The moment the name "Voldemort" was spoken, the air seemed to freeze.
But once the initial shock passed, the young wizards were seized by a morbid excitement and a curiosity laced with fear.
At their age, Voldemort's terror existed only in imagination. The fear was instinctive, fleeting. What truly dominated was the thrill of being caught up in something momentous.
Their expressions—scared yet eager to keep listening—were just like people watching a horror film in a cinema.
And Harry Potter did not disappoint...
"He didn't die. That's right! Voldemort is back!"
Once he started, it was as if he couldn't stop. For the second time, everyone heard those three words. Yet this time, there was no chaos like before.
Instead, Harry Potter's fierce, defiant demeanor stirred an inexplicable rush of excitement among the other young Gryffindors.
Standing face-to-face with Umbridge, now cast as the ultimate villain, he openly spoke the name no one else dared to say aloud.
In the eyes of the young lions, Harry Potter seemed to glow. From his actions, they felt they saw four words:
Courage. Justice.
Ignorance breeds fearlessness. Perhaps that was exactly what this moment was.
And the reactions and adoration of those young lions only made Harry Potter more and more worked up as he continued...
"You have no idea what I went through, hah… hah… endless darkness, magic that could drive someone mad. I thought I was going to die! But I didn't. I brought this information back to the wizarding world!"
"Enough! Let me clarify a few things. Someone told you that a certain Dark Wizard rose from the dead… I assume everyone here has read that article in the Daily Prophet. You were deceived, Mr. Potter!"
"I saw him with my own eyes! I fought him!! I was completely conscious!!"
"Ten points from Gryffindor. I suggest you don't make things worse for yourself, Mr. Potter. That is nothing but nonsense."
"It's not nonsense!! And Dumbledore didn't deceive me. You have no idea what he's done!"
Draco tore his gaze away from the increasingly agitated Harry Potter. He had sensed the subtle surge of magic around Umbridge, along with the nearly imperceptible flick of her wand.
That strange change seemed to occur the moment Harry Potter mentioned Dumbledore.
At the same time, the magic capable of influencing the mind appeared to intensify...
'I know what this is… Legilimens!!'
Draco abruptly lifted his head, staring at the black velvet bow perched atop Umbridge's head—the only black shape in that sea of pink.
With his sharp instincts, Draco recalled what he had once read in books about Legilimens...
Legilimens.
A powerful Charm subject to strict legal regulation, one that had nearly been classified as dark magic.
It could extract emotions and memories directly from a person's mind, an intensely invasive and malicious form of magic...
Generally speaking, several conditions had to be met to cast this Charm.
First, eye contact.
Second, verbal guidance.
Beyond that, the success rate depended on how close the caster could draw to the target, whether physically or psychologically. The caster needed to shorten that distance.
Only by lowering the target's guard, or preventing them from thinking clearly enough to defend themselves, could the Charm become more effective and uncover deeper secrets.
Trust and carelessness were the key tricks behind this spell...
It was said that a truly powerful Legilimens master could succeed without the target noticing at all, even from the very first glance.
But judging by the noticeable disturbance in the room, Umbridge was clearly no such master. Without exposing herself, this was the only way she could coax Harry Potter into saying it himself.
And for Harry Potter, who had never even heard of Legilimens, this setup already seemed more than enough...
"Detention, Mr. Potter! Tomorrow evening, in my office. And for the last time, this is utter nonsense!"
"And I'll say it again. This is not nonsense!"
"I have said enough! The Ministry guarantees that you will not face any danger from Dark Wizards. If you still have doubts, you are welcome to come see me after class. If someone is frightening you with stories about Dark Wizards returning from the dead, I would be very interested to hear it. I am always ready to help."
She spoke of help, but that cold, eerie smile made Draco certain that such "help" would be anything but pleasant.
Just as everyone thought the matter would end there, with Umbridge having issued her punishment, Harry Potter showed no fear at all toward the so-called detention. He raised his voice and shouted,
"This isn't nonsense. I can guarantee it! The Orde—"
That was it!
At the very moment Harry Potter was about to blurt it out, Draco saw the magic around Umbridge surge violently, nearly spiraling out of control. Her eyes bulged, as if they might burst from their sockets in the next second.
Unfortunately, someone appeared out of nowhere and cut Harry Potter off...
"I seem to have heard you discussing matters related to me. Though it appears I've arrived at a rather inconvenient moment."
The voice carried a note of restrained anger and stern authority.
The moment that person appeared, the oppressive mental pressure shattered instantly. It was clear that Umbridge's Legilimency had failed.
"Dumbledore."
Umbridge slowly withdrew the wand in her hand, the unmistakable look of wariness spreading across her face.
As for Harry Potter, his expression twisted with both embarrassment and relief, as though he had only just realized what he had nearly revealed.
Though he didn't fully understand what had happened, Harry Potter was far from foolish. He immediately shot an angry glare at Umbridge, who stood there as if she had done nothing at all.
Dumbledore's timely arrival, combined with the memory of the confrontation just now, finally made Harry Potter realize something was wrong with himself.
He had come terrifyingly close to revealing information about the Order of the Phoenix.
Cold sweat broke out across his back at the thought, and when he looked at Dumbledore, his eyes were filled with guilt.
When Harry Potter turned back to Umbridge, his gaze burned with fury, along with a murderous intent that even he himself failed to notice...