Abuse of Extrajudicial Punishment

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the high windows Hogwarts Great Hall, casting a golden glow on the gleaming silverware and steaming breakfast food on the long tables, creating a warm and tranquil atmosphere. Students sat in twos and threes, chatting, flipping through newspapers, and eating quickly, creating an atmosphere in the Great Hall that was outwardly calm but inwardly restless.

Skylar sat at the center of the Slytherin table, his coffee still steaming, untouched. He elegantly sliced his buttered toast while watching the owls soar into the sky above the hall. Today, they had arrived unusually early and in unusual numbers.

Like a snowfall, letters fell from the sky, fluttering down in front of him—pale purple envelopes, green notes, and crumpled parchment, forming a paper wreath around his plate.

This scene quickly attracted the attention of the surrounding Slytherin students. Although Skylar often received letters, such a dense and overwhelming amount was still rare.

"Skylar, did you open an owl shop recently?" Pansy, sitting diagonally across from him, couldn't help but tease.

Skylar simply smiled faintly, offered no response, and casually opened the top letter.

"I used to not believe it, but now I'm starting to wonder, does the Ministry of Magic really tell us everything?"

"Malfoy Watchtower is the time I look forward to most every day."

"My brother is interning at the Department of Magical Creatures Management and Control, and he says the recent report about 'Dementor agitation' has been shelved by the higher-ups."

Letters kept falling, and the table was soon piled high. After Skylar nodded in acknowledgment, Draco, Pansy, Daphne, Astoria, and the Carrow Sisters joined in opening the letters.

All of these letters were sent by listeners of Malfoy Watchtower, and without exception, they all expressed their support for him.

Unlike Harry's actions in the original book, Skylar's Malfoy Watchtower only proclaimed the stirrings of the dark forces, without mentioning Voldemort's resurrection. This restrained and calm tone made it easier for the audience to trust him.

As the Death Eaters continues to unfold, the Ministry of Magic has yet to provide a convincing explanation for how the Death Eaters managed to escape from Azkaban, supposedly the world's most secure prison. Meanwhile, the public sees no meaningful effort from the Ministry of Magic in response. Compared to the scale of the Black for Black years ago, the Ministry of Magic's reaction this time is surprisingly lukewarm; not even a single Dementor responsible for searching for the escapee can be seen on the streets.

The public gradually lost faith in the Ministry of Magic, and they even fell into extreme confusion—what was happening in the Britain wizarding world? What was the Ministry of Magic hiding, and what were they plotting?

Their questions remained unanswered. The Daily Prophet remained tight-lipped about these facts, avoiding even the most obvious crises.

Thus, caught between this powerlessness and silence, people gradually turned their attention to the only platform still making its voice heard— Malfoy Watchtower.

It didn't raise its arms in a rallying cry, nor did it use slogans to incite unrest, but it voiced the deepest fears and questions in people's hearts. In this time of collective silence from the Ministry of Magic, the calm, clear, and rationally discerning voice from Malfoy Watchtower became the "only explanation" that more and more people were choosing to believe.

"That's wonderful!" Astoria exclaimed excitedly. "It seems most of the audience has chosen to believe you."

"Yes, the Ministry of Magic's explanation is too weak and unconvincing," Hestia Carrow nodded and said, "They also said that although they were also reluctant to face the impending crisis, the facts are undeniable, and they have to admit that there are simply too many inexplicable loopholes under the safe atmosphere deliberately created by the Ministry of Magic."

"This also means that more and more people are becoming wary and starting to question the Ministry of Magic..." Flora Carrow continued.

Daphne scoffed. "This is hardly surprising. Between the Ministry of Magic and you, anyone with a brain would choose to believe you, not the Ministry of Magic."

Skylar nodded in satisfaction. The performance of Malfoy Watchtower had not disappointed him; it was exactly the effect he wanted to achieve.

Public opinion is now on his side, Ministry of Magic can no longer use the same methods it used against Dumbledore to deal with him.

The only thing the Ministry of Magic could do left was to use Umbridge's immense power at Hogwarts to deal with her within the school's boundaries. And the only force Umbridge could rely on was the Justice Inquisitorial Squad, led by McLaggen.

After capturing Dumbledore's Army, the Justice Inquisitorial Squad became somewhat complacent and acted with increasing recklessness. In particular, McLaggen's personality became even more eccentric and domineering. It was foreseeable that the day he would come to cause trouble for Skylar was not far off.

But... Hmph, Skylar isn't Potter...

Just as Skylar was engrossed in reading the letters, a tiny "pop" sounded in his ear. A House Elf dressed in a small tea towel uniform quietly appeared behind him, secretly slipped a tiny piece of parchment into his palm, and then quickly disappeared.

After reading the note, Skylar realized that today was March 1st, the day Sturgis Podmore was to be released from prison, but the Daily Prophet hadn't reported on it at all. The note in his hand was written by Nymphadora, and its content was precisely about Podmore—

Podmore is dead.

Today, the Order of the Phoenix sent Lupin and Ogden Hobbden to fetch Podmore, but they never saw him. After some inquiry, they learned that he had died in prison. The Ministry of Magic's written report stated that Podmore "died of illness," but Dumbledore's judgment was that he was first kissed by Dementor, which drained his soul, before he contracted the disease and died.

This was not an accidental "death," but a purge.

Skylar frowned deeply and looked up at Umbridge, who was still eating breakfast on the professor's chair—this was unlike Fudge's style, but more like Umbridge's methods.

It's important to understand that while Podmore was a member of the Order of the Phoenix, he hadn't committed a crime punishable by death. In principle, executing him in prison already constituted vigilante justice. If this were to be exposed, Fudge would face consequences far exceeding simply being removed from office. This action was tantamount to an open declaration of war against the Order of the Phoenix!

The Ministry of Magic is clearly determined to deal with Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix —but does Gibbon really have the guts to do so?

"It seems the Ministry of Magic is ready for a full-scale war with the Order of the Phoenix..." Skylar thought to himself.

A day passed, and that night, in the Chamber of Secrets behind the Secret Passage on the fifth floor.

Several magical candles on the wall flickered with a pale blue light, casting long, slanted shadows on the obsidian floor.

Skylar Malfoy leaned back in his chair, calmly looking at the five girls standing in front of him.

Katie Bell stood at the front, her expression confident with a hint of smugness. She was clearly quite satisfied with the mission's completion, tilting her head slightly to acknowledge them before speaking first, "Malfoy, these three are new members from Gryffindor, and they are all delighted to join the Sleeping Dragon Society."

Standing to her left was Linnie Richards, a curly-haired girl with delicate features and an innocent sincerity in her eyes, yet her gaze held a curiosity and eagerness for the unknown world. She was Katie's closest confidante, so her presence here was not surprising.

Skylar's gaze swept lightly over her. He was no stranger to Linnie. In the original story, when Katie put on that cursed necklace, it was Linnie who was by her side, shouting for help. She was Katie's inseparable close friend.

"Hello, Malfoy," Lina began, a little nervously, but with sincerity in her voice, "Actually... there are many of your fans in Gryffindor, and I'm one of them. Katie also speaks highly of you, and I trust her judgment."

To Katie's right is a well-proportioned young woman with sharp features—Demirza Binns.

Skylar knew of this character; in the original story, she was an exceptionally skilled Quidditch Chaser who became a key player after Harry became captain. However, with Gryffindor's three Chaser — Angelina, Alicia, and Katie— already in place, Demirza was temporarily only a substitute for Gryffindor.

Unlike Lina, she didn't beat around the bush; instead, she said directly, "I've had enough of the injustice in Gryffindor —everyone knows that Ron Weasley got into the Quidditch team not because of his ability, but because of his connections with Potter and his two brothers."

"Who knew, not only is his technique terrible—" Demirza said through gritted teeth, "But his mouth is incredibly sharp. Every time the team makes a mistake, he tries to shift the blame, blaming everyone else, and of course, my first choice is me, the 'backup Chaser '."

She sneered, "Since Gryffindor's 'courage' is just a fig leaf for those with connections, I don't mind trying somewhere else."

Skylar nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on her for two seconds before turning to the far right, where he found someone Skylar knew.

Vicky Frobisher.

The rising star of the Charms Club, who had impressed him so much, was talented and level-headed. At this moment, her uniform was neat, and she wore the club badge she had just received.

She didn't shy away from Skylar's gaze; instead, she stepped forward, nodded slightly, and remained as poised and composed as ever. "Skylar, I'm grateful for your many acts of care and guidance in the Charms Club," she said softly, her eyes revealing a clear admiration, "I sincerely hope to join your circle and become a truly worthy ally you can rely on."

Skylar slowly curled the corners of his mouth into a smile.

The addition of these three individuals opened a breach in the Gryffindor influence of the Sleeping Dragon Society, just as he had anticipated.

The fifth person stood behind the three, looking somewhat reserved. Unlike the others, she didn't speak up, but quietly held a sealed parchment scroll, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Marietta Edgecombe," Skylar called her name softly.

She bit her lip, handed over the letter, and whispered, "My mother... asked me to tell you: from today onwards, the Edgecombe Family is willing to obey you, and she will cooperate with all your instructions in the Ministry of Magic —she only asks that you protect me."

Skylar reached out and took the letter, his eyes quickly scanning it to confirm that it was a contract of allegiance from the Edgecombe Family —as long as Skylar kept his promise and protected Marietta Edgecombe at Hogwarts, the Edgecombe Family would follow Skylar's lead.

He smiled calmly, rolled up the letter, and put it away. His tone was relaxed yet carried a reassuring certainty. "Tell your mother that I have agreed to her conditions."

[The "Intermediate Vassal Family" Edgecombe Family has been acquired!]

He stood up and looked around at the five people in front of him.

Welcome, new members of the Sleeping Dragon Society.