Ethan nodded, showing no trace of panic on his face. Raising his hand, he was about to Apparate away with the Aurors.
Just then...
"Wait!"
A hand reached out from the side, grasping Ethan's wrist. Senior Penelope stepped in front of Ethan, like a mother hen protecting her chick.
She said coldly: "I don't know when Aurors became able to take students away directly without going through school professors."
"Stand aside, miss. Don't interfere with official business," the Auror said in a deep voice, emanating oppressive authority.
Ethan looked at them, then at Penelope whose body was trembling slightly. Blinking, he tugged at her clothes and whispered: "Senior, I'm so scared..."
Penelope's heart immediately softened, courage surging forth. Ethan was her junior. She had to protect him!
"Don't be afraid; it'll be fine." She comfortingly patted Ethan's shoulder.
Turning her head, she glared fiercely at the Aurors with condemning eyes, demanding: "Several adults ganging up to bully a child... don't your consciences hurt?"
Behind her, Ethan made a face at the Aurors.
The Aurors stared blankly. He wasn't scared at all.
Before seeing the victim's tragic state, they never would have imagined that such a well-behaved and adorable-looking child could do something so terrible. It was like being suddenly pulled back to the Dark Ages, chilling to the bone.
The Carrow family only had this one son. As ancient pure-bloods, they naturally spoiled him rotten, letting him act tyrannically. Now, he had simply gone to participate in a Ministry-organized competition, expecting to return with glory. What came back was a cripple.
The Carrow family was going mad. They declared they would make the brat who hurt their son pay an equal price!
Thinking of this, the Aurors looked at Ethan with some sympathy. Even if he was young and couldn't be sent to Azkaban, expulsion was certain. His future was probably ruined too.
They didn't mind waiting a while. After all, the outcome was already decided.
"Move aside, Professor McGonagall is here."
A cold, proud voice rang out as the watching contestants were unceremoniously pushed aside. Gemma Farley impatiently withdrew her hand, stepping aside to clear a path for the hurriedly arriving Professor McGonagall.
"What happened? He's my student!" Professor McGonagall said breathlessly.
Her thin hands gripped Ethan's shoulders tightly, as if he might be taken away if she wasn't careful.
Nearby, Cedric finally reacted, immediately standing firmly in front of Ethan. Like a badger whose territory had been invaded, he glared at the Aurors.
This scene made the Aurors raise their eyebrows in surprise, looking at each other before saying matter-of-factly: "This is a Ministry summons. Please don't interfere."
With that, they pulled out a letter stamped with an official seal from their robes. The handwriting was messy, clearly written in haste.
Ethan looked at the crowd blocking his path like an impenetrable wall, warmth rising in his heart. However, he wasn't passive.
"I'll go with you."
Ethan's voice broke the standoff between the two groups.
"Mr. Vincent!" Professor McGonagall called sternly, her widened eyes full of tension and unease. "This isn't a joke..."
"Oh right, Professor." Ethan interrupted McGonagall.
Looking up, he raised the corners of his mouth and held up the golden trophy in his hand: "I got first place in the competition."
Professor McGonagall stared with her mouth agape, looking at the trophy in Ethan's hands in bewilderment. Only now did she seem to realize the significance of this trophy. It meant believing in him.
After a pause, Professor McGonagall closed her mouth and said hoarsely: "In that case, I'm coming too."
The Auror nodded: "That's acceptable."
"As for you all," Professor McGonagall looked at the other students anxiously defending Ethan, a hint of tenderness in her eyes. "Use the Portkey to return to school first. Don't spread false rumors."
"But..." Penelope started urgently.
But meeting Professor McGonagall's stern gaze, she swallowed her words. Right. Even if they followed, it wouldn't help. They'd just cause trouble.
Penelope bit her lower lip, feeling helpless and an urgent need to grow stronger. If she were more powerful, like Senior Robert, who had already built connections in the Ministry, would she be less powerless in situations like this?
Everyone watched as Ethan and Professor McGonagall Apparated away with the Aurors. After two seconds of silence, discussion gradually spread.
Regardless of the final outcome, as a contestant taken for investigation immediately after the competition ended, Ethan Vincent had already created a legend. Probably, no one would surpass him for hundreds of years to come.
Ministry of Magic, Underground courtroom.
Ethan followed the Aurors through the dim, oppressive corridor. Several hurried wizards looked at him strangely, seemingly unable to understand why a child would be here.
"Knock knock."
The Auror knocked on the door.
"Come in..."
A saccharine female voice came from inside. Ethan frowned. It sounded like an old woman putting on a fake voice... made you want to punch her.
The door opened, light spilling out. Seeing the layout inside, Ethan couldn't help but raise his eyebrows high, curving his lips as he sighed: "Wow... You really think highly of me."
The vast courtroom was brightly lit, as if to illuminate every corner of a criminal's guilt. A single chair sat alone in the center. In front was a raised, amphitheater-style judgment bench arranged in a ring, very imposing.
Though the judgment seats weren't full, it could already be called "bullying with power." Rita Skeeter, like a hyena that had smelled blood, had her Quick-Quotes Quill scribbling away.
Ethan turned his head and spotted a familiar figure in the judge's position: a pink toad. Dolores Umbridge.
Ethan commented dryly: "Magical creatures can serve as judges too? The Ministry really is innovative."
His words reached Professor McGonagall's ears, making her mouth twitch. At a time like this, he still had no sense of crisis.
Professor McGonagall looked at this courtroom, pressing her lips tightly together. This time, the Ministry was serious.
Seeing Ethan enter, two well-dressed people in the judgment seats stood up with a bang. The woman pointed at Ethan and cursed: "It's this filthy, vile little Mudblood who turned my precious son into that state!"
When Hamburg was brought in, she could hardly believe that mess of flesh was her son.
"Kill him! Give him the Dementor's Kiss!"
"Madam!" Professor McGonagall frowned and shouted sternly, "Watch your language!"
"Bang bang."
The gavel fell, interrupting the explosive atmosphere.
"Alright, alright, let's begin the trial. Believe me, I'll definitely give everyone a fair judgment," Umbridge said sweetly, pointing at the chair. "Sit, child."
The moment Ethan sat down, the chair instantly sprouted several chains, binding him tightly! Ethan tried struggling. Very solid. Combined with anti-magic charms... very powerful magic. Worthy of restraining vicious criminals.
Professor McGonagall angrily said: "How can you treat him like this?! He's just a child!"
"A child who killed someone... or rather, nearly killed someone," Umbridge added, malicious light gleaming in her small eyes. "I think this is quite appropriate."
Professor McGonagall wanted to say more but was stopped by Ethan.
"I'm fine, Professor."
Ethan looked up, his gaze meeting Umbridge's directly without flinching, saying calmly: "Then, as you wish, let the trial begin."
For some reason, being stared at by those cobalt-blue eyes, Umbridge felt an inexplicable chill down her spine. As if being watched by a deadly predator.
Hmph, truly worthy of an ill-bred criminal. She most enjoyed making these disobedient little wizards "reform."
"Mr. Ethan Vincent," she intoned. "You are charged with severely injuring an innocent pure-blood family heir, Hamburg Carrow, during the challenge, diagnosed by St. Mungo's as permanently disabled."
Looking up, Umbridge stared fixedly at Ethan.
"Do you plead guilty?"