[In Memory of Albus Dumbledore.]
That was the headline on the front page of The Daily Prophet this morning.
It had to be said, the phrase "in memory of" was being used here in a very... delicate way.
It was usually reserved for the dead, so seeing it applied to Dumbledore felt chilling and strange.
Because it seemed to be implying something, or perhaps mocking something...
Simply put, something must have happened to Headmaster Dumbledore.
And judging by the scale of the commotion and chaos, this was no small matter.
Draco, who already had a vague premonition, finally lowered his gaze to The Daily Prophet in front of him...
"This article..."
"Draco, is everything written here true?"
Hermione, her eyes wide with shock, abruptly looked up at Draco, who was deep in thought.
At that moment, Hermione did not want to think it through herself. She desperately wanted to see something on Draco's face, something that was not what she was already fearing.
Because what was written there was far too strange...
Pansy blinked. "Fell from a tower? Potter fled the scene in a hurry? Snape is the killer?!"
Although the article contained a great deal, it essentially boiled down to what Pansy had just whispered.
And those were the most important points.
[Moments after Dumbledore either lost his footing and fell, jumped on his own, or was pushed, Potter fled the scene in a hurry and later accused Severus Snape of being the true killer.]
That passage, highlighted in bold red, pierced straight into everyone's eyes.
Setting aside whether the report was true or not, that one paragraph alone raised countless questions...
Could someone really kill a powerful Dumbledore?
Let alone force Dumbledore to jump from a tower.
Not only that, why had Harry Potter been at the "crime scene" in the first place?
More importantly, why would Snape do something like that?
He had not even managed to silence the witness...
In short, because the report was filled with speculation and vague wording, a heavy fog of doubt settled over everyone's hearts.
And in the photograph beside the article, Dumbledore's familiar, kindly smile now seemed to carry a faint trace of irony…
Everyone had their own judgment.
So, throughout the vast dining hall, discussions rose from every corner and from every possible angle.
"That's impossible. He's the greatest Dumbledore of our time!"
"If you ask me, this is obviously a Ministry of Magic conspiracy. They're trying to attack Dumbledore this way."
"If it really is... that, then Snape really is the killer?"
"That depends on whether Potter is telling the truth."
Some people questioned the report, some truly believed Dumbledore was dead, and a small number even thought it was nothing more than a joke.
No matter what attitude they held toward the matter, or what side they stood on, everyone was affected by it. Even so, it was still clear that most wizards were unwilling to believe that Dumbledore was dead...
After all, in the minds of most wizards, only Dumbledore could stand against the Dark Lord.
"Draco, what do you think..."
Before Hermione could finish, Draco already knew what she wanted to ask.
He looked away from Dumbledore's photograph. "The fact is, Potter isn't at Hogwarts either, is he? If this report is true, then there's a very good chance Potter was at the scene at the time."
"So... Snape really is the killer?"
"Maybe."
"Maybe?"
Seeing Hermione's stubborn look, clearly hoping to get an answer from him, Draco irritably tapped her little head with a hand chop.
"I'm not an Auror. There's no way I can answer that. Besides, I don't even know what the scene looked like. At the very least, I don't even know whether Dumbledore had any injuries."
"...Then should we investigate?"
Although Draco had poured cold water on her, Hermione showed no intention of giving up. Instead, she looked rather eager.
Perhaps in Hermione's view, if they did not step in, the killer in this "case" would remain at large forever...
Hermione clenched her fists expectantly. "Besides, we have to confirm whether Dumbledore really is..."
"No. Actually, I already have some idea about that."
"Huh?! That's Professor McGonagall."
Following Draco's gaze, they saw Minerva McGonagall, who had just walked into the Great Hall.
However, on closer inspection, it was clear that the Hogwarts Deputy Headmistress was not in good condition. Her eyes were frighteningly red.
Obviously, the grief on Professor McGonagall's face was not an act.
That alone explained why the atmosphere at the staff table had been so strange today. Linking these details together was also why Draco said he already had a judgment.
It was also clear that Professor McGonagall was forcing herself to appear before everyone while holding back her grief.
After all, after Hogwarts lost Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, whose heart was far less cold than her outward appearance suggested, had to deal with every consequence left behind by Dumbledore's death, both publicly and personally.
Compared with the dead, the living before her were far more important...