Dealing with The Quibbler's situation wasn't much of a problem for Draco.
To be precise, given the current circumstances, all he needed to do was inform his parents and have them step in. If that happened, the Ministry of Magic would have to give some face to an ally.
Of course, that only worked as long as no one's interests were being threatened.
So if Draco really intended to help Luna, the first step was to understand the full situation.
"Ravenclaw House."
As he headed toward the west tower of the castle, Draco sorted through everything he knew about Ravenclaw.
Ravenclaw was one of the four houses of Hogwarts, founded by Rowena Ravenclaw.
Its colors were blue and bronze, representing wisdom and intelligence.
Its crest was an eagle, though some believed it was actually a raven, since the name Ravenclaw literally meant "raven's claw," symbolizing a thirst for knowledge.
And setting aside his identity as a Malfoy, in some ways, Draco himself was quite suited to Ravenclaw.
"A hunger for knowledge…"
"Junior?"
"…Penelope Clearwater."
"It's Senior Penelope!"
Along with that lightly reproachful correction, the Student Council President, Penelope Clearwater, walked toward him with a book held against her chest.
Although recent events had placed considerable pressure on her, and the workload of the student council had grown heavier than ever, none of it seemed to affect the smile on this beautiful senior's face.
Especially those lake-blue eyes, vivid enough to make anyone lose themselves in them. And right now, those eyes were fixed firmly on the unexpected visitor before her.
After all, it was rare to see a Slytherin, especially one like Draco, appear in the Ravenclaw tower.
Tilting her head slightly, Penelope narrowed her eyes.
"If you're planning to apply for a house transfer, you'll need your Head of House's approval first. And what about those three adorable little girlfriends who are always following you around?"
"..."
There were too many things in that single sentence worth commenting on.
Leaving aside whether transferring houses at Hogwarts was even possible, if Snape ever heard that Draco wanted to switch houses, he would definitely come knocking.
And in truth, Penelope had said it on purpose. She hadn't forgotten just how much trouble Draco had caused her.
The Hog's Head, the exchange meeting, and the aftermath of the Quidditch match, all of it had fallen on her shoulders to manage as Head Girl.
Even if others saw her as the perfect Head Girl, Penelope was still, at heart, someone who held grudges.
…
But just as she thought she had left him with nothing to say, her expression froze.
Footsteps echoed.
As they crossed paths, Draco didn't slow down in the slightest. He simply walked past her.
If she stood there any longer, he would disappear around the corner within seconds.
Her gaze went blank, her smile stiff.
In simple terms…
Penelope had just been completely ignored by Draco.
…
Each house had its own distinct character.
Although Ravenclaw, like Gryffindor, was located high up in a tower, its design and atmosphere were entirely different.
People often thought of Ravenclaw as a place full of students buried in books all day.
But that wasn't really the case. They weren't just bookworms lost in endless pages, nor were they rigid, socially clueless scholars who only knew how to study.
They were simply good at learning and genuinely passionate about knowledge.
And because of that, they could come across as a little unusual.
An eccentricity born from brilliance.
If you had to sum up Ravenclaw in one sentence, it would be this:
Here, you can wear whatever you like, believe whatever you want, and say whatever you please.
In fact, many great wizard inventors and innovators came from Ravenclaw. The inventor of the Lunascope, pioneers in love potions, the creator of Floo powder, all of them were among its finest.
Thinking about that, Draco glanced at Penelope Clearwater, who had somehow followed him here.
He didn't believe this had been her original destination. After all, when they first crossed paths, they had been heading in opposite directions.
And along the way, she had been subtly probing him about his purpose.
Noticing his gaze, Penelope covered her mouth lightly with her hand and smiled.
"If it's you, junior, this shouldn't be difficult, right?"
As Draco stopped, they had already reached the very top of Ravenclaw Tower.
In front of them stood an old wooden door, polished smooth with age. Set into it was a bronze knocker that would ask questions of anyone seeking entry.
That knocker was exactly what Penelope had been referring to.
Draco shot her a brief glance. Her expression looked gentle, but there was a teasing edge beneath it. Then he turned his attention back to the bronze knocker.
A riddle?
In that sense, Penelope wasn't wrong.
To enter Ravenclaw, you didn't need to memorize ever-changing passwords, nor shout out anything dramatic like in Slytherin. Instead, you had to answer the question posed by the knocker.
Only a correct answer would grant you entry.
And this rule didn't apply only to Ravenclaw students.
In other words, as long as your answer satisfied the enchanted knocker, even students from other houses could enter the Ravenclaw common room.
As Draco studied the knocker with interest, neither he nor Penelope, who was watching him closely, noticed that students passing by had begun to slow down.
Whether male or female, many Ravenclaws were drawn to this unusual pairing.
And among them, quite a few gazes carried a clear hint of hostility.
...
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