Lucius had once been very generous in his efforts to clear his name.
Voldemort's information had also come generously, with a small box bearing an Undetectable Extension Charm filled with a mountain of Gold Galleons.
As for the so-called donation, it was not even a third of what was here.
Fudge sat alone in his office until well past noon before finally coming up with a way not to offend either side.
You got what you paid for.
As a Hogwarts School Board Member, Lucius surely wanted to do something while Dumbledore was away.
Christmas was only days away, so he decided to handle it during the holiday.
Compared to power, Malfoy valued his own life more.
At noon, the staff table was unusually full of professors.
Only the Divination professor, Sybill Trelawney, was still absent.
Snape, whose expression was dreadful beyond belief, was not staring at Harry.
Like a precise Muggle satellite, his gaze remained fixed on a figure at the Gryffindor table.
Vincent widened his eyes, his little lips pouting innocently.
That pitiful expression even put McGonagall in a much better mood.
At the staff meeting Dumbledore had just called, she had firmly supported her own student and decisively dismissed Snape's various baseless suspicions.
Along with Flitwick's thorough analysis, the Potions professor, outnumbered and outmatched, could only reluctantly give up.
But that was only for appearances. He would never let off Vincent, who had toyed with him all night yesterday.
"Why does Snape keep staring at you?" Neville, sitting beside him, was terrified.
Whenever he looked up, he saw those black eyes.
Vincent calmly tapped his plate and summoned a second lunch.
"Too much work stress probably messed up his hormones."
Harry looked up in horror. "Wonderful—I mean, that's terribly sad."
He carefully shifted his gaze