Hearing Maurise's casual flaunting of his wealth, Snape merely raised an eyebrow.
He smoothly shifted the topic. "And what about the Gryffindors you frequently associate with?"
Was he referring to Fred and George? Or Harry and his friends?
"I have no idea," Maurise shook his head. He couldn't resist adding a piece of unprompted advice, "Professor, your private stores are... far too easy to break into. Perhaps the most pressing issue right now is reinforcing your security measures, rather than hunting down the culprit."
There was an old Muggle proverb: It is never too late to mend the pen even after the sheep are lost.
In Maurise's memory, Hogwarts' potion ingredients storeroom had been burgled several times over the past few years, and the thief was practically never caught.
Upon hearing this, Snape's face instantly darkened, matching the exact shade of Kyle's botched Antidote Number Nine.
"Security measures?" His tone was icy, though his voice remained low and steady. "And what sort of measures do you propose we implement, our resident genius? I am certain you must have some 'brilliant' ideas."
In truth, Snape knew perfectly well that Maurise was right. It was precisely because he had been robbed more than once in the past that he checked his stores so frequently; otherwise, he likely wouldn't have discovered the theft until the following term.
Maurise hadn't expected Snape to throw the question back at him. He was just a student; what did this have to do with him?
However, since Snape had asked, he figured he might as well offer a genuine solution.
"Security measures..."
Maurise stroked his chin. He suddenly remembered a small gadget that might actually be of use.
"Try this, Professor. It might come in handy."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out two crystal balls, handing them over. These were the exact Surveillance Crystal Balls he had commissioned the Weasley twins to make. Because the twins had made quite a few, he still had several pairs left over even after installing a comprehensive security system aboard the Ship in a Bottle.
Snape clearly hadn't expected Maurise to actually produce something.
"What is its function?" he asked, weighing the crystal balls in his hands.
"They are called Surveillance Crystal Balls," Maurise explained. "You can look into one and see everything happening in the immediate vicinity of the other."
Snape turned the two crystal balls over in his hands, quickly grasping the mechanics of the magical artifacts.
Then, he tossed both of them straight back to Maurise.
"In that case," Snape said, his voice agonizingly slow, "the task of guarding the storeroom will be temporarily assigned to you."
Maurise froze. "Why me?"
He absolutely had not seen this coming.
Snape completely ignored his confusion. He simply stated in a flat tone, "If you manage to catch the culprit, I will award you points at the end of the term."
Maurise couldn't quite grasp what was going through his Potions Professor's head. However, he didn't particularly care. It wasn't as if this cost him anything.
"Very well, Professor. But I cannot guarantee I will definitely catch the thief..."
And just like that, Maurise inexplicably acquired a new job as the security guard for the Potions ingredients storeroom.
---
On a Saturday evening, Professor Flitwick suddenly bustled into the Ravenclaw common room.
"Quiet down, quiet down, everyone!" he called out, standing on a chair in the center of the room to gather everyone's attention.
The chatter in the common room gradually died down as every student turned their eyes to their Head of House.
"I have an announcement to make," Professor Flitwick cleared his throat. "This Christmas, Hogwarts will be hosting a Yule Ball. All students in their fourth year and above who remain at the school for the holidays are expected to attend. If any younger students wish to participate, they must be formally invited by a student who meets the age requirement."
The common room instantly exploded into chaotic excitement.
Maurise wasn't surprised; "dress robes" had been explicitly listed on his school supply list at the start of the term.
"Ah, the youth!" Professor Flitwick winked at the students, his voice tinged with excitement. "I hope you all manage to find suitable partners before Christmas. Furthermore, Maurise—"
Hearing his name called, Maurise immediately stepped to the front of the crowd.
"As a Triwizard Champion, you will be required to open the ball by dancing with the other three champions. Therefore, you must secure a partner as quickly as possible. It would also be highly advisable to get some practice in beforehand. At the very least... er... try not to step on anyone's toes during the dance."
A ripple of good-natured laughter spread through the common room.
Maurise nodded. "I understand, Professor."
"Of course," Professor Flitwick added, "if you truly do not know how to dance, I would be more than happy to teach you. You might find this hard to believe, but I was exceptionally skilled at it in my youth!"
"Thank you, Professor, but that will not be necessary," Maurise replied politely.
Even though Flitwick sounded incredibly confident, Maurise seriously doubted the claim. He genuinely could not picture Professor Flitwick dancing.
"Very well," Professor Flitwick said, sounding slightly disappointed. He hopped down from the chair and waved to the crowd. "And that goes for the rest of you! If anyone requires assistance, my door is always open!"
Having delivered his message, he quickly exited the common room.
The atmosphere in the room immediately grew even more boisterous. Excited whispers and frantic chatter instantly filled every corner.
"A ball! Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!"
"Who are you going to ask?!"
"I don't know... do you think he'll ask me?"
"Who? Black? Keep dreaming."
Kyle grabbed Maurise's shoulder, his eyes gleaming with a manic intensity. "Did you hear that, Maurise?! A ball!"
"There is nothing wrong with my hearing." Maurise calmly peeled Kyle's hand off his shoulder.
"So, who are you going to ask?" Kyle leaned in closer. "Do you have anyone in mind yet?"
The moment this question was asked, the ears of several students nearby immediately perked up.
Handsome, brilliant, and impeccably polite (mostly), Maurise was undoubtedly one of the most highly sought-after boys in the school, especially after his spectacular victory in the First Task.
"Not yet," Maurise shook his head honestly.
He didn't really care much about it. It was just a dance. When the time came, he would simply find a girl who was pleasant to look at. He wasn't the least bit worried about finding a partner; in fact, he figured someone would probably come up and ask him directly any minute now.
Just as he was thinking this, a rather muscularly built girl broke away from the crowd and strode purposefully up to him.
"Black!" the girl said bluntly. "Will you go to the ball with me?"
"Thank you," Maurise replied without batting an eye, casting a brief glance at the girl's arms, which were thicker than his thighs. "But I decline."
He didn't even know her name.
The girl didn't push the issue. She merely shot him a look of deep regret and walked away.
However, the surrounding chatter did not die down, and furtive glances continued to dart his way.
At that moment, Marietta spoke up from the crowd.
"I'm afraid Maurise already has someone in mind," she announced to those around her. "Have you all forgotten that photograph in the Daily Prophet?"
Upon hearing this, looks of sudden realization dawned on everyone's faces.
'Right. Wasn't Maurise dating Fleur Delacour?'
Maurise suddenly realized that the countless expectant gazes focused on him had vanished in an instant.
"..."
'Whatever.' He didn't feel like explaining it anyway. This was probably for the best.