Chapter 171: Pressure from the Board of Governors
"Ahem…" Lucius Malfoy cleared his throat, casting a perfunctory glance around the room before speaking in a measured tone.
"Since most everyone has arrived, let us begin."
"Mr. Fythorne, according to our investigation, you used Dark Magic to harm Mr. Cyrian Rosier. I assume you have no objection to this conclusion."
"If you're counting curses as Dark Magic… then I suppose that's fair," Russell replied ambiguously.
"Excellent," Lucius said with clear satisfaction. "A second-year student"—he deliberately emphasized the words—"a twelve-year-old Muggle-born, wielding Dark Magic that even seventh-years would hesitate to touch…"
He trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air before delivering his verdict:
"I personally recommend expulsion."
He clearly wanted the matter settled as quickly as possible, fearing complications if it dragged on.
"Expulsion over something like this? That seems rather excessive," Clint interjected, lifting his head. "You've only stated that Mr. Fythorne harmed Mr. Rosier—but why not address why he did it?"
"And this happened in full view of everyone. Are we to believe he acted without considering the consequences?"
"Very well…" Lucius's jaw tightened, nearly grinding his teeth to dust. He shot Clint a cold glance, silently deciding that Draco would have nothing more to do with that man's daughter.
Clint: Deal. That works perfectly for me.
"At least from what I've gathered," Dumbledore spoke up at the right moment, his tone calm and composed, "the incident began after the Quidditch match. Mr. Rosier used a Bludger to attack the completely unprepared Miss Addams."
"Mr. Rosier, would you care to explain why you did that?" Dumbledore asked kindly, turning his gaze toward Cyrian.
"I… I…" Cyrian faltered. He glanced at his parents, only to find they weren't even looking at him. Then he turned to Lucius.
Seeing the faint encouragement in Lucius's eyes, he drew a deep breath, as if making up his mind.
"The reason I acted that way… was partly because Slytherin lost the match, which put me in a terrible mood. I acted impulsively because of that. For this, I apologize to Miss Addams."
He lowered his proud head toward Wednesday, but what he said next took everyone completely by surprise.
"However, I had my reasons," he said firmly. "As a Beater, Addams failed to target Gryffindor's Seeker despite having a clear advantage. I have every reason to suspect she was holding back."
"That's part of why Slytherin lost the match."
"Is that really true? That seems unlikely," Clint frowned, turning to look at Wednesday.
He didn't quite believe Rosier's claim. Wednesday looked so young—barely older than his own youngest daughter. If anything, she should've been a Seeker. A Beater? That made even less sense.
The board members began whispering among themselves. If Rosier's claim were true, then acting out in the heat of the moment might, to some extent, be understandable.
Listening to their discussion, Lucius Malfoy felt a surge of satisfaction. Since the Rosier parents were unreliable, he had simply added an extra layer of insurance through Cyrian himself.
Wednesday frowned slightly. Though her expression remained as cold as ever, she was not without emotion. Just as she was about to speak, Russell gently stopped her.
"Let me answer," he said with a faint smile, signaling for her to remain seated.
"In that case, I'd like to ask Mr. Rosier a few questions—if he's willing to answer."
Faced with Russell's calm gaze, Cyrian couldn't help but shudder. He instinctively looked toward Lucius for help.
"I don't think that's appropriate. If anyone should be asking questions, it should be Miss Addams," Lucius began to object—but before he could finish, Albus Dumbledore spoke.
"I believe no one here would object."
With Dumbledore stepping in, none of the other board members dared oppose him. One by one, they silently acquiesced.
"Very well. Please proceed, Mr. Fythorne," Dumbledore said, turning to Russell.
Russell nodded.
"First question: if your opponent's broom malfunctions—or worse, has been tampered with by a curse—what should you do? Win through unfair means… or compete with honor?"
"I assume all of you, who pride yourselves as pure-blood aristocrats, know the answer."
"You—!" Cyrian's eyes widened, completely at a loss for words. The other board members, aside from Clint, also fell into brief silence.
If they were being honest, most of them would choose the former. But this was no private setting—and with Dumbledore present, regardless of their true thoughts, they could only grit their teeth and choose the latter.
"Second question," Russell continued calmly, "if a first-year witch stood before you—her back turned—would you attack her with a Bludger? Would that align with your so-called noble principles?"
Just like before, they had no real choice. To preserve their dignity, they could only deny it.
"And finally—the most important point. The real reason I took action against Mr. Rosier."
Russell stood up, his expression turning serious.
"The reason I used that spell… is because I didn't know of any other magic that could stop someone faster—someone intent on continuing their assault."
"What do you mean by that, Fythorne?" Cyrian suddenly felt a chill crawl up his spine. He quickly stood, his voice tense.
"It's very simple," Russell said, sweeping his gaze across the room. "Since Mr. Rosier had already resorted to such a despicable sneak attack, I had every reason to suspect what he might do next."
"At that moment, Wednesday had already fallen from her broom. She had no ability to defend herself. If Rosier had chosen to continue attacking her—who would have stopped him?"
"Or rather… who would have bothered to?"
"Were there no professors present?" Lucius cut in sharply, seizing what he thought was a flaw. "Did it really require a second-year student to step in for Miss Addams?"
"As it turns out—yes," Russell shrugged. "Everyone's attention was fixed on the victorious Gryffindor team. Who had time to notice what was happening on Slytherin's side?"
"That's nothing but sophistry," Lucius said coldly.
"If the professors had reacted in time," Russell replied evenly, "then Mr. Rosier wouldn't have ended up in the hospital… would he?"
That single sentence silenced Lucius instantly.
Because Russell was right—if the professors had acted quickly enough, none of this would have happened.