Professor McGonagall did not choose to forgive Allen's nonsense.
She didn't believe a single word, not even the punctuation.
What made Allen want to collapse was the fact that even though Gryffindors were the majority present, he was the one who got stuck with the blame.
"Mr. Rowbent, would you care to explain why you are sneaking around the Astronomy Tower in the middle of the night with a group of students and graduated wizards?" McGonagall's eyes were burning with visible fury, and all of it was aimed at Allen.
It wasn't personal bias.
Allen was the oldest current student present, and also a repeat offender.
If he didn't carry the blame, who would?
While Allen was being scolded, the older wizards who had been confidently chatting earlier now wished they could curl up into a mouse and flee. They may have graduated, but seven years of McGonagall's cold, iron discipline did not simply fade with time.
After cornering Allen, McGonagall naturally moved on to the others who had returned to the school in the dead of night.
Her memory was frightening. She called each of their names perfectly, and the moment each heard their name, they shuddered violently and seemed to shrink in size, as though she had cast some kind of Transfiguration spell on them.
Under that sharp, unyielding stare, the group huddled together like frightened chicks awaiting judgment.
"Gentlemen, if I recall correctly, all of you graduated with excellent evaluations. You had minor problems when you were here, yes, but never anything like this. So tell me, someone, what exactly happened tonight?"
No one answered.
After a moment, McGonagall decisively opened the crate, and even she, with all her experience, gasped in disbelief.
She had not expected them to be this bold.
The creature inside must have been held in too long, it burst out a breath of fire.
McGonagall took a full blast of black smoke right to the face.
It was a ridiculous scene, but no one laughed.
Because whatever happened to McGonagall now… would return to them tenfold.
"I simply cannot believe this!" McGonagall, face still ashy, didn't even bother dusting herself off before shouting, "Here, in this school, in this tower, you violated over a hundred school rules, and illegally smuggled a dragon!!!"
"You will all remain here. I cannot handle this alone, I must inform Dumbledore." Her voice shook from how furious she was. She spun and left quickly.
"Allen… I think we really messed up," Frank muttered with a bitter smile.
Probably. Allen wanted to cry. This time, it truly wasn't his fault!
"Don't worry, we'll take the blame," Frank said, pounding his chest. "We're already out of school. Even if the responsibility falls on us, it won't be anything major."
Allen glared. "Hah. Do you have any idea how serious this is?"
"What? It's not like they can deduct points from me, I graduated!"
Allen slowly opened his mouth and uttered a single word, one that made every knowledgeable wizard in the room turn pale:
Azkaban.
"You've got to be joking, this little thing could land us in Azkaban? We were just out at night…" Frank whispered weakly.
"Yes, you were out at night, but also illegally trading a dragon. And trespassing at Hogwarts after graduation."
••┈┈┈┈┈༓┈┈┈┈┈•••
Silence fell.
Allen was quite satisfied.
Why?
Because the moment McGonagall decided to report to Dumbledore, the problem was basically solved.
This didn't just involve Harry, it involved Hagrid, one of Dumbledore's most loyal supporters. If Dumbledore punished this according to the rules, his entire grand plan would collapse. If the Chosen One ended up in Azkaban, what was left to save?
Sure enough, the most important people arrive last.
When Dumbledore stepped onto the tower, McGonagall beside him still looked shocked.
The Headmaster quickly announced the resolution:
He had "found" the dragon in the Forbidden Forest.
To avoid disrupting classes, the present wizards were sent to "retrieve" it.
As for Allen and the others?
They were simply out for a late-night walk and happened to meet acquaintances.
Allen's expression could only be described as disgusted injustice.
Why did those guys get a clean slate while they took the blame?
But looking at McGonagall's still-raging expression, Allen decided to accept the punishment.
This wasn't about fairness.
It was about letting McGonagall vent.
What could they do?
This was textbook case of breaking school rules and capsizing afterward.
Allen suddenly recalled the joy he felt when Fred and George got caught while he didn't.
No, this won't do. My luck is terrible lately. I need Soraka's ultimate to cleanse my cursed RNG.
Would Soraka drop a meteor on him instead? Hard to say, but Allen had already decided to try.
••┈┈┈┈┈༓┈┈┈┈┈•••
The results of the incident were… entertaining.
The next morning, students from every house woke up to a shocking sight:
The hourglasses that recorded house points were nearly empty.
Only Ravenclaw's still stood tall.
Four House War Ritual: Ravenclaw may become champion.
Even the Ravenclaws themselves were confused. With so many geniuses across the houses this year, they had almost given up on the House Cup.
But now… they suddenly had a chance?
Meanwhile, Allen and the others received their punishment:
Escort Hagrid on missions.
Location: The Forbidden Forest.
Congratulations Important NPC "Hagrid" Affection System Unlocked.
Gold Farming Dungeon: Forbidden Forest Unlocked.