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The Slytherin common room.
A strange organization called the Dursley Support Group was gathered together.
"So the Chamber of Secrets... absolutely could not have been opened by Mr. Dursley."
The leader was, without exception, Pansy. She held something like a pointer and tapped it against a blackboard.
As she spoke, she circled the spot on the blackboard marked with Dursley's name.
"Then... who is provoking our king?"
Daphne, as the second-in-command of the support group, also stood up and said angrily, "And they even targeted Miss Granger!"
The makeup of this support group was somewhat strange. There were students who admired Dudley, students who admired Hermione, and students who rooted for the two of them as a couple.
"Everyone, I will give you all one chance. If the person who opened the Chamber of Secrets is anyone present here, then please stand forward."
"I guarantee that person will be safe."
Since it was Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets, the possibility that someone from Slytherin had opened it was naturally greater.
After Pansy finished speaking, her gaze swept across the students gathered there.
She waited for a very long time, but no one stood up.
"Very good. Then I can be relieved. I hope this is the truth. Otherwise... I will make that person understand the consequences of deceiving all of Slytherin. I guarantee it."
Pansy nodded, somewhat comforted, while anger rose in her heart.
'What right does someone from another house have to open Slytherin's Chamber?'
If someone from Slytherin had done this, they would be angry.
But if it was not someone from Slytherin, they would be angry all the same.
"We will find the culprit!"
The students below shouted excitedly.
"To provoke Mr. Dursley is to make an enemy of Slytherin!"
The students of Slytherin house spontaneously formed an alliance and planned to use the upcoming holiday to begin investigating the matter.
Their strength as wizards might not have been especially impressive, but they must not forget that they were Slytherins.
They were the children of some of the most powerful people in the wizarding world.
Malfoy Manor.
Leisurely white peacocks rested in the garden. Beautiful fairies circled the blooming tulips. The fountain at the center reflected rainbows beneath the sunlight, and the clear blue lake glittered with ripples. It looked like a paradise beyond the world, so beautiful it was almost overwhelming.
During the rare holiday, Draco returned home in a hurry. The first thing he did after arriving was seek out his father.
"Father, are you behind what happened at school?" Draco's expression was somewhat dark.
He was extremely certain that this matter had something to do with his father, whether directly or indirectly. What he did not understand was what purpose his father had in doing this.
"Draco, how can you use such vulgar language?"
Lucius's tone remained calm. As before, he did not answer Draco directly and merely kept playing with the walking cane in his hand.
"So it really was you."
Although Lucius had answered without answering, Draco confirmed that the events at Hogwarts could not be unrelated to his father.
"Father, if I were you, I would confess to Mr. Dursley earlier rather than later."
"Draco!"
Draco's mother, Narcissa, frowned slightly. Her clear and cool voice rang through the spacious room. "How can you speak to your father this way? Where are your manners? Where is your bearing? You were not like this before."
Narcissa's temperament was rather cold. Even with family, she spoke in this manner.
"Mother," Draco said in an equally cool voice, "I believe Father has gone too far with certain things."
"Draco, how many times must I say it? I am not that bored."
Lucius's tone carried a hint of impatience, as if this matter truly had nothing to do with him.
Draco stared at his father for a long moment before speaking. "A third-year student has already been attacked. No one knows what his condition is right now."
"What?" Narcissa cried out. Her tone remained cool, but concern entered it. "Draco, are you alright?"
"Isn't Hogwarts the safest place in the world? How could something like this happen?"
Hogwarts being the safest place in the world seemed to be a consensus among all wizards. After all, since its founding, the castle had never been conquered.
"Of course, Mother." Draco nodded, but his gaze remained fixed on his father. "It was someone from Hufflepuff who was Petrified."
"Petrified? Draco, are you saying someone was hurt?"
There was a trace of delight in Lucius's voice. After he met Draco's gaze, he immediately restrained the expression on his face.
It was often said that no one knows a son better than his father.
But why would the reverse not also be true?
The moment Draco saw the tiny expression on his father's face, he knew this matter could not be unrelated to Lucius.
"Right now it is only Petrification. Perhaps next time it will be death."
Draco's words made Narcissa grow tense.
"Lucius, does this matter truly have nothing to do with you? Do not forget, Draco is still at that school."
"I said from the beginning that Draco should have gone to Durmstrang, not Hogwarts."
Whenever Draco was involved, Narcissa would completely abandon her usual manner.
"Narcissa, Draco will be fine. I promise."
Lucius did not answer Narcissa directly. He only made her a promise.
But how much credibility could a man's promise have, especially the promise of someone like Lucius?
Only Narcissa would believe it.
In truth, Lucius still had half a sentence he did not say.
'Perhaps our Malfoy family can use this to go a step further and restore a little of our old glory.'
"I will handle this matter properly. You do not need to worry."
As he spoke, Lucius picked up his coat, put it on, and hurried toward the door.
"Lucius, are you going out? It is almost night."
"I suddenly remembered something I must do at the Ministry. Don't worry. I will be back soon."
Lucius was laughing wildly to himself. It had originally been a piece he had placed casually, but he had not expected an unexpected gain.
An attack had occurred at Hogwarts, and someone had even been injured.
He had to make proper use of it.
'This is an opportunity. Watch carefully, Draco. Your father will show you through facts what the correct way to act is.'
'As a pure-blood, one must know how to use power.'
An old madman like Dumbledore should step down from the position of Hogwarts headmaster sooner rather than later.
It would be better to replace him with a partner more aligned with himself.
Someone like Snape, perhaps?
"Father, if this matter was not your doing, then let it end here. Do not go and do anything unnecessary. If it was your doing, then confess quickly."
"Do not try to oppose Mr. Dursley. If you do, the one who suffers will only be you."
Draco's voice sounded behind Lucius, but Lucius had already stepped out the door of Malfoy Manor.
No one knew whether he had heard it or not.
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