By the time they left the Headmaster's Office, it was already late. Their conversations at The Hog's Head and in the Headmaster's Office had taken far too long.
In short, Dumbledore had answered nearly all the questions that had puzzled Jon for years.
And after the devastating blow dealt during the battle at the Department of Mysteries, Voldemort and the Death Eaters were badly shaken. They wouldn't be able to stir up much trouble anytime soon. After a brief discussion, Jon and Dumbledore decided to maintain the status quo for now and not rush to destroy Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes. Given the current situation, Voldemort's side was undoubtedly more anxious than theirs…
However, Dumbledore didn't seem to take Jon's idea of "preventing death" seriously. Jon, on the other hand, felt fairly confident. Compared to the original story in his previous life, things now were hundreds of times better. As long as Dumbledore avoided Marvolo Gaunt's ring, Jon honestly couldn't see how he could possibly lose…
Overall, most of the news was good.
Except for the matter concerning Astoria… Although Dumbledore spoke of it only briefly, there had been no hint of humor in his tone. Jon could tell immediately that Astoria's condition was truly grave…
...
With the iron ring back on his finger, he walked down the castle corridors.
Students from every house pointed at Christopher Patrick openly as he passed.
After all, news of Umbridge's injury and Dumbledore's reinstatement had already spread through the whole school over the course of the afternoon and evening. So they mocked this former Umbridge lapdog—now a "stray dog"—without restraint.
Harry Potter and his group had also returned to the castle. Mr. Potter's five companions were all seriously injured, some even sent to St. Mungo's, but Harry himself was completely unharmed—not even a single hair out of place.
To everyone's eyes, he'd become nothing short of a hero.
When he appeared in the corridor, countless students swarmed him with praise—
"Harry... Has You-Know-Who really come back... Did Professor Dumbledore and Professor Moody stop him?"
"You fought the Death Eaters... I heard you took down three of them by yourself... That's so cool!"
"I heard you were the one who caught the infamous Bellatrix Lestrange—how in the world did you do it?"
Spotting Harry Potter from afar, Jon quickly turned down a different corridor to avoid him.
He didn't want any extra trouble at the very end of term.
...
When Jon stepped into the Slytherin common room, the atmosphere felt noticeably heavier. Not every Slytherin student was a Death Eater, but most were quiet supporters or sympathizers of Voldemort.
Draco Malfoy and Sean Avery sat silently in a corner. Both their fathers had taken part in the battle at the Department of Mysteries and had been captured alive by the Aurors. They were probably already in Azkaban.
Worse still, the whole school now knew they were sons of Death Eaters…
The other would-be Death Eaters of the Knights of Walpurgis, though not as devastated as Malfoy and Avery, still looked miserable… It had to be said, the Dark Lord's defeat at the Department of Mysteries hit them hard—especially when they heard that all twelve Death Eaters involved had been captured, and the Dark Lord himself had barely escaped...
"Good evening!" Jon called out, doing his best not to sound too cheerful.
Most people only gave him a slight nod. Only Pansy Parkinson softly said, "Hello, Christopher..."
Jon walked over and sat beside Malfoy. "I'm very sorry, Draco… I heard about your father."
"Christopher... thank you..." Malfoy whispered, his voice barely audible.
"There's nothing to be sorry about!" Selwyn said arrogantly from nearby. "Draco, your father is nothing but a disgraced failure... He ran headfirst into the trap set by the Order of the Phoenix and the Ministry like an idiot—he couldn't even handle a handful of sixteen-year-olds!"
"My father isn't... He just made a mistake..." Malfoy muttered weakly.
"Right, and his mistake nearly ruined everything. I imagine the Dark Lord despises him," Selwyn said bluntly. "You can only hope the Dark Lord overthrows the Ministry soon, frees your father from Azkaban, and mercifully forgives him... If I were you, I'd keep your distance from him whenever the Dark Lord is present!"
The dozen aspiring Death Eaters present had clearly split into two sides. But those supporting Draco Malfoy seemed to be only Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson.
"Perhaps you should distance yourself from the son of a failure, Christopher," Tiffany Selwyn said as she seated herself gracefully beside Jon. "Otherwise, if the Dark Lord takes his anger out on you... that wouldn't be good."
"Thank you for the warning, Tiffany!" Jon said, giving her a polite bow.
"I hope you'll seriously consider my invitation... You could visit the Selwyn Manor this summer. My parents have long enjoyed the Dark Lord's trust. You might even meet the Dark Lord himself—I'm sure he would appreciate you..."
"I'm very grateful for your kindness," Jon said earnestly. "But I believe that in a few days, I'll be returning to France."
"What do you mean?" Selwyn's face darkened, and the surrounding Death Eaters stared at him in surprise.
"Have you forgotten my identity? I'm an exchange student from Beauxbatons!" Jon said with a smile. "My year-long exchange period has ended. Perhaps it's time for us to part."
"Nott's father works in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. He could easily have you made a real Hogwarts student..." Selwyn said with a frown.
"I'm honored, truly—but my decision is made," Jon replied calmly. "As a Seer, I stand only with the side I know will prevail."
"You mean... the Dark Lord will eventually... lose..." Selwyn stammered.
"No, I never said that," Jon said, shaking his head meaningfully. "Don't twist my words… Good luck, everyone… I hope we have the chance to meet again."
Raising his voice deliberately, Jon patted Malfoy on the shoulder, gave him a nod, and then strode toward the dormitory.