Leta McGis repeated what she had told Luo Bin earlier. "Professor, the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room is guarded by the Fat Lady's portrait. That unidentified monster definitely didn't come in through the 'door.' What I mean is..."
"McGis, go back to the dormitory and calm the frightened girls down. Leave this to Snape and me!"
"Professor, the application I submitted... have you read it?"
McGis gazed hopefully at her Head of House, longing to hear an affirmative answer from Professor McGonagall.
"McGis, you must understand that appointing a prefect requires a comprehensive assessment. Grades, management skills, standing among the students, enthusiasm—all of these must be considered. Right now, the Chamber Monster attacks have left us overwhelmed. We simply have no energy to consider those matters!"
"All right, Professor. I understand. I'll work even harder to prove to you that being a girl doesn't make me any less capable than Percy Weasley!"
With that, Leta left the Storage Room!
"Minerva, that ambitious young lady seems to blame her failure to become a prefect on... your belief that girls are inferior to boys. Severus, I suggest you extend an olive branch and take Miss McGis into Slytherin House!"
"Lucius, I have never discriminated on the basis of gender. Boys and girls are equal in my eyes. Besides, you have never dealt with Leta and know nothing of her character. Please don't describe her as 'ambitious'! Severus and I have school matters to attend to. Was there anything else?"
It was a thinly veiled dismissal, but Lucius was not offended in the slightest. "No, nothing else. Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, carry on. I'm going to see Draco!"
Once the irritating man had left, Ron clenched the thread in his hand. As he wrestled with whether to hand it over, Snape spoke.