"My lord, the media is ready. Tomorrow's Daily Prophet front page will run the headline—'The Truth Behind Dumbledore's Suspension: The Savior's Silence and the Powerful's Protection.'" A cold, satisfied curve lifted at Lucius's lips.
Madara's mouth twitched slightly. It was not a smile, but an understanding that said, Just as expected. With a light sweep of his finger through the air, the scrying mirror showing Dumbledore working in the Greenhouse shrank and moved to the edge of his vision. Another mirror enlarged—it showed the view through a House-Elf's eyes, its pupils reflecting the dim fireplace of the Gryffindor Common Room and a lean, black-haired boy sitting alone in the corner.
"Keep watching." Madara's voice was quiet, yet it pierced every layer of encryption in the magical communication and reached Lucius's ears clearly. "Dumbledore wants to cure the Petrification? Let him. The more energy he spends in the Greenhouse, the fewer eyes he will have in the castle. Hogwarts no longer needs him to shape public opinion."
The communication mark went dark. Lucius's face vanished from the scrying mirror, leaving only a faint blue afterglow that slowly faded away. Madara straightened again, clasped his hands behind his back, and looked at the enlarged mirror showing Harry's lonely figure.
Those scarlet eyes blazed painfully bright in the ghostly green firelight, like lava that burned forever and would never go out.
On the evening after the dueling class, Hogwarts's owls were busier than usual. They took flight from the Owlery, crossed the night sky above the Forbidden Forest, and flew toward every corner of the United Kingdom.
Some carried students' private letters tied to their legs, some clutched notes for parents in their talons, and others—carried carefully packaged news that had flown out of Lockhart's office.
The next morning, the Daily Prophet's front-page