Hermione's arm was held high, straight, standing out conspicuously amidst the atmosphere of hesitation.
Following closely behind, a few arms slowly rose, mostly belonging to Hufflepuff students.
Their movements were far less decisive than Hermione's, and they didn't raise their arms very high.
Some even simply rested their elbows on their knees, their eyes revealing a hint of insecurity and evasiveness.
On the Gryffindor side, apart from Hermione being a striking "sight," it was almost completely silent.
Ron hung his head, glancing at Draco every now and then, while Harry scratched his head, his gaze fixed on his textbook, clearly unprepared for the question.
Draco didn't raise his hand, thinking to himself: We agreed to keep a low profile, so I'll leave the opportunity to shine to Hermione.
But a person can pretend to be a food expert, but they can't actually be one. If one is completely ignorant of Herbology, they will inevitably expose their ignorance in the future.
With this in mind, he immediately asked the system in his consciousness, "Is there anything that can quickly supplement my knowledge of Herbology?"
" Knowledge Compendium!" the system's voice rang out quickly.
"What's the use of the Knowledge Compendium?" Draco pressed.
"It can input the content and practical exercises from designated books and directly implant them into the host's mind, enabling instant mastery."
"That's great!" Draco's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "How much Luck Points?"
"300!"
"You want to steal my money?" Draco was so shocked he almost jumped up. "I have exactly 320 right now, and you're asking for 300 right off the bat? That's outrageous!"
"The system has never cheated its host, and the prices are fair and reasonable."
"Alright then." Draco, though reluctant, understood the value of the item and immediately exchanged it for the Knowledge Compendium.
He was in class at the moment and didn't have time to argue with the system. Besides, the system's previous exchanges had never been inflated.
Just as Professor Sprout's gaze fell on Hermione, preparing to ask her to stand up and answer...
Ron suddenly stood up and said, "Professor, everyone else brought ' One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi,' except Malfoy! Does that mean I can assume he knows all this information by heart? Why don't we let him answer?"
[Ding! Original storyline added, Fortune Points increased by 20!]
Draco was overjoyed. " Ron, Ron, you're such a lucky charm!"
But with Ron as an "enemy," it's really hard to keep a low profile!
As soon as Ron said that, the entire room fell into a deathly silence.
All the students' eyes turned to Draco.
My gaze swept over his empty desk; the place where textbooks should have been placed was indeed completely bare.
Immediately, a subtle excitement, as if they were enjoying the spectacle, welled up in the students' eyes.
The buzzing of whispers was about to begin, but it was suppressed by Professor Sprout's gaze.
Draco didn't have time to think. He immediately used his Knowledge Compendium to scan the textbooks brought by the Hufflepuff students at the next table.
The next second, the system indicated that loading was complete, and a vast and systematic body of Herbology knowledge flooded into his mind like a tidal wave.
Countless details about plant morphology, growth habits, medicinal uses, and contraindications instantly became clear in his mind.
Draco felt like he had suddenly become a master of Herbology theory.
Hermione's raised arm froze for a moment.
She probably didn't expect Ron to launch an attack in this way.
This is not out of concern for the class at all; it is blatant targeting.
Hermione glared angrily at Ron, but Ron deliberately turned his head away, ignoring her.
His face still held a hint of smug satisfaction.
Hermione had no choice but to turn her gaze to Draco.
The gentle smile on Professor Sprout's face vanished completely.
Her gaze also fell on Draco, her brows furrowing slightly.
Clearly, she did not appreciate Ron's way of speaking, which was full of personal grudges and disrupted classroom order.
But Ron's words, at least on the surface, revolved around "classroom preparation" and "learning attitude," which made it impossible for her to simply reprimand him for "talking back."
She had no choice but to turn her gaze to Draco, to see his reaction.
Draco simply raised his eyes slowly, a calm smile appearing on his face, as if he had everything under control.
He looked at Ron and said calmly, " Weasley, that's an interesting question."
"I naturally take the first lesson seriously. So, previewing it is only natural. Answering questions is no problem either."
He changed the subject, his gaze returning to Ron, his smile widening, "However, Weasley, you brought books. It seems you're quite confident in your textbooks..."
"How about this," Draco said, turning to Professor Sprout, "We'll each answer one. How about it? You answer the professor's next question."
Upon hearing this, Ron's face instantly turned from a smug red to an ugly liver color.
He clearly hadn't expected Draco to retaliate like that, and was momentarily flustered.
Hermione looked at Draco's composed demeanor, a hint of shock flashing in her eyes.
She had expected Draco to be in an awkward position, but to her surprise, he so easily tossed the problem back to Ron.
The other students were even more delighted, their eyes filled with excitement, clearly anticipating this clash.
Professor Sprout's eyebrows furrowed even more; things were clearly developing in a way that exceeded her expectations.
She looked at Draco, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
But as a professor, she absolutely cannot allow the classroom to become a one-on-one duel arena.
After a brief silence, Professor Sprout cleared his throat and his voice suddenly rose. "Quiet!"
She glanced around, her gaze lingering briefly on Draco and Ron, before saying seriously:
"The classroom is not a dueling arena. Mr. Weasley, it's good to care about your classmates' preparation, but the methods need to be considered. Mr. Malfoy, your suggestion is very creative, but what we need now is systematic learning, not a competition."
She quickly steered the conversation back on track, her gaze falling on Hermione and the other students who had raised their hands.
Professor Sprout then resumed his gentle tone, saying, " Miss Granger, and the students who raised their hands earlier, thank you for your preparation."
"Now, let's turn our attention back to Dittany itself. Miss Granger, could you please answer the question about the common uses of Dittany?"
"Yes, Professor." Hermione immediately stood up straight, her face regaining its confident glow.
" Dittany is one of the most effective and widely used plants known for healing magical wounds."
Her voice was clear, fluent, and fast, without the slightest pause.
"Its most valuable part is the milky white sap contained in the leaves and tender stems," Hermione said eloquently, her gaze sweeping over the Dittany plant in front of her.
"This juice has immediate hemostatic effect on most open wounds caused by physical cuts, punctures, tears, and minor magical burns..."
While Hermione was speaking eloquently, the students were already in an uproar.
" Merlin, did she memorize the whole book?"
"She even knows the recipe for unicorn horn powder! She even read the revised version?!"
Hermione, seemingly oblivious to the whispers around her, continued:
"Important precautions include: it cannot be used to treat corrosive wounds caused by dark magic; such wounds require specialized antidotes or magical repair."
"It should not be taken internally. Although the juice of Dittany is extremely effective when used externally, it will cause severe irritation to the stomach and intestines when taken internally."
"Furthermore, in rare cases, it may cause contact allergies in individuals with specific constitutions. A small-scale skin test is recommended before first use."
Hermione rattled off everything she knew about Dittany, leaving out even the most obscure details.
Professor Sprout's face broke into an undisguised smile of appreciation, a genuine expression of his love and recognition for his outstanding student.
She exclaimed, "Excellent, Miss Granger!"
"It not only stated the main uses, but also mentioned specific formulas, precautions, and even extended to field applications and materials science!"
"Five points for Gryffindor! That's what I mean by thorough preparation! Everyone should learn from Miss Granger!"
Almost instantly, an irrepressible joy surged onto Hermione's face.
Her back straightened even more, her shoulders unconsciously opened slightly backward, and she radiated a glow of being recognized.
A faint, healthy blush even appeared on her cheeks, and her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness.
Hermione then glanced at Draco unconsciously, a hint of smugness in her eyes, as if to say: See, this is my power.
Draco returned a gentle smile, then gave her a thumbs-up, his eyes full of genuine appreciation.
Hermione's cheeks instantly flushed bright red, all the way to her ears, as if she had been burned.
She abruptly averted her gaze, fixing it fixed on the Dittany leaves in front of her, not daring to look at Draco again.
At that moment, she truly didn't understand whether Malfoy was a good person or a bad person.