Although the match was over, the excitement it stirred hadn't shown any sign of cooling.
After all, far too many unforgettable things had happened during that game.
And the ripple effects after the match only gave people more to talk about and speculate over...
Beyond Slytherin growing even more arrogant in the wake of their victory, the other major outcome was that Draco had become a focus of attention among the student body.
At the same time, everyone was curious about how Harry Potter would respond.
After all, before the game, they had been the two most talked-about Quidditch players.
Notably, several students had seen Harry coming out of Headmaster Dumbledore's office that very same day. This only added fuel to the rumors—was that incident on the field really just an accident?
So, with all these layers, the buzz surrounding the match refused to fade.
And Draco's current situation was perhaps the clearest proof of the match's lasting impact...
...
Morning arrived.
Hogwarts welcomed another cold dawn, just like always.
To most, it was simply the start of a new day, no different from any other.
Draco's daily routine also seemed unchanged since becoming Quidditch captain.
At least on the surface.
In truth, while there hadn't been any dramatic changes, subtle details in his life had shifted completely...
Aside from the players who had already been won over by his skill and leadership, even the usually proud and haughty Slytherins were beginning to acknowledge Draco Malfoy as someone in his own right—not just as the heir of the Malfoy family.
As for the younger, less discerning students, they were swept up by his skills and personal charm.
You could feel it the moment Draco stepped into the common room—the meaning behind those glances said it all.
Maybe they weren't bowing down to him, but they knew where the tide was turning...
This dynamic had been in place for a while now. Draco might've been smug about it in the beginning, but by now, he had learned to take it in stride.
Still, he couldn't help feeling a little uncomfortable under the idolizing stares—and Pansy's antics weren't helping.
Pinch!
"Ugh... Draco, let me go!"
Draco reached out and grabbed Pansy's cheeks on both sides.
But her pitiful little expression didn't fool him. Instead, he tugged her face left and right without mercy.
"This whole thing... you were behind it, weren't you? Don't think I don't know what you've been up to."
"I—I don't know what you're talking about!"
Pansy had just barely wriggled free from Draco's grip when his words hit. Her head snapped to the side, avoiding his gaze with obvious guilt. She didn't need to say anything—her expression said it all.
Draco arched a brow, ready to pinch her cheek again and force her to fess up, when a passing wizard suddenly made a gesture toward him—one that only those from noble wizarding families would recognize.
Hand over chest, head dipped slightly.
An old-fashioned mark of respect. Clearly, another wizarding family's heir...
"..."
Draco sighed.
After shooting Pansy a sharp look, he returned the gesture flawlessly—so perfect, no one could find fault with it.
To be honest, this sort of thing had been happening way too often lately.
And it didn't take a genius to guess the reason. It had everything to do with a certain someone who kept sneaking glances his way and clearly hadn't been keeping her mouth shut.
This was exactly why Draco felt the urge to torment Pansy...
"This is why I hate parties."
If he didn't already know he was standing in the Slytherin common room, Draco might've thought he'd wandered into some pure-blood social gala.
Thankfully, this kind of behavior only happened here. He didn't have to deal with this kind of noble nonsense in class or the Great Hall.
And those so-called aristocratic wizards wouldn't go out of their way to approach him unless they had a reason, so Draco hadn't bothered to stop any of it. He didn't think Pansy had done anything too outrageous—just as long as she didn't go overboard.
And seeing that Draco didn't seem truly angry, the recently cautious Pansy quickly returned to her usual bubbly self.
"Well, I don't see the problem! You've become the face of Slytherin. I'm seriously thinking of spreading that 'Prince' title around. I already—mmph!!"
Draco cut her off with a cold smirk, grabbing her cheeks again and yanking them to silence her nonsense.
Just imagining that ridiculous nickname spreading around Hogwarts was enough to make his skin crawl.
"Rumors aren't a problem. You just deal with the people spreading them."
"Mmmph! Mmmphhhh!!"
"Oh ho, seems like our little princess agrees with me~"
"Mmph! Mmph mmph mmphh!!!"
Thankfully, no one witnessed Draco messing with Pansy at that moment.
Otherwise, they would've realized that the ever-poised and polished Draco Malfoy wasn't quite as aristocratic as he looked.
Because right then and there, provoked by Pansy's antics...
Draco had gone full villain mode.