Draco put down his silver spoon and looked up at Ron: " Mr. Weasley, it doesn't seem to violate any school rules for me to have breakfast with Miss Granger, does it? Or is it that the Gryffindor long table is only for people you designate?"
He paused, then looked at Hermione: "Besides, Miss Granger promised to tutor me in the History of Magic; she can't be so stingy as to skip breakfast together, can she?"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's eyes turned to Hermione.
Harry frowned, while Parvati and Lavender looked even more surprised.
Neville exclaimed with admiration, "Wow, Hermione, you're so kind! Draco, with Hermione tutoring you, you'll definitely be able to keep up!"
Hermione's heart sank, and she wished she could disappear into the ground.
She never expected Draco to suddenly throw out this excuse, leaving her no room for rebuttal.
She could only nod reluctantly, letting out a soft "hmm" as quiet as a mosquito's buzz.
After lunch, everyone headed to the greenhouse to prepare for today's first Herbology.
Professor Sprout was still quite kind to Draco, and everyone finished their Herbology as usual.
The second lesson was a new one— Charms.
" The Charms class is on the third floor of the tower," Draco's voice wasn't loud, but it landed right next to Hermione's ear.
He gestured to Hermione, saying, "This way is closer."
Hermione didn't argue, but she subconsciously quickened her pace, trying to create some distance.
But Neville eagerly came up to Draco, standing close by with his Herbology notes in his hands, chattering away about every little detail of the Herbology.
Hermione's roommates Lavender, Parvati, and Olivia walked behind.
Lavender was still whispering gossip with Parvati, glancing at the two people in front of him every now and then with curiosity in his eyes.
Olivia remained calm, only occasionally glancing up at Draco, her gaze lingering briefly before casually looking away.
Seamus and Dean walked side by side on the other side, chatting about the Quidditch team rumors from the previous night.
Ron, however, clung tightly to Harry, deliberately lagging behind a few steps and following at a distance from the rest of the group.
He muttered to himself, "I don't want to get so close to Malfoy, like he's his shadow."
Harry smiled helplessly, but his gaze swept past the crowd and landed on Hermione and Draco's backs.
The door to the Charms classroom was ajar, and the moment it was pushed open, bright sunlight flooded in.
The classroom was decorated simply and elegantly, with wooden desks neatly arranged on both sides and a wide passageway in the middle leading to the podium.
The podium was made of dark Walnut Wood, with a thick stack of books on it, and a low bookshelf next to it filled with supplementary teaching materials.
Behind the podium, an arched window that almost reaches the ceiling is open.
Sunlight streamed through the glass, casting diamond-shaped patches of light on the floor, making the entire classroom feel spacious and airy.
Along the walls on both sides of the classroom stood a row of tall oak cabinets, their doors labeled with categories containing teaching aids such as wands, quill pens, and crystal balls.
As one of the most popular courses at Hogwarts, every corner of the school exudes magical charm, filling new students who are just stepping into the magical world with anticipation.
Draco walked straight to a window seat in the front row and nodded to Hermione, "Sit here, the view is better."
Hermione hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not refute.
She knew that even if she changed positions, Draco would still follow, which would only attract more attention.
She sat down silently, put her schoolbag in the desk drawer, and subconsciously avoided looking at the seating area opposite her.
There were already quite a few Ravenclaw students sitting there, their blue and bronze uniforms standing out brightly in the sunlight.
Parvati's eyes lit up as soon as he sat down, and he waved excitedly at the person opposite him, exclaiming, " Padma! Over here!"
Padma's figure walked through the aisle in the middle of the classroom; she looked exactly like Parvati.
The liveliness in her eyes and brows is exactly the same, only her temperament is more serene, and her steps are steady, revealing the unique introverted intelligence of Ravenclaw.
"Sister." She walked to Parvati's side, her voice soft yet clear, carrying a hint of familiarity from a long-awaited reunion.
On the day they enrolled, everyone already knew they were twins.
The two sisters, who looked remarkably alike but belonged to different colleges, had already attracted a lot of attention. Now, standing side by side, they drew even more glances from the surrounding students.
Parvati immediately took her hand, her face full of smiles. "Little sister, would you like to sit with us? There are still empty seats here."
As she spoke, she pointed to the seat next to her.
Padma glanced in the direction of her finger, her gaze sweeping over Hermione, Draco, and Neville, before nodding slightly in acknowledgment.
She then gently shook her head. "No, let's talk about it later."
"The learning atmosphere at Ravenclaw is also very good; everyone is very focused when discussing problems, which I really like."
"Alright then." Parvati was somewhat disappointed but didn't insist. Instead, she asked with concern, "How was your day yesterday? Were you able to keep up with your classes? Did you encounter any problems?"
"Not bad." Padma nodded slightly. "The professors are very kind, and the students are easy to get along with. I really like the atmosphere at Ravenclaw House."
"How about you, sister? Are you settling into Gryffindor?"
"Me too." Parvati's eyes lit up. "Everyone in Gryffindor is very enthusiastic, although it can be a bit noisy at times, but it's a lot of fun."
Draco also raised his eyes, his gaze lingering briefly on Padma before returning to his textbook, his expression remaining calm.
Neville looked at the twins with curiosity and a friendly smile.
Padma smiled and nodded to her sister, "That's good, you'll get used to it."
She glanced at the Ravenclaw seats. "I'm going back to my seat now; class starts soon."
"Okay, sure." Parvati released her hand and said, "Remember to contact me if you need anything."
Padma responded and turned to retrace her steps. Her blue school uniform drew a light arc in the passageway.
She walked calmly and quickly returned to her Ravenclaw seating area. She whispered something to the classmate next to her, then took out her textbook to prepare.
Draco rested his elbows on the table and turned to Hermione beside him. " Miss Granger, guess what spell Professor Flitwick is going to teach us in the first lesson?"
Hermione, who was looking down at " Standard Book of Spells, Level One," didn't even look up when she heard this, her tone indifferent and devoid of any emotion. "I won't guess."
Her deliberate aloofness did not discourage Draco; instead, it brought a smile to his eyes.
He said, "I guess it's Lumos."
Hermione paused in her book-turning motion, but ultimately couldn't resist glancing up.
"After all," Draco added slowly, " the Lumos is one of the most basic spells, easy to learn and practical, making it perfect as the first lesson in Charms."
He spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world, but another layer of consideration was running through his mind.
The Lumos may seem ordinary, but it actually has hidden uses.
In the trials Dumbledore later set, the Devil's Snare that entangles people is afraid of light, and the Lumos happens to be the key to breaking through it.
Hermione frowned slightly as she looked at his confident demeanor, but did not refute him further.
She naturally understood the fundamental nature of the Lumos, but simply didn't want to continue the conversation along Draco's lines.
She lowered her head again, her gaze falling on the pages of the book, but she seemed inexplicably absent-minded.
Neville leaned closer, looking curious, and asked, " Draco, how can you be so sure it's Lumos? Could it be Levitation Charm? I heard from older students that the Levitation Charm is really interesting!"
Draco chuckled and patted Neville on the shoulder, " The Levitation Charm is a bit too difficult; Professor Flitwick won't teach something so complicated right away. Just wait and see, you'll find out soon enough."
His confident tone convinced Neville to believe him to some extent.
He nodded repeatedly. "Then I'll definitely take good notes! The Lumos sounds pretty powerful!"
Hermione's suspicions deepened as she listened to their conversation.
She secretly glanced at Draco.
Just then, " Alohomora!"
A crisp incantation pierced the classroom's noise, and the door swung open in response.