"No matter what the truth is, I can't disappoint them." Her knuckles were already turning white from clenching her fists.
Hermione slowly walked to Malfoy's seat and sat down as casually as possible.
"Hmm?" Sensing the movement around him, Malfoy glanced at her and his gaze never left her.
Hermione's heart tightened. "Is there a flaw somewhere?" Hermione felt her entire body tense up.
"Hmm, the dean is amazing. This robe doesn't look like it has been stained with ink." Malfoy was actually sizing up her robe. "Oh right, that Potter didn't come back with you?" He continued to ask.
"He was still being lectured by Professor … Si." Hermione heaved a sigh of relief and answered. She had almost blurted out Snape's name just now, causing her to be worried again. Luckily, she changed it back.
"Our dean really 'cares' for Potter." Malfoy said with a half-smile. He recalled the fantasies of fujoshis in his previous life and could not help but have goosebumps.
Speaking of which, he was also one of the victims of the BL world.
"How is it? I think you're definitely not in the mood to eat anymore. Why don't we go back to the lounge?" Malfoy asked Hermione after teasing himself in his heart.
"Sure." Hermione tried to speak as little as possible, and this was exactly what she wanted. It was easier to get information when there were fewer people around.
Malfoy only felt that his brain was about to explode, so he decided to relax. " Training Pansy should be a good way to relax. He felt that there was a need to test the results of his teaching today.
Their departure did not attract much attention. Most of the students' attention was still on the food in front of them.
They turned through many passageways and finally came to an empty, wet stone wall. Through here, they could reach Slythrin's lounge.
"Purebred." Malfoy said.
A stone door hidden in the stone wall slowly opened. Malfoy strode in, and Hermione followed closely behind.
This was Hermione's first time in the Slytherin Common Room, and perhaps her last. It was a long, narrow, low basement with rough stone walls and ceiling. Round, green lights hung from the ceiling on a chain. In front of them was an exquisitely carved mantelpiece, where a fire crackled. Perhaps it was still too early, but most of the students were still eating in the auditorium. Now there was no one but the two of them. The light of the fire in the fireplace reflected the figures of Hermione and Malfoy.
"Old rules," Malfoy said as he approached Hermione.
"What is he doing?" Hermione's face was as red as a boiled crab. Only then did she remember that Malfoy and Pansy had always been close. She felt an inexplicable sourness in her heart.
"Hmm, your face is so red. Do you have a fever? Malfoy put his hand toward Hermione's forehead. "No, the temperature is normal." He looked Hermione up and down. "I won't fall for your shameless act. There's no use pretending to be sick. You can't be careless about this." He reached his hand out toward her.
"What is he trying to do? He's actually forcing it?" Hermione felt like her heart was about to explode. Teenage girls were ignorant when it came to such things, and it was normal for their imaginations to run wild.
"Fine." Malfoy seemed to remember something, and he let go of his hand. "I forgot you didn't bring your wand." Malfoy stroked his chin and glanced to the side. He walked over and picked up an ordinary wand. It must have been left here by either Crabbe or Gore.
"Make do with it." Malfoy tossed it to Hermione. "Don't just stand there." Malfoy saw Hermione standing there in a daze after catching the wand, and he was angry. "What are you waiting for?" he asked.
"Your weapon!" A red light suddenly shot out from the tip of Malfoy's wand and shot toward Hermione.
"Armor!" Hermione thought that she had been discovered, and her heart was in a mess, but she still subconsciously used the Iron Armor Spell.
The charm bounced off and rushed toward the flames in the fireplace, disappearing into thin air.
"Not bad." Malfoy's furrowed brows relaxed, and he sounded very happy. "You've improved a lot," he said.
Hermione let out a sigh of relief. Now she could guess the reason for his behavior, and she blushed even more at her shameful thoughts.
"Isn't this a good chance to cut to the chase?" Hermione had a flash of inspiration, and she said in a complaining tone, "But it's useless against the Basilisk." Her heart was beating like a drum, and she was afraid to hear him say, "It's fine, I can control it anyway."
Malfoy looked at Hermione strangely and said, "You're actually concerned about the Basilisk? Didn't you always say that Dumbledore and I can protect you? Aren't you worried at all? "
Hearing this, Hermione felt a pang of regret. She felt that she had been too rash, and she began to feel nervous again, afraid that she would be discovered.
But Malfoy was just saying that. He then added, "Indeed, if we really encounter the Basilisk, it's useless." He seemed to have thought of something that gave him a headache. He took a deep breath and said, "The skin of the Basilisk is very likely to have the properties of armor like dragon skin. It can reflect spells that hit it. Only its eyes and mouth are the only weak points in its defense." He shook his head. "Although I don't want to, wizards may only be able to hurt it with physical attacks. Weaker spells may even be reflected."
"But you don't have to worry. The Basilisk will only target non-pure-blooded wizards. You're very safe."
Hermione was both happy and disappointed. She was happy that Malfoy was not the one who controlled the Basilisk, and disappointed that she did not find out the truth. But she still asked, "Then … why was the one from the Weasley family petrified as well?"
Malfoy looked at Hermione suspiciously. "You're a little strange today. Usually, you don't care about these things." But he continued, "He must have other reasons." Malfoy's vague words made Hermione suspicious again.
"How would he know there are other reasons? Could it be …" Hermione did not want to think about it anymore. She had obviously made him suspicious, so she could only talk about other things.
The question and answer were peaceful, but Hermione felt that her suspicions had deepened. Malfoy's answer made her suspicious, and Hermione felt that she was further away from the truth. She even let her imagination run wild. "Does he even hide it from the people closest to him?"
Suddenly, footsteps came from outside the door. The other students must have returned. Hermione estimated the time. The compound decoction's effect was about to wear off. She had to find an excuse to leave. This time, not only did the conversation not work, it only made Hermione even more confused.
Just as Hermione was about to find an excuse to leave, something happened.
"What did you just say?" Malfoy asked a female student who had just entered.
"I said, I heard that Professor Lockhart is near the girls' washroom. He said he seemed to have found clues about the Basilisk." The female student had a look of admiration on her face. Lockhart was now like a savior for the welfare of the people, giving up his rare Christmas break to take risks for the safety of the students.
A male teacher loitering in the girls' washroom was definitely abnormal enough, so he had to find a reasonable excuse.
"Here's my chance." Malfoy was excited. Riddle was finally going to make a move. He then held Hermione's shoulder and said, "I'm in a hurry. You stay here and don't go anywhere."
A person's imagination was powerful. Before the truth was known, any action could lead to the "truth" that was thousands of miles off. At that moment, in Hermione's eyes, Malfoy was like Achilles who had been discovered and was desperately trying to cover up his weakness. Her heart clenched.
But she still forced herself to calm down and nodded. "Okay."
Malfoy immediately got up and ran out of the door. But in Hermione's eyes, the excitement on his face had a different meaning.
"No, I have to stop him," Hermione said to herself. "Professor Lockhart is there too."
After a while, when Malfoy was far away, she hurriedly left the Slythrin common room. She didn't even have time to change her clothes. She was afraid that if she was late, there would be another sacrifice. She didn't think of reporting to the other teachers at all, because Lockhart was there. She believed in him.
Perhaps she was a little selfish. She hoped that if Malfoy could mend his ways, only one or two people would know of his repentance. That way, he wouldn't be expelled.
Hermione walked through the dim corridors. The walls of the corridors were still flashing with the words left behind by the snake monsters when they came out to harm the students. She was extremely anxious. She walked to the door of the crying Myrtle's washroom. Suddenly, she heard a series of syllables that were both familiar and unfamiliar. It was Malfoy's voice.
Her instincts told her that she should remember it. Just as she was memorizing it, she recalled that these syllables seemed to be the strange words that Harry had said on the stage. This made her even more confused. "Is Harry involved in this matter too?" She shook her head, believing that it was just a coincidence. Harry should be being lectured by Snape right now.
Not long after, the voices stopped. She rushed into the washroom and found the crying Myrtle sitting on the innermost toilet tank, shivering.
Hermione had thought that ghosts wouldn't feel fear.
"The third one!" Myrtle's voice sounded extremely weak. "You're the third one to come here today." Her voice was reminiscent of fear. She seemed to be recalling very bad memories.
"Where are they now?" Hermione couldn't help but ask. She needed to hurry. Normally, she would have chosen to flatter Myrtle with a few words and then get some information out of her.
Myrtle pointed at the sink in front of her. Hermione hurried over. The sink looked normal. She examined it inside and out, up and down, even down to the water pipes.
"This faucet never produces water." For some reason, Myrtle's voice suddenly sounded happy.
"What about the other two people?"
Myrtle's face was filled with fear again. She said softly, "They both said something to the faucet that I didn't understand … and then …" Myrtle seemed to have thought of something. She screamed, rose into the air, turned around, and fell headfirst into the toilet bowl. The water splashed onto Hermione, and then disappeared.
Hermione had no choice. She knew that she couldn't get any more valuable information from Myrtle. So she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to imitate the voice that she had just heard.
The voice was very strange, like the sound of a snake hissing.
Suddenly, the faucet emitted a bright white light and started to spin rapidly. Then, the sink started to move. They watched as the pool slowly disappeared from their sight, revealing a very thick pipe that was large enough for a person to crawl into.
Would Gryffindor be afraid of danger? Of course! There was no one who did not fear danger, but would they shrink
back because of it? The answer was very obvious.
Hermione went into the pipe without hesitation.