The two walked side by side to Professor McGonagall's oak desk and stood there.
Professor McGonagall looked up, her gaze calmly landing on Draco. " Mr. Malfoy, you know why I called you here, don't you?"
Draco's eyes lit up, then he looked like he'd just realized something. "Oh—Professor, it's the Quidditch tryouts, isn't it?"
As he spoke, he secretly turned his head and winked quickly at Hermione, his eyes sly and irritating.
Hermione instantly understood his little scheme, and secretly pinched the back of his hand with her fingertips from behind, feeling both helpless and unable to do anything about it.
Professor McGonagall, noticing his deliberate attempt to change the subject, raised an eyebrow and said in a somewhat serious tone:
"Stop playing dumb, Mr. Malfoy. I wasn't asking about Quidditch, I was asking about Dark Magic Defence Class this afternoon—how did you get involved with Peeves again?"
Draco's sly expression froze, and he immediately composed himself, feigning surprise. "Ah... Professor, so you already knew."
Professor McGonagall crossed her arms and said in a deep voice, "It's practically spread throughout the entire Hogwarts. Do you think I should know?"
Draco straightened his back and earnestly tried to make amends:
"Professor, the problem is that the classroom was too noisy, and several students who wanted to study seriously asked me to help calm the others down."
Hermione immediately stepped forward and earnestly offered her explanation:
" Professor McGonagall, Draco is telling the truth."
"The classroom was indeed very chaotic at the time, and several students were making a lot of noise. He just wanted to restore order as quickly as possible and had no malicious intent."
In the end, Peeves was prevented from harming his classmates, and the classroom quickly returned to quiet.
Professor McGonagall frowned and said seriously:
" Professor Dumbledore has explicitly forbidden you from using this spell in private. Professor Flitwick's assessment report has just been submitted, stating that you have the ability to control it and that the spell itself is harmless, but you shouldn't use it to intimidate Peeves."
Draco immediately adopted an innocent expression and quickly explained, "Professor, I really didn't intentionally use magic against it!"
"The classroom was in such a chaotic state that Peeves probably couldn't stand the lack of discipline and volunteered to help maintain order."
"Once the classroom was completely quiet, it left on its own; it really had nothing to do with me."
Draco's expression was extremely serious.
Hermione stood to the side, a few beads of cold sweat quietly appearing on her forehead.
He glanced furtively at Draco beside him, who was spouting nonsense with a straight face, and silently grumbled to himself.
This guy's ability to make up lies is getting better and better. He was the one who took the initiative to Peeves over, but now he's acting like a good student who passively accepted help.
Professor McGonagall stared at him sharply for a few seconds and said:
"Really? But I heard that you summoned Peeves and made a pact with it, which is why the whole classroom quieted down so quickly?"
Draco sighed repeatedly as he looked at Professor McGonagall:
"Professor, you know I'm Hogwarts' number one victim of rumors! There are outrageous news stories about me every day."
"Rumors, once they've been passed around, become incredibly exaggerated, with not a single word of truth left, right, Miss Granger?"
Hermione froze, her gaze darting around, avoiding Professor McGonagall's eyes. She could only mumble a reply, "... Um, the rumor is true."
She dared not openly help cover up the lie, so she could only give ambiguous answers, while cursing Draco a hundred times over in her heart.
Professor McGonagall's gaze swept over the two of them, her tone still serious. "Is that really so?"
"Absolutely true!" Draco patted his chest, guaranteeing without blinking. "If you don't believe me, go ask Professor Quirrell; he was watching the whole thing from the podium!"
Hermione rolled her eyes inwardly.
This guy is really daring to lie. Professor Quirrell was so scared he couldn't even speak properly. Asking him was pointless. His ability to lie through his teeth is truly unparalleled.
Professor McGonagall nodded slightly, her tone softening as she said:
Even so, Peeves is inherently mischievous, so you should avoid spending too much time with it in the future.
"Fortunately, this time it didn't cause any serious consequences, and there was no violation of the ban on the unauthorized use of special magic..."
Draco's eyes lit up, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the matter was over. A smile was about to creep onto his lips.
Professor McGonagall's next words extinguished his hopes. "Three more weeks of confinement, and more cleaning of the Trophy Room."
"Huh?" Draco's face fell instantly.
Hermione secretly curled the corners of her mouth, glanced at him discreetly, her eyes full of schadenfreude.
"No way, Professor!"
Draco immediately begged for mercy with a pained expression, counting on his fingers one by one.
"As you know, I'm currently in solitary confinement, need tutoring from you, attending Quidditch practice, doing homework for all subjects, preparing for Defence Against Dark Magic, and serving as a teaching assistant for a classmate... My schedule is even fuller than the professor's! Please give me a chance!"
Professor McGonagall paused for a moment, then thought about it carefully and realized it was indeed true. This kid was so busy he didn't even have time to catch his breath, working even harder than she, the vice principal.
She hesitated for a moment, then relented and said, "Then add a little less. How much do you think is appropriate?"
Draco's eyes lit up instantly, and he blurted out, "It's best not to add anything!"
"Hmm?" Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow, her tone becoming slightly more serious.
Draco immediately cowered, cautiously shrinking his neck and tentatively asking in a low voice, "Then... add another day?"
Hermione found Draco's haggling manner both stupid and hilarious.
She couldn't help but burst out laughing, but she quickly covered her mouth.
Professor McGonagall gave him a helpless look. "Unless you give a more reasonable explanation, I'll stick to the original three-week plan."
Draco gritted his teeth, looking as if he were cutting off a piece of his own flesh, and painfully announced the number, "One week! One more week, please!"
A very faint smile flickered in Professor McGonagall's eyes behind her glasses, so fleeting as to be almost imperceptible.
She tapped the table lightly, making the final decision. "It's decided then, another week of confinement."
Draco's face fell instantly, filled with regret, feeling he hadn't bargained enough.
They could have pushed it down even further, but now they're on the verge of tears, yet still want to struggle and say a few more words.
Professor McGonagall, however, didn't give him a chance. "Cleaning is good for your mind and body, and it can also temper your impulsive nature. It's settled then."
Professor McGonagall finished speaking and said no more. She picked up the quill pen on the table again, lowered her head to open the student record book, and waved her hand dismissively.
"Alright, everything's taken care of. You can go back now, don't miss the rest of your classes."
He dismissed them with a single, decisive sentence, leaving no room for negotiation.
Draco was still hanging his head, looking aggrieved as if he had been ripped off.
He lingered, reluctant to leave, and tried to persuade her to stay a little longer, but Hermione swiftly grabbed his arm and half-pulled, half-draggled him toward the door.
"Let's go, let's go. If we linger any longer, the professor will get angry," Hermione urged him, suppressing a laugh.
Draco kept looking back, but Hermione eventually pulled him out of the office. The heavy wooden door closed gently behind him, completely ending his attempts to bargain.