Chapter 93: The College Cup Must Not Be Given
"Aaron, is it a dragon?" Hagrid asked expectantly.
Although Abey had no relation to dragons in some aspects, he had raised so many magical creatures that he had a certain intuition in this regard.
Aaron hesitated for a long time before reluctantly nodding.
"A dragon, a special dragon.
But it's not a mutation, nor a hybrid.
If I had to say, my Abey is the only and most noble existence among dragons."
As soon as he finished speaking, four pairs of curious and surprised eyes fell on Abey, which made Aaron feel a little displeased and subconsciously hugged his pet tighter.
"Don't be nervous, Aaron," Dumbledore said with a smile, "We won't do anything to it, after all, its performance last night was really great, even playing a decisive role.
If it weren't for it, Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall might not have just suffered minor injuries.
Hogwarts cannot lose two Professors, let alone two Deans, so... its contribution is significant."
"Thank you for the compliment."
"But merits and demerits are clear," Dumbledore changed the subject, "We must admit that you defended Hogwarts, and even prevented a potential catastrophe.
However, it is an undeniable fact that you brought a magical creature to this magic school, so you must accept some punishment.
I've come up with a good idea: merits and demerits.
If merits and demerits cancel each other out, you can keep it, but starting next semester, it cannot appear in the school. How does that sound?"
Aaron frowned, always feeling that the phrase 'merits and demerits cancel each other out' was full of deeper meaning.
"Professor, if I may be so bold, how are my merits calculated?"
Dumbledore interlaced his fingers and rested his hands on the desk, adopting a serious expression.
"Merits are House points. Harry, Hermione, and Ron from Gryffindor performed excellently last night, and I will give them some encouragement.
Of course, you too, and your reward will be even greater, because you deserve it."
"Oh!"
Aaron suddenly understood. Anything related to points could only be the House Cup.
Gryffindor was second to last, a few points higher than Hufflepuff, and Slytherin winning the championship was already a foregone conclusion.
But if Gryffindor's points soared due to a major event, even exceeding the hundred and fifty points deducted from Harryand his friends, then the gap would be infinitely narrowed.
Unless Slytherin could also increase their points accordingly, it was not impossible for them to be overtaken.
But why would Dumbledore do this? Could it be that Slytherin's six consecutive House Cup wins made him, an old Wizard from Gryffindor, unable to stand it anymore?
This possibility could not be ruled out, but it was very small.
The House Cup was an honor, but if it weren't for system quests, Aaron wouldn't even care about such an honor without practical significance, let alone Dumbledore, the greatest White Magic King of this century.
Thinking of this, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck Aaron's mind.
Dumbledore was indeed doing it for Gryffindor, or more precisely, for the three Wizards of Gryffindor, and even more precisely, for Harry Potter.
Using the House Cup as an honor could indeed greatly encourage him, making this boy, relatively new to the Magical World, more confident, especially after defeating Slytherin, who had won the House Cup six times in a row, in his first year.
There was no one else like him. He, a Slytherin, was favored by the Dark Lord, while Harry Potter, a Gryffindor, was favored by the White Magic King.
"Alright! I think I've figured some things out," Aaron rubbed his temples, then said in a solemn tone, "But I'm sorry, I don't want to give up this year's House Cup yet."
Dumbledore was stunned; he hadn't expected Aaron to see through his intentions.
Snape frowned slightly. With Aaron saying that, he also realized Dumbledore's purpose.
To be honest, he wasn't very interested in the House Cup, but he was very interested in defeating Gryffindor and suppressing Harry Potter.
If, because of Harry and others, Gryffindor were to overtake Slytherin, he might be depressed for a while this summer.
Professor McGonagall, however, felt like a windfall had fallen from the sky. Although Aaron hadn't agreed, it was only temporary.
Unless he could convince Dumbledore that keeping this magical creature was justified, but that was clearly impossible.
"Let's talk about my mistakes, Professor Dumbledore," Aaronsaid meaningfully, then glanced at Fawkes perched on the golden branch, "If keeping a magical creature is wrong, it seems that besides me, someone else at Hogwarts also keeps a magical creature.
Headmaster Dumbledore, you can't be so hypocritical, can you!"
"I am the Headmaster."
"Can a Headmaster be nobler than a student?
Or does a Headmaster not have to abide by Hogwarts' rules and regulations?" Aaron retorted, "And I remember the school rules don't seem to say anything about not keeping magical creatures, do they?"
"It doesn't say that," Dumbledore said gravely, "But dangerous animals are not allowed to be kept, for example... dragons, or Thunderbirds.
They can cause great damage with just a sneeze. There are too many people at the school, and most of them are not very powerful. What if an accident happens?
Our authority, Hagrid, might have more to say on this. He once kept an Aragog, and the result was obvious: he received severe punishment."
Hagrid lowered his head slightly, muttering sadly, "Aragogwas innocent; it had nothing to do with the so-called Chamber of Secrets."
"But you cannot deny its danger. It is naturally ferocious, and its instinct is to feed on humans.
Even if it listens to you, Hagrid, you can't guarantee that it won't one day want to try a different taste, or have a snack."
"Uh... well, I can guarantee that my Abey is safe," Aaron said.
"I'm sorry," Dumbledore shook his head, "Hagrid thought the same thing back then, but such an unsubstantiated guarantee has no persuasive power.
Moreover, a safe magical creature would not suddenly grow so large, nor would it dare to attack a Dark Wizard who could plunge the Magical World into panic.
Aaron, your pet is more powerful and dangerous than you think."
"Professor, with all due respect.
If Abey is really as you say, then how do you explain your Fawkes?
The Phoenix is a powerful magical creature; it is very magical, and many Wizards who have seen dragons may not have seen a Phoenix."
"Indeed!" Dumbledore nodded, "The Phoenix is powerful, I don't deny it.
But the reason I can keep it is because I have tamed it; it listens to me and will not harm others.
Many people can prove this; the Order of Merlin, the Ministry of Magic, and the International Confederation of Wizards can all vouch for me; they all believe I have this ability."
"So that means as long as someone can vouch for me, I can also keep Abey?" Aaron asked meaningfully.
"One could say that.
But the guarantor cannot be too casual; they need to have sufficient authority.
If it's your parents, don't mention it; their status may be noble, but they need to avoid suspicion in this matter."
Aaron sighed deeply. He was especially glad that he had made ample preparations before coming to school; otherwise, he would have been caught off guard.
Who would have thought that the dignified White Magic King would be as petty as the Dark Lord, resorting to various tricks to bully him, a twelve-year-old student, to achieve his goals?
If it were something else, Aaron might have endured it.
But the House Cup was related to his mission, his first pot of gold on his path to growth, so he couldn't give it up.
"Have you considered it?" Dumbledore asked, perhaps feeling a little embarrassed, "Of course, as long as you can obtain sufficient guarantees during the holidays, you can also keep it at school.
But not this semester. If it hadn't been discovered, it would have been fine, but since it has been discovered, we cannot turn a blind eye. Please understand."
Aaron:... You're abusing your power for personal gain, and you still have the nerve to ask others to understand?
"Forget it, Gaius, let it be!" Snape pretended to be indifferent, "It's just the House Cup; we'll win it back next school year."
"No," Aaron said righteously, "Although I'm not interested in that House Cup, what's mine must be mine; no one can take it away."
"But..."
"Wait a moment," Aaron interrupted him, taking out a piece of yellow parchment from his pocket, "This is my guarantee."
Snape was slightly startled, took the parchment, and began to read it.
But after only a few glances, his hands accidentally trembled, and then he looked at Aaron in surprise, asking in disbelief, "Is this real?"
"Of course it's real. In the Magical World, would anyone dare to joke with their names?"
"Hard to say!" Snape breathed a sigh of relief, "After all, I only know half of the names on this guarantee, and I haven't heard of the rest.
But this half alone is enough for you to openly keep it.
It's the first time I've seen someone go to such lengths for a magical creature; it's truly incredible."