Throughout the long history of Hogwarts, there had been no shortage of extraordinary talents.
In the distant past, there was Dumbledore, standing on the stage now, hailed as the greatest wizard of his era. More recently, there was Voldemort—who nearly seized control of Britain's wizarding world before his downfall and disfigurement.
These figures had all been legends even in their student days, and not one of them lacked the kind of powerful background Draco possessed.
Each of them had demonstrated their talent and potential early on at Hogwarts.
But even for those blessed by the heavens, none had dared to pull something so brazen in their first year. At the very least, they wouldn't have shown open disrespect to the headmaster or their professors.
There was nothing complicated about it. What Draco was doing now was simply refusing to play along with this ridiculous charade...
The loud blast of the door bursting open cut through the festive air of the end-of-term celebration. Every young witch and wizard who had been laughing and feasting fell silent, their faces filled with shock as they turned toward the commotion.
And when they looked... they were left speechless, mouths agape. The eerie silence made the entire scene feel almost surreal.
As for the one who'd caused it all, Draco wore an expression of total innocence. Unhurriedly, he tucked away the wand he'd used and strode toward the exit.
Hermione, who had been watching the whole thing from start to finish, covered her face with one hand, muttering to herself.
She didn't know why, but she just had this gut feeling that Draco would stir up trouble...
...
The end-of-term feast was now dead silent. Only the sound of Draco's footsteps echoed through the hall.
No one there was truly clueless—they all understood what Draco's defiance meant. Hermione, quick to react, glanced nervously toward the staff table, especially at Dumbledore, hoping to catch his response.
After all, Draco had just openly snubbed the headmaster in front of the entire school...
No one could say for sure what Dumbledore was thinking, but beside him, Professor McGonagall—Deputy Headmistress—could no longer stay seated. She wasn't about to just sit back and watch Draco swagger out of the Great Hall.
Or perhaps, as someone who deeply cared for her students, Professor McGonagall believed this situation could still be salvaged...
"Dr—"
"Minerva. As Draco Malfoy's Head of House, I believe I'm better suited to handle this."
Snape, who had just moments ago been examining the patterns on a piece of fish, now wore an inscrutable expression. Anyone unfamiliar with him wouldn't have been able to decipher the complicated emotions behind it.
And just like that, the usually cold and distant Head of Slytherin interrupted McGonagall.
"Severus..."
Normally, McGonagall couldn't tolerate even the slightest rule-breaking—but now, standing before Snape, her firm demeanor faltered. The hesitation in her voice didn't match her reputation as Hogwarts' strictest professor.
"I... I understand, Severus... Ah, Draco is a good boy."
Snape's lips twitched. Though he didn't agree with her sentiment, he'd gotten what he wanted, so he let it go without comment.
The nearby professors had clearly overheard the exchange between McGonagall and Snape, yet they all acted like outsiders—saying nothing, doing nothing—merely watching Draco Malfoy in the center of the hall with unreadable expressions.
Dumbledore simply adjusted his glasses and quietly observed the slender, pale-gold figure. No one could read a thing from the faint smile on his face...
The professors' strange behavior left the young witches and wizards bewildered. They couldn't make sense of what was happening.
Or rather—why wasn't anyone stopping Draco?
Only a few of the sharper students understood. It wasn't that the professors wouldn't stop him, but that they couldn't. Otherwise, the whole string of unjustified bonus points would have to be dragged into the open. Whether or not it could be explained, that was a situation Dumbledore couldn't allow.
And what brought things to this point was simple: not a single professor had expected Draco would actually flip the table and walk away...
...
Compared to the others, Pansy's thoughts were refreshingly simple.
Eyes slightly dazed, she stared at Draco's figure standing tall under everyone's gaze—and only one thought echoed in her mind.
Damn, he's handsome!
But the moment she saw Draco about to step through the door, Pansy snapped out of it and jumped to her feet.
"Draco—wait! Don't even think about leaving me behind!"
After glaring once in Gryffindor's direction, she lit up with a smile full of excitement and hurried after him. The look on her face screamed, "We're the real winners." Ron Weasley, watching this unfold, clenched his fists in frustration.
"No! I've got to stop him..."
Ron truly believed he should've been the star of tonight. All that cheering had filled him with confidence.
But before he could act, something happened that made him freeze and slowly pull his foot back.
He didn't notice—but Hermione had seen it all...
Clack, clack, clack—
The sound of chairs being pushed back.
"Draco, there should still be some cookies left in the dorm, right?"
"Man, I should've eaten a few more..."
Goyle and Crabbe, clearly reluctant to leave their half-eaten dinner, stood up as well. But if they wanted to avoid being dragged into Pansy's wrath later, they'd better follow Draco now.
And it didn't stop there. Pansy's move had been like a signal. Even though no one had said a word, every little snake in Slytherin stood up in unspoken agreement, quietly following that pale golden figure.
First came the Prefects—Draco's long-time loyal followers.
Then the Quidditch players and fans already charmed by his presence.
Then the students just as upset by the outcome as he was.
And finally...
The Slytherin table was completely empty.
"..."
"..."
Everyone stared in stunned silence at the figure who'd vanished through the door and the orderly line of Slytherins who followed after him.
The scene was surreal—but alongside their confusion, a strange, fiery emotion began to rise in the hearts of the watching students.
That pale golden figure—it pulled every gaze like the rising sun...
...
When a king doesn't know how to lead, how can his soldiers offer loyalty?
Tonight, before all the students of Hogwarts, Draco revealed—for the first time—the kind of man he truly was.
The kind of man whose presence could sway all of Slytherin House.