"Because of the potential Dementor ' uprising, Fudge will definitely find a pretext to send them to Hogwarts."
Hermione frowned even more upon hearing this, and asked anxiously, "Why are the Dementor acting up?"
"Don't they live by consuming pleasure and souls? What is the trigger for the riot?"
" Dementor feed on happiness, hope, and all positive emotions," Draco explained.
"The prisoners in Azkaban have been drained of their life force for so many years, leaving only despair and emptiness. For them, there's nothing Sickle eat."
Hermione's heart sank. "So... Fudge is trying to use the students at Hogwarts?"
Hundreds of young wizards, brimming with vibrant joy, hope, courage, and dreams...
To the Dementor who were starving, the entire Hogwarts was a mobile granary.
Fudge wasn't protecting the school; he was using innocent children as bait to feed the Dementor.
Thinking of this, Hermione felt a chill run down her spine, her eyes filled with shock, anger, and uncontrollable fear.
She finally understood why Draco wanted her to learn Expecto Patronum.
You're right... Fudge can't stay in his position any longer. But what should we do? We can't possibly shake him on our own. And then there's the Dementor; we must tell Professor Dumbledore beforehand so the school can prepare accordingly.
Draco, seeing her trembling with anger, gently placed a hand on her shoulder:
"Don't be angry. For someone like Fudge, having Dementor stationed at Hogwarts is inevitable. This is a good opportunity to bring him down completely."
Hermione was pinned to the spot, her chest heaving violently.
The previously chaotic and angry thoughts suddenly stopped the moment those words were spoken.
She abruptly looked up at Draco, her pupils contracting slightly, her brain starting to race.
She never imagined that a Minister for Magic would be so despicable as to sacrifice an entire school of students.
They fed the Dementor, who were on the verge of rioting, with the vibrant joy of children, just to temporarily stabilize the situation.
Draco's suggestion to use this incident to remove him from office instantly enlightened Hermione.
The decision to Dementor to infiltrate Hogwarts was inherently extremely dangerous.
Once the truth is revealed, Fudge will completely lose the trust of all wizarding families.
The Ministry of Magic itself will surely turn against them completely; this is not a simple decision-making error.
This is trading a child's life for power; this is enough to ruin his reputation and banish him from the center of power forever.
Hermione's fingers gradually loosened; her anger hadn't subsided, but a layer of cold clarity had emerged.
But the thought of Harry Ron and the younger students facing Dementors on the train and at school is unbearable.
Her heart clenched tightly again.
The price was far too high!
Even if Fudge is forced to step down, how can the fear and harm inflicted on the children be made up for?
She looked at Draco, her expression a mixture of emotions regarding his shrewd calculation. "We could have stopped it beforehand, but instead we watched Fudge lure the Dementor to the school, using the students' safety as a bargaining chip to overthrow him?"
Draco, seeing the anger, worry, and hesitation mingling in her eyes, softened his tone:
"I also think this is not a good idea, but Old Dumbledore knows what he's doing and will take countermeasures on the Hogwarts Express."
"And he would never allow the Dementor to set foot inside the castle; at most, he could only have them guard the perimeter of the school."
"If Dumbledore doesn't take timely action, your husband here to guarantee that the Dementor won't get near the Hogwarts Express, okay?"
"Who, who's your wife!" Hermione's cheeks flushed crimson, but the embarrassment came and went quickly.
The next second, Hermione's brow furrowed again; she was still worried about the Dementor and her classmates' safety.
"Are you sure you have a way? There are quite a few Dementor, and the Ministry of Magic is clearly going to send them. How are you going to stop them?"
A flicker of anticipation crossed Hermione's eyes.
"Yes, your husband is a hero, capable of anything. This little thing is no problem for me."
Seeing his confident demeanor, Hermione's anxiety actually subsided a little.
Draco had never lied to her; if he dared to make such a promise, he must have a real plan.
Moreover, he also mentioned Dumbledore's countermeasures, and that the Dementor could only stay on the outskirts of the school. This information made the worst-case scenario more manageable.
At this point, Hermione's anxiety and fear subsided slightly, but she remained tense and whispered:
"That had to be the case, but don't brag. If anything really happens, I won't let you off the hook."
"If I can do it, is there any reward?"
Hermione was taken aback for a moment, then realized that this guy really did always have to negotiate terms.
However, seeing Draco's confident expression, her worries lessened considerably, and she even felt a bit mischievous, crossing her arms and saying:
What reward do you want?
Draco rested his fingertips on his chin, thought for a moment, and said, "I don't think I've decided yet. Let's keep it simple then, you owe me another favor."
"You owe me more debts now. You haven't paid them back yet. Are you planning to make me pay them back for the rest of my life?"
"You can't say that," Draco laughed.
"Stopping Dementor is no small matter. A slight misstep could mean going head-to-head with the Ministry of Magic and the Dementor themselves. In exchange for that risk, an unspecified condition from you, it's not a bad deal at all."
"Besides, I won't make any unreasonable demands."
Draco added with a smile, "Didn't you quite like that navy blue outfit you wore last time?"
Hermione's cheeks flushed slightly upon hearing this.
She turned her face away, avoiding his eyes, and brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, muttering under her breath as if feigning indifference, "Who likes it? It's just that the fabric looks decent."
After calming herself down, she turned back to face him directly.
He said, feigning seriousness, "Alright, then I'll owe you one more condition. But let me make this clear: if you can't handle the Dementor, you'll be in big trouble!"
"You want me to look bad again? Don't I look good now?" Draco asked narcissistically.
"Stop being so conceited! When I said I'd teach you a lesson, I meant you bullied me and I'd make sure your aunt scolded you, so everyone would know you were bragging like crazy. I wasn't praising your looks!"
"Then tell me, am I handsome or not? Especially, you know, Dementor..."
Draco's words were blatantly narcissistic, clearly expecting her praise.
Hermione rolled her eyes, inwardly cursing him for being so irresponsible, still thinking about this at a time like this.
Finally, Hermione reluctantly relented, deliberately averting her gaze and whispering, "Handsome, okay?"