Harry Potter and The Jade Dragon

Chapter 19 ~ The Secret of The Storeroom

"Potter! I want a word with you!"

Harry, who had been bending over his bag, looked up and saw that Professor McGonagall was looking sternly at him. Their Transfiguration class had just ended, and all the others were busy packing their bags and leaving.

"She doesn't look like that unless something's wrong," he muttered to Ron. "Tell Shan I'll be a bit late, will you?"

Ron and Hermione looked sympathetically at him, and then left. Harry gathered his things, and went up to the front.

Professor McGonagall was looking displeased.

"Severus Snape says that you sent Draco Malfoy flying into the lake a few days ago, Potter," she said. "Not only are you not supposed to use magic between classes, but it is extremely thoughtless of you to immerse a fellow student in a freezing lake in the middle of winter!"

Harry said nothing. He didn't intend to give Robert away.

"Well, Potter?"

Harry looked at Professor McGonagall. She was looking angrier than ever.

"Yes, Professor."

Sparks seemed to fly from Professor McGonagall's eyes.

"You don't deny, then, Potter, that you did it?"

A quiet voice spoke from the doorway.

"He didn't do it, Professor, I did."

Professor McGonagall looked up sharply. Harry turned around.

Robert was standing there. Ron must have told him and Shan, Harry thought. He grimaced at Robert, to indicate that he should go away.

Robert, however, was coming over to them. Professor McGonagall seemed rather taken aback. She looked down at Robert, who was looking calmly up at her.

"Harry wasn't the one who threw Malfoy in the lake, Professor; I did."

Professor McGonagall glanced swiftly at Harry, then back at Robert again. Harry knew what she was thinking. Both she and Dumbledore wanted the exchange programme to be a success, and they were reluctant to punish any of the Tian-Long students.

"Very well, Potter," she said crisply, looking at Harry, "you may go. I will have to discuss with Lady Wen-Li about how to deal with this."

Harry glanced at Robert, who was looking his usual deadpan self. He hesitated, then picked his bag up and left the room.

Shan was waiting outside, together with Ron and Hermione.

"What's happening to Robert?"

"Dunno," said Harry. "McGonagall says she's going to speak to Lady Wen-Li."

Shan looked worried. She seemed about to say something, but stopped because someone was coming down the corridor.

It was Jeanne, looking very tired. Harry also thought she looked rather upset, though she smiled at them as she passed. She seemed in a hurry, though, and didn't say anything. Harry, watching her make her way down the corridor, found himself wondering what she and Snufflegint had been doing near the Forbidden Forest.

Professor McGonagall now came marching out of the classroom together with Robert. She ignored them, but Robert gave Shan a smile as he went past. He looked smaller than ever next to Professor McGonagall, because she was so tall.