If Draco knew right now that Moaning Myrtle had concocted such a clumsy and flawed lie in the bathroom, he would probably be so annoyed that he would facepalm.
I regretted leaving in such a hurry and not teaching her a proper explanation beforehand.
But now, he is holding Hermione's hand tightly, walking briskly back to Gryffindor Tower along the quiet corridor.
"Is it exciting, honey?"
Draco turned his head, asking with a smug look on his face.
Hermione's cheeks were still flushed from the battle, and her heart was still beating a little fast.
She glared at Draco, but there was no reproach in her eyes; instead, they were filled with reassurance.
That perfectly coordinated battle just now made her truly feel for the first time what it's like to be steadily protected by someone, facing danger together.
This is far more reassuring than theoretical knowledge from books.
The two chatted and laughed in hushed tones, their steps light and relaxed, showing no sign of worry or panic, as if subduing the Troll was nothing more than a trivial matter.
But just as they turned the corner of the corridor, several anxious figures bumped into them.
They were their roommates who had been searching for them everywhere.
Olivia was the first to rush forward, her face showing genuine concern:
"Where did you two go? The banquet was in complete chaos, we couldn't find you anywhere, we were so worried!"
Lavender also said urgently:
"Yes! Professor Quirrell and the others suddenly burst in, saying that Troll had escaped from the dungeon. The whole Great Hall was in an uproar; we thought something had happened to you!"
Ron sized up the two composed men, then curled his lip.
"I bet those two didn't even touch a hair on the Troll's head. They're probably hiding in some quiet corner, whispering sweet nothings to each other."
Parvati sighed softly, "That's right, you made us nervous for nothing."
Hermione's face flushed bright red instantly, and she hurriedly lowered her head, making up excuses:
"We... we just went for a walk in the hallway and accidentally wandered off..."
Everyone immediately gave a knowing look, and then started teasing each other, instantly lightening the atmosphere.
Just then, Harry spoke softly, interrupting everyone's joke:
"Stop chatting, we need to get back to the common room quickly. There are professors patrolling everywhere now. If we get caught not in the designated area, we'll definitely get scolded and have points deducted."
These words immediately brought everyone to their senses.
The castle was heavily guarded at the moment, and there was a risk in staying there for even a second longer.
"Hurry, hurry!"
The group said no more, followed closely to each other, and hurried towards the Gryffindor Tower, their footsteps fading lightly into the depths of the corridor.
The group tiptoed back to the warm and cozy Gryffindor Common Room, where the fire in the fireplace was still flickering gently, making the whole room feel safe and comfortable.
The excitement, still fresh from the shock, gradually subsided, and everyone casually sat in a circle, unable to resist complaining about how the Halloween party had been interrupted by the Troll.
"What a Halloween party! It's all been ruined by a Troll!" Lavender said, holding his cheeks with a pained expression.
"I had just gotten used to the jack-o'-lanterns, hadn't finished counting the bats, and had only taken a bite of the pie on the table when the whole place erupted into chaos."
Parvati sighed as well:
"I was waiting to eat the last plate of chocolate balls, but then all the professors suddenly rushed out, even the owl was startled and flew away! The festive atmosphere was completely ruined."
"How could Troll get into the castle? That's terrifying!"
Neville shrugged, still a little frightened by the commotion in the Great Hall earlier.
"I thought something terrible was going to happen; my heart was pounding in my chest."
Ron grimaced, clearly annoyed. "It's ridiculous! I was just about to grab the second piece of roast chicken when they suddenly yelled 'Troll! ' It almost made me drop my fork."
Olivia smiled gently, her mild tone tinged with a hint of helplessness:
"What a beautiful arrangement it was! The bats on the ceiling, the pumpkin lanterns, the candles floating around... and it was all ruined by this chaos. We didn't even have a chance to have a proper conversation."
Everyone chimed in with their own comments, lamenting the sudden interruption of the dinner and complaining that the Troll that had appeared out of nowhere had spoiled everyone's enjoyment.
Of course, as the conversation progressed, the topic naturally shifted to Draco and Hermione, who had left early.
No one considered the possibility of danger, assuming that the two of them simply weren't interested in the noisy and crowded banquet.
"Anyway, you two probably don't care," Parvati said with a smile, looking at them. "For you, staying quietly is definitely more comfortable than squeezing into the Great Hall to fight for the cake."
Hermione's cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly lowered her head, pretending to fiddle with her wand.
Draco simply looked at it as if it were the most natural thing in the world, without offering any explanation whatsoever.
As the conversation went on, the topic naturally veered towards what everyone was most interested in lately— Quidditch.
Someone turned to Ron, who was puffing out his cheeks, and asked curiously, " Ron, how are your preparations going as the second team's goalkeeper? The internal match is coming up soon."
Ron straightened his back, a hint of nervousness flashing across his face, but it was quickly replaced by confidence:
"I-I'm definitely ready! We've trained for so long, I can't let everyone down!"
"Then our second team will have a proper match against the first team, and we'll determine the final playing time based on our strength. Whoever wins will play; it's fair and reasonable," Draco said.
Harry paused for a moment upon hearing this, then a look of eager anticipation lit up his eyes, and he nodded slightly:
"Great idea! Let's see where our two teams fall short."
"I don't think we'll lose," Ron immediately chimed in, looking quite confident.
Lavender couldn't help but pour cold water on his enthusiasm. "Don't be so confident, Ron. Team One has Harry, the Seeker."
Ron scratched his head, chuckled, and showed no sign of resentment. Instead, he pointed confidently at Draco:
"This isn't blind confidence; it's because I have Draco as my powerful backer."
After this period of Quidditch training, Ron had been completely impressed by Draco's accurate judgment, consistent technique, and clear tactics.
Olivia was also quite certain:
"I agree with Ron. As long as Draco is there, our second team has a definite chance of winning. His tactical and teamwork abilities are really better than many upperclassmen."
Parvati then turned to Harry and asked, "And Harry, what about you? Are you confident you can win this intra-team sparring match?"
Harry smiled and said, "Our team has been working together quite well lately. Everyone is working hard, and I will give it my all."
"Great!" Parvati clapped his hands and laughed, "Then I'll be really looking forward to your match!"
Lavender exclaimed with surprise, "I never expected this! The inter-house competition hasn't even started yet, and our Gryffindor's own intra-team rivalry has already begun!"
"This is unprecedented at Hogwarts, how cool is that!"
Neville chimed in quietly, "I think it's great. I heard that Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff are starting to follow suit, forming second teams and doing internal training. Everyone's become more enthusiastic."
The conversation gradually came to a close in a relaxed and expectant atmosphere, as the night had already deepened.
Everyone yawned, got up, said goodnight to each other, and headed back towards the dormitory.