From the moment William and Roy read The Daily Prophet, they were convinced that Professor Snape would be released by the end of the holiday.
As it turned out, the article first dragged out the skeletons of past Defense Against the Dark Arts professors, only to reveal Snape's heroism during the summer, risking his safety to investigate the smuggling ring run by Robb.
Such a selfless professor—how could parents bear to let him rot in Azkaban?
It was clear that Dumbledore was creating a public narrative.
Soon, public opinion shifted in favor of Snape, demanding his release.
Dumbledore attended Snape's hearing, providing key evidence that Snape had spent the entire summer with the renowned magizoologist, Newt Scamander.
With this evidence, Snape was acquitted on the spot.
During the Christmas holiday, the public's attention was entirely focused on the Snape "attack," with The Daily Prophet doing its best to keep the discussion heated, ensuring everyone remained preoccupied with Hogwarts' professor drama.
In the meantime, the actual attack on the Ministry of Magic seemed to fade into obscurity. People had seemingly forgotten the real question—who had attacked the Ministry? It was as if it had never happened.
The day before the Christmas break ended, William boarded the Hogwarts Express with Boba Tea in tow.
Boba Tea, comfortably nestled in his lap, lazily watched the landscape pass by outside the window.
Recently, Boba Tea had been growing rapidly, and the cold weather only made it more lethargic. It spent most of its days curled up in Annie's blankets, refusing to move. William had bought a cat tree, intending to install it in his dorm room to encourage the cat to exercise more.
After a while, Cedric knocked and entered, with Cho following behind.
Once Cho had taken her seat, Cedric locked the compartment door and quickly checked outside through the window before settling down.
Being alone in a compartment with Cedric didn't seem like the wisest decision. If it weren't for Cho's presence, William might have worried for his own safety.
Cho seemed to share similar thoughts, judging by her expression.
Cedric, however, was oblivious to their reactions, his demeanor secretive. "I asked my dad about the Ministry attack," he said in a low voice.
Cedric's father worked in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, so he likely had some insider knowledge.
"My dad didn't want to talk about it at first, but I managed to get him drunk on Christmas Eve," Cedric boasted, clearly pleased with himself.
William and Cho exchanged a look—what kind of son would trick his own father like that?
Cedric noticed William's look and glared at him. "Do you want to hear this or not?"
"Of course I want to," William quickly replied.
In these times, whoever had information held the upper hand.
Leaning in as though he were selling secret goods, Cedric lowered his voice even further. "My dad said that the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures wasn't attacked at all."
"What?" Cho frowned. "That's impossible. During the Christmas break, The Daily Prophet reported on Professor Snape's situation, and the attack has been a topic all term."
"Not exactly," Cedric said, leaning back in his seat. "The Ministry was attacked, but the target wasn't the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. It was the Department of Mysteries."
"The Department of Mysteries? What do they do?"
William and Cho, both being from non-wizarding families, had little understanding of the structure of the Ministry of Magic.
Cedric explained in a hushed tone, "The Department of Mysteries is, well, exactly what it sounds like. No one really knows what they do."
"Not even your dad?"
Cedric shook his head. "He only knows that they conduct secret research. Most of what happens in that department is highly classified, and only a few people in the Ministry are even aware of what's inside. The wizards working there are called Unspeakables."
He paused for a moment, then added, "There's a common rumor, though—that the Minister of Magic uses the Department of Mysteries to develop deadly poisons to take out his political rivals..."
William rolled his eyes.
That wasn't a common rumor—it was a conspiracy theory straight out of The Quibbler.
As a devoted reader of that magazine, Cedric was now trying to spread his own version of the "truth."
"Anyway," Cedric continued, "the department is very secretive. It could be hiding something powerful enough to overthrow the entire magical world."
William nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. They must have lost something incredibly important—something that, if the public found out, would cause widespread panic."
"Otherwise, why would Minister Fudge lie about the attack, saying it happened at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures?"
After all, losing a few magical creatures wouldn't have been seen as a serious issue. The public would have easily brushed it off.
"What do you think they lost?" Cho asked, her voice laced with concern.
"Could be a powerful weapon," Cedric shrugged. "My dad mentioned the possibility that some of Voldemort's followers, unhappy with his downfall, might be trying to resurrect him. This whole situation is hush-hush, though. We're not supposed to talk about it."
Unable to figure out much else, the three decided to pass the time by playing cards.
William, who was an expert in this area, dominated the game. Unlike the infamous "17 cards mistake," he skillfully outplayed the others, winning plenty of snacks.
On the first night back at school, during the welcome feast, everyone saw the return of Professor Snape, who had been absent for most of the term.
He looked gaunt, his face pale and sickly, as though he hadn't been eating properly.
At Dumbledore's cue, the students erupted in applause to welcome him back.
The Weasley twins clapped the hardest, apparently having developed a twisted fondness for the man after months of relentless conflict.
Snape's expression remained as cold and indifferent as ever, but under the warmth of the atmosphere, he downed several glasses of wine and even started talking a bit more.
William, however, couldn't shake the feeling that Snape's hairline had receded significantly since he'd last seen him.
In Britain, where nine out of ten men were balding, someone like Dumbledore, with a full head of long hair at his age, was practically an endangered species.
Snape was only in his thirties, right at the prime age for balding. And with the enormous stress of teaching at Hogwarts—not to mention being the Head of Slytherin—his hair loss was likely accelerating.
Adding the stress of his recent arrest and detainment by the Ministry, it wasn't surprising if Snape had started losing hair at a faster rate.
As William pondered Snape's receding hairline, Dumbledore cheerfully patted Snape on the shoulder and pulled out a gift box.
Wait a minute—why did that box look so familiar?
William suddenly remembered—it was the shampoo and conditioner he had sent to Snape, with Dumbledore acting as the middleman.
Oh no. If Snape hadn't started going bald, gifting haircare products wouldn't have been a problem. But now that he had, been gifted hair care products was simply asking for death.
Sure enough, when Dumbledore pointed at William, Snape's gaze turned toward him, as sharp and cold as a snake's.
William immediately regretted his choice of gift. He should've sent a hair-curling machine instead!
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