Go Apologize

Malfoy clearly knew that Li Mu had held back.

After being struck like that from such a height, if Li Mu had not shown mercy, Crabbe and Goyle would probably have been invited to his funeral tomorrow. A wave of lingering fear rose in him, followed by gritted teeth. This time, he had swaggered in only to suffer humiliation, disgracing himself before the entire year.

He shot Li Mu a hateful glare, but unable to think of any way to deal with him, he could only clutch his injury and retreat toward the Slytherin formation. A crowd of Slytherin students had already gathered around to tend to him.

The Slytherin first-years were badly frightened. Most of them could not even master the most basic "Luminescence Flicker," and seeing Li Mu cast such strange magic made them uneasy. As had been said before, one major trait of Slytherin was pragmatism... So very quickly, more than twenty Slytherins scattered away, leaving only three people standing in front of Malfoy.

Aside from Crabbe and Goyle, those two hulking brutes with nothing but brute strength, there was only a short-haired girl named Pansy Parkinson. She stood in front of Malfoy, trembling all over, her voice shaking as well. "Y-you... what are you going to do!?"

"Li Mu!" At that moment, a crisp, shrill cry rang out from behind him. Everyone saw Hermione, furious beyond measure, rushing over, her entire face seemingly flushed red with anger. She demanded, "How could you? How could you!... Do you know how dangerous that was? All you know is how to cause trouble for the House!"

Her words were somewhat harsh, and Li Mu felt a little uncomfortable too—he had mainly done this for her! He turned to look at Hermione, but could not help freezing.

Hermione's eyes had turned red again. Those eyes held far too much—anger, indignation, loneliness, and worry. Was she actually worried about them? As Li Mu thought that, he stood there blankly for a moment. They said girls matured faster, and he felt that Hermione had matured especially quickly. While Ron and Harry were still trapped in childish disputes of pride, she already understood more about responsibility. It was precisely that sense of responsibility...

Ron came running over almost right behind Hermione and grabbed Li Mu's arm, his face full of excitement. "Ignore her! You were amazing!"

But Li Mu did not look as happy as Ron. Calmly, he glanced at Hermione again and said softly, "Sorry, but this isn't over yet."

"What?..." Hermione and Ron voiced their confusion almost at the same time, utterly baffled. Then they understood. They watched Li Mu turn around and stride toward Malfoy. With every step he took forward, Malfoy's lips trembled more violently, while Crabbe and Goyle, as tall as two little hills, took a step back.

Pansy Parkinson wanted to retreat too, but Malfoy was right behind her. The color drained rapidly from her face, yet even when Li Mu was right in front of her, she remained standing in Malfoy's way.

"Not bad, little girl. You should try going to Gryffindor." Li Mu smiled faintly. He stood a head taller than Pansy, looking down at her from above. Even his gentle smile carried a hint of ferocity, making the short-haired girl's face turn even paler. Then Li Mu raised his hand.

Pansy finally could not bear it any longer. With a shriek, she squeezed her eyes shut, furrowed her brow, clutched her head, and crouched down. She had probably heard that flames could emerge from Li Mu's hands, or perhaps imagined him casting some terrifying Evil Curse out of thin air.

But none of that happened. Li Mu's raised hand merely landed on Malfoy's collar. Before the eyes of all four Houses, he simply hauled Malfoy out from behind Pansy and sneered, "Hiding behind a girl's protection—do you still count as a man?"

"Y-you, what do you want? I'm a Malfoy. My father is..." Malfoy's face was livid. He did not want others to think him a coward either. But with the powerful Li Mu standing before him, he could not think of any way to resist. He could only instinctively bring up the family background he was so proud of—his father.

But the moment the words left his mouth, Malfoy understood. Others might fear his family, but why would Li Mu, who came from the Celestial Empire, fear them? If Li Mu had truly been afraid, he would not have opposed him again and again.

Sure enough, Li Mu merely snorted contemptuously and dragged Malfoy by the collar before Hermione. "Apologize!" The icy chill in his gaze made Malfoy feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. "If I hear such filthy, vulgar, disgusting words from your mouth again... I would not mind helping your parents teach you what manners are."

"Uh?..." Malfoy froze for a second. Seeing Hermione before him, he finally understood where the problem lay. His face changed from green to dark purple, filled with both regret and fury. He knew exactly how vicious that word was. He had not intended to say it, but after years of hearing it around him, it had slipped out without a thought.

But making him apologize... making him apologize just like that...

Malfoy's eyes darted around, searching for a lifeline. He saw Crabbe and Goyle trying to approach him, but Li Mu merely raised a hand, and the two idiots shrank back again. His gaze kept searching, but if even Crabbe and Goyle were useless, then the Slytherins who normally flattered and fawned over him had all turned their faces away. People from the other three Houses did meet his eyes, but their gazes held disgust and mockery. He knew that word had provoked public outrage. Now, no one would help him.

At last, he saw Li Mu's cold, stern gaze again. That expression made him understand that if he did not apologize, worse consequences would follow. Li Mu had knocked him out of the air and dragged him out of the Slytherin formation... What was there that this guy would not dare do?

"I'm sorry..." Malfoy lowered his head and said quietly to Hermione.

"Too quiet. I didn't hear you." Li Mu's voice immediately followed, nearly making Malfoy cough up blood.

Circumstances were stronger than him. Malfoy could only take a deep breath, then finally nearly shouted, "—I'm sorry! Please forgive me!"

His voice was so loud that Hermione could not help covering her ears.

The sternness on Hermione's face softened. She finally understood that Li Mu's reckless behavior had all been for her... An iceberg melted. She gently shook her head and, looking at Malfoy now, actually felt a trace of pity.

"I don't really understand that word, but I think it may truly be awful. I come from an ordinary family, and I've been frightened these past few days." Hermione spoke softly, not seeming to address anyone in particular, but sharp-eared Li Mu heard her clearly, and he thought Malfoy must have heard her too. "Even so, I still try my best to do well and help others. I believe people are no different from one another, whether Muggles or wizards... We are all born equal."

Only at the end did Hermione truly respond to Malfoy. "If you sincerely apologize to me, then I think I'll say... it's all right..."

That was it?... Malfoy was somewhat surprised. He stood there blankly, eyes wide, only to see the girl with the bushy brown curls turn away and stomp back toward the Gryffindor ranks, leaving him only a graceful retreating figure.

It was over just like that? Ron had not caught up in time earlier and did not know what Hermione had said, so he was stunned as well—if he had been Hermione, he would never have stopped until Malfoy had been skinned alive.

It truly was over. Li Mu reached out and patted Malfoy on the shoulder, then turned to leave after Hermione. At the moment he turned away, Malfoy heard him speak softly.

"Take care of yourself..."