To be honest, the main reason everyone had gathered here this afternoon was because of Draco's invitation.
For Pansy and the others, this was something entirely new. Draco had never been the one to take the initiative. If anything, it was almost always them who unconsciously gravitated toward him.
When they first heard about it, they were overjoyed. But that excitement quickly turned into a faint sense of grievance once they realized that they weren't the only ones who had been invited.
That only made Pansy and the others even more curious. Draco hadn't given them any details beforehand, so all they could do was guess that he must have something important to say.
Watching Draco walk toward them, Pansy instinctively glanced at Hermione, who had just set her book aside….
"Why are you looking at me?"
"What do you think Draco wants to talk to us about?"
"…How would I know?"
"You don't know? Aren't you supposed to be the clever one? Our Miss Know-It-All should be able to analyze it, shouldn't she?"
"Huh? If anyone should know, wouldn't it be you? You and Draco grew up together as childhood friends. Don't you understand him well enough?"
The two girls somehow ended up snapping at each other again, leaving Astoria, who couldn't get a word in edgewise, feeling both amused and helpless.
Only someone who truly understood their peculiar dynamic would realize that Pansy and Hermione actually cared a great deal about each other. These kinds of arguments had long since become part of their everyday life.
Especially when it involved Draco, there was no hope of the two of them sitting together quietly….
Perhaps this was what people meant by love and hate intertwined.
Ignoring Pansy and Hermione as they started bickering again, Astoria toyed with the end of her hair and cast a curious glance at Draco. There was a faint seriousness to his expression. She then subtly looked past him, toward Goyle and Crabbe as they began spreading out around the area.
'An open, unobstructed field of view… Is he making sure no one's hiding nearby? It must be something very important to Draco.'
Although no wand had been drawn, and it hadn't reached the point of attacking anyone who approached, it was obvious that the easygoing looks on Goyle and Crabbe's faces had vanished, replaced by tension and focus.
They were clearly acting on Draco's instructions.
At the very least, it was now clear that within several meters of their group, no wizard would be able to get close enough to overhear their conversation.
As for a Disillusionment Charm or someone's invisibility cloak, those wouldn't be able to fool Draco either. He was far too sensitive to fluctuations in magical energy for that….
…
Just as Astoria had observed, thanks to Draco's deliberate arrangements and careful choice of location, only four figures could be seen by the lakeside, Draco included.
Any other wizards who tried to approach were driven off before they even got close, chased away by Goyle and Crabbe stationed around the perimeter.
The moment Draco drew near to Pansy and the others, he caught the faint sound of soft snorts coming from Pansy and Hermione.
It seemed that his arrival had not only brought their argument to a temporary halt, but had also united them against him.
For reasons he couldn't quite grasp, the looks Pansy and Hermione cast his way sent a chill creeping up Draco's spine.
Fortunately, Astoria, who appeared completely unfazed, stepped in and smoothly came to his rescue…
"So, Draco," she said, "did you invite us here because there's something important you want to tell us?"
"Ahem. Take a look at this first."
"What is it?" Pansy was the first to take the parchment Draco pulled out from beneath his robes.
Curious, she frowned slightly as she examined the parchment, which held only a single line of text. Hermione and Astoria, equally intrigued, leaned in closer.
"Looks like an address?"
"…This doesn't seem to be in Britain. It looks like Romania?"
It wasn't written in any obscure magical script, nor did it contain any strange or troublesome instructions. It was simply a string of text, an address to some unknown place.
Faced with their successive questions, Draco lifted the hem of his robes and sat down across from the girls. Without explaining right away, he spoke in a firm, serious tone.
"Memorize it first. Then burn it."
"Alright… got it!"
"I don't really understand, but that's not hard."
"Mm… I think I roughly understand what's going on."
Trusting Draco without reservation, Pansy gave the parchment a cute little shake in her hand. Hermione's brows were knit with confusion, but she didn't refuse his strange request either.
As for Astoria, she seemed to have guessed something and fell into thoughtful silence…
...
It was written in Draco's own elegant handwriting.
[Strada Eroilor, 26, Piatra-Neamt, 610053, Romania.]
That single line was the only thing written on the parchment.
If anything, it really did take some effort to remember. After all, for three girls who had grown up in Britain, this address was completely unfamiliar.
Its structure, so different from the way addresses were written in Britain, left them all feeling bewildered.
What puzzled Pansy and Hermione most was why Draco would put such an address in front of them, and even insist that they commit it to memory.
Romania wasn't exactly far for wizards, but it was still a place that seemed to have little to do with their daily lives…
Was he planning to move?
Or did he want to take them on a trip?
Before they could figure out the reason, they suddenly realized something strange. This long string of text seemed to carry a peculiar power. With just a single glance, without any conscious effort, it branded itself into their minds.
It was as if, the moment they closed their eyes, the address would naturally surface in their thoughts…
"Draco?"
"What's going on… I think I've already memorized it?"
"So that's how it is."
Unlike Pansy, who was clearly clever but tended to rely on Draco and therefore didn't think things through on her own, and unlike Hermione, whose background meant her understanding of the wizarding world still lagged behind in certain areas,
Astoria, as a member of one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight families, immediately thought of a specific spell.
The Fidelius Charm…
...
The Fidelius Charm.
In the wizarding world, it was an extremely complex and highly unusual spell. It provided no convenience in everyday life, nor did it enhance a wizard's combat abilities. Its sole purpose was to hide a secret within the soul of a living person.
It was also worth noting that in the wizarding world, any magic involving the soul was usually classified as dark magic.
However, because of the Fidelius Charm's unique nature and its irreplaceable importance, it stood apart as one of the most special spells of all.
And now, without even realizing it, Draco seemed to have demonstrated the astonishing nature of this spell to Pansy and the others…