While Malfoy was still sitting aboard the long-delayed Hogwarts Express, admiring the passing scenery, breakfast time had begun for the students at Hogwarts.
The window above the Great Hall opened, and an owl flew into the school carrying that day's Daily Prophet.
"I think April Fool's Day is long overdue," Ron said, tossing the latest issue of The Daily Prophet onto the table.
His face was ashen, as though he had just swallowed dozens of slugs. He looked so nauseated that even if his favourite food had been placed in front of him, he wouldn't have wanted to take a single bite.
He pointed at the copy of The Daily Prophet, which had been soaked with soup.
"The entire front page is about how Malfoy was driven away by the great Dumbledore."
The report stated:
«"What we can conclude is that the underage Mr. Malfoy, under the coercion of that authority, resorted to extreme measures of resistance."»
"Does this mean he's coming back to class today?" Ron demanded. "And there's no punishment at all? That's the funniest joke I've ever heard."
"That's hilarious!"
Harry looked numb. Unlike Ron, who was still grieving Dumbledore's death, he seemed almost indifferent.
"His father was supposedly exonerated in exactly the same way," Ron said indignantly.
"And back in our second year, the Basilisk from the Chamber of Secrets also claimed that it had won the Imperial—"
"Weasley, for being so loud, Gryffindor loses ten points."
The person deducting the points was not Snape, but Professor McGonagall.
Clearly, she was not in a good mood either.
There was no way to refuse a direct order from the Ministry of Magic.
From a teacher's perspective, she truly wanted to believe that the student was innocent. However, she had been present at the time. Malfoy's eyes had been clear, and he had not appeared to be under the influence of the Imperius Curse.
If he had genuinely been innocent, he would never have acted in such a manner.
She also believed that Dumbledore would never allow an innocent student to be wrongly accused.
But now, Dumbledore was also...
She coughed several times, seemingly choking on the scalding tea. Then, with her sharp, authoritative, eagle-like eyes, she surveyed the students seated at the four long tables.
These were all people she had devoted herself to protecting.
She had to pull herself together. No matter what happened, she could not remain consumed by grief. The school had to continue functioning, and classes had to go on.
The morning assembly ended, and the students dispersed. However, for the fifth-year students of Gryffindor and Slytherin, the first class of the day belonged to Professor McGonagall.
"Today, we're going to have a test."
Professor McGonagall strode into the classroom and waved her wand. A stack of parchment rose from the podium, and the sheets flew one by one onto the desks in front of each student.
Gradually, black writing appeared on the blank parchment.
Questions concerning Transfiguration.
"Hmm..."
She glanced towards the classroom entrance.
The rectangular lectern at the front of the room suddenly lowered and narrowed. Two rows of wheels appeared beneath its flat base. It then stumbled forward, rolled off the platform, wobbled several times, and finally came to a complete stop.
"All right, Mr. Malfoy. This is your place."
She waved towards the door.
The moment she heard the name, Pansy, who was sitting at her desk, immediately perked up. She raised her head sharply, then quickly—but somewhat hesitantly—confirmed what she had heard.
Every student present began whispering among themselves.
Malfoy waved in Pansy's direction and smiled. He then found the only empty seat Professor McGonagall had prepared for him and sat down.
"Silence!"
Professor McGonagall waved her wand lightly, and the entire classroom immediately fell quiet.
It was a spell specifically designed for examination rooms.
"We'll discuss this after the exam."
"All right, let's begin the Transfiguration test. I've made certain predictions about the direction of this examination, and I hope all of you achieve the results you expect. This will also be a test of your own abilities," Professor McGonagall said to the students.
"Also, Mr. Malfoy, if your results this time fail to meet my expectations, you may have to postpone your examination until next year."
"You've already wasted a considerable amount of time," Professor McGonagall added.
"Yes, Professor McGonagall."
Malfoy nodded, then lowered his gaze to the examination paper in front of him.
The exam officially began.
However, even during an examination, there were people who seemed unable to recognise the situation they were in.
Pansy's face remained turned towards Malfoy, even though all she could see was his profile.
"Miss Parkinson, it's examination time. Your eyes should be on your paper. Don't try anything sneaky."
Professor McGonagall walked quickly to Pansy's desk and gently tapped the space in front of her eyes with her wand as a reminder.
Pansy immediately lowered her head. She stared blankly at her examination paper, then pretended to scribble answers onto it with her quill.
After Professor McGonagall left, Pansy secretly rolled her eyes several times and continued glancing in Malfoy's direction, sometimes deliberately and sometimes seemingly by accident.
She felt that she had definitely failed today's exam. She had absolutely no concentration left for answering the questions.
But it didn't matter.
She had already received information far more important than her examination results.
Pansy was not the only person whose attention had been greatly affected.
What challenges arise when transforming fluid materials into solid materials, and vice versa? What factors must be considered? Which principles must be followed?
"Control of magic... Igor's Law of Limit Suppression... Pay attention to rapidly moving objects and guide and adjust them in advance."
What is the most common use of the Umbrella Transformation Charm?
"When extracting medicinal liquids, the umbrella-shaped rotation can remove certain impurities and guide the flow of the liquid."
Which requires less magic: transforming a doughnut or an ordinary piece of solid bread of the same size into a teacup with a single handle?
"Doughnut."
Hermione's eyes never left her examination paper. Her quill moved with incredible fluidity, as though she were completely absorbed in the test.
However, the slightly crooked handwriting betrayed her state of mind. Her once delicate penmanship now appeared somewhat sloppy.
Like Pansy, Hermione was preoccupied with the boy sitting in front of her—the boy who had just returned to school.
Her mind had momentarily divided into two parts.
One part functioned like a machine for retrieving memories. It controlled her right hand, mechanically answering questions and recording the responses on the examination paper.
Her serious attitude towards studying in the past had made writing answers during examinations an instinctive process.
The other part of her mind was entirely focused on the unusual candidate who had just joined the exam.
When had his arrest warrant been lifted?
Why had it been cancelled?
Does Professor McGonagall know something?
One question after another surfaced in Hermione's mind.
The timing was simply too coincidental.
It had happened immediately after Dumbledore's death.
Malfoy had been exonerated at once.
It was ridiculous.
Moreover, Hermione did not feel much unfamiliarity towards Malfoy. It was as if she had met him not long ago. He seemed strangely familiar, and she tried to recall why, but she could not find an answer.
Suddenly, her quill stopped moving.
She had encountered a difficult question.
The mechanical approach of merely reciting memorised answers was no longer effective. Hermione shook her head, cleared her thoughts, and concentrated on solving the problem.
"Mr. Ron, if you have a problem with your eyes, Madam Pomfrey can prescribe some medicine for you."
Professor McGonagall had noticed Ron's bloodshot eyes as he stared at someone's back.
In the end, Ron could only turn his resentful gaze towards the parchment filled with questions.
After that, no further incidents occurred.
The only sound in the classroom was the rustling of quills gliding across parchment.
The examination ended when a distant bell suddenly tolled.
"Put away your quills."
Professor McGonagall waved her wand. The parchment sheets floated into the air as though they had grown wings, then flew in an orderly fashion towards her desk.
"Professor McGonagall!"
Ron shouted as he blocked her path while she finished collecting the examination papers and prepared to return to her office.
"Wasn't that guy wanted by the Ministry?" he asked.
"Perhaps some of you already know the news, but I need to announce it officially at dinner tonight."
"This matter has already been decided by the Wizengamot. In the end, he was found innocent and determined to be a victim. Therefore, it is perfectly normal for him to return to Hogwarts."
Professor McGonagall answered Ron's question without any expression on her face.
"Professor McGonagall, could you repair my examination paper? I think I accidentally damaged part of it."
Hermione suddenly stepped up beside Professor McGonagall.
"Granger."
Professor McGonagall called Hermione's name and flicked her wand, causing a piece of parchment to fly towards her.
She narrowed her eyes behind her glasses and examined the irregular, elongated tear. It looked as though the parchment had been ripped by the tip of a quill.
She tapped the examination paper with her wand.
"Back to normal."
The tear closed perfectly.
Professor McGonagall certainly would not make such a basic mistake.
The damage had been repaired, but the writing remained unchanged.
"All right."
Hermione nodded. Her tiredness was hidden behind the lenses of her glasses.
Students were not allowed to use magic on their examination papers. Doing so would be considered cheating.
"All right, Granger. Go and rest. You look a little tired. Were the questions difficult?"
Professor McGonagall nodded slightly and asked with concern.
"I'm fine, Professor McGonagall."
Hermione nodded as well. Her brown, curly hair swayed gently, while her once-bright eyes appeared somewhat dull.
The excessive strain on her mind had left her exhausted.
Ron wanted to say something, but Professor McGonagall raised her wand to his lips, gestured for him to be quiet, and shook her head.
"All right, Mr. Weasley. Mind your own business. I'll give everyone an explanation at dinner."
Her tone was stern, and she no longer responded to Ron's questions.
Meanwhile, Pansy and Malfoy had reached the hallway. Pansy followed him closely, bombarding him with questions.
"You've come back this time..."
The girl had countless things she wanted to ask him.
"Draco, come to my office."
A deep voice suddenly interrupted their conversation.