Hermione's doubts also made Astoria realize that something was off.
Indeed, if Draco had gathered them all at the base merely because of a report meant to smear Harry Potter, then the decision would have been far too hasty and strange. That simply wasn't like Draco at all.
What Draco said next proved just how sharp Hermione's instincts were.
"A Dementor attacked the Chosen One not long ago. And in a few days, Mr. Potter will be put on trial for using magic outside of school."
"I see. A Dementor attacked… wait, what?!"
Pansy echoed him instinctively, but halfway through her sentence, her eyes flew wide open in shock.
Compared to the so-called trial, they cared far more about why a Dementor would do such a thing in the first place.
If most people only knew the terror of Dementors through stories told by elders or descriptions in books, then that certainly didn't apply to the students of Hogwarts. Back in their third year, they had experienced the Dementors' greed and bone-chilling cold up close.
Just moments ago, Goyle and Crabbe had been standing in the corner like wooden posts. The instant they heard the word "Dementor," fear flashed across their thick, brutish faces.
Only those who had lived through it could truly understand the power of a Dementor and the despair it brought.
"So that's it! To stop Potter from telling the truth, the Ministry released this report ahead of time!"
"By shaping Potter into a boy who loves attention, no one will easily believe what he says. And Dementor attacks on wizards aren't exactly common… very clever."
Astoria immediately grasped the Ministry's intentions and shared her analysis with everyone.
"But those creatures… aren't they forbidden from leaving Azkaban freely?"
"Could it be the Ministry's orders? No… something about that doesn't feel right."
It wasn't strange for Hermione to think this way. After all, the Dementors did have an agreement with the Ministry.
The Ministry provided limited food that didn't require risking lives, and in return, the Dementors were restricted from leaving a certain range and tasked with guarding prisoners.
Naturally, this arrangement was never made public.
Behind the scenes, they were collaborators. On the surface, the Dementors were prison guards controlled by the Ministry.
So in the public's perception, Dementors were simply a group of enforcers under the Ministry's command.
But Draco, who understood the hidden truth behind it all, shook his head and denied Hermione's speculation.
"Actually, it wasn't the Ministry's order."
"If it wasn't the Ministry, then was it just an accident?"
"I don't know. And I don't think our timid Minister of Magic has the guts to pull something like this. You should know, this would be openly provoking Dumbledore. Even if Dumbledore recently lost his position as President of the International Confederation of Wizards, that still wouldn't give him much courage."
This flood of information left Hermione and the others silent, unable to process it all at once. Even Pansy, who had been in an unusually good mood lately, now wore a heavy expression.
They weren't worried about being attacked by a Dementor while walking down the street.
Rather, through this incident, they sensed a frightening possibility beginning to take shape.
Was the Ministry's control over the Dementors starting to falter…?
...
Hermione wasn't the only one who had thought of it.
Astoria's suspicions ran even deeper. All of a sudden, she sharply turned her gaze toward Draco, who had remained calm from the beginning.
"What you really want to say isn't that the Dementor attack on Potter was actually the Dark Lord's doing, is it?"
"Recruiting the Dementors? That really is…"
Hermione pressed her lips together tightly, struggling to voice the possibility. No, perhaps this wasn't a possibility at all, but the truth.
Seeing everyone fall into grim silence, Draco had no intention of offering them any comforting illusions.
"Don't forget, there are still many Death Eaters locked up in Azkaban. And a war isn't something one person can fight alone."
"Draco, you mean…"
"Gaining the Dementors as allies while rescuing his own followers at the same time. Any wizard with a clear head wouldn't pass up an opportunity like that."
"..."
"But that's not something we need to worry about right now. Besides, judging by the Ministry's response, they seem determined to keep the Dark Lord's return hidden. Hardly anyone would believe what we say anyway."
As he said this, a trace of confusion surfaced on Draco's face.
Cornelius Fudge was indeed obsessively attached to his position and cowardly to the point of absurdity, but that didn't necessarily mean the wizard who had managed to become Minister of Magic was completely brainless.
Unless he was confident that he could oppose the Dark Lord while simultaneously suppressing the prestige of Dumbledore?
Or perhaps Cornelius Fudge truly was nothing more than an incompetent fool, lacking both ability and self-awareness.
That was the one point Draco could never quite make sense of…
...
Only after everyone had a clear understanding of the kind of enemy they might be facing in the future did Draco finally reveal the real reason he had gathered them all.
That reason was—
"You all know the only way to deal with Dementors."
"The Patronus Charm."
"Exactly. The Patronus Charm."
One of the most powerful and ancient defensive spells, it was the very spell Hermione had just mentioned: the Patronus Charm.
The difficulty of mastering the Patronus Charm was extremely high, and only a small number of wizards were capable of using it to summon a Patronus with a complete form.
Just like the Patronus Charm Dumbledore had cast on the Quidditch Pitch back then, taking the form of a phoenix as his Patronus.
In truth, the Patronus Charm hadn't originally been created specifically to counter Dementors. It was only later that wizards discovered how effective it was against them.
Over time, the Patronus Charm became synonymous with fighting Dementors.
And now, after Hermione's explanation, Draco finally stated his true objective.
"During this holiday… master it."
"..."
"I mean all of you."
"..."
Compared to Pansy's conflicted expression, Hermione, who loved studying, was practically unable to contain her excitement.
Astoria, standing beside her, also nodded without objection. After all, this was a good thing for them.
But mastering the Patronus Charm?
That was hardly as simple as eating a meal or drinking a glass of water…