Shawn had not expected to be involved. In silence, he followed Professor McGonagall toward the castle alongside a bewildered Harry.
Harry quietly asked Shawn a question.
"Shawn, what does the professor want with us?"
Shawn looked at Harry, the "victim," and answered warmly.
"It's good news."
Professor McGonagall first went to the Potions Classroom, where she called out Oliver Wood, Gryffindor's Quidditch captain, despite Snape's impatient expression.
"Wood, this is the new Seeker I've found for you, Harry Potter. He's an excellent flier."
Holding back her excitement, McGonagall introduced Harry to Wood, then took Shawn back to the Transfiguration classroom.
Once they had each taken a seat on the sofas, Professor McGonagall poured Shawn a cup of tea. She pressed her lips together before asking a question.
"Shawn, the management methods you've implemented in Slytherin have produced remarkable results. Could they be applied to Gryffindor?"
Shawn had spent the entire walk guessing why Professor McGonagall wanted to see him, but he had never imagined it would be this.
He turned it over in his mind, and delight flickered in his eyes.
Professor McGonagall really was a wonderful person. This assist could not have been better.
She certainly had it tough. A woman who held herself to such strict standards had somehow ended up in charge of a house full of troublemakers.
"Ahem, Professor, my rules aren't particularly strict. It's mainly the punishments that are severe. Would that be acceptable?"
McGonagall's stern, rigid expression grew hesitant. After a few seconds, she asked tentatively.
"What punishments have you been using?"
"Electrotherapy. It punishes without causing injury, and the results are excellent." (This is only a reference to "evil electrotherapy"; a later reversal will promote the right values.)
Shawn felt a little awkward. Afraid Professor McGonagall would refuse, he hurried to make his pitch.
"Ahem, it's an addiction treatment I learned in the Muggle world, specifically designed to break teenagers of bad habits. It has a ninety-nine percent success rate."
McGonagall's eyes lit up, but then curiosity struck her.
"What accounts for the one percent that fail?"
Shawn hardly dared tell her that the remaining one percent had been shocked senseless.
"Professor, you have to understand that no solution in this world is perfect."
McGonagall nodded in agreement, but she still had some reservations.
"Then try it on me first. I'd like to experience how severe the punishment is. After all, Hogwarts prohibits corporal punishment."
Shawn found himself in a bind again.
It was not that he was too embarrassed to shock McGonagall. He was afraid she would refuse after trying it.
After some consideration, he waved his hand and summoned a spinning ball of water, carefully regulating its electric charge.
"Professor, put your hand inside and try it."
Professor McGonagall did not fuss. She thrust her hand straight into the water, then immediately shuddered several times.
Even her pinned-up hair sprang loose. She instinctively jumped backward, looking much like a cat with its fur standing on end.
Then she withdrew her hand, still shaken, and hurriedly smoothed her hair.
"Isn't this a little too harsh? I'll have to think about it."
Shawn had no time to marvel at how Professor McGonagall had defied the laws of physics by jumping backward without bending her knees.
Seeing the arrangement about to fall through, he hastily added a few words.
"Professor, this kind of electrotherapy is really better suited to students who refuse to mend their ways. There's another supplementary method for ordinary students."
At that, McGonagall could not help gritting her teeth. She immediately thought of those two Weasley family twins, who were forever losing house points.
If there was a supplementary method that allowed her to treat students differently, she would not mind letting those two boys try electrotherapy.
"Oh? What supplementary method?"
"The Question-Sea Tactic. I'll be introducing it in Slytherin later, too. Some students get into trouble simply because they have too much energy. So let them burn that energy off on a vast sea of questions."
McGonagall pressed her dry lips together and waved Shawn away. She needed to give this some serious thought.
Shawn left the office feeling thoroughly satisfied. He knew Professor McGonagall was tempted; she merely lacked the resolve.
As luck would have it, he had just the thing to help her make up her mind.
By the time he returned to the dormitory, the students from Flying Class were back as well.
Draco immediately asked a question.
"Shawn, are you and Harry all right?"
Shawn looked at Draco, who still had no idea he had become a "pawn," and got straight to the point.
"Harry's joined the Gryffindor Quidditch Team as their Seeker."
Draco was stunned.
"How is that possible? First years aren't allowed to join the team!"
Shawn continued fanning the flames.
"Tsk, tsk. Geniuses always get special treatment. Jealous, aren't you? Harry's become the youngest Seeker in Hogwarts history."
Draco's throat felt a little dry, but Harry was his second-best friend. Though envious, he was happy for Harry too.
"Th-that's great. I'll go congratulate Harry later."
Shawn was taken aback. He had not expected Draco to be quite so loyal. Trying to be both righteous and elegant was so hard.
Left with no choice, he continued his coaxing.
"Draco, I'm glad you're so considerate of your friends. But I'm afraid that when you go to see Harry, those friends around him might start making snide remarks."
Completely unaware that he was being manipulated, Draco replied casually.
"I'm the second strongest first year. If they dare run their mouths, they shouldn't blame me for getting nasty."
Shawn patted Draco's shoulder approvingly. Now he was getting it!
"Good. If that really happens, don't embarrass me. Challenge them to a duel on the spot. Tell them you'll take on ten at once! Including Harry!"
Draco's cowlick turned into a question mark again. He was utterly confused.
"Huh? I-I can't take on ten people! And why does Harry have to be included?"
Shawn answered with righteous conviction.
"With me backing you up, what's there to fear? Why include Harry? Your flying talent might not match the Chosen One's, but you're stronger in a fight. How could anyone who follows me be worse than the Chosen One?"
Shawn kept repeating the words "the Chosen One," and Draco was genuinely tempted.
Friends were friends, but defeating Harry, who bore the title of the Chosen One, was still a very enticing prospect.
That would be glory.
Draco was already imagining the applause and fame he would receive after defeating Harry. At worst, he could buy Harry an expensive gift afterward to make it up to him.
Now he could hardly wait to run off and issue his challenge-and take on ten at once!
Shawn hurriedly grabbed Draco, who had become so worked up that he had lost all reason.
"Get Levicorpus down before you challenge them."
With newfound motivation, Draco displayed astonishing aptitude. Before bedtime, he finally managed to suspend Goyle upside down.
Shawn could not help marveling at how people truly became their most frenzied selves when fame and fortune were at stake.
Was he any different? He, too, began making preparations at a furious pace.
A camera for taking pictures, a note to notify Professor McGonagall, and a Special Card for Draco to defend himself with.
At that moment, he was like a cold-blooded schemer.
The next day, after Herbology, Draco ran off to find Harry.
Before long, he returned in indignation.
"Shawn, it was just as you predicted! Harry became a Seeker, but that idiot Ron and his two brothers were even more arrogant than Harry. They made me furious! I nearly started fighting them right there. In the end, I challenged them to a duel. Harry was reluctant, but he accepted my invitation too. It's set for midnight in the Trophy Room."
Very pleased with how smoothly the plan was progressing, Shawn kindly took out a special playing card he had spent the night storing a spell in.
"I won't be coming with you. Borrow this for now. If they fight you one-on-one, that's fine. But if they dare gang up on you, use this to teach them a lesson."
Draco had finally obtained the playing card he had dreamed of, even if only temporarily.
He kept admiring the playing card, which shimmered with red and blue light and bore the image of the Throne.
"It's so beautiful."
Ignoring the enraptured Draco, Shawn summoned Kreacher, handed him a note, and whispered a few instructions.
Everything was ready. All that remained was the final spark.