Amid the chaos, Ron activated the Twins' proud creation-the "Portable Swamp (mini version)."
On the crucial walkway leading to the Great Hall's entrance, a small patch of carpet instantly turned into a sticky swamp, successfully stopping a Ministry of Magic official who was trying to rush over and bring the situation under control.
Professor McGonagall's face was livid. She sprang from her seat, her wand almost drawn.
"Minerva," Dumbledore said, his gentle but firm hand lightly pressing her arm, "trust the children to handle it."
Professor McGonagall froze.
Her furious gaze met Dumbledore's blue eyes, which gleamed with mischief, and she instinctively glanced toward Douglas on the other side, who had watched the show with a smile throughout.
She understood at once.
The old man and the young man were at it again.
The stern Head of House slowly sat back down, her face a mixture of helplessness, shock, and a trace of annoyance at having been kept in the dark.
Snape's gaze remained fixed on Moody.
He noticed that, amid all this chaos, Moody was the only person who had not moved an inch.
His Magical Eye stared fixedly at Harry onstage...
Something was wrong. Not just wrong-very, very wrong.
Snape quietly tightened his grip on his wand.
When Professor Flitwick tried to approach the stage from another direction, Krum stepped forward and spread his arms, shielding the four behind him with his body.
He let out a beastlike growl at the diminutive Charms Class professor, completely blocking the authorities' attempt to intervene.
Seeing that the situation was about to spiral completely out of control, Dumbledore rose and tapped his wand against his throat.
"Sonorus!"
"It seems this has been a valuable failure!" His voice drowned out all the noise.
"It proves that perfect magic cannot exist in an