"Yes," Draco replied.
" Draco, what do you know?"
Hermione asked eagerly.
Draco, seeing her flushed cheeks, teased, "If you ask for a kiss, I'll tell you."
"You're being a scoundrel!" Hermione exclaimed, her face turning bright red.
"I'm not being dishonest, it's just a fair trade. You want to know the answer, I want a kiss, that's perfectly reasonable."
"Who wants to make such a deal with you!" Hermione said, her face still flushed, and turned to flip through the book.
"Then I'll learn it on my own first. Anyway, you said you'd definitely need it when school starts, so I'll be able to learn it eventually."
Seeing this, Draco quickly stepped in front of her and said, "How about this, let's make a bet."
Hermione rolled her eyes and complained irritably, "You gambling addict, all you do is gamble all day long."
"Where there's demand, there's supply," Draco shrugged, his tone unmistakably enticing. "So, Miss Granger, how about it? Want to take the bet?"
Hermione, provoked by him, gritted her teeth and said, "Spit it out!"
"I know what animal your Patronus is. Once you learn to summon your physical Patronus, if I guess right, you'll have to ask for a kiss."
He then changed the subject and offered an enticing reward.
"At the same time, I'll tell you when the Dementor will appear at Hogwarts, and what their purpose is. How about it? You definitely won't lose out on this bet."
Hermione paused for a moment, then immediately started making plans in her mind.
On one hand, she was genuinely curious about how much Draco knew about Dementor; on the other hand, she didn't believe Draco could guess her Patronus.
How could anyone know this in advance if they haven't even learned it yet, unless they are truly precognitive?
But that's impossible.
But the thought of having to ask for a kiss if she lost the bet made her hesitate and refused to agree immediately.
Seeing that she wouldn't budge, Draco decided to raise the stakes. "Fine, one more thing: if you win, the conditions you made when you lost to me are null and void."
Hermione's eyes lit up, and she started plotting something in her mind.
Thinking that this guy loved to gamble all the time, she figured she might as well try to get more chips this time, so she immediately started bargaining:
"Not only that, you also have to give me ten additional conditions, which I can bring up anytime later."
"Don't go too far, Miss Granger. If I guessed correctly, there would only be one kiss. If you win, not only will the old conditions be nullified, but you'll also have ten new conditions. That's just too unfair."
"I said it's fair, and that's fair!" Hermione retorted, her neck stiff, refusing to budge an inch, arms crossed.
"Didn't you say you were sure you could guess it? If you're so confident, why are you afraid to bet with me?"
She then used reverse psychology.
Sure enough, Draco pretended to grit his teeth and give in. "Fine, it's your decision. The bet is in effect, but don't try to renege on it later."
Hermione's face immediately lit up, and she gave him a high five. "It's a deal! No going back on your word!"
Secretly, she was pleased with herself. Even if she lost, it was just a kiss. How many kisses had she received already? If she won, she would have ten conditions to manipulate him. No matter how you looked at it, she wouldn't lose out.
Thinking of this, Hermione pressed on, "Now you can tell me, guess what my Patronus is?"
Your Expecto Patronum is a sea otter.
Hermione's heart skipped a beat, and the sea otter handbag he had given her flashed through her mind.
He actually guessed the sea otter! Did he already know? Was he just guessing, or did he really have some way of predicting things?
Countless thoughts swirled in her mind.
She was so shocked that she couldn't speak for a moment.
Coming to her senses, Hermione asked him incredulously, "Can you really predict the future?"
"I mentioned it back in Diagon Alley, but you just didn't believe me," Draco said with a smile.
Hermione panicked and blurted out, "Then I won't bet!" She wasn't about to ask for a kiss just because an answer she'd already guessed.
"It's too late, Miss Granger." Draco took a step forward. "If you dare to renege..."
"What do you want?" Hermione tried to remain calm, but her body instinctively took a half step back.
"Those who cheat will get a spanking."
Draco threatened.
"I'm not afraid!" Hermione called for reinforcements.
"If you dare, if you dare... I'll tell your aunt that you bullied me, and then we'll see how she deals with you!"
"It's fine, it was worth it anyway," Draco said nonchalantly.
Hermione panicked instantly and quickly waved her hands. "Don't do anything rash, I won't cheat, okay?"
"Anyway, the Expecto Patronum; many adult wizards might not even be able to create a physical form. I might never learn it," Hermione murmured to herself.
Draco smirked and said, "Actually, I can let you master this spell instantly."
Hermione was just about to be tempted when she heard him add, "However, you owe me one thing."
"I owe you a head!" Hermione snapped.
Even if you really do have a way, I don't want it! I want to learn it myself, without taking any shortcuts!
"If you won't learn, I'll teach you anyway," Draco said, reaching out to pull her to the open space by the window.
Hermione paused for a moment, then realized what was happening, a slight smile secretly curving her lips, but she feigned a tough stance:
"You asked me to teach you this yourself. I never said I owed you another favor after you learned it."
"Fine, I'll teach you for free." Draco muttered helplessly, "I'm really losing out big time for Miss Granger's kiss."
Hermione pursed her lips as she listened to his words.
He lost big time? It was clearly a gamble he set up by pushing and shoving, and now he's acting all wronged.
At that moment, Draco pretended to use his magic, gently placing his palm on Hermione's back.
His fingers were deliberately stretched into a tense arc, giving the impression of earnestly imparting his skills.
"Concentrate, don't move, and let your magic flow down your wand," Draco said seriously.
As he spoke, he gently gestured with his finger.
Taking advantage of the last moment before the system began to infuse her with its power, he feigned transferring a gentle wisp of magic into her body.
"I will now pass on the core techniques of the Patronus Charm to you. Follow the rhythm of my magic throughout..."
Hermione felt a warmth on her back, as if a gentle force was slowly supporting her magic.
Her previously vague understanding of the spell instantly became clear. She obediently gripped her wand tightly, not daring to be distracted, completely unaware of Draco's incredibly realistic performance.
At that moment, Hermione inexplicably felt that her mind had gained a lot of clear knowledge.
The rhythm of the Patronus Charm, the trajectory of the wand, how to lock onto the happiest memories, and how to steadily output magic—all the previously obscure and difficult points were now as clear as if they were engraved in her heart.
After finishing, Hermione gripped her wand tightly.
Before Draco could speak, Hermione gently raised her wand, aimed it at the empty carpet in front of her, took a deep breath, and recited the spell clearly and firmly:
" Expecto Patronum!"