After Douglas had carefully explained his plan, Professor McGonagall finally understood the full picture.
Then came the inevitable barrage of questions.
"A headmaster, two professors, and Harry's godfather—are you all seriously letting danger live right under Harry's nose?"
She fixed them with a piercing look. "Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?"
"Everyone's been on guard against Black—oh, forgive me, I don't mean you, Black—I mean, we've all been watching for threats from outside, when the real danger's been beside Harry all along…"
Douglas offered a sheepish defense. "I've dosed Pettigrew with a potion, and I gave Harry a protective charm!"
Professor McGonagall shot him a withering glare. "Oh, should I be congratulating you for that? Can you guarantee Peter won't break free from your potion's effects? Or ensure the safety of every student at Hogwarts?"
Quick to reassure her, Douglas pulled out a small cage. "That's why I've also prepared a special rat trap—as a reward for the detective society…"
Dumbledore recognized it at once—the same snake-catching contraption Douglas had used at the Gaunt family home.
"Douglas, if I recall correctly, weren't there quite a few venomous snakes in there?"
At that, Sirius and Lupin perked up immediately—Sirius in particular, who'd always regretted not being able to deal with Pettigrew himself. The idea of tossing him into a pit of snakes… Well, that was a new level of Slytherin cunning from a supposed Hufflepuff.
Douglas put on his best innocent face. "No, no, all the snakes have long since been released into the Forbidden Forest. I promise, there's not a single one left inside."
Professor McGonagall nodded, her tone softening. "Indeed, Pettigrew is guilty, but he must be handed over to the Ministry for trial. We can't take justice into our own hands.
But above all, we must clear Black's name. Poor child—I can't imagine how you survived all those years in that place."
She looked at Sirius with red-rimmed eyes, leaving him uncomfortably shifting in his seat.
At last, she spread her hands in resignation. "With a headmaster and two professors backing this plan, what more can I say?
But Douglas, I'll be watching Pettigrew closely. If anything seems off, I'll end your plan on the spot."
Douglas nodded in agreement. "And let's keep this plan between us for now—the fewer who know, the less chance of something going wrong."
The others voiced their assent.
—
As word of the detective society spread through the castle, by the time Harry returned from Quidditch practice at noon, nearly everyone at Hogwarts had heard.
The professors gossiped about it too, though none but McGonagall approached Douglas directly. Professor Snape did have a private word with Dumbledore—how the headmaster convinced him, no one knew. But at lunch, Snape's smirk in Lupin's direction was hard to miss.
The first to approach the trio were, naturally, the Gryffindors.
Determined to uphold justice, fairness, and transparency, Harry, Hermione, and Ron made no exceptions for their own House. They produced the test papers they'd prepared.
George and Fred Weasley groaned theatrically at the sight. "It runs in the family!" "Old habits die hard!"
But they still accepted the papers with grins.
[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Charon Detective Society Registration Test]
When the Gryffindors received the test, all eyes turned to Hermione. There was no way Harry or Ron had written these.
Hermione looked up from behind a stack of books, smiling. "Of course, we don't mind if people discuss together—there aren't any right or wrong answers. But we do hope you'll write down your honest thoughts."
A sixth-year girl asked with a grin, "So, will Professor Holmes be reading these in the end?"
Hermione glanced at Harry. While Douglas had helped craft the questions, he hadn't said whether he'd read the answers.
Harry forced a smile, hands in his pockets as he stepped forward with mock confidence. "Of course. I'm sure the Professor will read them. I mean… you know how it is."
As students began poring over the questions, Ron dragged Harry over to Hermione, whispering, "I remember the Professor said, unless Black himself comes knocking, not to bother him with little things like this."
Harry shot a glance at the crowd and muttered, "These questions are so much—do you really think we can tell who's right for the society?"
Hermione, still scribbling homework, didn't even look up. "You don't need to worry. The Professor told me to have as many students as possible answer the test, then hand them over to Percy in private. He'll screen and mark them, and we'll pick from his selections."
She looked up, her expression serious. "No one else can know Percy's involved—not a soul, except the four of us. Promise me."
Harry and Ron exchanged glances and nodded. They both understood Percy's connection to Douglas. Having Percy oversee this made sense—but the secrecy was odd.
—
Monday.
Defence Against the Dark Arts.
Douglas strode into the classroom, face like thunder and test papers in hand. The students, who'd just been gossiping about the detective society's mysterious questions, fell instantly silent.
Douglas swept his gaze across the room and sneered. "I could hear your voices from my office. Ours is the noisiest class in the whole castle. So, what were you all talking about? Go on, share it—maybe I'll find it funny too."
A couple of students seemed tempted to answer, but at the sight of Douglas's expression—and the warning glances from their classmates—they quickly ducked their heads.
Smack!
Douglas slammed the stack of test papers onto his desk, raising his voice. "What do you think this classroom is for, eh? And you still have the nerve to joke around. Just look at your scores… Ravenclaw, only one of you managed 'Outstanding.' And do you know Hufflepuff had one 'Outstanding' too?
What, no one's talking now? You didn't beat Slytherin in the practical exam, and your theory scores nearly tied with Hufflepuff. Is this the Ravenclaw I know?"
He watched as the students bit their lips, faces flushed with guilt.
Douglas wasn't exaggerating—Cedric Diggory from Hufflepuff had indeed earned an 'Outstanding' on the entrance exam. He just didn't mention anyone else's marks; after all, these were Ravenclaws—they should be aiming for the very best.
Suppressing a smile, Douglas nodded in satisfaction and began handing out the test papers.
"Those who failed this time, I want a written reflection from each of you. The rest, organize your test papers and analyze your mistakes. The class rep will supervise.
I expect to see your true abilities in the monthly exams.
As for O.W.L.-level Defence Against the Dark Arts content, we won't cover it in class anymore. Do it in your own time.
If you have questions, report them to Mr. Carmichael—he'll collect them and pass them to me.
If there's nothing else, put away your textbooks and take out your wands. Today, we're learning defensive spells…"
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