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"But," Harry interrupted suddenly.
"Why do you think Draco's dad did this?"
"I don't know," Hermione admitted, shaking her head.
"But I suspect this is far from simple—it probably involves a lot of other issues."
Her tone was serious as she analyzed the situation.
"Regardless, Mr. Malfoy has already given up everything. He even saved our lives. So, Ron, you should at least try to be a little nicer to Draco."
Ron scoffed, crossing his arms.
"Fine, fine. As long as he doesn't mess with me, I'll just pretend he doesn't exist."
"That's not the point," Hermione sighed.
Dumbledore cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention.
"This is precisely why I must emphasize that the current situation is extremely dangerous. We must all remain vigilant. Whether now or during the Triwizard Tournament, every student must stay alert at all times."
His gaze swept across the hall.
"If you notice anything unusual, immediately inform a professor. Do not attempt to handle it on your own," he continued.
"The wizards still loyal to Voldemort are highly dangerous. I trust that, for your own safety and that of your peers, you will exercise caution."
Ron muttered under his breath, "Right, because only a lunatic would willingly take on the Death Eaters..."
Dumbledore let a small smile tug at the corners of his lips.
"Well then, I believe that concludes our discussion for tonight. Let's eat, shall we?"
With a clap of his hands, the empty plates in front of them instantly filled with steaming, delicious food.
The students, who had been hungry, immediately dug in. The tension in the Great Hall eased as the comforting aroma of the feast replaced the heavy atmosphere.
Some students ate eagerly, even messily, while the professors maintained a more refined demeanor.
Slughorn, ever the connoisseur, produced a bottle of fine wine from seemingly nowhere and shared it with his colleagues.
Ethan accepted a glass with a smile. He took a sip, nodding in approval.
Slughorn certainly knew how to appreciate the finer things—this wine, in particular, was of exceptional quality, perhaps even rivaling the finest Toussaint vintages.
Slughorn beamed at the praise, clearly pleased.
As the feast came to an end, Dumbledore rose.
"That concludes our opening ceremony. You may return to your dormitories to rest."
Students quickly gathered their belongings, forming neat lines as they exited the Great Hall.
In no time, the room was nearly empty, with only a few professors lingering behind to tend to the first-years.
Ethan had just finished tidying up and was about to leave when Dumbledore stopped him.
"Ethan, may I have a word in private?" the headmaster asked with a knowing smile.
Ethan nodded, falling into step beside him as they made their way toward the headmaster's office.
As Ethan stepped into the headmaster's office, he was surprised to find that Dumbledore wasn't the only one waiting for him.
Sirius Black, Lucius Malfoy, and Severus Snape were all present—three men who could barely stand to be in the same room without sparks flying.
And sure enough, they were already in the middle of a heated argument.
The portraits of past headmasters frowned and covered their ears in exasperation, while Fawkes let out a sharp whistle, flapping his wings irritably as he soared above the office.
"I swear, you filthy mutt," Snape snarled, his wand pointed directly at Sirius.
"If you call me 'Snivellus' one more time, I'll break every bone in your body."
"You can try, Snivellus," Sirius shot back, his own wand raised, eyes gleaming with defiance.
Snape's teeth clenched in fury, his grip on his wand tightening.
He was mere seconds away from firing a curse—
"Enough!" Dumbledore's voice rang out, firm and commanding.
At the sound of the headmaster's reprimand, both men hesitated before reluctantly lowering their wands.
Satisfied, Dumbledore took his seat, his piercing blue eyes scanning the room before landing on Ethan.
"Ethan," he said, his tone measured.
"Do you have any leads on Hufflepuff's Cup? Voldemort is already making his move. We must act quickly."
Ethan nodded. "I do."
The room fell silent, all eyes on him.
"Hepzibah Smith was the last known owner of Hufflepuff's Cup," Ethan began.
"When she met Tom Riddle—who was still a young man at the time—he manipulated her, charming her into revealing two of her most prized possessions: Salazar Slytherin's locket and Helga Hufflepuff's cup."
His voice was calm, steady, but Lucius Malfoy shifted uncomfortably.
It wasn't loyalty to Voldemort that unsettled him—Lucius had never been the kind to put faith above self-preservation.
No, what truly irked him was the thought of his former master seducing an old woman for personal gain. It was... distasteful.
But no one else seemed to care about that detail. The others were listening intently.
"Not long after Riddle learned about these artifacts, Hepzibah Smith was found dead—murdered," Ethan continued.
"And, of course, both treasures disappeared."
"Voldemort eventually turned the cup into a Horcrux," he said, his gaze flickering toward Dumbledore.
"And he entrusted it to his most loyal follower—Bellatrix Lestrange."
A hush fell over the room.
"Bellatrix stored it in the Lestrange family vault at Gringotts. As far as I know, it should still be there."
Lucius suddenly raised a hand.
"Wait."
His sharp, calculating eyes locked onto Ethan.
"Where exactly did you get this information?" he asked.
"As someone who was once a core member of the Dark Lord's circle, I was never privy to such details."
Ethan met his gaze evenly. "I have my sources."
Lucius's brow furrowed. "Sources? That kind of knowledge is restricted to the innermost circle of Voldemort's followers. I highly doubt any of them would betray him."
"That's none of your concern," Ethan said lightly.
Lucius opened his mouth to protest, but before he could press further, Sirius clapped a hand on Ethan's shoulder.
"Relax, Malfoy," he said with a smirk.
"Some things are best left classified."
Lucius scowled but said nothing more.
Dumbledore, who had been observing the exchange, simply nodded.
"Very well. If the cup remains at Gringotts, we will need a plan."
Ethan exhaled. The real challenge had only just begun.