Hearing that Snape was going to deduct fifty points from each of them, Harry felt somewhat helpless.
But compared to house points, as terrible as that loss was, what made his heart tighten even more painfully was that Snape showed absolutely no intention whatsoever of returning the recording crystal ball. He was still holding it.
"Then... what about my crystal ball?" Harry asked, steeling himself and trying to keep his voice from shaking.
Snape's cold gaze immediately became even more dangerous, his eyes were glittering like black ice. His lip curled slightly in what might have been contempt.
"Confiscated," he coldly spat out the single word like a curse, his voice dripping with satisfaction.
Harry's heart sank like a stone into freezing water.
If the crystal ball was confiscated permanently, never mind the heartbroken Colin who was expecting it back—more importantly, their only solid evidence would be destroyed. Snape would probably smash it the moment he was alone, or throw it in a fire, or banish it to some place they'd never find it.
At the very least, they had to find a way to let Dumbledore hear this damning news! Someone had to know what Snape had said!
In his growing desperation, watching Snape's fingers tighten around the crystal ball, a name suddenly slipped out of Harry's mouth almost without thought.
"That's not mine, Professor Westeros lent it to me," he said loudly, trying desperately to make his voice sound confident and justified rather than panicked. "For educational purposes. You can't confiscate Professor Westeros's personal belongings."
It was a lie, of course, but a necessary one. And technically, Adrian had helped make it.
"Westeros?" Snape repeated, his eyebrows furrowing, his expression becoming even more guarded.
There was a pause as his mind seemed to be working rapidly behind those dark eyes.
'So what if it was Westeros's?' his expression seemed to say.
"Then let him come find me himself," Snape's voice carried a distinct trace of mockery and challenge. "I'd be absolutely delighted to hear how he supposedly lent out such a vile invention specifically designed for spying and encouraged students to use it to eavesdrop on professors' private conversations. I'm sure that conversation would be most enlightening."
With a sweep of his billowing black robes that made them snap like wings, he turned sharply to leave, already walking away. The crystal ball that had recorded crucial, potentially explosive evidence was about to be taken away forever, disappearing into the dungeons where they'd never retrieve it.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione's hearts rose simultaneously to their throats as they watched Snape's retreating back with complete despair and panic.
Ron looked like he might cry. Hermione's fists were clenched at her sides.
Just then, at that precise moment when all seemed lost.
"Um... is someone calling for me?"
A gentle voice tinged with curiosity came from somewhere to the side, near one of the adjoining corridors. All four of them turned toward the sound simultaneously, their heads turning around in unison.
They saw Adrian standing there casually, leaning against the stone wall—no one had any idea when he'd arrived or how long he'd been listening. His robes were slightly dusty, as if he'd just come from outside. His gaze swept calmly over the three students, taking in their distressed expressions, before finally settling with interest on Snape.
"Good morning, Professor Snape," he said pleasantly, as if nothing unusual was happening. "And good morning to you three as well. Lovely weather we're having."
Snape narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Adrian carefully as if assessing something.
Adrian completely ignored the tense, oppressive atmosphere surrounding them all. Or rather, he seemed already quite used to it from long experience.
"Hm?" He made a small sound of inquiry as if just noticing something interesting. "Professor Snape, is that my crystal ball you're holding? How curious. How did it end up in your possession?"
Adrian's tone was very natural and chatty, as if he were merely confirming an insignificant matter of a borrowed book or misplaced quill.
Before Snape could give a response, Adrian gently beckoned toward the crystal ball with a subtle gesture.
The crystal ball suddenly slipped from Snape's hand as if it had been lubricated, flew through the air, and landed neatly in Adrian's outstretched palm with a soft sound.
Wandless magic. Wordless magic. Effortless.
"Ah, it is mine indeed," Adrian said mildly, rubbing the surface of the crystal ball between his fingers as if checking for damage, his tone remaining relaxed and unconcerned. "Thank you for keeping it safe."
He didn't mind helping Harry out of this predicament at all.
After all, when Harry was making this crystal ball, he'd consulted Adrian extensively about the enchantments and rune work. Many of the more complex spells on it were directly his ideas and work. In a sense, it was partially his creation.
Snape's sallow face darkened, even a muscle twitching was visible in his jaw. Adrian's silent, wandless Summoning Charm had been executed so effortlessly yet with such perfect precision, directly bypassing his control, that it had caught him completely off guard.
This was almost showing off.
This fellow's power had grown even stronger since last they'd clashed!
Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged quick glances of hope and relief.
Professor Westeros had saved them!
"Wait," Adrian suddenly said, his expression changing slightly as he felt something off about the crystal ball in his hand. A faint frown crossed his features. "What's stored inside this? It feels... warm. Recently activated."
As he spoke, he casually tapped a specific spot on the crystal ball's surface with his fingertip, the exact activation point.
"Your father managed to send word again this morning, Draco..."
And so, the recorded conversation between Snape and Malfoy played yet again.
Now Adrian understood completely why Harry and the others were standing here looking so desperate and why Snape looked so murderous.
He shrugged carelessly when the recording finished. "Well. That's certainly interesting." Then, looking at Snape directly, "Relax, Professor Snape. I'm quite sure you can explain this satisfactorily to whoever needs explaining to."
His tone showed he neither cared about the content nor planned to make an issue of it.
Harry had fully expected a major confrontation to break out between the two professors, perhaps even a duel. However, after that one casual, almost dismissive remark from Adrian, Snape suddenly seemed to deflate slightly.
"Suit yourself," Snape said flatly, throwing out those words like a handful of dirt.
Then he turned and left briskly with an expressionless face with his robes billowing behind him. He didn't look back. Within moments, he'd disappeared around a corner toward the dungeons.
"He... just left like that?" Ron stood frozen in place, his face showing a mixture of incredulous shock and dazed relief.
"Do we still lose the fifty points?" Hermione asked, ever practical, still fixated on the massive point loss.
"That's not important right now, Hermione," Harry said quickly, though he'd probably regret those words later when the rest of Gryffindor found out.
He walked up urgently to Adrian, his expression was grave and determined. "Professor, we must give this crystal ball to Dumbledore immediately. He needs to hear what Snape said."
Adrian nodded slightly, his expression thoughtful, then handed the crystal ball carefully back to Harry before turning to face the gargoyle and casually guessing the headmaster's office password.
"Lemon Sherbet!"
The stone gargoyle immediately sprang aside with a grinding sound, revealing the ascending spiral staircase behind it that led up into darkness.
"Well, looks like we're in luck," Adrian said with a slight smile, gesturing graciously toward the stairs like a host welcoming guests. "The headmaster is in. Hurry along now. Don't keep him waiting."
Harry wasted no more time and was the first to step eagerly onto the moving staircase, which immediately began carrying him up. Ron and Hermione followed close behind.
But Adrian himself remained standing in place at the bottom, showing no intention whatsoever of going up with them or being present for the conversation.
He knew it would be ultimately pointless for him to be there.
Dumbledore trusted Snape deeply, that was beyond any question. Years of trust, decades even, built on the secrets they shared. The things Snape had done to earn that trust ran deeper than anything Harry could reveal.
This wasn't something that could be changed or shaken by a mere snippet of conversation, no matter how critical it sounded.
It was far more important now to prepare for the upcoming Care of Magical Creatures class he had in, he checked his pocket watch—less than an hour.
Speaking of which, he thought with mild confusion, what had he come to this corridor for in the first place?
Oh well. It would come back to him eventually.
"Come in," Dumbledore's gentle voice came from inside the office, through the wooden door.
Harry pushed open the door, which was lighter than it looked, and the three quickly entered in a rush, practically tumbling over each other.
The office's arrangement was the same as always—comfortingly familiar despite the seriousness of their visit.
On the walls, portraits of past headmasters and headmistresses pretended to doze in their frames, though Harry could see several of them watching through split eyelids with interest.
Fawkes was preening his bright scarlet and gold feathers on his perch near the window. Dumbledore sat behind his cluttered desk, which held several unopened letters still sealed with wax, a half-finished cup of tea, and what looked like a bowl of sherbet lemons.
However, a small detail caught Harry's attention immediately, something that didn't quite fit.
In the office's warm air, there seemed to linger some extremely thin, rapidly dissipating silvery-white mist, like smoke or fog but more ethereal. It was fading even as he watched, but it was definitely there.
The mist carried a familiar, deeply reassuring feeling that resonated in his chest.
Harry knew this feeling all too well.
These were traces left by the Patronus Charm!
'Who?' Harry thought immediately, his mind racing.
He suddenly thought of Snape, who had just left Dumbledore's office before they arrived.
'No, no, no.'
Harry immediately dismissed that wild speculation, shaking his head slightly.
'Impossible.
How could it possibly be Snape?'
As everyone knew, as it was taught in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Dark wizards couldn't use the Patronus Charm at all. The spell required positive emotions, happy memories.
Dark wizards didn't have those. It was impossible.
"Harry?" Dumbledore's voice drew him from his thoughts.
Seeing the three students arrive so urgently, Dumbledore seemed quite pleased rather than annoyed at the interruption.
"What a pleasant surprise to see you three at this hour. I was just having some tea. Is there anything I can help you with? Oh, and would you like some Lemon Sherbet? I have a fresh bag. Or perhaps a Cockroach Cluster? I know they look rather unappetizing, but I assure you they're quite delicious."
His tone was very relaxed and friendly, and Harry and the others relaxed slightly in response to his calm presence, though their urgency remained.
Harry couldn't wait another second. He stepped forward quickly and placed the crystal ball on Dumbledore's desk with a soft thunk, right next to the bowl of candies.
"Professor! We have something extremely important!" Harry got straight to the point. "You must listen to this recording! It's absolutely critical! It's about Professor Snape!"
Dumbledore's blue eyes blinked slowly behind his spectacles, his expression remaining mild and curious. His gaze shifted down to the faintly glowing crystal ball resting on his desk.
After examining it carefully for a moment, turning his head slightly to see it from different angles, he said kindly, "If I'm not mistaken... this is a recording crystal ball that can capture images and sound, isn't it? Hmm, it seems what's recorded inside is the reason you're all so urgent and distressed."
Harry nodded vigorously. Ron and Hermione also leaned forward over the desk, the three of them were watching Dumbledore nervously, barely breathing.
Dumbledore asked no more questions for the moment, simply reached out with one finger and tapped the crystal ball lightly with his fingertip.
And so, the conversation between Snape and Malfoy played for what was now the third time.
The recording played through to its end.
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