With a piercing creak, the tightly shut doors of the Great Hall had somehow been pushed open a crack. Delacour followed Filch through the half-open doors and immediately sensed the strange atmosphere at the start-of-term feast.
Snape frowned at the newcomer from the staff table, unable to understand why an Auror had appeared at Hogwarts.
Still, amid the students' whispers, Snape rose and beckoned Delacour toward a small room beside the Great Hall.
Delacour hurried after him. The strange looks cast his way by the students in the hall made him feel extremely uncomfortable.
"The Daily Prophet intends to interview Hogwarts students?"
Snape stared at the Auror before him and repeated the other man's words expressionlessly.
"Since when did an interview by the Daily Prophet require permission from the Ministry of Magic?" Professor McGonagall, who had entered the room with them, mocked sharply.
She was in a terrible mood.
Hagrid had told her that a girl had been forcibly taken away by Death Eaters just after the train arrived at the station.
She truly could not understand why that foolish girl had refused to leave with "Harry Potter" and insisted on coming to Hogwarts just to be captured by the Death Eaters again.
"Understood. I'll arrange for several students to be interviewed by Daily Prophet reporters." Snape guessed what they wanted and agreed without hesitation.
"Leave this to me." Professor McGonagall stepped forward to take the task. Such minor matters were usually handled by the deputy headmistress anyway.
"No need. Alecto can handle it."
Snape gave Professor McGonagall no chance to respond and returned directly to the Great Hall to continue the unfinished feast, leaving behind a rather irritated Professor McGonagall.
After the start-of-term feast ended, Snape had barely returned to the Headmaster's office when he received an urgent summons