Just when everyone thought Peeves would be expelled from Hogwarts, Draco did something that left everyone speechless.
With a slight movement, the silvery-white light and clear, melodious bell sound surrounding Peeves receded like the tide, vanishing without a trace in an instant.
Then he slowly raised his hand and beckoned to the still trembling Peeves: "Come here, Xiao Pi."
The tone was so calm, as if calling a docile pet.
But those three simple words, when they fell into Peeves's ears, were no less than a supreme command.
The uncontrollable fear it had just felt had already crushed all its arrogance.
At this moment, it was filled with fear of the boy before it; how could it dare to disobey in the slightest?
The ball of light moved shakily, slowly drifting to within about a foot of Draco before finally coming to a stop.
Strangely, as the silver light completely dissipated, its body, which had been flashing wildly between solidity and nothingness, stabilized at a speed visible to the naked eye.
In a short while, it returned to its usual lively and energetic self.
Peeves still had that annoying, comical demeanor, but in Draco's presence, he no longer possessed a trace of his former ferocity.
Its button eyes were fixed on Draco's face, or more accurately, glued to the wand that seemed to hang casually in Draco's hand.
Peeves has fully recovered.
Without a single scratch, without the slightest weakness.
The effect of the Banishing Charm just now seemed to be only the word "expulsion," without leaving any lasting magical imprint.
But it dared not move.
Even though it has now Reparo, it no longer dares to act as it always did, baring its teeth and claws and cursing, or making comical gestures to vent its anger as soon as it is freed.
Peeves remained frozen in mid-air, even its floating motion was cautious, for fear of angering the boy in front of it.
It knew all too well that the person before it possessed the power to drive it away from the castle.
Once it leaves Hogwarts, the land it depends on for survival, what awaits it is a fate worse than death.
Obedience is its only option.
It's not just Peeves are afraid.
The students under the corridor were already trembling with shock.
" Peeves... is he really scared?" A Ravenclaw girl covered her mouth, her eyes filled with disbelief.
In her mind, Peeves had always been a fearless troublemaker; when had he ever been so obedient?
"That spell is terrifying... Look at it, it's like seeing Peeves!"
Another boy echoed in a low voice, his tone tinged with lingering fear.
He instinctively shrank his neck back.
"He... won't use that against us in the future, will he?" A Hufflepuff girl's voice was trembling with tears.
Her eyes were full of fear as she looked at Draco.
"It's really cool... but it feels a bit..."
A Gryffindor boy touched his nose, but ultimately didn't dare to say the rest of the sentence, "Scary."
He swallowed hard, then shut his mouth sheepishly, afraid of getting himself into trouble.
Within the Slytherin camp, there was utter silence.
The usually arrogant little snakes were now all silent and trembling with fear.
Their gazes toward Draco were now filled with deep dread.
They had secretly rejoiced when Draco was sorted into Gryffindor and abandoned by his family, and some even wanted to teach him a lesson.
But at this moment, they felt a chill run from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads. This Malfoy was far more terrifying than they had imagined.
Ron stood there dumbfounded, his mouth slightly open, unable to close it for a long time.
Neville, standing in the crowd, remained deathly pale.
He looked at Draco's tall figure, his eyes filled with fear.
But deep within that fear, there seemed to be a trace of indescribable emotion.
Is it envy of this power to "not be bullied"?
Or something else...
He couldn't explain it himself, only that his heart was pounding and his breathing had become rapid.
In stark contrast to the fear of the crowd, Lavender, standing at the edge of the group, had a faint blush on her cheeks.
Her eyes gleamed with undisguised excitement.
Lavender lowered his voice and said to Parvati, " Patty... did you see that? That move he just made... Merlin... he was so... so cool!"
Parvati nodded emphatically. "I see! He's definitely not simple."
" Lavender! I bet he's hiding a huge secret! We've all misjudged him!"
Taking in the expressions on everyone's faces, Draco shook his head helplessly as he looked at the expressions of surprise and fear on their faces.
He slowly raised his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet. "Don't worry, this spell only works on Peeves, it can't be used on humans. It's just a targeted Banishing Charm."
His voice rang out calmly, carrying clearly throughout the entire corridor.
These words were like a lifeline, instantly calming everyone's tense nerves.
Many people breathed a silent sigh of relief, and their stiff bodies relaxed.
It cannot be used on humans!
That means that neither you nor your friends will ever be the target of this terrible curse!
As the clouds of fear dissipated, the seeds of curiosity quickly took root and sprouted.
"Only effective against Peeves? Merlin's beard is powerful enough! It's practically Peeves's nemesis!"
"A spell specifically for banishing Peeves? I've searched through all the magic books in my house, but I've never heard of it before?"
"No wonder Peeves was so scared, it turns out it was targeted by a spell specifically designed to counter it! That's incredible!"
The murmurs rose again, this time filled with amazement and curiosity, without a trace of fear.
But these words had absolutely no effect on Hermione.
Instead of relaxing, a hint of doubt flashed in her bright brown eyes.
Words alone are insufficient proof; who can prove that this spell truly only works on Peeves?
Moreover, what she was really worried about was not whether the spell would be used on people.
What she was worried about was the power of the Peeves to give orders.
Everyone knows how unbridled Peeves is at Hogwarts.
If one could control Peeves, it would be like holding a trump card that would allow one to dominate Hogwarts.
The next seven years of campus life will be smooth sailing.
This realization made Hermione frown even more.
A hint of wariness crept into her eyes as she looked at Draco.
Harry, standing to the side, simply breathed a sigh of relief and said nothing more.
Ron, on the other hand, muttered nonchalantly, "Oh, it only works on Peeves... That's alright, it scared me to death."
Lavender, however, seemed completely oblivious to the whispers around him.
She exclaimed excitedly to Parvati, "Listen! How kind and principled he is! Even with such immense power, he never abuses it! He's truly perfect!"
The way she looked at Draco was practically overflowing with pink bubbles.
Just then, a voice carrying a distinctly mocking tone suddenly came from behind the crowd, breaking the noise in the corridor.
"Oh, looks like we missed a good show."