Whether the students had performed exceptionally well or terribly, the examinations finally came to an end when the bell rang for the last subject.
The purgatory-like period that had tormented the fifth- and seventh-years was finally over.
They could now enjoy the final part of the school term with peace of mind.
After Professor McGonagall delivered her final address in the Great Hall, the students boarded the Hogwarts Express and began their journey home.
Inside a compartment, Pansy sat with her head tilted against Malfoy's left shoulder, sound asleep.
The examinations had consumed much of her energy. On top of that, she had been responsible for her duties as a Prefect. While the other students could relax after their exams, she still had numerous additional tasks to complete.
She was highly competitive, refused to shirk responsibility, and insisted on handling everything herself. That was why she was still struggling to keep up with everything.
With a soft creak, the compartment door opened.
A pair of slender legs stepped inside first, followed by a petite upper body. The girl was rather thin.
Her large eyes were misty, and she held a magazine against her chest. The cover prominently advertised a free pair of anti-Dark Arts glasses.
Her carrot earrings and necklace made from a butterbeer bottle cork immediately revealed her identity.
The earrings swayed gently against her earlobes, while the necklace moved softly against her chest.
"There shouldn't be anyone here, right? Hmm... no one."
She spoke quietly, as though asking herself a question and answering it at the same time.
Seeing that someone was sleeping, she silently sat down opposite Malfoy without saying anything. Then she turned her copy of The Quibbler upside down, placed it over her head, and appeared to fall asleep as well.
Malfoy glanced at his watch.
"Miss Prefect, isn't it time to get up? It's time for your reprimands."
As though he had not noticed Luna, Malfoy straightened Pansy's head and gently reminded her.
A few strands of his long hair brushed against her face, causing a slight itch.
Pansy rubbed her eyes, still half-asleep.
"Right. I still have to go on patrol."
Only then did Pansy remember her duties.
She took out a bronze mirror, raised her wand, and cast a spell to tidy her appearance and smooth out the wrinkles in her robes.
"Very neat," Malfoy said with a smile.
"Remember to come back early."
Malfoy glanced out of the window. His words carried a hidden meaning, although he knew Pansy would interpret them completely differently from what he intended.
Pansy's face suddenly flushed.
"I'll be right back."
She strode out of the compartment, completely unaware that a girl had appeared on the other side of the door.
In the past, Prefects only had to give the younger students an encouraging speech at the beginning of the school year.
But things were different now.
Although Professor McGonagall had repeatedly emphasized safety concerns—
"After you return home, I will write to your parents and tell them to take you out less often. There is no truly safe place anymore. You could be targeted by a Werewolf, a Vampire, or even You-Know-Who at any moment."
Standing on the podium, Professor McGonagall swept her sharp gaze across the students below.
The Prefects had to repeat these warnings to the younger students aboard the train. They also had to handle various miscellaneous tasks, such as counting the students to ensure that no one was left behind at Hogwarts.
Finally, they had to remind everyone not to forget their holiday homework.
"We have a strong connection, and you two seem to get along well."
Luna lowered the magazine and stared straight ahead with her dreamy, unfocused eyes.
"Keeping a secret must be difficult, right?"
"It's all right."
Malfoy's response was brief.
Luna shook her head slightly.
"I don't think it is."
"You seem to be waiting for something. I've seen you looking out of the window for quite a long time."
Sharp eyes, Malfoy thought to himself.
This time, the Werewolves should not have made a mistake.
However, there was no need to remind them.
In a short period of time, he had already seen several familiar faces.
For example—
Several carriages away, sunlight streamed through the train's darkened windows, illuminating the witch's bubblegum-pink hair.
Tonks wore patched jeans and a bright purple T-shirt decorated with a bizarre bandage pattern. Her right hand was wrapped in bandages.
"Remus, I'm so excited! I haven't ridden this train in so long!"
She raised her bandaged right hand.
"So, what do you think of the souvenirs from our trip to Egypt? Aren't they wonderful?"
It seemed that the witch was deliberately imitating a mummy.
Beside Tonks sat Lupin. His face was pale, and his hair had turned grey. He wore a long, old coat over a worn-out sweater and trousers.
"Mm."
He nodded in agreement, leaning back against his seat and breathing heavily with exhaustion.
They had already resigned from their positions as Aurors.
Their keen insight had led them to realize that something was wrong with the Ministry of Magic.
Compared with the Ministry, the Order of the Phoenix left behind by Dumbledore was more trustworthy.
Mad-Eye Moody limped through the corridor, dragging his injured leg behind him.
Almost every compartment had been reinforced with protective measures.
Malfoy looked through the window at the thick fog outside. His expression gradually darkened.
"My suggestion is that you draw your wand. You might encounter something unpleasant later."
"Something unpleasant?"
Luna looked confused.
"Aren't we going to have lunch?"
She asked the question with complete seriousness.
Even though it was already noon, the thick white fog had not dispersed.
Luna stood up, leaned slightly forward, and rested against the window, gripping the glass with both hands as though she were trying to see through it.
However, the dense fog blocked her view.
The pastoral scenery, winding mountains, and dense forests that could usually be seen from the train had all disappeared.
A thin layer of mist completely covered the windows, clinging directly to the inside of the glass.
Luna began wiping the fogged-up window with her slender index finger, but she still could not clear it.
Suddenly, the smoothly moving Hogwarts Express lurched violently.
All the lights in the compartment went out at once.
Luna lost her balance and tilted to one side, as though she were about to fall.
She quickly grabbed the table in front of her.
"Phew."
Luna clutched her chest, then gave Malfoy a soft chuckle.
"I thought I was going to fall into your arms. I was a little nervous."
"Yes, I'm a little nervous too."
Malfoy calmly stared out of the window.
The train had braked violently.
A high-speed train possessed tremendous kinetic energy. Under normal circumstances, bringing it to a stop would require a considerable braking distance to act as a buffer.
But this time, it had crashed directly into an iron wall and stopped abruptly.
The price was severe.
The front of the train had been completely deformed—far worse than the damage Malfoy had encountered during the previous incident.
The front end now resembled an empty soda can that had been crushed completely flat.