Magical Studies at Hogwarts...

Chapter 282 September 1st

In the following days, what Harry, Hermione, and Ron talked about became the focus of their conversation. There was no doubt that both Malfoy's attitude that night and the black-cloaked figure that appeared later made them uneasy.

Harry proposed many theories, some plausible, but many more unreliable. Several heated debates ensued, but ultimately, no conclusion was reached that could convince everyone.

However, one thing is certain: Malfoy has definitely sided with the Dark Lord.

“That’s obvious!” Hermione exclaimed. “You all heard it, he threatened Burke with Fenrir Greyback! That’s a loyal henchman of the Man of Void!”

"And that guy who appeared later must also be related to the mysterious person!"

"Yeah, but who is that guy?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Hermione said matter-of-factly.

"What's the point of saying all this!" Ron said, somewhat exasperated.

"Don't you understand?" Hermione glared at Ron and said, "No matter who that person is, no matter what Malfoy's scheme is, Harry is their target!"

"Harry, you, or rather we, are in a more dangerous situation now..." Her tone was very serious. "Don't let your guard down!"

"You know I won't," Harry replied earnestly.

He certainly wouldn't let his guard down. From the moment Voldemort resurrected until now, he'd been trying to kill him, and he was used to this constant anxiety. Besides, he was the brave Gryffindor!

Gryffindor never fears evil!

She was simply afraid of an angry Mrs. Weasley...

After chatting for a few more minutes, Harry grabbed his dirty clothes and ran out. These past few days, Mrs. Weasley had been urging them to wash their clothes and luggage. Hermione's were already washed, but he and Ron were still putting it off. Ron had received quite a scolding for this.

Even though he knew Mrs. Weasley wouldn't treat him the same way she treated Ron, Harry still felt a chill run down his spine. Besides, school started tomorrow, and he couldn't afford to delay any longer.

When they got downstairs, only Fleur and Mrs. Weasley were there. Fleur was talking non-stop about her wedding plans, while Mrs. Weasley looked rather annoyed.

Seeing Harry come down, she immediately stood up and snatched the dirty clothes from his hands.

"Darling! Do you need to do laundry? Don't worry, leave it to me!" Mrs. Weasley said loudly, interrupting Fleur's long-winded speech.

"I can do it myself, Mrs. Weasley..."

Harry was interrupted by Mrs. Weasley before he could finish speaking.

"Oh, right! There's one more thing, about your security on your way to Hogwarts tomorrow!" she exclaimed. "Great news! We've managed to borrow another car from the Ministry of Magic! And we'll have Aurora protecting us the whole way..."

"Even on the trains?" Harry asked.

"Of course! They'll protect you all the way to Hogwarts." Mrs. Weasley said, pulling Harry away. "So, time is of the essence. You must pack everything today, so that tomorrow won't be a mess like usual..."

Harry wholeheartedly agreed and busied himself for quite some time, finally finishing packing everything by evening. The next morning, when the Ministry of Magic's car arrived at the Burrow, they were all already waiting at the door. They boarded the car in an orderly fashion and soon arrived at King's Cross Station.

As soon as they got off the train, two stern-faced Ao Luos came to greet them and helped them into the station.

"Get through the wall!" Mrs. Weasley looked tense and flustered, her eyes darting around warily, everyone seeming like a Death Eater. "Harry's better off going first..."

She looked at one of the Aurors, who nodded, then grabbed Harry's arm and led him through the partition wall between Platforms 9 and 10. A few seconds later, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny followed.

"Get in the car, children! Be careful!" Mrs. Weasley said with concern.

Harry and the others agreed, then dragged their luggage onto the train. After finding an empty compartment and putting their things in, Hermione and Ron went outside.

They had to go to the prefect's car to fulfill their duties as prefects and also to inspect the car. Under the current circumstances, this task was undoubtedly more rigorous than usual.

It took them almost two hours to get back to their compartment after the train started moving, and they all looked exhausted.

"Why are you so tired?" Harry asked, looking at their exhausted appearance.

"They're going to inspect every box, and it's not just us; there are several Ministry of Magic personnel leading the way." Ron stretched out his body as much as possible. "It's much more complicated than before. They have a lot of strange things to look for potential security loopholes... God knows why they think Red Hats will appear on the Hogwarts Express!"

"Maybe they've been brainwashed by the harassing flies?" Luna, who had been quietly reading *The Quibbler*, interjected. Neville, sitting opposite her, nodded subconsciously. They had arrived shortly after Hermione and Ron left and had been in the box ever since.

"Maybe..." Hermione casually agreed, too tired to even speak.

The two rested for a long time before they regained their energy. This was all thanks to the snacks Harry had bought; delicious pumpkin pie always helped them recover.

"To be honest, it's a waste of time. I don't trust those guys at all!" Ron said, eating a chocolate frog. "You heard what Fred and George said; they can't even use a single Ironclad Charm!"

"Only part, Ron," Harry said.

"But do you know that these people on the train aren't part of that group?"

Ron's question left Harry speechless for a moment; the impression the Ministry of Magic had given him over the years made it difficult for him to refute it.

They are indeed not very reliable.

As they were chatting, the train suddenly came to a screeching halt! Driven by inertia, Harry, Ron, and Neville tumbled off their seats, while Hermione, Ginny, and Luna fared slightly better, though they still swayed precariously in their seats.

"What's wrong!"

Ron shouted, but before he could finish speaking, the train shook violently again, and a deafening explosion rang in his ears.

"Something's happened!"

Harry scrambled to his feet, grabbed his wand, knocked open the box door, and rushed out, followed by the others.

The corridor was in chaos, and shouts could be faintly heard in the distance. Hermione and Ron yelled at those who were peeking out to see what was happening to go back to their boxes and hide. Hermione even cast a protective charm on each box door before chasing after Harry in the direction he had run.

After navigating through several carriages, they finally reached the compartment closest to the scene of the accident, but their path was blocked. Cries and screams filled the air, and the passengers looked utterly disheveled. Struggling to squeeze through, they finally saw what had happened through the window in the connecting door between the carriages.

A huge hole had been blasted open in one of the carriages along the corridor, and a dozen or so people dressed in black cloaks were engaged in a fierce battle with the Ministry of Magic personnel. Spells were flying everywhere in the carriage, smashing everything to pieces and even tearing off half of the roof.

Harry was anxious to join the fight, but he couldn't open the box door at all. An Oro was lying on the other side of the door, and he couldn't push it open.

"Damn it!" He started pushing the door frantically, making the fallen Ao Luo sway, but he still couldn't open it.

Through the glass, the battle inside was fierce, and it was clear that the Ministry of Magic's people were at a disadvantage.

Just then, Harry suddenly saw Malfoy appear in the opposite carriage, with Crabbe and Goyle behind him, coldly staring at him across the battlefield.

Suddenly, Malfoy raised his right hand, tilted his head slightly, and slowly ran his wand across his throat, a strange smile playing on one side of his mouth.

Harry understood that Malfoy was saying:

"Potter, you're dead!"

(End of this chapter)