The bold headline on the front page drew everyone's attention. "The dust has settled! Lucius Malfoy officially assumes the Minister for Magic! Top priority: a complete purge of the escaped Death Eaters from Azkaban and the recall of the experienced old Auror!"
The accompanying image shows Lucius Malfoy standing in front of the Golden Hall of the Ministry of Magic, holding a serpent-headed staff and receiving congratulations from the crowd.
The article details how, after Fudge resigned amidst the massive Azkaban breakout, the Dementors' defection, and a series of scandals, Wizengamor unanimously approved the appointment of Lucius Malfoy as the new Minister of Magic.
The report states that Malfoy's first act upon taking office was to announce the establishment of the " Death Eaters Pursuit Special Operations Unit " and to urgently recall several veteran Auror who had made outstanding contributions in the First Wizarding War but were forced to retire early or be transferred from the front lines due to disagreements with Fudge.
For example, Rufus Scrimgeour, the hound known for his toughness and tracking abilities, and several other experienced, veteran Auror whose names are legendary among the older generation of wizards.
These Auror form the core command, determined to wipe out the escaped Death Eaters and restore order to the Wizarding World.
The explosive nature of this news instantly overshadowed the attack on Hogwarts students last night!
" Merlin's hat! Lucius's become minister!"
"Really? So fast?"
"Look! He said he's going to recall Old Auror!"
"Those escaped Death Eaters are in for a rough time now!"
" The Malfoy family is truly... incredibly powerful this time!"
Exclamations and whispers filled the Great Hall.
All eyes were once again involuntarily drawn to Draco Malfoy at the end of the Gryffindor table!
" Merlin! Draco! So, you're now... the minister's son?!" Lavender exclaimed incredulously.
"Hmm, I think so. Nothing special, except that we might need to prepare more documents for the House-elf and the owls will have to make more trips. It'll be a bit of a hassle!"
Parvati, who was drinking Pumpkin Juice, almost spat it out when she heard Draco's words. She choked and coughed repeatedly, her face turning red. She pointed at Draco with an expression that said, "That's enough."
That statement from Versailles was absolutely infuriating!
"Now that your dad's a minister, can you look after me a bit?" Ron said with a smile, putting his arm around Draco's shoulder.
"My dad's a minister, not me," Draco glanced at him. "If you want to curry favor, you might as well stick with Hermione. After all, once Laodeng steps down, you know..."
Everyone teased and envied Hermione, Hermione blushed.
Seeing Ron's expectant look, Hermione gave him the same advice, telling Ron to work hard.
"Okay... never mind," Ron said.
Everyone laughed.
Students from other houses were also whispering Slytherin table themselves, their eyes frequently glancing towards Draco. The atmosphere was even more subtle as many remained silent, their eyes darting around.
Just then,
Draco's two henchmen, Goyle Vincent, awkwardly squeezed in, carrying plates.
"Boss! It's so good to hear you're alright! We were so worried about you yesterday!" Goyle said with a simple and honest smile.
Vincent nodded quickly.
"Your boss is incredibly capable, what could possibly happen to him!"
"Boss is awesome! We're heading back now!"
The two awkwardly squeezed back in as they spoke.
Breakfast continued in this subtle atmosphere.
The news about Lucius's appointment and the hunt for Death Eaters became the absolute focus of the breakfast table, while the details of Harry's attack last night were temporarily overshadowed.
after all,
For most students, the change of power at the Ministry of Magic and the potential for large-scale manhunts will have a far more profound impact than the accidental death of a single classmate.
Daily life at Hogwarts seemed to have returned to a certain normalcy, but beneath this normalcy...
The power structure, the undercurrents within the academy, and the future fate of each individual have all quietly changed.
Everything has temporarily settled down.
The classes proceeded as scheduled, and Draco and Hermione took a break to visit Richard Rookwood Castle again.
The purpose was to clear out the Ancient Magic relics left behind by Rookwood that might still harbor danger, especially those forbidden ancient books used as traps and the basis for Voldemort's resurrection theory.
They soon found some Ancient Magic books in the private library deep beneath the castle.
Hermione, of course, wouldn't let any book go unread.
Draco then took out the small box containing the Gaunt Marvolo Ring from his pocket, and opened it.
The ring itself was old and worn, but the Resurrection Stone set in it emitted an eerie light. The gem resonated with the fragment of Voldemort's soul residing within it, attempting to lure those who approached it to wear it, promising to bring back their deceased loved ones.
But this held no appeal for Draco.
"That's it."
Without the slightest hesitation, he placed the ring on the relatively clean floor in the center of the library and gestured for Hermione to step back.
The ancient magic wand was raised high above the head.
The staff was imbued with silver magic power, like the light of stars.
He pointed his wand sharply downwards!
A pure beam of light composed of silver runes shot out from the tip of the staff and struck the Gaunt Ring precisely!
"Buzz!"
The ring trembled violently, emitting a sharp, piercing wail of the soul. Voldemort's soul fragments struggled frantically, bursting forth with thick black smoke in an attempt to resist the pure silver light.
The Resurrection Stone also shone brightly.
But for Draco and Hermione, it was just a distorted reflection of light and shadow.
The silver light clashed fiercely with the black mist, which quickly lost its edge, melting and evaporating like ice and snow exposed to sunlight.
The light of the Resurrection Stone gradually dimmed, and its evil link with the Horcrux was forcibly severed and stripped away.
Finally, with a crisp sound like shattering glass, the Resurrection Stone suddenly lost all its luster.
The ring itself, however, appeared to have weathered over a thousand years, crumbling into tiny pieces and turning into a small clump of grayish-white powder.
The dark red fragment of soul that had been residing there, under the continuous illumination of the silver light, let out a final, weak, unwilling cry before being completely annihilated and vanishing without a trace.
The sinister aura and seductive whispers in the air vanished instantly, leaving only a settled tranquility and a faint, refreshing scent, much like ozone after it has been purified.
Hermione, who had been tense the whole time, finally let out a long sigh of relief. Draco, pale-faced, put away his wand; casting this level of purification magic had taken a considerable toll.
He walked to the pile of ashes, gently poked at it with his wand, and confirmed that there was no magic left.
"Another Horcrux has been destroyed," Draco said, then carefully put away the now dull and unremarkable Resurrection Stone, perhaps to be studied in the future. "Now there's one left."