As the mocking remark fell, the noisy crowd seemed to be parted by an invisible hand, automatically moving aside to make way.
Fred and George walked out side by side, both wearing loose Gryffindor school uniforms.
They all wore the same sly smile.
It was clear that they had just stumbled upon the tail end of this turmoil.
Fred whistled loudly first, his bright eyes scanning back and forth between Draco's face and the wand in his hand.
After taking a quick look, he grinned and said, "Quite a show of force, Malfoy. I didn't expect you to have such abilities, even managing to tame that troublemaker Peeves."
George stepped forward, casually putting his hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed on the terrified Peeves.
Even so, that Peeves's fear of you goes far beyond mere apprehension; it's terror.
Fred picked up the thread and cut to the chase. "To sum it up—you can boss Peeves."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples.
This statement was far more powerful than Draco's earlier reassurance that "the spell only works on Peeves."
The atmosphere in the corridor, which had just eased slightly due to the "cannot be used on people" warning, instantly froze again.
All eyes were once again focused on Draco.
Hermione's breath hitched, and she abruptly looked up at George, a hint of approval flashing in her eyes.
That's what she thought too.
While spells may indeed have limitations and be unable to affect humans, where are the boundaries of the command relationship established based on extreme fear?
How will Draco use this near-controlling power?
Will it make Peeves behave itself, or will it be used to deal with those it dislikes?
This made her even more wary than the mysterious spell itself.
Hermione looked at Draco's profile, her brows furrowing even more, her bright eyes filled with deep thought.
Ron stood there awkwardly, glancing at his two older brothers, then at Draco, opening his mouth as if to speak, but ultimately saying nothing.
He felt that George's words were all reasonable and hit the nail on the head.
But I also had a nagging feeling that bringing things up so directly would only make the already tense atmosphere worse.
The other students started whispering again.
"To command Peeves... Merlin's beard, that's far more effective than simply driving him away!"
" Peeves is a seasoned veteran at Hogwarts; nobody can control him!"
"Won't he let Peeves play pranks on others in the future? If they get targeted, won't they never have a peaceful day?"
"That's terrifying... just thinking about it sends chills down my spine."
Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed intently on Draco, awaiting his response.
Draco simply smiled faintly, his smile remaining calm and composed, showing no sign of panic.
He surveyed the crowd around him and said calmly:
"I'll say it again: since the start of the semester, I haven't shown any malice towards anyone; on the contrary, it's been others who have repeatedly attacked me."
"I have never repaid kindness with ingratitude. Doesn't that prove anything?"
Upon hearing this, Lavender and Parvati, who were on the edge of the crowd, almost cheered.
Lavender clenched his fist excitedly and said, "He's so powerful, yet he never bullies others! Even if he's bullied, he won't seek revenge!"
" Merlin, he's just like those knights in those stories who endure hardship and have noble hearts!"
Parvati nodded repeatedly, refuting the doubts around him:
"He's right! Fred and George are just being unreasonable! Malfoy... no, Draco didn't do anything wrong! He was just protecting himself and his classmates!"
Fred and George exchanged a glance, a hint of amusement flashing in their eyes.
Clearly, they hadn't expected Draco to react this way, nor had they anticipated that he would have such supporters among the students.
They didn't say anything more, but their smiles deepened.
Ron stood there, his expression growing increasingly hesitant.
He felt that George's questions were all reasonable, but Draco's answers also sounded "reasonable."
Yes, thinking about it carefully, Draco doesn't seem to have caused any trouble since the start of the school year.
Even when faced with provocations from his former Slytherin companions, he mostly avoided fighting and never initiated a conflict.
Most students shared the same thoughts as Ron.
"It seems... right? He's been pretty quiet since school started; I haven't seen him cause any trouble."
"Yeah, he was abandoned by his family and sorted into Gryffindor, he must be feeling really bad, right? And then he gets bullied by his Slytherin classmates..."
"He didn't use that spell on anyone else, he only used it on Peeves. Peeves deserved it!"
"Aren't George and the others making a mountain out of a molehill? They already said it's just Banishing Charm, it won't hurt anyone."
Of course, some people hold different opinions.
For example, Hermione always felt that controlling Peeves was inherently risky.
But she didn't voice her doubts; she simply stood silently by and watched how things unfolded.
"But it's a fact that he can order Peeves..."
Someone muttered something under their breath, but it was quickly drowned out by the murmurs of the crowd.
After all, having just gone through that commotion, no one wanted to provoke Draco again.
As long as he doesn't use that power on himself, that's enough.
Just as Draco was about to speak, intending to say something to Peeves was suspended in mid-air...
George stepped forward again, his gaze falling on Draco's wand, and said:
"Interesting. So, Malfoy, where did you learn this 'trick' you use to deal with Peeves?"
"Does your Malfoy family's secret techniques include such an unorthodox Banishing Charm?"
Draco looked up at George, his eyes calm and expressionless, a half-smile playing on his lips, "Otherwise what? Then where do you think I came from?"
George grinned, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth. "Interesting. We'll keep an eye on it."
George finished speaking, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from the end of the corridor.
Footsteps were accompanied by Professor McGonagall's stern and familiar reprimand.
"What's all that noise over there?! Are the hallways of Hogwarts for loitering and making a racket?!"
Clearly, the magical fluctuations just now, coupled with the students' exclamations, had finally attracted the professor's attention.
Upon hearing Professor McGonagall's voice, the students in the corridor instantly fell silent.
Many people instinctively shrank back, a hint of panic showing on their faces.
Professor McGonagall was always strict and couldn't stand students making noise and fooling around in the hallways, let alone causing such a commotion.
Draco, however, seemed not to hear at all, and did not even turn around to check the professors' positions.
His grey eyes remained calm, as if everything around him was irrelevant.
Finally, his gaze slowly settled on the still trembling Peeves in front of him...