Draco Malfoy was publicly humiliated by having his wand snapped, and a "pet" had exposed his deepest fears with the most vicious words.
This news spread like a Golden Snitch with wings, reaching every corner of Hogwarts in just one afternoon.
The House of Malfoy's ornate Hawthorn wand, with its small peacock feather decoration on the handle, had always been Draco's pride, and it was privately nicknamed "Peacock" by the students.
And now, that nickname was attached to those two pathetic pieces of broken wood.
"Have you heard? Malfoy's 'Peacock' was snapped by Hermione's cat!"
"More than just snapped, they say Lia performed a manual wand-tearing on the spot, quick and clean!"
"I heard the most brutal part was Lia whispering something in his ear, and Malfoy was so scared he wet himself and ran away crying!"
The rumors grew more and more outrageous, but the core facts remained exceptionally clear.
Draco Malfoy, the head of the Inquisitorial Squad, had been completely humiliated by a Gryffindor "mudblood" and her cat in a crushing display.
In the Gryffindor common room, the atmosphere was incredibly lively.
The Weasley Twins even stayed up all night to produce a batch of badges that made a crisp "crack" sound.
They depicted a "Peacock" with scattered feathers, broken in the middle; with a single press, they would emit a sharp snapping sound, drawing roars of laughter from everyone.
However, amidst this celebration, Lia felt a faint sense of crisis directed at her.
Early the next morning, as the first rays of sunlight spilled through the windows of the Gryffindor Tower, the rapid flapping of owl wings broke the silence.
A haughty-looking long-eared owl belonging to the Ministry of Magic dropped a roll of parchment onto the plate in front of Hermione, who was eating breakfast.
Hermione unfurled the parchment; the handwriting was in a sickeningly sweet pink ink.
[Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four]
To maintain the purity of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the safety of its students, upon the proposal of Madam Dolores Jane Umbridge, senior undersecretary to the Ministry of Magic, and as approved by the Ministry of Magic, this decree is hereby promulgated:
Effective immediately, all "Companion Magical Creatures" registered at Hogwarts, regardless of their danger classification, must undergo a "one-on-one Adaptability Assessment" conducted by the senior undersecretary herself.
The assessment includes, but is not limited to: obedience testing, potential aggression screening, and affinity testing for dark magic.
Should the assessment fail, or if the guardian refuses to cooperate, custody of the creature will be temporarily transferred to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures under the Ministry of Magic until it is deemed "completely harmless."
This decree takes effect immediately.
——senior undersecretary to the Ministry of Magic, Dolores Jane Umbridge
The moment Hermione saw the notice, the depths of her brown eyes froze into eternal ice.
Sitting beside her, Lia's [Eye of Truth] had already been passively triggered.
On that parchment smelling of cheap perfume, she clearly saw two distinct yet intertwined threads of magic.
One was Lucius Malfoy's silver-green thread, cold and venomous like a viper, filled with the joy of revenge.
The other was Umbridge's greedy, slimy pink tentacles, dancing excitedly and emitting a strong desire to "possess" and "destroy."
It was a trap.
A scheme where Lucius provided the motive and backing, and Umbridge was responsible for the execution.
A blatant trap tailored for her and Lia, aimed at tearing Lia away from her side forever.
Hermione's fingers gently squeezed Lia's hand beside her.
She didn't look at the nauseating notice, but leaned close to Lia's ear, her soft lips brushing against the furry cat ears.
"Don't worry, they won't succeed."
The day of the assessment arrived as scheduled.
The location had been deliberately set by Umbridge in her sickening office.
The walls were painted a nauseating pink and covered in various lace-trimmed porcelain cat plates.
But none of the cats on those plates were alive; their hollow eyes filled the room with a bizarre and fake atmosphere.
The air was thick with the scent of cheap perfume.
Professor McGonagall sat in a corner chair with a stiff face.
As the "direct supervisor" of Lia's conduct at school, she had been forced by Umbridge to attend and witness under the guise of "procedural requirements."
With her signature fake smile, Umbridge pulled a series of clearly ill-intentioned assessment tools from a drawer.
A silver probe whose tip emitted a faint, stinging electric arc.
A black crystal ball said to reflect a creature's "dark nature."
And a bottle of Potion emitting an unsettling aura and bubbling with green gas.
"Very well, Miss Granger," Umbridge said in her girlish, high-pitched voice, "let us begin. For... safety."
Lia's cat ears twitched.
However, just as Umbridge was about to pick up the silver probe, Hermione spoke first.
"Undersecretary, please wait."
Her voice was calm and clear, devoid of any student-like timidity.
Under the surprised gazes of Umbridge and Professor McGonagall, Hermione unhurriedly pulled a thick, well-organized stack of parchment from her handbag, which was enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm.
She placed the parchment on the coffee table with a soft "thud."
With a polite but distant smile, Hermione looked directly at Umbridge.
"Before the assessment officially begins, I would like to confirm whether this assessment fully complies with Section 13B of the Sentient Being Welfare Act of 1875, regarding the regulation that 'assessments must not cause physical or psychological trauma to sentient beings.'"
Umbridge's sickening fake smile froze on her face for the first time.
Hermione gave her no time to react and continued at a steady pace, throwing out her second weapon.
"Furthermore, according to Article 7 of the Hogwarts Chartered Creature Protection Regulations, regarding the assessment exemption rights enjoyed by 'non-aggressive companion creatures personally guaranteed by the incumbent Principal.' According to the regulations, assessments for such creatures should be limited to non-contact observation and guardian inquiries."
Umbridge's face began to turn slightly green.
"In addition," Hermione's voice began to take on a sharp edge, "according to the third edition of the Ministry of Magic Identification Manual for Prohibited Magical Instruments, page 72, the magic fluctuations of this probe you intend to use are highly similar to a 'Mild Cruciatus Probe,' which is a Level 3 prohibited item."
She paused, turning her gaze to the black crystal ball.
"And this crystal ball, if I'm not mistaken, is an imitation of the 'Mirror of Erised,' designed to judge dark tendencies by inducing the subject's inner fears. Such an act is a serious violation of the Magical Animal Mental Protection Act of 1947."
Finally, her gaze landed on the Potion.
"As for this Potion, I strongly suspect it contains a mixture of 'Veritaserum' and 'Confusion Potion.' Forcing the use of such agents on a non-hostile target is enough to land you in a formal trial before the Wizengamot."
With every point Hermione made, Umbridge's expression grew uglier.
By the time Hermione finished her last sentence, the toad-like face of Umbridge was completely drained of color.
She wasn't finished yet.
Hermione pulled out the bottom-most piece of parchment, which recorded an old case.
"Undersecretary, I suggest you familiarize yourself with the 'Augurey Tragedy' of thirty years ago before continuing.
At the time, an assessor evaluating an Augurey used only a light-emitting detection spell, which caused the extremely sensitive creature to die of stress.
Ultimately, that assessor was sentenced to three years in Azkaban for'serious procedural violations leading to the death of a rare magical creature.'"
Hermione smiled and, with two fingers, lightly pushed the parchment recording the tragedy in front of Umbridge.
"Lia is currently the only recorded humanoid feline sentient individual in the wizarding world; I believe I needn't elaborate on her rarity."
As she spoke, she skillfully kneaded Lia's ears with her hand.
"If she suffers any... even the slightest fright during your 'assessment,' I cannot guarantee what kind of verdict the Wizengamot will deliver that might shock the entire wizarding world."
The office was deathly silent.
The floating pieces of parchment stood before Umbridge like tombstones.
Professor McGonagall's lips curled upward uncontrollably; she quickly covered it with a cough, but the slight trembling of her shoulders betrayed her current mood.
Umbridge looked at the pile of legal clauses laid out like a death warrant, then at Hermione's calm, intelligent brown eyes that saw through everything, and she began to shake with rage.
She felt she wasn't facing a student, but the very rules of the wizarding world itself.
Hermione gently toyed with Lia's tail, and Lia relaxed, letting out a comfortable, satisfied purr.
"I know what you're planning, but I'm sorry, Professor Umbridge."
Hermione looked up, her brown eyes clearly reflecting Umbridge's exasperated face.
She finally stopped hiding it and laughed with unrestrained contempt, her laughter clear and melodious.
"The only one who can bully Lia..."
"...is me."
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