On my way through the common room I received looks filled with fear and one or another with traces of pity. The news seemed to have traveled throughout the castle, even students from other houses were looking at me strangely as I made my way to the Headmaster's office.
When I got there, Professor McGonagall was waiting for me at the entrance to the gargoyle that guarded the stairs to the office.
"Mr Mao, you seem to be in a complicated situation." - she said.
I gave a half smile.
"I purely defended myself, Professor." – I replied.
She seemed to believe my words and even approve of my behavior, but this was all brief, soon she returned to her serious Deputy Headmaster attitude.
"Jelly beans." – she said, activating the gargoyle.
She climbed onto the step and I followed right behind her.
When we arrived at the office door we could hear the Headmaster before we even knocked on the door.
"Minerva, Mr Mao, you can come in." – the old man's voice sounded.
Entering the office I could see that we were not alone, next to the Headmaster was Snape, Lucius and two gorillas who I believe were Crabbe and Goyle's fathers.
"Mr Mao, we are here to clarify the situation that happened tonight." – said the Headmaster.
I nodded and was ready to speak when Lucius interrupted.
"There is nothing to be clarified, this brute attacked his housemates purely because he is an uncontrolled beast, we are just here to ensure his expulsion from Hogwarts." – declared Malfoy Senior arrogantly.
I directed my gaze to the man and let my head loll to the right. Anyone who saw me was sure I was looking at an idiot doing something incomprehensible.
When Lucius saw my gaze, I could see the growing fury in his eyes.
"You brat…" – he began.
"I believe we need to hear all sides before making a decision Lucius." – interrupted the Headmaster.
Lucius swallowed his words still certain he was going to get what he wanted.
"Now Mr Mao, what do you have to say in your defense? – asked the Headmaster.
I nodded respectfully.
Even though I didn't like Headmaster he was someone I needed right now.
"I only have a few facts to clarify what happened. First: The place where the incident happened was my room. Second: The fact that I am the only resident of the place. Third: Everyone involved in what happened are people who do not have daily contact with me, as they are all in older years than me." – I explained to everyone present.
Headmaster was thoughtful at my words.
"You may as well have lured them into an ambush." – declared Lucius outraged.
I looked at him as if I were looking at a clown. This reignited the fury in him.
"As Professor Snape can well attest, I was only wearing shorts, which you might consider my night clothes. While the others involved were wearing their everyday clothes. From this we can conclude that I was sleeping when six individuals planned to enter my room with the intention of taking me by surprise." – I explained calmly.
Lucius was about to explode.
"And if I wanted to ambush them, it wouldn't be in the dorm, much less in front of my room. Probably close to Forbidden Forest where I can deposit their bodies so they won't be found quickly." – I continued while he stared at Lucius.
This time the gorillas behind him started to advance towards me.
I had said 'bodies' on purpose so they would understand that I would really kill them if I wanted to.
At that moment the Headmaster stood up from his desk.
The magical pressure he exerted at this moment caused everyone to become paralyzed.
"I believe this is enough." – said the old man.
Crabbe and Goyle regained awareness of the situation.
"Severus, is the fact that Mister Mao is the only resident of the room true? – asked the Headmaster.
Snape looked like he had swallowed a fly.
"His roommates came to me upon arrival as soon as they found out that they would be sharing a room with Mr Mao to be allocated another room." – he admitted.
Headmaster nodded processing the information.
"It just proves that no one wants to be around him." – he argued.
"We're not here to discuss how comfortable it is to share a room with me, Professor." – I replied.
Snape was furious at my response.
"I fear that Lord Mao is right in this argument, Severus. On the contrary, the fact that others do not want to be close to him only argues against the others involved in what happened." – argued the Headmaster.
Even McGonagall was made uncomfortable by the Headmaster's words.
"In the past, when students were children, we could treat this as just a fight between children, but the current situation involves adults. Everyone involved knew very well what they were doing." – continued the Headmaster.
Lucius and the two gorillas directed furious glares at the old man.
"What I can say is that Mister Mao has indeed gone a little beyond what would be acceptable, so he must serve a punishment by serving Madam Pomfrey for the next month as her assistant with the intention of retracting the damage that he caused." – declared the Headmaster, clearly defending me.
He then paused dramatically, directing his gaze to Lucius, Snape and the two gorillas.
"The others involved clearly had malicious intentions when they went to Mister Mao's room, they will provide a month of services with Mister Filch in maintaining the castle." – he said, putting an end to the discussion.
"I believe the conversation is over here." – said the old man dismissing everyone.
Lucius was furious, he started to mumble that it wouldn't stay that way, but we knew his threats were just that. Dumbledore was the most powerful wizard in the entire United Kingdom, while Lucius may be the richest, but power brought more prestige than money.
"Severus, I would like a word." – he said as we left.
Lucius and the gorillas still wanted to attack me, but McGonagall's presence prevented them.
I took advantage of this to accompany her for a while longer and she seemed to understand my intention.
"Mister, you was lucky this time." – she commented when we were far enough away.
I let out a small laugh.
"It was not luck, the facts were all in my favor. I will never start anything that I can't handle on my own." – I said confidently.
She was impressed and disappointed at the same time with my confidence.
"They started recruiting again, this was all because they approached Bridget's father." – I said.
McGonagall stopped in her tracks.
"What are you talking about, Mr. Mao?" – she asked worriedly.
"Lucius offered to hasten the recognition of the Stom's as a Noble Family in exchange for Bridget's hand in marriage to Vincent. She lived the last ten days of the summer vacation with me." – I explained.
McGonagall began to put the pieces together.
"This is not something you should get involved in, Mister Mao." - she said.
I shook my head denying her words.
"I am the son of two Deatheaters, nephew of another. An alcoholic uncle tends to talk when he hasn't had enough to blackout drunk." – I said in a serious tone.
McGonagall was uncomfortable with my statement, no one admits that kind of thing out loud, especially to a member of the Order of the Phoenix.
Yes, I knew she was part of the Order.
"I believe the Order needs to begin its preparations sooner than you expected. Quirrell two years ago, the diary the previous one, he's trying to come back and we may not know when that will actually happen." – I said, putting her on alert.
Quirrell was an open secret, but there was no sign of him after that. But the mention of the diary made her tense.
"The diary had a fragment of his soul in it, it's probably not the only object like that." - I spoke.
Immortality through soul fragmentation is one of the most obscure paths, rarely whoever does it once just sticks with it, a single guarantee is not enough for anyone who do this horrendous method.
A body with an incomplete soul begins to lose its humanity, over the years the paranoia of fear of death increases along with the individual's brutality.
Sometimes being as old as me has its advantages.
Knowing things like this, for example.
I just don't know what kind of technique he used to do this, especially in a world as limited by his Laws as this one.
"When?" – she asked.
"Exactly, it's not a question of 'if', but of 'when'." – I declared.
"How can I believe your words, Mister Mao?" – she asked, challenging my statements.
Using my soul force, I applied pressure to it.
Her soul was stronger than an ordinary person's, but at this moment mine already surpassed hers.
She felt the oppression I applied to her.
"In matters of the soul I am qualified." – I declared, leaving the Professor with her mouth open.
I went back to Slytherin to get my books so I wouldn't be late for class, breakfast had already been lost.
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