The Great Hall.

The feast lasted throughout the entire night, with almost everyone celebrating in their pajamas.

They were celebrating the end of the crisis and the fact that Hogwarts would no longer be closed.

Colin, Justin, Hermione, and Mrs. Norris, who had been Petrified, had all returned to normal. Even Hagrid had been released from Azkaban and joined the feast at around three in the morning.

Dumbledore publicly announced Harry and Ron's contributions and awarded Gryffindor another four hundred points, allowing the house to retain the House Cup for the year.

More importantly, the exams had been canceled.

The Great Hall immediately erupted into enthusiastic cheers.

Only a handful of top students looked somewhat disappointed.

The remainder of the summer term passed in a relaxed atmosphere.

Vader completed the construction of the claw blades and, together with Daphne, delivered the equipment to Griffin.

Whoosh!

Griffin spread his wings and rapidly swept past a boulder.

The silver claw blades sliced straight through the rock like a hot knife through butter. The cut was perfectly smooth and even, as though it had been carefully polished.

"Pretty impressive, right?"

Vader smiled proudly.

"I spent a long time making these. They can't just be decorative."

"This is only the basic version. Its power is nowhere near enough."

"My expectation is for it to be able to fight a dragon one-on-one. But right now, even the strength of its claws can't compare to that of an adult dragon. It'll need several more upgrades before it gets there."

"Are you planning to arm it to the teeth?"

"That's the idea."

Vader nodded frankly.

"Not just the claws. The wings and body too. If a griffin wants to defeat a dragon, it can't afford to fight while half-equipped."

Daphne nodded before looking at Griffin as he flew back down.

"It feels a little strange."

"Of course it does. It only has one pair of shoes right now. I haven't made the other pair yet."

Vader looked at Griffin.

"But I've already considered that problem."

"Don't get too excited. Tone it down a little."

The griffin, who had been completely immersed in the joy of his new equipment, froze.

The claw blades on his forelegs transformed into points of light and disappeared.

"They're spatial magic constructs. You can summon them when you need them and store them away when you don't."

"That's... convenient."

"It looks convenient, but making them was anything but."

The two left the Forbidden Forest.

When they returned to the common room, they happened to see Draco sitting there with a gloomy expression, as though someone owed him several million Galleons.

"What happened, Young Master Draco?"

Vader asked curiously.

"Don't tell me you've been dumped."

"You've been dumped!"

Draco shot back without thinking.

Then he met Daphne's icy gaze.

Try that sentence again. I'll give you ten chances to reorganize your words.

She and Vader hadn't officially started dating yet, but she certainly didn't want their relationship to end before it had even begun.

"It's my father."

Draco's expression became dejected.

"He was removed from the Board of Governors."

"What? So suddenly?"

"Honestly, I'm not surprised at all."

Vader shrugged.

"My father wrote to me and said your father used threats and inducements against the members of the Board of Governors in order to drive Dumbledore out of Hogwarts."

"Didn't your father vote in favor too?"

Draco protested indignantly.

"Could the Malfoys really threaten the Greengrasses?"

"Please. The Greengrasses have always respected the majority when it comes to voting. They would never be foolish enough to stick their necks out first."

"You don't need to take it so seriously."

"Being a governor is only a position on the Board. It's not that important to the Malfoy family."

"I know that, of course, but..."

Draco sighed.

"It just feels frustrating."

"What's there to be frustrated about?"

"Your father drove Dumbledore away. Once Dumbledore returned, the other governors naturally had to give him an explanation. That's simply an unspoken rule."

"I'd bet your father was already mentally prepared for this. He'll be angry, but he won't be nearly as depressed as you are."

Draco pursed his lips, unable to come up with a response.

He changed the subject.

"I've noticed that you two have been disappearing together quite often lately. What exactly have you been doing?"

"We..."

"Don't overthink it."

Vader casually interrupted.

"We've just been going outside the castle to visit Griffin."

Then he looked at Draco.

"By the way, Young Master Draco, could you tell me your family's address?"

"Why are you asking?"

"You probably won't believe this, but I intend to discuss a business deal with the Malfoy family."

"Business?"

Draco looked at him suspiciously before glancing at Daphne.

"You?"

"You're not joking, are you?"

"And are you sure you want the Malfoys, rather than the Greengrasses?"

"I'm completely serious."

Vader nodded.

"This business is related to the Malfoys, and it's very important."

"Some time ago, I happened to perform a divination and discovered something... unbelievable."

"I think your father would be interested."

"What did you see?"

Daphne asked curiously.

"Sorry, Daphne. I can't tell you."

"Then you can tell me, right?"

Draco looked at him.

"I'm a Malfoy too. Talking to me is basically the same thing."

Vader remained silent for a moment.

"One hundred thousand Galleons."

Draco's pupils contracted.

It took him a long while to recover.

"That's not funny at all. Do you know how much one hundred thousand Galleons is? An ordinary wizard couldn't earn that much in an entire lifetime."

"One hundred thousand Galleons is merely a drop in the bucket for the Malfoy family."

"That's true, but the Malfoys didn't acquire their wealth by magic."

"Exactly. Asking for one hundred thousand Galleons right from the start is way too much."

Daphne nodded in agreement.

"The pocket money I've saved over the years only amounts to around twenty thousand Galleons."

Pfft!

Draco felt as though he had just been stabbed directly in the chest.

The pain was sharp, sour, spicy, and bitter all at once.

They were both heirs to pure-blood families.

So why was his pocket money only one-tenth of what Daphne, the eldest daughter of the Greengrass family, had saved?

Was that fair?

Obviously not!

"This price is the result of careful consideration."

Vader remained completely composed.

"After all, information has a time lag. What was supposed to happen has already happened, and there's no way to change it."

"But believe me, what I divined is of enormous significance to the Malfoy family. It could even influence the future of the entire family to a certain extent."

"You're serious?"

Daphne's expression changed, and her tone became considerably more solemn.

"I'm just a mere half-blood. I wouldn't be so bored as to joke like this with an ancient pure-blood family."

Vader spread his hands before continuing to Draco.

"There's no way you can make a decision on a matter like this. But I guarantee that the Malfoys won't lose out."

"You can discuss it with your father."

"I can even give you a small hint first as a show of sincerity."

"What hint?"

"The diary."

"That's it?"

"That's enough. Your father knows how important it is."

"If he agrees to negotiate with me, I can tell him what I divined first. If he thinks the price is reasonable, he can pay me afterward. I have no problem with that."

"Then you might end up losing quite a bit."

Daphne said this as though it were obvious.

"If you need a middleman, the Greengrass family can help."

"Better not."

Vader shook his head.

"It's better if the Greengrasses don't know about this matter."

"As for whether I'll suffer a loss..."

Vader pondered for a moment before smiling indifferently.

"Negotiation is nothing more than bargaining. A deal that satisfies both sides is undoubtedly the best kind."

"Unless the Malfoys intend to make this a one-time transaction."