𝐊𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐍 | 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘞𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘺

Chapter 69 - The Valiant Paladin Demise

"Hermione!"

Ron had hurried forward to see what was wrong with her. Hermione's front teeth — already larger than average — grew at an alarming rate; she was looking more and more like a beaver as her teeth elongated, past her bottom lip, toward her chin — panic-stricken, she felt them and let out a terrified cry.

"And what is all this noise about?" Abruptly said a soft, deadly voice. Betelgeuse turned around. Snape had arrived.

The Slytherins clamoured to give their explanations; Snape pointed a long yellow finger at Draco and said, "Explain."

"Potter attacked me, sir —"

"We attacked each other at the same time!" Harry shouted.

"— and he hit Goyle — look —"

Snape examined Goyle, whose face now resembled something that would have been at home in a book on poisonous fungi. "Hospital wing, Goyle," Snape said calmly.

"Malfoy got Hermione!" Ron accused. "Look!" He forced Hermione to show Snape her teeth — she was doing her best to hide them with her hands, though this was difficult as they had now grown down past her collar. Pansy Parkinson and the other Slytherin girls were doubled up with silent giggles, pointing at Hermione from behind Snape's back.

Snape looked coldly at Hermione, then said, "I see no difference." Hermione let out a whimper; her eyes filled with tears; she turned on her heel and ran, ran all the way up the corridor and out of sight.

It was lucky, perhaps, that both Harry and Ron started shouting at Snape at the same time; lucky their voices echoed so much in the stone corridor, for in the confused din, it was impossible for him to hear exactly what they were calling him.

He got the gist, however. "Let's see," he said, in his silkiest voice. "Fifty points from Gryffindor and detention each for Potter and Weasley. Now get inside, or it'll be a week's worth of detentions."

"Actually, Professor," Betelgeuse interrupted with poised manners. "If you will grant me permission, I would relish in some adjustment." She spoke with confidence, nailing Draco on the spot with her unforgiving glaring eyes. "I concord with you, Professor, on the deduction of fifty points from Gryffindor, but allow me, a Prefect, to do the same with Slytherin. What I saw with my eyes was a duel, fair and square. Fifty points from Slytherin for provoking a duel."

Her speech left Snape with a clenched jaw, Draco with a deep frown and Harry with a less ringing rage for the suffered injustice.

Only at that moment did the Black notice what each and every one of the Slytherins wore. Large badges on the front of their robes, all boring the same message, in luminous red letters that burnt brightly in the dimly lit underground passage.

SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY—

THE REAL HOGWARTS CHAMPION!

Some of the Slytherins pressed on their badge and the message upon it vanished, replaced by another one which glowed green.

POTTER STINKS

Childish and folksy cruel.

Betelgeuse walked inside the classroom, noticing Harry all by himself at his table. His thoughts were so loud that she could clearly sense that the boy wanted to curse Snape into a thousand slimy pieces.