When Narcissa mentioned that Hermione had accompanied her and witnessed the entire event, her expression softened slightly:
"If Miss Granger were here, she would understand that true aristocratic conduct is never about reckless bravado, but about proper decorum. It's good that you've shown her these things."
Lucius neither confirmed nor denied this, only saying:
"As long as she follows the rules and doesn't cause trouble, it's fine. The important thing is that you've upheld the Malfoy ' honor and earned new connections for the family."
With the topic settled, Draco slowly wiped the corner of his mouth and suddenly looked at Lucius was sitting in the main seat.
" Laodeng, would you like to be Minister for Magic?"
The air fell silent for half a second after those words were spoken.
Lucius had just raised his wine glass to his lips, but before he could even swallow the red wine, he couldn't help but choke on it.
Deep red wine splattered onto the pristine white napkin.
A small patch of ink spread out.
He coughed violently a few times, staring at his son in disbelief.
Narcissa was also stunned. Her hand holding the fork froze in mid-air. She first looked at Lucius in surprise, then turned to look at the calm Draco, and couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.
Lucius, having finally calmed his cough, put down his glass and wiped his mouth with a napkin. " Draco Malfoy! What are you talking about!"
He had never lost his composure at the dinner table in his entire life, and he was only frightened like this by a nonsensical remark from his son.
"What if I told you I could help you oust Fudge and become Minister for Magic?"
Lucius almost coughed again, the cough he had just suppressed. He gripped the napkin in his hand tightly, his shocked eyes darkening as he asked in a stern and scrutinizing tone:
"Do you know what you're saying? The affairs of the Ministry of Magic are not something a child like you can meddle in. Fudge's influence is unfathomable. To bring him down? That's just wishful thinking."
His voice lowered, and the atmosphere in the dining room instantly became heavy. His usual composure turned into worry about his son's reckless adventure.
Narcissa also suppressed her earlier surprise and gently advised, " Draco, don't talk nonsense. This kind of thing is too dangerous."
"Your father has his reasons for his actions within the Ministry of Ministry of Magic; just focus on completing your studies."
She gently patted Lucius's hand, signaling him to calm down, then her worried gaze fell on Draco.
Draco shrugged it off, saying with a hint of confidence, "Of course I know."
" Fudge is stubborn and self-willed, and most of his confidants are sycophants. As long as we find something to hold against him and use public opinion to our advantage, it's only a matter of time before we bring him down. Besides, there are already people in the Ministry of Magic who are dissatisfied with him."
Lucius looked at the certainty in his son's eyes and was shocked. Amidst his astonishment, he also felt a sense of curiosity.
He paused for a moment, then said seriously, "What's your plan? Don't tell me you're just saying it casually."
"I think the Dementor are about to go out of control."
Draco said calmly.
Lucius's fingers tightened suddenly around the glass, the glass hitting the table with a soft click.
"What did you say? Dementor?"
He asked incredulously.
Dementor are an important fighting force for the Ministry of Magic and also the guardians of Azkaban, with Fudge firmly in their control.
If things get out of control, not only will the Ministry of Magic be thrown into chaos, but the entire Britain Wizarding World will be plunged into panic.
Having worked in the Ministry of Magic for many years, Lucius knew all too well the significance of this matter, and he never expected that his son would suddenly make such a startling prediction.
Narcissa's knife stopped abruptly on the plate, her face betraying her panic and worry.
"Son, do you have any evidence for what you're saying? Dementor are under the control of the Ministry of Magic, how could they suddenly go out of control?"
She was well aware of the horrors of dark creatures, and the Dementor's Kiss could steal a person's soul.
The thought of this creature about to go out of control made her first concern for Draco's safety.
Lucius quickly recovered from his shock and repeated Narcissa's question, "Where did you get this from? What evidence do you have? This is not something you can just say offhand."
He knew Fudge's personality all too well; if Fudge found out that someone had predicted the Dementor would go out of control...
At best, they'll be accused of spreading rumors; at worst, they'll be seen as a threat, and the Malfoy family will be implicated.
But he could also tell that Draco wasn't just talking nonsense.
Draco calmly and methodically explained the root cause of the Dementor ' impending loss of control:
There are three reasons.
"Firstly, the prisoners of Azkaban are left with only despair and suffering, while the Dementor feed on positive emotions and are in a state of semi-starvation for a long time. Their instincts are filled with a desire for new emotions, and they are already restless."
"Secondly, they can sense and be consumed by negative emotions. The changes in Azkaban caused by Peter Pettigrew's imprisonment bred a large number of extreme negative emotions, which directly stimulated them to go berserk."
"Thirdly, they are inherently wild and untamed. They only superficially obey the Ministry of Magic; they are disorganized and undisciplined. When hunger and restlessness reach a critical point, they will naturally disregard orders and riot."
After he finished speaking, the dining room fell silent for a moment.
Lucius's expression turned grave as he asked first, "How can you be so sure that Azkaban's negative emotions towards Peter Pettigrew have reached a level that could backfire on the Dementor?"
" The Ministry of Magic was completely unaware of this; there should have been some signs of unusual activity. Where did you get these details?"
Having spent many years in the Ministry of Magic, he had a basic understanding of the Dementor and Azkaban.
However, he never bothered to analyze such detailed underlying motivations. Instead, he was more concerned with the source and authenticity of Draco's information, as this was related to the credibility of the entire prediction.
When confronted by Lucius, Draco did not reveal his source of information. Instead, he met Lucius's gaze and provided a clear and detailed explanation:
"Never mind that, Laodeng, just look at the facts!"
"First, there was a dramatic shift in the emotions of the Azkaban prisoners."
" Peter Pettigrew's imprisonment plunged the Death Eaters inside into utter despair, fearing he would implicate his family and friends, and also because of his connection to Voldemort."
"This massive, extreme negative emotion was absorbed by the Dementor, directly shattering their emotional control."
"More importantly, some wrongfully convicted prisoners were inspired by Peter's case to seek a retrial. This scarce 'food' fueled a frenzy among the Dementor, leading to infighting and escalating the unrest."
Draco paused briefly to allow Lucius some time to process what was happening before continuing:
"Secondly, the Ministry of Magic temporarily reassigned Auror and guards from Azkaban to escort and interrogate Peter."
"At this time, a gap appeared in the guard force, and the prison's security was frequently breached."
"This not only offended the Dementor ' sense of territory but also made them realize that the Ministry of Magic's guards were not invincible, emboldening them to riot."
Finally, Peter carried a large amount of Voldemort's Dark Magic residue on him.
"These energies spread in Azkaban after he went to prison."
" Dementor are creatures of darkness, extremely sensitive to Dark Magic energy. This energy amplifies their ferocity, allowing them to completely break free from the Ministry of Magic's meager control."
After finishing his speech, Draco leaned back in his chair.
Lucius's fingers suddenly stopped on the table, and he remained silent for several seconds.