As Draco looked over.
What entered his eyes was no longer the wizarding village he knew so well.
The once-bustling wizarding village was now completely devoid of its former liveliness, as if it had been sealed beneath a silencing magical barrier.
Less than a year had passed, yet the outside world had already become unfamiliar to Draco.
Empty streets.
Collapsed buildings.
Black shadows circling above the village like crows.
And... the strange, chilling wolf howls that reached his ears from time to time.
Even without investigating further, what he saw and heard was already enough to make one thing clear.
Hogsmeade Village had plainly fallen into desolation, and at the same time, it had gained a number of uninvited guests.
As for the cause of all this, Draco already had his own answer in his heart. "So it really has been occupied? If it were me, I would have taken this place first too."
Voldemort had only gone mad. He had not stopped thinking.
With his judgment, he would certainly understand exactly how important this place was.
Because it was the village closest to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the only all-wizarding village nearby.
Naturally, Hogsmeade Village was bound to become a place both sides had to fight for.
It was not to the point that whoever controlled this place would seize the initiative entirely.
But when it came to attacking Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, occupying this place would definitely provide a certain advantage.
Whether from the perspective of supplies or the geographical advantage for an assault, it was a strategic location that had to be secured.
And judging from the current situation.
Even if Voldemort's forces did not occupy this place, they would certainly destroy it.
Simply put, even if the dark creatures under Voldemort had absolutely no understanding or experience in managing and governing a place, they still would not give it up easily.
Because of that, the state Hogsmeade Village had fallen into did not come as much of a surprise to Draco.
Draco studied the dark figures flying through the sky.
After recognizing what those black shadows really were, Draco frowned and hid himself in the shadows while drawing the wand in his hand. "Dementors... So they really did betray them? No, rather, these Dementors were never on the side of the British wizarding world from the start."
Even after the incident at the Ministry of Magic, Draco had already expected such an outcome.
But when he actually saw it with his own eyes, a troubled expression still appeared on Draco's face.
After all.
Although these Dementors could not pose much of a threat to a powerful wizard like Draco, who had mastered the Patronus Charm.
To wizards who had not mastered the Patronus Charm, as well as to the order of both the wizarding world and the Muggle world, the destructive power of these Dementors was not to be underestimated. They were an extremely troublesome existence.
And these dark creatures, which caused area-wide damage the moment they appeared, were now serving under the Dark Lord.
In other words.
"So Hogsmeade Village... really has been occupied by the Dark Lord."
Looking toward the distant, indistinct outline of Hogsmeade Village.
Draco could not help feeling something complicated stir in his heart.
After all, in this magical village, Draco and Pansy had many fond memories.
...
The Shrieking Shack.
The Shrieking Shack was located in the eastern area of the wizarding village of Hogsmeade, and it was also the entrance and exit of this secret passage.
This entrance was quite well hidden.
Because this place had long since been abandoned, and because it truly was not an important strategic point, the Death Eaters had overlooked it.
That was what allowed Draco to slip through the gap without being discovered by them immediately.
As for why Draco could recognize so easily that this was the Shrieking Shack.
Aside from the fact that the Shrieking Shack was indeed quite famous among young wizards, it was also because Draco had already expected it in his heart.
He still remembered.
Back then, they had watched a grand drama unfold nearby.
That grand drama had been the love-hate grudge between the rat and the black dog.
And the most important protagonist of that story had been none other than Harry Potter.
That Chosen One had appeared at the scene at the very last moment.
"It looks like we'll need to have people pay more attention to this secret passage. After all... I'm not the only one who knows about it."
It was not hard to imagine.
If Harry Potter had already obtained the Marauder's Map back then.
Then could it be assumed that Harry Potter had long since used the exit of this secret passage leading from Hogwarts to the outside, which was why he had arrived at the scene so perfectly on time?
Thinking about it that way, all the clues seemed to connect.
However...
"That's a matter for later. Right now... there's something more important to do."
After confirming that there were no dark creatures nearby, and no Death Eaters on patrol either.
Having satisfied his curiosity, Draco finally turned his gaze outside the Shrieking Shack.
To be precise, toward the depths of the forest before him, where there seemed to be a figure moving.
...
As a well-established organization, the Draco Constellation naturally had a fast and discreet method of communication.
As for this.
Draco and the others had not chosen any of the currently known magical tools, nor had they used Muggle technology.
Instead, with the help of Hermione, that clever witch, they had invented an interesting little thing specifically to solve this problem.
And that little thing was now being held in Draco's hand.
"It really is a very practical little Charm."
Following Draco's gaze, one could clearly see that the little object in Draco's palm was undergoing an obvious change.
Heat.
A faint glow.
The badge in Draco's hand, engraved with the Draco Constellation's abbreviation in cursive script, was now beginning to show a magical reaction and change as magic was infused into it.
Anyone who looked closely would surely remember that this badge was the very same one Hermione had held not long ago.
Not only that.
If one thought a little deeper, this scene would feel even more familiar.
Because it called to mind a certain green and sinister symbol.
A Death Eater's arm.
A snake flicking its tongue.
A skull glowing with ghostly green light in the sky.
Whenever it appeared, the entire wizarding world would avoid speaking of it and tremble in fear.
The Dark Mark!