Six Consecutive Championships

"Have you heard? Malfoy was picked up and taken away!"

In the Gryffindor common room, Harry burst through the door and, looking as excited as if he had discovered buried treasure, hurried over to Hermione and Ron, who were doing their homework.

"What did you say?" they both asked, looking up at the same time.

"Malfoy was taken out of school. He dropped out," Harry repeated. "I just saw the Slytherin team. They're picking a new Seeker."

"That's impossible." Hermione lowered her head again and flipped through A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration beside her. "Why would Malfoy drop out? There's no reason for it."

"Isn't it obvious? What he did must have been found out."

Ron looked just as excited as Harry. "I'd been wondering why the Death Eaters could sneak into the school without a sound. Someone must have helped them, and that person was very likely Malfoy!"

Harry applauded Ron wildly in his heart.

Because he had promised Dumbledore, he could not tell anyone what had happened in the tower before. But he had never expected Ron to guess it.

"Yeah, that's what I think too," Harry said firmly. "Now the school's ready to settle accounts after the fact, so he had no choice but to run. I should've told the professors earlier and had them keep an eye on Malfoy."

"It's okay. At least we won't have to see him anymore," Ron said happily. "I can hardly imagine how great Hogwarts will be without Malfoy."

"Is that so?"

Hermione was still somewhat doubtful, but seeing Harry and Ron cheering as though Christmas had come early, she did not say anything else.

Whether Malfoy had let the Death Eaters into the school was not something they should be worrying about.

And at Hogwarts, Malfoy dropping out did not