Angry Professor McGonagall

Since Hogwarts had been founded over a thousand years ago, students had always been allowed to bring one of four different pets when enrolling.

An owl, a cat, a rat, or a toad.

Of course, if someone preferred a rabbit or a turtle—pets not on the list but not particularly dangerous either—the professors would turn a blind eye and pretend not to notice.

This rule had never changed in over a thousand years.

Yet Alecto Carrow had so casually decreed that students were not allowed to bring pet cats. From her tone, there was not the slightest room for discussion; she seemed to have already made up her mind.

McGonagall frowned slightly, but after a brief hesitation, she slowly nodded.

"I'll emphasize it at the start-of-term feast."

Alecto Carrow appeared somewhat disappointed by McGonagall's response.

She spun around, deliberately walked past Filch, then sharply flicked her wand.

Filch flew high into the air like a Bludger that had been batted away, then hit the ground with a heavy thud.

"Don't block my way, you filthy thing!" Alecto Carrow said, then headed back down the stairs to the underground classroom—

The very place she had come up from earlier.

Only after she had left did Filch struggle to his feet.

Yet neither McGonagall nor Flitwick stepped forward to help him. They simply stood to the side, silently watching him rise and limp away.

Only after Filch had completely vanished around the bend in the corridor did the two remaining professors exchange a glance.

"Don't worry, I cast a Confundus Charm on Filch just now," Flitwick said quietly.

McGonagall nodded. Then the two of them put on unconcerned expressions and headed off in opposite directions.

Flitwick shut the castle's oak doors, while McGonagall climbed the stairs and, as unhurriedly as usual, made