Chapter 332: Harry "Loses"
October arrived quietly, bringing with it a damp chill that clung to the castle walls and crept into every corridor.
Not long after, a sudden wave of colds swept through Hogwarts, catching both students and professors off guard. Even Madam Pomfrey—usually calm and unshakable—found herself flustered.
Her go-to remedy, the Invigorating Draught, worked instantly.
Unfortunately, its side effects were… memorable.
Anyone who drank it would have steam puffing from their ears for several hours afterward.
Ginny Weasley became one of its most unfortunate victims.
Ever since Harry had taken to staying almost exclusively in the Ravenclaw common room, Ginny—somehow influenced by his habits—had also adopted what could only be described as a Ravenclaw-style reclusive lifestyle. Other than attending classes, she rarely left the common room.
So when the sudden cold snap arrived, she completely forgot to add extra layers beneath her robes.
After a particularly damp Herbology lesson, she paid the price.
Feeling guilty, Ron immediately begged Madam Pomfrey for a large bottle of the potion.
Ginny had resisted at first.
But under Harry's silent stare—and Ron's relentless insistence—she eventually gave in.
The result was immediate.
Steam billowed out from beneath her bright red hair, making it look as though her entire head was on fire.
Ginny was so furious afterward that she refused to speak to Ron for several days.
When she did run into Harry, however, she reverted to her old habits—blushing the moment their eyes met.
Harry, Ron, and the others hardly noticed.
For days, rain hammered against the castle windows like bullets. The Black Lake swelled dangerously high, the flower beds turned into muddy disasters, and Hagrid's pumpkins ballooned until they were nearly the size of his hut.
Quidditch practice was suspended.
Not just for Gryffindor—but for Slytherin and Hufflepuff as well.
After all, not every house had a captain as fanatically dedicated as Oliver Wood.
As a result, Harry, Ron, Draco, and the others finally had time to gather and discuss the aftermath of the strange dream—huddled in a quiet corner of the Ravenclaw common room.
The downside?
Draco's hairline had visibly retreated.
After all, students from other houses had only one way to enter Ravenclaw Tower:
Answer the riddle posed by the eagle-headed door knocker.
Correctly.
"Um… what information have you gathered?" Harry asked, clearing his throat.
"I know how Voldemort found out about my father's wand—and why he became interested in it," Ron said, raising his hand proudly.
He glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, completely ignoring the strange smile creeping onto Draco's face.
"You all know Ginny hasn't been speaking to me lately."
"So I tried to get Luna to help smooth things over."
"What I didn't expect was that Luna asked me about the Elder Wand. She knew Draco and I were friends."
"Then I found The Quibbler," Ron continued, pulling out a wrinkled magazine.
"There was a picture of Draco's dad grinning while holding a wand that looked ridiculously powerful."
"I read it several times," he added hurriedly,
"and it has nothing to do with your father unconsciously licking his lips!"
Draco stared at him for a moment.
"…So you haven't been gathering information," he said calmly.
"You've been putting all your effort into making up with Ginny."
Ron froze.
"This report was also published in the Daily Prophet," Draco continued, pulling out a newspaper.
The article had reprinted The Quibbler's report in full—along with an additional photo of Lucius Malfoy arriving at Hogwarts, holding the so-called Elder Wand, and leaving without it.
"My father was obviously unhappy."
"That wand isn't as powerful as people think," Draco said quietly.
"At least, it never gave him the confidence to face Voldemort head-on."
"So after receiving my letter, he handed it over to Dumbledore—and even deliberately let Rita Skeeter photograph it to spread the misinformation."
"Ahem," Ron scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"You all know the Weasleys care about family more than anything."
At that moment, Harry suddenly remembered a particular photograph from the Daily Prophet.
Arthur Weasley had just issued the decree regarding Azkaban—announcing the transfer of minor criminals to a newly built prison.
During the interview, a gust of wind had mercilessly swept his thinning hair backward, revealing the isolated island prison behind him all too clearly.
"Harry! Harry!"
Ron shook him hard.
The image of a bald Arthur Weasley vanished, replaced by Ron's worried face.
"Oh—sorry," Harry said quickly.
"I was just thinking."
"The new prison—the Cage—it's meant to house criminals who don't deserve a lifetime in Azkaban."
"I think Mr. Weasley wanted to prevent Voldemort from harming them if he ever entered Azkaban."
Harry finished in one breath, only then realizing how convincing he sounded.
Ron and even Draco nodded.
"That was in the Daily Prophet too," Draco said, slightly disappointed.
"What else can we do?" Ron spread his hands.
"We're students. We're at Hogwarts."
"Our families are busy handling the aftermath of the dream."
"I think we've done pretty well already."
"I agree with Sirius," Ron added.
"We should focus on studying."
"And you should focus on Pansy and Quidditch," he said pointedly at Draco.
"Wasn't I the one who suggested collecting information?" Harry asked suddenly.
"Huh?" Ron blinked.
"Let's talk about something more interesting," Draco cut in quickly.
He was irritated that Ron had tried to deflect attention—but starting an argument here would only attract unwanted eyes.
"Well, the name of the new prison was definitely chosen by my father," Draco said dryly.
"He's terrible at naming things."
"Like how my house is called The Burrow," Ron said gratefully.
"Speaking of gossip," Draco added, lowering his voice,
"I'll tell you something interesting."
"Alexander Smith has been moving back and forth between Hermione and Luna lately."
"He's less like a wizard and more like a Bludger—worse than Fred and George."
Harry exhaled slowly before nodding.
"That friend of yours with almost no presence?"
"Fortunately," Draco said with relief,
"he's hard to notice. Otherwise, Pansy might start reconsidering."
That night, for reasons no one could explain—
Moaning Myrtle somehow broke into Ravenclaw Tower and startled Harry while he was bathing.
(End of Chapter)
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