After leaving the Trophy Room, Draco said smugly, "Didn't that feel good?"
Hermione, still smiling, glanced at Draco and nodded, "It's satisfying, but you're too audacious to actually order Filch."
Remembering Filch's angry but speechless expression, Hermione chuckled softly twice.
"But to be honest, you cleaned much more efficiently than I expected."
Draco turned his head to look at her smiling eyes, gently flicked the end of her hair with his finger, and said, "I've told you I'm a good family man, but you still don't believe me."
Hermione reached out and slapped his hand away, her cheeks still flushed, and gave him a reproachful look. "Here you go again. Can't you just say something properly?"
"You don't like hearing me speak seriously, and besides, I'm telling you the absolute truth—a sparkling clean shop window, a well-organized house, practical and homey, where else can you find such a perfect partner?"
Hermione paused at the mention of "partner," her cheeks flushing red again. She reached out and pinched Draco's arm hard.
" Malfoy! Can you shut up?! If you say another word, I'm not going to tutoring with you!"
He actually stopped and turned around as if to walk back.
"Okay, okay, I won't say anymore." Draco quickly reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her forward two steps.
"But Hermione, the way you were trying not to laugh was much better than when you were all serious."
I pulled her forward, and after struggling a couple of times without breaking free, she simply let Draco pull her along. Her ears were burning red, but she mumbled something under her breath:
"Mind your own business. Hurry up and get going, or Professor McGonagall will make us write apologies again if we're late."
Amidst the laughter and conversation, the wooden door to Professor McGonagall's office at the end of the corridor came into view.
Draco knocked on the door, Professor McGonagall's gentle yet authoritative voice immediately came from inside. "Come in."
As she pushed open the door, Hermione gently withdrew her hand from Draco's palm the instant it touched the door.
She had instinctively stood up straight, the faint blush on her cheeks contrasting with her dignified appearance, giving her a somewhat adorable look.
The office was filled with the fresh scent of ink and old paper. Professor McGonagall sat behind a large oak table, her glasses having slipped down to the tip of her nose.
She was grading the pile of homework on her desk, the quill pen scratching on the paper.
Hearing their footsteps, Professor McGonagall slowly raised her eyes, glancing at them before nodding slightly. "You've arrived."
"Professor, did I disturb you?" Draco asked.
Professor McGonagall put down her quill, gently rubbed her temples, and a helpless smile appeared on her lips.
Grading homework doesn't require too much concentration.
As she spoke, she glanced at the homework on the table, her tone tinged with disappointment.
"Their homework is terrible. Although the homework for older students is a bit more difficult, this kind of perfunctory work is unacceptable."
As she spoke, she got up, put down what she was holding, and walked around the desk toward the two of them.
As she approached the two men, Professor McGonagall took a neatly folded slip of paper from her large sleeve and handed it to Draco: "This is for you."
As Draco took the slip of paper, Professor McGonagall explained, "This is a borrowing slip for the Restricted Section of the library. You are only allowed to borrow books related to Transfiguration. Don't browse other books."
Thank you, Professor McGonagall.
Draco took the paper, his fingers gripping the thick pages, and looked down at it alongside Hermione.
The handwriting on the note was strong and crisp, clearly stating:
Permission is granted to borrow " Advanced Transfiguration Theory " and " An Initial Exploration of Complex Magic Architecture," by Minerva McGonagall.
Draco's heart leaped with joy, a suppressed smile playing on his lips as he thought to himself:
As long as I can get into the Restricted Section, how could I be confined by just two books?
As long as we don't cause any trouble, we can watch whatever we want.
Moreover, he has a system scanning tool at his disposal. If he goes in and scans around, he'll know everything about Hogwarts ' library.
As I was pondering this, Professor McGonagall's voice rang out again:
" Hogwarts has a team that doesn't need brute force; it needs skills far beyond ordinary spellcasting, a calm mind in the face of adversity, and the ability to focus precisely under extreme pressure."
As she spoke, her gaze fell directly on Draco.
"I think the Quidditch Seeker position might provide you with the... playtime pressure you need. If you're interested, I can recommend you to Oliver Wood for a tryout."
These words struck him like a thunderbolt; Draco abruptly looked up, his face full of surprise.
"Professor, we haven't even had Flying Class yet, and I've never demonstrated any flying talent in public. Is this going to work?"
Hermione, standing beside her, was completely stunned, her eyes widening slightly.
Although she didn't pay much attention to Quidditch on a regular basis, she was well aware of the Hogwarts rules.
First-grade students are never allowed to participate in the Quidditch team!
Professor McGonagall looked at Draco and listed the core qualities of Seeker:
"A qualified Seeker must possess unwavering focus."
"Amidst the whirlwind of the broom's high-speed flight and the clamor of the stands, you must be able to lock onto that tiny, darting Golden Snitch in an instant."
As she spoke, she gently raised her hand and continued:
"You also need a gentle touch and rock-solid control of the broom; you must not hurt the Golden Snitch the moment you catch it—this is the rule of Quidditch, and a test of ability."
"Your ability to successfully perform magic under pressure in class demonstrates your ability to remain calm under pressure, which is the most crucial quality for Seeker."
" The Seeker always carries the greatest pressure on the field; the outcome of the game can be decided in an instant by one of his moves. A calm mind is more important than superior speed."
At this point, Professor McGonagall's determined gaze fell upon Draco.
"In conclusion, all your performance in class is sufficient to make you an excellent Seeker."
Then she changed the subject and added:
"Of course, all of this is based on the premise that you have a talent for flying."
"But I'm sure you've practiced broom flying a lot at home."
Therefore, conducting a trial training session is the key to ultimately determining whether you are up to the task.
After hearing this, Draco understood. Meeting Professor McGonagall's gaze, he said crisply:
"I understand, Professor. Just let me know when the trial training starts."
Professor McGonagall nodded slightly upon hearing this, a hint of approval flashing in her eyes.
"Besides the trial training, there's one more thing—after each Transfiguration class, you have to come to my office in the evening to continue practicing, and bring Miss Granger with you."
Before Draco could process this unexpected extra task, Hermione beside him suddenly stiffened up.
Her face instantly lit up with unbelievable joy, and she instinctively raised her hand to cover her mouth, asking in a trembling voice:
"Really... Professor? You mean me? Tutoring?"