Draco Malfoy looked up at Professor Snape. Madam Pomfrey had returned him back to health, but he would rather have spent some additional time in the infirmary and given the head of his house time to cool off. Unfortunately, he had been discharged despite his complaints about pain and needing time to recover from a serious injury. "Do you recall," he asked dryly, "the lecture I delivered on your first night in Hogwarts?"
"Yes sir," Draco replied, puzzled.
"What will I not tolerate?" Snape continued.
"The stupid and the inept," Draco answered, frowning.
"Correct. Now, can you explain why what you did was stupid, or are you utterly hopeless."
"I didn't check to see if a professor had come."
"Mr. Malfoy, while you certainly made a mistake in getting caught, that is not what I was referring to. I also don't expect someone your evidently poor wit to realize why it was blindingly obvious Miss Hellsing would confront you. No, that much would be more than you could deduce. However, even one of your distinctly limited faculties should have realized the importance of avoiding antagonizing young Miss Hellsing."
"She's a dirty mudblood," Draco protested.
"Yes she is," Snape agreed sardonically. "Neither her mother nor her father can use magic. However, seeing as her father is the head of the Hellsing agency, a wise person might not mention it to her face. But perhaps you don't believe in respecting family connections," Snape's tone was extremely dry. "Even so, one would have thought you would consider that Miss Hellsing will someday hold the position her father now holds. A position that many would consider only slightly less powerful than that of the Minister of Magic. Perhaps you thought that others would wonder at your power and confidence because you offended such a girl so casually. If that was your intention, then it was incredibly stupid. Hopefully you're just amazingly thoughtless."
Draco bristled. Sure, Hellsing might seem like an important organization to a school teacher, but all they really did was clean up what the aurors missed. No one should speak to him this way, not with his family, not with his father's power.
"I think I'll hold off on deciding your punishment," Snape continued, "until the end of the day. What I choose, and how I choose to deliver it, will depend upon what steps you take to mitigate your offense. You can expect that whatever I decide it will mitigate any Hellsing hostility towards this House and myself that you have failed to deal with."
Integra silently thanked God that Professor McGonagall waited until she had dropped Harry off with the Quidditch team and they were alone before she disciplined Integra.
"Miss Hellsing, I understand that you were provoked, and Mr. Malfoy had taken another student's property," Professor McGonagall began. "Because of that I am inclined to be lenient. However, you assaulted a fellow student; one that, from the complaints he was spewing, is not going to just let the matter drop. Harry I can let off without any formal punishment, as he wasn't involved in the attack, but you will have to be disciplined. In the future, you should seek out a teacher if another student is misbehaving. We cannot have the students assailing each other over every imagined slight or infraction of the rules."
"So I am to be punished only for the assault itself?" Integra asked neutrally.
"I'm afraid so, dear. I'm going to have to strip twenty points from Gryffindor."
"Professor McGonagall, I must respectfully submit that you have no authority to discipline me upon that matter," Integra countered calmly.
"What are you talking about?" McGonagall asked, traces of irritation creeping into her voice.
"I am the heir to the Hellsing organization and thus a member," Integra explained. "The terms of the Hellsing charter from the Crown is quite clear. As the strong arm of the Church of England and the Lord, we are to deal with the supernatural menaces that threaten the subjects of the British Empire. However, we are also specifically tasked in the charter with dealing with heretics, pagans, and blasphemers. Draco Malfoy referred to both the Church of England and the Lord Almighty with a tone of disrespect and derision, and he was punished for it. Only my superior in Hellsing, my father, may punish me for my actions."
"Child, you will not have me believing that Hellsing hunts down every person that disrespects your religion," McGonagall countered. Integra shrugged.
"It is a tolerant time, and we do not pursue or punish such as a rule, even the Papists have simmered down into a grudging tolerance. However, such kindness should not be taken as licence. It has been decades since a person blasphemed in the presence of a Hellsing, and they were never able to speak again. Mr. Malfoy suffered lightly, in comparison. I will, of course, write my father and explain what happened and await his judgement. You are welcome to append your own comments and recommendations, of course."
Professor McGonagall sighed. "No child, I believe you'll tell the entire tail. I do want to know what your father's rely is, however. I guess I'll just have to let you off with a warning," the professor's tone had become light. Integra stifled a smile; she had guessed that the professor hadn't wanted to punish her. "I must insist, and this is not flexible," the tone was steel hard, now, "that you, at a minimum, discuss any further actions in your capacity as a member of Hellsing with Headmaster Dumbledore. The only exception is if it is a matter of life or limb."
"That seems reasonable," Integra replied.
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