Snape stepping forward at this moment did not surprise Draco in the slightest.
Others might not understand the history between those two, but Draco did. The entanglement ran deep, even if it was largely one-sided on Snape's part.
Whether Harry Potter had figured it out was another matter.
In any case, once Snape stood up, it was clear that Dumbledore had not come unprepared. As Headmaster of Hogwarts, there was no way he would simply stand by and let the Ministry dig into his own foundations.
The only unexpected part was that it was not Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, nor the ever-loyal Rubeus Hagrid, who stepped forward, but Severus Snape, the one who appeared to have the worst relationship with Harry.
Even Umbridge looked momentarily caught off guard.
Still, Snape's timing and method were undeniably effective. If Dumbledore had truly done nothing and allowed the Ministry to meddle freely in school affairs, his position as Headmaster would have been called into question.
Hogwarts Wizarding School required a certain independence.
And in a way, this might well have been Cornelius Fudge's attempt to kill two birds with one stone.
"So the person Draco meant was Professor Snape?"
"But what does that have to do with Potter?"
Everyone knew Snape made a habit of targeting Harry Potter, but Pansy and the others had no idea what lay beneath the surface, and Draco had no intention of explaining.
After all, it concerned his godfather's… ahem, secret.
To avoid inviting trouble from said godfather, Draco simply gave Pansy and the others a knowing smile when they shot him questioning looks.
"Who knows."
"…Hmph."
"..."
Fortunately, the girls were not overly inquisitive, and the timing was hardly appropriate. After making their displeasure known, they turned their attention back to Umbridge and Snape, whose confrontation was growing increasingly pointed.
...
The room fell completely silent.
Harry Potter also sensed that something was wrong. After receiving a warning look from Professor McGonagall, he sat back down without another word.
Yet as his green eyes lowered to the parchment on the desk, they gradually hardened with resolve.
If Umbridge was the current Dark Lord, then her predecessor would be the present Snape, whose expression was dark and whose mood was clearly sour.
With his eyes narrowed, he resembled a black viper poised to spit venom at its enemy.
Others might not have noticed, but Draco did. The moment Snape rose, Professor McGonagall and the visibly anxious Hagrid both let out subtle sighs of relief.
Draco also caught the look McGonagall gave Harry Potter.
Had he not already formed a faint suspicion, he might have missed these details. Among the professors, those two stood out far too clearly, even if they themselves were unaware of it.
As for Dumbledore, no one could read a single hint from his expression.
Just as Draco was confirming who might be standing on Dumbledore's side, a cloyingly sweet voice drifted into his ears.
"Severus, this isn't fair to Potter. From what I've observed, your teaching methods…"
"Listen. I am not Professor Sybill, whom you drove out of the school. More importantly, there is nothing wrong with my curriculum."
"Heh. Whether there is a problem or not is for me, as the investigator, to decide. Of course, the Ministry would never—"
"I do not believe anyone's potion-making skills surpass mine. You should understand that this is not something mastered by simply waving a wand. Do you understand what I am saying?"
He cut her off again and again. His tone all but spelled out the word "idiot" without actually saying it. Even the calmest wizard would have felt their temper rise in the face of such open contempt.
Let alone Umbridge, who had grown increasingly arrogant after her recent successes.
She was no stranger to Snape's barbed remarks, but this level of blunt disdain was something she was experiencing for the first time.
The pink notebook in her hand gave a faint ripping sound, the pages nearly tearing under her grip. Clearly, Snape had infuriated her to no small degree.
In that respect, Harry Potter might actually be worth learning from, at least when it came to dealing with this dark bat.
She drew in a slow, steady breath.
Forcing herself to look away from Snape, who seemed to radiate hostility from head to toe as though she had brushed against one of his most sensitive nerves, Umbridge suppressed both her anger and her confusion. Instead, she shifted her gaze to Dumbledore, who had been smiling from beginning to end.
As Cornelius Fudge's trusted confidante, she knew perfectly well who their true target was.
Compared to Snape, Dumbledore's stance was what truly mattered.
Would he respond firmly?
Or would he choose to acquiesce?
All this time, their opposition had operated within clearly defined boundaries. It was an unspoken understanding, a fragile balance both sides had been careful to maintain.
Until someone broke it.
That someone could be Cornelius Fudge. It could be Dumbledore.
Or more likely, the one gradually stepping out from the shadows: Voldemort.
So this visit was not only meant to test Dumbledore's attitude. It was also because Cornelius Fudge had begun to feel increasingly uneasy. Especially after learning that the Dementors were slipping out of control, the Ministry of Magic urgently needed more manpower to strengthen itself.
They had even set their sights on these young wizards.
If recruiting fresh blood was the first layer, and probing Dumbledore's position the second, then no wizard present, not even Draco, who might have glimpsed that second layer, could have imagined there was something deeper hidden beneath it all.
The lost prophecy.
And the key figure required to activate the prophecy buried deep within the Ministry of Magic was none other than Harry Potter, who now looked faintly dazed after being provoked by Snape.