Although being dragged along by Draco was a bit embarrassing, thankfully not many wizards saw them along the way. Otherwise, Hermione would've had a hard time figuring out how to explain it afterward.
Draco, who never cared about how others looked at him, had no idea what Hermione was worried about. To be precise, what he cared about right now was how Hermione and the others were so sure the Philosopher's Stone was about to be stolen...
"Are you even listening to me?"
"Huh? Did you say something just now?"
Draco shot her a helpless glance, then repeated his question.
"How did you come to the conclusion that the Philosopher's Stone isn't safe? In simple terms, how did you know someone was going to try and steal it today?"
Although she was fixated on something he said, Hermione wasn't in the mood to argue, so she chose to answer his question first.
"It was Harry. He found out from Hagrid how to get past the Three-Headed Dog, and he also learned that Hagrid told some stranger in a cloak about it. Hagrid was drunk at the time. The most important thing is—we can't find Professor Snape."
"So you suspect Snape?"
"Yeah."
Hermione nodded firmly. Draco looked her over from head to toe, his expression unreadable, until she averted her eyes in embarrassment.
Even though he didn't say anything, Hermione felt like he was silently judging her...
"I mean, wizards aren't exactly known for their logic, but I have to say—I'm impressed that you all think the Stone is in serious danger based on such flimsy 'evidence.'"
"....."
"Based on what you told me, I'm guessing you think the man in the cloak was actually Snape in disguise. He tricked Hagrid into trusting him with the dragon egg, got him drunk, and then somehow lured Dumbledore away from the school. Since Snape was one of the barrier designers, that would let him steal the Philosopher's Stone easily, right?"
"Wait—how did you know...?"
"Is that really so hard to figure out?"
"....."
Draco's mocking tone made Hermione puff up her cheeks in frustration. Unwilling to let it go, she dropped something that instantly changed the look on Draco's face.
Or rather, it was a name—one that belonged to a terrifying presence.
"Besides suspecting Snape, Harry also said it could be Voldemort... mmph!?"
The moment Hermione uttered that name, Draco suddenly gripped her hand tightly. In the blink of an eye, he covered her mouth with his palm.
Before Hermione could even question what he was doing, Draco—of all people—stepped forward and pressed in close. His sudden, forceful move sent a wave of panic through her eyes.
"Too... too close!!"
At this distance, she could see her own reflection in his eyes. The faint smell of ink and old pages clung to him, sending her mind into a brief blank haze...
It wasn't until Draco's serious and solemn voice reached her ears that Hermione finally snapped out of it.
"Remember, you can look down on the powerful—but not until you've become powerful yourself. Until then, you need to learn to respect them."
"…"
It was the first time Hermione had ever heard Draco speak in such a serious tone. His deep gaze felt like it was piercing straight through her, making her instinctively lower her head. She wasn't even sure if she'd properly processed what he said.
Seeing Hermione dazed like that, Draco frowned and tugged playfully at her soft cheek.
The gesture made her face feel like it was burning.
"You idiot, did you even hear what I said?"
"I-I did! Back off, it's too hot!"
She frowned and pulled away, but Draco still gave a final reminder, just in case.
"Powerful wizards can sense your location just from their name—if that person is really here."
"R-Really!?"
Hermione shrank back instinctively, startled by his words. She hadn't realized there was such a hidden weight behind the name they were never supposed to speak.
'Maybe that's why it became such a taboo among wizards?'
She wondered silently to herself.
In truth, Draco was exaggerating. There was no way to pinpoint someone's exact location like that. At most, a truly powerful entity might vaguely sense someone's presence, but certainly not in the way Draco made it sound.
Still, if that helped Hermione take the warning seriously, he didn't mind being a little dramatic...
...
Once Hermione grasped what he was trying to say, Draco circled back to confirm what she'd mentioned earlier.
"But... is that really true?"
"I'm not entirely sure. That's what Harry said. He suspects that Voldem— that person is after the Philosopher's Stone."
"I see..."
"So do you think it's true or not? If that person really didn't die back then."
"Who knows? Honestly, no one ever saw the body at the scene."
Because his father had been a Death Eater, Draco had heard whispers of certain details that had been kept from the public.
But he didn't feel like discussing that with Hermione—he just tucked the thought away.
Shaking his head, Draco started walking again, this time letting go of Hermione's hand.
"So where are you taking me?"
Hermione wasn't in such a rush anymore. After Draco's mocking... or rather, his pointed reminder, she'd come to a realization.
Maybe their actions really had been too rash and reckless. Now that she had time to think it through, she realized they'd acted mostly on impulse, without any sort of plan. For someone who prided herself on being smart, that was a little embarrassing—especially in front of Draco.
"Obviously, we're going to find Professor McGonagall."
"Eh? But..."
"That's because you lot went about it the wrong way. More importantly, I'm not a Gryffindor."
"..."
Hermione squinted at him.
So he still thinks we're idiots!
...
[Upto 50 chapters ahead for now]
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