Hermione was stunned when Scrope said that.
Her grip on the broom handle tightened suddenly, and only one thought was racing through her mind:
... Cutting off an ear and calling it "kindness"?
Is it even something to be "grateful for"?!
She had heard the arrogant pronouncements of Pure-blood and was familiar with the ruthless practices of some ancient families.
But she had never felt so directly and vividly that long-term enslavement and oppression could distort the cognition of an intelligent being to such a terrible degree.
Viewing the owner's cruel physical harm as "merciful forgiveness," regarding "survival" after violence as a "gift" to be grateful for, and even exonerating the abuser!
Hermione's lips began to tremble slightly, uncontrollably.
It wasn't fear, but a physiological sense of powerlessness and a strong feeling of nausea.
She finally understood why Scrope was always so fearful, his every move carrying a deep-seated humility.
Because from the moment it was born, it may never have experienced what it means to be treated kindly and with respect without any conditions.
The world as it perceives,
Such cruel and twisted rules!
Then, almost instinctively, her gaze shifted to Draco, who was flying alongside her.
In that very second, Hermione's perception of Draco underwent a complete transformation.
Both are of Pure-blood lineage, both come from ancient and illustrious noble families, and both face House-elf...
Apollonia Black cut off Scrope's ear, and Scrope called it "kindness."
Draco, simply because he "found walking too troublesome," naturally let the House-elf ride on his broom, without any disgust or disdain, and without even thinking it was anything special.
Hermione watched Draco's retreating figure, feeling a sudden warmth spread through her chest, as if something had burned her heart.
Suddenly, she understood everything.
Compared to those purebloods who spout elegance and nobility but have cold- Pure-blood hands, Draco, with his sharp tongue but not ruthless heart, is already a very bright light in this darkness.
Seemingly sensing her gaze, Draco slightly turned his head, glanced at her, and a habitual, slightly teasing smile appeared on his lips:
"Why are you looking at me like that? Have you been captivated by my personal charm again? Your gaze is so... intense."
Hermione's face flushed instantly.
The myriad emotions and the shock of renewed understanding that had just surged within me were instantly shattered by his narcissistic words.
She looked away and muttered, "Stop being so vain! I was just... checking my direction! Focus on flying your broom!"
But her flushed face and the slight upturn of her lips betrayed her true feelings.
She suppressed the surging emotions in her heart for the time being; the most important thing now was to go to the cave and find out the whole truth.
The two people and the elf rode on broomsticks, flying over a shallow swamp and past several small islands covered with strange vegetation.
From the air, you can clearly see some things that look like frogs covered in armor lurking in the mud below.
They are larger than frogs, with dark green, slimy bodies half-buried in the mud, and a layer of grayish-brown hard armor arching on their backs.
Only those small, scarlet eyes gleamed menacingly in the dim light, occasionally revealing fine, sharp teeth.
"What kind of creature is that?" Hermione asked, pointing downwards.
Scrope answered cautiously, "That's the Rockback Mud Monster, Your Excellency! Since we flew here, I didn't remind you..."
"They are dangerous; at the slightest sound, they will suddenly flick out their long tongues or spew out foul-smelling mud and pounce."
"And these guys are really strong, it'd be troublesome to get tangled up with them, but we're in the air, they can't reach us."
They flew smoothly through a narrow crevice in the rock wall, and a hidden cave entrance appeared before them.
The two descended and flew into the cave.
The cave was damp and cold inside, with stalactites and stalagmites hanging from both above and below like sharp spikes.
We landed on a slightly dry rocky beach inside the cave, where ancient fires stuck in the rock walls provided illumination.
In the firelight,
They saw a stone wall at the end of the rocky beach, on which was painted a huge octopus mural.
The octopus's tentacles meander and coil, exuding an air of mystery.
In front of the mural stands a low stone platform, which is also carved into the shape of being entwined by octopus tentacles.
Draco reached out and naturally took Hermione's broom, then put it in his pocket along with his own.
Hermione didn't notice his thoughtful little gesture; her attention was completely drawn to the mural and the stone platform.
She stepped closer for a closer look, then frowned and said, "This isn't just some random decoration... It's more like a specific mark, or... a hint to activate some kind of mechanism."
" Miss Granger, you are so clever! This is indeed the mechanism you designed," Scrope praised.
"How do I activate it? Where is the mechanism?"
Scrope pointed to the center of the stone platform entwined by octopus tentacles, where there was a shallow groove:
"All you need to do is... place a slice of toast in this recessed area of the stone."
"Toast?" Hermione was stunned; this answer was completely unexpected. "Using... toast to activate a mechanism? Miss Apollonia's hobby... is quite unique."
She simply couldn't reconcile this triggering method, which carried a certain absurd humor, with the seemingly cruel Black Witch.
Draco didn't find it particularly strange; he seemed to have a good tolerance for the eccentricities of some members of the Pure-blood families.
Without saying a word, he took out a piece of white toast that looked fairly fresh from his pocket and placed it precisely into the groove in the center of the stone platform.
The next second, the toast floated up on its own and flew straight towards the octopus mural on the wall.
Even more astonishing is that a lifelike octopus tentacle carved on the mural actually "came to life," softly curling up to catch the Accio piece of toast!
Then, to Draco and Hermione's astonishment, the paint-like tentacle deftly stuffed the toast... into a hole resembling an "eye socket" in the mural octopus!
The toast was instantly "swallowed" and disappeared.
Hermione's lips twitched slightly as she watched this absurd, bizarre, yet strangely magical scene.
She sighed and commented, "This... should I say Miss Apollonia's magical contraptions were ingeniously designed, full of... a wicked sense of humor, or should I say she's still a child at heart?"
Using toast to feed the octopus in the stone mural to open a door—this thought process is so bizarre it leaves one speechless.
However, it cannot be denied that the magical techniques inherent in this mechanism enabled parts of the mural to "come alive" and execute specific commands.