Tired of Ron's constant chatter, Draco simply ripped off his Death Glasses and shoved them into Ron's arms.
He said impatiently, "Here, take it. Stop howling, it hurts my ears."
Ron was overjoyed. He hurriedly put his sunglasses on his face and looked ahead with wide eyes.
The next second, he was completely stunned, pointing at the carriage with a trembling voice:
"My God! There really is something! This... this is Thestral?! That's so cool!!"
He moved closer, but dared not get too close, sometimes marveling at the wings, sometimes wondering about the empty eye sockets.
Once the initial excitement wore off, Ron immediately took off his glasses and examined them closely, turning them over and over in his mind.
" Draco, this thing is amazing! Where did you get it? I bet Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade don't sell it!"
"My secret recipe is not to be shared with outsiders," Draco said casually.
Ron's eyes lit up, and he transformed into a small-time businessman, excitedly saying, "A secret recipe? If you mass-produced and sold it, it would be an absolute hit! Lots of people want to see Thestral; you'd make a fortune!"
Draco, upon hearing this, glanced at Hermione was still gently interacting with Thestral beside him, and said:
"That's a good suggestion... Hermione can be Minister of Ministry of Magic, and I can stay home with the kids and open a small shop selling these things. That would be great."
As soon as those words were spoken...
Ron froze on the spot, and Harry also looked up sharply, his face filled with shock.
Both of them turned to look at Hermione. Hermione, who had been gently stroking the Thestral's mane, froze upon hearing those words.
She had never thought so far into the future, much less about becoming Minister for Magic.
" Draco! What nonsense are you talking about... I... I never wanted to be a minister."
"Now you can think about it—if you become Minister for Magic, I'll be the number one wizard in the Wizarding World," Draco said.
Ron, listening nearby, got goosebumps all over and hugged his arms, his teeth clenched in disgust. " Draco, have you no shame? First Gentleman, huh! Why don't you just float on air!"
"Stop talking nonsense, it's getting more and more outrageous..." Hermione couldn't help but smile.
Draco wasn't ashamed at all; instead, he became quite serious.
"How is that outrageous? It's not impossible. I, Laodeng, still hold some status in the Wizarding World. I'll definitely lend you a hand when the time comes."
"If he knew he'd have the Minister for Magic as his daughter-in-law, he'd be laughing in his sleep."
At this point, he chuckled to himself.
"Her as minister? Don't even dream about it! I think you'd better stop daydreaming!" Ron sneered, arms crossed.
Harry looked at Hermione and joked, "Since your boyfriend has such... lofty ambitions, you'd better work hard."
"It's not even his ambition, yet I'm the one who has to work on it all. Is that even reasonable?" Hermione glanced at Harry helplessly.
"Actually, you... are very suitable for it." Harry laughed.
Draco suddenly turned to look at Ron, throwing out a bait:
" Ron, think about it—if Hermione really becomes Minister for Magic, with your relationship with her, wouldn't it be easy for you to pull strings and get a good position?"
Ron's eyes lit up instantly. He had been attacking just moments before, but now he had switched sides in an instant, nodding vigorously.
"Yes, Hermione! I believe in you! You can definitely become minister! You must!"
Hermione, watching Ron's rapidly changing expression, said helplessly, "You three... that's enough."
Hermione then put on a serious face and began to speak:
Even if I were to become Minister for Magic, I would still handle matters strictly according to the law.
" Ron, if you don't study hard, I absolutely won't pull any strings for you."
" Harry, on the other hand, has a much better chance than you in the future."
"Oh no! Hermione! My grades were pretty good too!" Ron wailed.
Harry, who was listening nearby, was taken aback for a moment, then quickly waved his hand and laughed:
"No, no, no, I never intended to join the Ministry of Magic... Don't drag me into this."
Hermione glanced at Ron and bluntly exposed him. "You only passed because you were lucky. I've seen whether you've studied hard or not."
Ron looked utterly devastated and turned to Draco, complaining, "How could this happen! It's all your fault, Draco! You've ruined everything for me!"
"I could have gotten a job by taking a chance and relying on my 'good grades,' but now, there's no way I can get in through any back channels!"
Harry, Hermione, Draco were so amused by his pitiful expression that they burst out laughing.
Ron's eyes suddenly lit up, and he came up with another idea. "But it's okay! You have so many glasses and weird things, you'll definitely hire me as a shop assistant when you open your store, right?"
Draco glanced at him dismissively and said bluntly, "You're overthinking it. My family isn't short of money; I don't need to open a shop at all."
Ron froze on the spot, on the verge of tears. "Ah? How could this happen..."
The three of them laughed even harder at Ron's dejected appearance.
"You should focus on improving yourself first; relying on yourself is better than anything else," Hermione said earnestly.
Ron, his face drooping, muttered listlessly, "Strive harder... Fine, I'll try, okay? It's better than being looked down upon by you all."
"Doing is harder than saying!" Draco shrugged.
"Don't look down on me!" Ron said.
"Then we'll wait and see," Draco said calmly.
The Thestral carriage moved smoothly through the night, the scenery outside the window bathed in a soft silvery glow from the moonlight.
The dark, Forbidden Forest lay dormant by the roadside, while the distant lake shimmered with tiny, rippling waves.
The wind rustled through the treetops.
The castle's spires stood tall in the darkness, and warm lights shone from the windows, like pairs of eyes waiting for someone to return home.
Before long, the carriage came to a stop, and the gates of Hogwarts appeared before them.
The four straightened their clothes and walked into the castle side by side.
Hogwarts remained unchanged, with its spacious and bright marble steps, torches on the walls casting a warm yellow glow, and the air filled with the scent of candles and vanilla.
They followed the crowd into the Great Hall and were instantly enveloped by the warm glow of the star-studded ceiling and the four long tables.
The older students had already taken their seats, and their noisy conversations filled the entire hall.
Before long, Hagrid led a group of timid first-year students into the Great Hall in a line.
As the Sorting Hat song began, the Sorting Ceremony proceeded smoothly.
The freshmen nervously stepped forward and, amidst cheers and sighs, were assigned to their respective colleges.
After the last new student took his seat, Dumbledore slowly stood up.
Welcome back to Hogwarts.
Welcome, new little wizards! May you find belonging and happiness here.
"Second-grade students, you are no longer freshmen. I hope you can be more patient and kinder."
"The castle is in good condition this year. The restrictions remain the same as in previous years: unauthorized entry into the Forbidden Forest is prohibited, and the Third Floor Corridor remains strictly off-limits to anyone."
Finally, he uttered his classic closing line. "So—you idiot! Crybaby! Trash! Twist!"