairs, a narrow stone staircase that connects the Dungeon corridor and the entrance hall which is connected to the Great Hall.

As he reached the entrance hall, Neal saw it was packed with students queuing to enter the Great Hall. Meanwhile, just near them, he heard Malfoy shouting, “don’t you dare insult my mother, Potter”. Harry replied, “keep your fat mouth shut, then” and turned away to join the queue.

Malfoy turning scarlet in anger took out his wand and shot a spell while pointing at his back. Just when the spell missed him by an inch, everyone heard a loud BANG, and a roar echoed through the entrance hall. “OH NO YOU DON’T, LADDIE!”.

While everyone gasped including Neal, Harry spun around to see a pure white ferret in place of Malfoy and Prof. Moody was limping down the marble staircase which is connected to the first floor. After reaching Harry, Moody asked, “did he get you?”.

Harry replied, “Nope, it missed”. Moody then suddenly said, “oh, no, don’t even try”. His magical eye saw the Ferret gave a terrified squeak and tried to run towards Neal when it saw him at the edge of the Stairs which lead to dungeons.

But before it escaped, Moody roared while turning around, “I don’t think so”, and pointed his wand at the ferret again which flew ten feet into the air, fell with a smack to the floor, and then bounced upward once more.

Moody growled, “I don’t like people who attack from behind”, as the ferret bounced again and again in the mid-air, suddenly, it changed into Malfoy and fell on the floor, surprising Moody. Then, as he raised his head and looked towards the front, he saw Neal pointing his wand towards Malfoy with a cold expression on his face.

After untransfiguring Malfoy, Neal looked at Moody and said coldly, “Hogwarts rule no.32, No professor except Headmaster and the House Head has the right to punish a student with their wands”. There’s pin-drop silence in the entrance hall while everyone looking at Neal who looked a bit scary at that time and Prof. Moody who is staring at Neal intently, raising the wand towards him.

Seeing his face made Moody angry for some reason as if he has personal enmity towards him. He growled, “a student dares to stop me and lectures me about the rules?”. As he pointed his wand at him and about to shot a spell, Neal also pointed his wand at him waiting for his first strike and defend it, just then, a loud shout came from the marble staircase, “what the hell is going on here?”.

Everyone turned towards the direction where the sound came from to find Prof. McGonagall was coming down the marble staircase with books in her hands. As she reached the entrance hall, she looked at Moody and then Neal, “now, tell me, why are a Professor and a student pointing wands at each other”.

While Moody greeted her calmly, Neal replied, “I will explain about it, Professor. This Professor here used a human transfiguration spell on Malfoy, and I untransfigured him and told this guy about the rule”.

She snapped at Moody, “Is that true?”, Moody replied calmly, “I’m just teaching him some manners”. She shrieked, “teach? You fool. This is Hogwarts, a place for learning. We never use our wand against our students. We use detentions, taking away the points from houses or telling to their House Head”.

He looked at Malfoy and then Neal with a great dislike and said, “I know. I’ll do that then”.

Then, she turned towards Neal, “and you, why are you pointing a wand against a Professor and disrespecting him? Detention this week, Slytherin”. Neal nodded and looked at Malfoy, “Draco, let’s go”. Malfoy hurriedly went and stood beside him while they were walking into the Great Hall.

Meanwhile, Ron was happy while he’s whispering, “finally, that Slytherin is getting punishment. He deserves it for saving Malfoy and going against Moody. Too bad that he wasn’t getting a harsh punishment.

While they sat at the table, as Malfoy thanked him, Neal looked at Malfoy seriously and replied, “this is the last time I’m warning you, Draco. I know that it’s your fault for attacking Harry. For the past three years, I keep telling you not to get involved with them but you keep on provoking them but you never listened.

Since you are my friend, I’ll save you from trouble even if it’s Dumbledore but If you don’t change your ways and keep causing trouble, I’m afraid I will have to cut off my friendship with you”. While Malfoy is trying to defend himself, Daphne and Tracey immediately closed his mouth and whispered, “shut up and be silent for now”.

Neal didn’t talk with anyone and silently finished his dinner. After he went away, Draco asked, “what’s with him? Even during Herbology, he snapped at Nott for making a mess on the table”. Daphne sighed, “well, can you blame him? Quidditch got canceled, Annual festival was canceled and Triwizard Tournament… just don’t cause trouble for a few days okay? until he calms down”.

Meanwhile, Ron was smiling big, saying to Harry, “today is one of the best days of my life. Malfoy turning into a ferret and Neal getting punished for his recklessness”. Then Harry asked, “where is Hermoine, anyway? I didn’t see her at the table”. Ron shrugged, “might be with her Ravenclaw friends and annoying them with her elves’ welfare statements again”.