The Pacifist Necromancer of Hogwarts

Chapter 322 Conflict grows like spring grass in the sun

On the way back from the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid was still trying to give Anthony an unnamed magical creature. When they emerged from the woods, the afternoon sun was still shining on the lawn. After Anthony politely declined several times - he really didn't need any more destructive pets - Hagrid finally gave up and turned to talk about what happened when he last gave venison to Aragog.

Anthony breathed a sigh of relief, "In that case, let's try horse meat next time. Maybe Aragog... Wait, what happened there?"

At the other end of the lawn, a group of students gathered in a big circle. Anthony and Hagrid looked at each other and walked over quickly. He first saw the iconic red hair of the Weasley family and recognized that it was Ron, Fred and George Weasley, and then saw Harry and Hermione beside them. Harry was holding his Nimbus 2000, and Fred and George were each holding an old broom. Several people glared at the other end, and Ron even took out his wand.

On the other side stood Draco Malfoy and his two lackeys named Goyle and Crabbe. Behind them stood Pansy from the second year and Tracy from the third year. Pansy held her chin high and showed a practiced contemptuous look to Harry and the others, while Tracy just folded her arms and watched coldly.

Even before he came up beside him, Anthony could hear Malfoy say, "Five points off your mark, Potter, for speaking ill of our Head of House and of Madam Umbridge. Five points off your mark, Weasley, for nodding and pointing your wand at me."

"If Snape doesn't use his privileges to occupy the training ground again and again - Malfoy, you're not even training!"

"It's Professor Snape. Potter, deduct five more points. Oh, and these two Weasleys, five points each, because I don't like the way you look at me. Let me think..."

"This scene is so familiar." Anthony complained to Hagrid in a low voice, and patted the shoulders of the students who were watching. The Slytherin turned around impatiently, saw Anthony and Hagrid, was startled, and hid to the side, and at the same time poked the shoulder blade of the student in front of him hard to remind him to pay attention to the professor.

"Think you're a prefect, Malfoy?" said Hermione. "Prefects aren't like seekers. Money won't help you."

"And you, Granger, five points off for your ugly front teeth and your Muggle stench," said Malfoy, and Goyle, Crabbe, and Pansy all laughed, while Fred and George drew their wands. "No, I don't need to be a prefect, Granger - I'm on the Investigative Task Force."

"What's that?" Anthony asked, squeezing past the front few students and walking between the two sides. Ron reluctantly put away his wand at Hermione's signal, but Fred and George still held their wands in their hands. Anthony gave them a warning look.

Malfoy seemed surprised, but he quickly calmed down: "A student team assisting Ms. Umbridge in the investigation, Professor Anthony." He lowered his head slightly and glanced at a small silver "I" on his chest, "Investigative Task Force." Crabbe and Goyle also puffed out their chests, showing the same letter, with a smug smile.

"You must be very proud to be the follower of such a stupid egomaniac, Malfoy," said Harry.

Anthony warned, "Mr. Potter?"

"I'm sorry, Professor Anthony."

Malfoy sneered. "Anyway, Madam Umbridge allowed us to deduct house points - just to ensure the investigation can proceed smoothly."

Hagrid said incredulously, "That's impossible! Dumbledore wouldn't allow that—"

Malfoy glanced at the tall Hagrid, and the arrogance on his face became more obvious: "Dumbledore does not need consent. Faculty and staff do not need the school's consent to organize student activities. At least this is what he told Ms. Umbridge. Ha, how funny, he was scratched by his own sword. This crazy old lunatic, sooner or later he-"

"Don't talk about Dumbledore in that tone, I'm warning you!" Hagrid said angrily, in a voice so loud that Malfoy turned pale with fear. "You don't understand, you - you - stupid little git!"

Amid the snickers of the people around him, Malfoy's face gradually turned red: "Shut up, big fool! Talking to someone like you is a waste of time. Dumbledore is about to be finished. Haven't you noticed that he hasn't appeared in the school for a long time?"

"Professor Dumbledore is very busy and has many international affairs to deal with." Anthony said seriously, "Besides that, Mr. Malfoy, because you just behaved very rudely towards your classmates and Hagrid, you will be deducted ten points from Slytherin. I suggest you apologize."

"I don't recommend you apologize," Fred interrupted, waving his wand, "because I still want to beat you up."

George nodded in agreement.

"Don't be silly, he's Anthony, the one who deducted all the Slytherins." A Slytherin student whispered, "There's no benefit in going against him."

Malfoy hesitated for a while, then said unwillingly, "I apologize." He glanced gloomily at the Gryffindor students across from him, and snorted, "Let's go, Crabbe, Goyle." He turned around and glanced at Tracy and Pansy, "Let's go, Pansy."

Pansy and Tracy followed. Anthony then realized that they also had a small "I" on their chests. The Slytherins who were watching silently made way for them and then slowly dispersed.

"Okay, don't take it to heart." Anthony said to the children who were still standing there, "Don't let this kind of thing ruin your good mood. It looks like you just came back from the Quidditch field?"

The expressions of the people in front of him became even worse.

"We didn't have any training at all," said Fred. "We switched training times with Hufflepuff today."

"Moving the evening training to the afternoon, Wood felt that he could see more clearly this way," George said.

Ron said angrily, "But those Slytherins came and said that Snape approved them to temporarily book the training ground to practice their new tactics. What happened? They left right after Harry and didn't use the training ground at all!"

"Wood is mad," Harry said. "This is the second time this week."

"Second time I was mad?" said Fred. "Fifth time I'd say."

George said, "The sixth time."

Fred thought for a moment and said, "You're right, George."

"Do you think what Malfoy said is true?" Hermione asked Harry worriedly, "Can they take points off?"

"Impossible," said Hagrid flatly, "A second-year kid is allowed to deduct points from his classmates? This has never happened in Hogwarts." At this moment, Professor McGonagall hurried out of the castle, followed by Percy Weasley.

"What have you done, Potter?" she snapped. "The Gryffindor gems are flying and everyone is saying it's because of you and your friends." She saw Fred and George and her face grew more serious.

Harry said, "Professor McGonagall, it's Malfoy, he -"

Professor McGonagall interrupted him sternly: "I don't want to hear you accusing your classmates, Mr. Potter, just tell me what you did."

Anthony said: "Minerva -"

Professor McGonagall glanced at him and whispered, "Henry, thirty points is too much. But you probably have your reasons."

"No, it was Mr. Malfoy who deducted the points," Anthony explained.

He saw Professor McGonagall blink.

"You mean," she said slowly, "that you wanted to take points from Mr Malfoy's house..."

"No, Mr Malfoy was the one who took the points off," said Anthony. "At least that's what it sounded like. Madam Umbridge gave him permission to do it."

Professor McGonagall looked at him for a few seconds as if to confirm. Anthony nodded to her.

"This is too much!" said Professor McGonagall. "This is too much. The division of houses has always been an internal matter of Hogwarts. Even members of the school board should not have such power. I'll talk to him - when did he come?"

"Not that one, Professor McGonagall!" Harry and Ron shouted together. "It's another Malfoy!"

"Shut up!" Percy said angrily.

Anthony said, "Not Mr. Malfoy, Minerva, Mr. Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Professor McGonagall looked confused by them.

"You mean to say that Mr. Draco Malfoy took points off Mr. Potter?" she said. "How is that possible?"

So everyone repeated to her what had just happened - "they took over our training ground", "deducted points from us at will", "insulted Hermione and Hagrid", "and Professor Dumbledore" - and so on and so forth.

"Professor Anthony deducted ten points from him and then he left," Hermione concluded.

Anthony said apologetically: "I didn't expect that the investigation team actually gave them the power to deduct points."

"It doesn't matter, no one would have thought of it." Professor McGonagall said, "Well, I think the headmaster at least needs to know about it. Hagrid, Henry, I would be very grateful if you would come with me to the headmaster's office and tell me what you saw."

Anthony asked in surprise: "Professor Dumbledore is back?"

"Well, he's not really done for, is he?" said Professor McGonagall. "Yes, he's back. Are you coming?"

Anthony nodded: "No problem."

Hagrid also said, "Of course, Professor McGonagall."

"Excellent," said Professor McGonagall, turning and walking back toward the castle, with Anthony and Hagrid hurrying after her.

Anthony heard Percy lecturing his brothers behind him: "Can't you just behave yourself? Thirty points!"

Ron said angrily: "You heard it, it was Malfoy who deducted points!"

"But it's still because of the points you deducted." Percy said, "Please be kind, Gryffindor didn't have many points to begin with! I heard that Gryffindor lost so many points in one go, including so many Weasleys. Do you know how I feel?"

"You should be proud," Fred told him.

Professor McGonagall's pace became faster and faster, and it seemed that she was getting angrier the more she thought about it. Anthony soon could no longer hear the conversation between the Weasleys behind him. Before he walked into the castle gate, he vaguely saw Roger and Tracy arguing under a wall, but he only took a quick glance and hurried to catch up with Professor McGonagall's pace, passing through the students and climbing the stairs. He had a premonition that the conversation he was about to face would not be a very pleasant one.

"Oh, it's over," Hagrid whispered to Anthony.

"what happened?"

"The rock cake must have been burnt," said Hagrid.

(End of this chapter)