Draco smirked and said, "Look, this is the Lumos I just learned."
As soon as the words were spoken, a steady white light shone from the tip of the wand, unremarkable and without any ripples.
Everyone's faces fell instantly, and they almost collapsed onto the table, utterly speechless.
Professor Flitwick couldn't help but laugh, saying, " Mr. Malfoy has a very good sense of humor! I was just saying, what else can you do besides these two spells?"
Draco raised his hand, feigning seriousness, and tapped his fingers lightly, as if he were counting carefully.
His leisurely manner captivated the hearts of all the young wizards in the classroom, and even Hermione couldn't help but glance at him.
After counting for a few seconds, Draco shrugged and said, "Professor, that's all."
"Puff--"
Ron, standing to the side, clenched his fists; if he had water in his mouth, he would have spat it out on the spot.
He cursed Draco a hundred times in his mind: What would I be counting fingers for without you!
The young wizards, who had been filled with anticipation, were instantly deflated, almost collapsing to the ground, their faces filled with the frustration of having been excited for nothing.
Professor Flitwick wiped imaginary sweat from his brow and quickly smoothed things over, "It's alright, Malfoy, you've done a great job! No wonder Professor Sprout values you so much."
Draco leaned back slightly in his chair, a hint of suspicion in his eyes, a sense of unease creeping into his heart.
He was afraid that Professor Flitwick might get carried away and say something like he'd take him on as a student, which would be troublesome.
Fortunately, my unremarkable answer didn't give the professor any further ideas.
After praising them, he turned and walked towards the Ravenclaw seating area, helping the young wizards there relieve their muscle soreness.
After giving a few more instructions, he returned to his seat behind the podium.
He cleared his throat and addressed the class in a loud voice:
"Children, remember this: when facing a problem, being able to think of what magic spell to use to solve it is an important skill in itself."
"Clearly, Mr. Malfoy is capable of doing this, so everyone should learn from him!"
As Professor Flitwick spoke, he seemed to recall something, and said with a touch of nostalgia:
"Speaking of Muscle Relaxation Charm, it brings back memories of my younger days."
"I used this spell to overcome all obstacles and win the Duelling Club championship back then!"
"It's a pity, this spell is slowly being phased out..."
Professor Flitwick was speaking enthusiastically when the bell rang at an inopportune moment, its long ringing interrupting his lecture.
The professor looked like he wanted to say more, but he had no choice but to stop there.
Professor Flitwick waved his hand helplessly and announced loudly, "Children, class is over! To save you all time, and considering how well you all did in class today, there will be no homework!"
"Long live the professor!"
The classroom erupted in thunderous cheers. The young wizards were all beaming with joy, and even the usually composed Ravenclaw students had smiles on their faces.
Professor Flitwick smiled and waved his hand, then added, "But! Don't forget the Lumos when you go downstairs. Practice it diligently; I'll be checking next class! Anyone who forgets will have double the homework!"
Upon hearing this, the crowd didn't take it seriously at all, and instead curled their lip in disapproval.
It's just a simple Lumos; I have it under control, so there's no need for special practice.
"Since no one has any objections, get out of class can be dismissed!"
As soon as Professor Flitwick finished speaking, the Gryffindor lion cubs rushed out, noisily pushing and shoving their way out of the classroom.
Footsteps and laughter instantly filled the corridor, and Harry, pulled by Ron, hurried to keep up with the crowd.
Draco and Hermione had only taken two steps when Professor Flitwick's voice came from behind them. " Mr. Malfoy, please wait."
Draco paused, turned around, and saw the professor jump down from the stack of books, walk slowly to him, and look more serious than in class.
"Regarding the previous incident with Peeves, the school needs to conduct a private assessment. Please come to my office tonight."
"Yes, Professor," Draco replied readily.
Professor Flitwick nodded and waved his hand, indicating that the group could leave.
The group walked out of the Charms classroom and had just turned into the corridor.
Neville leaned closer, his brow furrowed with worry, and asked in a low voice:
" Draco, the professor suddenly called you to his office tonight and specifically mentioned the Peeves incident. Is something wrong? Is he going to criticize you?"
Draco casually flicked his wand, glancing at Hermione was still walking indifferently beside him, and said casually:
"It's nothing. It's just the magic we used to banish Peeves. The professor needs to assess whether there are any potential dangers. It's just a routine check."
Upon hearing this, Neville's brows relaxed, and he scratched his head with a sigh of relief, "Oh, I see. That's good. I thought something had happened."
Draco turned to Hermione: "Come with me tonight."
Hermione paused, looked up at him coldly, and asked, "Why?"
In truth, a subtle expectation, unnoticed even by herself, quietly rose within her heart.
But her pride wouldn't allow her to agree so easily, as if she had to go wherever Draco pointed.
"Because I'm afraid of the dark, and it's not safe for me to be alone in the hallway at night."
Draco, without batting an eye, came up with the most outrageous reason imaginable.
Hermione raised an eyebrow, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Do you even believe that yourself?"
Upon hearing this, Olivia, standing to the side, subtly smiled, a hint of amusement in her eyes.
Draco met Hermione's gaze and said matter-of-factly, "I believe you, and isn't the job of a bodyguard to protect the employer?"
Neville leaned closer, looking surprised, and said, " Draco, you... you're afraid of the dark? I thought you weren't afraid of anything!"
Hermione glanced at Neville helplessly and said, " Neville, don't be so naive. Have you forgotten that he can ward off Peeves? What would he be afraid of?"
Neville slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing what was happening. He immediately looked at Draco, puffing out his cheeks, and said:
"Oh right! Draco, you can even chase away Peeves, how could you be afraid of the dark? You're lying to me again!"
Draco ignored Neville's complaints, his gaze fixed on Hermione, and said decisively, "Whether you're afraid or not is unimportant. What's important is that this is your job."
Hermione's eyes lit up, a hint of smugness playing on her lips, and she retorted:
"You've never stipulated the bodyguards' working hours, so I can naturally set my own—evenings are my off-duty time, and the employer has no right to interfere."
Hermione thought to herself that she hadn't let her emotions cloud her judgment yesterday, which was why she had been led astray by Malfoy. Today was different.
Draco was taken aback by her words, clearly not expecting her to refute him on this point, and was momentarily speechless.
After a two-second pause, Draco smiled and said, "Can we add time now? After all, a bodyguard is supposed to be protected 24 hours a day."
"Too late." Hermione raised her chin, her eyes full of triumphant glee, even her usually cold face softened a bit.
Neville stood to the side, glancing at Draco Hermione, his head bobbing like a rattle-drum, looking both bewildered and curious.
He fiddled with the hem of his shirt and muttered to himself, "So bodyguards have working hours after all... Your agreement is quite comprehensive."
Neville was completely out of sync with the two's game of wits, finding the conversation quite novel.
Olivia followed behind, a faint smile playing in her cool eyes.
She didn't interrupt, but simply watched the back-and-forth struggle quietly.
She suddenly found the way the two of them were arguing and debating the agreement much more interesting than the spells she heard in class.