For Slytherin students, becoming an Auror held little appeal. Some of them even considered it a poor career choice.
But for students from the other three Houses, the title "Auror" was still deeply attractive, especially to the hot-blooded Gryffindors, whose eyes practically shone at the mention of it.
It wasn't hard to understand why. Setting Moody aside, Aurors represented justice and the suppression of crime in the wizarding world.
Particularly when it came to fighting dark wizards, the role struck straight at their hearts...
Beyond those excited little lions, there were also students who saw an opportunity in this, as well as those who had long set their sights on joining the Ministry of Magic or becoming Aurors. None of them could remain calm. They stared fixedly at Umbridge on the stage.
After all, only a handful would meet the requirements. No wonder there were hardly any restrictions. Just the possibility of giving up their studies for a chance to become one of the future Aurors was enough to make their hearts pound.
It even made them temporarily forget what Umbridge had done to them before. Their focused expressions made it seem as though missing even a single word would cause them to lose this opportunity forever...
Cedric Diggory, who was present in his capacity as a Prefect, was especially affected. He looked as if he had just discovered a priceless gem. In his excitement, he forgot his original duties and stepped out of line.
Before he realized it, Cedric Diggory had blended into the crowd, not even considering whether what he was doing was appropriate.
Faced with this slightly chaotic scene, even Penelope, the Head Girl, didn't know what to do.
Stop them?
But none of the other professors had spoken...
...
As for the other professors.
From Snape's increasingly dark expression and the surprise written across the faces of the others, it was obvious that Umbridge had not informed them in advance.
Even Dumbledore might not have known.
Yet if Draco could see the key issue, there was no reason Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of the age, wouldn't understand the problem as well.
Strangely, however, Dumbledore simply sat in his seat without any intention of intervening or calming the students below, as if everything were still under his control.
Just as Draco was thinking this, Professor McGonagall suddenly stepped forward, her face pale with anger.
"Dolores! Do you know what you're saying? This is completely against the rules!"
"...Minerva, what exactly are you trying to say?"
"What am I trying to say? They've only just entered their fifth year. They're still underage wizards!"
Professor McGonagall's sharp voice cut through the hall, instantly silencing the excited chatter below. It was like a bucket of cold water thrown over them.
That's right.
Nothing like this had ever happened before. And even the Ministry of Magic couldn't act so recklessly, could it?
Not to mention that they were all minors, unable to make such decisions on their own.
Now that they had calmed down, they began to wonder whether they could truly endure the long and grueling training ahead.
Because of Professor McGonagall's words, visible disappointment spread across the faces of the younger students, with the exception of Cedric Diggory. Their crestfallen expressions drew a cold sneer from Snape.
Draco, however, noticed that Umbridge's smile had not faded. If anything, it deepened into a smug, taunting grin directed at Professor McGonagall.
Yes. Even after being openly challenged and having the flaws in her proposal pointed out, Umbridge showed no trace of embarrassment or irritation...
Just as Professor McGonagall was caught in a moment of confusion, Umbridge shifted her gaze back to the students below.
"As for that issue, let's set it aside for now. First, I'd like to ask all of you: do you want to join the ranks of the Aurors?"
"..."
"Oh? I imagine our Mr. Potter would be more than willing."
"..."
Caught off guard, Harry Potter froze. Then he hurriedly flipped the parchment he had been gripping tightly facedown on the desk. The overly deliberate motion only drew more attention, and Snape on the platform could not help but take notice.
Those seated farther away could not see what was written on it, but the nearby students clearly caught sight of the contents. It listed information about the Auror assessment and key points to focus on.
Simply put, it was one of the parchments from career counseling.
It was obvious that after graduation, Harry Potter intended to become an Auror who fought dark wizards. That was why he had been holding that particular parchment.
Yes, that was very Harry Potter.
However, Harry Potter had his own position, and he could sense that something about this was wrong. Naturally, he had no intention of agreeing with Umbridge, nor did he want to align himself with her.
After casting a guilty glance in Dumbledore's direction, Harry Potter stood up and tried to argue.
"No, I just happened to…"
"Don't worry about the age issue. The Ministry has already discussed a solution. In the next few days, you'll see it in the morning edition of the Daily Prophet, Potter."
"No! I didn't…"
"I very much look forward to welcoming you into our ranks, Potter. I can hardly wait to share this delightful news with Fudge. Perhaps our Department of Magical Law Enforcement will soon produce an outstanding Auror. Who knows, maybe even the youngest Department Head in history."
It was not that Harry Potter lacked courage. It was that his resolve was not firm enough.
After everything he had gone through, and especially after meeting Moody, becoming an Auror had gradually turned into his goal, even his dream.
So even though he knew Umbridge's intentions were far from good, the temptation buried deep in his heart left him unable to refute her with conviction.
Reading thoughts. Manipulating hearts.
After all, someone who had earned the nickname Acromantula and climbed to the position of Senior Undersecretary of Magic by stepping over countless corpses was never going to be simple.
In that short span of time, Umbridge had already seen straight through Harry Potter's thoughts.
With her interruptions and careful steering of the conversation, the surrounding students began to look at Harry Potter in increasingly peculiar ways. At the same time, they found themselves deeply tempted by the chance to become Auror trainees ahead of schedule.
It had to be said that, in certain situations, the banner of "Chosen One" that Harry Potter carried was remarkably effective.