Draco lifted his head in fear, his whole body trembling.
"I..."
His lips quivered as if he wanted to say something, but moments later, what came out was still a feeble attempt at self-defense, squeezed through his clenched teeth.
"I didn't know... I didn't know it would turn out like this... I just... I just wanted to embarrass him... I didn't know it would end up like this..."
He spoke in terror, sniffling as he did so.
Draco was no stranger to the sight of others getting hurt, and even within the Slytherin Common Room, fights among students were not uncommon.
But witnessing severed limbs, or watching someone being slashed, is completely different from the shock of seeing intestines suddenly pulled out from within one's body.
His mind was in chaos at the moment, as if he could still see Vincent collapsing over and over again before his eyes.
His explanation sounded ridiculous, but looking at Draco, who was scared out of his wits, even Big Crabbe knew he was not lying.
Indeed...
The Entrail-Expelling Curse is an extremely evil Dark Magic Spell, yet in the hands of a skilled Healer, it is merely a way to treat constipation.
Quick and convenient... aside from its overly rapid effect, and the occasional intestinal expulsion, there are no other issues.
Professor Snape couldn't suppress a look of disgust.
Draco's foolish ideas were almost openly displayed for everyone to see, and anyone could clearly understand the mental processes he was going through—
Draco merely intended to make the offending Vincent soil himself in public.
For a twelve-year-old boy, the psychological trauma of defecating in public would be enough to make him socially dead all the way until his graduation, possibly lasting even until he is interred in a coffin.
But the fact is, whether the Entrail-Expelling Curse is a Healing Magic or an extremely damaging Dark Magic depends solely on the wizard's intent.
The level of precise control required is extremely high and is not something a regular second-year student could master.
For example——
Even in St Mungo's, where the best Healers in the United Kingdom are gathered, they generally use a foul-tasting Magic Potion to solve constipation issues, rather than directly casting an Entrail-Expelling Curse on a patient.
This speaks volumes about the danger of this spell.
It's important to know, before learning any spell, students must first study a great number of bloody failure cases to caution young wizards against taking their power lightly.
Yet, Draco, having learned the Entrail-Expelling Curse, seems to have skipped this crucial step.
"Who taught you the Entrail-Expelling Curse?"
Dumbledore did not blame the frightened student, but patiently explained the dangers of the Entrail-Expelling Curse before asking once more.
Draco's expression froze.
He quickly glanced at Dumbledore, his gaze briefly shifting between his father's straight back and Professor Snape's stern face, before his toes unconsciously inched toward his mother.
The ring on his finger suddenly felt a bit hot.
The Necromancy Association...
Why didn't they tell me the consequences would be so severe?
Draco bit his lip, straining to make himself speak:
"No one... I... I read it in a book..."
Thinking perhaps all the school's books were known to Dumbledore, Draco hastily added a patch.
"It's... an old book from the Malfoy Family..."
Malfoy Senior closed his eyes slightly.
——This idiot!
He cursed inwardly but did not expose his son.
No matter how clumsy Draco's lie was, Lucius Malfoy had no choice but to cover for him.
"I think you all understand... this is an unfortunate accident caused by a small dispute between children—young people's tendency to be reckless often leads to disastrous consequences, and it's not uncommon for spells to be used incorrectly."
He tried to downplay the matter as much as possible with an unnatural tone, then sincerely added:
"Of course, although Draco's intention was not to harm, the injury he caused Vincent is undeniable. I will offer sufficient compensation."
Narcissa silently nodded, and Draco noticed her fingers were ice-cold.
Dumbledore, who had initially been staring deeply at Draco, making him avert his gaze, seemed to conclude with "I'm lying" written across his face.
But once Malfoy Senior spoke, he seemingly unintentionally raised his hand, shielding his son, causing Dumbledore to shift his gaze onto him.
The two locked eyes, and Lucius Malfoy's gray pupils appeared icy.
After a moment, the pair seemed to reach some understanding, simultaneously looking away to regard another person present.
"Is that agreeable, Crabbe?"
Malfoy asked politely, with an unconsciously superior tone.
"I will fully cover Vincent's treatment, in addition to offering you..."
He recalled Vincent's injuries and doubled the amount he had originally planned to offer.
"——twenty thousand Galleons."
Big Crabbe's lips tightened, his expression shifting between fierceness and hesitation.
He only had one son, Crabbe, whom he usually spoiled excessively.
At that moment, Big Crabbe wanted to shout:
"To hell with your damn compensation! We don't need it! I just want to see that little bastard sent to Azkaban!"
But the reality was——
They very much needed it.
The Crabbe family, despite carrying the Pure-Blood Noble name, had long since been living off their savings. They mocked the Weasley Family for their poverty, yet were not much better off themselves.
Maintaining the facade of "Pure-Blood Nobles" was costly, especially in recent years, with all sorts of extravagant "necessities" emerging, nearly draining Crabbe's pockets dry.
——In this regard, the student sitting quietly beside him bore much of the responsibility.
And as former followers of Voldemort, making money was extremely difficult for them. Even though people didn't say anything to their faces, they were subtly and consciously excluded.
Of course, publicly, the Crabbes still claimed they were only, like the Malfoys, controlled by the Imperio, forced to commit some bad deeds.
But everyone knew the truth.
So, both Senior and Junior Crabbe had to rely on the Malfoy Family for survival.
Father was like this, and the son was likewise.
With the Malfoy Family's wealth, even if they stopped earning money for several generations, they could still lie on their piles of Gold Coins, counting money.
But without Lucius Malfoy's help, the Crabbe Family would fall to competing with the Weasleys for poverty within half a year.
After hesitating for a long time, Big Crabbe finally, albeit very slowly and slightly... nodded.
He agreed to settle the matter privately with the Malfoys, but felt stifled and upset.
Then, he heard Dumbledore say:
"Draco Malfoy used a Magic Wand to attack a fellow student within the school, resulting in serious consequences. Even if his intentions were not malicious, he still must face punishment."
A pale-faced Draco looked up, hearing the headmaster declare in an irrefutable tone:
"Detention! From this afternoon until the end of the third-year final exams, during which Mr. Draco Malfoy needs to learn how to respect his fellow students, how to properly use spells, and..."
Dumbledore looked down at Draco, his gaze slightly cold as he said:
"He also needs to prove to the school—that despite his current mistakes, there is still potential for reform, so he does not need to have his Magic Wand destroyed and be expelled from the school."
This meant that if Draco made more mistakes during his detention, the school might combine the offenses and expel him directly.
Draco looked fearfully at his father, only to find that this time Lucius Malfoy had no intention of intervening on his behalf.
He could only nod slightly.