Herman stared at the lake-like patterns on the ceiling for two seconds, then said, "Tell me not to lead you astray."
Draco blinked, as if she didn't understand. "You're leading us astray? You even need Harry to show you where to eat tonight."
Herman didn't answer; he couldn't very well say that he'd been warned not to date Harry.
Harry closed the black book, stood up from the chair next to the bookshelf, and then sat down in another armchair near them, leaning casually against the armrest. She glanced at Herman and said in a soft but clear voice, "Tomorrow night, midnight, see you in the common room."
Herman was silent for two seconds, then tried to make a final attempt. "I feel like I'll get a minor illness tomorrow night, nothing serious, but the kind that keeps me from leaving the house all night."
Draco instinctively asked with concern, "Is it a curse? Should I ask the school doctor for you? The school doctor is very nice."
Harry's lips curled into a smile as she looked at Herman and said, "No need for the school doctor, I can cure Herman's illness. All he needs to do is exercise with the dog. What's the spell again? 'Bark, Bark Summoning!'"
Herman's thoughts instantly returned to the train, and he could almost feel the big black dog's sticky tongue on his body again. He immediately jumped up from his chair. " Harry, you really are a miracle worker! Just hearing the incantation, I feel like tomorrow should be fine. Twelve o'clock, right? I'll wake you up then."
Compared to Snape's threat, Harry was clearly someone who couldn't be offended, especially since she lived right across the hall.
Moreover, Herman was somewhat curious about the third-floor corridor, wanting to see if the plot had gone astray.
Draco looked at Herman, then at Harry, and hesitated for a moment. "Is it that effective? Harry, you can even heal curses?"
Herman looked at the bewildered Draco and sighed, "Go to sleep early, you'll have to stay up late tomorrow night."
After saying that, he turned and walked towards the dormitory corridor.
As Draco watched Herman's retreating figure, she suddenly felt a sense of weariness, or rather, a sense of faltering gait.
It's just that Draco doesn't understand Chinese, otherwise she could at least recite a line from a poem. "The wind howls, the Yi River is cold, the hero departs, never to return."
When Herman entered the Great Hall early the next morning, many people were already seated at the long table.
He had just sat down in his usual spot at the Slytherin table, and before he could even pick up his fork, a greyish-brown owl flew in through the high window, its wings fluttering past the rows of candlesticks, and landed precisely on the edge of the table in front of Herman, a tightly rolled-up newspaper in its beak.
Herman took a few Knut from his pocket and placed them on the table. The owl picked up the coins and dropped them into a small cloth bag at his feet. It then tapped the newspaper with its beak, as if to say, "Good news today," before flapping its wings and flying away.
Herman unfolded the newspaper; the front page of the Daily Prophet featured a bold headline. " Gringotts Wizarding Bank Invaded, Ministry of Magic Investigates."
The accompanying image is a picture of Gringotts gate, with several Goblin in dark robes standing at the entrance, their expressions rather grim.
He quickly skimmed through the text. The report said the robbery had occurred a few days earlier, though the exact time was not disclosed, but the Ministry of Magic had confirmed that a vault had been broken into.
The Goblin faction declined to disclose the vault's serial number or ownership, only stating that "there was no loss, the vault was empty, and the security system has been upgraded again."
Minister for Magic Fudge stated in the report that he was "concerned about the security management of Gringotts and would establish a special task force to conduct an investigation and assessment of Gringotts."
Herman read the newspaper again. Although there was no specific date, based on the text, the robbery must have occurred around the time he carried Harry's bag while shopping at Gringotts, or even on the same day.
He recalled the day he ran into Hagrid at Gringotts. Hagrid was coming out of the direction of a vault, carrying something in his pocket, with an expression that said, "I've accomplished something big."
He didn't think much of it at the time, but now, thinking back, the vault that was broken into was likely the one Hagrid had visited, and Dumbledore probably arranged for Hagrid to take the contents beforehand.
The plot seems to be on the right track.
Herman put down his newspaper, picked up a fried egg with his fork, and his gaze unconsciously swept over Harry across from him.
She was slowly sipping a glass of Pumpkin Juice, her expression as calm as if she were reading a shopping list.
Herman looked away and glanced down at the words " Gringotts " on the front page.
Voldemort still went after the Philosopher's Stone, albeit a step too late, but at least it shows that the general direction of the plot hasn't changed.
But what if he's wrong? What if the stolen vault has nothing to do with the Philosopher's Stone, or Hagrid took that day was something else entirely?
As he was thinking, Harry's voice came from the other end, unhurried. "You've seen me twice."
Herman paused, then asked, "What?"
"The newspaper." Harry gestured with her chin toward the newspaper in Herman's hand. "You looked at the front page, then looked at me twice. What are you suspecting?"
Herman quickly put down his newspaper. "No, I was thinking about the robbery."
"Why should I be involved in your robbery plans?" Harry's tone remained unchanged, but a slight smile played at the corners of her lips. "You suspect Black did it? You think I scouted the place first, and then he went in at night? You even think that going to Knockturn Alley that day was to pass on Gringotts security information to him?"
Herman felt a chill run down his spine; her train of thought was spreading far too quickly.
He quickly shook his head. "No, I didn't mean that at all. I just glanced at the newspaper and then habitually looked up at the people around me. That's normal, isn't it?"
Harry looked at him, not responding immediately, as if weighing the credibility of his words.
Herman felt a chill run down his spine under her gaze, and was about to offer another explanation when Harry suddenly tilted her head, the probing tone vanishing. "You were quite certain just now, were you really sure it wasn't Black who did it?"
Herman paused for a second. He was certainly certain, having read the original books and knowing who had committed the Gringotts robbery. But he couldn't bring himself to say it aloud, so he could only vaguely reply, "Yes, I'm sure, because I trust you."
Harry looked at him for a few seconds, then looked away, picked up her Pumpkin Juice, and took another sip.
When she put down her cup, Herman noticed that the curve of her lips was slightly deeper than before, as if she had been gently tugged by something happy.
Draco, sitting next to Herman, took the newspaper from him, glanced at the front page, and then said "Oh," with a casual tone that suggested she was used to it. "My father mentioned this a few days ago. He and some friends went to Gringotts to ask around for a long time, and when they came back, they said the Goblin looked like they'd swallowed flies."
She paused, then added, "But Fudge is quite happy. He says it's a good opportunity to get involved in Gringotts' management. If the Goblin can't provide a reasonable explanation, the Ministry of Magic will have a chance to intervene, and then they won't have to keep borrowing money from my father."
After Draco finished speaking, she looked at Herman again. "Why are you so concerned about this?"