As the saying goes, a crisis can also be an opportunity.
Umbridge had caused enormous problems, but for some wizards, this was precisely the perfect chance.
The more exceptional the wizard, the greater their ambition and goals tended to be.
And anyone who could become a Prefect was, by definition, far from ordinary. How many of them lacked ambition entirely, or had no plans for their future at all?
Those people didn't really exist, or at least were extremely rare.
So compared to someone like Penelope, who had little interest in status or power, most of the Prefects present were already itching to seize the moment, eager to stand up and make themselves heard.
It wasn't necessarily about solving the problem. What mattered was making sure everyone noticed them through it.
Among them, the wizard whose heart was the most unsettled, and who was most eager to grasp this opportunity, was probably Cedric Diggory.
...
Speaking of which, Hufflepuff's great hope hadn't been having the best run of luck lately.
Back during the Triwizard Tournament, he had been the wizard who met the age requirement. By every standard, he had been the most qualified candidate. The Champion position should have been his for the taking, yet it slipped right through his fingers, lost to Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter.
If he had only lost to Draco Malfoy, Cedric might not have felt quite so miserable.
But finding out that he had also lost to Harry Potter completely shattered the composure he had barely been holding together.
Why should he lose to Harry Potter, a boy whose only visible talent lay in Quidditch?
And after finally pulling himself together, Cedric Diggory discovered that the moment he entered seventh year, his dream of becoming Head Boy had also collapsed.
Without exception, he had lost again to a Gryffindor student.
Favoritism.
If it had happened just once, perhaps it wouldn't have meant much. But when the same thing happened a second time, then a third, it was no longer a coincidence.
It was an inevitability that Cedric Diggory refused to accept, and one he was powerless to change.
And all of it stemmed from the favoritism of Dumbledore.
The unrestricted point awards during the House Cup, the fact that Gryffindor students had gone unchosen for Head Boy in recent years, and the Champion selection that came without reason or explanation.
The more he thought about it, the darker his thoughts became. The deeper he dug, the more resentment built up. As time passed and one "inevitability" followed another, all of it became a sharp thorn lodged deep in Cedric Diggory's heart.
Sometimes, Cedric Diggory even wondered whether, if it weren't for the rule preventing two students from the same house from serving as Head Boy and Head Girl at the same time, and if Dumbledore hadn't known better than to make things too obvious—
Perhaps even Penelope's position as Head Girl would have been taken by a Gryffindor student, even if Penelope herself might not have cared in the slightest.
'Someone like that… what right does he have to be Head Boy?'
"Cedric?"
"I'm fine."
He gave Cho Chang a smile to show he was all right. In reality, the fist hidden beneath the table was clenched so tightly it had turned pale.
Letting out a slow breath, Cedric Diggory finally calmed himself. Only then did he narrow his eyes and look toward the Gryffindor Head Boy seated at the head of the table.
Compared to Penelope's composure and intellect, this Gryffindor Head Boy seemed painfully ordinary. If anything, he looked less like a Head Boy and more like Penelope's… admirer.
No wonder Cedric Diggory felt so unwilling to accept it.
In the end, the only thing that made him seem "better" was his status as a Gryffindor student.
…
Cedric Diggory's subtle shift in mindset went largely unnoticed by the other wizards, with the exception of his girlfriend, Cho Chang.
As for Draco, he had no interest in paying attention to a male wizard who had nothing to do with him.
As the student meeting continued, time slipped by unnoticed, and before anyone realized it, noon had arrived.
It had to be said that anyone capable of becoming a Prefect was far from ordinary. Over the course of the discussion, quite a few substantial points were raised, and several wizards even proposed solutions that sounded reasonably viable.
Among them, the most eye-catching figure was undoubtedly Cedric Diggory.
"Draco, what do you think?"
Having been bored enough to secretly toy with Draco's palm, Pansy probably felt she should at least make a token effort to participate. So, right as the meeting was drawing to a close, she leaned in and asked him quietly.
It probably made her feel involved.
"What do you mean?"
"About Umbridge, the problems with class content, all that sort of thing."
"Mm… I'd say it treats the symptoms, not the root of the problem."
"Mm-hm."
Pansy didn't seem to be looking for a serious answer in the first place. That perfunctory response earned her a mildly annoyed pinch to her soft palm from Draco.
He had his reasons for saying that, after all.
The Prefects here didn't really know how the whole situation had unfolded. In the end, the core issue wasn't Umbridge herself, nor was it some Educational Decree that would be rolled out in a few days.
It was—
"Draco!"
"Hermione?"
"What exactly have you two been doing behind my back?"
Just as Draco was deep in thought, Hermione's indignant voice suddenly rang out beside him.
Only then did he snap back to reality and realize that the meeting had already ended.
As for why Hermione was upset, the reason was obvious. Pansy's flushed cheeks, and the small hand still clasped in Draco's.
In short, she was jealous.
"I mean, we were having such a serious discussion just now, and you two—hmph!"
"..."
Alright. On this point, Draco really had no way to argue, nor could he offer any explanation.
Instead, Pansy lifted her chin smugly, deliberately provoking Hermione with that satisfied little expression. Hermione's eyelid twitched in response.
At that moment, Penelope, who had just finished exchanging a few words with the other Prefects, walked over to them.
Smiling, she looked over the three of them, clearly noting how close they were.
"So? How was your first student meeting?"
Draco returned her smile with a proper aristocratic bow. Hermione nodded eagerly, while Pansy, aside from when she was with Draco, immediately slipped back into her usual cool and aloof demeanor around others.
Their completely different reactions made Penelope blink with mild amusement.
"Oh? I thought you might be nervous. After all, I didn't hear any suggestions from you during the meeting."
"Listening to Slytherin's opinions? Penelope, I don't think that's necessary."
"Kesar!"
Only then did Draco and the others learn that the male Head Boy's name was Kesar.
Still… where exactly was that sudden hostility coming from?