Professor McGonagall glanced at Snape and said calmly, "There were indeed no signs of anything unusual during last week's match. And House-elves cannot lie to wizards unless ordered to by their masters."
At this point, Professor McGonagall hesitated, but she still shook her head.
"At least, based on the information we have so far, that House-elf probably did all this behind its master's back. I, for one, believe it wasn't lying to Potter."
Snape said nothing more. He knew Professor McGonagall was right, too. Still, his expression remained dismissive.
"All right. In that case, Professor McGonagall, sorry for the trouble, but please take Potter back first. As for you, Potter... be a little more careful for the time being. If you discover anything, let Professor McGonagall or me know promptly."
Dumbledore rubbed his brow, a hint of helplessness in his voice, then turned to the other professors with a chuckle.
"I had originally intended to watch the match today, but I became so engrossed in a book that I forgot all about it."
"Since I didn't see what happened, I can't make a very accurate judgment. But judging by the magic left on the Bludger, the Dark Wizard doesn't seem to be particularly powerful.
"What concerns me, though, is that while this Dark Wizard's magic doesn't seem particularly strong, his understanding of Dark Magic is profound. He used a very ingenious method to break the anti-jinx spells on the Bludger..."
Harry heard none of what Dumbledore said after that. He had already left the Headmaster's Office with Professor McGonagall.
After following Professor McGonagall down the stairs and into the corridor, Harry finally failed to hold back the question he had been suppressing. "Professor, is Antonio's condition... serious?"
"Don't concern yourself too much with these things. Put more thought into your