The Christmas holidays flew by, and Jane Yu, who had spent the entire break processing the unspeakable entity, returned to Hogwarts.
But almost the moment she laid eyes on the Slytherin students, she noticed something was off—the atmosphere at the long table had shifted entirely.
Faces bore a variety of expressions: distracted, tense, worried...
Except for a few carefree souls, joy was a rare sight among them.
When Jane sat down at the long table—
Daphne Greengrass and Blaise Zabini, who had been slouching lifelessly, suddenly brightened up, regaining some of their usual spirit.
Even Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott, who had been cutting their steaks with tight expressions, relaxed slightly, nodding at her in acknowledgment.
"I could guess with my toes that you were off on some secret mission," Daphne whispered, leaning close to Jane's ear, her left eye blinking twice mischievously. "Those news reports over the holidays had me on edge—I nearly stuck three branches into Merlin's portrait to pray for your safe return."
As the unofficial gossip queen, Daphne quickly began spilling the latest news to Jane.
"Everyone's been scared stiff. You know, many of those escaped Death Eaters are related to us, right, Jane?"
Jane nodded, listening intently as Daphne continued.
"If you trace the family trees far enough, you'll find intersections everywhere... which means our every move is under scrutiny. No one knows if they'll show up under the guise of a friendly visit."
Daphne cast a nervous glance at Draco, who sat frowning and unusually quiet, lowering her voice even further.
"One of the escaped Death Eaters, Bellatrix Lestrange—she's from the Black family. Draco's aunt."
"Then there's Dolohov, Rookwood... those families are deeply connected to us too. I heard Goyle and Crabbe's fathers are thrilled."
"And..." She hesitated, stealing a glance at Goyle and Crabbe, who were eating with carefree abandon, their faces shiny with grease. "I can't be sure... but even though they're Draco's bodyguards, their behavior is odd. Draco's been trying to avoid them... Do you think they're here under the guise of protection to actually monitor the sole heir of the Malfoy family?"
Jane observed Draco and his two "followers" closely. She noticed Draco's body leaning slightly forward, his arms tightly pressed against his sides, his posture tense.
It was a defensive stance, and Jane could tell from subtle details that he was wary and guarded against the two.
Sensing her gaze, Goyle and Crabbe, noisily chewing, looked up. Their eyes carried the same clear stupidity—a kind of innocent naivety, but one tinged with an innate malice.
Theodore Nott, sitting to Draco's right, subtly leaned back, blocking their view.
"The O.W.L. exams are at the end of the summer term. I think our studies will be extremely busy from now on," Theodore said calmly, steering the conversation to a new topic and easing the tension at the table.
"Oh—Theodore, have mercy!" Daphne immediately slumped, her face and posture collapsing. "I'm going to throw up. I haven't touched my wand in months. Defense Against the Dark Arts is a mess. Sometimes I really think I've turned into a Muggle. I fall asleep as soon as class starts."
"My Transfiguration is hopeless," Blaise added, looking dazed. "I overheard Professor McGonagall say she's adopting Umbridge's legacy—weekly tests, monthly exams, midterms, pop quizzes... But all I can remember is one switching spell, and the mouse I transfigured from a teapot still had a tail."
"Rather than that," Theodore pointed out mercilessly, "you should focus on keeping your brain awake during revision. Brain Stimulating Potions or dragon claw powder aren't cheap."
Daphne and Blaise groaned in despair, already plotting routes to sneak into Snape's office to steal ingredients.
Hearing this, Goyle and Crabbe immediately covered their ears. They grabbed pies with their mouths, stuffed a few chocolate tarts into their robes, and hurriedly left the table, seemingly wanting to escape the inhumane topic of exams.
As soon as they left, Draco switched seats, and the conversation at the table quickly shifted to current events.
"The Ministry of Magic is making big moves," Draco said, his tense body finally relaxing a little. "My father said he's rarely seen such a unified effort to demand Fudge's resignation. It's said that Director Bones is likely to take his place, though she's a Hufflepuff."
He seemed to regain his usual cocky demeanor and began to boast about Ministry affairs.
"Of course, while it's not ideal, she is the leading candidate. My father said he plans to visit the Ministry soon."
"Speaking of the Ministry, did you know that the Department of Mysteries isn't entirely under the Minister's control? Honestly, I'm really curious about that place. I wish my father could take me there..."
Jane suddenly felt a kick against her leg under the table.
Perhaps Draco had gotten too excited and accidentally kicked her.
She didn't think much of it.
Draco continued to chatter about the Department of Mysteries, even as Blaise and Daphne plugged their ears with their fingers—
But his upper body remained still, while his lower body twisted awkwardly, repeatedly kicking her harder.
Jane quickly realized from his unusual movements—
Draco was signaling her—
Beware of the Department of Mysteries!
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