RNP Chapter 57 Auditorium Turmoil
Chapter 57 Auditorium Turmoil
The midday sun on Monday streamed through the tall stained-glass windows of Hogwarts Great Hall, casting colorful hues across the four house tables. As Cullen stepped through the oak doors, the previously noisy Great Hall fell silent for a moment, before erupting into even louder whispers.
"Look, it's him!"
"I heard he did it all by himself..."
"That Selwyn is still lying there..."
"Professor Flitwick's beloved student..."
These fragmented words drifted into Karen's ears. He subconsciously touched the area below his right shoulder blade. Madam Pomfrey's ointment had completely erased the scars there, but the memory lingered.
"It seems the news has spread throughout the entire castle like a vixen." Ernesto elegantly adjusted the cuffs of his robe, his grey eyes scanning the hall warily. "I bet the first thing Selwyn and his gang will do when they wake up is to go around crying and complaining."
Wesley skipped ahead, his reddish-brown curls bouncing with every movement. "Fantastic! Now the whole school knows we Ravenclaws aren't to be trifled with! Four Slytherins ganged up on one Ravenclaw, and they all ended up in the infirmary!" He suddenly turned and walked backward, nearly bumping into a Hufflepuff girl. "Karen, you're a legend now!"
"Keep your voice down, Wesley." Fabian pushed up his round-framed glasses, a gentle but worried expression on his bronze face. "The professors are watching from the faculty table." He pointed ahead. "While Selwyn and the others deserved what they got, making too much of a scene doesn't seem appropriate."
Karen looked in the direction Fabian pointed and met Professor McGonagall's sharp gaze. The Scottish witch was wearing a dark green robe with silver trim, her hair neatly styled, and her eyes behind her square spectacles were unfathomable. She frowned slightly and gave Karen an almost imperceptible nod, while Professor Flitwick, standing beside her, cheerfully raised his glass in a gesture of acknowledgment towards Karen.
"Don't worry, Fabian." Ernesto chuckled, toying with his wand in his long fingers. "Professor McGonagall knows better than anyone what kind of person Selwyn is. And I've heard that the Selwyn family was one of the most active followers when the Void was in power."
Just as they were walking toward the Ravenclaw table, a familiar commotion came from behind them.
"Make way! Make way! The new Hogwarts Dueling Champion and his guard are here!"
Before Karen could turn around, two arms were draped over his shoulders. Fred and George had appeared on either side of him, their faces bearing their signature mischievous grins.
"Our hero has finally appeared!" Fred waved his other arm dramatically, as if announcing to the entire Great Hall, "Ravenclaw's pride! Slytherin's nightmare!"
George cleared his throat, feigning seriousness: "According to the latest news from the Daily Prophet, an unnamed red-haired witness claims that last Friday afternoon, four Slytherin students experienced a 'chair storm' in the fifth-floor corridor..."
"Rumor has it that the mastermind behind this disaster..." Fred said mysteriously in a low voice, but amplified it so the entire auditorium could hear, "was actually a seemingly harmless first-year student!"
A burst of laughter erupted in the Great Hall, even some of the older Ravenclaw students couldn't help but laugh out loud. Karen felt her ears burning, but she was also amused by the twins' performance.
"Enough, you two." Percy Weasley appeared out of nowhere. "Cullen's already in solitary confinement because of this. Do you want him to get into even more trouble?"
Fred clutched his chest, feigning hurt: "Listen to this! Our top student is actually concerned about someone else's detention! How touching!"
George immediately pulled out a handkerchief and pretended to wipe away tears: "Merlin, I'm about to cry! Percy actually cares about things other than rules and regulations!"
Percy's face flushed instantly: "I... I was just doing my duty as a senior! And—"
"And what, Percy?" Fred pressed on with a wicked grin. "Aren't you happy that Slytherin got humiliated? I remember they used a lot of dirty tricks on Charlie in the Quidditch match last year, and you were even yelling that you'd smash their heads in!"
Percy's ears turned even redder: "That...that's two different things!"
"Come on!" George rolled his eyes dramatically. "You're probably secretly thrilled. Admit it, even Professor McGonagall won't really blame Cullen."
Just then, Cedric walked over from the Hufflepuff table, a friendly smile on his handsome, sunny face. "Hey, Karen." He pushed a small golden bottle in front of Karen. "This is a 'Sunshine Tonic' my mother sent. It's very helpful for restoring magic. I heard you went through a tough battle."
Karen took the bottle in surprise; golden liquid flowed within, shimmering in the sunlight. "Thank you, Cedric. But now I'm more curious about how you—"
"Gossip travels faster than a flying broomstick. This morning, some Gryffindor students went to the infirmary to ask for sick leave, only to find Selwyn and the others lying in bed." Cedric blinked. "Especially for Gryffindor, this involves Slytherin getting humiliated." He lowered his voice. "Seriously, remember to call me next time there's an event like this. Hufflepuff and Slytherin have quite a history on the Quidditch pitch."
Wesley immediately perked up: "That's right! Next time, let's organize an inter-house league to teach those arrogant Slytherins a lesson!"
"Wesley!" Fabian sighed, rubbing his forehead. "We're not a gang."
Ernesto, however, unusually expressed his agreement: "This proposal is not entirely nonsense. Uniting all forces that can be united is the foundation of political wisdom."
Karen noticed several cold gazes directed at her from the Slytherin table, where some students were huddled together, whispering amongst themselves.
"Ignore them," Fabian whispered, placing a piece of Yorkshire pudding on Karen's plate. "Selwyn will be in bed for at least a week; his cronies can't cause any trouble."
"Quiet!" Professor McGonagall stood before the faculty table, her wand pressed against her throat, casting an amplification spell. "Please maintain basic etiquette during lunchtime. Prefects, please ensure order is maintained."
The students immediately returned to their seats, but the whispering continued. Karen could feel Professor McGonagall's gaze lingering on her for a few seconds; the Scottish witch's expression was inscrutable.
Lunch proceeded in an eerie atmosphere. Whenever Karen looked up, he would catch curious glances from various houses, and undisguised hostility from the Slytherin table. The Ravenclaw students were much more enthusiastic; several upperclassmen even struck up conversations with him, asking about the details of the duel that day.
Karen brushed it off lightly, then mechanically chewed his food, contemplating his solitary confinement that night. He wasn't worried about the punishment itself, but rather wanted to take this opportunity to ask Professor McGonagall some advanced Transfiguration questions, especially about techniques for turning inanimate objects into living things, like Professor McGonagall had turned a cushion into a cat.
"By the way," Wesley mumbled, his mouth full of mashed potatoes, "how will Professor McGonagall punish you for tonight's detention? Cleaning the trophy room? Cleaning the poisonous tentacles in the greenhouse? Or something else?"
Suddenly, Ernesto put down his knife with a soft click. "There's something I need to say. I received a reply from my father this morning. Although the Griffiths family isn't as well-known as the Selwyn family, they do have some business and information channels outside." He then glanced at Karen. "Moreover, it seems someone has already been... paying special attention to several of the Selwyn family's properties in France."
Karen paused slightly in her fork. It seemed Professor Castor's actions were beginning to take effect.
"What do you mean?" Wesley leaned closer curiously. "Why are you being given special treatment? Did Professor Eisenberg intervene?"
"Who knows?" Ernesto shrugged, deliberately raising his voice. "Maybe it's some international alchemy master who can't stand the supremacy of purebloods, or some force within the Ministry of Magic that opposes the remnants of dark magic..." He glanced meaningfully at the Slytherin table. "In any case, the Selwyn family probably doesn't have time to bother first-year students right now."