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Ten minutes later, Snape returned, and sure enough it
was Professor McGonagall who accompanied him. Harry had
seen Professor McGonagall angry on several occasions, but
either he had forgotten just how thin her mouth could go,
or he had never seen her this angry before. She raised her
wand the moment she entered; Harry and Ron both flinched,
but she merely pointed it at the empty fireplace, where
flames suddenly erupted.
"Sit," she said, and they both backed into
chairs by the fire.
"Explain," she said, her glasses glinting ominously.
Ron launched into the story, starting with the barrier
at the station refusing to let them through.
"-so we had no choice, Professor, we couldn't get
on the train."
"Why didn't you send us a letter by owl? I believe
you have an owl?"
Professor McGonagall said coldly to Harry.
Harry gaped at her. Now she said it, that seemed the
obvious thing to have done.
"I - I didn't think -"
"That," said Professor McGonagall, "is
obvious."
There was a knock on the office door and Snape, now looking
happier than ever, opened it. There stood the headmaster,
Professor Dumbledore.
Harry's whole body went numb. Dumbledore was looking
unusually grave. He stared down his very crooked nose at
them, and Harry suddenly found himself wishing he and Ron
were still being beaten up by the Whomping Willow.
There was a long silence. Then Dumbledore said, "Please
explain why you did this."
It would have been better if he had shouted. Harry hated
the disappointment in his voice. For some reason, he was
unable to look Dumbledore in the eyes, and spoke instead
to his knees. He told Dumbledore everything except that
Mr. Weasley owned the bewitched car, making it sound as
though he and Ron had happened to find a flying car parked
outside the station. He knew Dumbledore would see through
this at once, but Dumbledore asked no questions about the
car. When Harry had finished, he merely continued to peer
at them through his spectacles.
"We'll go and get our stuff," said Ron in a hopeless
sort of voice.
"What are you talking about, Weasley?" barked
Professor McGonagall.
"Well, you're expelling us, aren't you?" said Ron.
Harry looked quickly at Dumbledore.
"Not today, Mr. Weasley," said Dumbledore. "But I
must impress upon both of you the seriousness of what you have done. I will be
writing to both your families tonight. I must also warn you that if you do
anything like this again, I will have no choice but to expel you."
Snape looked as though Christmas had been canceled. He cleared
his throat and said, "Professor Dumbledore, these boys have
flouted the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry, caused serious
damage to an old and valuable tree - surely acts of this nature
-"
"It will be for Professor McGonagall to decide on
these boys' punishments, Severus," said Dumbledore
calmly. "They are in her House and are therefore her
responsibility." He turned to Professor McGonagall.
"I must go back to the feast, Minerva, I've got to
give out a few notices. Come, Severus, there's a delicious-looking
custard tart I want to sample -"
Snape shot a look of pure venom at Harry and Ron as he
allowed himself to be swept out of his office, leaving them
alone with Professor McGonagall, who was still eyeing them
like a wrathful eagle.
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