After listening to William's analysis, the group fell into deep thought.
Even Cedric, the oldest among them, had just turned thirteen and had never thought about things this way before. William's breakdown of the situation felt profound and insightful.
William's analysis made perfect sense. After all, in his previous life, he had spent years reading various conspiracy theories and pulp literature, delving into mysteries, and studying books like Currency Wars. He had even frequented forums and websites where he engaged in discussions on various topics, gaining a good grasp of how to assess political games.
"But the Ministry won't actually charge Lucius Malfoy, right? His family is too powerful," Cedric said thoughtfully. "After all, he managed to dodge punishment after the Dark Lord fell, claiming he was under the Imperius Curse."
"Exactly! It's because the Malfoys are rich that the Ministry needs this public spectacle," William explained. "By putting Malfoy in the spotlight, public opinion will turn against him, and he'll have no choice but to shell out a hefty sum of Galleons to bribe the higher-ups and buy his safety."
William vividly remembered Percy talking about a book in which Cornelius Fudge, the new Minister of Magic, was praised. Fudge, who had only just taken office, was already finding ways to make money. With high-ranking officials eager to milk the Malfoys for every Galleon, they wouldn't pass up this golden opportunity.
Malfoy was innocent, but he would still have to pay up to clear his name.
"But what about the real culprit?" Cedric asked. "They'll have to let Malfoy go at some point. How will they explain that?"
"This suggests..." William said slowly, "that the Ministry probably already knows who the real attacker is. Malfoy is just a decoy, meant to mislead the criminal, while also serving as a convenient cash cow for the Ministry."
No one in power is ever truly foolish—especially not the cunning politicians who hold high positions. They may be flawed in other areas, but when it comes to manipulating public opinion and making money, they're experts.
Take Malfoy, for instance. He might be innocent, but his lost wand turning up at the crime scene—whether by chance or through deliberate setup—gave the Ministry the perfect excuse to pounce.
Fudge didn't need Malfoy to end up in Azkaban; what he wanted was money. After all, there was no financial gain to be had when running the Department of Magical Catastrophes.
So, Malfoy became the scapegoat—the lamb to the slaughter.
But for someone as rich as Lucius Malfoy, money was no issue. In fact, his wealth was his greatest asset.
Of course, all of this was just speculation on William's part, based on the available information. Without more details, it was hard to say what the full picture looked like.
At this moment, Hufflepuff's Quidditch tryouts were finally starting.
After playing the role of the wise elder dispensing advice, William now found the Quidditch tryouts to be little more than children's games and was quickly losing interest.
The Weasley twins and Cho, however, were buzzing with excitement.
Cho loved Quidditch purely for the sport. Even before she entered Hogwarts, she had been an active athlete—energetic and full of life. Now, she had found a common interest with Cedric, which was a good starting point for their friendship.
William couldn't help but smile at the thought. If Cho were to join the Ravenclaw team, Hufflepuff would lose a key player in Cedric. A win-win for Ravenclaw!
And what if their relationship became strained? William could already imagine Cho standing with her hands on her hips, scolding Cedric on the field.
The Weasley twins were even more excited, eager to assess Hufflepuff's strength. Although Charlie Weasley's injury would heal soon, there was still concern over whether it would affect his performance.
Cedric and Hagrid weren't wrong in their analysis—Hufflepuff was a strong contender. Gryffindor hadn't won the Quidditch Cup in four years, while Hufflepuff had at least managed a victory a couple of years ago.
The twins were determined to win the Cup this year.
During a punishment at Filch's office, they had spent a week polishing silver trophies in the prize room, and since then, they had become obsessed with trophies—especially the Quidditch Cup.
Percy's punishment had been even worse; now, every time he saw a bathroom, he felt an urge to go inside, regardless of whether it was for boys or girls.
The reason was simple: Percy had been assigned to clean the bathrooms for an entire week as his punishment.
You'd think that with the twins causing constant mischief, Filch would despise them more. But no, he had given the dirtiest job to Percy.
Poor Percy. As a top student, he was adored at home and frequently praised by teachers. He was never made to do chores or face any real consequences.
George had once mentioned that Percy often acted haughty around Filch, flaunting his status as a model student. Filch, being a Squib who had never even attended Hogwarts, probably resented Percy for it.
And let's not forget the rumors—thanks to Peeves—that Percy had been caught spying on Moaning Myrtle in the girls' bathroom.
Back on the Quidditch pitch, the tryouts had already begun.
Hufflepuff showed a great deal of unity, with nearly all the students turning out to watch the tryouts, making sure everything ran smoothly and safely.
Cedric, though participating, blended into the crowd, looking rather inconspicuous.
The tryouts were organized with applicants split into groups of ten, each taking turns flying around the pitch.
Some of the participants were clearly not serious about joining the team. They wobbled unsteadily on their brooms, looking as if they'd had one too many Butterbeers, and crashed straight into the goalposts.
To prevent further accidents, Madam Hooch was present on the pitch, her eyes twitching as she nervously watched, clearly worried about the school's Quidditch equipment getting destroyed.
The second group to try out consisted entirely of girls. As soon as the whistle blew, they burst into giggles, hugging each other in excitement. The sight of them, chattering and laughing, was like watching a flock of birds in spring, bright and full of life.
The Weasley twins whistled at them from the stands, encouraging a do-over for the girls' group. Even William found himself interested, watching the spectacle with newfound attention.
The three of them leaned against the railings, the breeze blowing gently as they evaluated the girls like judges at a beauty pageant.
Cho, however, let out an annoyed huff, crossing her arms in frustration as she sat down with a scowl.
"Boys...," she muttered, her voice dripping with disdain.
If Cedric had been there, he probably would've joined in with the "pageant," only to be kicked off the stands by Cho in a fit of frustration.
Of course, knowing Cedric, he'd probably sit next to her, pretending to be above it all, while secretly criticizing William and the twins for their behavior.
The third group of participants made it halfway around the pitch before crashing into one another. The fourth group showed up without brooms. And the fifth group? They were all Gryffindor students.
Lee Jordan, upset about not being selected for his house's Quidditch team, had rallied a group of first-years to sneak in and disrupt Hufflepuff's tryouts.
But Lee hadn't counted on Madam Hooch being there. The stern Quidditch instructor grabbed him by the ear and promptly threw him off the pitch.
Fred told William that Lee was now planning to apply for the position of Quidditch commentator, eager to show off his knowledge and love of the game.
Lee even claimed that Charlie Weasley would regret not picking him—a talent that could have revived the English national team!
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