Jane Yu was abruptly called out of her Potions class, only to be hit with the "expulsion gift pack" from above.
Sitting in class one moment, and then—surprise from the heavens the next!
Thank you, Minister Fudge. Thank you, anonymous whistleblower. Thank you for your efforts and contributions to her grand plan!
When she got to Aberforth's place, she would definitely send them a banner of gratitude!
"Alright, you can expel me. I can accept that outcome," she said with a mock regretful shrug, facing the situation with remarkable calm.
As soon as she spoke, faint sounds of commotion began to seep through the walls of the Potions classroom.
Standing in the corner, Fudge was utterly dumbfounded.
In his mind, Jane Yu should have been so terrified by the heavy punishment of expulsion that she would burst into tears on the spot.
She would then beg desperately, giving him the perfect opportunity to offer a deal: allow the Dementors to search the castle grounds in exchange for leniency.
Dumbledore, being the compassionate guardian he was, would surely relent under her pleas.
But to his shock, this child was just like her guardian—stubborn as a rock in a latrine: both foul and unyielding!
Just listen to what she said!
She had completely thrown him off his game!
How was he supposed to proceed with his bargaining tactic now?
She must have coordinated with Dumbledore in advance!
Frustrated, Fudge tried every trick in the book—threats, persuasion, you name it—but nothing could make her budge.
This obstinate child seemed determined to take a stand against the word "expulsion" itself!
Seeing no progress, Fudge adjusted his posture, forced a smile, and decided to cut straight to the chase.
He had no intention of completely falling out with Dumbledore, who was, after all, his de facto benefactor. There would undoubtedly be times in the future when he would need to rely on him.
"Ah, Albus, let's not waste time with pleasantries, given our relationship," he said, his tone turning more conciliatory.
"You know as well as I do that Sirius Black is hiding within the castle. If we allow the Dementors to search and capture him, they will leave immediately."
"And this child will naturally be cleared of any baseless accusations. You understand what I mean—neither of us stands to lose anything."
By this point, Fudge was already regretting his somewhat reckless actions. His move had signaled a desire to part ways with Dumbledore, and now the two were locked in a standoff—a situation that was far from wise.
But before Dumbledore could respond, the commotion in the Potions classroom grew louder. Suddenly, the sound of chairs scraping against the floor and shouts erupted.
The door creaked loudly as it was flung open, and a crowd of students poured out of the Potions classroom, pushing and shoving.
At the forefront were Slytherin students Draco Malfoy, Daphne Greengrass, Theodore Nott, and Blaise Zabini, charging forward as if ready to bulldoze anyone in their way. Gryffindor students followed closely behind, shouting at the top of their lungs, "You can't expel Jane!" and "She's innocent!" Their voices echoed through the castle.
Chaos erupted in the corridor.
Fudge found himself surrounded by students, trapped against the wall. His face turned an alarming shade of pale as he faced the mob of impassioned students.
He had never imagined that what was supposed to be a simple negotiation would escalate into such an uproar.
"Students are supposed to stay in their classrooms during lessons!" he yelled, his voice tinged with panic.
But a low, drawling voice came from behind the door:
"Indeed, it is class time, Minister. But the thunderous noise outside the classroom was rather hard to ignore."
Professor Snape appeared in the doorway, clad in his usual black robes, his expression as dark as ever. He inclined his head slightly in a mock bow, his lips curling into a sneer.
"Very well, very well," Fudge muttered awkwardly. "It's all for official business... I hope you understand..."
His gaze swept over the faces of the Slytherin students at the front of the crowd. He recognized them as scions of wealthy and respected pure-blood families, many of whose parents he had dealt with before. This realization softened his demeanor; he clasped his hands together and rubbed them nervously, his tone becoming noticeably gentler.
"Minister, I believe there's been a misunderstanding," Theodore began politely, exuding an air of maturity beyond his years.
"We were sitting quietly in our compartment when Dementors suddenly broke in and attacked us."
He glanced at Jane Yu, his expression full of gratitude as he spoke in her defense before Fudge:
"Thanks to Jane's help, she drove the Dementors away, and we were spared."
Blaise immediately chimed in, nodding vigorously:
"They came right up to us, trying to suck out our souls."
"If it weren't for Jane's timely intervention, we would've all died right there!"
The two self-proclaimed victims of the Dementor attack skillfully turned Fudge's accusations against him.
Harry Potter, along with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, squeezed their way to the front, adding their voices to the growing tide of testimony:
"We can vouch for it!"
"The Dementors didn't just attack one compartment—they nearly killed us too!"
Neville Longbottom, standing timidly behind them, stammered as he spoke. Fudge knew that Neville's parents had been esteemed Aurors before being driven insane by torture:
"If I... if I'd died on the train, my gran... she'd have been heartbroken..."
The Slytherins cast rare approving glances at their Gryffindor counterparts.
Daphne Greengrass adopted a fragile demeanor, her eyes brimming with tears as she clutched her chest, looking as though she might faint at any moment:
"I thought I was going to die! The despair and terror were overwhelming—"
"Minister, didn't you say Dementors wouldn't attack students unprovoked? Then why—?"
Sweat began to bead on Fudge's forehead. Under the barrage of student testimonies, the narrative flipped entirely: the focus shifted from Jane Yu's alleged misconduct to the Dementors' attack on students, with blame squarely aimed at him. This was not the outcome he had anticipated.
Draco Malfoy let out an exaggerated sigh, his tone laden with implication:
"My father is very displeased about the attack on me—"
"He was considering making a donation to the Ministry or St. Mungo's Hospital, you know. He's quite the philanthropist."
"But given the current circumstances—"
Draco's words landed like a heavy blow on Fudge.
After all, the Ministry was in dire need of funds, and he had been racking his brain to secure a donation from the Malfoy family. He couldn't afford to offend their only heir.
Quickly regaining his composure, Fudge forced a smile and decided to de-escalate the situation.
"Ah, children!" he said, adopting a peculiar tone of forced warmth, as if addressing his own nieces and nephews. "There must have been a misunderstanding! We all know Miss Yu is innocent. I came here precisely to clear up this matter!"
Despite the winter chill, his forehead was drenched in sweat. Wiping it away, he awkwardly twitched his lips into a semblance of a grin:
"As for the train... well, that's outside the school's jurisdiction! You're all safe now. The Dementors won't enter the castle or attack without reason!"
Turning to Dumbledore, he doffed his hat with an ingratiating smile, as if their earlier confrontation had never happened:
"Albus, you've raised some fine students! They've helped the Ministry uncover the truth of the matter!"
"If I were you, I'd award them some house points!"
Dumbledore, looking genuinely relieved, broke into a broad smile that even his long white beard couldn't hide:
"Of course, of course!"
He promptly awarded fifty points each to Slytherin and Gryffindor before swiftly ushering the Minister out of the castle.
Surrounded by her cheering classmates, Jane Yu stood in a daze.
Was that it?
Had the matter been resolved so hastily?
She hadn't even had time to savor the "expulsion gift pack" before it was taken away!
Her fleeting moment of happiness had shattered with a resounding "crack!"
Meanwhile, Draco, Harry, and Ron—the "Three Mosquitoes"—were already buzzing around her, urging her to finalize the club's location so they could celebrate their successful anti-expulsion campaign with a proper party!
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