HP: I'm Not Here to Rule the Wizarding World

Ariana struck first, asking in a perfectly calm tone, "If I refuse to answer, Professor, does that mean you'll use Prior Incantato on my wand? Invading my right to privacy?"

In countries that valued human rights, such behavior would be utterly unacceptable. Unfortunately, the wizarding world didn't exactly share those values.

Professor Snape didn't hesitate in the slightest. He coldly nodded, "I wouldn't rule out that possibility."

He looked at Ariana as though it was perfectly reasonable, his gaze sharp and scrutinizing.

Seeing his attitude, combined with how viciously he treated Harry Potter before, Ariana immediately concluded that he was simply a terrible person.

She glared at him and pressed, "If that's the case, as Head of Slytherin, please schedule me a meeting with Professor Dumbledore immediately. I want to discuss my withdrawal from Hogwarts."

Snape was briefly stunned, then let out a cold laugh. "Causing trouble with Professor McGonagall wasn't enough? Now you're going straight to Dumbledore? You foolish troll."

McGonagall had already spoken to Snape, so he was well aware that Ariana had raised the issue of dropping out.

Like McGonagall, Snape thought it was perfectly normal for Muggle-born students to need some time to adjust after arriving at Hogwarts.

But no one had ever actually tried to quit. To him, Ariana's so-called withdrawal was nothing more than empty words.

McGonagall had originally planned to address Ariana's complaints about his teaching methods, but after hearing Snape shamelessly call her a "foolish troll," she had swallowed her words.

She'd intended to resolve the housing issue first, but before she could act, Ariana clearly had no intention of waiting.

"So you all thought I was joking about dropping out?" Ariana said firmly, her eyes blazing. "I've already made up my mind. Whether or not you approve, I won't be coming back after Christmas."

From Snape's words, Ariana realized that McGonagall hadn't mentioned her dissatisfaction with the teaching.

Snape stared at her, baffled.Why was she so different from the other students, who were all fascinated by magic? Why did she care about things no one else did?

"You're really dropping out because the dorms don't have private bathrooms?" Snape asked, genuinely confused.

Ariana didn't bother to cover for McGonagall and answered bluntly, "Apparently, she hasn't told you about my complaints regarding your teaching style. It's not just about the dorms. I'm also extremely dissatisfied with your methods."

"Very well. Talking back to a professor, challenging a professor Slytherin loses twenty points," Snape snapped, now clearly furious.

Ariana sneered. "Why not just make it fifty points? Might as well wipe out all of Slytherin's house points while you're at it."

"You've got nothing to lose now that you want to drop out, is that it?" Snape asked coldly.

"Exactly," Ariana admitted openly. "What's there to be afraid of? What can you do? Threaten to keep an eye on me? Dock house points? I'm already quitting. I couldn't care less."

Draco, who had been watching the situation spiral out of control, tugged on Ariana's sleeve, hoping to calm her down.

But she wasn't willing to cooperate this time. Ariana shook his hand off and kept going, exchanging harsher and harsher words with Snape.

The argument quickly escalated to the point where they both drew their wands.

Snape cast Langlock, aiming to seal her tongue and silence her, but Ariana reacted swiftly, blocking it with Protego, then fired back with Incendio.

Their duel grew fiercer by the second. A few terrified Gryffindor students ran to find Professor McGonagall.

When McGonagall arrived, she walked in just in time to see Snape casting powerful spells and Ariana retaliating with curses.

"Stop it right now!" McGonagall shouted.

But neither of them stopped. If anything, their duel intensified. Ariana, struggling to keep up, even cast Entrail-Expelling Curse twice in desperation.

McGonagall had no choice but to conjure a towering iron wall between them using Transfiguration, cutting off their line of sight and finally forcing them to cool down a little.

Her gaze swept the classroom. "Would someone please tell me what exactly just happened here?"

Snape was the first to speak, eager to cast himself as the victim. "Our little prodigy, Miss Corrine, has managed to learn quite a few spells after just one week at Hogwarts curses, even! Including the Entrail-Expelling Curse."

Ariana coldly shot back, "I don't know all the spells you've been casting, but the last one was definitely dark magic, I could feel it."

Snape was an adult wizard skilled in silent casting, so Ariana hadn't heard his incantations. But the flow of magical energy didn't lie.

"I'm not asking about the spells you used. I'm asking why you started fighting in the first place," McGonagall pressed.

Ariana quickly jumped in, "It was Professor Snape who attacked me first. How was I supposed to know he wasn't using the Killing Curse? Of course I had to fight back."

The entire room fell deathly silent at the mention of the Killing Curse.

McGonagall's expression turned grave. "Corrine, how do you know about the Killing Curse?"

"It's common knowledge," Ariana replied matter-of-factly. "Anyone who's read modern wizarding history knows Harry Potter's scar was caused by the Killing Curse."

"If you're asking whether I've learned that curse, the answer is no," she added, looking directly into McGonagall's eyes without flinching.

McGonagall couldn't tell if she was lying, but Ariana's attitude toward dark magic was undeniably reckless.

McGonagall remembered Dumbledore's description of Tom Riddle. Unlike Ariana, Riddle had always been polite and excelled in school. He would never have so openly discussed Unforgivable Curses.

Ariana was simply too brazen.

"So you plan to learn the Killing Curse?" McGonagall asked, her tone sharpening.

"Of course. If that curse exists, dark wizards will definitely use it. To protect my own life, I have to know how to counter it," Ariana said seriously.

McGonagall was momentarily speechless. She decided to let Dumbledore deal with this.

"Snape said you used the Entrail-Expelling Curse. Where did you learn that?" McGonagall asked.

The Room of Requirement was Ariana and Draco's secret base. She wasn't about to expose it.

"I bought a bunch of second-hand books in Diagon Alley," Ariana said smoothly. "New books were too expensive, so I went to a second-hand shop. Besides textbooks, I picked up quite a few obscure spellbooks. One of them had a detailed breakdown of the Entrail-Expelling Curse."

McGonagall was deeply worried. They hadn't even dealt with the last Dark Lord, and it seemed Hogwarts was already nurturing another one.

"Bring all your books to my office. Practicing spells unsupervised is extremely dangerous," McGonagall ordered sternly.

Ariana wasn't about to back down. "Why should I? I paid for those books myself. And after everything, you're still not letting me quit?"

McGonagall suddenly realized something. "You started this fight to force your way out of Hogwarts, didn't you?"

"That wasn't my intention at first," Ariana admitted, "but if I can leave because of it, that's fine by me."

McGonagall sighed. "I can't handle this anymore. Come with me to the Headmaster's office. Now."

Most students would be terrified to be called to the Headmaster's office. But Ariana wasn't afraid in the slightest in fact, she seemed eager.

"Perfect. Hopefully, Professor Dumbledore can approve my withdrawal," she said with genuine anticipation.

Snape naturally had to go too, along with Draco, who had stayed silent throughout the entire exchange.

Neither McGonagall nor Snape told Draco to leave. They both hoped his presence might help persuade Ariana to stay.

After Ariana's initial conversation with McGonagall, Dumbledore had already contacted several Board members to discuss increasing the budget to improve student housing.

Since their own children would also attend Hogwarts, the Board approved the funding without complaint.

Dumbledore had planned to meet with McGonagall that very day to decide which dormitories to renovate first.

When he saw who had arrived at his office, he immediately realized Ariana hadn't waited she had caused another stir to force her way to him.