It seemed as though the incident in Transfiguration Class had finally come to an end.
But in truth, the aftermath of that event would ripple out, affecting a great many people, directly or indirectly.
If Cedric Diggory's decision had been puzzling, then Harry Potter's actions that day were nothing short of shocking and unexpected. Yet it also revealed just how important Sirius Black was to Harry.
Harry, who had never known the warmth of family, had found in his godfather a sense of kinship. Seen this way, perhaps his perspective makes sense.
Still, while no enemy lasts forever, given his relationship with Umbridge, that tension was far from something that could be resolved quickly. Or perhaps it's more accurate to say that, despite their personalities clashing to an extreme, these two had somehow ended up in the same orbit...
As Transfiguration Class ended, evening settled over Hogwarts.
"How did it go?"
"No luck. Once he went into Umbridge's office, he didn't come out, and there's no way to get close to it."
"He hasn't appeared again?"
"Hmm… Snape went right away, but he left just as fast."
It was worth noting that Snape had looked furious. Even without Goyle and Crabbe speaking, Draco could sense the near-explosive anger brewing inside him.
As for what they were all plotting…
While listening to Goyle and Crabbe, Draco glanced up at the instructors' table. The chairs that should have been filled with professors were now conspicuously empty.
Looking closer, he could make out whose seats were missing. Dumbledore, who had barely been seen all year and whom Draco had only glimpsed a handful of times, and Professor McGonagall, who never missed a single duty, were both absent.
Not only that, but Snape, Hagrid, and Umbridge were all missing from their usual spots as well.
Ordinarily, a few empty chairs wouldn't raise suspicion, but given recent events, it seemed highly unusual. It was almost as if some unseen force—or person—had detained them...
"Could it be that Voldemort has really infiltrated the Ministry of Magic… and specifically, the highly mysterious Department of Mysteries?"
Seeing the situation, Draco couldn't help but think it.
At the same time, the disappearance of these professors revealed something important. Their absence showed the nature of their connection…
Hermione noticed it too and looked at Draco in surprise.
"Except for Umbridge, these people… they're together, right? Or maybe they're part of the same organization?"
"Obviously. What surprises me is that there are far fewer of them than I expected. Then again, that could be intentional."
"And it's possible not everyone is willing to stand against the Dark Lord."
By now, after sorting through all the intelligence they had gathered, Draco and the others realized that Dumbledore must be hiding a force he could deploy. The members of this force were likely a select few wizards within Hogwarts itself.
Now, thanks to Ginny's carelessness and Harry Potter's reckless actions, it seemed that some of these members had been exposed...
As for Umbridge—where had she gone?
"Looks like she's left Hogwarts. Is she going to check the truth herself?"
Before Draco could finish, Hermione spoke up.
"Or… maybe it's a trap. Or even a test."
"Oh?"
"I don't know where Potter got his information, but I don't think the Dark Lord is that simple. Besides, breaking into the Ministry without being noticed isn't so easy, right?"
Draco raised an eyebrow and glanced toward Gryffindor House. If Hermione was there to point out such things, maybe Harry Potter would've acted a little smarter.
Following Draco's gaze, the so-called Chosen One was unsurprisingly nowhere to be seen in the Great Hall. It seems Harry Potter wasn't at Hogwarts either…
…
Being at Hogwarts, Draco and his friends were naturally unable to intervene in the incident. The only thing they could do was send owls to their families and elders, reporting everything that had happened so they wouldn't be left completely in the dark.
Meanwhile, as the intelligence was being exchanged, it seemed Lucius had stepped in to handle the situation with The Quibbler. After all, given the current alliance between Lucius Malfoy and Cornelius Fudge, the Ministry of Magic would have to show some deference. Of course, allowing them to publish another issue of The Quibbler was completely out of the question.
"I was right to come to you, Hermione."
"Actually, I didn't really help much, Ginny."
"But without your advice and recommendation, I wouldn't have gone to ask that guy... Malfoy."
After learning that her best friend was safe, Ginny appeared before Draco and the others with Luna. They had come over, naturally, to express their gratitude.
However, Ginny seemed to have overestimated herself. When she stood before Draco, the words she had prepared for so long suddenly deserted her. She could only keep striking up conversations with Hermione to mask her awkwardness.
Draco, who seemed to notice her embarrassment, kept staring at the red-haired girl with a smirk until she was on the verge of flying into a rage. Only then did Luna, standing nearby, step forward.
"To express our gratitude, Father and I would both like to invite you to dinner at our home during the holidays."
"A wizard's home? That sounds quite interesting."
Upon hearing this, the first to react wasn't Draco—who had been the driving force behind the invitation—but Hermione, whose eyes lit up. For her, she had never actually been to another wizard's home before, and she was deeply curious. She wanted to see what daily life was like for wizards.
Come to think of it, while Draco had already met her parents, Hermione hadn't actually been to Draco's house yet...
However, more than these expressions of gratitude, Draco was far more concerned about the situation with Ginny. To be precise, what Draco was concerned about was the mysterious organization behind her...