HP: Azkaban's Outstanding Graduate

Inside was a small, exquisite crystal bottle, its body engraved with intricate protective magic patterns. The bottle contained a liquid that emitted a warm, golden glow, like flowing gold.

There was a card pressed against the bottom of the bottle, with Sagres's sharp yet elegant handwriting: "Could you attend the party on Saturday night? I need your help to confirm and interpret a prophecy."

"Hooray! It's Felix Felicis!"

Lumina gasped in surprise and carefully held the crystal bottle in her hands.

She looked at the gleaming bottle of Felix Felicis in her hand, her face beaming with pure joy, almost forgetting that there were other people in the room. "...I haven't left the house in ages..."

She murmured to herself, then suddenly remembered that the Malfoys were still alive.

She quickly stuffed the FLORS into her hospital gown pocket like a precious treasure, put on a smile again, and tried to steer the conversation back on track.

Chapter 233 Prophecy

"Ah, where were we? Oh, we are actually all..." She was about to start talking, and the words "Bronze Feather" were almost about to slip out.

But then she suddenly realized something was wrong, her mouth agape, the words stuck in her throat.

The air in the ward seemed to freeze for a moment.

Lucius keenly noticed her momentary hesitation and panic, which deepened his suspicions, but he still maintained a polite and concerned expression.

Narcissa also slightly furrowed her delicate brows.

Draco looked at the professor with a blank expression as he suddenly stopped.

"Uh...that..."

Lumina's mind raced faster than ever before, her large eyes quickly scanning the Malfoy family of three, when a thought struck her like lightning.

"what!"

She clapped her hands suddenly, but the movement was much more restrained than usual, clearly still remembering that she was an injured person.

Her face instantly switched to a smile that was both mysterious and warm. "Look at my memory! I was so busy talking that I almost forgot the important thing! As a thank you for coming to see me and bringing such wonderful gifts, let me do a fortune telling for you! Consider it my Christmas gift in return! I guarantee it's a unique, secret recipe, no deception!"

Her sudden and abrupt change of topic caught Lucius off guard.

Divination? That kind of mystical trick?

He inwardly scoffed, but outwardly maintained a polite smile: "Miss Lumina, you're too kind. Visiting a patient is simply our proper courtesy, there's no need for that..."

"No, no, no, I absolutely must have it!"

Lumina appeared unusually "reliable" at this moment, even exuding an undeniable authority and certainty.

She completely ignored Lucius's polite refusal and carefully took something out from the depths of the bedside table drawer next to her bed.

It wasn't the kind of cloudy crystal ball you usually see, nor was it a dirty tarot card.

This is a sphere made entirely of some kind of deep purple, translucent crystal, and it is just the right size for Lumina to hold in her hands.

The inside of the sphere was not chaotic, but rather seemed to contain countless slowly rotating, brilliant stardust, with occasionally a wisp of extremely fine blue light leaping among the stardust.

The entire crystal ball exuded an ancient and profound magical aura, as if it could capture souls, giving it a completely different feel from ordinary divination tools.

Just looking at it makes you hold your breath, as if you can hear a faint whisper.

Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco were all captivated by the strange crystal ball.

Lucius abandoned his dismissive attitude, and his gaze became serious.

He could sense that this thing was anything special; at least, there wasn't anything of this caliber in the Malfoy family's collection.

Lumina took a deep breath, her playful expression vanishing completely, replaced by a rare solemnity and focus.

She gently placed the crystal ball on her lap, which was covered by a blanket, with her hands hovering over it, palms down, and closed her eyes.

Her long eyelashes cast shadows on her pale face, and only her soft, rhythmic breathing could be heard in the ward.

A few seconds later, she suddenly opened her eyes!

Those eyes, which were always full of curiosity and vitality, now looked like two bottomless black holes, with the depths of their pupils seemingly reflecting the swirling stardust and light inside a crystal ball.

Her gaze was unfocused, as if it pierced through the three people in front of her and looked towards some distant and unknowable future.

She spoke, but her voice was no longer her usual clear and lively one; instead, it became deep and resonant, as if it were not her own voice speaking, but rather some ancient power resonating through her throat:

"The threads of fate... intertwined and entwined... past choices are like heavy anchors, dragging the ship..."

Her gaze seemed to pierce through Lucius's carefully maintained facade, reaching deep into some hidden corner of his heart.

“I see… gilded lies, a scepter entwined with serpents… a wrong direction, concealed by magnificent robes and ancient surnames… it brought fleeting glory, but buried a bottomless chasm… deep within that chasm, there are cold flames and hissing whispers…”

Lucius Malfoy's body tensed instantly!

His knuckles, gripping the snake-headed cane, turned white from the force, and his face drained of color in an instant.

Every word Lumina spoke was like a cold needle, piercing precisely into his most unwanted past—his loyalty to Voldemort, those choices filled with calculation and fear.

A gilded lie? A serpent's scepter? Cold flames and hissing whispers?

He could even feel Narcissa's breath catch in her throat, and her hand unconsciously tighten around his arm.

Lumina's gaze slowly shifted to Narcissa, a hint of barely perceptible pity in her voice: "The radiance of motherhood is a sturdy shield, but also a heavy shackle... The desire to protect can sometimes blind us to the path ahead..."

Narcissa's face also turned pale, and her lips trembled slightly.

As a mother, she would do anything to protect Draco... including choices she didn't agree with deep down.

Finally, Lumina's gaze fell on Draco. Her deep, abyss-like eyes seemed to soften slightly, yet still carried a heavy premonition: "A young soul... struggling in the shadows of silver and green... The storms of the future are brewing in the distance. Will you choose to continue drifting along your father's course, or break free of your anchor and find your own harbor?"

Draco suddenly felt a sense of fear; his eyes were filled with confusion and panic.

Lumina's voice suddenly rose, carrying a strong warning: "Past mistakes haunt us... If we follow the old path..."

Her hands, holding the crystal ball, trembled slightly. The swirling stardust inside suddenly accelerated, blue arcs of electricity crackled violently, and the entire sphere emitted a deep hum: "...The abyss is opening its jaws ahead...Tears of regret will unleash a storm...Even the most glorious name cannot bear it! Choose...Choose again...Before the storm arrives..."

Before the words were finished, the light from the crystal ball suddenly went out, and the swirling stardust and blue light also dimmed.

Lumina seemed to have all her strength drained away, and she leaned back against the pillow, panting heavily.

The depth and emptiness in her eyes quickly faded, returning to their familiar color, only now filled with weariness and a hint of bewilderment.

She looked at the dimly lit crystal ball on her lap, then at the Malfoy family before her, whose expressions varied and who were clearly deeply shocked. She scratched her head somewhat awkwardly: "Uh... the divination is over. Hmm... the result... you can figure it out yourselves? Merry Christmas?"

Her tone returned to its previous confused and unreliable manner, as if she were not the one who had just made that resounding prediction.

Just then, the ward door was pushed open again.

A gentle-looking young witch wearing a healer's robe entered, with a name tag pinned to her chest that read "Mirabella Rolsen".

She was pushing a cart with medicine bottles and medical equipment. When she saw the Malfoys, she paused for a moment, then gave a professional smile.

"Elisa, it's time for today's check-up."

The hummingbird's call was clear and steady. She walked discreetly to Lumina's bedside, conveniently blocking Lucius's probing gaze, and naturally adjusted the pillow behind Lumina.

Lumina also breathed a exaggerated sigh of relief: "Oh! Sister Roerson, you've come at the perfect time! I was just feeling a little tired!"

She quickly and carefully placed the crystal ball in the bedside table, then obediently extended her wrist, giving the Malfoys a slightly apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry, it's time for my treatment. Thank you for coming to see me!"

The hummingbird then turned to the Malfoys and smiled politely but firmly, saying, "Gentlemen, the patient needs treatment now. Thank you for your visit."

The order to leave was given in a tactful yet clear manner.

Lucius was still immersed in the prophecy he had just heard, and he could still feel a chill running down his spine. He glanced at his wife, Narcissa, whose eyes were also filled with fear and worry.

Draco was completely stunned, staring blankly at Lumina.

“Of course, treatment is the priority, Dean Roelson.” Lucius nodded absently. “Then, Professor Lumina, please rest assured and recover soon.”

His voice carried a hint of dryness and wavering that he himself was unaware of, and he almost hastily pulled Narcissa and Draco along, "We'll take our leave. Thank you for your... 'gift'."

He spoke the last two words with extraordinary difficulty.

The three of them left the ward looking dejected.

The bright lights in the corridor could not dispel the heavy gloom in Lucius's heart.

Lumina's somber prophecy echoed in his mind like a curse: "...Choose again...before the storm arrives..."

For the first time, the hand holding the snake-headed cane felt so heavy.

On the windowsill, Lochtis tilted its head, watching their departing figures with its cold, ruby-like eyes, and let out a short, meaningful cry.

Chapter 234 Ministry of Magic

The Ministry of Magic’s magnificent marble halls appeared somewhat empty and desolate during the Christmas holidays.

A few wizards on duty hurried along, carrying the resentment typical of working overtime during the holidays.

Sagrais moved through the hall like a ghost, his well-tailored dark gray robes contrasting sharply with the uniform black uniforms of the Ministry of Magic staff around him.

He walked with composure, his destination clear—the minister's office.

There was no appointment or notification.

When Fudge's young assistant tried to stop him with bureaucratic jargon, Sagles merely glanced at him dismissively.

The assistant's words caught in his throat, and he involuntarily took a step back, making way for the ornate, heavy oak door behind him.

Without pausing, the door to the minister's office, which was enchanted with protective magic, opened automatically.

He walked in as if he were entering his own living room.

Cornelius Fudge was buried in a pile of holiday cards and documents that needed urgent "processing," trying to numb his frantic nerves over Peter's disappearance with busyness.

The moment the door opened, he assumed it was his assistant bringing tea and, without looking up, said irritably, "Didn't I tell you not to bother me..."

When he saw who it was, he swallowed the rest of his words and let out a short gasp.

His obese body sprang up abruptly from the large executive chair, his face drained of color, leaving only a terrified pallor.

The intact hand gripped the back of the chair unconsciously, trembling slightly, while the arm that had been severed by Sagres and replaced by a magical prosthetic seemed to be aching faintly.

“Mr. Greengrass!”

Fudge's voice was sharp and trembling as he tried to force a welcoming smile, but it looked worse than a grimace. "What...what brings you here? What a...what a pleasant surprise! Please sit down! Would you...would you like something to drink? Flaming whiskey? Or..."