As Draco spoke, he shifted the glasses slightly. The four cups on the table now sat clearly divided in four directions.
According to him, each cup represented a different faction.
One stood for Lucius and the circle of wizarding nobles around him—possibly including Draco's own organization.
Another represented Cornelius Fudge, who was trying to step out from under Dumbledore's shadow, along with the Ministry of Magic he led.
Then there was Albus Dumbledore, the most publicly revered wizard in the wizarding world—no one knew how much strength he still kept hidden.
And finally, Voldemort—the Dark Lord who had just returned, likely having regained his most loyal followers and possibly even brought the Dementors under his banner. Cruel and ruthless as ever.
These four forces currently formed the main power structure of the British wizarding world.
For some reason, though, when Pansy and the other two girls looked at the four cups in front of them, their expressions turned strange. The looks they shot at Draco became subtly meaningful.
Four.
An unstable and chaotic balance.
In a way, this delicate equilibrium felt oddly familiar…
Sensing the peculiar atmosphere and the dangerous glint in their eyes, Draco instinctively avoided their gazes, carefully making sure not to lock eyes with any one of them.
His almost guilty reaction made Pansy and the others raise their brows in unspoken understanding before giving a soft, playful huff.
Yes… this really did resemble the current state of the British wizarding world.
...
In any case.
After that slightly awkward detour, Draco finally pulled the conversation back on track.
As he went over the situation again, one particular detail made Pansy and Astoria—who hadn't been with him earlier—freeze in shock.
Their hesitant expressions made it clear that something he'd said had both surprised and unsettled them.
Pansy, never one to hold back, asked outright:
"Wait! Draco, you just said the Dementors are on the Dark Lord's side? Aren't they controlled by the Ministry of Magic?"
"To be precise, the Ministry has never truly controlled those dark creatures. It's more of a transaction. The Ministry provides them with 'food' in exchange for them staying within Azkaban's bounds."
"So those Dementors…"
"They've done this before. During the First Wizarding War, they were already standing behind the Dark Lord. There's nothing strange about it."
Hermione, hearing this for the first time, parted her lips slightly. A thought struck her, and she looked at Draco with sudden tension.
Draco understood immediately and gave a small nod.
"That's right. Given the Dark Lord's methods, aside from forcing the Dementors into submission through strength, he could just as easily have offered them something extremely tempting."
"Like…?"
"For example, turning the entire Muggle world into a hunting ground for the Dementors."
Hostility toward Muggles had practically become standard practice for dark wizards, and Voldemort was no exception.
Which meant Draco's guess wasn't far-fetched at all.
"Absolutely not! We can't let that happen!"
Hermione's sharp cry of anger and alarm drew the attention of several nearby wizards.
Realizing she'd attracted stares, she quickly lowered her voice, running a hand through her hair. The anxiety on her face was impossible to hide.
Her reaction wasn't an overreaction.
Compared to wizards who could wield magic, Muggles were utterly defenseless before Dementors—like chicks before a predator.
A hunting ground.
And Hermione's parents lived in the Muggle world…
…
After Draco's explanation, although they still didn't know exactly when the Dark Lord had become involved with the Dementors, Pansy and Astoria understood one thing clearly—
The Dark Lord's influence was beginning to rise again.
Draco first cast a concerned glance at Hermione, whose emotions had grown visibly agitated, before turning his attention back to Pansy and the others.
"You understand the current situation now, don't you?"
"Mm…"
"More or less."
This was probably the first time someone had laid out the entire situation so plainly.
After listening to Draco's analysis, Pansy and the others finally had a clearer picture of where things stood.
Even Pansy, usually carefree and impulsive, had fallen silent, thinking through what all of this truly implied.
As for Astoria—sharp-minded and accustomed to looking at the bigger picture—she was already studying the cups on the table with a serious expression, her gaze moving back and forth between the factions they represented.
"But this isn't what you really wanted to tell us, is it?" Astoria asked softly, giving Draco a measured look.
"Mm. What comes next is the point."
As he spoke, Draco reached out and slid the cup representing Lucius closer to the one representing the Ministry of Magic.
The clear clink of glass against glass snapped Hermione out of her thoughts, and she looked up at him again.
Draco tapped his fingers lightly.
"It's obvious the four factions aren't evenly matched. The balance of power is skewed."
"Mm… that's true."
In terms of top-tier strength, Dumbledore—though old—was still unfathomably powerful. On the surface, his side was likely the strongest.
As for the Dark Lord, even if he hadn't fully recovered, he was younger and far more ruthless. Given enough time, he would become a nightmare.
Meanwhile, Lucius and Cornelius's side might have broad support and considerable influence, but when it came to high-end combat strength, they were clearly lacking.
"Which means," Draco concluded, "an alliance between the latter two is almost inevitable."
The three girls blinked.
Their puzzled expressions, contrasted with Draco's completely serious face, made the scene almost comical.
They hadn't immediately grasped what he was driving at.
Though it was undeniably important information…
"So?" Pansy prompted.
"So," Draco said, leaning back in his chair and spreading his hands, "don't you think this is something we can take advantage of?"
The confidence in his expression, the faint upward curve of his lips—at that moment, he seemed almost to radiate assurance.
The sight was enough to make the three girls' cheeks flush faintly red.