Of course, Herman was also worried that Draco, by spending all her time with Harry, would develop a worse personality and have difficulty finding a husband in the future.
Herman felt that he was, at least, Draco's nominal "little brother," and although the title didn't sound very honorable, it did have some advantages. Moreover, since he held that title, he had to take on some responsibility.
He turned and walked toward the common room. As he pushed open the stone door, the silver-blue flames in the fireplace were dancing quietly, illuminating the entire room with a cool, bright light.
The common room wasn't crowded. A few older students sat on a sofa in the corner, talking quietly. Some were playing Wizard's Chess, while others were flipping through books.
Herman looked around but didn't see Draco or Harry.
He walked around the lounge again to make sure the two weren't there, then headed towards the dormitory corridor. He first went to Draco's door and knocked twice.
There was silence inside for a few seconds, then a series of light footsteps were heard, and the door was pulled open a crack from the inside.
Draco peeked out half her face, her golden hair loosely tied into a low ponytail, a few stray strands sticking to her forehead, and the collar of her robe askew, revealing a section of her fair collarbone.
When she saw it was Herman, she paused for a moment, then yawned, her eyes half-open and half-closed, her voice still groggy from just waking up. " Herman? What do you want with me?"
Herman looked at her; she seemed to have just woken up and gone to sleep right after lunch. She really wasn't afraid of gaining weight.
Is Harry there?
Draco yawned again and glanced down the corridor. "She's not here, is she? Her door was closed when I came back at noon. She probably isn't back yet."
After she finished speaking, she seemed to suddenly remember something, her eyes widened slightly as she looked at Herman: "You need to see her? Are you looking for her or me?"
Herman opened his mouth, but before he could answer, Draco chuckled and waved her hand, "Never mind, it's perfect. Wait for me a moment, I'll change my clothes and come out with me."
The door slammed shut in front of him, nearly hitting Herman's nose.
Herman stood in the corridor, looking at the closed door, silently reviewing the conversation in his mind, and felt that he shouldn't have said anything strange.
About five minutes later, the door reopened.
Draco had changed into her school uniform and her hair was tied up again, looking much neater than before, but the sleepiness on her face hadn't completely subsided, and she rubbed her eyes as she walked.
"What do you want with Harry?" she asked.
"Nothing much, I just had some free time this afternoon and was thinking of hanging out with you guys for a bit."
Upon hearing this reply, Draco tilted her head and glanced at him, her expression suggesting she was assessing something. "Haven't you been busy with your own things lately, like Alchemy and the Room of Requirement? What brings you here today?"
Herman was taken aback by Draco's suggestion, paused for a moment, and then casually made up an excuse. "I had plans for tonight, but I canceled them, so I'm free now."
Draco "Oh," without asking what the arrangements were. She took a couple of steps, then suddenly turned her head, a slight smile on her lips, "Let's go then, come with me to inspect the things."
Herman asked her where she was going, but Draco wouldn't say. She just walked ahead, her pace quicker than usual, her golden ponytail swinging behind her head.
The two left the common room and walked up the corridor, passing through several hallways adorned with tapestries, before turning into a narrow alleyway that Herman was not very familiar with.
After walking for a while, Herman recognized the direction; it was the way to the Quidditch Pitch.
Why did you take me to the stadium?
Draco did not answer, but continued walking forward, quickening her pace.
As the two walked out of the castle's side gate and onto the grassy path leading to the stadium, Draco slowed her pace, turned her head to look at Herman, and the sleepiness in her eyes was replaced by a bright, excited sparkle.
"My dad's sponsorship has arrived," she said. "The first batch of Nimbus 2000 has already been delivered. The Slytherin Quidditch Team is changing their gear this afternoon, and as the sponsor, I have to go and show up!"
Well, that makes sense. You can't just spend money without seeking recognition.
However, Herman immediately remembered that he seemed to have promised to give him a hand.
"What about mine?"
Draco blinked, as if she had been expecting his question, "Yours is in the second batch. The store doesn't have enough stock. The first batch only had a few, just enough for the main team. You'll have to wait a bit longer until they get it from a store in France or somewhere else."
Herman nodded, not in a hurry. He had limited interest in flying brooms anyway, so it didn't matter whether he arrived early or late.
As the two walked to the edge of the court, they could see several silver-green figures weaving back and forth in the air from afar, the air currents from the tails of their brooms drawing bright arcs in the sunlight.
The new brooms were much faster than the old ones; several players nearly collided while making a sharp turn, and their exclamations and laughter could be heard from afar.
Draco stood by the fence at the edge of the court, her hands resting on the crossbar, looking up at the figures flying in the sky, a simple happiness on her face, the corners of her mouth curving wider than usual.
Herman stood beside her, not looking at the field, but at her profile. The afternoon sun shone on her golden hair, making the stray strands almost transparent.
Just as Herman had predicted, Dumbledore convened a meeting of the professors.
However, it wasn't a plenary meeting; only the four deans of the colleges and Quirrell, who was considered the main person involved, were present.
The location is in the round room of Dumbledore's office.
Herman had never been inside the corridor on the Seventh Floor, but he had read about it in the original book and seen the wooden door from afar when he wandered around the castle after starting school. Inside, there were probably all kinds of silverware, bookshelves and portraits. The portraits of the past headmasters were dozing or pretending to doze off on the wall, which was very much in line with the style of the magical world.
However, the atmosphere in the meeting room was not relaxed at the moment.
Before Dumbledore speak, McGonagall launched into a fierce attack.
She sat in the chair opposite Dumbledore, her deep green robes impeccably tailored. Behind her spectacles, her gaze was like two sharp knives. Her voice was low, but every word carried an undeniable accusation. " Albus, I want to hear an explanation for Hagrid keeping Vampire in the Forbidden Forest."
Dumbledore sat in his high-backed chair, his fingers interlaced in front of him, his white beard drooping slightly, his azure eyes looking at McGonagall, without immediately refuting her.