The Team Event Concludes

Draco was extremely nervous.

He deeply regretted lingering at the back of the crowd just to chat with Pansy a little longer.

This had led to one thing.

In the final step of the group potion, where every student stepped forward to stir counterclockwise once, he was the very last student.

Even more absurdly, after completing his part, he was not allowed to leave the stage and had to wait beside the cauldron.

At that moment, everyone's eyes were fixed on him and the hawthorn wand he had inserted into the cauldron.

He even sensed Ron's jealous gaze upon him.

But he was not like Ron.

He took no pleasure in being watched by others.

All he felt was nervousness, and a stretching of his perception that made time seem to slow.

With a pop.

Draco finally pulled out his wand.

He wiped the fine sweat from his forehead.

Before him was a huge cauldron of purple liquid with the texture of amber.

He let out a breath of relief.

Yet he unexpectedly caught an irrepressible look of wild delight on Professor Polaqi's face.

"Excellent! You all did wonderfully!" Professor Polaqi shouted.

Draco looked toward the other three schools' cauldrons.

He found that, in terms of color.

They were all nearly the same shade of purple.

But what he could not understand most was why the professor was so happy.

He looked as though Ron had won a thousand-Galleon prize.

Luna below the stage was equally puzzled.

"Why is Black Dumbledore so happy?" (An article in The Quibbler had claimed that Caster Pollacchi was also a Dumbledore.

He had merely been adopted into the Pollacchi family because of the relationship between the Dumbledore and Pollacchi families.

His original name was Black. Luna believed the article because of his dark skin.)