Truth Serum Is Gone? We Can't Beat Him

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A knock sounded on the door, and a voice came from outside, "Professor, are you there?"

"Come in."

Graham Montague walked in, nodded to Aaron first, and then looked at Professor Snape. "Professor, Professor Umbridge requests your presence."

"Is there anything?" Aaron asked.

"Our Inquisitorial Squad arrested several students for disciplinary violations; they were attempting to break into Umbridge's office," Montague said smugly. "Five Gryffindor and one Ravenclaw."

"Oh ho!" Aaron raised an eyebrow. "Harry, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Luna, who's the sixth one?"

"Longbottom," Montague said, "Wait, Gaius, how did you know it was one of them?"

"I happened to be there when they were discussing the Umbridge office."

I warned them, but Harry Potter was determined to do it his way, and I couldn't stop him.

"It seems they've got their eyes on the Floo Network in Umbridge's office," Snape sneered. "I must say, they do have some quick wit."

"It's a pity they failed." Aaron was speechless. He silently mourned for them for three seconds. Falling into Umbridge's hands would definitely not end well.

"Let's go! Let's see what our headmaster is up to." Professor Snape slowly rose and walked toward the Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts's office on the third floor, with Aaron and Montague following behind him.

"Are you looking for Dumbledore?"

"No."

"Lie!"

When they arrived, they found Umbridge interrogating Harry Potter.

The faint handprint on Harry's face was enough to show that Umbridge's interrogation methods were not very friendly.

After Aaron entered, he glanced at Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Neville, who were being held by the Inquisitorial Squad, and couldn't help but click his tongue.

Good heavens! Not only were they wiped out, but they also got a buy-five-get-one-free deal.

"Why did you come to see me, Headmaster?" Snape asked casually.

"Snape, yes." Umbridge grinned. "Now he should answer me the truth, whether he wants to or not."

I need a bottle of Truth Serum, the sooner the better.

"You've used all my savings to interrogate students." Professor Snape looked at her speechlessly. He really didn't expect Umbridge to have the nerve to ask him for more.

Logically, adding a drop of water to the interrogation fluid should be enough, but Umbridge clearly used up all the Truth Serum. This efficiency would put even the jailers in Azkaban to shame.

Umbridge blushed slightly. "Could you make some more?"

Aaron couldn't help but laugh. "Professor, are you kidding me?"

Preparing the Truth Serum takes a considerable amount of time, approximately one month.

"A month?" Umbridge was clearly incredulous, exclaiming, "But I need it tonight! I just saw Potter talking to someone over my fire."

"Potter has never followed the school's rules and regulations."

"Principal, if you don't expel him today, you'll have to get used to this."

"I want to interrogate him," Umbridge said bluntly. "Give me a Potions that will make him tell the truth."

"But I really have no more in stock," Professor Snape said calmly. "Unless you want Potter poisoned, in which case I'd be more than happy to help, I really can't help you."

"You're deliberately refusing to help, aren't you!" Umbridge's face instantly turned angry. "You've disappointed me greatly. Don't forget you're still on probation."

"Professor, excuse me for interrupting."

Professor Snape was a renowned Potions Master, and even after leaving Hogwarts, he was still able to thrive.

In other words, the probationary period posed absolutely no threat to him.

"Shut up, Gaius, you have no right to speak here."

"Alas!" Professor Snape sighed and shook his head, gloating. "I don't want to say it, but Gaius is probably the only one at Hogwarts who has the Truth Serum."

"What?" Umbridge's face twitched slightly, and she looked at Aaron ingratiatingly, "You have Truth Serum?"

"Headmaster, did you get special training in changing your face?" Aaron retorted speechlessly. "Professor Snape asked me to do him a favor a while ago, Truth Serum was just a small part of the reward."

"That's great, take it out quickly."

"Why should I take it out?"

"I am the principal."

"Even if you are the principal, you don't have the right to requisition students' private property!" Aaron said confidently. "Wouldn't it be bad if word got out that this was done?"

Umbridge's face turned pale and then purple. After a few seconds of silence, he pointed to the door and said, "Get out, both of you, leave my office."

"Yes, Headmaster, we'll be off now," Professor Snape said sarcastically.

"Padfoot." Harry suddenly looked at Aaron. "Did you tell him about Padfoot?"

"Of course, you can rest assured." Aaron shrugged. "I'm not like those Gryffindor. I'll choose the optimal solution, the safest one."

As for the difference... just compare your current situations and you'll know I'm right.

"Padfoot? What Padfoot?" Umbridge felt he had grasped the key point. "What is he talking about?"

"I have no idea." Professor Snape pursed his lips and slowly retreated outside the office.

Just as Aaron was about to leave, Umbridge quickly blocked the doorway, saying, "You can't leave."

"Headmaster," Professor Snape said coldly, "I don't recall any of my students violating school rules. Even if they did, it's my job as the Headmaster to decide on the punishment!"

Umbridge was startled by Snape's state, and her tone involuntarily softened. "Don't be nervous, Snape. I just have some questions I want to ask him."

Snape raised an eyebrow dismissively, one hand already resting on the end of his Wand.

He knew perfectly well who Umbridge was: small in stature but big in ambition, and willing to do anything to achieve his goals.

What if something happens to Aaron if we leave him here?

"Professor, please go ahead with your work!" Aaron said confidently. "You should know my abilities."

Upon hearing this, Snape realized that Umbridge might not actually be able to defeat him, and immediately put away his Wand and left without looking back.

Umbridge quickly closed the door and then pulled Aaron to sit down in a chair.

"Tell me, who is Padfoot?"

"Hmm..." Aaron pretended to ponder, "Professor, you need to think about it from a different perspective. What normal person would have the name Padfoot?"

"Not human?" Umbridge asked skeptically. "Then what is it?"

How would I know?

"No, you're lying to me, you must be lying to me! You just said you told him about Padfoot!" Umbridge raised her hand indignantly and slapped Aaron across the face.

Umbridge's right wrist was grabbed in mid-air by Aaron.

"Professor, I must say, you are quite strong."

Umbridge gritted her teeth, trying to pull her chubby hand out, but no matter how hard she tried, her right hand felt like it was being held firmly by steel, and she couldn't break free at all.

"Let go, I command you to let go."

Aaron smiled dismissively. "If you tell me to release him, I'll release him. Wouldn't that be a loss of face for me?"

Umbridge immediately drew her Wand with her left hand, "Strength..."

However, Aaron increased his strength when she had only recited half of the incantation.

Umbridge cried out in pain as an unhealthy purplish-red color appeared on her right hand. She bent over in pain, as if this would ease her discomfort.

"Professor, there will be consequences for attacking me."

I'm different from others; I'll fight back, no matter who you are.

"I know, I was wrong just now, can you let go of my hand?" Umbridge pleaded humbly.

Everyone else stared in astonishment at the scene. Umbridge had given them a vivid lesson, the topic of which was bullying the weak and fearing the strong.

"Damn it!" Aaron released his left hand in disgust. "You're smart enough to know what's good for you, otherwise I would have crushed your bones."

Umbridge glanced at him in horror, took a few steps back, and carefully rubbed her right hand. When the pain subsided, she pointed her Wand at Aaron again.

"What? You want to make a move?" Aaron asked playfully. "Then I'll have to think about what kind of magic to use."

"Stop bluffing. Do you think I'll give you a chance to use your Wand?" Umbridge took a deep breath. This time, she had created distance and firmly grasped the initiative. There was absolutely no way she would be caught off guard.

After capturing Aaron, she can take revenge. As long as she can extract information related to Padfoot, she will have done nothing wrong, and even Fudge can't say anything against her.

"Incarcerous."

A rope shot out from the Wand, heading straight for Aaron.

However, the next moment a red light struck the rapidly extending rope, which instantly shattered into powder and dissipated in mid-air.

Umbridge watched Aaron cast a spell with his fingers and couldn't help but swallow hard.

"The biggest advantage of Wandless Casting is that it can lower your enemy's guard," Aaron said meaningfully. "Professor, would you like to have a fair duel with me?"

"A fair duel?" Umbridge laughed as if he had heard a ridiculous joke. "This office is full of my people."

"I almost forgot, when you ambushed Professor McGonagall last night, it was also because you outnumbered her."

"If you know, then so be it." Umbridge calmed down, but wasn't ashamed.

Although her methods last night were despicable and underhanded, they were effective in eliminating her biggest rival and driving away Dumbledore's die-hard supporters.

"Mr. Gaius, I don't want to make things difficult for you either."

If you can tell me who Padfoot is, what his relationship is with Dumbledore, and where they are, then you'll find out.

"The incident that just happened was all a misunderstanding, and I can let it go."

"Heh!" Aaron rolled his eyes speechlessly. "It seems like you've been the one stirring up trouble all along. I've already been magnanimous by not pursuing it."

"I'm doing this for the sake of school discipline, and it also involves the safety of the Ministry of Magic," Umbridge said matter-of-factly. "Harry contacted certain people through my Floo Network, possibly Dumbledore, and I had to investigate."

"Not Dumbledore," Harry said immediately.

"Then tell me who you're talking to?" Umbridge retorted.

Harry was speechless. Although he hadn't managed to speak with Dumbledore, the existence of the Phoenix Society absolutely could not be revealed.

"Can't say it now, huh?" Umbridge glared at Harry, then turned her attention to Aaron. "You know all about Padfoot, but you insist on playing dumb with me."

At best, this disrespects the headmaster and encourages other students to break the rules; at worst, it's a failure to cooperate with the Ministry of Magic's operations.

Aaron did not refute it, and in a sense, Umbridge was right.

"I'll give you one more chance. Will you cooperate?"

"Boring."

"What are you all standing there for?" Umbridge shouted. "Hold him down!"

However, the students in the Inquisitorial Squad looked at each other, but none of them showed any intention of taking action.

"You?" Umbridge stared in disbelief at her men, her eyes wide with astonishment. "Are you deaf?"

"That's a bit insulting," Aaron said, standing up for the professor. "You should have been fairer when you were choosing people. The Inquisitorial Squad is all Slytherin."

You might think Slytherin will help you suppress the other three houses, which isn't entirely wrong, but unfortunately, I am the Slytherin Prefect.

"I am the headmaster, the headmaster." Umbridge stamped her foot angrily. "I am the headmaster at Hogwarts now, and you should all listen to me."

"That's true, but..." Montague said haltingly under Umbridge's questioning gaze, "But we can't beat him."

"We really can't beat him." Millicent added awkwardly, "Principal, it's not that we don't listen to you, but even if we all joined forces, we still wouldn't be a match for him."

Umbridge:...

Aaron shrugged and laughed, "Although I was chosen as a Prefect by the previous headmaster, I earned Slytherin's respect through my own abilities."

After all, their strength isn't up to par, but they can't manage the unruly Slytherin House, right?

Umbridge's lips twitched slightly, and she raised her Wand but gradually lowered it.

She forced an awkward yet polite smile. "Aaron, I acted impulsively this time. You can leave now."

"And what about them?" Aaron pointed to Harry and the others.

"That won't do." Umbridge firmly shook her head in refusal. "They have genuinely violated school rules and regulations. As the principal, I can't just turn a blind eye!"

Aaron frowned slightly. "So, what are you going to do with them?"

"Everyone else says that solitary confinement will do, but I don't know what else to do with Harry Potter." Umbridge feigned difficulty. "Without Truth Serum, and without his cooperation, I have to think of some other way to get him to talk!"

"For example?"

How about the Cruciatus Curse?

"No, that's illegal!" Hermione exclaimed in panic. "The Minister will not allow you to break the law, Professor Umbridge."

"As long as Cornelius doesn't know, it won't bother him." Umbridge took a deep breath, her breathing slightly rapid, as if making this decision was also difficult for her.

Aren't you worried we'll tell Minister Fudge?

"Once we extract valuable information, who would dare to use any tricks on me!"

Just like that summer when I ordered the Dementor to hunt Potter, Cornelius didn't know, but he was still happy to have the opportunity to expel Potter.