The End of the Holiday

The Easter holidays are finally over, and it's early May. Summer is just around the corner, and the weather at Hogwarts is sunny and bright.

The Great Hall was as lively as ever in the early morning, yet there was an unusual restlessness about it.

When Skylar stepped into the hall, the whispers around the long tables were more frequent than usual. On almost every table lay an unopened copy of the Daily Prophet. The ink still carried a faint magical warmth, indicating that it had been printed that morning and delivered to Hogwarts overnight by owls.

As soon as Skylar sat down, a newspaper slid down from the air and gently unfolded in front of him.

The headline on the front page, though lacking in exaggerated rhetoric, was enough to silence the entire Wizarding World.

--Ministry of Ministry of Magic Emergency Statement: The Mysterious Man has been confirmed to have returned.

The Great Hall fell silent for a moment.

Immediately following were suppressed gasps, the sound of chairs being moved, and the subtle sounds of students unconsciously swallowing.

The newspapers, in a relatively restrained yet undisguisedly hurried tone, relayed the Ministry of Magic's emergency statement issued the previous night. Fudge finally admitted that the dark wizard who had once silenced the entire Wizarding World had reappeared and begun operating in Britain. The statement was short, but every word was heavy, even truthfully depicting the minister's own hesitation and unease in front of reporters.

The newspaper wrote that the Ministry of Magic confirmed this fact under "extreme regret."

Furthermore, the statement also revealed another, more disturbing piece of news— the Dementor of Azkaban had collectively defected. These dark creatures, originally employed by the Ministry of Magic and considered the ultimate deterrent, have refused to continue obeying orders and are believed to be turning their allegiance to the returning Dark Lord.

This passage turned many students' faces completely pale.

The newspaper went on to mention that the Ministry of Magic has called on all wizarding families to be vigilant and announced that it will urgently compile and distribute a basic defense guide covering family protection, personal self-defense, and basic measures to deal with the threat of Dark Arts. It is expected to be delivered to every wizarding family free of charge within the next month.

However, what is most glaring is not these measures themselves.

Instead, the newspapers pointed out without reservation that just days earlier, the Ministry of Magic had publicly denied all rumors about the "resurrection of the Mysterious Man," dismissing such statements as rumors and panic-mongering.

This contradiction plunged the entire Wizarding World into deeper unease and anger.

As for the specific reasons that prompted the Ministry of Magic's sudden change of attitude, the statement was vague, only mentioning that the previous night, dark forces had forcibly broken into the Ministry of Magic headquarters and clashed violently with the guards. Among the participants was the very person whose name was deliberately avoided, as well as his core followers— the Death Eaters.

The last few paragraphs of the newspaper mentioned a name.

The article points out that the Hogwarts headmaster, who has just been reinstated to all his positions, has maintained for the past year that the Dark Lord is not truly dead and is secretly gathering power. Now that the truth has been forced to be revealed, Dumbledore is still receiving treatment and has not yet responded to the Ministry of Magic's statement as of press time.

Well, it seems that, just like in the original story, Dumbledore has regained his positions as Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, member of the International Confederation of Wizards, and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot.

Poor Professor Umbridge, who is still recovering from her injuries at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, probably doesn't know that she will never have the chance to return to Hogwarts and lord it over everyone again.

As for the other name mentioned in the newspaper—the boy who once symbolized hope—it was only briefly mentioned at the end of the article, with a complex and reserved tone.

A hushed discussion gradually spread throughout the Great Hall.

All emotions intertwined, like a net tightening around it.

Skylar closed the newspaper, his gaze calm yet unfathomable.

It can be said that from this moment on, the Second Wizarding War officially began.

At the same time, he was also quite certain that Fudge wouldn't be in the position of Minister for Magic for long.

Although Fudge is still desperately trying to use the last of his power, his situation is worse than in the original story, and he has no chance of turning the tide.

The noise in the Great Hall had not truly subsided.

The Daily Prophet was laid out on the long table, and students mechanically ate while exchanging its contents in hushed tones. Amidst these whispers, one name was repeatedly mentioned—

Everyone's gaze would inevitably drift towards the Slytherin table.

Some people pretended to be nonchalant, but couldn't help but steal glances; others simply exchanged whispered glances with their companions, their tones filled with awe and barely concealed shock.

"I heard... he survived the most dangerous frontal assault at the Ministry of Magic because he withstood it?"

"My cousin is in the Auror Office. He didn't sleep a wink last night, saying that without Skylar, probably none of them would have made it back from the scene."

"That was a direct confrontation with the Mysterious Man..."

"He's still just a student?"

Discussions quickly spread among Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff, and even within Slytherin, there was an unusual quiet. The gazes that were originally filled with scrutiny, comparison, and even subtle hostility now showed more restraint—a natural restraint that arose after truly witnessing the difference.

Skylar did not show any reaction to this.

He ate his breakfast with an unperturbed expression, as if the gazes falling upon him were merely part of the morning light. The more he acted this way, the clearer the subtle sense of oppression became.

Just then, a slight commotion arose at the entrance of the Great Hall.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione appeared.

The abnormality of the three was immediately apparent. Their faces were pale, their steps were slightly slow, and although they had received basic treatment, they still carried lingering fatigue and the heavy aura characteristic of those who had been injured. It was not merely physical discomfort, but rather the lingering emotional shock of having experienced a tremendous blow and forcibly suppressed emotions.

Especially Harry.

His eyes were still clear, but they had lost their former sharp stubbornness, as if something had hollowed out a corner of them.

At Hermione's insistence, the three of them walked straight toward the Slytherin table.

Almost everyone's eyes followed them along the way.

What are they going to do?

"Go find Skylar?"

"Really...?"

Hermione walked at the front, her expression serious and restrained. She stopped in front of Skylar, took a deep breath, as if she had carefully considered her words countless times in her mind.

"Skylar," she said, her voice clear and solemn, "We've come to thank you."

She stepped aside to let Harry and Ron stand in front.

"Last night... if it weren't for your help, none of us might have made it back."

Ron nodded almost without hesitation. His expression was calm, even carrying a hint of self-deprecating bitterness.

"To be honest," he said, "I may have had a lot of prejudice against you before. But last night I finally understood—it's not even on the same level. I was so naive before."

He scratched his head, his tone unexpectedly sincere, "So, thank you. Really."

This was the first time Ron had so readily acknowledged the gap.

That wasn't inferiority complex, but a kind of clear-headedness that naturally arose after witnessing a real battlefield firsthand. The astonishing gap between him and Skylar completely extinguished any trace of jealousy he felt.

Harry stood to the side, visibly stiffening.

His lips were pressed into a thin line, his gaze lingered on Skylar for a moment, then quickly shifted away. His eyes still held a lingering resistance and defiance, as if he were repeatedly reminding himself—there wasn't a single good person in the House of Malfoy.

"I..." he began, but paused.

Hermione took a half-step forward without making a sound, almost blocking his retreat with her body, and added in a low but firm voice, "Harry."

Harry was silent for a few seconds.

Finally, he raised his head, his tone stiff but barely restrained. "Regardless, you saved us last night. I won't deny that."

That didn't sound like a thank you.

It's more like a forced admission of a fact.

Skylar then put down his cutlery and looked up at them.

His gaze was calm, without any condescending scrutiny or deliberate display of tolerance; he simply nodded.

"You survived not only because of me," he said. "Don't worry about it."

In short, there was neither a closeness nor a deliberate attempt to distance themselves.

But this made the students around them, who were quietly listening, simultaneously think of the same thing—

This person has already reached a height that is completely beyond their reach.