With such an incident unfolding, the question of who had actually won the World Cup no longer seemed to matter.
Though today's victors were meant to be the stars of the celebration, the moment the green skull appeared in the sky, every wizard's attention shifted away from Quidditch. The planned victory parade was called off, and the evening festivities were canceled altogether...
Strangely, not a single wizard protested or voiced dissatisfaction. After all, that spell—the mark of Voldemort—was unmistakable to anyone in the British wizarding world, and everyone knew exactly what it signified.
For the older generation of wizards, the instant they saw that green skull, the memories of the fear that once gripped them under Voldemort's reign came flooding back. It was the darkest era in the history of the British wizarding world...
Under orders from the Ministry of Magic, wizards—whether aware of what was happening or not—were sent back to their tents. The bewildered and uneasy crowd did not resist, simply obeying instructions and returning quietly to their quarters. Throughout the camp, Aurors could be seen suddenly appearing, patrolling the grounds with heightened vigilance.
Some of the more influential guests were escorted away from the scene under Auror protection.
But that did not include the only two who remained: Draco, and the hostage—no, Astoria—who had finally regained consciousness after taking the potion.
The two of them were now being brought to the Ministry of Magic...
...
The Ministry of Magic.
Abbreviated as M.O.M.
Its predecessor was the Wizengamot, and its highest office was not the current Minister for Magic but the President of the Wizengamot. Only after its reorganization into the Ministry did the title of Minister for Magic come into being.
Following that restructuring, the Ministry established seven departments, dedicated to maintaining the balance between the wizarding and Muggle worlds, and to protecting both wizards and magical creatures.
At this moment, Draco was on his way to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
Though the Ministry's existence was no secret, this was indeed Draco's first time entering the building. Unfortunately, his reason for being here was far from ideal...
Because of the recent events, this massive organization was now operating at full tilt. The moment one stepped inside, it was impossible to miss the Ministry staff hurrying through the corridors, faces drawn tight with anxiety.
Notably, when these employees caught sight of Draco, their expressions almost universally darkened with suspicion and resentment. Whether or not the so-called prank had been real, their workload had clearly skyrocketed overnight. It was no wonder Draco was unwelcome here—especially by the Aurors 'escorting' him. Judging by their looks, he certainly didn't appear to be one of the good guys.
It seemed that overnight, Draco Malfoy had become the villain...
...
Draco, unconcerned by the situation, kept his gaze fixed on the Ministry's architecture. His calm demeanor finally pushed Astoria—who still had no idea what was going on—past her limit.
"I mean, why?"
"Why what?"
"Well... that thing..."
There were simply too many questions swirling in Astoria's mind, leaving her momentarily at a loss for where to begin.
Truthfully, after drinking the potion, Astoria hadn't even processed the moment when Draco personally fed it to her before she found herself dazed and following him and his parents into the Ministry of Magic. Now, she could feel the hostile stares of the wizards surrounding them.
Glancing at Draco's composed expression, Astoria felt a flicker of reassurance. She quietly moved closer to him and lowered her voice.
"Why did we come here?"
"...Barring any surprises, you'll probably read about it in tomorrow's Daily Prophet. Though I doubt it'll be an accurate report."
"...Then why even tell me to read it?"
"It'll cover part of the truth—but enough for you to understand what's going on."
"Alright. Guess I worried for nothing."
Clearly, Astoria wasn't satisfied with Draco's answer. And whether Draco noticed or not, Astoria definitely saw the Aurors walking on either side of them, glaring their way with open hostility.
Realizing this wasn't the place to talk, Astoria gave Draco a sharp look and swallowed her remaining questions.
But just as she gave up, Draco suddenly spoke again.
"Then what about you?"
"Huh?"
Astoria tilted her head, blinking up at him in confusion. She clearly didn't understand what Draco meant or why he was asking.
Before she could say more, the group ahead—Lucius Malfoy, Cornelius Fudge, and the others—came to an abrupt stop.
"...Dumbledore? Why are you here? I thought..."
"Don't be alarmed, my friend. With something like this happening, how could I not come? I thought you might need my help. And don't forget what I told you last time."
"But—"
"Relax. We're the best of friends, aren't we, dear Fudge?"
"Ah... well... yes."
Walking toward them was Dumbledore, his long silver beard swaying lightly. He looked to be in good spirits, while Cornelius Fudge's forced smile was so stiff that anyone could see the tension beneath it.
No one commented on it, though—everyone chose to act as if nothing was amiss.
Dumbledore, seemingly oblivious to Lucius Malfoy standing nearby, stepped up beside Cornelius Fudge.
"So, how are things progressing?"
"...The wand analysis is complete. Aside from traces of the Stunning Spell, there's no sign of any other magic being cast. Of course, we'll continue to investigate... though I suspect this was nothing more than someone's prank...."
"Don't be too optimistic, my friend. My clever student has a knack for surprises—ones people rarely enjoy. Besides, our Mr. Malfoy never lies. Just like Harry."
"...This isn't like Harry's case... Alright, perhaps you're right."
Draco could tell Cornelius Fudge was reluctant, but under the weight of Dumbledore's piercing blue gaze, the Minister of Magic still bent slightly at the waist and forced a nod of agreement.
Draco also noticed something else—none of the surrounding wizards seemed the least bit surprised by the scene. If anything, they acted as though it were perfectly normal.
Or rather...
It was simply to be expected.
After all, that wizard was Dumbledore.
...
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