Moody's magical eye fixed on them as he began instilling his own way of thinking.
"What good does expelling an open enemy do?"
"It only turns him into a threat outside your surveillance and control. A fly lurking in the shadows, ready to cause you trouble at any moment."
His rough fingers tapped the motion.
"An enemy you have leverage over, one you can control, is far more valuable than a loser you've driven out."
"He broke the rules, but that isn't a hammer to expel him with." Moody lowered his voice, like poisoned honey. "It's a collar around his neck."
"With that collar, he becomes a pair of eyes and a mouth you've planted inside Slytherin."
"You can have him gather information, pass on false intelligence, do everything it would be inconvenient for you to do yourselves. And he won't dare refuse."
"Because the price of refusal is making this motion public, destroying his reputation not just in the Detective Club, but throughout Slytherin."
Harry forgot to breathe.
Dark.
Ruthless.
The idea... was poisonous, yet frighteningly powerful.
Douglas's shadow flashed through his mind.
Making Sirius director, using the school rules to force Snape into line.
So that was it.
This was what it meant to be powerful.
Not obeying the rules, but mastering them.
Hermione's face went pale, her knuckles clenched tight.
Rationally, she could find no flaw; emotionally, she felt only a chill. This was the adult world.
Ron opened his mouth, wanting to say something more, only to find he couldn't squeeze out a single word.
Moody watched their differing expressions and knew his first lesson had already taken root in their minds.
With a flick of his finger, the application drifted into the fireplace, where the embers swallowed it and reduced it to ash.
"Application denied."