Herman was silent for a moment, then mumbled, "I didn't look carefully."
Draco's cheeks seemed to have been touched from the inside out; a light blush spread from her ears and quickly covered her entire face.
She stopped in her tracks, while Herman, carrying the package, walked around her.
Draco walked a little faster than him, catching up and giving him a light punch on the back, the punch landing squarely on his shoulder blade. "You forgot! Don't you dare remember!"
Herman staggered forward from the blow, the bag on his shoulder swaying slightly. He steadied himself and continued walking, "I didn't see anything, I didn't remember anything, and I didn't understand anything you were saying."
Draco took two more steps and punched him, then stopped and didn't say anything more, but Herman could feel that her pace was much faster than before.
The two left the common room one after the other and walked along the corridor toward the castle. The afternoon sun shone on the stone floor of the corridor, casting long shadows of the two. Herman walked behind, the bundle on his shoulder weighing him down as he adjusted his center of gravity as he walked, Draco walked ahead, her pace quicker than usual, without looking back.
The light red on the back of her ears hadn't completely faded, and it still shimmered faintly in the sunlight.
Herman didn't speak, simply shifting the bundle to his other shoulder and continuing onward. The wind at the edge of the Forbidden Forest rustled softly through the treetops. Though he claimed not to remember, Herman's mind kept replaying the scene, even conjuring up images: under the clothes was underwear, and under the underwear was...?
I'm so sorry, I can't think about it anymore, I'm still a child!
He quickened his pace to catch up with Draco, the package on his shoulder swaying with each step.
Draco walked ahead without turning back, but her pace slowed down slightly, as if she were deliberately slowing down to wait for the people behind her to catch up.
As Herman approached the edge of the school, he saw a small group of people gathered in the open space ahead. The afternoon sun filtered through the gaps in the tree canopy, casting dappled patterns of light on the grass, like someone had scattered a handful of gold dust on the ground.
Some people huddled together whispering, while others stood on tiptoe and craned their necks to peer through a small fence gate, as if trying to discern something from the dirt path outside.
George and Fred stood at the front of the crowd, whispering to a few Gryffindor students. As always, their expressions were unserious. George gestured wildly as he spoke, while Fred nodded in agreement, occasionally chiming in with exaggerated expressions as if they were telling a horror story. The students around them played along, their expressions shifting with surprise.
As Fred spoke, he would occasionally glance towards the direction outside the school, as if checking to see if anything was approaching.
Draco slowed her pace noticeably when she saw the twins, her brow furrowing slightly as she muttered under her breath, "Why are they everywhere?"
Herman didn't reply because George had already seen him and was waving at him, "Hey! Herman!"
Fred turned and glanced at him, so Herman had no choice but to walk over. Draco reluctantly followed beside him, her steps slower than usual, as if she wanted to stay away from the twins.
George patted Herman on the shoulder. "How was your visit with Professor Malin last time? She was in a bad mood those days, but nothing bad happened, right?"
Herman recalled Marlene's icy expression and unusually cold tone from their last meeting, "It's nothing, just a bit cold. Nothing's wrong."
George nodded. "That's good. She's usually a nice person, just don't mess with her during those days."
Herman didn't reply, but shifted the package on his shoulder and glanced towards the direction outside the fence. "What are you doing here?"
Fred chimed in, " Professor McGonagall just informed us that we can't go to Hogsmeade anymore, saying it's not safe there."
George added from the side, "It's all Percy's fault. He came back from there this morning and reported to the professor that there were a lot of unidentified people in the village. Now we can't go."
Herman pressed, "Who are they? Dark wizards?" George shook his head. "There aren't that many dark wizards. No one can define someone as a dark wizard until they're on a wanted list. Besides, which Pure-blood families doesn't know a bit of Dark Magic?"
Fred added from the side, " Percy said those people were pale-faced, like they hadn't seen the sun in years, and some were covered in hair; they're probably the Vampire Werewolf the headmaster mentioned at the beginning of the school year."
George chimed in, " Professor McGonagall said all students are forbidden from going to Hogsmeade and from approaching the edge of the Forbidden Forest, citing security risks."
Just as Herman was about to ask another question, a voice rang out from behind the crowd. "Alright, leave now, don't linger."
Professor McGonagall had somehow moved to the edge of the crowd. She stood under the shade of an old oak tree, a few fallen leaves clinging to the hem of her dark green robe. She wasn't holding a wand, but her aura was enough to make everyone's voices fall halfway down.
Her tone wasn't harsh when she spoke, but each word seemed to be pressed into the air, and no one dared to linger for even a second longer after her words.
Her gaze swept over the gathered students, lingering for a moment on George and Fred, her eyes seeming to see right through their schemes. "And you two, get back to the castle. I don't want any more professors catching you lingering on the edge of the Forbidden Forest."
George and Fred simultaneously gave an exaggerated bow. "Yes, as you wish, Your Excellency."
After they finished speaking, the two of them ran off in a flash, much faster than when they came. Fred took a couple of steps and winked at Herman before turning around and catching up with George's back. The two of them went around an old oak tree one after the other and soon disappeared at the end of the path leading to the castle.
Professor McGonagall glanced at Herman and Draco, her gaze lingering for a moment on the large bundle on Herman's shoulder, but said nothing more. She turned and walked towards the castle, the hem of her robe sweeping across a fallen leaf as she turned, making a soft rustling sound. Her steps were quick, her dark green silhouette disappearing into the light through the shadows of the trees.
The crowd gradually dispersed. Some people looked back as they walked back, while others whispered about what had happened at Hogsmeade. The voices faded away with each step, until only a few students remained, still whispering among themselves. After being pulled back by their companions, they turned and walked towards the castle.
The open space fell silent, save for the rustling of the wind through the grass and the occasional birdsong from the depths of the Forbidden Forest. The distant gate cast a long, thin shadow in the afternoon light, and the dirt path outside was deserted, save for a few fallen leaves that were pushed along the ground by the wind.
Herman switched the bundle from one shoulder to the other and continued walking with Draco toward Hagrid's Hut.
As Herman walked, he mentally reviewed the words George and Fred had spoken. The appearance of Vampire and Werewolf in Hogsmeade didn't sound like a minor skirmish; it seemed more like something was slowly unfolding. He couldn't see the full picture yet, but he guessed it was probably related to him. The thought gave Herman a headache.