"Potter! Do you dare challenge me to a wizard duel?"
Malfoy glanced at Dylan secretly. Seeing that Dylan didn't react at all, Malfoy's eyes lit up.
"Did this guy have a falling-out with Harry? Haha, Harry is such a fool—always hanging out with those lowly guys. No wonder he offended Dylan!"
Thinking this, Malfoy became even more arrogant.
Still, he kept his voice low. He hadn't forgotten Dylan's warning—Dylan liked quiet.
During the flying lesson earlier, Harry and Malfoy had clashed over the test flight assessment between their houses. But under Madam Hooch's watchful eye, neither had dared to take it too far.
Now that class was over, Malfoy had unexpectedly approached to stir up trouble.
Harry, who always ignored Malfoy's arrogance, wasn't about to back down now. That would mean he was afraid.
However, he wasn't quite sure what a wizard duel entailed.
As he was still thinking of how to respond, Ron suddenly stood up and accepted the duel on Harry's behalf.
"A wizard duel? We accept!"
Hermione tried to stop him, but Ron was too quick.
Even after Malfoy and his cronies left, Hermione still hadn't gotten a word in.
She turned to Ron and Harry, who were huddled together, whispering excitedly.
Her eyes widened.
"A wizard duel? Do you want to lose house points? That's against school rules!"
Ron shrugged dismissively. "As long as we do it secretly, we won't get caught."
Hermione looked at him like he was an idiot. "And how exactly do you guarantee that?"
"If you get caught, all the points Dylan and I earned for Gryffindor will be deducted! You can't be so selfish!"
"We just don't want Gryffindor to lose face in front of Slytherin," Harry muttered.
Ron nodded. Neither of them looked at Hermione.
No matter what she said, they were determined.
Hermione sighed in frustration and turned to Dylan, who was sitting not far away.
At that moment, Dylan had just finished his last bite of steak. A satisfied expression crossed his face.
Eating well meant having more energy to read!
"They're acting like stubborn roosters," Hermione huffed. "It's like they've been hexed into acting childish. Can't you talk some sense into them?"
Dylan blinked at her. "What exactly do you want me to say?"
Hermione's eyes widened. "Obviously, convince them not to break school rules!"
Dylan glanced at Harry.
Ron and Harry, who had been whispering, stopped immediately and sneaked a glance at Dylan.
The moment Dylan's gaze swept over them, they quickly looked down.
They hadn't listened to Hermione, but if Dylan spoke…
"My personal opinion, Hermione," Dylan said calmly, "is that grades are just a brief footnote in life. They don't determine a person's worth."
Hermione frowned.
Dylan continued, his voice composed and deliberate. "What really matters is the effort put into gaining knowledge, the concentration in earning extra points, and the sparks that fly in our minds when solving difficult problems—not the final, cold numbers on a report."
"If you can understand that grades don't define your soul or your life, I guarantee you'll reach a level far beyond what you think is possible this year."
His words were spoken with a wisdom far beyond his years.
Hermione froze. Something about his words struck her, but she couldn't quite grasp the full meaning.
Still, she couldn't shake the belief that grades were important.
If grades weren't important, then what was?
And more importantly…
"So, you're not going to persuade them?" she asked.
Dylan shook his head.
Hermione's eyes widened.
"Hmph! You boys are impossible! When Gryffindor loses the House Cup, don't come crying to me!"
She stormed off, striding out of the Great Hall in frustration.
Dylan watched her go, shaking his head helplessly.
He had no interest in meddling in Harry and Malfoy's affairs.
After all, Harry was the future savior. A little recklessness was normal.
Malfoy had picked a fight with Harry. Though Dylan hadn't been paying attention, he had caught the general situation.
The reason he didn't intervene was simple—he had been enjoying his meal.
And besides, it wasn't necessary.
As he told Hermione, grades meant nothing to him. Learning two extra spells was far more valuable.
Maybe winning the House Cup would add another achievement to his record, but…
It wasn't as if Harry and Malfoy's duel was guaranteed to go unnoticed.
And even if they got caught and Gryffindor lost points…
So what?
Even if Gryffindor's points were reduced to zero…
Old Dumbledore would never let another house take the House Cup.
With a little behind-the-scenes manipulation, Gryffindor would still win in the end.
Did anyone really believe that Dumbledore wouldn't secretly help Harry?
So, with Harry around, there was no need to stress about Gryffindor's standing.
Dylan could just focus on studying magic peacefully.
Let Harry handle the drama while he reaped the rewards.
It was the perfect arrangement.
"I knew it, Dylan!" Ron grinned. "You're not like Hermione, freaking out over some house points. You wouldn't just sit back and let Gryffindor get humiliated by Slytherin!"
Seeing that Hermione had left in frustration and Dylan hadn't tried to stop them, Ron was so excited that he nearly rushed over to hug Dylan.
Dylan, who had just stood up from his chair, widened his eyes in alarm.
Ron's body stiffened mid-motion. He awkwardly withdrew his arms.
"I have no objection to you dueling," Dylan said calmly. "But since you've made your decision, you'll have to bear the consequences yourselves."
He glanced at both of them.
"As a friend, I still have to remind you of that."
After a brief pause, he added, "Also, don't assume you won't get caught. If you do, both houses will lose points. And the teacher who catches you might be Professor Snape."
"Ah?!"
Ron's and Harry's enthusiasm faltered immediately.
In their minds, Snape's cold, sneering face loomed.
"I'm off to ask a professor for private lessons," Dylan said, picking up his bag. "You two take care of yourselves."
He packed his belongings, took out his notebook, and started flipping through it as he walked toward the Great Hall doors.
(End of Chapter)
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