Who Did This?

"What did you do to them?"

Aisling's voice was as cold as ever, but her expression was extremely grave.

"Are they still alive?"

Looking at the horrific scene before her, the two people lying on the ground showed no reaction at all, and there was a large pool of blood on the floor. Aisling's expression was graver than ever as she took a defensive stance toward Roy.

"I don't know. I was just passing by. Maybe those two unlucky idiots ran into something themselves?"

A terrifying smile appeared on Roy's face. Since childhood, no one had ever dared cause him this much trouble. Bully Bee Bro at school? If they didn't want to live, they could just jump off a building.

"I do have a question, dear Miss Grindelwald. The girls' bathroom is on the second floor, so why did you come all the way to the seventh? Were you planning to peek at some little boy taking a bath? Or do you have some unspeakable scheme with these two maggots on the floor?"

Aisling's face was grave, and she could not say a word.

Earlier, in the Slytherin common room, Aisling had been quietly studying a book she had brought while sitting on the sofa. Then Selwyn, who shared a dormitory with Aisling, had run over to boast to her, saying that her brother had taken Ronan to teach that attention-seeking Mudblood from Hufflepuff a lesson.

The moment Aisling heard that, she had felt something was wrong. She put down her book and ran to the seventh floor. By the time she arrived, those two seemed to be dead already.

Now, faced with Roy's questioning, Aisling found it difficult to explain herself. She did not even know whether she had been worried about Roy or those two when she heard the news.

"What? Can't answer?"

Roy, who had been smiling a moment ago, immediately changed his expression. He looked terrifying, as though he would attack Aisling the very next second.

"So, an orphan from a Muggle background like me is nothing but lowly livestock in the eyes of people like you, right?"

Roy's expression turned ugly beyond measure. After saying those words in a tone that sounded as though he wanted to devour Aisling, he immediately changed his face again and let out a chilling laugh.

"Ha ha, and here I was feeling guilty, chasing after you to apologize all this time. No wonder you kept giving me the cold shoulder. Now I understand."

"That's not it..."

Aisling did not know how to defend herself. The scene before her was exactly like the fragment she had foreseen. She knew that Roy was about to attack her.

"What? You're holding your wand because you want to attack me? Looks like you really are with those two filthy maggots."

Aisling's motion of reaching for her wand to defend herself was mistaken by Roy as an attempt to attack. Roy's expression grew even uglier, and the smile on his face was enough to make one's skin crawl.

With a raise of his hand, Roy did not even use a wand. A red beam as thick as a bowl shot directly from his fingers.

"Protego!"

Aisling tried with all her strength to block the spell, but when the thick beam struck the shield, its powerful residual force still sent her crashing to the ground. Her wand flew from her hand.

That fall hurt Aisling badly. At that moment, she felt a trace of despair. Every fragment of the prophecy had come true. She was completely no match for him. As she watched Roy approach step by step like a death-dealing demon, Aisling no longer had the strength to resist.

"Stop! What are you doing, Smee?!"

Snape had arrived. Seeing Aisling slumped on the ground, Snape could not stop himself from roaring at Roy.

"Damn bat..."

Seeing Snape arrive, Roy, who had only intended to scare Aisling a little, conveniently stopped.

He had acted well. It looked like he had scared the usually unflappable Aisling half to death. In truth, Roy had held back with that spell just now. That Knockback Jinx had been far weaker than the one he had used on Professor Thorne earlier that day.

What? Did anyone really think such a kind-hearted Haji Bee would hit a woman?

"Professor, look, I was just passing by and wanted to help Miss Grindelwald, who had accidentally fallen down. I didn't do anything!"

Haji Bee immediately put on his usual harmless appearance and explained to Snape with a grin.

"No! Avery!"

Little Selwyn, who had followed Snape, saw Avery lying on the ground and let out a piercing shriek. So Snape had been called here by this little bitch. Roy remembered that this girl had laughed at him in class.

Snape hurried forward to examine Avery and Ronan, who were unconscious on the floor. Little Selwyn thought her brother was dead and cried as though the world had ended.

"Oh dear, what happened to these two? How did they fall so badly?"

Snape discovered that both were still alive, then immediately rushed over and seized Roy, who was still making sarcastic remarks nearby, by the collar with both hands. His eyes nearly spat fire.

"You inherently evil brat, what did you do?!"

"I didn't do anything! I've been wronged! I was just passing by, and then I found these two lying here like this for some reason."

Snape was nearly angered into laughter. He clutched Roy's collar, looking so furious that he seemed ready to spit venom.

"You say they fell? They were obviously beaten!"

Roy put on a shocked expression, though the corners of his lips could not help rising.

"That's terrible. Who beat them up like this? These two must have done too much evil usually, so the ghosts hiding in the castle couldn't stand it anymore and gave them a beating."

Seeing Roy's unserious manner, Snape was so angry he could not speak. He turned to Aisling beside him and asked in a low voice.

"Who did this?"

Roy had long been prepared. Even if they "framed" him, he was not afraid. There was no evidence, after all. Did anyone really believe that a first-year child had beaten up two fifth-year students?

Aisling had regained her calm expression by then, though her breathing was still somewhat rapid. Her gaze was fixed entirely on Roy, who was completely different from how he had been moments ago. Only after a while did she come back to herself.

"I don't know. When I arrived, those two were already on the ground."

Snape was not very satisfied with Aisling's answer and pointed at Roy as he asked.

"Did he do it?"

"I don't know."

"Do you think he did it?"

"I don't know."

Aisling did not accuse Roy. Having recovered her cold tone and attitude, she repeatedly stated that she knew nothing.

Snape looked at Roy with some displeasure, then asked Aisling one final question.

"Did he attack you?"

Aisling fell silent and turned her gaze away.

"No."

Even Roy was surprised by that answer. He looked at Aisling curiously, but just as before, she completely ignored him.

At that moment, a white ghost suddenly sprang out of the wall. It was Peeves, shouting, "I know who beat them! I know who did it!"

A trace of smugness appeared on Snape's face as he urgently ordered Peeves.

"Say it! Who did this?!"

Peeves made a face at Snape, then burst into laughter.

"Of course it was the great Peeves who beat them up! I've hated those two bastards for ages! Ha ha. (^▽^)"

Snape seemed truly furious. He drew his wand and flicked it, turning Peeves directly into a ball of white slime before throwing him out the window.

"I know."

Elias Thorn slowly emerged from the bathroom, his hair still wet as though he had just finished bathing. He had even shaved his stubble, making him look quite handsome.

"I saw Roy in the bathroom. He didn't do it."

"Why are you bathing in the students' bathroom, Thorne? Don't tell me you came here to experience student life."

Snape's tone was exceedingly hostile toward Elias, who was trying to protect Roy.

"What a pity, my office doesn't come with a bathroom. Severus, your office should have one, right? Though I see you don't like bathing either. How about we trade?"

Faced with Elias's mockery, Snape immediately threatened him.

"I will tell Dumbledore every detail of this incident, including your testimony."

Elias was not the least bit flustered. A faint smile remained on his face.

"I think any educator with a conscience would find it difficult to ignore the motives of two Slytherin students appearing here in the middle of the night. At Ilvermorny, we say that students who love bullying their classmates when they are young are more likely to become Dark wizards when they grow up. By that reasoning, Slytherin produces the most Dark wizards, so as Head of House, you should pay more attention."

Elias walked straight up to Snape, smiling as he patted Snape's shoulder. The threat in his words did not stop in the slightest.

"Oh, and after Voldemort fell, you were accused of being that madman's lackey. It was only because Dumbledore testified for you that you escaped trial. Honestly, you should be grateful that Dumbledore trusted you. Otherwise, as a senior Auror and deputy director of the American Ministry of Magic Auror Office, I would definitely prosecute an unclear, suspicious Dark wizard like you."

Roy felt absolutely delighted listening to Elias tear into Snape. Snape did not look like a good person at all, and he always targeted Roy. Still, Roy had not expected Snape to have once served Voldemort.

"For three generations, members of the Thorn family have served as directors of the American Ministry of Magic Auror Office. My grandfather's grandfather was even once Minister for Magic of the American Ministry of Magic. Our family has always been upright and has never harmed anyone, unlike certain people who are always entangled with Dark wizards. Whether you caused anyone's death, you know perfectly well in your own heart."

Unexpectedly, after hearing those words, Snape's expression instead returned to calm. He brushed away Elias's hand from his shoulder, said nothing, and turned to leave.

Snape left with the two "corpses" and little Selwyn, who had cried herself into a "corpse" as well. Before leaving, he did not forget to threaten Roy.