For the latter half of Charms class, Hermione didn't say another word to Robert, sitting there sulking quietly.
Robert didn't understand why she was angry, but it didn't matter much—class was almost over anyway.
Next was Transfiguration.
To avoid any similar incidents, Robert deliberately sat behind and to the right of Hermione. That way, even if they were paired for practice again, he wouldn't have to worry about being with her.
"Well done."
Ron suddenly turned around and gave Robert a thumbs-up.
"What?"
Robert blinked, confused.
"About what happened in Charms class," Ron whispered. "That Hermione Granger always acts so stuck-up. She even thinks Harry shouldn't be on the Gryffindor team just because he broke some school rules!"
Although Ron tried to lower his voice, the classroom wasn't that large, and people weren't that far apart. It was impossible for Hermione not to hear.
Her expression darkened.
"Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Weasley. I had nearly forgotten that Mr. Potter also broke school rules."
Professor McGonagall had appeared beside them silently, her lips pressed into a thin line.
Ron jumped in his seat, turning around abruptly, clearly startled.
"Joining the team was something I specifically permitted," Professor McGonagall continued, "but that doesn't cancel the punishment for breaking school rules."
She turned to Harry, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Disrupting class order, unauthorized flying… Detention. You and Mr. Malfoy will report to my office next Wednesday at eight in the evening."
"I understand, Professor McGonagall," Harry replied with a bitter look.
"When did she even get here?" Ron muttered, his face pale from the scare.
"I don't know either," Robert replied. "Cats walk silently unless you see them. Seems like Professor McGonagall's the same."
"I'll remember that."
Harry glanced at Ron in dismay. "Why'd you have to say that extra sentence?"
Ron flushed, clearly embarrassed. "I—I don't know…"
"Forget it," Harry sighed. "Detention isn't a big deal, but with Malfoy? That's a nightmare."
Ron's face turned as red as his hair.
"Oh, right, there's something I need to clarify." Robert seemed to remember something suddenly. "In Charms class, I wasn't targeting Hermione. It's a good thing she's helping Neville—why would I target her?"
Ron looked at Robert like he'd just been betrayed.
"But you two… you argued. She's not even talking to you anymore."
"It's just a difference in philosophy," Robert said with a shrug. "First-year Muggle-borns have a similar learning curve. She's only been exposed to magic for a short time—there are things she won't understand yet. It'll be better in a few years."
"Alright, that's enough," Harry cut in, clearly frustrated.
He'd been planning to tell Ron not to badmouth Hermione, especially since he'd noticed Hermione was the only one who patiently helped Neville. But now he couldn't say anything, because somehow, in this whole mess, he was the only one who ended up punished.
Who could explain it? Things were going fine, and suddenly he had detention—with Malfoy, no less.
Harry regretted not acting sooner. If he had just covered Ron's mouth in time, none of this would've happened.
The atmosphere during Transfiguration class was tense. Harry and Ron were glum throughout the entire lesson, and Hermione looked just as distracted. Her head stayed down, and she seemed lost in thought.
She even poked two of the teaching beetles to death—something completely unlike her usual self.
Robert noticed and began to wonder: could this really cause the trio to fall apart?
But after observing them a while longer, he realized the odds were low—at least where Harry and Ron were concerned.
Even though Ron had gotten Harry detention, Harry didn't seem to want to distance himself. They still stuck together in class and afterward. They even consoled themselves with the fact that Malfoy also got detention—so it wasn't a complete loss.
That, in itself, was pretty surprising.
Hermione, however, ran off the moment class ended. She stayed silent through the afternoon lessons too, not saying a word until the final bell rang.
Everyone headed toward the Great Hall for the Halloween feast.
The Hall had been transformed, filled with vibrant Halloween decorations. Dozens—maybe hundreds—of enormous, hollowed-out pumpkins floated above, each carved into a different spooky design.
The moment Harry walked in, he forgot all about his punishment.
Robert walked alongside them but paused just before entering the Hall.
"Oh, you guys go ahead—I think I dropped something," he said.
"What did you drop, and where?" Harry asked.
"I'm not sure—maybe on the way here," Robert replied casually.
"I'll help you look."
Harry turned back immediately.
"No need. It's nothing important," Robert said quickly, holding out a hand to stop him. "You guys go in first. I'll look around. It's fine if I don't find it."
Since it didn't sound serious, Harry didn't press the issue. At Robert's urging, he and the others entered the Great Hall.
Robert, meanwhile, made his way to the nearby corner, where the Weasley twins were waiting.
"How's it going? Do you have what I asked for?" Robert asked quietly.
"When we take on a job, you can rest easy," Fred said, straight-faced. "We've got it."
"Where's our payment?" George stepped up.
"Right here."
Robert pulled a handful of silver Sickles from his pocket. "You won't be short-changed."
"Six silver Sickles. That's right." Fred counted them and then handed over a bulging brown paper bag.
"Pleasure doing business," he added. "If you need anything else, you know where to find us."
"We'll see," Robert replied, a little reluctant. "Your fee is steep. What I wanted only cost three Sickles."
"That's not how it works," George said, wagging a finger. "If this were Hogsmeade weekend, we'd fetch it for free. But it's class time—students can't go out. We're the only ones with connections."
"We took a risk for this trip," Fred added. "This price is more than fair."
"Alright, fair enough." Robert nodded. "Thanks for the trouble."
"It's no trouble if you come back again," George grinned. "Returning customers get a discount."
"If I ever need something…"
"Oh, you definitely will," Fred said with a knowing smirk. "You're not the rule-abiding type. We'll be seeing a lot more of each other."
Robert shrugged, not denying it.
"To show our appreciation, we've decided to give you a little gift," Fred said suddenly, pulling out a rolled piece of parchment from his robe.
"What's this?" Robert asked.
"A map," George said.
Robert's eyes lit up. Parchment… a map… Could it be?
"A map of the secret passages on the Fourth Floor," Fred added.
Ah. So not the Marauder's Map after all. Robert's hopes deflated slightly.
"We drew it ourselves," George continued. "If you run into another professor in that area again, this'll help you stay out of trouble."
"But Filch knows some of the secret passages too."
"Use with caution," Fred said with a wink.
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