As soon as Professor McGonagall finished speaking, she turned around abruptly, the hem of her dark robe drawing a sharp arc in the air.
He took the lead and walked towards the Headmaster's Office.
Draco, along with Hermione, Harry, Ron, and others, followed closely behind.
Draco lowered his eyes, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.
He thought to himself: Anyway, Old Dumbledore is one of us. As long as I can explain myself, I can definitely turn today's situation into an easy one.
Professor Snape walked silently to the side of the group, his black robe trailing on the ground, his steps muffled, like a black phantom wandering in the shadows.
The chilling aura emanating from him instilled immense pressure in the students around him without him uttering a single word.
Professor Flitwick, on the other hand, rode his small broom, slowly following at the back of the procession.
He would occasionally stroke his beard and mutter a few words to himself.
The group walked silently through the winding corridors of Hogwarts Castle, their footsteps echoing clearly on the cold stone walls.
The sound startled the portraits hanging in the corridor, who all peered out, curiously observing the somber group.
Occasionally, a few students would peek out from around the corner, curiously peeking in.
But under Professor McGonagall's stern gaze, they all shrank back quickly like frightened little animals.
Before long, the group arrived at the stone beast statue on the spiral staircase on the third floor.
Professor McGonagall stopped and took a deep breath, as if to calm her emotions, which had just been disturbed by Draco's "twisted logic."
She then cleared her throat and read out the secret command, " Cockroach Clusters."
As soon as the secret order was given, the stone beast, which had been motionless, silently jumped to the side as if it had come to life.
Then the slowly ascending spiral staircase behind it was revealed.
Professor McGonagall stepped forward first, followed closely by Snape and Flitwick.
Draco then followed.
Hermione behind Draco
Harry and Ron exchanged bewildered glances, but ultimately gritted their teeth and followed behind.
The spiral staircase ascended slowly, and soon we arrived at the Headmaster's Office.
" Albus, I'm sorry to bother you," Professor McGonagall said apologetically.
"A serious disciplinary incident has occurred in the east corridor on the third floor of the castle, involving the use of unconventional magic, a large-scale student riot, and... an explanation that requires your judgment."
At this moment, Dumbledore was engrossed in a pile of documents and colorful candies.
Upon hearing this, he slowly raised his head, his fingertips touching, a gentle smile on his face as usual.
"Oh, Minerva, please speak."
He nodded to Professor McGonagall, then turned to Snape and Flitwick.
"And Severus, Filius, good evening."
Finally, his gaze fell on Draco and the others, his smile growing even more gentle.
"And... our young visitors. Please have a seat, would you like some Sherbet Lemon?"
He waved his wand gently, and several soft, comfortable armchairs slid automatically behind the group.
But at this moment, apart from Professor Flitwick smiling and thanking him, he sat down with a hint of curiosity.
Everyone else stood frozen in place, no one daring to sit down easily.
The atmosphere in the office remained as tense as a fully drawn bowstring.
Professor McGonagall began to give a concise and objective account of what had happened.
She emphasized the "non-standard" nature of the spell, the scale of the unrest it caused, and Draco's attempt to "cover up the truth with lies."
Throughout her narration, Professor Snape remained in the shadows, saying nothing.
Only those unfathomable black eyes would occasionally shift slightly between Draco and Dumbledore.
Professor Flitwick sat in an armchair, stroking his beard and occasionally letting out a low gasp of surprise.
He was fascinated by the mysterious Banishing Charm.
Hermione stood to the side, her eyes fixed on Draco's retreating figure.
He was clearly making a great effort to restrain himself from immediately adding to the discussion or refuting the argument on the spot.
She had already clearly analyzed the flaws in Draco's explanation.
All that's needed is for Dumbledore to ask, and Hermione will expose them one by one.
Harry and Ron stood side by side.
Both of them stared intently at Dumbledore's face, trying to glean some clue from his gentle smile.
But Dumbledore's expression remained calm, which made them increasingly uneasy.
The presentation finally ended, and Professor McGonagall turned to Dumbledore, speaking solemnly.
"That's the basic situation. Mr. Malfoy's explanation... we can take it with a grain of salt, but the source and nature of his magic, as well as his unauthorized use of magic and attempt to deceive the professor, must be dealt with fairly."
In an instant, all eyes in the office were focused on Dumbledore, like spotlights.
Everyone held their breath, awaiting the final verdict from the Hogwarts Headmaster.
Dumbledore listened quietly to all the statements, his eyes blinking slowly, his gaze sweeping over everyone present like a gentle spring breeze.
Finally, all eyes fell on Draco Malfoy, who stood calmly in the center of the crowd.
A brief silence fell over the office.
After a moment, Dumbledore spoke softly.
"I understand, Minerva. It sounds like this is indeed a... thought-provoking event."
His voice remained gentle, yet it possessed a strange penetrating power, as if it could reach the depths of one's heart.
Finally Dumbledore's gaze lingered on Draco's face for a moment.
"Then, Mr. Malfoy,"
"About this... the ' Peeves Retreat ' spell, and that interesting Eastern manuscript left by your grandfather Abraxas,"
"I believe you would be willing, with our friend Filius, who is passionate about the principles of magic, to explain in more detail to us curious old folks the specific casting gestures, the precise resonance points of the magical frequency, and the material, textual features, and approximate date of composition of that manuscript, wouldn't you?"
His words remained as gentle as ever.
The questions posed were increasingly specific and professional, each one hitting the core of the issue.
This is no longer a simple question of "whether it violates the rules," but a real test.
It tests Draco's ability to adapt to changing circumstances, and even more so his skill in fabricating details.
Draco wanted to laugh, but he couldn't.
He knew perfectly well that Dumbledore was paving the way for him, while at the same time subtly testing him.
Old Dumbledore wouldn't expose his lies, but he also wouldn't let him get away with it so easily.
He had to give a "reasonable" explanation that could temporarily satisfy everyone's questions.
Meanwhile, the other people in the office reacted in various ways to Dumbledore's words.
Hermione's eyes lit up suddenly, as if she had discovered a new continent, and she stared intently at Draco.
This is exactly the question she wanted to ask!
Headmaster Dumbledore's insight was indeed keen; he immediately grasped the crux of the problem!
Professor Snape's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.
A hint of surprise flashed in his deep, dark eyes.
Dumbledore's question... is a bit too specific.
This doesn't resemble interrogating a student who has broken the rules; it's more like guiding him to refine a still-rough "story."
His unfathomable gaze swept back and forth between Dumbledore and Draco, his doubts growing ever stronger.
He had a vague feeling that there seemed to be some kind of unspoken understanding between the two of them.
In contrast to Snape's caution, Professor Flitwick was so excited he almost jumped out of his chair.
"Oh! Yes, Principal! That's a good question! Excellent!"
"The precise trajectory of the casting gesture, the accurate tuning of the magical frequency, and especially the selection of the resonance point—those are the core elements of any effective dispelling spell!"
"And what about the material of that manuscript? Is it parchment? Or the even older papyrus? Is the script Runes? Or a magical translation of some kind of Eastern hieroglyphics? The date it was written is even more crucial to the construction of the spell's magic decay model! It's extremely important!"
He blurted out a string of questions, his face flushed with excitement, and his gaze toward Draco was now full of anticipation.
Professor McGonagall merely frowned slightly, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes.
But after thinking for a moment, he ultimately said nothing.
Dumbledore's question hit the nail on the head; only in this way could the truth or falsehood of Draco's words be most effectively discerned.
Harry and Ron stood there, their faces full of confusion.
They knew absolutely nothing about the technical aspects of the principles of spells.
The two could only vaguely sense that the atmosphere in the office seemed to have become more tense, and also more... professional.