Harry's legs ached as he stumbled across the shadowed grounds, the crash still ringing in his ears.
The battered blue Ford Anglia had already long since abandoned them and their belongings in the open field nearby hogwarts.
A sharp wind whipped across the lawns, tugging at his robes and sending leaves skittering down the slope toward the black lake.
Beside him, Ron limped along with a grimace, his wand snapped neatly in half—one side dangling by a fragment of phoenix feather.
"That," Ron muttered, "was bloody brilliant."
Harry shot him a look.
"You call getting nearly beaten to death by a tree brilliant?"
"Well… we made it, didn't we?" Ron said, though the grin on his face faltered as he noticed the castle doors looming ahead.
Hogwarts had never looked so cold.
The huge oak doors opened with a long creak, revealing a hunched, gray-faced figure standing in the light of a single lamp.
Argus Filch.
His eyes gleamed with malicious delight.
"Well, well, well. What have we here? Better take a good look lads, this might very well be the last night you have within these walls!"
Ron's face went pale. "Er—Mr. Filch, sir, we can explain—"
Only he never got to finish, Filch reached out and quickly grabbed Ron by the scruff and dragged him into the castle.
Harry's stomach dropped.
He didnt hesitate to follow, knowing full well they were in trouble and just wandering off wouldnt get him out of it either.
The faint sound of laughter and conversation drifted through the doors of the great hall, but that was not their destination.
Filch led them into a side corridor and threw open a door to a dim, musty office filled with chains, jars of foul liquid, and—most alarmingly—a thick folder labeled Students to be Punished.
"Wait here," Filch sneered, his lamp swinging as he stalked off. "I'll fetch someone important."
Harry slumped into a chair, staring at his dirt-stained hands.
"We're in for it, Ron."
"Relax," Ron said weakly, though his voice trembled. "They can't really expel us, right? I mean, the car worked—sort of."
Harry groaned. "You hit a tree, Ron. A violent tree."
Before Ron could reply, the office door burst open.
Professor Snape swept in, robes billowing like smoke, his expression carved from ice.
"Potter. Weasley," he said softly, and yet dangerously with a tone capable of cutting. "Out."
They followed him wordlessly down the corridor, the silence punctuated only by the echo of their shoes on stone.
Snape led them to his office—a dark chamber lit by green flames flickering in sconces along the wall.
Only a moment later Professor McGonnagal arrived with a worried look on her face.
Severus was the first to act.
On his desk sat a rolled copy of the Daily Prophet.
Harry's throat went dry.
Snape unrolled the paper with deliberate precision, revealing a large moving photograph on the front page—one of a turquoise blur zipping through the skyline over London.
Flying Car Mystifies Muggles! the headline screamed.
Snape looked up slowly, eyes glittering.
"You were seen by no less than seven muggles!"
Throwing down the paper before returning his crisp gaze to the boys standing before him.
"Do you have any idea how serious this is?"
""...""
"You have risked the exposure of our world... not to mention the damage you inflicted on a whomping willows that been on these ground since before your were born!"
"Honestly professor Snape, i think it did more damage to us."
Ron meekly through out his words in defence of himself and his friend.
"Silence!" Snape snapped, rising to his feet as he circled around his desk to confront the boys. "I assure you Weasley, were you in Slytherin, and your fate rested with me, the both of your would be on the train home tonight, as it is..."
"They are not."
A calm voice cut through the seriousness of the conversation in the office, causing all occupents to turn seeing Albus Dumbledore having entered the room with Lily Evans following closely behind her eyes wet with worry as they locked onto Harry's form sporting new brusies and scrapes.
"Professor Dumbledore... Mo-Professor Evans." Harry called out.
Seeing these two as his only hope of salvation, seeing as how his fate rested in Professor Snape, and Professor McGonagal likewise had not acted to stand in their defence either.
"Headmaster, these boys have flouted the decree for underaged wizardry, as such-"
"I am aware of our laws Severus having written quite a few of them myself."
"You have the write to decide young mister potters fate, but as head of Griffindor house, Professor McGonagal has say in what happens to Mister Weasley here."
Harry's breath caught.
"Mum?" he blurted, before realizing the room had gone utterly still.
He had just witnessed his saviour Dumbledore effectively say he could do nothing for him...
Lily's green eyes flicked to him, sharp but not unkind.
"Harry," she said softly. "What have you done?"
Snape gestured toward the paper on his desk. "You'll find the Prophet has already answered that."
Lily glanced at the moving image, lips pressing together.
Then she turned back to Dumbledore.
"Headmaster, surely—"
But the look in Dumbledores eyes was lacking that signature twinkle causing her words to fail her.
Snape's eyes flashed, but he said nothing.
"We'll go and get our stuff then."
This admission of acceptance came from Ronald's mouth as he continued to stare at the floor.
"What are you talking about mister weasley?"
"You're going to expell us aren't you?"
For a second time stood still awaiting their response, but Professor McGonagal was the first to break this silence.
"No today Mr. Weasley-"
Hearing this both both brightened up in a flash and looked at one another almost smuggly for having gotten away with it.
"But i hope the both of you understand the seriousness of your actions. 200 hundred points will be taken from each of you, along with detention until christmas break... and i'll be writing to your family Mr. Weasley."
Hearing the breadth of their punishment, both once more fell downcast.
They were not expelled but within their houses they would surely become pariah, not to mention the loss of an entire semesters worth of free time.
Lily turned to Dumbledore, eyes narrowing.
"Two hundred? Albus, no. Harry wasn't even driving. He was the passenger. He should not bear the same punishment as the instigator."
Dumbledore's brows lifted slightly.
Snape's voice dripped ice.
"So, Weasley endangers your son, and you'd have me believe Harry is blameless? Why even chose to get into a flying car to begin with?"
Lily met his gaze without flinching.
"Not blameless. But not equal in fault. Reduce his loss to one hundred points. Ron can answer for the rest as the key culprit."
Dumbledore hesitated, then inclined his head.
"Very well. One hundred points from Mr. Potter, two hundred from Mr. Weasley. Detention remains as stated."
McGonagall nodded grimly.
The meeting broke up soon after, Snape sweeping away with his robes trailing like storm clouds.
Lily agreed to letcure Harry on the nature of his actions and the potential repurcussions should they be repeated.
Professors McGonagal and Dumbledore left shortly after heading back for the end of the sorting ceremony and opening feast.
Seeing that Lily lingered to speak with her son, Ron chose to leave heading for parts unknown within the castle.
That left Harry and his mother alone in the dim office.
For a long moment, neither spoke.
Then Lily sighed.
"Harry," she said softly, stepping closer. "You could have been killed."
"I know," he murmured.
Her eyes softened, though her tone stayed firm. "Don't do something like that again. Promise me."
"I promise," he said quietly.
She smiled faintly, brushing a bit of soot from his cheek. "Good. Now—go eat something. You look half-starved."
As she turned to leave, Harry managed a small, grateful smile.
Maybe this year wouldn't start so terribly after all.
Though, judging by the way Filch glared from the hall, detention until Christmas was going to feel very long indeed.