Ethan nodded, his face betraying not the slightest hint of panic.
He raised his hand, preparing to Apparate away with the Aurors.
Just then.
"Wait a moment!"
A hand reached out from the side and grabbed Ethan's wrist.
Prefect Penelope stood in front of Ethan, like a hen protecting her chicks.
She said coldly:
"I don't know when Aurors started taking students away directly without a school professor's permission."
"Move aside, miss. Don't interfere with official business."
The Auror said in a deep voice, emanating an oppressive aura.
Ethan looked at them, then at Penelope, whose body was trembling slightly.
He blinked, tugged at her clothes, and whispered:
"Prefect, I'm so scared~"
Penelope's heart instantly softened, and courage surged forth.
Ethan was her junior; she had to protect him!
"Don't be afraid, it's alright."
She patted Ethan's shoulder reassuringly.
She turned her head, glaring fiercely at the Aurors with a reproachful look, and demanded:
"Does your conscience not ache, a few adults ganging up to bully a child?"
Behind her, Ethan made a face at the Aurors.
Aurors: "..."
He wasn't scared at all.
Before seeing the victims' miserable state,
they would never have thought that such a well-behaved and cute child could do such a terrifying thing.
It was as if people were pulled back to the Dark Ages, making them shiver all over.
The Carrow family had only one son, and as staunch pure-bloods, they naturally indulged him and let him run rampant.
Now, he had only gone to participate in a competition organized by the Ministry of Magic, expecting to win glory.
What returned was a cripple.
The Carrow family was going crazy.
They openly declared that the brat who harmed their son must pay an equivalent price!
Thinking of this, the Aurors looked at Ethan with some sympathy.
Even if he was young and couldn't go to Azkaban yet,
expulsion was certain.
His latter half of life was probably ruined.
They didn't mind waiting a bit; after all, the outcome was already determined.
"Move aside, Professor McGonagall is here."
A cold and arrogant voice sounded, and the onlookers were unceremoniously pushed aside.
Gemma Farley impatiently withdrew her hand, turning sideways to clear a path for the hurriedly approaching Professor McGonagall.
"Huff, huff—What happened? He's my student!"
Professor McGonagall said breathlessly.
Her slender hand tightly gripped Ethan's shoulder, as if Ethan would be taken away if she wasn't careful.
To the side.
Cedric finally reacted and immediately stood firmly in front of Ethan.
Like a honey badger whose territory had been invaded, he glared at the Aurors.
This scene made the Aurors raise their eyebrows in surprise; they looked at each other and said in a businesslike manner:
"This is a summons from the Ministry of Magic; please do not interfere."
Saying that, he took out a sealed letter from his pocket.
The handwriting was messy, obviously written in a hurry.
Ethan looked at the people blocking him like an impenetrable wall, and a warmth welled up in his heart.
However, he was not passive.
"I'll go with you."
Ethan's voice broke the standoff between the two groups.
"Mr. Vincent!" Professor McGonagall called out sternly, her wide eyes filled with tension and unease, "This is no joke—"
"Oh, and Professor."
Ethan interrupted Professor McGonagall.
He looked up, a smile on his lips, and raised the golden trophy in his hand:
"I won first place in the competition."
Professor McGonagall's mouth hung open in surprise, staring blankly at the trophy in Ethan's hand.
It seemed that only then did she realize the meaning of this trophy.
It meant to trust him.
After a pause, Professor McGonagall closed her mouth and said in a low, hoarse voice:
"In that case, I'll go with him too."
The Auror nodded: "You may."
"As for you all."
Professor McGonagall looked at the other students who were supporting Ethan, anxious and uneasy, a gentle look in her eyes.
"You all use the Portkey to return to school first, and do not spread false rumors."
"But—" Penelope began eagerly.
But meeting Professor McGonagall's stern gaze, she swallowed her words.
"—That's true."
Even if they went, it would be useless.
They would only cause trouble.
Penelope bit her lower lip, feeling a hint of unwillingness and an urgent need to improve.
If she were stronger, like Prefect Robert, who had already built his connections within the Ministry of Magic.
Wouldn't she be so helpless when encountering such a situation again?
Everyone watched Ethan and Professor McGonagall Apparate away with the Aurors, and after two seconds of silence,
discussions gradually spread.
No matter what the final outcome was.
As a contestant who was taken for questioning by Aurors immediately after the competition ended,
Ethan Vincent had thoroughly created a legend.
It was likely that no one would surpass him for hundreds of years to come.
Ministry of Magic.
Underground Court.
Ethan followed the Aurors, walking through the dim, oppressive corridor.
Several wizards rushing by looked at him strangely, as if they didn't understand why a child would be here.
"Knock, knock."
The Auror knocked on the door.
"Come in~"
A syrupy female voice came from inside the door.
Ethan frowned.
It sounded like an old woman speaking in a pinched voice, making one want to punch her.
The door opened, and light spilled out.
When he saw the layout inside the door, Ethan couldn't help but raise his eyebrows high, curl his lips, and exclaim:
"Wow~ They really think highly of me."
The vast courtroom was brightly lit, as if to expose the prisoner's sins with nowhere to hide.
A single chair stood alone in the center.
In front, the tiered judgment seats rose high in a circular shape, very oppressive.
Although the judgment seats were not full of people,
it could already be called "abusing one's power."
Rita Skeeter, like a hyena smelling blood, scribbled something with her Quick-Quotes Quill.
Ethan tilted his head and saw a familiar figure—a pink toad—in the judge's seat.
Dolores Umbridge.
Ethan: "Can magical creatures also be judges? The Ministry of Magic is truly changing with each passing day."
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 the courtroom and pursed her lips tightly.
This time, the Ministry of Magic was serious.
Upon seeing Ethan enter, two well-dressed men and women on the judgment seats stood up with a bang.
The woman pointed at Ethan and cursed loudly:
"It's this filthy, hateful Mudblood who—who turned my precious son, Hamburg Carrow, into that state!"
When Hamburg was brought in, she simply couldn't believe that this pile of mud-like "thing" was her son.
"Kill him! Give him the Dementor's Kiss!"
"Madam!" Professor McGonagall frowned and snapped, "Please watch your language!"
"Thump, thump."
The gavel struck, interrupting the tense atmosphere.
"Alright, alright, let's begin the trial. Trust me, I will give everyone a fair verdict."
Umbridge said sweetly, pointing to the chair.
"Sit down, child."
The moment Ethan sat down, several chains instantly shot out from the chair, binding Ethan firmly!
Ethan tried to struggle a bit; it was very secure.
Combined with the Anti-Apparition Jinx...? Very powerful magic.
As expected of something that could bind those vicious criminals.
Professor McGonagall angrily said: "How can you treat him like this?! He's still just a child!"
"A child who killed someone—or rather, almost killed someone."
Umbridge added, a malicious glint in her small eyes.
"I think this is very good."
Professor McGonagall wanted to say more, but Ethan stopped her.
"I'm fine, Professor."
Ethan looked up, his gaze unflinchingly directed at Umbridge, and said calmly:
"Then, as you wish, let the trial begin."
For some reason.
Stared at by those cobalt-blue eyes, Umbridge felt an inexplicable chill down her spine.
As if being targeted by a deadly beast.
"...Heh, truly an ill-mannered criminal."
She loved to make these disobedient young wizards "turn over a new leaf."
"Mr. Ethan Vincent," she read.
"You are accused of severely injuring a kind, innocent pure-blood family scion, Hamburg Carrow, during the challenge,
and he has been diagnosed by St. Mungo's as permanently incapacitated."
Looking up, Umbridge stared intently at Ethan.
"—Do you plead guilty?"
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