Compared to everything else, the wizarding world, where strength dictated almost everything, was undeniably harsher and far more ruthless.
And that, precisely, was the biggest difference between Hermione and Pansy and the others.
It came down to their backgrounds and the environments they'd grown up in...
Knowing full well that Hermione might need some time to digest what she'd just heard, Draco deliberately avoided bringing up Umbridge again for the moment. He picked up his knife and fork once more, but just as he was about to enjoy the meal in front of him, Hermione's slightly trembling voice reached his ear.
"Then what? There has to be more."
Draco looked up in surprise and met Hermione's beautiful brown eyes. In them, he saw stubbornness and unwavering resolve.
He'd assumed she would need more time to steady herself, but it now seemed he'd underestimated her.
Astoria, who had remained silent all this time, elegantly dabbed at her lips, appearing utterly unconcerned. Yet her gaze kept drifting back toward Hermione again and again...
What Astoria didn't say aloud was that, under normal circumstances, there was nothing wrong with what Draco had said.
Hermione Granger's background was indeed far from ideal, but one shouldn't forget that at her side stood Draco Malfoy, a Malfoy with a brilliant future ahead of him, and Pansy Parkinson, who Astoria already considered a friend.
With the backing of those two families alone, for a half-blood witch, the weight behind Hermione was more than enough to make most wizards think twice.
And if one dared to be a little bolder...
Perhaps one day, there might even be an additional title waiting for her. The future Mistress of the Malfoy family...
Still, given Hermione's pride and spirit, she would never want preferential treatment or a shortcut to success through such means.
Perhaps that was why Draco hadn't said any of this out loud, and why Pansy and Astoria had both chosen to stay silent.
Unaware that Astoria had gone through so many thoughts in such a short span of time, Draco set down the knife and fork he'd just picked up.
Folding his hands beneath his chin, he said calmly, "In that case, I'll tell you everything I know."
"Even if you don't," Hermione replied without hesitation, "I'll investigate it myself."
She was still the familiar Hermione Granger.
Still that girl who refused to give in easily, strong in a way that made people ache for her...
...
After all the wizards finished singing the school song together, the Sorting Ceremony officially came to an end.
As Prefects, Draco, Pansy, and the others couldn't wander back to their common rooms in twos and threes like most students. Newly promoted, they had responsibilities to attend to.
The first-years were already lined up, waiting for their respective Prefects to lead them out of the Great Hall.
Yet the young lions and young snakes were all staring at the backs of the three Prefects with strangely conflicted expressions...
Yes, three.
Even before enrolling, they'd heard from friends and family just how terrible and hostile the relationship between Slytherin and Gryffindor was supposed to be.
But what were they seeing now?
Their own Prefect, a stern-looking girl with long brown hair, was chatting and laughing with the Slytherin Prefect. He was fairly handsome, and flanked on both sides by two beautiful witches, an enviable sight no matter how you looked at it.
Could it be...
That they were actually Gryffindors too?
Completely unaware of the psychological shock they were inflicting on the first-years behind them, Draco continued explaining the things he hadn't had time to finish earlier, speaking quietly to Hermione as they walked side by side.
As for that description of "kind of handsome and kind of a jerk"...
Yes, that was referring to Draco Malfoy.
"To work at the Ministry of Magic, there's a prerequisite you have to meet first."
"The N.E.W.T.s, right? The N.E.W.T. Advanced Wizarding Examinations. I know that much."
"That's right. Only wizards who stand out in those exams get the chance to enter the Ministry. And Umbridge, at just seventeen, managed to secure a position as a low-ranking intern in the Improper Use of Magic Office the moment she graduated."
As he led the first-years through the corridor, Draco spoke calmly about Umbridge's past.
Perhaps because they had nothing better to do, or perhaps because Draco's low, magnetic voice was genuinely captivating, the young wizards trailing behind them were gradually drawn into the "story" he was telling...
...
In the corridor.
The first-years walked in silence, their eyes fixed on the pale blond figure ahead of them...
"In truth, Umbridge really was a capable witch," Draco continued. "Not just because she worked hard, but because she was exceptionally skilled at putting on a false front for her superiors. More importantly, she had no qualms about stealing her colleagues' achievements and claiming them as her own. That's how she quickly earned promotions and favor from those above her."
"..."
Ignoring the muffled reactions behind him, Draco went on with a faint smile. "Before she even turned thirty, she'd already achieved what most wizards never manage in their lifetime. She was just one step away from a higher-ranking position within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Ruthlessness and cruelty were the means that allowed her to climb into the role of Senior Undersecretary so quickly."
"..."
"No one has ever heard of Umbridge having a partner," Draco added lightly. "But everyone knows she was always doing everything she could to pursue romantic relationships with her superiors. She understood very well that having a powerful partner would make her own position far more secure."
Whether Draco was deliberately saying all this for the benefit of the first-years was unclear, but it was obvious that his words had unsettled them. Their already negative impression of Umbridge only grew worse.
After all, love was something sacred, not a tool to be used for personal advancement.
Noticing the stir behind them, Hermione blinked.
Though she didn't quite know what Draco was trying to do, she still cooperated smoothly and picked up the thread of the conversation.
"I get it now," she said quietly. "That's why she's called an Acromantula."
Spiders weren't creatures unique to the wizarding world. Muggles studied them too.
Female spiders were known to devour their mates.
She didn't believe in love.
Cold, absolute, and merciless.