Professor Sprout's eyes narrowed into slits with surprise:
"Fantastic! Fantastic! Mandrake rarely have a affinity for humans, Draco, you possess a rare affinity for magical plants! This is a hallmark of Herbology genius!"
Professor Sprout is right; Draco has already acquired the ability to interact with plants.
Hermione watched from the side, a proud smile playing on her lips.
Ron watched with a sour expression. "Why is that...? My grass is practically biting me, but his grass is acting all cute and cuddly?!"
Draco calmly put the Mandrake back in the pot, covered it with the black cloth, removed his earmuffs, and turned to smile at Hermione.
"I've already said it, it's not like Professor Sprout Ron me without a reason."
Ron gritted his teeth in anger, thinking, "They're making fun of me again."
Professor Sprout was all smiles, and immediately drew a big O (Excellent) on your report card, adding an extra line, "Extremely talented, with a bright future."
Hermione couldn't help but quietly praise Draco, saying, "... You're pretty good."
With that, the class ended, and Professor Sprout announced the conclusion with a smile.
The Hogwarts second-year curriculum wasn't much different from the first year: a dry History of Magic, rigorous and interesting Charms, and intense Transfiguration.
The students have already adapted, so unless there are new changes, it won't attract their attention.
Only the Defence Against Dark Magic class every Wednesday became the most anticipated class for all the students.
In fact, it was less a lesson that the entire grade was looking forward to and more a lesson that the witches were all eagerly anticipating.
The reason is simple.
Professor Quirrell had already resigned due to health reasons, Dumbledore personally found a brand new Defence Against Dark Magic teacher for the school.
And this person is none other than Gilderoy Lockhart, the current superstar and household name in the Wizarding World.
Unlike the witches who were obsessed with their idols, the male wizards mostly maintained a detached and rational attitude.
They are neither obsessed with flashy covers nor fascinated by exaggerated heroic deeds.
Because they understand better that Defence Against Dark Magic relies on real skill, not looks or fame.
The Great Hall was brightly lit at dinner time, Lavender and Parvati beamed as soon as they sat down.
The two huddled together, excitedly discussing in hushed tones.
"Have you heard? The new Defence Against Dark Magic teacher is Lockhart himself!"
"I know, I know! I've read all his books! He's so handsome!"
"I absolutely have to sit in the front row in Wednesday's class! I want him to remember me!"
Their eyes were filled with admiration, and in their conversation, they completely regarded Lockhart as an omnipotent hero.
Not only Lavender and Parvati, but the girls at the entire Gryffindor table, and even those from other houses, were buzzing with excitement.
"The new professor is Gilderoy Lockhart! I've collected all of his autographed photos!"
"He's so charming, I absolutely have to make eye contact with him in class!"
"I heard he defeated Werewolf and vampires, and even broke an ancient Egyptian curse!"
The girls' adoration was almost tangible, filling the entire Great Hall.
Hermione sat beside her, her fork hovering in mid-air.
If it weren't for Draco, she probably wouldn't be much different from these girls.
She didn't publicly expose Lockhart on the spot.
Since there was no concrete evidence and she didn't want to cause an awkward situation during dinner, she calmly said to Lavender and the other man:
"I've read all his works, and a large amount of his content doesn't match the actual History of Magic. Many of his adventure stories are full of logical flaws. He's definitely not as amazing as he's portrayed."
Lavender and Parvati were taken aback, clearly not expecting Hermione to say that.
"Yeah, that guy's obviously all about posing. I bet five Sickle he can't actually use Dark Magic." Ron was already annoyed with Lockhart, and now he looked even more disdainful.
Lavender merely frowned, completely disbelieving, and instead defended Lockhart:
"You're just jealous! Lockhart is a great wizard who has defeated countless monsters, how could he possibly be a fraud!"
Parvati nodded vigorously. "Exactly! Hermione, you're taking this too seriously. Ron, you're just jealous because he's handsome!"
Hermione sighed softly and didn't argue any further.
She knew that girls who were infatuated with Lockhart wouldn't listen to any arguments until they saw the car overturn with their own eyes.
"In such a tedious learning environment, having something to look forward to isn't so bad," Draco said to Hermione.
Hermione nodded.
She silently placed a Pumpkin Pasties on her plate, already determined that the truth would come out on Wednesday when class started.
Ron, who had just been teased, rolled his eyes and muttered to Harry, "See? When a girl's infatuated, her brain doesn't even work."
Harry nodded, suppressing a laugh, but his gaze secretly drifted towards Draco, who was not far away.
The discussions continued enthusiastically until Wednesday morning, when Lavender and Parvati were so excited they couldn't sleep.
The two got up as soon as it was light, their minds filled with anticipation for the upcoming Defence Against Dark Magic class.
After finishing their Herbology, the two practically skipped and hopped towards the classroom, so excited that they couldn't help but glance at the portraits in the hallway a couple more times.
As soon as the class was seated, the front door of the classroom was gently pushed open, and Gilderoy Lockhart, dressed in an elegant blue robe, walked in with a dazzling smile.
He first cleared his throat loudly, instantly silencing the entire classroom.
But when his gaze swept over the group of students and he saw Draco Malfoy sitting there, his perfect smile froze for a moment.
Draco's actions at Flourish and Blotts still haunt him.
Lockhart was well aware of the Malfoy family's status and influence in the Wizarding World.
This person is absolutely not to be trifled with.
He quickly looked away, pretending nothing had happened, and reached for the book " Travels with Trolls " on Neville Longbottom's desk in the front row.
He held the book high, displaying a celebrity photo of himself winking on the cover.
"I--"
He pointed proudly to his photo.
Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, an honorary member of the Defence Against Dark Magic League, and a five-time winner of the Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award.
"But I don't dwell on that. After all, I didn't exorcise Wandon's female ghost with just a smile!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the classroom erupted in a cacophony of soft, excited screams and gasps.
Lavender, Parvati, and a group of girls stared wide-eyed, their cheeks flushed, sitting ramrod straight, their eyes filled with adoration as they gazed at Lockhart.
The girls' admiration and anticipation almost filled the entire classroom.
Lockhart listened to the screams and applause filling the classroom, his smile growing even more smug and thoroughly enjoying himself.