Just as Hermione was celebrating her victory, Draco raised an eyebrow at her and changed the subject, asking, "Don't you want to know the evaluation results of Peeves ' spell?"
Upon hearing this, Hermione's smug expression instantly froze.
How could she not be curious? The magic that could banish Peeves was strange and powerful, and Professor Flitwick's assessment must have some hidden meaning. But having just gained the upper hand, she couldn't easily give in.
She pursed her lips and frowned, her face still showing indifference, but she didn't immediately refute, clearly indicating that her thoughts had been hit.
Neville leaned in, his eyes sparkling. "Yeah, Hermione! Draco's spell was amazing! The professor's evaluation will definitely have something to say about it. Let's go listen to it!"
He was completely oblivious to the subtle rivalry between the two, finding the whole thing novel and interesting, and eager to join in the fun.
Olivia looked up, her cool gaze sweeping between Draco and Hermione.
She remained silent, seemingly waiting for Hermione's answer.
Hermione's ears twitched slightly, but her face remained indifferent. "I just want to know the result, not to spend time with you."
Draco chuckled inwardly, but outwardly remained calm, saying, "I know."
He thought to himself: What a stubborn and awkward girl!
Neville's eyes lit up, and he quickly leaned closer, his voice full of anticipation. " Draco, can I go? I want to hear what the professor has to say!"
Draco shook his head without hesitation. "No, Professor Flitwick specifically told me to go by myself."
" Hermione is my bodyguard; it's her duty to follow me. There's no need for anyone else."
He thought to himself: How could I let a few annoying blemishes follow me and ruin this rare opportunity to be alone?
Neville's expectation instantly vanished, but he was still unwilling to give up. He scratched his head and tentatively whispered, "I... I can be a bodyguard too! I'm not that good, but I can help keep an eye on things!"
"Come on, Neville. What if you encounter a wandering armored figure and scream in fright? Wouldn't that attract all the danger?"
Draco suppressed a laugh and gave a serious-sounding excuse.
"I think you just want to go by yourself with Hermione, don't think I don't know!"
Neville stiffened his neck, his face full of smug satisfaction at having seen through the truth.
Draco didn't hide anything and readily agreed, "I didn't expect you to be so clever."
"Of course! I saw through it long ago." Neville immediately puffed out his chest and held his head high.
He was extremely proud of himself.
The moment those words left her lips, a faint blush rose to the tips of Hermione's ears, as quickly as a fleeting cloud.
She abruptly turned her face away, pretending to look at the armor at the end of the corridor, and forced out a curt "Who wants to go with him alone? It's just on the way."
Olivia leaned against the stone wall and chuckled softly upon hearing this.
She glanced at Draco and Hermione with a half-smile, and slowly said, "I see. Neville and I were the ones who were superfluous."
Their banter, a constant back-and-forth of teasing, felt like fine needles pricking Hermione.
Her already reddened ear tips turned even redder, and her cheeks were flushed with a rosy hue.
His previously cold expression instantly crumbled, and a hint of unbearable embarrassment flashed across his brows.
She gripped her backpack strap tightly, and before the two could continue speaking, she raised her voice and urged, "Stop talking nonsense! Go eat lunch, or there won't be any seats left in the Great Hall!"
Before anyone could react, she turned and walked towards the cafeteria, her steps much faster than usual, her back view conveying a sense of fleeing in panic.
Clearly, she couldn't stand the constant teasing and just wanted to change the subject and escape this uncomfortable atmosphere.
Olivia watched her hurried departure, her smile deepening, but she didn't continue teasing her.
"Alright, since our 'bodyguard' is in a hurry to eat, let's not keep him any longer," Draco said with a smile.
The Great Hall was filled with the sweet aroma of Pumpkin Juice and the smoky smell of toasting bread. A few people around the long table were eating, and the conversation naturally turned to the first Transfiguration class of the afternoon.
Each of them had a hint of unease on their face.
After all, no one had ever seriously studied this course; they had only heard from upperclassmen that it was quite difficult.
Neville took a bite of mashed potatoes, leaned close to Draco, and asked with eyes full of admiration:
" Draco, you must have known about Transfiguration before, right? Is it particularly difficult? Did you study it in advance?"
She stared at him expectantly, clearly waiting to hear some valuable information.
Draco picked up his spoon, glancing indifferently at Neville: "Just memorize the incantation and hand gestures, and don't panic. The first lesson is nothing more than turning a match into a needle."
There was a moment of silence around the long table after those words were spoken.
Neville's eyes lit up, and he leaned closer to the plate, exclaiming, "Wow, Draco, you even know what we're supposed to practice in class! That's amazing!"
Ron abruptly stopped cutting his steak, glared at Draco, and said sourly:
"Ha, they found out beforehand again. They rely on their family connections to do these opportunistic things. What's so great about that?"
He then forked a piece of steak and chewed it until his cheeks bulged.
Harry paused slightly in his hand holding the water glass, and when he looked up, a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes. He clearly hadn't expected Draco to know even the specific course content.
Hermione's pen slammed down on the notebook, the ink spreading into a small blot.
She didn't even raise her head, but her brows furrowed slightly, and she gripped the quill pen tightly, clearly unwilling to admit that Draco had revealed the key points of the lesson.
However, the pre-reading material he wrote down subtly veered towards "matches" and "basic Transfiguration Spell," and his stubborn indifference remained unwavering.
Lavender and Parvati exchanged a glance, their ambiguous smiles deepening.
Parvati nudged Lavender's arm in a low voice, her eyes darting between Draco and Hermione:
"Look, he even knows exactly what they practice in class. Maybe he's already previewed it for Hermione?"
Lavender covered her mouth and laughed, deliberately raising her voice a little. "Of course! How thoughtful! We don't get this kind of treatment, tsk tsk--"
Hermione's ears instantly turned red. She finally raised her eyes and gave the two of them a cold glance, saying impatiently:
"Can you shut up? Why are you two always thinking about such nonsense!"
He scolded her fiercely, but quickly added the words "match turned into needle" to his notebook, then immediately covered half a line with other handwriting, as if afraid of being seen.
Ron immediately echoed Hermione's retort, but his eyes darted towards Draco:
"Exactly, some people shouldn't keep making wild guesses. It's their choice to do these things in advance; it's none of anyone else's business. Hermione doesn't need this kind of guidance."
Draco was both amused and exasperated. He only ever intervened when Ron targeted Hermione; otherwise, he completely ignored him. He hadn't expected the kid's persistence to be so...