Chapter 670: The Girls’ Hostility It would not be quite right to say Draco had forgotten about Pansy and the others.But not wanting them to see Fleur, that really was wha |
Naturally, Draco had no way of knowing what that Mundungus had said to Alastor Moody and the others.
But for Draco right now, what mattered more was how Harry Potter had managed to learn the dark magic Sectumsempra, along with the deeply irritating stare Alastor Moody kept fixed on him.
As far as Draco was concerned, he had every reason to suspect that if Nymphadora had not stopped him, that old Auror, deep into the final stages of paranoia, might have attacked without the slightest regard for whether Harry Potter lived or died.
For all anyone knew, in that old Auror’s eyes, trading Harry Potter’s life for a dark wizard with limitless potential would be a deal worth making a hundred times over.
Somehow, Draco could read that barely perceptible meaning in the other man’s gaze...
Still not lowering his wand, Draco tilted his head.
“It seems our Professor Moody has no intention of stopping.”
“...”
Even though Draco had never attended a single one of his classes, he still used that form of address to remind them of certain things. Hearing it, the blue light in Alastor Moody’s magical eye flickered on and off, while his wooden leg began to ache faintly.
It was humiliation.
And worse still, those words had come from an enemy...
Pushing Nymphadora Tonks aside, Alastor Moody swept a cold look over Fleur Delacour and the others gradually drawing nearer.
“Clumsy rhetoric. If that’s all you’ve got, it won’t be enough to make me lose my composure, young Malfoy.”
“Is that really so, our... Professor Moody?”
They had originally thought that once Fleur Delacour appeared, the conflict between both sides would not continue.
But as magic began to rise around Alastor Moody and Draco, things seemed to be heading in a very bad direction...
...
Compared with the obedient Fleur, Nymphadora at Alastor Moody’s side seemed a good deal more troublesome.
Their disagreement only made Alastor Moody’s ugly face, already enough to make a child cry, look even more terrifying.
And the more it came to that, the less willing Nymphadora was to give way.
Because she knew exactly what this man was capable of...
“Move aside. Don’t force me to act against you, Tonks!”
“You’ve gone mad, Moody! Don’t tell me you don’t know how important Harry is to Dumbledore.”
“He’s old, Tonks.”
Draco had absolutely no interest in their sudden argument or the meaning behind those words.
He nudged Harry Potter, who seemed about to stand up, with the tip of his wand, and his serious voice rang out.
“Sectumsempra... where did you learn it?”
“What do you mean?!”
Harry Potter had indeed learned how to cast Sectumsempra, but he knew absolutely nothing about where the spell had come from.
Not understanding what Draco meant, he assumed Draco was simply humiliating him.
Especially with that condescending gaze looking down on him, it made his oversensitive heart twist, and for a moment he wanted nothing more than to get up and punch Draco in the face...
Noticing the completely genuine shift in Harry Potter’s expression, Draco seemed to understand something.
“I see. With your level of scheming, you probably wouldn’t be able to hide anything from me anyway. So it seems you really don’t know.”
“What exactly are you trying to say?!”
“Calm down. As a ‘prisoner,’ you shouldn’t vent your emotions so carelessly.”
He bent down and prodded Harry Potter’s forehead with the tip of his wand.
But that gesture, which sounded like advice on the surface and was really a provocation underneath, not only failed to calm Harry Potter down, it made his emotions explode even further.
His out-of-control magic made his robes billow outward.
But before Harry Potter could raise his wand again, Draco, right in front of everyone’s stunned eyes, fired off a spell.
“Stupefy!”
A red flash burst from the attack spell.
And hit Harry Potter dead on.
At that range, there had never been any chance of missing...
At that moment, everyone could see it clearly.
Because he had been hit from so close up, and because he had never expected Draco to really attack, Harry Potter’s unconscious expression was still frozen in the anger of the previous instant. He had not even had time to react.
His whole head snapped back at a wildly visible angle.
His eyes rolled upward, and spit dribbled from the corner of his mouth.
All of it clearly showed that the Stunning Spell had worked.
His body arched back, and both knees hit the ground.
Anyone who did not know what had happened might have thought this was some kind of performance art from Harry Potter...
...
Even Alastor Moody had not expected Draco to strike so suddenly.
Fleur Delacour, however, was the first to react. She hurried forward and surrounded Alastor Moody and the others, afraid she might not be able to help Draco in time.
But what no one, Nymphadora included, had expected was that Alastor Moody did not fly into the rage they had imagined, nor did he immediately hurl several spells at Draco.
Instead, he merely cast a cold glance at Harry Potter’s upturned pale eyes, then stopped paying him any further attention.
Because Alastor Moody knew perfectly well what he needed to do right now...
They looked each other in the eye.
Unaffected by emotion, Alastor Moody coldly said, “You’re even more troublesome than I imagined... young Malfoy.”
And bolder than I imagined too.
That was the part Alastor Moody did not say aloud.
In the end, after sweeping a glance over the people around them who seemed to have noticed the disturbance and were starting to approach, the air in front of Alastor Moody suddenly warped, and his figure vanished from everyone’s sight.
That was Apparition used for rapid movement.
Draco made no move to stop him or chase after him. He only silently turned his gaze toward Nymphadora Tonks, who had been left behind...
Faced with that kind of abandoning-her-companion behavior, Nymphadora looked rather helpless, and her hair changed to blue in an instant.
“You’ve become not cute at all, Draco.”
“...”
“All right, all right. Your anger should be gone by now, right? So can you hand over that reckless little brat Harry to me now?”
Everyone present, including the Alastor Moody who had just left, knew perfectly well that Draco had shown mercy just now.
Otherwise, things never would have developed this “peacefully,” and Alastor Moody would not have left so decisively.
Of course, the bigger reason was that Nymphadora had refused to cooperate with him at all.
And just as Nymphadora was waiting for Draco’s answer, the professor responsible for student safety on this trip finally arrived at the scene.
“What happened here? Wait, I remember you... you’re Tonks, aren’t you?”
The one who recognized Nymphadora was Horace Slughorn, who could clearly remember every outstanding student...
...
To be honest, it was not surprising that Horace knew Tonks.
Before this, Nymphadora had not only been an elite Auror, she had also carried the Black family name. There was no reason for Professor Horace, with his fondness for gathering talented people around him, not to try getting to know a gifted witch like Nymphadora.
And in fact, judging from Nymphadora’s reaction, she really did seem to have some acquaintance with Horace.
What was interesting, though, was that Horace now acted as if he had not even seen the current situation, simply chatting away with Tonks on his own.
If not for what he had said at the beginning, you might even have thought Professor Horace had gone a bit senile...
Leaving aside for the moment why Horace was acting like this.
What could be seen now was that Molly Weasley, worried that Ginny might do something rash, only stepped forward after Alastor Moody had left, making her way over to Harry Potter’s side without meeting any obstruction.
Not knowing the full story, Mrs. Weasley did not rashly turn and question Draco beside her. If anything, she felt a little grateful that Draco had shown restraint.
Under everyone’s gaze, Molly Weasley crouched down and called to Harry Potter.
“Harry! Harry!”
Draco made no move to stop Molly Weasley from helping Harry Potter, and Fleur and the others did not say anything either.
In truth, although Fleur Delacour and the others had looked as though they were about to fight the other side to the death just moments ago, they knew perfectly well that now was not the time to make enemies recklessly.
Especially not with Dumbledore, who, though injured, was still someone no one wanted to provoke for no reason.
Because no one knew just how important Harry Potter was in Dumbledore’s eyes.
Nor did they know what other hidden cards he might still be holding.
At the same time, with Molly Weasley no longer standing there watching her, Ginny also took the chance to slip over behind Draco...
“Are you hurt? Are you all right?”
“You think something could’ve happened to me?”
“How should I know? I couldn’t see clearly from that far away. But I know very well how hard that spell is to deal with.”
When it came to Sectumsempra, Ginny really did have some right to speak on it.
After all, the sight of those Death Eaters dropping out of the sky one after another still surfaced in her mind from time to time.
But while Ginny was busy asking after Draco with concern, she did not notice that Fleur’s expression beside them was gradually turning a little off.
Even Luna, who had followed her over, noticed the look Fleur was giving her.
That look seemed to be saying... since when was there another one?
Mm... Fleur had not said a word, but her expression had already given away exactly what she was thinking.
In any case, perhaps Fleur’s stare was simply too focused, because only then did Ginny, noticing it at last, belatedly remember that this person existed too.
Isn’t that the champion from Beauxbatons? She’s actually on Draco’s side?
Ginny naturally knew Fleur Delacour, who had once been chosen as one of the Triwizard champions. You could even say she knew her very well.
Because during the Triwizard Tournament, no matter where she went or when it was, Ginny could almost always hear the boys talking about Fleur.
Not only that, her brother Bill Weasley had also often kept Fleur’s name on his lips.
As for why that was the case.
Supposedly, while transporting that Thunderbird to Hogwarts, Bill had fallen in love with Fleur Delacour at first sight.
Although up to now, the two of them still had not exchanged a single word...
Of course, it was not just Fleur’s beauty.
Her reputation recently had not been small at all.
If her brothers Bill and Charlie could be said to represent the younger generation of the Order of the Phoenix, then Fleur Delacour, who had gradually made a name for herself in Lucius’s camp, was the next young leading figure under Draco.
In other words, her opportunities to spend time with Draco had increased greatly.
Thinking of that, when Ginny looked at Fleur Delacour again, a trace of subtle hostility inexplicably appeared in her eyes...
...
As a mixed-blood Veela who was used to being looked at strangely wherever she went, Fleur noticed the almost tangible wariness in Ginny’s eyes immediately.
That discovery made Fleur freeze for a moment, and once she realized what it meant, she tilted her little head and shot Draco a flirtatious, exasperated look.
That playful expression made Draco glance at her several more times...
After all, being a few years older, Fleur understood much more clearly than the still rather clueless Ginny Weasley why the other girl would feel hostile toward her.
I should have guessed.
That highly distinctive red hair, along with that report in the Daily Prophet.
Fleur Delacour instantly realized that among the two girls Draco had rescued from the Death Eaters, one of them seemed to have been a witch from the Weasley family.
In that case, that Weasley had to be the girl right in front of her...
After glancing at Ginny Weasley, who seemed intent on staying close to Draco, Fleur lifted a hand to brush her silver hair back and directly stepped in to block her.
“Shouldn’t the person you ought to be worrying about first be Mr. Potter?”
“...”
“Look, your mother is telling you to hurry over.”
Fleur was not making that up. In fact, Molly Weasley, who needed help and was also somewhat unwilling to see Ginny getting too close to Malfoy, really was waving to Ginny and telling her to come over quickly.
And after Fleur pointed it out, there was no way Ginny could pretend not to see it anymore...
“You!”
“Hmm?”
“I’m not going over there. At the end of the day, Harry Potter is the one who’s in the wrong.”
Don’t be fooled by how cute Ginny looked. She was not some obedient little girl, and in fact she had a bit of a rebellious streak.
So the smugger Fleur looked, the less willing Ginny became to do what she wanted.
What Ginny did not realize was that this reaction only made Fleur even more certain of what she had been thinking...
But compared with jealousy, Fleur understood far better why she was able to stay by Draco’s side.
After casting Ginny Weasley a glance, Fleur waved a hand, signaling the wizards behind her to leave.
Then, putting away the deeply enchanting smile on her face, she finally looked into Draco’s eyes.
“Although we already knew from Dobby that you would be appearing in Hogsmeade, the fact that we failed to anticipate something like this really was negligence on our part.”
“Oh?”
“After this, I will report everything truthfully.”
“Mm.”
“You’re not curious why I’m here?”
“Not really.”
Fleur’s serious expression nearly cracked. The faintly throbbing vein at her temple made it obvious she suddenly had the urge to punch him.
“...So, shouldn’t you explain clearly what exactly happened to you? Of course, when we’re alone.”
“!?”
Ginny, who had been quietly listening until then, suddenly jerked her head up the instant she heard that.
The glare she shot at Fleur Delacour seemed to say only one thing.
So this is where the knife comes out.
This was your real purpose all along, wasn’t it!
As for why Ginny was so certain, that was probably just a girl’s sixth sense...
...
Although she was not entirely sure why, Ginny had the distinct feeling that Fleur Delacour was dangerous.
Especially the way she moved. Like a cunning little fox who knew exactly how to play her games...
No, I have to keep an eye on this one for Hermione.
With that thought in mind, Ginny flicked a light glance at Draco.
Having found herself a perfectly reasonable excuse, Ginny, who had felt a little guilty a moment ago under Fleur’s half-smiling gaze, straightened her still-youthful body again and planted herself directly between Draco and Fleur without the slightest politeness.
The wary look on Ginny’s face only made Fleur’s smile brighten further.
Dangerous and alluring...
As for the invisible clash between the two girls, Molly Weasley seemed not to notice it at all. All of her attention was on the unconscious Harry Potter.
It had to be said.
Although Harry Potter had no blood relation to Molly Weasley, when it came to care and motherly affection, even Ron, her own son, could not compare to Harry Potter.
And because of that, Draco’s actions only made Molly Weasley feel even more repulsed and resistant toward him.
It had nothing to do with right or wrong.
It was simply that people always had those they were close to and those they were not.
And Draco was clearly one of the outsiders...
In any case, after seeing that Harry Potter had only been knocked unconscious, Molly Weasley finally let out a breath of relief and then turned to glare at her youngest daughter in displeasure.
“Ginny, come here! Didn’t you see how Harry got hurt?!”
Although she did not vent the anger in her heart directly on Draco, Molly Weasley believed she could at least make Ginny stay away from him with ease.
No matter how the matter had started, and regardless of who was right or wrong, she had to keep the people around her as far away from this Malfoy as possible.
Because Molly Weasley could feel it.
This Malfoy was simply too dangerous.
...
As someone who had partly been involved and who knew what had really happened, Ginny naturally had no intention of listening to Molly Weasley.
At the end of the day, if Harry Potter had not been so impulsive, things would never have turned out like this.
Besides, she knew very well what Draco looked like when he got serious.
Even so, faced with her mother’s anger, Ginny still instinctively lost some of her nerve. In the end, cowed, she could only shuffle back to Molly Weasley’s side one reluctant step at a time.
“...”
She was not sure whether it was just her imagination, but Ginny thought she saw Fleur smile at her like a fox.
That only made Ginny’s already sour mood sink further.
As for Luna, she was the same as always. She still looked absentminded, silently trailing behind Ginny as though she did not care about anything.
Probably only Draco noticed that beneath Luna’s ripple-clear eyes, she was not actually as calm and indifferent as she appeared.
At the very least, Draco caught a rare trace of dissatisfaction in her eyes over Harry Potter’s behavior...
Just as Molly Weasley cast a Levitation Charm on Harry Potter, Nymphadora came over and looked toward Draco.
“I never thought the next time we met would be like this.”
No one knew what Nymphadora and Horace had just been talking about.
Only then did Draco notice that Professor Horace had already left. And not only that, as he departed, the Hogwarts Potions professor had also conveniently driven off the wizards who had started gathering after noticing the disturbance.
He had not given them any chance to figure out what had happened here.
That odd behavior made it seem as though he and Nymphadora had reached some sort of understanding...
Noticing the looks from Draco and Fleur, Nymphadora shrugged.
“I figured Cousin wouldn’t want other wizards finding out about what happened today either. As it happens, Horace and I know each other a little, so I asked him for a small favor.”
Rather than an explanation, it sounded more like an excuse meant to conceal something.
But Draco had no intention of digging deeper. Looking at Nymphadora, whose hair had turned green again, he slid his wand back into the snake-headed cane.
That movement seemed to act as a signal. A beat later, Fleur lowered her wand as well.
Though it was subtle, Nymphadora and the others visibly relaxed a little too.
Only then did Draco finally have the chance to properly look at this cousin he had not seen in a long time.
Come to think of it.
The witch standing before him, the very one who hated being called Nymphadora, really did come from the Black family.
More precisely, she had once been one of the Blacks...
Just like the other Blacks, she was gifted.
Exceptionally talented.
And she had inherited that fine bloodline as well, with a beautiful heart-shaped face and a pair of glossy black eyes.
In Draco’s eyes, Nymphadora looked like any other young and rebellious witch, wearing one of the Weird Sisters’ shirts, patched jeans, and bright hair that reflected her moods.
Rebellious, lively, and still young, she was also at the peak of her strength as a witch.
So Draco did not seem at all surprised that this reckless cousin of his had joined the Order of the Phoenix.
“I suppose I should say it was only to be expected.”
Although Draco’s words seemed rather abrupt, Nymphadora appeared to understand them and let out a soft laugh, as though pleased that Draco understood her.
But in the next second, the smile vanished from her face because of what Draco said afterward...
“Was it because of Sirius? Is that why you joined them?”
“...”
Draco had only said it casually, yet to his surprise, she immediately fell into a gloomy, self-reproachful silence.
Not only that, her hair, now turned a dark grayish brown, reflected her current mood perfectly.
Or rather.
This Nymphadora was her real self. The cheerfulness from earlier had all been an act...
Still puzzled, Draco then noticed Ginny frantically shaking her head at him, as though trying to warn him, and Molly Weasley looking at Nymphadora with open concern.
It seemed they knew the reason.
Had Sirius Black’s death really dealt her that severe a blow?
Or was there something else he did not know?
...
While Draco was still thinking, Molly Weasley and the others disappeared into the wind and snow with Harry Potter, who was still unconscious. Ginny and Luna were taken along as well, as if staying behind would expose them to some kind of danger.
And the one bringing that danger was, naturally, Draco Malfoy.
But this outcome was exactly what Fleur had wanted most.
Because now there was no one left to interrupt her time with Draco...
Without a sound, she stepped a little closer to him.
“Come to our base. It’ll also give you a chance to see our situation for yourself.”
Clever as she was, Fleur did not say outright that the reason she had appeared here at all was because of her own selfish motives.
Instead, she expressed her intentions in a different way, one that would be very hard for Draco to refuse.
Subtle, yet easy to understand.
It was exactly that ambiguity that made it so hard to resist.
Sure enough, Draco did not reject Fleur’s suggestion right away, and he really did want to know the details...
But before that, there were still a few things he wanted to ask first.
“Was setting up this base here Father’s idea?”
“That’s right. We tried to make a deal with Dumbledore, but he seems very resistant to outside wizards entering Hogwarts. Since there was no other option, we had to choose Hogsmeade, the closest place to Hogwarts.”
“Wait... you’re saying Dumbledore refused?”
“Yes. Dobby was only able to get in smoothly because of your connections. I’ve no idea why, but those house-elves seem to have a very favorable impression of you.”
Naturally, Draco knew perfectly well why Dobby had been able to enter Hogwarts and work there.
Perhaps even Dumbledore himself, as Headmaster, did not know.
As early as last year, Draco had already built a good relationship with the house-elves working in the kitchens, and together with Hermione’s constant efforts, that was what had led to this result...
More than that, though, Draco was even more curious about what Fleur had just said.
He frowned.
“If what you said is true, then why was Cedric... no, why were those Ministry wizards allowed inside the school?”
It seemed that compared with the Ministry, Dumbledore was even more wary of Lucius’s faction...
...
Lost in thought, Draco did not notice Fleur watching him from the side.
Quiet like this, she was hard to connect to the commanding Fleur Delacour from moments before.
Perhaps because the wind and snow were so fierce, Fleur’s delicate little face was now pink from the cold, adding an extra touch of sweetness and charm.
And that focused look in her eyes, that shifting gaze, gave her not only cuteness but also a sort of feminine allure.
As time passed, perhaps because Fleur’s gaze had simply become too intense, Draco sensed something and looked up...
“...”
“...”
At moments like this, silence said more than words ever could.
It was rare enough to see even a trace of awkwardness on Draco’s face, but Fleur blinked her fox-like eyes in surprise, those long lashes fluttering as if they were casting a spell on him.
“You... seem a little different.”
“...”
“You didn’t use to let your eyes wander like that.”
“Ahem!”
Seeing Fleur place a hand over her chest, and seeing the reproachful look on her face, Draco, feeling guilty, let his gaze drift away.
Clearly, his eyes had just landed somewhere they should not have.
And yet, although Fleur ordinarily should have hated this sort of irritating stare, right now, along with embarrassment and annoyance, there was also a faint sweetness mixed in.
More than that, her heart was pounding wildly, making her press her lips together in an unnatural way.
So that was it.
It was not that she no longer hated such rude stares.
It was only because the one looking at her was Draco...
...
Even in the middle of a snowstorm, for some reason, the body still began to heat up.
Not only that, perhaps because Honeydukes was nearby, even the air Draco and Fleur were breathing seemed tinged with a cloying sweetness.
It was not an unpleasant feeling.
But Draco’s instincts were telling him very clearly that if this atmosphere continued any longer, he was probably going to be in trouble.
So under Fleur’s gaze, Draco hurriedly spoke up to break the increasingly delicate mood...
Brushing at snow that was not even there on his shoulder, Draco forced his wavering eyes elsewhere.
“Ahem. Weren’t you going to take me to your base? I happen to have something I want to discuss with Dobby.”
“Mmm...”
That soft nasal murmur from Fleur nearly made Draco miss his footing.
It had to be said, he had definitely underestimated a Veela’s charm and overestimated his own self-control.
Shooting Fleur, who looked utterly innocent, an annoyed glare, Draco finally took the lead and started walking deeper into Hogsmeade.
But before he had gone very far, a voice reached his ears that made his heart stop for a beat.
“Draco, where exactly do you think you’re going?”
“You haven’t forgotten about us, have you?”
“Ahem, ahem, ahem!”
The corner of Draco’s eye twitched slightly.
Keeping his expression under control, he slowly turned toward the source of the voice.
There stood Hermione Granger, one hand on her hip and a cold smile on her face.
And beside her was Pansy Parkinson, looking pitiful while eyeing Fleur with open caution.
As for Astoria, she was standing to one side watching the show, the look in her eyes practically saying there was no saving him, which made Draco’s expression stiffen.
Well.
He had known he must have forgotten something...
...
It would not be quite right to say Draco had forgotten about Pansy and the others.
But not wanting them to see Fleur, that really was what he was thinking at the moment.
As for why, perhaps even Draco himself had never really thought it through.
Only, before he could act on that instinctive thought, Pansy and the others came out of Honeydukes at exactly the wrong time.
And even more unfortunately, the moment they stepped out, they saw Fleur Delacour standing beside Draco, along with Draco clearly preparing to leave the scene.
That was why they had called out to stop him...
...
Scrivenshaft’s Quill Shop.
It was not quite at the level of firing a few Killing Curses the moment they met, but it definitely counted as a storm waiting to break.
In any case, while accompanying Hermione here to choose the quills she wanted to buy, Draco could clearly feel the thick smell of gunpowder in the air.
Anyone with a sharp enough sense had deliberately kept their distance from Draco’s group...
Especially Hermione.
Every so often she would lift her little chin and let out a cold snort, as though her vocal cords had been reduced to serving that one purpose alone. The entire way here, she had shown absolutely no intention of speaking to Draco.
If she had not still been leaning close against him, people might genuinely have thought she did not know him at all.
Pansy, who was also staying close to Draco, wore an aggrieved expression, staring up at him like a little dog about to be abandoned by its owner. But in the very next moment, she crossed her arms and glared at Fleur Delacour with cold displeasure.
That astonishing ability to change expressions made the corner of Draco’s mouth twitch.
As for Astoria, who was acting as though none of this had anything to do with her, while she looked as though she were enjoying Draco’s predicament, the truth was that on the way to Scrivenshaft’s Quill Shop, her little mouth had not stopped moving once.
Usually, she was the one who spoke the least, but now she sounded like a chirping little sparrow...
“So, Draco, you’d already made plans with Miss Delacour. Why didn’t you tell us earlier? Look how worried Pansy and the others were about you.”
“...”
“And if you’d told us sooner, we wouldn’t have interrupted your date.”
“...”
Draco silently cast a sideways glance at Astoria, who was smiling at him with pursed lips.
That pointed, sarcastic tone left Draco tugging helplessly at the corner of his mouth, unable to come up with a single word in reply.
Was this really still the Miss Greengrass he knew?
Perhaps she had seen through it.
Or perhaps she had simply given up and decided to smash the pot now that it was cracked.
After sulking for a while, Pansy finally could not hold it in any longer and quietly reached out to tug on Draco’s robe.
“Did something happen?”
Pansy might be hopeless in love, but she was not stupid.
Even though the heavy snow had already covered over a lot of the traces of the fight, Pansy still picked up on several unnatural details.
Blurred but chaotic footprints. A wand that had only just recently been in someone’s hand. A sharp, dangerous aura that had not fully faded yet.
All of those were suspicious clues that made Pansy feel something was off.
If Draco had not looked like he was about to leave them behind, she might have asked him about it immediately instead of waiting until now.
Of course, the biggest point of suspicion was still Fleur Delacour suddenly appearing here...
Hermione shot Pansy a look from the side, a trace of exasperation in her eyes, probably because she thought Pansy had forgiven that philandering Draco far too easily.
Even so, Hermione could not help voicing a little concern for him too.
“Did something happen over there, and that’s why Miss Delacour was sent to find you?”
“Was it something serious?”
“Did something go wrong?”
Even though they were talking about her, Fleur realized that not one of the women in front of her had any intention of even glancing her way.
The corner of Fleur’s eye twitched.
Were they ignoring her?
Still, no matter how much Pansy and the others guessed, there was no way they could imagine that while they had been inside Honeydukes, Draco had already fought a duel with someone, and had even run into other wizards from the Order of the Phoenix.
Nor could they know that Harry Potter had used Snape’s exclusive signature spell...
Draco, however, had no intention of hiding any of this. If anything, he was eager to use the topic to divert the girls’ attention.
“It was nothing. Potter and I just had a wizarding duel.”
“So it was Pot... Huh?!”
“You said who?”
“A wizarding duel?”
Pansy and the others’ first reaction was not to check whether Draco had been injured somewhere, but to wonder whether they had heard that name correctly.
How could it possibly have been Harry Potter?
After everything that had happened, the savior should have learned his lesson by now.
Was Draco really someone he could beat?
Who exactly had given him the courage to challenge Draco to a duel?
Seeing Pansy and the others staring with widened eyes, Draco added something else, clearly amused.
“And not just that. Potter even used dark magic against me, something he learned from who knows where.”
“...You said dark magic?”
“He learned dark magic?”
“What kind of dark magic? It wasn’t one of the three Unforgivable Curses, was it?”
At that, Pansy and the others began to get tense.
If Draco had not been smiling in a way that clearly was not forced, and if he had not genuinely looked uninjured, the girls might already have stepped forward to inspect him from head to toe.
As for Fleur, who had not been there from the very start, she too showed considerable curiosity.
From the sound of it, the dark magic Harry Potter had used had to be something very unusual in the wizarding world.
Otherwise, Draco would not have specifically brought it up.
And the answer that came from Draco’s mouth really did leave them all stunned for a moment...
“Sectumsempra.”
“You mean that powerful dark magic where the wound won’t heal unless the counter-curse is used?”
“But isn’t that...”
“How is that possible? Given the relationship between those two, Potter should have had no way of learning it.”
As for Draco’s signature spell, Pansy and the others, who had spent so much time at his side, naturally knew it very well. They even knew perfectly well where the spell had come from.
But they had never imagined that this spell would end up in the hands of the one wizard who should have been least likely to have it.
After all, even Pansy and the others, the people closest to Draco, had never had the chance to learn it.
Let alone Harry Potter...