Chapter 25: Rescue and Fury

As Hannah plummeted toward the earth, gasps of pure horror erupted from the students below. Apart from Ciel, who was closest to Hannah, no one had any idea what had happened. All they could see was a girl, their classmate, suddenly dropping from the sky like a stone. Ciel, however, had seen the second flash of light from the tower. He glanced in that direction just in time to see the hurried, retreating figures of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. A cold, dangerous glint flashed in his eyes. So it was Malfoy's doing. That light must have been some kind of stunning device. His own Legendary-level resistance to such effects was practically absolute; even a powerful Stunning Spell would have trouble fazing him, let alone some low-grade alchemical toy a first-year could get his hands on. But Hannah had been caught in the crossfire. A surge of cold fury, sharp and sudden, coursed through him. Malfoy was exactly as he remembered from the books: a vile, cowardly little bully. But there was no time to deal with him now. Ciel wrenched his broomstick into a sharp, diving arc, chasing after Hannah's free-falling form. Down on the ground, the flying lesson had devolved into chaos. Some of the more timid students couldn't bear to watch, covering their eyes, terrified of the bloody scene they were about to witness. Madam Hooch's face had gone deathly pale. She urged her own broom forward, flying as fast as she could, but Hannah's fall had been too sudden. Even with her speed, it was too late. Her heart sank. The best she could do now was cast a cushioning charm, but a fall from that height... broken bones were a certainty. A head injury, even death, was a terrifying possibility. Just as a sense of utter despair settled over her, she saw it: an arc of movement, as swift and sharp as a bolt of lightning. A figure on a broomstick, moving with the speed and agility of a hunting hawk, was closing the distance to Hannah with impossible speed. "Is that Ciel?" "He's flying so fast!" "He's almost got her! Come on, Ciel!" The students held their breath, a fragile hope blooming in their chests, only to see it wither as Hannah grew closer and closer to the ground. Ciel was fast, but it wasn't enough. Madam Hooch waved her wand, her heart in her throat, casting an invisible barrier just above the ground, hoping to lessen the impact. It was at that moment that Ciel did something astonishing. He stood up on his broomstick. The immense force of his push caused the wood to bend, groaning in protest. Then, using it as a springboard, he launched himself into the air like a cannonball. Just as Hannah was about to slam into the magical barrier, Ciel shot beneath her, using his own body as a cushion. THUMP. The dull, sickening sound of impact echoed across the field. The two of them fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Everyone rushed over, the air eerily silent. Madam Hooch, her face ashen, was already preparing to levitate them both to the hospital wing. She had seen Ciel hit the barrier, had seen him take the full force of Hannah's fall. How many bones must be broken? But the next moment, Ciel sprang up from the ground with a graceful flip, landing lightly on his feet. He let out a long, shaky breath. That was close. If anything had happened to Hannah, my Goldfish Vine cultivation would have been severely impacted. As for his own injuries, his Legendary-level vitality had already negated them. At that moment, Hannah, who had been unconscious, opened her eyes, her expression dazed. "What... what happened?" A collective sigh of relief washed over the students. Madam Hooch felt her legs go weak with a mixture of fear and adrenaline. She grabbed Hannah's hand, her voice a mixture of anger and concern. "Hannah Abbott! Did you not eat? Do you have anemia? You must tell me your physical condition before flying! Ten points from Hufflepuff!" Then, she turned to Ciel, her expression one of pure admiration. "Beautiful flying skills," she said, her voice full of awe. "And the courage to risk yourself to save another. Ciel Sprout, fifteen points to Hufflepuff!" Ciel took a deep breath. Looking at Hannah's tear-filled eyes and Madam Hooch's still-furious face, he recounted what he had seen. "I saw Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle leaving the tower. I saw a flash of light. I think it was meant to make me fall. Hannah was just caught in the crossfire." As soon as the words were out, Madam Hooch's eyes widened, her face becoming even more ashen. "If that's true," she hissed, "then they will not get away with such malicious behavior." She then gathered Ciel, Hannah, and the now-furious Hufflepuffs, and marched them back to the castle. "Nonsense!" Snape's voice was a low, dangerous snarl. He unceremoniously refuted Madam Hooch's account. "Malfoy and his friends are injured and still in the infirmary. How could they have done such a thing? Furthermore, our Slytherin students have a sense of proportion. They would never do something so reckless." His cold eyes darted to Ciel and Hannah. "Perhaps it was simply a reflection of sunlight," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Some people always like to blame their own mistakes on others." At that moment, the door to Snape's office was thrown open with such force that it slammed against the stone wall. Professor Sprout, having heard what had happened, burst in, her face a mask of fury. She immediately rushed to Ciel, her hands fluttering over him as she checked for injuries. Then, she took Hannah's hand and pulled the trembling girl behind her. "Our Hufflepuff students do not lie," she said, her voice shaking with rage. "Severus, your students went too far! This matter must be accounted for!" Snape just snorted. "Hufflepuff doesn't lie? Professor, young wizards are the best liars, as we all know. To accuse someone, you need evidence. Do you really expect to expel the son of a distinguished school governor based on your nephew's one-sided statement?" He sneered. "The school board would not agree." Professor Sprout looked ready to explode. The badgers present had never seen their gentle Head of House so furious. She was like a protective mother badger confronting a venomous snake. The argument raged until Dumbledore arrived, but even he could not resolve the matter. What Snape said was, infuriatingly, true. Without evidence, they couldn't convict Malfoy. And as long as no student was seriously harmed, the board would never approve a formal investigation into the son of a powerful governor. In the end, Dumbledore could only make a symbolic announcement. "This matter requires further investigation." Back in the common room, Professor Sprout's face was still thunderous. The little badgers, too, were filled with an uncharacteristic anger. Hufflepuff was the most united house. An injury to one was an injury to all. "Ciel, we believe you," one of them said firmly. "We won't let Malfoy get away with this." Ciel took a deep breath, Snape's mocking expression still vivid in his mind. He realized that while Snape might have his own deep-seated loyalties, he was also infuriatingly, unreasonably protective of his own. Since reason wouldn't work, Ciel would have to fight fire with fire. He turned to his aunt. "I have a way," he said, his voice cold and steady. "A way to punish Malfoy severely. And a way to make Professor Snape utterly speechless." (End of Chapter) *** [Check Out My Patreon For More Chapters On All Of My Fanfics!!] [www. [email protected]/meowthtl] [+300 Power Stones = +1 Bonus Chapter] [+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter] [Thank You For Your Support!]