Draco's abstract words caused Professor McGonagall's icy, stern expression to freeze instantly.
Her sharp eyes widened suddenly, her lips moved slightly, and after a long while, she managed to squeeze out a distorted exclamation. "Wh--what?"
Can love tame Peeves?
This was simply the most outrageous, absurd, and challenging explanation of wizarding common sense that she had ever heard in her decades of teaching!
Even Professor McGonagall, who was usually calm and composed, felt her mind go blank at this moment, as if her thoughts had stopped.
Professor Snape, standing beside him, instantly turned so dark his face was almost black with gloom.
His deep, dark eyes churned with a chilling glint of mockery.
The way he looked at Draco was as if he were looking at a hopeless idiot.
Not only the two professors, but the students in the corridor were also completely dumbfounded.
After a brief silence, a variety of expressions appeared on everyone's faces.
Some people were dumbfounded.
Some people looked bewildered, as if they were questioning their own lives.
Some people were blushing and their shoulders were trembling slightly, clearly trying hard to suppress their laughter.
Standing in the crowd, Harry also felt an overwhelming sense of absurdity wash over him.
He thought to himself: Merlin's beard, how could you utter such nonsense?!
And he even used such a serious expression?!
He blinked in shock, then a strong laugh rushed to his throat.
He had to bite his lip hard to keep from bursting out laughing, but his shoulders were already shaking uncontrollably.
Ron, on the other hand, didn't have as many reservations.
He was taken aback at first, then burst out laughing.
But he quickly covered his mouth after laughing, though his eyes couldn't hide his laughter.
He then leaned close to Harry's ear and said, "To reform Peeves with love?! Is he going to reform Troll, or even Dementor, next?!"
Fred and George exchanged a glance, both of their eyes flashing with an unbelievable sense of absurdity.
The smiles on their faces grew wider and wider.
They clearly thought this farce was more entertaining than any of their previous pranks.
If Peeves were still nearby at that moment, upon hearing these words, he would probably break down on the spot.
"Reform?! Love?! He almost used that damned magic to expel Laozi from Hogwarts!!"
Unlike the others who couldn't help but laugh, Hermione's expression underwent a rapid change.
From initial shock to unbelievable absurdity, it all eventually transformed into a raging fury.
She stared intently at Draco, her anger flaring: This liar! He even dared to mock the professor! He's utterly audacious!
Draco, however, remained oblivious to the catastrophic reactions around him.
He remained standing there, his posture upright, his expression calm as if stating an indisputable fact.
He continued speaking eloquently, meeting Professor McGonagall's astonished gaze.
"Yes, Professor. I realize that simply banishing or confronting Peeves is ineffective against a creature like Peeves that enjoys chaos, and may even backfire, provoking it to rebel even more strongly."
"What it needs is to be understood, guided, and taught in a gentle way what boundaries are."
As soon as the word "measure" was uttered, Professor McGonagall's cheek twitched involuntarily.
She took several deep breaths before managing to find her voice. " Mr. Malfoy... you mean, you, through conversation, with 'love and reason,' made Peeves... leave 'ashamed'?"
Professor McGonagall's words were tinged with undisguised astonishment.
This sentence completely ignited Hermione's anger.
She couldn't hold back any longer, took a sudden step forward, and shouted.
"Professor! He's lying! Malfoy is lying! He didn't use love to redeem anyone at all; he used a spell none of us recognize called ' Evil Spirit Expulsion '!"
"That spell banished Peeves! He's just making up this ridiculous story to cover up the fact that he illegally used unknown magic!"
As soon as Hermione finished speaking, Professor McGonagall's face darkened.
Her sharp eyes, filled with intense pressure, were fixed on Draco.
" Mr. Malfoy, is what Miss Granger said true? You did indeed use that spell called ' Evil Spirit Expulsion '?"
Before Draco could speak, Professor Flitwick suddenly let out a shocked cry.
" Evil Spirit Expulsion?! Merlin's beard! I've never heard of this spell before! Not to mention the Standard Book of Spells series, even the Forgotten Ancient Magic Supplement doesn't mention it at all!"
Professor Flitwick was an authority on Charms, and the fact that even he had never heard of a spell speaks volumes about its peculiarity.
Upon hearing this, Professor McGonagall's expression completely changed.
A highly targeted spirit exorcism spell that even seasoned spell masters were unaware of.
This goes far beyond the scope of "students using unconventional magic in violation of regulations".
This likely points directly to an extremely ancient, possibly taboo, or highly dubious field.
Professor McGonagall's tone instantly turned stern. " Mr. Malfoy! Explain immediately! What exactly is this ' Evil Spirit Expulsion ' spell? Where did you learn it? Explain it right here and now!"
Draco met the scrutinizing gazes of the crowd without showing the slightest sign of panic.
"You're right, Hermione."
He first looked calmly at Hermione and spoke candidly.
"There was indeed a magical fluctuation just now, and I didn't use any 'persuasion' to make Peeves leave. I misspoke; I shouldn't have misled everyone with that kind of statement."
Draco's composure surprised everyone present.
Even Hermione frowned slightly, somewhat unsure of his approach.
Draco continued:
"That so-called ' Evil Spirit Expulsion ' was just a name I made up on the spot, just to look cool and sound more impressive. Its real name is ' Peeves Retreat '."
"This is just a little trick my grandfather learned from an obscure Eastern magic manuscript, specifically for dispelling Peeves."
"The principle is quite simple: it uses magical resonance to create a frequency that it dreads, thus deterring it without causing any real harm."
He continued his explanation in a very calm tone.
"Moreover, strictly speaking, this technique isn't a real spell; it's more like a one-time trick that has no effect on real evil spirits."
"When I was a child, I had a special constitution and was prone to attracting unclean things, so my grandfather taught me this to protect myself."
Draco started rambling.
"If it weren't for the fact that Peeves was causing such a ruckus today, I would have used it in a moment of panic. I didn't expect it to make such a fuss and disturb everyone. I'm truly sorry."
Draco thought to himself: Anyway, his grandfather has long since passed away, and there is no way to verify this story. No one can find out anything about it.
After this explanation, the atmosphere at the scene subtly changed.
Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape remained frowning, their sharp gazes fixed on Draco.
She was clearly considering the credibility of these words at a rapid pace, but her eyes still held a strong sense of vigilance.
Professor Flitwick's attitude, however, took a complete 180-degree turn.
The seriousness on his face had vanished, replaced by curiosity and excitement.
Those round eyes sparkled with a thirst for knowledge.
The initial vigilance of "This is dangerous and must be thoroughly investigated" has transformed into an eagerness of "This is so interesting that it must be studied."
The tense atmosphere in the corridor, like a punctured balloon, visibly relaxed.
The tension on most students' faces turned into relaxed expressions.
Upon hearing this explanation, the Slytherin students resumed their mockery.
"' Peeves Retreat '? What a self-aggrandizing statement! I think it's just a lucky coincidence!"
"Exactly! They even said he has a special constitution, but he probably did something wrong when he was a child to attract those things!"
Their sarcastic remarks are simply a result of their unwillingness to acknowledge Draco's prowess.
After all, if Draco really mastered the magic to control Peeves, then those of them who were hostile to him in the past would have to keep a low profile.
Lavender, however, paid no heed to the disparaging remarks. "Did you hear that? He named his spells just to look cool! How adorably boyish! And he even 'haunted unclean things' when he was little."
"... Oh, this must be really bothering him! No wonder he always seems a bit melancholy; it must be related to childhood trauma!"
Parvati nodded repeatedly.
"And how honest he was! He proactively admitted his slip of the tongue and even offered a sincere apology!"
"That Eastern manuscript... it must be very precious, right? His grandfather specifically taught him how to use it for self-defense, so it seems his family doesn't completely neglect him after all."
After hearing what these two Draco fangirls said, many students around them nodded in agreement, seemingly believing Draco's explanation.
"So Malfoy was afraid of unclean things when he was little, just like us."
"His grandfather treated him quite well; he even went out of his way to teach him self-defense techniques."
"You scared me! I thought it was some kind of powerful forbidden magic, but it's just a silly little trick."
Seamus scratched his head, looking eager to try.
" Peeves Retreat Peeves? Next time you pour frog eggs on my bed, I'll yell like that too, maybe it'll actually scare him away?"
Hearing Seamus's words, Ron couldn't hold back any longer.
He muttered to Harry, "' Peeves Retreat '? Sounds like one of those prank toys Fred and George would sell."
"And what's with this talk about special physical constitution? I think it's his brain that's special!"
George happened to overhear this, patted Ron on the shoulder, and said with deep agreement, " Ron, you've hit the nail on the head."
He then turned to look at Fred, a sly glint in his eyes.
" Fred, what do you think about us developing a similar product? Let's call it the ' Peeves Begone' Scented Bomb, it'd definitely be a huge hit!"
Fred replied with a sly grin.
"That's a great idea! Or we could make a 'noise generator specifically for preventing Peeves,' one that mimics the frequency of that magical resonance, guaranteed to terrify Peeves!"
Hearing the murmurs around her, Hermione shook her head helplessly.
In her opinion, Draco's words were full of holes and were a complete lie!
But everyone was willing to believe him, and even though she had a thousand reasons to refute him, she could only suppress her anger and had nowhere to vent it.
Finally, Professor McGonagall cleared her throat, breaking the commotion.
Her expression remained serious.
"Even so, Mr. Malfoy, using unconventional magic in the school corridors without permission, causing a large-scale student riot, and attempting to cover up the truth with lies are serious mistakes that cannot be easily forgiven."
She raised her wand slightly, the tip pointing at Draco: "You, Mr. Malfoy, as the person involved and the one who broke the rules, must take responsibility for all of this."
Then, her wand turned towards Hermione.
"You, Miss Granger, as the reporter and accuser of the incident, need to provide a detailed account of everything you have witnessed."
The wand then pointed to Harry and Ron in turn.
"And you, Mr Potter, Mr. Weasley, you were direct witnesses and must also give a true account of what happened."
Finally, she turned to her two colleagues beside her and said solemnly,
" Severus, Filius, as professors present, you two also need to explain the details of this matter to Headmaster Dumbledore."
Professor McGonagall's gaze swept over the other students watching, especially Lavender, Parvati, and others who were still whispering among themselves.
"As for the rest of you, go back to your common lounges immediately, or do what you're supposed to do!"
"If I hear any more rumors about this matter circulating in the castle, the relevant academy will face severe point deductions!"
Professor McGonagall raised her voice abruptly at this point, her tone carrying a strong warning.
Her gaze eventually fell back on Draco and the others.
"Now, you lot, come with me to the Headmaster's Office. Headmaster Dumbledore will personally determine whether your explanation is credible and how to handle your misconduct."