Once outside the Great Hall, the noisy crowd and pumpkin candlelight were immediately shut out by the thick stone walls, leaving only the soft echo of footsteps in the corridor.
Hermione shook off the warm cheers, her doubts growing stronger. Finally, she stopped and asked softly:
" Draco, what happened? You don't need to make up that kind of excuse."
Draco glanced around the empty corridor and lowered his voice, saying, "There might be Troll."
Hermione was startled, her voice rising slightly. " Troll? You mean... Troll will appear in the castle?"
Draco immediately raised a finger and gently pressed it to her lips with a shushing sound.
"Keep it quiet, don't alert anyone." His gaze was as deep and unfathomable as a Black Lake. "This is the best opportunity to test our combat capabilities."
Hermione's eyes widened, barely concealing her panic. "Are you crazy? That's Troll! Not a training target, we've never actually fought one before!"
"I'm not crazy." Draco looked at her nervous appearance, still composed unlike a first-year student.
"Don't you want to actually put what we've learned into practice? You'll never grow by just staying in the classroom."
He had already made all the preparations in his mind, and had planned every step clearly.
Hermione shook her head vigorously:
"No, our current skills are far too rudimentary to deal with it. Not only will we fail to subdue the Troll, we might also put ourselves in real danger!"
Draco paused for a second, then gently took her hand, his gaze extremely serious:
"Trust me, okay? I won't let my wife get hurt."
Hermione gazed into his firm yet gentle eyes, and all the panic and resistance in her heart seemed to be gently soothed by a quiet breeze.
She didn't struggle or argue anymore; she simply nodded involuntarily.
"... All right."
Just as the two were talking in hushed tones, a series of hurried but deliberately soft footsteps came from the end of the corridor.
Draco looked up and, sure enough, saw Professor Quirrell, his turban askew, slipping out of the side door of the Great Hall in a flustered manner.
His gaze darted around, as if he were in a hurry to get somewhere.
Draco barely hesitated; he gently tugged at Hermione's hand and led her straight to meet them.
"Professor," he called out to Professor Quirrell, his voice calm and natural, "I have a question I'd like to ask you."
Hermione's eyes widened suddenly, and she froze for a moment.
I have a question... Should I ask Professor Quirrell now?
Her heart skipped a beat; she had absolutely no idea what Draco was up to.
One second they were talking about Troll and practical combat, the next they were actively trying to stop an incompetent professor...
Professor Quirrell froze, his face showing obvious anxiety, his eyes darting around, and his steps instinctively halting.
He inwardly groaned, but quickly changed his mind.
He couldn't miss this opportunity. As long as he could shake off those two kids, he could successfully complete his plan. He absolutely couldn't let himself be entangled.
"Ah... well, classmate," Professor Quirrell stammered, trying to be perfunctory.
"I have something urgent to attend to right now, something very, very important. You can ask me your questions in class tomorrow, okay?"
Draco seemed completely oblivious to his urging, remaining serious as he threw out another unrelated question:
"It's about the emphasis on the Levitation Charm from a previous class. Hermione and I didn't quite understand it. It'll only take a minute of your time."
Hermione, though puzzled, nodded in agreement. "Yes, Professor, we've practiced for a long time, but it's still not very consistent."
Professor Quirrell's forehead was almost sweating, and his tone was becoming increasingly impatient; he just wanted to get rid of them as soon as possible.
"Next time, next time! I really have to go right now!"
But Draco wouldn't let it go, taking a small step forward to pester him. "Professor, this is very important to our assignment, you only need to say a word—"
Professor Quirrell could not delay any longer; any further delay would disrupt the plan.
He waved his hand dismissively, his voice becoming shrill. "I really don't have time! Go look it up yourselves!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around almost as if fleeing, lowered his head and hurriedly walked into the depths of the corridor, not daring to look back.
Only after Quirrell's figure disappeared around the corner did Hermione immediately look up, looking at Draco with a puzzled expression:
"What were you doing just now? You knew something was wrong with him, so why did you deliberately stop him?"
Draco didn't answer directly, but instead gave a mysterious smile.
You'll find out later.
After saying that, he gently took Hermione's hand, neither running fast nor deliberately hiding, but simply leading her forward slowly.
Their goal from the beginning was not to follow the panicked Professor Quirrell.
Instead, they went to a place that had already been prepared.
Draco led Hermione by the hand, avoiding the flickering torchlight in the corridor, and tiptoed to a shadowy corner near the abandoned washroom on the third floor.
This place is secluded and dark, with very few students approaching, making it the perfect ambush spot.
Hermione looked at him, full of doubt. "Why did we come here?"
Draco's eyes swept warily across the empty corridor, and only after confirming it was safe did he speak softly, gradually explaining his assessment to her.
Hermione's heart tightened upon hearing this, and she quickly pressed for an answer, " Professor Quirrell... why would he deliberately release the Troll?"
"It's not something I can explain in a short time," Draco shook his head slightly, his voice steady. "I'll explain it to you in detail when we get back."
Hermione remained puzzled, frowning as she continued, "Then why are you so certain that Professor Quirrell would lure the Troll here?"
Draco explained in a low voice:
"He released the Troll not to harm anyone, but to create panic and distract all the professors and staff so he could do something else."
Hermione's eyes widened suddenly; all the clues connected in an instant.
She finally understood why Draco had deliberately chosen this spot to ambush them.
"I understand... You're here waiting for his plan to come to fruition, and also waiting for our opportunity to put it into practice."
Draco, seeing her look of sudden understanding, nodded slightly. "Yes, that's it."
Draco pulled Hermione into the darkest shadow outside the bathroom door, lowered his voice, and quickly and clearly explained the battle plan that was about to begin.
Hermione held her breath and listened intently.
"And what about me?" Hermione asked softly after hearing this.
"You'll be responsible for providing support from the side," Draco said. "You can do it like this..."
Hermione nodded, memorizing each spell.
"We're not in a rush to take it down," Draco continued, "Then we'll slowly hone our combat capabilities..."
Hermione's initial tension gradually subsided under his clear and step-by-step tactical instructions.
"I've got it."
Draco gently took her hand; his palm was warm and strong. "Don't be afraid. Stay with me the whole time. I won't let my wife get hurt."