Was Lucius Malfoy the one behind all this?
Before digging into that question, there was something they had to understand first.
If there was anyone who least wanted Draco to be put in danger, Lucius Malfoy would definitely be one of them.
After all, for Draco's sake, so he could live in peace, this proud aristocrat who always seemed cold and merciless had risen up against Voldemort without a moment's hesitation or the slightest second thought.
Clearly, in any world, a father's love was something immense.
Even with the brutal Dark Lord as his enemy, even knowing there would be little to gain from it, Lucius still stepped forward.
Pansy and Astoria, who were both very close to Draco, knew that better than anyone.
So after hearing Fleur's words, their first reaction was not surprise or curiosity.
It was complete disbelief and suspicion.
They could barely keep things hidden as it was, so why would they ever take the initiative to expose Draco's strength?
Wouldn't that only benefit the enemies hiding in the dark, along with the people who wanted to take advantage of this and study him?
"Are you sure you didn't get it wrong?"
"How could it possibly be Mr. Malfoy? Right, Granger..."
Then Pansy instinctively turned her head, wanting to ask someone who was not here, only to remember that Hermione, who was usually the one with the sharpest insight in matters like this, could not be here today for various reasons.
And for some reason, as she looked at Draco, a hesitant expression suddenly appeared on her face.
It was the look of someone who wanted to say something, yet was struggling over whether to keep it to herself.
Draco, however, was not paying attention to Pansy, so he let it pass for the time being.
"Given our current relationship with the Ministry of Magic, this really could be a joint effort."
"Draco, are you saying this was something our side asked for?"
"But what good does that do? At least for Draco... wait!"
Astoria did not have Hermione's brilliant, quick turning mind, but she was only a few years younger and was hardly lacking in that regard. It did not take her long to vaguely grasp the advantage behind this.
More precisely, that very advantage was the reason so many wizards from different places had gathered here.
What was the one thing most likely to attract these wizards and make them willing to throw in their lot with someone?
Profound magic?
Or wealth great enough to rival a nation?
No. For powerful wizards who had strength but no real standing, what they needed more was someone worth following, someone who could also provide those things.
And what they valued, what they were willing to stake their future on, was the Malfoy family's potential and future.
The best example was the half-blood Veela standing right in front of them.
Noticing Astoria's gaze, Fleur gave her an interested look. Though Astoria still looked young, there was a calm maturity about her.
"Greengrass... even where I come from, that is a very famous magical family."
Compared with Parkinson, who always looked at her like she was some wicked woman, and Granger, whose identity was merely that of a Muggle, Fleur had never paid much attention to this Greengrass girl.
Now, though, it seemed that the girls who could stay by Draco's side were not just pretty ornaments.
"It seems Miss Greengrass has figured it out as well. That's right. If we hadn't seen this report and the shocking results written in it, we would never have believed your side could gain anything from a battle between Dumbledore and the Dark Lord."
"So... you're really that sure we can defeat the Dark Lord, or even surpass Dumbledore?"
"It's just a bet."
Fleur let out a soft laugh and shrugged.
"Besides, Mr. Malfoy is offering quite a lot."
Although Fleur Delacour spoke lightly, looking completely at ease as though all of this were nothing more than an exchange of interests and a game of give and take, neither Pansy, who acted unconcerned, nor Astoria, who had listened quietly the whole time, believed for a second that this was Fleur Delacour's real motive.
The two girls exchanged a knowing look.
Other wizards might be here for that reason, but this half-blood Veela definitely had other intentions.
...
Fleur's explanation made the real purpose hidden behind the report perfectly clear.
This was not just some crude display of power. It was not a way of telling the whole magical world how brazen the Death Eaters had become. It certainly was not about saying how important broomstick practice and talent were.
It was a banner.
Setting everyone else's thoughts aside, Draco had more or less figured out what his father intended.
He set down the newspaper, narrowed his eyes, and murmured, "Just like what Dumbledore has always been doing?"
"Dumbledore? Why bring him up all of a sudden?"
"Draco, did you think of something?"
Always?
What exactly had Dumbledore been doing all this time?
Fighting the Death Eaters?
Or guarding against Voldemort's possible return?
Those might both be true, but neither was what Draco meant.
The first one to understand was not Astoria, nor Fleur Delacour, despite being older than everyone else there, but their dear Miss Parkinson.
"You mean... Potter!"
Yes.
What Draco was going through now was actually very similar to Harry Potter's situation.
The savior who defeated Voldemort.
Harry Potter, who saved the wizarding world.
Even now, people still said Harry Potter was the student Dumbledore valued most.
And the source of all that was simply the halo created by Voldemort's defeat, something no one really knew the truth of, only its outcome.
In fact, any wizard capable of thinking clearly could see the many doubts in that story.
At the time, Harry Potter probably could not even walk yet, so how could he possibly have defeated the mighty Dark Lord himself?
By comparison, Draco's achievements were solid and real, things people could actually examine for themselves. At least they could see the process instead of merely imagining it.
In other words, it was far more shocking.
"A new savior... no, that's not it. Mr. Malfoy probably wants you to become..."
Pansy did not finish the sentence. She only blinked nervously.
She did not know why. Even though she was standing so close to him.
But somehow, as the guess in her heart slowly took shape, Draco's future began to feel like something she could no longer imagine.