After leaving behind a puddle on the floor and a bedframe that looked like it would collapse with one more headbutt, Dobby, unable to linger, quietly slipped out of Draco's dormitory.
As the door clicked shut behind him, Draco sank into the sofa in silence. The quiet room gave him space to reflect on the information Dobby had brought. The softness of the cushions made his eyelids heavy...
Dobby tried to stop something from entering Hogwarts. Sounds dangerous... could it be a Dark magic object?
And someone used Harry Potter to bring it in. Then who? And for what purpose?
Tap, tap, tap...
The rhythmic tapping of Draco's fingers on the armrest echoed in the stillness—a habit of his when deep in thought.
Moonlight from the lake shimmered across the room, casting a faint glow on Draco's pale figure. His light-gold hair caught the light, making him look almost like a figure from a fairytale—an ethereal elf from legend.
If a little witch happened to walk in just then, she probably wouldn't be able to look away.
Unfortunately, aside from Draco, the only ones in the dorm were Goyle and Crabbe—both snoring like logs...
...
As time passed, the little wizards finally made it to Christmas Eve. On the day they waited for the Hogwarts Express, fresh snow blanketed the castle grounds, making Hogwarts look like it had donned a shimmering silver cloak.
Due to the events surrounding the Chamber of Secrets, the castle had felt a bit dull lately, but now, with the holidays arriving, smiles and anticipation returned to everyone's faces.
Surprisingly, this year, Draco had no intention of going home for the break. Instead, he chose to stay at Hogwarts—a decision that caught many off guard.
It didn't seem like he had his mother's approval either.
"In that case, I'll stay too—"
"No. Didn't I already tell you?"
"..."
Though she wanted to insist, one look at Draco's serious expression made Pansy give up the tempting idea of staying behind with him for Christmas.
Still, her puffed cheeks made it obvious how unhappy she was about it.
Whether this had anything to do with Hermione also staying over the holidays—well, that was anyone's guess.
"Anyway, try to find out what that thing is. Don't be too obvious when you're investigating in Diagon Alley. If anything comes up, ask Gary. The Rosier family may have fallen from grace, but they're still one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight."
"Got it."
"Leave it to us."
They might be a bit clumsy and overly fond of snacks, but when it came to trust, Goyle and Crabbe outranked everyone. So when assigning tasks, Draco still chose them over Gary Rosier and the others, who were newer to the group.
After giving his instructions, Pansy tugged hesitantly at Draco's sleeve.
"Draco… are you sure you'll be safe on your own?"
With the Hogwarts Express approaching, Pansy's voice held both concern and reluctance. The attacker behind the recent wizard assaults still hadn't been caught, and she couldn't help worrying about Draco.
But she seemed to have forgotten—Draco was the strongest one there. If anyone needed protection, it wasn't him.
Draco sighed and ruffled her hair.
"Who do you think I am?"
His sudden grin and the warmth of his hand on her head made Pansy freeze mid-breath.
"You—! Don't get so close all of a sudden, it's hot!"
"Boss lady?"
"The train's here, can't you see? How long are you planning to stand there?"
"..."
"..."
With Goyle and Crabbe silently suffering in the background, Draco chuckled at the flustered girl.
Only after watching Pansy and the others board the train did the smile fade from his face.
It was because it was dangerous… that he had to stay behind alone.
...
At dawn on Christmas Day, snow blanketed the world outside in a sea of white, the kind of cold that seeped in without even needing to step outdoors.
For Draco, spending Christmas at Hogwarts for the first time, the atmosphere felt entirely different from usual.
Quiet. Heavy. Mysterious.
Still, perhaps due to the Chamber of Secrets incident, the school had enforced stricter rules this year. Students staying behind weren't allowed to roam freely—wherever they went, they had to be accompanied by a professor...
At the Hogwarts Christmas feast, everyone dug in with enthusiasm. For a while, the young wizards were able to forget about the looming threat in the shadows and the disappointment of not going home for the holidays.
The Great Hall was lavishly decorated—not just with over a dozen Christmas trees dusted with silver frost, but also thick garlands of mistletoe and holly crisscrossing the ceiling. Enchanted snow gently drifted down from above, warm and dry to the touch.
Though only a few students had stayed behind this year, the atmosphere gradually warmed up. Dumbledore led the students in a few of his favorite Christmas carols, and with Hagrid pouring mug after mug of Butterbeer, the hall finally began to buzz with laughter and chatter.
Even Fred Weasley, who had been downcast since the Duelling Club incident, cracked a smile.
Just then, Harry Potter nudged Ron Weasley, who looked like he was about to fall asleep sitting up.
"Look over there—this is our chance."
"Yeah, who would've thought that Death Eater actually stayed behind alone."
Nearby, Hermione frowned slightly as she overheard them. Unlike the two of them, who had only just noticed, Hermione had already spotted Draco the moment he appeared at the long table.
Not only that—she could tell he was on his third glass of that rather pretty-looking purple drink.
...Yeah, from a certain angle, Hermione's level of observation was teetering on stalker territory.