Ron resolutely got into a scuffle with Draco Malfoy's two large henchmen.
And then... there was nothing more to it.
He was no match for the burly Crabbe and Goyle, who quickly restrained him by grabbing his arms and pinching his legs, leaving him immobilized.
Malfoy stood by, gloating and laughing like a villain:
"So this is your sidekick, Potter? So pathetic!"
"Ron is my friend, not some sidekick! The real sidekicks are those two next to you!" Harry, fuming with anger, rushed toward Crabbe and Goyle, trying to rescue Ron from their grasp, while Hermione struggled to hold him back.
...Then Harry was also caught, with his neck circled and his feet restrained, and was placed alongside Ron.
"So this is the so-called savior? Not much to it!" Malfoy, satisfied and smug, looked at the Gryffindor table, feeling immensely pleased to have Slytherin on top of Gryffindor.
Malfoy's provocation finally drew the ire of the Gryffindor students, who stood up from their seats and began to advance toward him.
Seeing the mob approaching, Malfoy felt a twinge of fear. But remembering his support was nearby, he raised his chin and looked down at the angry Gryffindor lions.
Just as the Gryffindor students were about to reach him and grab him like Ron and Harry, a cold voice rang out—
"After just a few minutes, the Gryffindor students seem to have grown quite bold," Snape sneered. "Now they dare to bully younger students in public?"
"It was Malfoy who provoked us first, Professor Snape," Hermione said, pushing her unruly brown hair aside and arguing from the crowd, "Malfoy was insulting Ron and Harry's families."
"No matter the reason, physical violence violates Hogwarts rules, Miss Granger. And I saw Mr. Weasley strike first." Snape said smoothly, "Gryffindor loses ten points. Weasley, Potter, you should consider yourselves lucky it's not more. Now, everyone disperse!"
Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle threw Ron and Harry back into the Gryffindor crowd, laughing rudely as if mocking Gryffindor's impotence and the so-called savior's weakness.
"I'm going to teach him a lesson," Ron said through gritted teeth, watching Malfoy's retreating back, "One day, I'll give him a good thrashing—"
"I really hate those two," Harry agreed, "Malfoy and Snape are such nuisances."
Just then, Malfoy, who had been gloating, suddenly seemed to receive a heavy slap. He spun around several times before crashing heavily to the ground.
Humiliated and feeling a burning pain on his face, Malfoy began to cry out in frustration.
"Who?! Who set me up? If I catch you, my father will make you pay!" he cried out, tears streaming down his face.
Snape, with a hint of suspicion, looked over at Dracula.
Dracula, arms crossed, also turned his gaze toward Snape, locking eyes with him.
"What a coincidence, Professor Snape," Dracula greeted first.
"Professor Dracula, as far as I know, there's no one else nearby with such high proficiency in silent spells," Snape said coldly, staring at Dracula. "Don't tell me this attack on Draco has anything to do with you."
"There's no need to doubt it. I did it," Dracula said nonchalantly. "Malfoy's provocations deserved punishment."
"Oh, and Slytherin loses ten points," he added, glancing at the seated Malfoy. "Professor Snape, I hope this method of managing things is acceptable to you?"
Snape's expression turned dark.
"Professor Dracula, this kind of physical punishment for students seems rather inappropriate, doesn't it?" he said stiffly.
"Oh? Then is it more appropriate for Professor Snape to deduct points from Gryffindor while ignoring Slytherin's misdeeds?" Dracula countered with a light smile.
Snape glared at Dracula, his lips trembling.
Then he abruptly turned and left the hall, his long robe flapping behind him, brushing against the face of the seated Malfoy.
Malfoy stared in stunned disbelief at his departing head of house, feeling abandoned.
"Nice job, Professor! I knew this favor wasn't for nothing!" The Weasley twins rushed over with beaming faces, and George praised loudly.
Fred also gave a knowing look, "As expected, Professor Dracula, you've really taught that old bat Snape a lesson!"
Dracula turned to the Weasley twins with a smirk, "Using the favor I just gave you for such a trivial matter, I've never seen such extravagant wizards."
"It's nothing, Professor," Fred said casually. "Whatever it is, if you've got it, you should use it. Keeping it doesn't make much sense!"
"Then I hope you don't regret it later," Dracula said with a light laugh, waving to the Weasley twins and Harry, and walked towards the hall's entrance.
At that moment, Malfoy, still sitting on the ground, couldn't stay quiet. He felt he had to make one last threat or risk losing face.
So, before Dracula left, he suddenly shouted:
"You... don't get too full of yourself! My dad is a Hogwarts governor, and I will make sure he expels you!"
Dracula paused, then turned back to look at him.
"Scared, are you?" Seeing Dracula's reaction, Malfoy perked up, lifting his chin, "If you apologize to me now, I might persuade my dad not to expel you!"
Malfoy was still haunted by the memory of Dracula's lesson in Dark Arts class from months ago, and though he was humiliated, he only dared to ask for an apology, not daring to make any more extreme demands.
However, Dracula showed no intention of apologizing. Instead, he looked intrigued.
"Interesting, does Hogwarts now have a board of governors?"
He smiled slightly, bent down to get close to Malfoy, and said softly, "Do me a favor, Mr. Malfoy."
"Tell your father and the other governors to come to Hogwarts."
"Just say, the landlord of Hogwarts wants to see them."