Seeing the atmosphere, Ron's heart skipped a beat. He realized he had said the wrong thing and hurriedly corrected himself:
"I... I mean, I meant Cho Chang has good taste, not... that's not what I meant!"
Draco quickly moved closer to Hermione: " Minmin, you know me best. From beginning to end, you've been the only one in my heart. I haven't had a single other thought."
Hermione took a deep breath, gave them a stern look, and said, "Never mention this again!"
Then she changed the subject again, her voice softening somewhat:
"Alright, enough of this nonsense. Let's talk about yourselves. Besides attending classes, what do you do on weekdays at school?"
Ron sighed, his shoulders slumped, and he looked bored.
"What else can I do? Nothing more than do my homework, play chess with my family, and occasionally practice Quidditch..."
"Practicing alone was incredibly boring, and then, things like what happened with Harry came up."
Harry didn't want his companions to worry, so he simply nodded and said calmly, "It's all unavoidable, best left unsaid."
Harry suddenly spoke up, diverting the awkward silence. "Besides the magic mirror, I also stumbled upon a strange place in the Third Floor Corridor."
"There's a three-headed dog guarding that spot. Hagrid says it's his, and as long as you don't go in, there's no danger."
Upon hearing this, Ron, both frightened and unable to contain his curiosity, leaned forward and whispered:
"A three-headed dog? The fourth floor? Isn't that place always a restricted area? What kind of incredible thing is hidden inside that requires such a fierce creature to guard it?"
Draco, sitting to the side, glanced at it indifferently and casually remarked, "What else could it be? Just a huge secret being hidden."
Hermione's heart skipped a beat.
She immediately recalled what Draco had told her in the Room of Requirement — Dumbledore ago.
Upon comparison, everything became clear instantly.
She quickly looked at Harry:
"Why did you go to such a dangerous place? That three-headed dog... didn't it attack you?"
Ron replied smugly:
"That's because Harry has Invisibility Cloak! Wearing it, Cerberus can't see him at all!"
Hermione exclaimed in surprise, " The Invisibility Cloak?!"
Harry's expression changed, and he slapped his forehead:
"Oh no! I forgot it in the classroom with the magic mirror!"
Before he finished speaking, he had already stood up and was about to rush out:
"You all wait here, I'll go get it!"
Ron immediately caught up and grabbed him:
"I'll go with you!"
The two hurriedly tried to run outside.
Hermione turned to look at Draco:
" Draco, aren't we... going to follow them?"
Draco sat calmly, motionless, and simply smiled gently, "Don't panic, you won't lose it."
Hermione, seeing him speaking in riddles again, reached out and gently tugged at his sleeve. "You're doing this again! You never tell me anything, always keeping things to yourself!"
Draco looked down at her, a smile in his eyes:
"If you beg me, I'll tell you."
Hermione's face turned bright red.
She's never been one to act cute or coquettish, but the thought of Harry's Invisibility Cloak, Cerberus, and the Magic Mirror... a jumble of emotions welled up inside her, and she couldn't hold it in any longer.
She bit her lower lip, looked around to make sure no one was watching, and mumbled a few words: "... Just say it."
Draco's heart skipped a beat. He stopped teasing her, leaned close to her ear, and whispered:
"That Invisibility Cloak was given to him by Dumbledore. Do you think he would let it go missing?"
Hermione was suddenly stunned, and all the fragments in her mind suddenly came together with a "clatter".
The Invisibility Cloak, the Magic Mirror, the Cerberus on the fourth floor, Dumbledore's perfectly timed appearance...
She gasped in a low voice:
"So... even that magic mirror was part of Dumbledore's plan?"
Draco nodded slightly, his tone calm yet sending a chill down one's spine. "You think Old Dumbledore really just happened to be passing by that day?"
Hermione stood there, completely stunned.
Until now, she had thought it was an accident, a coincidence, or a young man's reckless intrusion.
Hermione composed herself and asked in a low voice, "So... when do we plan to tackle those challenges?"
Draco tapped his knee lightly and replied, "It'll be this semester, soon."
Hermione was startled and raised her voice slightly. "So fast?"
Draco looked up at her, a slight smile playing on his lips, deliberately teasing her. "What's wrong, Miss Granger? Are you lacking confidence?"
Hermione quickly shook her head, her brow furrowing slightly. "I'm not worried about myself, I'm worried about Harry and Ron. They don't know anything yet."
Draco gave her a reassuring look. "Don't worry, the challenges inside are all carefully designed. Everyone will encounter what they're good at, and everything will come in handy."
Hermione thought for a moment, then suddenly stared at him. "Then... that Cerberus on the fourth floor, is it your obstacle?"
Draco chuckled and shrugged. "Me? I'm just here to make a cameo appearance."
"Stop fooling around." Hermione gave him a light glare. "Besides you, who else could reliably handle such a ferocious monster?"
Draco just smiled and didn't say anything.
Hermione's heart skipped a beat, and she became a little anxious. "You wouldn't... want your wife... to deal with something so dangerous, would you?"
As soon as she said it, her cheeks flushed.
Draco's eyes lit up, and he deliberately dragged out his words, "Hmm~ it's not impossible--"
" Draco!" Hermione exclaimed immediately.
"Alright, alright, I'm just kidding." Draco quickly stopped joking and became serious. "Just kidding, how could I really ask you to go on an adventure?"
Hermione curled her lip in disdain. "Tch, I knew you were joking."
Draco smiled and said softly, "The one who tied the knot must untie it."
Hermione was taken aback. "You mean Hagrid? Isn't he the one in charge of setting up the checkpoints?"
"It was him," Draco nodded. "But only he knew how to deal with that three-headed dog."
Hermione suddenly realized, and her eyes lit up:
"Oh--that makes things easier! Hagrid has always been outspoken and can't keep a secret. With a little coaxing, he'll spill everything."
Draco nodded. "That's right."
Hermione had just finished answering when she suddenly paused, then frowned. "That's not right."
"Hmm?" Draco asked, puzzled.
"You know everything, you know about the levels, the magic mirror, the Invisibility Cloak, how could you possibly not know how to deal with Cerberus?"
She stared intently at Draco.
Draco was momentarily stunned, then smiled helplessly and obediently admitted defeat, "Really... nothing can escape the notice of our clever Miss Granger."
Hermione was both angry and embarrassed, and lightly punched his arm, her voice becoming annoyed:
"Not again! You're deliberately keeping it from me, making me guess! All this going in circles to unravel the mystery, it would have been better if you just told me directly!"
Draco laughed even harder, and gently placed his hand on hers, saying:
"It's pointless to just say it directly. If you don't use your brain, your brain will rust."
Hermione looked at his smug and irritating expression, unsure whether to be angry or amused, and could only glare at him fiercely.