Death Eaters at Christmas
"Hmm... bad news, I suppose." Draco felt he could still handle it.
"The bad news is that you can't quit this job, and you'll have to continue to be misunderstood by Professor Slughorn, enduring everyone's misunderstandings and attacks."
Draco's expression turned sour. "And the good news?"
"You'll be free soon," Will said seriously. "Not long, before you graduate, you'll be able to return to the High Tower."
Draco's eyes flashed with barely suppressed joy—he didn't care about being wronged, as long as he could be exonerated in the end. He believed that Will, given his character, would not allow him to be wrongly accused.
I've been able to complete all the tasks assigned to me "over there".
Will wanted to say something to Draco, but his eyes caught sight of Slughorn out of the corner of his eye.
He was walking this way. Will chuckled, "Alright, let's talk later, otherwise Professor Slughorn might target you again after school starts."
Draco nodded, a hint of helplessness in his eyes.
Will stood up and walked over to Slughorn: "Professor, it seems you've finished catching up with your distinguished senior students?"
"Yeah," Slughorn glanced at Draco in the corner, "They're all pretty good."
Why are you talking to that Malfoy? What, did he provoke you again?
Do you need me to kick him out?
"No need, Professor. Actually, I have no conflict with Draco," Will shook his head. "You don't need to target him."
Slughorn shook his head— Will is just too kind-hearted.
He had thought that Will becoming Head Boy would complete his academic resume, but Draco thwarted that plan.
Slughorn asked himself honestly, if he were in Will's shoes, he would have cornered Draco in the dorm and beaten him into Tebo.
But Will not only didn't do that, he also spoke up for Draco.
He truly deserves to be my best student!
However, while Will might overlook it, Slughorn couldn't. He glanced at Draco but remained silent.
Elder Worple then approached and said, "Professor, I have something I'd like to discuss with you."
Slughorn wasn't really going to talk to him, but Will spoke up at that moment, "Professor, I'm going to spend some time with Sylvia."
Slughorn then looked at Worple: "Then we can talk for a while."
Worple was somewhat exasperated—they're all your students, why is there such a huge difference in treatment?
Will walked over and sat down next to Sylvia.
Sylvia was holding a piece of Gingerbread and eating it in small bites. When she saw him coming, her eyes curved into crescents.
"Finished talking?" she asked.
"Hmm." Will nodded and took a glass of Pumpkin Juice from the tray.
"Draco seems pretty happy," Sylvia said, glancing at Draco in the corner.
"He'll be even happier soon," Will smiled.
Sylvia leaned closer to Will, her gaze sweeping across the dance floor. "Luna's very popular today, but she doesn't seem to have realized that all her dance partners have been snatched away."
Luna remained the center of attention. Several younger girls surrounded her, chattering and asking all sorts of questions.
Luna tilted her head and answered earnestly, occasionally blurting out a few nonsensical remarks, but the girls didn't seem to care; instead, they laughed even more heartily.
Harry, on the other hand, had already joined the others on the dance floor.
The music on the dance floor changed one song after another, the rhythm becoming increasingly lively. Harry finally escaped from the girls' embrace, found a chair and sat down, sweating profusely, and gulped down the juice the House-elf had brought him.
Luna's side was still bustling with activity—she was telling some people about the habits of the "Crumple-Horned Snorkack," and the boys who usually ignored Luna were listening with great interest, occasionally letting out exclamations of surprise.
Indeed, good looks are everything.
Slughorn and Worple were talking in hushed tones in a corner, Worple nodding occasionally with a serious expression.
Sanguini had finished his meat pie and was holding a glass of dark red liquid when the girl next to him started pestering him.
Neville and Hannah were by the window, seemingly very hot. Neville secretly opened the window a crack, and the wind blew snowflakes into the room, accompanied by a slight rustling sound.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—" The wind whipped up large, fluffy snowflakes, which blanketed the earth.
Meanwhile, in Aberdeenshire in the Scottish Highlands.
A small team of more than ten people was making its way along a muddy path.
They were all dressed in black robes and wore masks—they were Death Eaters.
The leader was tall, but the wind made it almost impossible for him to move.
"Damn it, we have to do this on Christmas..." someone cursed in the queue.
"I should be eating roast turkey right now, but instead I've got a mouthful of snow!"
"Shut up, or keep babbling if you want to get another stomach full of cold air..."
The team was full of complaints, which was understandable, given that it was Christmas and they were suffering here.
"Alright, all of you shut up! This is the great Master's order, you bunch of Faith fools!"
We're almost there, stop fooling around!
The leader roared, but his voice was muffled by the Howling Wind.
Everyone then shut their mouths and looked down the mountain. Not far below was a small Village.
The Village is small, with only a few dozen households, and at this moment, it is brightly lit, as if everyone is celebrating Christmas.
"The Appleby is hiding here?" a tall, thin Death Eaters asked, a hint of doubt in his voice. "This looks like an ordinary Muggle Village."
"The intelligence is accurate, and..." the leader said coldly, "Do you think Muggle village would ban Apparition? We need to complete the task our Master gave us tonight!"
"But..."
"No buts... Everyone, get ready and await my order to attack!"