Was this really something she could just sit here and listen to for free?
Even as that thought kept surfacing in her mind, Penelope didn't move. She stayed firmly in her seat, making no effort whatsoever to leave and give the three of them privacy.
If one insisted, there was perhaps a small part of her that stayed out of concern for her junior. But more than that, it was simple curiosity driving her.
And perhaps… there was also a certain someone involved.
Even though Penelope deliberately put on an indifferent front, there was no way the others could ignore her presence.
Still, none of the three said anything about it.
Luna, the one directly involved, didn't object at all. Ginny likely hadn't thought that far and didn't see any issue with Penelope staying. As for Draco, he simply didn't care.
In short.
The moment Draco spoke with a serious expression, the air grew heavy.
The only sound left was the steady tapping of his fingers against the table.
The rhythmic beat felt like it was striking against their hearts, making all three girls tense up.
Penelope, skilled at reading the room, and Ginny, who was genuinely worried about her friend, both fell silent and turned their attention to Luna, who was idly playing with a necklace hanging at her chest.
The necklace was made from Butterbeer bottle caps. It seemed like this small habit helped her organize her thoughts, or perhaps it was just something she did while thinking about how to respond.
Only Draco, with his sharp eye, picked up on that detail.
...
As Luna continued to give no answer, Penelope began to doubt Draco's earlier assumption.
Meanwhile, Ginny, who could never hide what she was feeling, grew increasingly anxious for Luna, who had once again drifted off.
"Stop spacing out, Luna. Don't you understand what that guy… Draco is asking? Hurry and explain. Why is your family's The Quibbler being targeted by the Ministry of Magic? Come to think of it, I don't really know the full story either."
"So… that's what happened."
With Ginny's words, Penelope, who had been speculating the whole time, finally understood.
But then why had Draco phrased it that way earlier?
Could it really involve some secret of the Ministry?
Draco had no intention of explaining. It had only been a test.
He didn't believe the Ministry, already dealing with both internal and external problems, would waste effort targeting a powerless publication unrelated to the current situation.
Unless there was a hidden reason.
And judging from Luna's reaction, things were clearly not that simple.
After being nudged, Luna finally snapped out of it.
She blinked her silver eyes.
"It's because of the latest issue of The Quibbler."
"So it really is because The Quibbler reported something that caught the Ministry's attention."
Ginny nodded, looking as if she had expected it.
She knew the outcome but not the details. Even so, she could roughly guess the reason.
But what kind of report could provoke such a strong reaction from the Ministry?
It was hard not to be curious.
Strong enough that everyone connected to The Quibbler might be thrown into Azkaban.
Though whether Azkaban was still functioning normally these days was another question, its threat was still very real. If anything, it had only become more dangerous.
Draco didn't respond. He simply watched Luna quietly.
He was certain she knew he wasn't looking for such a vague answer.
Under his gaze, the girl, whose every movement carried a strange, ethereal quality, lightly flicked her carrot-shaped earring.
"A prophecy."
"What is that?"
"What prophecy?"
After such a long silence, that was the answer they got.
It sounded completely unrelated.
Or rather, it wasn't the answer any of them had expected.
"I thought maybe your father had accidentally uncovered something on the Ministry, or exposed some criminal behavior from someone inside. That would make more sense."
"That answer… is definitely unexpected."
Not just Ginny, even Penelope, who had been watching from the side, voiced her reaction.
Only Draco seemed thoughtful.
Most wizards treated prophecy as something with no real magical basis, barely believing in it at all.
But Draco, born into one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight and aware of certain hidden histories, was more inclined to believe Luna.
A true prophecy was something even more mysterious than spells.
Which meant the key lay in what the prophecy actually said.
After their initial surprise, Penelope and Ginny also realized that.
"So that's why there's been no news about the new issue of The Quibbler?"
"Then what exactly does the prophecy say?"
"Yeah."
As Penelope and Ginny pressed for answers, Draco's tapping fingers finally stilled.
What came next would be crucial.
Luna hesitated slightly.
"I'm not entirely sure myself. The only thing I know is that it seems to be closely related to… 'that person.'"
"That person again."
"I see."
Ginny's use of "again" made Draco glance at her briefly before narrowing his eyes at Luna, trying to read whether she was hiding something.
Before he could figure it out, Luna spoke again, saying something that made everyone react.
"The content of what's called the 'Lost Prophecy' should be related to Harry Potter."
"Harry Potter?!"
If it were about Voldemort, the Ministry's extreme reaction would make sense.
But Harry Potter?
And what exactly did "Lost Prophecy" mean?