In Paris, where the romantic ambiance blended with historical grandeur, Bryan became entangled in matters affecting Hogwarts. Meanwhile, back at Hogwarts, Hermione had been nervous all day. She had just been assigned to help with what appeared to be a physical education class, but was, according to Fred and George, actually a military training course.
As the gloomy sky darkened, her state became increasingly hysterical.
After dinner, in the noisy common room, the small groups involved in this class had gradually gathered. Hermione paced back and forth by the fireplace, imagining the situations that might occur later. Her anxious appearance made the already nervous Neville appear even more helpless.
"No need to be so tense, Hermione—"
Hermione and Neville had been appointed as assistants by Professor Watson, which was absolutely a good thing for Gryffindor. Harry was also pleased about this.
"If anything happens, we won't just stand by."
"You don't understand, Harry!" Hermione muttered distractedly, her mind consumed by the weight of her responsibilities.
"Something is bound to happen, right? I must be fully prepared so as not to betray Professor Watson's trust. If Professor Watson returns and sees that the physical education class he values so much has disbanded, I will definitely be expelled from Hogwarts!"
Hermione's ominous assumption made Neville even more nervous. He helplessly darted his eyes around, hoping someone could offer a reasonable suggestion.
"But Professor Watson has given you authority, hasn't he?" Ron interjected; his voice coming with the crunch of a potato pie as he relished in Hermione's frantic appearance.
"If those slimy Slytherin snakes dared to cause trouble, you could have them clean all the castle's bathrooms. I think you should talk to Percy; he has a book called 'How Prefects Gain Power.' When Percy knew that he was appointed as a prefect that summer, he always kept that book in his hands. Rumor has it that it contains a thousand legal reasons to detain young wizards in detention."
Neville's eyes lit up, looking like he wanted to say something but didn't know how. However, Hermione sternly stopped him.
"We can't abuse our authority, Neville!"
"If you're really worried about classroom discipline, Hermione—" Harry hesitated for a moment before offering a more sensible suggestion. "I can ask Sirius. I think if he appears in the classroom, those Slytherins definitely won't dare cause you any trouble."
This method was indeed not bad, and even Hermione was somewhat moved. However, after brief contemplation, Hermione still shook her head slightly.
"Professor Watson obviously hopes we'll get some training, so this is our own matter. What's the point of seeking Sirius's help?"
"Malfoy, that little bastard won't care about righteousness and morality, silly girl," Fred's voice rang out in a light tone as the mischievous twins descended the rotating staircase, their footsteps echoing with a sense of unrestrained energy.
"Regardless, we need to rely on ourselves," Hermione said, the gleam in her eyes gradually becoming resolute.
Harry and Ron exchanged a helpless glance, their shoulders shrugging in unison. They both knew Hermione very well; she was brilliant but sometimes liked to go down dead ends. Moreover, once she made up her mind about something, not even ten dragons could pull her back.
It was already past seven o'clock in the evening. The Gryffindor group was ready to go, seeing that Hermione still couldn't completely shake off her tense mood. Ron tossed the remaining potato pie into his mouth and stood up as well.
"I can call Seamus and Dean. If that little bastard Malfoy dares to cause trouble for you, just give us a signal, and we'll rush in and give him a good beating."
"Oh—" Hermione raised an eyebrow, looking at Ron with a slight smile flashing across her lips. However, she eventually took a deep breath and said seriously, "Thank you, Ron, but I don't think that will work."
"Don't worry, we'll keep an eye on her for you!" Fred and George said, ruffling Ron's hair vigorously before leaving arm in arm. Harry didn't have a chance to say goodbye to Ron, as he was busy encouraging Neville. After all, compared to Hermione, the pressure Neville would face as an assistant was obviously a bit greater.
Ron stood on the sofa by the fireplace, watching the stream of people leave the common room. For some reason, he suddenly felt a pang of discomfort in his heart.
"Hey, Ron, want to play a round of gobstones?" Dean waved at him from a few seats away.
"Okay—" Ron shook his head, pushing aside the strange feeling, and sat down across from Dean, avoiding the obstructing sofa.
"Have you finished the essay Professor Sprout assigned, Dean?"
"No—" Dean bent his head, fiddling with the props. He replied casually, "But there are still a few days left, right?"
"Oh, of course!" Ron shook his head, his expression gradually becoming calm.
On their way to the special classroom, Hermione and the others encountered Luna, who was climbing the stairs alone. However, her face showed no sign of unease or loneliness.
"Good evening, Luna—" Hermione glanced at the pocket behind Luna's bottom, where she had rolled up the sheaf of parchment Professor Watson had given her, supposedly allowing one to see annoying Wrackspurts and crumple-horned Snorkacks, and tucked it in the back.
"How are you feeling?" Hermione inquired tentatively, her voice laced with genuine concern.
"Very good," Luna said cheerfully. However, her silvery eyes revealed a strange emotion that was quite contagious. Even Hermione's furrowed brow unconsciously relaxed after meeting that gaze.
"I can see them more clearly now," Luna explained, her voice brimming with an infectious enthusiasm. "Which means perhaps one day I can avoid their harassment. Oh, my father will definitely be surprised by the depth of Professor Watson's research on them. Today, I was considering whether to write him a letter about these methods—"
No one responded to Luna's words, or rather, they wanted to reply but didn't know how.
Hermione glanced curiously at the rolled-up parchment tucked behind Luna's bottom and, after a moment's thought, she carefully suggested, "Um, you mean you want to show your father Professor Watson's research notes on those Wrackspurts? Er, I think it's best to get Professor Watson's permission first."
After a few simple conversation, Gryffindor's group had arrived at the physical education classroom. The Hufflepuff students had almost all gathered, and the remaining three Ravenclaw girls had also arrived. Harry wondered why they didn't invite Luna along, but when he saw the tall, thin figure of Cedric Diggory surrounded by the group of Ravenclaw girls, his mood soured inexplicably, and he forgot about standing up for Luna.
Some Slytherins had also arrived. They glanced indifferently at the Gryffindor group before returning their gaze and continuing their own conversation.
Professor Watson had often been absent for entire days recently, and even during mealtimes, he was nowhere to be seen at the staff table. Therefore, the students from the other three houses were unaware of his departure.
Over the next ten minutes, the classroom door opened and closed ceaselessly, as the remaining students trickled in, gradually filling the room. Malfoy and Parkinson also entered during this period. They were all waiting for Professor Watson, who habitually appeared at the last moment.
Harry eavesdropped on Cedric's conversation with the three Ravenclaw girls, but as the class start time approached, his attention returned to Hermione and Neville. Neville looked hopeless, standing as stiff as a block of wood, while Hermione, noticing Harry's worried gaze as she tried to calm herself with rapid breaths, gave him a reassuring look.
"Ahem!"
At precisely 7:59 p.m., Hermione's voice rang out, a sharp cough that reverberated through the room – This was a pre-arranged signal. The Gryffindor students immediately began lining up, while the students from the other three houses, however, found themselves bewildered by this sudden display, their expressions a mixture of confusion and curiosity.
Neville also tried to return to his position, but Hermione grabbed him and held him back.
The trembling, sweat-drenched Neville immediately made the young wizards in the room, whose observational skills had been honed, realize that something might happen.
Some were curious, while others remained indifferent.
"Ahem!" Hermione's voice rang out once more, a deliberate cough that once again caught everyone's attention. Her piercing gaze fell upon Luna, who was standing off to the side in a daze.
"What?" Pansy Parkinson sneered. "Did your throat get clogged with frog brains, Granger?"
Laughter immediately broke out in the classroom, mostly from the Slytherins, though some Hufflepuffs also found Parkinson's words funny.
"In fact!" Hermione's voice rang out, clear and unwavering, her resolve steeled by the mockery that sought to challenge her. In that moment, the anxiety that had previously gripped her heart dissipated, replaced by a newfound determination that burned brightly within her heart.
Her gaze did not linger upon Pansy Parkinson, nor did she tried to acknowledge the insult. Instead, her eyes swept across the assembled students, her voice carrying the weight of authority as she said loudly,
"Professor Watson left Hogwarts this morning on business. To prevent any disruption to the progress of this class, before leaving, he appointed me, as well as Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood, as assistants for this class to supervise the daily training during his absence from school. Now,"
Hermione paused, drawing a deep, steadying breath, her resolution unwavering even in the face of the Slytherins's contemptuous reactions to her words. "I hope you will line up quickly so we can begin today's training!"
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