Most of the wizards were led astray by Draco or Hermione, leaving their minds blank.
They only react with surprise or other emotions as things unfold, without ever considering the flaws in their statements.
After Hermione's reminder.
The students in the room all looked enlightened and nodded in agreement.
Yes! The greenhouse is so obvious, it's not some hidden corner, how could Malfoy not find it?
This really doesn't make sense; there must be something fishy going on here!
Suspicious gazes once again focused on Draco, like a tidal wave, filled with scrutiny and inquiry.
The absurdity that had been on Fred and George's faces vanished instantly.
Instead, a stronger interest emerged, like a hunter discovering the most interesting prey.
George said, "The game has taken another turn. This kid is definitely not as simple as he seems."
"Brilliant! Granger has finally taken the initiative, and this attack has struck right at the heart of the problem! Let's see how he handles it!" Fred clapped his hands in praise.
Lavender and Parvati, having also come to their senses, still stubbornly tried to find a romantic or reasonable explanation for Draco's request.
Lavender muttered to himself, "Maybe... maybe he really wasn't paying attention to what the Prefect was saying? Freshmen are bound to be nervous."
A glimmer of hope rekindled in Parvati's eyes. "Yes! Maybe he's just making excuses to get away from Hermione alone! That must be it!"
However, Hermione's sharp questioning undoubtedly poured cold water on their fantasies, making that glimmer of hope seem exceptionally faint.
"Haha." Draco laughed awkwardly.
He had indeed forgotten his afternoon classes.
Then his face returned to its usual faint smile, "Since we have the same class this afternoon, and you're going to the greenhouse now, right?"
Before Hermione could answer, Draco continued.
"Why don't we walk there together? It's on the way anyway."
"If you don't mind, could you point me to the general directions of the other main classrooms along the way?"
"I don't want to be late because I took the wrong turn and cause Gryffindor to lose points. After all, we're all part of Gryffindor now, aren't we?"
Time seemed to freeze at that moment; the huge Great Hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
All eyes were on Hermione, filled with curiosity, awaiting her final response.
Hermione's cheeks still had a faint blush, but her eyes seemed to be covered with a thin layer of ice, so cold that they could almost freeze the surrounding air.
Hermione remained silent for a long while, then said in an extremely cold tone, "... Whatever."
Her words carried a clear hint of reluctance.
[Ding--Original storyline added, Fortune Points increased by 20!]
As soon as she finished speaking, Hermione turned around abruptly. She didn't bother to look at Draco again. She grabbed her schoolbag from the table and slung it over her shoulder.
Without looking back, she strode towards the Great Hall entrance.
She didn't wait for Draco, nor did she make any gesture, but her slightly disordered footsteps and her tense back spoke volumes.
She accepted the offer.
Draco was overjoyed. He turned to the students who were still staring blankly behind him and asked, "What are you all standing there for? Don't you have class?"
Without hesitation, he got up and left his seat, quickly chasing after Hermione's retreating figure.
Only then did the ordinary students in the room seem to wake up from their daze and start to realize what was happening.
The Great Hall was instantly filled with the creaking of tables and chairs scraping against the floor, along with the clatter of books and bags being packed.
The previously stagnant air finally began to flow again.
Many people looked on with confusion as they watched Draco chase after him.
The commotion that just rocked the entire Great Hall —and one of the main figures actually kindly reminded them not to be late before leaving?
This unexpected turn of events was so bizarre that they couldn't quite process it for a while.
The Weasley Twins were taken aback for a moment, then exchanged a glance and burst into uncontrollable laughter.
The two punched each other on the shoulders, laughing so hard they were doubled over.
They clearly found the scene absolutely brilliant, more entertaining than any prank they had ever seen.
"A reminder for us to attend class... Merlin!" Fred clutched his stomach, laughing so hard he couldn't stand up straight.
"That kid's got some skills! One second he's arguing with Granger, the next he's a dutiful 'discipline monitor'!"
George's eyes stung with laughter, and he nodded repeatedly, "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! That distraction technique was masterful! I'm completely impressed!"
Meanwhile, Lavender and Parvati were also startled awake by Draco's words.
The two exchanged a glance, their faces still somewhat bewildered, and subconsciously looked up at the clock on the Great Hall wall.
The moment they saw the time, they both gasped simultaneously, exclaiming as if waking from a dream, "Oh no! We're really going to be late! Professor Sprout hates late students the most!"
Before the words were even finished, the two of them frantically began packing their things, stuffing books, quills, and parchment into their bags as if Troll was chasing them.
Draco walked briskly and caught up with Hermione in just a few steps, walking alongside her.
The instant their figures were aligned, Hermione's body visibly stiffened for a moment.
The already hurried footsteps became extremely disordered, the stone slabs under their feet making a "clattering" sound, and the rhythm was slightly off.
But in just a moment, she forced herself to straighten up, as if deliberately distancing herself from Draco.
Not only that, Hermione also unconsciously quickened her pace.
She quickened her pace, almost walking at a breakneck speed, as if trying to leave Draco far behind.
Draco chuckled at her awkward expression and teased, "We're still a ways from the greenhouse, Hermione."
"I suspect Professor Sprout would rather see her students come to class with scrapes or sprains from walking too fast than be late."
Hermione abruptly stopped, slowly turning around and coldly glancing at Draco: "If you're afraid of falling, you can walk slowly on your own; no one will rush you."
After saying that, she turned and walked away without looking back.
The head-flipping motion was crisp and clean, exuding an indescribable coolness, just like in the movie.
Draco shook his head helplessly and quickly chased after him.
Undeterred, he continued, " Hermione, what do you think we'll learn in our first Herbology? Will Professor Sprout be very strict?"
Hermione beside him remained silent, her pace unwavering.
The silence in the air seemed to last for an eternity.
Hermione is going through a fierce internal struggle, torn between his instinct to resist speaking to him and his desire, as a top student, to share knowledge and answer questions.
A few seconds later, Hermione seemed to have finally reached her breaking point.
She stopped abruptly, roughly reaching into the side pocket of her bag and pulling out a thick, brand-new book titled " One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi ".
Then he slammed the textbook down in front of Draco, the wind lifting several pages to reveal the dense text and illustrations inside.
After making sure Draco could see the book's cover, Hermione snatched it back with lightning speed and stuffed it back into her bag.
The movement was executed in one fluid motion, carrying a hint of embarrassment and anger.
Draco chuckled softly at her insincere expression and deliberately asked, "What do you mean? Is the first Herbology going to cover everything in this book?"
The words had barely left his mouth when he saw Hermione's brows furrow deeply, a flash of anger crossing her eyes.
Draco sensed something was wrong and quickly suppressed his smile.
I thought it best not to offend this academically gifted young lady, otherwise I might not even be able to get any information out of her, like which way the greenhouse door faces.
So Draco wisely slowed down and obediently followed behind Hermione, saying nothing more.
Sunlight streamed through the arched windows of the corridor, casting dappled shadows that stretched long across the two figures.
The shadows of the two figures falling on the smooth stone path created a strange and harmonious effect.