"It's good that everyone's alright." Harry was relieved.
Once Draco was confirmed to be safe, the group immediately huddled together and whispered about the earth-shattering explosion they had just witnessed.
"I couldn't sleep at all. I heard something... a Basilisk. I could feel it crawling and talking."
Harry.
"Is it really?!" Ron's face turned pale.
"What did it say?" Seamus asked, clearly intrigued.
"Run... run for your life... you can't escape... I can smell your scent from every corner... look at me... just one glance... and you'll turn into cold, lifeless stones forever..."
Harry repeated the Basilisk's words.
"It's chasing someone?" Ron's face turned even paler.
Harry nodded. "I think so."
"I hope... I hope that person is alright."
Neville prayed for the man.
"Obviously, that loud noise meant someone made a move; we should be fine," Draco said calmly.
"That's right, after the loud bang, there was absolutely no sound." Harry's eyes were filled with disbelief. "And... that creepy feeling I had all over my body is gone."
The moment those words were spoken, the entire room fell into a deathly silence.
Everyone was so shocked they were speechless.
Could it be that the Basilisk... has been dealt with?
"Who?" Seamus's voice trembled. "Who has such ability? Even the teachers couldn't find it!"
"Could it be Dumbledore?" Neville whispered, guessing.
"Perhaps a hidden Auror?"
"Or perhaps some ancient protective magic was triggered?"
Everyone started guessing, from the professor to the You-Know-Who, but no one thought it was Draco, who was lying there calmly with his legs crossed.
Meanwhile, in the girls' dormitory...
Hermione had only been lying back in bed for a few minutes when her roommates gathered around to ask her with concern:
" Hermione! You weren't here either! Where did you go?! We were all so scared!"
Hermione's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly repeated Draco's story, "I had an upset stomach, and I ran out to the bathroom in the middle of the night. I was just in time for that loud noise, and I was so scared that I almost couldn't get back."
Lavender said, "It's good that nothing happened! That sound was terrifying!"
Parvati hugged her pillow tightly. "Now it seems... to have disappeared!"
"They've probably taken care of it," Olivia said, glancing at Hermione as she spoke.
Hermione remained calm.
The girls then started making wild guesses as well.
That night, no one at Hogwarts was destined to sleep.
However, there are two exceptions.
That's Draco and Hermione.
The castle was filled with the professors' patrols and the sound of incantations throughout the night, and everything finally returned to calm as dawn approached.
At lunchtime the next day, Dumbledore stood up, tapped his wine glass, and the entire hall fell silent.
"Dear students, the unusual activity that occurred in the castle last night has now been completely resolved."
"The source of the previous petrochemical incident has been completely dealt with, and the school is safe."
He did not utter the words " Basilisk " to avoid causing panic and controversy surrounding the theory of bloodline throughout the school.
"The threat has disappeared. Everyone can continue attending classes and living normal lives without worry. The Ministry of Magic and the school will release further details in due course."
Professor McGonagall added, "Please remain calm, follow school rules, and do not wander alone in the hallways."
A huge sigh of relief and cheers erupted in the hall. Ron slammed his fist on the table. "It's solved! It's finally solved!"
Harry's nerves, which had been tense for days, completely relaxed. "Great... that feeling is really gone."
"It's good that you're alright. I don't have to hide under the covers in fear at night anymore," Neville whispered with relief.
Most students shared this sentiment and were speculating about which professor or mysterious powerful figure had intervened.
Hermione glanced at him briefly, Draco met her gaze, blinking casually.
The cheers in the Great Hall hadn't completely subsided when Dumbledore remained silent, only giving Draco a meaningful look.
Draco understood immediately, calmly putting down his cutlery and saying to Harry and the others gathered around him, "I'm going to the restroom."
"I'm going to the restroom too." Hermione put down her cup almost simultaneously, stood up, and followed.
"Come on, we had an upset stomach last night... Now we have to go to the bathroom together... How inseparable are you two?" Ron said speechlessly.
Hermione's roommates looked surprised upon hearing this.
Did Draco get food poisoning yesterday too?
"Didn't you know?" Ron asked matter-of-factly, "Both of them went out in the middle of the night and got sick, saying they ate something bad from Halloween treats."
Parvati and Lavender exchanged a glance. "If it were Draco and Hermione, it wouldn't be so hard to accept... I can understand."
Draco ignored the commotion and, along with Hermione, quietly left the Great Hall and went straight to the Headmaster's Office.
Dumbledore was already waiting here.
Fawkes perched on a branch, quietly preening its golden-red feathers.
Hermione instinctively slowed her pace, looked at Fawkes, and then cautiously extended a finger, gently approaching him.
Fawkes didn't flinch; instead, he obediently lowered his head and gently rubbed his fingers with the soft, warm feathers.
Dumbledore watched this scene, smiled faintly, and then turned to Draco, saying:
" Mr. Malfoy, the tremors in the castle last night, and the source of the petrification... you seem to know much more about it than I thought."
Draco calmly replied, " Hermione and I just happened to run into you and took care of the trouble."
"A coincidence?" Dumbledore asked. "A coincidence with Miss Granger? A coincidence of leaving the common room late at night, a coincidence of encountering the Basilisk, and a coincidence of subduing it?"
"Last night we went to the Restricted Section to look for information, and when we came out, it attacked us. It tried to hurt Hermione, and I got angry, so I fought back," Draco told him truthfully.
Dumbledore nodded gently, without reproach, only with deep satisfaction and emotion.
"I have never doubted your courage, Draco! Even though you have Malfoy blood in your veins, even though you have been watched over by the Slytherin legacy."
Ultimately, you always choose to protect those around you, and to stand on the side of justice and kindness.
"You need not hide it, nor bear it alone. The Basilisk has been vanquished, the petrifying curse has vanished, and Hogwarts has returned to peace because of you."
"I will not pursue the matter of you trespassing into the Restricted Section at night, nor will I expose this secret that belongs to you."
Just promise me that next time you face such danger, you won't fight alone.
"You are both young, you deserve to be protected, and you deserve to rely on each other, rather than risking your lives alone."
"You protected each other, and you protected this castle. For that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
" Old Dumbledore, you're putting on this polite act again," Draco sighed, somewhat helplessly.
Dumbledore chuckled softly and countered, "Is it considered polite to say a few words of truth to the little hero who saved the school?"
Draco didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point. "We found the information."