Professor McGonagall and Snape came downstairs and were chatting about this year's Christmas dinner.
"Headmaster Dumbledore said this year's event should be grander. As the headmaster, he certainly has the right to make such a request, but I would prefer him to pay more attention to the students' studies..."
The two walked down the stairs side by side, with Professor McGonagall talking incessantly.
Snape was clearly not interested in the topic, but he listened quietly nonetheless.
As he reached the entrance to the Great Hall, Snape frowned and glanced around, finding something odd.
It's almost dinnertime now, and the Great Hall entrance is usually bustling with people at this time, but it's unusually quiet today.
Professor McGonagall had clearly noticed it as well. She exchanged a glance with Snape, then frowned and walked into the Great Hall.
The Great Hall was quiet outside, but bustling with activity inside.
The students crowded around the Gryffindor table, making one section completely packed with them. The cacophony of voices was so loud that it was impossible to hear a complete sentence; only occasional snippets could be gleaned.
"The duel has begun!"
"Who will win Potter or Prewett...?"
"Go ahead and hit me..."
These words, clearly against school rules, made Professor McGonagall's heart pound.
While Professor McGonagall was still in a daze, Snape had already keenly grasped the key information and, like a large bat, flapped his wings and rushed into the crowd.
The names "Potter" and "Prewett" alone would be enough to grab Snape's attention, but together they were fatally attractive.
Snape stretched out both hands, grabbed one student's head with each hand, and shoved them aside.
"What are you doing?!"
The two Slytherin students, their skulls cracked open by the strongman, turned around in annoyance, ready to give this unruly fellow a good scolding. But as soon as they turned their heads, they met their headmaster's eyes and were immediately speechless.
Professor McGonagall finally realized what was happening. She clutched the book in her arms tightly with one hand, lifted the hem of her skirt slightly with the other, and hurriedly walked into the crowd.
"No fighting! That's against school rules!" Professor McGonagall shouted sternly.
A Gryffindor student asked his classmate in surprise, "We don't even have school rules?"
"Oh, so those were school rules. I thought they were a list of tasks we had to complete upon enrollment."
"Never mind, watching the duel is the most important thing!"
Professor McGonagall and Snape rushed into the crowd, eager to see what was going on.
Terrified, Professor McGonagall craned her neck to peer into the crowd, her mind racing with anxiety. "These two are such good children! How could they fight?! If either of them gets hurt, how can I face their deceased parents..."
Snape was also very anxious.
But he was eager to see the outcome of the duel.
Potter!
We can't lose to him, no matter who else we lose to!
The two squeezed through the crowd and looked up to see Silan and Harry sitting across a long table, on which sat two small models of Hippogriffs.
Silan's turn has just ended.
The Hippogriff was surrounded by three small, transparent shields, indicating that it had just used three basic defensive cards.
Professor McGonagall and Snape stared blankly at the model toys on the table, both somewhat dumbfounded.
Isn't this a duel?
"What on earth are you doing?! This isn't a place for you to do this kind of thing. You two Mr. Weasleys, don't you owe me an explanation?" Professor McGonagall pressed her lips together, keenly spotting George and Fred hiding in the crowd.
With their notorious reputations, Professor McGonagall knew without a doubt that they were the ones who did it.
Even if it's not true, there must be some of them stirring things up.
The surrounding Gryffindor students shrank back; they were still quite afraid of the headmaster who could turn into a cat.
"Uh, Professor McGonagall, this is just normal activity..."
George and Fred, who were being closely watched by the cat professor, reluctantly poked their heads out from behind the classmate they were using as a shield.
"You should explain these things to your parents. I don't think they'd want to hear about you doing this kind of thing at school," Professor McGonagall said sternly.
George and Fred immediately fell silent.
The students around her saw Professor McGonagall's face tighten and realized something was wrong, so they prepared to make a run for it.
Draco smirked smugly. "The Weasleys are in for a rough time now..."
The crowd gradually dispersed.
George and Fred sighed deeply, their faces grim. They still had important sales advertisements to deliver, and now all their work had been for nothing.
Just as the two were dejectedly preparing to let Harry and Silan pack their things and leave, they suddenly heard Snape's deep, gloomy voice.
Why not continue?
Everyone was stunned. Even those who were walking away couldn't help but stop and look back.
George and Fred simultaneously rubbed their ears, as if they thought they had misheard.
"Professor Snape?" Professor McGonagall was also somewhat surprised, turning her head to stare at him blankly.
"I don't think this violates any school rules. And with us watching, nothing will go wrong," Snape said in his characteristically eccentric tone. "Besides, the school has always encouraged students to engage in intellectually stimulating games..."
"How can it end like this before we've even seen Prewett defeat Potter?" Snape thought to himself.
Professor McGonagall hesitated, opened her mouth, and finally reluctantly agreed, "This certainly doesn't violate school rules."
The students around them looked on incredulously, and George and Fred stared at each other wide-eyed, wondering if they had misheard.
Is this something Snape would say?
Snape's unusual behavior shocked everyone around him, and the Great Hall fell silent for a moment, with only the sound of breathing audible.
It was the professional commentator, Lee Jordan, who was the first to react, passionately announcing, "We now have two new viewers! The Heads of Gryffindor and Slytherin, both heavyweight figures... I never expected them to be interested."
"In any case, the game continues!"
"Wait." Professor McGonagall suddenly frowned, waved her hand to interrupt him, and took out her wand. "A proper competition should have proper order."
With that, Professor McGonagall waved her wand, and the long table in the Great Hall vanished instantly, replaced by a tiered audience platform surrounding Harry and Silan.
"Everyone, find your places," Professor McGonagall commanded.
The students quickly took their seats, finding it much easier to watch the game from the stands than from being crammed in a crowd.
Once all the students had found their seats, the Great Hall was orderly, no longer as chaotic as before.
Professor McGonagall nodded in satisfaction. "Now we can continue."
All the students turned to look at Silan and Harry.
The two of them were now sitting face to face, separated by a round table. Two models of Hippogriffs were tapping their claws on the table, looking ready to pounce.
"Let's continue the game!" Lee Jordan shouted.