"This is a noble wizard duel, Miss Know-it-all," Ronald whispered disdainfully upon hearing Hermione's muttering.
It seemed that he wasn't about to entertain nonsense he couldn't understand.
"But now that I think about it, I don't know much," Harry admitted, his initial enthusiasm for the duel waning.
Having agreed to a duel, Harry began to regret his decision when he realized how little he actually knew. He had only been in class for two or three days, and his first actual spells class was scheduled for the following afternoon. At the moment, he knew only a handful of spells, and most of those were taught to him by Ronald.
Ronald shared Harry's regret when he heard this. He hadn't considered the fact that Draco Malfoy, coming from a noble pure-blood wizard family, probably knew more spells than both of them combined. In agreeing to the duel, Harry had essentially set himself up for failure.
Luke, observing the situation, intervened. "If you have time to worry about that, you might as well read a couple of books," he suggested. He placed another copy of "The Standard Book of Spells" in front of Harry. "Like this one, it's got some useful basic spells."
As a true friend of Malfoy, Luke knew that Malfoy's intentions were far from noble. Harry and Ronald were playing right into his hands, and it was clear that these two weren't thinking things through.
Malfoy was unlikely to risk detention in a midnight duel, and Luke suspected that Filch, the caretaker, was probably preparing for something tonight.
"Want to take a walk by the lake?" Luke asked Hermione, putting away the book. "I've heard the view there is quite nice."
Harry's eyes lit up at Luke's suggestion. "Are you two going on a date?" he asked with curiosity.
Before anyone could respond, Hermione smacked Harry smartly, and a blush crept onto her cheeks. "It's not a date," she stammered.
Luke didn't deny it. "A date or something," he teased with a grin.
....
The noon sun wasn't too harsh, and a gentle breeze ruffled the sky. After leaving the library, they strolled along the edge of the serene Black Lake.
Hermione was curious. "Is the Slytherin common room really beneath this lake?"
Their Gryffindor common room was on the eighth floor, and of all the common rooms, Slytherin's was the most intriguing and unique.
"Absolutely. Every night when I go to sleep, I see all sorts of fish and even the occasional giant octopus," Luke replied with a grin.
In a way, Slytherin was like a high-end aquarium.
Many other students were also by the lake, chatting in groups. Occasionally, pairs of older students, a boy and a girl, could be seen walking hand in hand.
Hermione glanced down at her hand holding her notebook and quickly shook her head. Such thoughts were unacceptable to her.
"What's going on in that brilliant mind of yours, Miss Know-it-all?" Luke looked back at the dense forest in the distance, teasing Hermione.
Hermione blushed and quickly defended herself. "I don't know what you're talking about!"
Hermione halted and cast a discerning gaze at Luke, her brown pupils narrowing slightly.
Luke also came to a stop, gazing out at the lush green lawn before sitting down without a care for the grass.
"Being a jack-of-all-trades might suit you well," he remarked.
"After all, it implies knowing a bit about everything." he added.
"People used to mock me for that," Hermione replied.
Observing Luke sitting down, Hermione hesitated briefly before joining him.
"It seems like you haven't made any friends in Gryffindor," Luke commented.
Luke pulled two lollipops from his pocket, offering one to Hermione. "I can say the same for those little snakes in Slytherin," he admitted. "Well, except for Malfoy; he's my only friend in Slytherin."
Friendship could take on various forms, such as Luke's bond with his owl and his budding friendship with Malfoy.
"Draco Malfoy?" Hermione took the candy, her thoughts turning to the blond wizard who had recently challenged Harry in the library. "He seemed rather unpleasant."
"Perhaps, but I think he's not all bad," Luke countered, recalling their shared experience with the illusion the previous night.
As they continued walking and conversing, they eventually found themselves at the edge of a dense forest.
"This is the Forbidden Forest," Hermione explained, her memory serving her well as she recited Dumbledore's words from the start of the school year. "Headmaster Dumbledore strictly forbids students from entering."
Now, it was just the two of them in this secluded part of the forest.
After gazing into the depths of the forest for a moment, about to turn away, they suddenly heard a booming voice.
"Hey, what are you two young lads doing here!?"
Recognizing the familiar voice, Luke and Hermione simultaneously turned to see Hagrid, the same giant of a man who had welcomed them to the school at the start of the year.
"I remember Headmaster Dumbledore saying we shouldn't be here!" Hermione exclaimed, concern in her eyes.
"Approaching the Forbidden Forest without permission can lead to point deductions and detentions!" Hagrid warned sternly.
"Sorry, Mr. Hagrid, we got a bit turned around during our date," Luke explained, politely addressing the groundskeeper.
Hermione, feeling flustered at the prospect of losing house points, was surprised when Luke suddenly took her hand and interjected.
"On a date?!" Hagrid's eyes widened, recalling the two young wizards he had guided to the school only a few days earlier.
He hadn't expected them to pair up so quickly. It had been a mere few days since they'd arrived at Hogwarts.
"Look how young these two lads are, Merlin the world is becoming more crazier each year!" Hagrid couldn't help but exclaim.
"Be on your way, but no more unauthorized visits, or I'll have to inform Headmaster Dumbledore!" Hagrid cautioned with a hint of gruffness.
As Luke and Hermione departed, hand in hand, Hagrid watched them go and couldn't help but marvel at these two students as well as despair due to his single status.
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