What exactly does the Department of Mysteries do?
What secrets lie behind those twelve doors?
And why would Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, appear there?
For Draco, far away at Hogwarts, these questions were mysteries he had no way of answering for now.
In truth, Pansy and the other girls had already had their attention completely captured by the Quidditch opening match that had just ended. More precisely, they were still stunned by everything that had happened on the pitch.
Along with a swelling sense of pride, an excited thrill burned in their chests.
...
The Slytherin common room.
Not far away, Pansy, having already learned the details of the match from other wizards, was wearing a smug grin as she went around enthusiastically recounting what had happened.
Watching her, Astoria, who sat beside Draco, couldn't help but wonder if this outcome had actually been arranged by Draco in advance.
Given Slytherin's reputation, it really did seem hard to believe.
"I don't think this was arranged by Parkinson… so could it be…?"
As Astoria tilted her head and blinked at Draco, another thought surfaced in her mind.
When exactly had Draco managed to win over a Ravenclaw wizard?
More importantly, who was that wizard?
Just as she looked at him expectantly, hoping for an answer, Draco, already understanding what she was getting at, denied it without hesitation.
"No. As satisfying as it feels, this really wasn't part of my plan."
"Is that so… what a pity."
She didn't spell out what she found regrettable, but the glance she cast toward the other Slytherins said enough.
So now you regret it. What's the point?
That was the unspoken meaning behind her words.
As for whether she doubted Draco's answer, Astoria never even considered it.
Instead, she found herself empathizing with those disappointed wizards.
Blinking softly, Astoria watched his figure reflected in the firelight.
Perhaps I understand what they were thinking. Parkinson and Granger probably feel the same way.
Her gaze grew distant as she quietly pieced together her impression of Draco.
Most of the time, he was expressionless. The rare smiles he showed were reserved only for those close to him.
Yet beneath that calm surface lay a presence that couldn't be ignored.
It was like a refined kind of ferocity, a composed cruelty, something that felt like a fusion of a venomous serpent and a dragon.
Without even realizing it, people around him would begin to follow his lead, their emotions stirred along with it.
Even students from other houses would find themselves calling out his name in that moment.
...
Just as Astoria had observed, Draco, already aware of what had happened, made no comment. There was no trace of smug satisfaction or self-assured pride on his face. It was as if he had merely heard something trivial.
And to be fair, those young snakes who had been the first to show him attitude had no real standing to criticize his decision.
Even if a few of them felt self-important, Draco's strength and background were enough to keep them from speaking up in front of him with any self-righteous remarks.
In the end, this was probably something Pansy had anticipated from the start.
With that thought, Astoria slowly pulled herself out of her daze as she gazed at Draco's face. Then, suddenly, a question came to mind.
"Draco, don't you think it's a pity? After all, this year we could very well set a record for consecutive House Cup wins."
"I don't care about something as insignificant as that."
"Huh?"
"And you don't actually think I like Quidditch that much, do you?"
Draco chuckled softly as he reached out and lightly poked her cheek, where a hint of regret still lingered.
Astoria didn't immediately register the intimacy of the gesture. Instead, she frowned slightly, thinking over why Draco had joined the team in the first place, and even become captain.
After spending time with him, she understood one thing very clearly. If Draco had no interest in something, no one could force him to do it.
Almost unconsciously, her gaze shifted toward Pansy not far away.
It wasn't a difficult conclusion to reach. There were only a handful of people who could make Draco go against his own principles. Among them, Pansy Parkinson, with her passion for Quidditch, was the most likely candidate.
It was also worth noting that this girl, whom Draco treated differently, had been acting rather strangely lately. She and Granger had been teaming up to give Draco small, harmless troubles.
For example, during meals, they would casually dump whatever they couldn't finish onto Draco's plate. If he didn't eat it, both girls would glare at him.
And when they played little games, Pansy and the others would stand on the same side against Draco. Their united front was so intense that anyone unaware of the situation might think Draco had somehow offended both of them.
What puzzled Astoria even more was that Draco never got angry. If anything, he sometimes looked a little guilty, which only made her more curious.
Just as she began to wonder whether something had happened between the three of them, Goyle quietly approached Draco.
"Draco."
"Hmm?"
"We've identified the informant."
"You already know? Who was it?"
"Calling it exposure isn't quite right. It's more like they never intended to hide it at all."
The informant Goyle referred to was the wizard who had sabotaged the exchange meeting by reporting it to Umbridge.
This piece of information did manage to catch Draco's interest.
Noticing that, Goyle lowered his voice, clearly excited, as if he had a knack for this sort of thing.
"There are quite a few of them. But Draco, you'd never guess that among them there's actually a 'big name.'"
"A big name?"
Goyle was visibly thrilled, and even Astoria found herself drawn in by his words.
He licked his lips before saying, "The pride of Hufflepuff… Diggory."
"Diggory?"
Draco raised an eyebrow.
He had considered many possibilities, but he truly hadn't expected the so-called pride of Hufflepuff to side with Umbridge. No, to side with the Ministry.
With his ability, it should have been impossible for him not to see the current situation clearly.
So where was Hufflepuff's supposed humility and steadiness?
It was, without a doubt, a surprise to Draco.