At first, the giant head, smooth as silk and with a pearly luster, quietly pierced the calm surface of the lake.
The crystal-clear water, like two silver curtains, silently slid down from both sides of its rounded contours, without any turbulent waves, only tranquility.
Then, the massive body, like a floating island, slowly rose to the surface, and the only sound that came from the broken water was a gentle, sigh-like splash.
Hermione was completely stunned, standing rooted to the spot, unable to move, even forgetting to breathe.
When the enormous object before me fully stretched out its body, it truly resembled a small island floating in golden light.
As it moves slowly in the water, it resembles a giant, flowing silk.
Its head is round and full, naturally connected to its body, unlike the sharp, cone-shaped head of an ordinary squid.
His eyes were as large as ancient horse-drawn cartwheels, his irises a serene dark blue like the depths of Black Lake, and his pupils were vertical ovals that conveyed wisdom.
When Draco looked into those eyes, he felt no fear, only a peace that transcended time.
It was as if they were gazing at an ancient being who had guarded Hogwarts for a hundred years.
The students on the surrounding lawn were already standing up in shock, screams and gasps filling the air.
Many people hurried towards the lake.
Many of them were there specifically to see the Giant Squid basking in the sun.
The next second, something chilling happened.
The Giant Squid slowly turned its eyes, its gaze landing precisely on Draco.
A deep, resonant voice, like the resonance of water, resounded directly in his mind. "Is it you calling me?"
Draco nodded slightly. "Yes, I'm sorry to have disturbed your rest."
"What do you want from me?"
Draco smiled and looked directly into its gentle eyes, "Nothing, I just wanted to be friends with you."
The Giant Squid clearly showed some curiosity and joy; for many years, it had never encountered a wizard who could communicate with it.
It gently raised one of its thick yet soft tentacles and floated slowly towards the shore like a cloud, its movements slow and gentle, as if afraid of disturbing the people on the shore.
But to outsiders, this was a potentially fatal approach.
The students retreated in terror, their panicked cries echoing. " Malfoy! Granger! Get out of there! You'll be swept away!"
"It's too dangerous—run!"
Hermione snapped out of her daze, her face pale. She gripped Draco's hand tightly, her voice trembling with urgency, " Draco, we have to go! Hurry!"
Draco took her hand in return and smiled reassuringly, "Don't be afraid, it's not going to attack us, it's shaking my hand, you see."
Draco calmly raised his right hand and stretched it towards the water.
The next moment, the Giant Squid's tentacles gently wrapped around his palm, without any force, only a warm and gentle enveloping sensation.
The suction cup gently adheres, like giving a gentle suction massage.
Draco gently swayed up and down, like the most ordinary handshake between human friends.
"So, we're friends now," Draco said with a smile. "My name is Draco Malfoy, and this is my girlfriend, Hermione Granger."
The Giant Squid understood, and slowly extended another, gentler tentacle, tenderly offering it to Hermione.
Hermione froze on the spot, her mind blank, all her book knowledge, logic, and common sense rendered useless.
She blankly reached out and gently grasped the huge yet tender tentacle.
At that moment, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning, utterly astonished.
Those around were so shocked they were speechless.
A Gryffindor student nearly dropped his jaw to the ground, covering his mouth and exclaiming in shock:
" Merlin's beard! You... you actually shook hands with it?! If it were me, I wouldn't even dare to get close, let alone extend my hand!"
The others also erupted in discussion, with voices rising and falling.
A few curious Ravenclaw mustered their courage and moved forward, tentatively extending their hands, wanting to try shaking hands with the squid as well.
But the other person just slowly turned their eyes away, completely ignoring him, acting incredibly aloof.
Draco looked at the gentle, giant creature on the water's surface and asked with a smile, "By the way, do you have a name?"
The Giant Squid tilted its enormous head, its eyes filled with confusion. "A name? What's that?"
"Um... what should I call you?"
"I have no name."
Draco's eyes lit up, and he made the decision. "Then I'll give you one, okay?"
"Yes," it said, its voice filled with anticipation.
Draco cleared his throat and announced in a booming voice, "From now on, I'll call you Octopus Brother!"
As soon as the words were spoken, a group of people on the shore collapsed.
Everyone's face was filled with the same look of utter despair:
It's clearly a squid!! What's with naming it Octopus Brother?!
Even the usually composed Hermione couldn't help but twitch her lips wildly, turning her head to glare fiercely at Draco, she simply couldn't bear to look at him.
Draco quickly explained earnestly to the large creature in the water, "Never mind the first word, 'bro' is a term of respect, it means we have a good and close relationship!"
Octopus Brother seemed to understand, but he was clearly overjoyed to have a name of his own for the first time.
It gently raised its tentacles and softly patted the water's surface, controlling the force with extreme precision, so that not a single drop of water splashed up, only gentle ripples spread out.
The students watching silently shouted in their hearts:
How exactly do you explain the word "octopus"?!
By now, many of the bolder students had already gathered on the shore to get a closer look, their eyes filled with admiration for Draco and curiosity about the squid.
Draco and Hermione easily released the tentacles.
Several boys were so excited that they reached out to touch it, only to be sprayed in the face with water by Octopus Brother, getting thoroughly soaked.
But instead of getting angry, they just stood there laughing foolishly.
They wiped their faces and smiled proudly, as if this was a tremendous honor that they could brag about for days back at the academy.
The tentacles slowly retracted into the water, and Hermione's shock was instantly replaced by extreme excitement and focus, her eyes Winky as if she were studying an ancient book.
She turned sharply to Draco, grabbed his arm, and bombarded him with questions:
"This is incredible! How did you do that?!"
"Is it Nonverbal Spell? Ancient Runes covenant? Or... can you hear the voice of all things? Like those legendary top wizards?"
"You must tell me every detail! When did it start? To what extent can we communicate?"
Draco smiled and pressed her excited hand down, saying, "This is a secret. No one else can hear it. I'll only tell you when we get back."
The students watching from all around turned green with disgust, their expressions as if they had swallowed a fly.
A Gryffindor boy immediately protested. "How are we outsiders? We're from the same house!"
The Hufflepuff nodded in agreement. "That's right, we're classmates!"
Draco raised an eyebrow and said righteously, " Hermione is my girlfriend. Tell me, isn't she an outsider?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a Hufflepuff girl in the crowd stepped forward and exclaimed sweetly, "Then I can be your girlfriend too, brother!"
Hermione froze, her movements halting on the spot.