Two Weeks into the School Year
Hogwarts has only been in session for a week, but the atmosphere on campus is already completely different from previous years.
The castle still stands on the shore of the Black Lake, its towering towers and winding corridors seemingly unchanged, yet an indescribable sense of oppression hangs in the air. Students walk through the corridors, subconsciously lowering their voices; the common room lights go out earlier than usual at night, and even the usually boisterous first-year students have learned to fall silent as soon as a professor approaches.
Announcements of Dumbledore's strengthening of the castle's defenses were plastered on bulletin boards, patrolling professors and Auror were a common sight, and the headmaster himself repeatedly made public promises in the Great Hall about the students' safety. However, these measures did not truly quell the fear; they merely allowed the unease to lurk in another form, seeping into every corner like a cold fog.
Because outside the castle, the world is getting worse and worse.
The Daily Prophet publishes new obituaries almost daily: a wizard is found dead in his living room, a family is wiped out overnight, and dark Dark Mark hover above the ruins. Death Eaters attacks are sporadic yet persistent, as if deliberately maintaining a terrifying rhythm.
This is already the most ideal situation.
At least, thanks to the strategic maneuvering Skylar had laid out—the presence of Shield Security Consulting Company and the Diagon Alley Commercial Alliance Self-Defense Force — the Death Eaters dared not easily attack large wizarding communities. Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade Village maintained a semblance of order, and thus, overall casualties were kept within a manageable range.
But for students, these "rational analyses" are far less direct than bad news.
On Friday of the second week of school, September 13th, Hufflepuff fourth-grade student Eloise Midggan dropped out of school. That evening, her father personally went to the castle to take her away. Some say that the family had begun selling off their property and planned to flee overseas.
On the same day, another piece of devastating news quietly spread— Hannah Abbott's mother had been murdered at home. The next morning, Hannah was taken away from Hogwarts and never appeared in the classroom or the Great Hall again.
Fear was no longer just words in the newspaper, but had become the disappearing seats and empty beds.
As a result, the students instinctively began to stick together.
Groups of three or five people can always be seen in the corridors. At dinner, it is rare to see anyone sitting alone at the long table. Even when going to the library, people make plans to go with companions. It is as if having someone by one's side can bring a tiny bit of security.
In such an atmosphere, the "Sleeping Dragon Society" naturally became the most desired sanctuary.
However, reality is far crueler than imagined.
Daphne Greengrass tightened the bar for joining the Sleeping Dragon Society almost ruthlessly. There were no open recruitments, no tentative contacts, and even indirect inquiries were met with polite but cold rejections. Very few people were actually invited.
Marissa and Lydia, the Montgomery sisters from Hufflepuff, successfully entered the core of the Sleeping Dragon Society through the connections of the older sister, Elusi.
On the Ravenclaw side, Morrie brought in several of his close friends after long-term observation and endorsement—Lisa Turpin, Mandy Brohe, Sue Lee, and Padma Patil. Padma then introduced her Gryffindor twin sister Parvati Patil, as well.
Even so, only a very small number of people are actually able to step through that door.
For most students, the Sleeping Dragon Society remains like a sleeping Dragon shrouded in shadows—so close, yet so far away.
Harry did indeed consider regrouping "Dumbledore's Army".
Without Umbridge's oppressive rule, and without student leaders like McLaggen who constantly hindered and secretly nitpicked, theoretically, this was the perfect time to rebuild Dumbledore's Army. Moreover, fear and unease were spreading throughout the campus, and many students desperately longed for an organization they could rely on to fight against the darkness— Harry was not unaware of this.
He even had a vague feeling that this time, Dumbledore's Army might actually succeed.
But reality quickly suppressed that thought.
He's just too busy.
The first burden on his shoulders was the responsibility of captaining the Quidditch team. As the new captain of Gryffindor, he was practically thrust into this position without any buffer or room for error. The graduations of Angelina Johnson, Arya Spinnet, Fred Weasley, and George Weasley had already severely weakened the team, but what caught him off guard was that Katie Bell, the team's most experienced veteran, had chosen to leave.
There was no explanation, no room for reconciliation.
Overnight, five starting positions in Gryffindor became vacant.
This meant selection, trials, and team formation, and countless mornings and evenings spent on the court. For Harry, this was not just a matter of workload, but also an unavoidable test—it was the first time he had stood at the front of the team as "captain".
He desperately wanted to prove himself.
He cannot afford to fail, nor can he allow himself to fail. More importantly, he absolutely cannot tolerate losing to Draco Malfoy.
Draco also took the captaincy of Slytherin. The two had a long-standing feud, and the pitch had always been their battleground. Now, this confrontation was given more meaning—not just victory or defeat, but dignity.
In addition, Dumbledore began to give him individual lessons.
This should have been an exciting event, but the first lesson was completely unexpected for Harry. There was no practical magic, no defensive spells, not even a single word of instruction on combat. Dumbledore simply led him into a long-forgotten memory—the recollections of Bob Ogden, a former member of the Ministry of Magic's scout team.
In that memory, Harry saw Voldemort's parents, the filthy house, the dysfunctional family, and the twisted and cold past.
He simply couldn't see how these old and uncomfortable images could possibly be of any help to him.
But he didn't say anything.
The Harry in this world is far from having the same prestige and achievements as in the original books. Last semester, he failed in his attempt to organize Dumbledore's Army and was arrested, ultimately becoming the object of gossip and ridicule among many classmates. The so-called "Savior" aura has long since faded for him, leaving only a fragile layer of self-esteem.
Now, Dumbledore is practically his only support.
He dared not question or refute, and could only choose to believe—believe that these seemingly useless memories would one day come in handy.
Meanwhile, in the first two weeks of September, Skylar was almost constantly busy at the Ministry of Magic.
In name only, he was neither a minister nor directly in charge of any department; but in reality, he sat at the heart of the Ministry of Magic's tactical command center, and all emergency dispatches, interdepartmental collaborations, and high-risk operations ultimately came to his desk. Amelia Bones was happy with this—she needed someone who could quickly provide the optimal solution in chaos, not another bureaucrat busy with political maneuvering.
Under Skylar's overall coordination, Auror, Hit Wizard, Scouts, Beast Extermination Execution Squad, and Accidental Magic Reversal Squad were frequently deployed, effectively combating the terrorist activities of Walpurgis or Death Eaters.
The Dementor were driven away, the Ogre and Banshee were hunted down, and the lurking dark wizards were arrested. Many cases were quietly covered up even before the Daily Prophet had a chance to spread.
Skylar's reputation within the Ministry of Magic grew accordingly.
For some, this change is not good news.
During Fudge's time, the so-called "Pure-Blood Traitor Faction" were not a marginal group within the Ministry of Magic. Kingsley Shacklebolt, Arthur Weasley, Gawain Weasley, Gerstadt Marchbanks... they formed a stable core force based on their seniority, connections, and moral reputation.
But now, everything has changed.
Since Skylar came to power, they have been constantly suppressed, marginalized, and ostracized. Finally, they can no longer bear the pressure.
It was a moonless night, and the protective barrier outside Ella Cottage rippled gently. Skylar wasn't surprised; he had long anticipated that someone would knock on that door at some point.
There were three people who came.
Gawain Weasley, the Unspeakable of the Death Chamber, looked more haggard than ever. He knew better than anyone that the Death Chamber's research was being re-examined, and he was being deliberately excluded from the real decision-making process—if this continued, the fruits of his life's research would eventually be taken over by someone else.
Malfalda Prewett, one eye covered by a black eyepatch, stood ramrod straight. Her transfer order had been issued a week earlier, reducing her from a top-tier Auror to "on standby" status— the Ministry of Magic's most common, and most silent, form of backroom dealing.
(Note: In the original book, the person sitting next to Kingsley Shacklebolt was a female Auror wearing a black eyepatch; this book gives her a name and identity.)
Then there's Milo Morn —a talented clerk who had recently graduated from Hogwarts and worked diligently in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, but was now being reassigned to the maintenance department, spending his days with broken magical devices. He knew very well that this wasn't a transfer, but an exile.
The three people stood in front of the door, exchanging no pleasantries and offering no excuses.
They all understood what coming here tonight meant.
The Pure-Blood Traitor Faction is now defunct. Continuing to cling to their old ways will only lead to their being crushed by the times; and if they want to preserve their careers, their research, and even their future, there is only one way out.
Skylar Malfoy.
Skylar showed no surprise, simply listening calmly to their statements. He offered no promises or reassurances, but rather sought to ascertain whether they understood—this was not a simple surrender, but an irreversible submission and loyalty.
Skylar Malfoy.
Skylar showed no surprise, simply listening calmly to their statements. He offered no promises or reassurances, but rather sought to ascertain whether they understood—this was not a simple surrender, but an irreversible submission and loyalty.
Only after they nodded did Skylar begin.
The Sleeping Dragon Mark was silently imprinted on the arms of the three men, and from then on they were also Skylar's loyal servants, and had to call Skylar their master.
Gawain Weasley handed over all of the Death Chamber's classified research data; Mafalda Prewett was officially appointed as Nymphadora Tonks - Black's deputy, reporting directly to the latter; and Milo Morn was transferred to the Experimental Charms Committee, responsible for obtaining experimental data on all of Skylar's innovative spells.
[Subdued "Servant" Gawain Weasley!]
[Subdued "Servant" Mafalda Prewett!]
[Subdued "Servant" Milo Morn!]
[Secret research materials from the Death Chamber obtained!]
[Innovative Spell Experiment Data Obtained!]