Two More Recruits

Everything went exactly as Skylar had predicted. Marietta Edgecombe volunteered to join the Sleeping Dragon Society, which was part of Skylar's initial plan, though even Cho Chang was unaware of it.

Marietta Edgecombe's appearance, strength, and talent were only average in the entire Hogwarts. While not bad, she was far from being an outstanding student. Skylar truly valued was her mother's identity— Mrs. Edgecombe worked for the Floo Network Authority and was an employee specifically tasked with monitoring the Hogwarts Floo Network.

Having her protection is tantamount to gaining control of Hogwarts' Floo Network surveillance.

As mentioned earlier, the Department of Magical Transportation has always been a place deeply rooted and controlled by Umbridge. Among Skylar's allies, only Thicknesse holds a position there, so it has always been weak and isolated.

Now that Marietta Edgecombe has this connection, Skylar only needs to send Yaxley and Thicknesse to make contact with Mrs. Edgecombe, and he believes she will know what to do.

After all, as Skylar said, what he could do would be a thousand times worse than Hermione's punishment. Since Marietta Edgecombe dared to swear allegiance to Skylar, she had no way out.

After Skylar relayed the order to Yaxley through Dobby, he temporarily set aside the matter of recruiting Mrs. Edgecombe and immediately moved on to his next plan.

It has been almost a week since Umbridge became the headmaster, and it is now the last day of March.

Prefects' Meeting Room, the teapot hissed, releasing a fragrant aroma of floral tea, but the entire room remained permeated with a somber and oppressive atmosphere.

Since the rise of Umbridge's Justice Inquisitorial Squad, the original order of Hogwarts has been completely overturned. The authority of the student council and Prefect has been severely weakened, and many of their original powers have been forcibly stripped away. The once bustling Prefects' Meeting Room is now deserted and desolate, with almost no one willing to linger there anymore.

Today, Cedric Diggory and Elusi Montgomery are sitting here, a rare sight indeed; however, the youthful exuberance and confident radiance they once possessed are no longer present on their faces.

Cedric sat alone at one side of the long table, his fingers slowly tracing irregular marks on the surface. His gaze was downcast, his brow furrowed, and he was shrouded in a silent shadow. He had once been the Head Boy, respected and trusted by all, but now, Umbridge had easily stripped him of his glory and power, leaving him without even a chance to argue—all of this left him feeling frustrated and powerless.

In contrast, Elusi Montgomery across from her appeared much more relaxed. She elegantly picked up her teacup, slowly sipped her hot tea, her expression calm, with a faint smile playing on her lips.

She did lose her title Head Boy, but it didn't seem to have much of an impact on her; even her usually impeccable makeup remained perfectly in place. She always took these trivial matters lightly. Since the student council was practically non-existent, she figured she might as well be a free agent and worry less.

Just then, Skylar pushed open the door and entered, his gaze sweeping over the two of them, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

"It seems you're all in a bad mood." Skylar casually pulled out a chair and sat down, his face still bearing his usual calm and gentle smile, as if his arrival had dispelled the gloom.

Cedric nodded to Skylar, forced a smile, and then let out a long sigh. He couldn't deny that he was feeling terrible. He hadn't done anything wrong; he'd only lost his position as Head Boy for refusing to become Umbridge's lackey. This left the usually upright Cedric feeling deeply powerless and disappointed with reality.

Elusi raised an eyebrow, looking at Skylar with a half-smile, "Did you come here specifically to comfort us, Malfoy?"

"Comfort?" Skylar chuckled softly, a slight glint in his eyes, and said in a deep voice, "If you need comfort, I can offer a more interesting option."

Cedric and Elusi both looked at him simultaneously, a hint of confusion in their eyes.

"You're all dissatisfied with Umbridge's current administration, aren't you?" Skylar's smile deepened as he slowly said, "I'm here today to invite you to join a student organization I've founded, to fight alongside me against Umbridge's tyranny."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

The destruction of the Dumbledore's Army was still fresh in everyone's mind. Everyone had witnessed the devastating consequences of opposing Umbridge, which completely extinguished the fighting spirit of many students who had initially harbored rebellious intentions. They were just students who hadn't even graduated yet; how could they possibly fight against Umbridge, who was backed by the Ministry of Magic?

Cedric frowned slightly, his voice lowering a few decibels. "You mean... an organization like Dumbledore's Army?"

His tone was hesitant, even instinctively cautious. He was naturally full of resentment towards Umbridge, but his family, the Diggory family, had served in the Ministry of Magic for generations. Not only was his father the captain of the Beast Extermination Execution Squad of the Department of Fantastic Beasts, but there had also been a Minister for Magic in his ancestry, and he himself was likely to join the Ministry of Magic after graduation.

He wasn't really that naive to risk his future against the Ministry of Magic for a mere illusion of "justice" and a few words from Skylar.

"No, please don't confuse us with them," Skylar interrupted him calmly, his smile deepening with a confident ease. "Dumbledore's Army was just an overly idealistic student rebellion. Their leader, Potter, was too conspicuous, openly defying Umbridge several times in class, and the members were too inexperienced, lacking sufficient awareness of secrecy. That's why they were so easily wiped out by Umbridge."

He paused slightly, crossed his long, slender fingers, and added meaningfully, "But we... are different."

Cedric and Elusi held their breath simultaneously, their gazes fixed intently on Skylar, awaiting his next words.

Skylar's voice was deep and slow, like a whisper echoing from the abyss, carrying an irresistible allure. "The organization I founded is called the 'Sleeping Dragon Society.'" He leaned forward slightly, his deep gray pupils radiating a strange power that compelled listeners to concentrate. "Like a slumbering Dragon, waiting for the perfect moment to awaken."

"The Sleeping Dragon Society?" Cedric frowned slightly, clearly having never heard of the name before.

"A sleeping dragon should not be disturbed, for it will surely be enraged when awakened—a very meaningful name," Elusi said casually, her eyes narrowing slightly with interest. She continued slowly, "I've never heard of such an organization as Hogwarts before. It seems you've been keeping it well under wraps."

Skylar smiled slightly, without directly answering her question.

In fact, although he wanted to recruit them into the Sleeping Dragon Society, Skylar did not intend for them to come into contact with the Sleeping Dragon Society. Cedric's integrity and Elusi's fairness made it impossible for them to be as truly and completely loyal as Daphne and the others. But that didn't matter—from the beginning, he never intended for them to be true "one of his own."

That would be perfect.

Since the Sleeping Dragon Society still needs to remain in the shadows, it will need some influential peripheral members to operate in the open, shaping its image and boosting its influence. This will also attract the attention of Umbridge and the Justice Inquisitorial Squad, diverting their focus from the Sleeping Dragon Society's true core members.

These two former student Head Boy are undoubtedly the most suitable candidates.

"It's not that exaggerated," Skylar said with a smile, his tone unhurried. "The Sleeping Dragon Society follows elitism, unlike Dumbledore's Army which anyone can join. Only a few people who have my personal approval are invited, so its existence is not so easily leaked."

Elusi raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing him with interest. "Oh? What I'm more curious about is, just who are the members of this mysterious Sleeping Dragon Society?"

Without hesitation, Skylar replied, "Not many, about twelve. Besides me, all the Slytherin Prefect — Warrington, Wakanda, Higgs Family, Osbert, and Greengrass— are among them; from the other houses, there are Susan Bones, Summerby, and Cadwallader from Hufflepuff, and Cho Chang, Morrie, and Eckmore from Ravenclaw."

With each name Skylar uttered, Cedric and Elusi's expressions changed.

It's not surprising that Slytherin Prefect joined, but the members of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were astonishing. They were almost all either Prefect or Quidditch players, all of whom were very important figures in their respective houses.

"Ah, I almost forgot." Skylar gave a meaningful smile, "On the very day Dumbledore's Army was defeated, Katie Bell of Gryffindor joined us."

"Even Summerby and Cadwallader..." Cedric paused, clearly unable to believe that these seemingly mild-mannered Hufflepuff students would be involved in such a secret organization.

Elusi chuckled thoughtfully, "I didn't expect you to convince even Bell. It seems Gryffindor isn't as impenetrable as it seems."

As a fellow girl from the same house, she knew Katie's personality quite well. The girl had always been determined, loyal, and especially cherished her friendship with her Quidditch teammates. But now, she had actually joined an organization led by Slytherin, which was truly unexpected.

Skylar simply smiled and offered no further explanation, stating directly, "You are all elites from your respective houses, and your influence cannot be ignored. The Justice Inquisitorial Squad is quite strong, with at least five Prefect and a Quidditch team captain. Therefore, I need your strength to fight against them together."

Cedric paused for a moment, looking at him with a complicated expression, before hesitantly asking, "Your goal is...?"

Skylar smiled slightly, his eyes as deep as the night. "We have only one goal—to wait for the right moment to overthrow Umbridge's rule."

Elusi looked at him thoughtfully, her tone calm but her eyes sharp. "Personally, I'm not against overthrowing Umbridge, but I need to know exactly what you plan to do?"

"If you've been listening to 'Malfoy Watchtower,' it shouldn't be hard to see that the Britain wizarding community is facing a serious security threat." Skylar's tone became grave. "Regardless of whether the Mysterious Man has truly been resurrected, the fact remains that dark forces are stirring. And what about the Ministry of Magic? Forget taking any countermeasures—"

He sneered, then changed the subject. "Instead, they've focused all their energy on suppressing Dumbledore. This shortsightedness will only give the Death Eaters and black wizards a precious opportunity to make a comeback... I dare say that it won't be long before Great Britain is plunged back into chaos and panic."

Cedric and Elusi exchanged a silent glance. They had initially thought Skylar only wanted to start a student rebellion, but he hadn't expected him to be discussing the future of the entire wizarding world. The topic was so heavy that it was difficult to process, and both of them fell silent, seemingly unwilling to face this cruel possibility.

"Not only me, Dumbledore knew this very well," Skylar continued. "That's why he didn't bother proving his innocence at all, but instead simply defeated the Auror and retreated—because he knew that when the Death Eaters truly revealed themselves, the Ministry of Magic's actions would have the most devastating backlash. At that time, Umbridge's good days would be over."

Elusi looked puzzled and said softly, "Wait a minute... If that's the case, then even if we do nothing, Umbridge will be ousted sooner or later. So why bother organizing a club to fight against her?"

"You're right," Skylar nodded, his tone slow and calm. "But you've overlooked the madman, McLaggen. Judging from his current behavior, he's nearing the point of being out of control. In my opinion, his lust for power is too great; it has blinded him and made him lose his reason. What I fear is—before the true dawn arrives, those around me will be harmed by him and the Justice Inquisitorial Squad."

"The Sleeping Dragon Society exists to protect those I care about from the bullying and humiliation inflicted by Umbridge and the Justice Inquisitorial Squad. For this goal, I need your participation. With you, we will have eight Prefect standing on the same side, better able to protect those students who are powerless to resist, and uphold the fairness and justice of the school."

Cedric frowned, a hint of struggle still in his eyes. "But Umbridge..." He still couldn't bring himself to oppose the Ministry of Magic.

"Don't worry," Skylar interrupted him, his tone firm. "I don't intend to confront the Justice Inquisitorial Squad head-on. We don't need to fight them openly... Dealing with people like them is better done covertly from behind. Besides, we can create chaos, divert their attention, and keep them busy so they won't have time to bully others. Most importantly, they'll never know it was us who did it."

"Interesting." Elusi couldn't help but laugh, her eyes gleaming. "That's really insidious."

"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures," Skylar said calmly. "Someone has to step up and take on this role. As Prefect of Hogwarts and Champion of the previous Triwizard Tournament, I have an inescapable responsibility."

Elusi gently set down her teacup, a meaningful smile playing on her lips. "You're quite ambitious, Malfoy. But—" She paused, turning her gaze to Cedric beside her, "This is indeed a good opportunity, isn't it?"

Cedric looked at her, his gaze hardening. Ever since Umbridge took over Hogwarts, he had been deeply dissatisfied with her autocratic rule, and the violence and tyranny of the Justice Inquisitorial Squad disgusted him even more. Originally, as the Head Boy, he could do his best to uphold the school's justice, but now, even that power had been taken away.

He took a deep breath, his eyes clear, and said firmly, "I'll join."

Elusi's lips curled up slightly, and she shrugged with a light laugh, "Since such an interesting thing has been offered to me, of course I won't refuse."

Skylar nodded in satisfaction, a smile appearing on his lips, "Then I welcome you both to the Sleeping Dragon Society."