Chapter 95 Dumbledore? Punish me, what gives you the right? !
Under the dome of Hogwarts, shouts like a landslide and tsunami swept across the sky.
When they saw Charles defeat Snape and walk out of the Slytherin Headmaster's office, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff all cheered for Charles with abandon.
The thunderous applause lasted for a long time, and everyone looked at Charles as if they were looking at a hero in a myth who had returned after completing an incredible mission.
The first-year Hufflepuffs were so excited that their faces turned red and their eyes were filled with tears.
When they saw Snape falling to the ground like a dead dog, the fear and shadow they had towards him in their hearts were shattered!
It turns out that Snape is nothing special and just bullies ordinary students like them.
If he really met a genius like Ciel, wouldn't he be knocked to the ground like a dead dog? !
Even the professors who rushed over after hearing the news were dumbfounded.
Even Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick, who had seen Ciel's strength, were filled with horror.
Their battle with Ciel was to examine Ciel's skills in Transfiguration and Charms, and it did not have much practical significance.
But in actual wizard combat, the situation changes rapidly.
The strength on paper is strong, but without actual combat, it is hard to say whether it can be brought into play.
Compared with Ciel, Snape undoubtedly has a huge advantage in terms of magical attainments, practical experience, and ruthlessness in the eyes of several professors.
This is why they rushed here in a hurry to protect Charles.
But they really didn't expect that Charles would beat Snape like a dead dog so easily.
Judging from Charles' condition, apart from looking tired and a little pale, he did not suffer any injuries.
It seems that their estimate of Charles' strength is probably still conservative.
When the little wizard was fighting against them, he was still hiding his tricks and didn't use his full strength at all!
"This is really..."
"Monster."
This thought came to the minds of the professors at the same time.
But at this moment, Dumbledore's face showed a rare seriousness and solemnity.
It can be seen that his mood is different from that of other professors and can hardly be described as happy.
The reason is very simple, Snape is his man, or in other words, the most useful chess piece in his hand!
Among the four major colleges of Hogwarts, the four deans of course all love Hogwarts and love peace.
But loving Hogwarts does not necessarily mean being loyal to Dumbledore, nor does it necessarily mean doing everything according to Dumbledore's ideas and suggestions.
Professors Flitwick and Sprout were not members of the Order of the Phoenix, and they didn't even participate in Dumbledore's secret society, so their attitude was naturally evident.
Although Professor McGonagall is a member of the Order of the Phoenix and the Headmaster of Gryffindor, she is of the same lineage as Dumbledore and can be considered Dumbledore's confidant.
Logically speaking, she should be the person Dumbledore trusts the most.
But she is not a puppet, but an excellent witch with a rigorous and fair personality, principles and a strong sense of morality.
For this reason, some private calculations and plans cannot be told to Professor McGonagall at all, otherwise it may alienate her from Professor McGonagall.
Because of this, in the original book, Dumbledore did not reveal to Professor McGonagall that Harry Potter was Voldemort's seventh Horcrux and that Harry Potter had to die first in order to destroy Voldemort. He did not even mention the Horcruxes to Professor McGonagall.
He only told Snape about this.
As for why Snape was chosen, the reason is obvious.
This is a man who would do anything for Lily.
Does Snape have principles?
No, his principle, apart from the glory of Slytherin, was to protect everything about Lily.
But that's why Snape is so useful.
There is no need to worry about his sense of morality or whether he has any ideas. Anyway, all the dirty work can be thrown to Snape under the pretext of protecting Lily's child.
Be it potions, secret plans, or having him go undercover in Voldemort's place, as long as he has control over Harry Potter, Snape will do all of these.
Such a powerful chess piece who is also a master of potions and unscrupulous in his actions is impossible to find even with a lantern!
But now, Snape was beaten up by Charles in front of everyone. Can he still stay in Hogwarts?
If Dumbledore were to use this chess piece, it would be much more troublesome.
In addition to the fact that Snape's incident made Dumbledore feel depressed, what made Dumbledore even more alert was Ciel's current prestige among Hogwarts students.
It had only been a day or two since school started, and all the students were already cheering for Ciel.
The professors all applauded him.
This momentum is so great, even more dazzling than the savior Harry Potter that Dumbledore had planned and planned to introduce!
This is troublesome.
In Dumbledore's heart, he believed in the prophecy as much as Voldemort did.
The prophecy has been proven true once, Harry Potter did indeed destroy the mighty Voldemort!
But Voldemort has many tricks up his sleeve, and he will definitely come back again. By then, only the Harry Potter in the prophecy can defeat Voldemort!
So what if Charles is a genius now?
If he is not the child of prophecy, he is destined to be only a supporting role paving the way for Harry Potter and a stepping stone for Harry Potter to destroy Voldemort.
Dumbledore didn't care about what happened after Voldemort was destroyed.
But before that, no one can overshadow Harry Potter, otherwise Harry Potter will not have accumulated enough reputation by then, and the cause of fighting against Voldemort might be affected!
Therefore, Dumbledore recalled the words in his mind, which he had stopped mentioning many years ago but which always ran through his every move.
"For the greater good."
For the greater good, even though he knew that Voldemort would break into Hogwarts, he still left the Philosopher's Stone here as a test, regardless of the possible casualties of young wizards in the process.
For the sake of greater good, the school days of so many students can be turned into a foil for Harry Potter's journey to become the savior. No matter how hard they try, the one who shines and wins the house cup is destined to be Harry Potter and Gryffindor.
For the greater good, the Harry Potter trio can be arranged and given numerous tests to allow them to follow the path they are supposed to take as planned.
So now, for the greater good, what's wrong with sacrificing Charles and suppressing his edge?
"Although he will suffer a little, this is also for Ciel's good."
"He is too aggressive. To receive such praise at such a young age may not be a good thing for his future. He needs to temper his temper."
While Dumbledore was thinking, Madam Pomfrey from the school hospital hurried to the office of the Slytherin headmaster.
She checked on Draco Malfoy first.
Madam Pomfrey's pupils shrank slightly when she saw Malfoy's broken wrist and ankle bones.
"He had broken bones in his wrist and ankle."
"Although it can be cured, I'm afraid I'll have to rest for at least two months."
"Also, it is very likely that they will be left with some psychological trauma, and may not be able to engage in some high-intensity confrontational activities in the future."
"In other words, the chances of him being able to play Quidditch are low..."
Upon hearing Madam Pomfrey's diagnosis, several professors showed regret on their faces, and the cheers of the senior students who had experienced the passion of Quidditch became a little quieter.
For boys, not being able to play Quidditch is indeed a huge loss in their time studying at Hogwarts, and everyone can relate to that.
And next, Madam Pomfrey walked up to Snape.
At first, when she saw the wounds on Snape's body, Madam Pomfrey was slightly relieved.
"Professor Snape's injury is not serious. There is a penetrating wound from a curse, but the wound is not big and has not hurt his internal organs. It is just a flesh wound."
But when she pulled open Snape's eyelids and saw his confused and crazy expression, Madam Pomfrey's optimistic expression disappeared in an instant, and her expression became extremely solemn.
"This is trouble."
"His physical injuries are not serious, but he seems to have mental problems, which is a big problem."
"Professor Snape has suffered a mental breakdown. I am not good at treating him in this area. He must be sent to the psychiatric department of St. Mungo's Hospital."
“But honestly, even there, this is an extremely serious mental problem and may not be fully recoverable.”
"Even if he recovers, I'm afraid Professor Snape will find it difficult to take on the heavy workload of teaching..."
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole audience gasped and there was an uproar.
A series of horrified glances could not help but be cast towards Charles.
Everyone was curious about what kind of magic Charles used to destroy Snape.
Upon hearing this, Dumbledore could not help but clench his fists.
He could not imagine that Ciel could cause such serious mental problems to Snape. Snape's brain occlumency was not ordinary, how did Ciel do it? !
This was really troublesome. He had thought Snape was just unconscious and could be easily cured.
He was only worried that it would be difficult for Snape to stay in Hogwarts and that he might have to work for him somewhere else.
But now it seems that the question of whether Snape can stay in Hogwarts is no longer whether his strength and skills in preparing potions may never be used again.
His best and most powerful chess piece was destroyed by Charles!
Just as everyone was in an uproar, Dumbledore finally spoke.
His face was filled with a seriousness and coldness that most students had never seen before.
The blue eyes behind the reading lenses were like a piece of blue ice at this moment, casting a sharp and cold look at Charles.
"Charles Evans, you are too impulsive!"
"You have clearly asked your classmates to go to the professors and deans. You can just wait for us to deal with it. Hogwarts will give you a fair answer."
"But why did you come here by yourself and fight with your classmates and professors, which has now led to such a serious situation?"
"A first-year student will say goodbye to Quidditch from now on. I can't imagine how much fun his life will lack. He may become depressed from now on."
"A famous potion master in the academic world has developed mental problems, and it is not known whether he can be cured. Do you know how many people are waiting for Professor Snape to prepare potions to solve their problems?"
"You, you really are..."
Dumbledore sighed.
"You must explain as soon as possible what you did to Professor Snape and Draco Malfoy, what spells you used, and do your best to help with their treatment. This way, your guilt and punishment will be reduced."
"As for the specific punishment, you can wait for the school board to discuss it."
"I'm afraid your classes at Hogwarts will be temporarily suspended. This is for your protection."
When Dumbledore said this, the place suddenly became so quiet that even the sound of a pin drop could be heard.
Everyone stared at Dumbledore in a daze, unable to believe that he would make such a decision.
"Headmaster Dumbledore?"
"Why is Ciel being punished?"
"He shouldn't be punished, he was standing up for his classmates!"
"Old Bat Snape has gone too far. Malfoy is also a snitch. He deserves it!"
There was a clamor of shouting, but when Dumbledore's icy blue eyes turned and his gaze swept over, a heavy pressure fell on everyone.
This most powerful wizard of this century, although he is usually kind and gentle, can be crazy sometimes and has no airs at all.
But if he really wanted to do something, no one in Hogwarts could disobey him.
Such was Dumbledore's authority at Hogwarts.
Dumbledore's tone became more serious.
"I said that the punishment for Charles Evans will be made later."
"As for what kind of punishment to impose, this is something I should discuss with the school board."
Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick stood up.
"Dumbledore, Charles is not guilty of such a crime..."
Dumbledore's expression softened a little, as if he was giving face to the two deans, but his words were still as tough as before.
"Minerva, Filius, I told you that any punishment decisions need to be discussed with the school board. You don't have to rush to plead for Charles Evans."
"I will give him a fair punishment."
Hearing the strong determination revealed in Dumbledore's words, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick sighed in their hearts, feeling quite heavy.
If the punishment was really mild, Dumbledore would not have said so.
What's more, Draco Malfoy's father is also on the school board. How could he let Ciel go so easily?
I'm afraid that Ciel will most likely be expelled from school, or even sent to the Wizengamot for trial.
Thinking of this, the two professors made up their minds that no matter what, Ciel must not be expelled from Hogwarts.
They would mobilize all their connections, even collecting signatures from students at Hogwarts, to save Ciel.
But now, facing Dumbledore who had made up his mind, they could only sigh inwardly, powerless to resist Dumbledore's majesty.
Only Professor Sprout, the head of Hufflepuff House, stood firmly in front of Ciel and even reached out to hold Ciel's hand to comfort him.
Professor Sprout looked up at Dumbledore.
"Principal Dumbledore, I don't think my students have done anything wrong."
"If you ask me, the only thing he did wrong was to implicate Draco Malfoy, the snitch, but broken limbs are too easy to treat. Which Quidditch player hasn't broken a limb or rib during training?"
"I'm afraid this is not enough for the school board to convict Ciel."
"As for Professor Snape, I firmly believe that he deserves what he gets."
"Besides, Ciel is just an eleven-year-old little wizard. What kind of profound mental magic can he master that can cause Professor Snape to have a mental breakdown?"
"I think Professor Snape is gloomy by nature. Perhaps he collapsed because he was defeated by his students and couldn't accept this fact. What does it have to do with Charles?"
When Professor Sprout spoke up and challenged Dumbledore's authority, Ciel's eyes moved.
Hufflepuff wizards have always been known for their tenacity, and they are basically good guys who rarely cause trouble.
As the head of Hufflepuff House and professor of Herbology, Professor Sprout has a typical Hufflepuff personality and always acts in a low-key manner.
But now, in order to protect his students, Professor Sprout faced Dumbledore's authority.
The unity of Hufflepuff can be seen from this.
After Professor Sprout stood up, all the students of Hufflepuff House gathered around Ciel.
There were no words, but their actions showed their views.
Dumbledore clenched his fists and felt increasingly depressed.
He should have arranged such a scene for Harry Potter, allowing him to confirm his identity as the savior time and time again with the support of everyone.
But now that Charles has done this, wouldn't the scenes he had arranged for Harry Potter this year, in which he would have to pass tests and defeat conspiracies, become just childish play?
The corner of Dumbledore's mouth twitched, and he made up his mind that this time Charles Evans must be punished.
There is no need to drop out of school. After all, this is a chess piece with unlimited potential and can clear countless obstacles for Harry Potter.
But at least Charles should be suspended from classes for a few months or even half a year, so that he can fade out of the students' sight. In this way, Dumbledore can let Harry come to the fore and get the honor that the savior deserves.
During this period, Harry Potter can also find an opportunity to contact Charles.
Being saved by Harry Potter in his most difficult time, I believe that Ciel will help Harry Potter wholeheartedly and become Harry Potter's most loyal friend, right?
Among the crowd, Quirrell noticed the subtle change in Dumbledore's expression.
In his mind, Voldemort made a "tsk" sound, his voice filled with disgust and hatred.
"Here we go again. Every time the corner of this old bee's mouth twitches, he's angry."
"It's almost time to settle. Sprout and these stupid Hufflepuffs are no match for that old bee Dumbledore. He knows these professors and students too well and can fool them in no time."
"But it's good this way. Charles Evans will have to suffer a loss at the hands of Dumbledore this time. In this way, I believe that if I remind him again, he will realize Dumbledore's ugly and hypocritical face, and then he will definitely turn to my side."
"He's already defeated Snape at this age. With him at my service, it will be much easier for me to make a comeback!"
Just at this moment, under everyone's astonished gaze, Ciel pulled his hand out of Professor Sprout's, stepped forward and looked directly at Dumbledore.
He opened his mouth and asked with extreme contempt, words that made everyone's mind go blank.
"Dumbledore, you say I should be punished?"
"Why do you?"
(End of this chapter)
