Snape, with a grim face, kept the six involved students in the classroom.
The six little ones quietly huddled in the corner, watching Snape irritably clean up the residue, bottles, and pots left behind from the students' potion brewing.
Harry hesitated for a moment, his remaining conscience faintly pricking at him, and he felt a slight urge to give Snape a hand with a small task.
But then, remembering the information from Agatha about the grudges and entanglements between Snape and his father, Harry withdrew his foot that had started to step forward.
Forget it, Harry thought to himself, I'd better not go over and bring Snape more bad luck.
After tidying up the classroom briefly, Snape, with a cold expression, grabbed Harry and Draco by the scruff of their necks with each hand, shooting the other four a dark, penetrating glare.
"You lot, follow."
Harry and Draco were dragged along by Snape; the adult man's legs were especially long, and he walked very fast, forcing the two with their short legs to stumble along, while Ron and the other four had to jog behind, panting heavily.
The conflict that had occurred before class had already spread through the students leaving their lessons, and on their way to the Headmaster's office, Harry and the others repeatedly spotted young witches and wizards who happened to be passing by.
They would crane their necks to look at the six, then whisper among themselves; a few young wizards in yellow and black huddled in a corner, even reaching out to poke at Harry as they passed by.
They were then harshly deducted ten, ten, and ten points by the short-tempered Snape.
The others following Snape, except for Harry, all wore grim expressions—they almost thought they were going to be expelled.
Although Harry knew that was impossible—Hogwarts wouldn't expel students without a fatal incident—the others didn't know that.
Ron and Hermione wore identical expressions of panic; Ron muttered under his breath, "If Mum finds out I got expelled from Hogwarts… she'll break my legs."
Hermione let out a soft whimper.
Crabbe and Goyle only looked worried for three seconds before turning their thoughts to what they would eat next.
Snape walked with such speed that his robes billowed behind him, and he practically slammed open the door to the Headmaster's office, startling Dumbledore, who had been sneaking a Lemon Sherbet in his office, causing the old man to almost choke on the candy in his throat.
"Ahem…" Dumbledore tugged at his beard to catch his breath, then looked cheerfully at Snape. "What's happened, Severus?"
Snape immediately let loose.
"Dumbledore, look at your precious Boy Who Lived."
Snape pointed viciously at Harry's forehead, and the furious old professor's finger nearly poked Harry to death, making him instinctively shrink his neck back.
"Before class, in the classroom, a brawl!" Snape hissed. "Not only did they overturn thirteen desks, but they also damaged seven cauldrons."
"Dumbledore, I am sometimes utterly astonished that your Boy Who Lived is not classified as a dangerous magical creature."
Snape glared fiercely at the pile of sweets poorly hidden beside Dumbledore's hand, recalling the teeth-cleaning potion this old bee had asked him for, and felt his temples begin to throb violently.
"If our great White Wizard has nothing better to do, he should go suggest to the Ministry of Magic that they hurry up and classify the Boy Who Lived as a dangerous magical creature, to be avoided by all who see him."
Dumbledore: "…Ah?"
Harry forced an awkward smile.
Behind Dumbledore's half-moon spectacles, his blue eyes looked at Harry with a hint of surprise, while his hands stealthily tried to stash the sweets into his robes, attempting to hide them.
Snape's mood darkened even further.
"I will inform Madam Pomfrey that your sugar intake needs to be reduced."
"Oh… surely that's not necessary, Severus," Dumbledore said tactfully.
"I understand the situation, Severus. You must be more lenient; it's perfectly normal for children to be a bit mischievous…"
After all, based on the information he had received, the reason for the conflict between Harry and Draco was so childish it was almost touching.
But Snape did not see it that way.
He was practically roaring. "You consider a brawl normal?! Dumbledore, has your brain finally been addled by sugar?!"
Dumbledore choked for a moment.
"Er… I'm sure there was a good reason for it…"
Seeing his Potions professor's expression grow increasingly darker, Dumbledore quickly changed the subject.
"Nevertheless, what Severus says has merit. A pre-class brawl is a serious matter. I believe these two young gentlemen require some, hmm…"
He blinked and made a small gesture with his hand.
"…a small punishment."
Dumbledore thought for a moment before speaking.
"Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Crabbe, and Mr. Goyle, you will serve detention with the castle caretaker, Mr. Filch, for a period of one month."
Crabbe and Goyle lowered their heads uncomfortably, while Hermione and Ron dared not look up at the kindly old Headmaster, their faces bowed in shame.
"As for Harry and Mr. Malfoy…" Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "I believe, as the main parties involved, you require a different, more creative punishment."
At this, Dumbledore seemed pleased with his own clever idea, playfully winking at Harry.
"Oh, Harry, perhaps you should go and get to know our warm and hearty gamekeeper; I'm sure you'll become great friends."
Harry blinked and, for once, nodded obediently.
The old bee was still in the mood to joke about this; was he supposed to be proud of such a slap-on-the-wrist punishment?
Snape was absolutely livid.
"Dumbledore!!"
What exactly Dumbledore's so-called "creative punishment" entailed, Harry and Draco found out the very next evening.
Late at night, just as the young witches and wizards were getting ready for bed, Professor McGonagall came to the common room and hauled Harry out.
Before leaving, Harry clearly saw the worry in Ron and Hermione's eyes.
Hermione elbowed Ron, then said to Harry, "Harry, we'll wait for you here."
Harry waved his hand, signaling them not to worry.
He didn't think there was anything in Hogwarts that could pose a threat to him.
Harry met Draco at the castle entrance, who had also been dragged there by a professor. After they stared at each other for a moment, the castle caretaker, Filch, arrived carrying an oil lamp.
"Well then, Argus, I'll leave these two young gentlemen in your care for now. Take them to Hagrid's," McGonagall indicated Harry and Draco.
Filch raised his oil lamp slightly, his old, murky eyes scanning their faces grimly. Draco felt a shiver of fear and instinctively took a step back, hiding behind Harry.
Harry looked calmly at Filch, even idly wondering what good idea Dumbledore had come up with.
Filch noticed Draco's barely perceptible cringe and smiled with satisfaction.
"Of course, Professor McGonagall. I'll take these two disobedient students to Hagrid's."
Professor McGonagall nodded. "Then I'll leave it to you."
Snape had remained silent the entire time, his brows deeply furrowed.
Now, watching Harry and Draco's figures follow Filch, disappearing into the night, he finally couldn't hold back his objection.
"Minerva, do you truly think this is a good idea?"
"Sending those two troll whelps into the Forbidden Forest with that careless oaf?"
Dumbledore had lost his mind.
Snape swallowed that last comment back.
Professor McGonagall also frowned, but her trust in Dumbledore ultimately won out.
She spoke slowly. "I believe Albus must have his reasons."
"Severus, you needn't worry too much," she said, turning to comfort the frowning Snape.
"Hogwarts is the safest place, and besides, the Forbidden Forest is not lacking in magical creatures on good terms with Albus."
Like the centaur tribe.
But Snape's expression grew even darker, practically taking on a dead-father shade of iron grey.
His facial muscles twitched twice before twisting into a false smile under McGonagall's concerned gaze.
"Let's hope so."
But what was the reality?
That old bee's so-called "having his reasons" meant sacrificing his Potions professor's rest time, forcing the poor old professor to act as an invisible personal bodyguard for two little trolls!
The very thought of having to chase after the Potter brat all over the Forbidden Forest, while also having to ensure the little troll's safety, made Snape feel like he was about to explode.