" Miss Brown, Miss Patil!"
"If your ears and brains have any function other than spreading baseless and absurd fantasies, they should listen carefully—"
Hermione's voice was full of undisguised reprimand and correction.
She spoke at a rapid, almost mantra-like pace. "This is a conditional dialogue protocol based on maximizing the efficiency of information exchange! It's not some—"
She seemed hesitant to speak, but she gritted her teeth and forced out the second half of the sentence: "--The vulgar plots you stupid magazines make up!"
Put away your romantic fantasies!
Hermione's voice grew even colder, her sharp gaze sweeping over the two men whose faces were flushed.
"If you want to learn something real at Hogwarts, instead of spending all your time listening to this illogical, brain-wasting noise!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she turned back with a hint of disgust, fixing her gaze firmly on Draco once again.
It seems that even glancing at Lavender and Parvati would corrupt her logical thinking.
However, the slightly reddened tips of her ears and the barely concealed rise and fall of her chest ultimately betrayed the turmoil within her, revealing that she was not as calm and composed as she appeared on the surface.
Hermione's ruthless outburst once again shocked those around her.
Her cold words to Ron earlier had already shown her sharpness, and now she was just as harsh towards these two "innocent" gossipy girls.
This further reinforced the impression that she was "extremely intelligent but extremely harsh and difficult to get along with."
Many people instinctively shrank back, afraid of touching this person's sore spot.
Lavender and Parvati blushed with shame and fear after being scolded by her, and could only shrink back, not daring to speak loudly anymore.
But the two still couldn't help but huddle together, quickly exchanging words. "See? They got angry and embarrassed when their thoughts were exposed!"
Parvati nodded repeatedly, but his eyes still gleamed with a gossipy light, though he dared not reveal it in the slightest.
Hermione ignored the whispers behind her, her eyes fixed intently on Draco, and she corrected him through gritted teeth, "It's ' Miss Granger,' Mr. Malfoy."
She deliberately emphasized the surname, attempting to re-establish the distance between the two.
"Since you... agree to the terms." Hermione's speech suddenly quickened, clearly trying to cover up her earlier lapse in composure as quickly as possible.
"Then, please provide the information segment that can be verified by a third party."
Draco put down his cutlery and said calmly, "As you wish, Miss Granger."
"At breakfast this morning, Professor McGonagall had Prefect Percy personally find me and take me away. Our destination was Dumbledore's office on the Seventh Floor of the castle. We had a conversation there."
" Dumbledore ".
These three words, like a silent thunderclap, struck this corner of the Gryffindor table.
In an instant, the surrounding air seemed to freeze.
Immediately, the aftershocks of the thunderclap spread throughout the entire Great Hall at an astonishing speed, silencing all whispers in its wake.
Hermione's pupils contracted sharply in that instant.
Her brain went into overload almost instantly.
Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts himself?
On the morning of the first day of school?
This was definitely not an ordinary conversation! It means that the matter has gone far beyond the scope of rule violations or conflicts within the college...
Is it related to Harry Potter?
No, the logic of time simply doesn't hold true.
Was it because of the Malfoy family's stance? Or was it involving a more significant secret, one that could alarm the headmaster?
Hermione fell silent, which was unusual for her.
A few seconds later, her gaze returned to Draco, and she repeated, word by word, "... Professor McGonagall, outside the Great Hall entrance, took you to see Headmaster Dumbledore. At... breakfast."
"Logically, this information could potentially be indirectly verified by a third party. I'll accept it for now."
As she spoke, Hermione's eyes silently proclaimed: this was just the beginning; the crucial questions were about to be answered.
The silence spread like ripples on a lake where a pebble has been thrown in, quickly reaching the entire Great Hall Gryffindor table.
Lavender and Parvati both gasped in unison, then covered their mouths tightly, almost screaming out loud.
Those thoughts about "ambiguity" and "romantic fantasies" were instantly banished to the winds, leaving only utter shock.
" Merlin's beard! It's Dumbledore!" Lavender exclaimed, almost breathlessly.
Parvati's voice trembled with excitement. "This is absolutely incredible! What did he do to warrant a personal audience with the principal?"
The gloom that had settled on Fred and George's faces because of their brother Ron's humiliation was instantly replaced by the excited glow of discovering a shocking secret.
The two brothers exchanged a knowing look, Fred silently mouthed an exaggerated "wow," raising his eyebrows high.
George, stroking his chin, his eyes Winky, looked at Draco with a gaze that had transformed from "a troublesome brat in need of a lesson" to "a walking source of prank inspiration and a Hogwarts headline-making machine."
Further away, whispers rose again between the long tables that had been silent, but they were more turbulent and urgent than before.
" Dumbledore," " Malfoy," " The Headmaster's Office "...
These words, as if they had sprouted wings, were rapidly passed between the long tables of the various colleges.
Countless gazes, initially filled with curiosity, transformed into a focused scrutiny and examination of Draco.
Several older students finally showed genuine interest, rather than just finding the farce amusing.
A Ravenclaw girl raised an eyebrow slightly and whispered to her companion beside her, " Dumbledore... this is completely different now. That Granger really caught a big fish."
Hermione suppressed the shock in her heart, quickly gathered her thoughts, and posed the first formal question:
"Was this meeting with Headmaster Dumbledore at his request, or was it at your or your father's own request?"
"What is the primary nature of the meeting—is it to announce a decision, make inquiries, issue warnings, or something else?"
Draco, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, calmly gave his answer, "My father asked me to go; he wants to take me back."
In short, it was earth-shattering.
This brief answer instantly confirmed the rumors Fred and George had spread that morning, as well as the various speculations in everyone's minds.
It turns out that Lucius, the head of the Malfoy family, actually came to Hogwarts in person, intending to forcibly take his son away.
Upon hearing this, Lavender and Parvati had long forgotten their previous argument, their faces filled with amazement and sympathy.
Lavender clutched his chest, his voice tinged with exaggerated emotion. " Merlin! I never imagined it was really his father who wanted to forcibly take him away! Just because he went to Gryffindor? That's too cruel!"
Parvati's eyes lit up dramatically. "Rebellion against patriarchy! Standing firm in one's own identity! This is far more dramatic than a simple summons by the principal! It's practically Legend tale!"
Fred and George exchanged a knowing look, but their previous excitement subsided, replaced by a deeper sense of amusement.
George whispered to Fred, " Old Malfoy came to arrest them himself, but he failed. He's really lost face."
Fred grinned, but his eyes held a more assessing tone. "They didn't arrest him. Nine times out of ten, Dumbledore intervened. What reason would that old fox use? School rules don't apply to fathers taking their sons away, unless..."
Unless this matter involves more fundamental principles or a larger secret.
Seamus, Dean, and the other Gryffindor who had only heard snippets of information also had subtle expressions.
Should I be ostracized by my family just because of my academy affiliation?
This is unimaginable and even repulsive to the vast majority of students who take pride in Gryffindor.
A subtle sense of resistance, based on a sense of academic honor, quietly began to grow in their hearts.
Even though the object of this emotion was Malfoy, whom they had never liked.
Neville shrank back, lowering his head even further, as if remembering his strict, almost harsh, grandmother.
At that moment, a flicker of fear and shared misery flashed in his eyes as he looked at Draco.
However, this slight apprehension was quickly overwhelmed by the fear brought about by the surname " Malfoy ".
The Ravenclaw girl who had been whispering earlier gave a soft "heh," her tone tinged with sarcasm:
" Lucius Malfoy... That's something he would do. Saving face is more important than his son's wishes? Typical Pure-blood Supremacy behavior."
Her interest deepened, and she muttered to herself, "So, Dumbledore stopped him? With what reason? There's something much more complicated going on here."
This realization caused many of the more astute students in the Great Hall to involuntarily prick up their ears and stare intently at Draco and Hermione.
They eagerly awaited Hermione's second question, and were even more curious about Draco's answer.