Chapter 700: The Target, the Marauder’s Map According to Draco’s plan, the person responsible for luring away Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom had to be Hermione.Afte |
Slytherin’s locket and Hufflepuff’s cup.
Although those two items might sound unfamiliar, and most wizards might not know much about them, they were in fact precious treasures left behind by two of the Founders, objects of special significance to their respective Houses.
However, just as Hermione had discovered, both of those treasures had mysteriously vanished around the same time.
And by a striking coincidence, they disappeared during the very years Voldemort was attending Hogwarts...
As for that line of reasoning, Draco did not dismiss Hermione’s bold guess outright. Instead, he fell into thought.
Although he had known that information for a long time, he had never really questioned the coincidence of it. Rather, he simply had not made that connection until Hermione pointed it out now.
At that, seeing that Draco had not denied her, Hermione’s expression brightened noticeably. Her already graceful figure even lifted proudly toward him...
“Right. If we assume the Dark Lord made a total of seven Horcruxes, then after obtaining Hufflepuff’s and Slytherin’s treasures, wouldn’t he naturally set his sights on Gryffindor’s and Ravenclaw’s as well?”
“There’s no doubt that’s a very reasonable guess.”
“Then do you think the remaining two treasures were also made into Horcruxes?” Although Draco already had an answer in his heart, seeing the excitement on Hermione’s face, he still played along.
“On that point, I can’t say whether the Dark Lord ever found Ravenclaw’s treasure, because that one was lost long ago. As for Gryffindor’s, I don’t believe Dumbledore would have given the Dark Lord a chance to get his hands on it.”
Draco nodded silently. “So... at the very least, there’s still one Horcrux we have absolutely no clue about.”
“Exactly. But I think it must be something the Dark Lord cared deeply about. It’s even possible he kept that final Horcrux, the one containing the soul fragment, on his person.”
Looking at Hermione, who seemed to glow whenever she started talking seriously about something, Draco could not help applauding her inwardly.
To be honest, the fact that Hermione could work out so much from just one night and so few clues was already remarkable.
That was her talent, and part of her charm.
Unaware that an intense gaze was resting on her, Hermione gave the final summary of their discussion. “At the moment, I can only infer that although the Dark Lord failed to fulfill his ambition of collecting all four Founders’ relics, he definitely obtained two, and may even have found three. But at the very least, we have a lot ahead of us.”
Yes.
What Hermione wanted to do next was investigate the whereabouts of those missing relics.
If possible, she even wanted to find them and destroy them...
...
From Draco and the others’ point of view, they were actually not more anxious than Dumbledore’s side when it came to destroying Horcruxes.
More accurately, it was only because Voldemort was there to hold Dumbledore and the others in check that Lucius and his group could profit while the two sides fought each other.
Of course, if they managed to find Voldemort’s Horcruxes first, that would not be a bad thing either....
By the time Draco and the others finished breakfast and returned to the common room, Pansy, who had only just gotten up, finally appeared, rubbing her eyes and looking half asleep.
The instant she saw Draco, she swayed and toppled straight into his arms. “I’m so sleepy. Let me sleep a little.”
“.......”
Watching Pansy cling to Draco like that, Hermione was so angry that the veins at her temple throbbed, and she shot Draco a fierce glare.
Just how practiced did someone have to be to do something like that with their eyes closed?
So really, not being in the same House put you hopelessly behind...
“Only getting up now? You’re really taking it easy, Parkinson.”
“.....”
Pansy did not move away from Draco’s warm embrace after hearing that. Instead, she rubbed her cheek against him before mumbling in a muffled voice, “I actually dreamed about Granger. Was it a nightmare?”
“Hey!”
“...Ugh, you awful woman. Draco, save me!”
Hermione, so mad she laughed, reached out and tickled Pansy’s waist. That immediately made it impossible for Pansy to keep snuggling in Draco’s arms, and before long she was crying out for help.
They rolled around.
They fought back.
Fortunately, since it was Christmas break, most of the other wizards were either still lazing in bed or had already gone home the day before for the holiday.
So aside from Draco, who got to enjoy the scene up close, no one else saw this blush-inducing sight.
Perhaps because they knew that, Draco did not stop them, and Pansy and Hermione were able to let themselves go like this...
No one knew how much time passed.
By the time only ragged breathing remained in the air, both Pansy and Hermione had collapsed onto the sofa nearby.
With their clothes in disarray, anyone who saw them would probably think Draco had done something improper with them.
Mm... right there in the common room...
“So our next goal is to find those Horcruxes?”
During this break, Draco told Pansy everything he and Hermione had just discussed, partly to distract himself.
Interestingly, Draco did not seem to have any intention of reminding them what an enticing sight they made at the moment.
After all, other than him, no one else was going to see it....
...
This year’s Christmas seemed a little more normal than last year’s.
By normal, this referred to the number of people staying behind.
Anyone could clearly tell that very few wizards were willing to remain at Hogwarts for Christmas break this year. The overwhelming majority had chosen to go home for the holiday.
Of course, there was a reason for that....
“The wizarding world has suddenly calmed down?”
“That’s what Dobby said, unless Dobby has betrayed us or lied to us.”
“...If Dobby heard you say that, he’d probably apologize while strangling himself to death.”
Hermione shot Draco an exasperated look, then nervously glanced around the deserted garden, as if worried Dobby might be hiding in some corner and had overheard every word just now.
Luckily, Dobby did not seem to be there.....
They were currently in the garden with the fountain.
Light snow drifted down, covering the garden before them in a thin layer of silver frost.
Pansy, Hermione, and Astoria, who had all stayed behind for the holiday, were huddled together enjoying this rare moment of peace, while Draco had been forcibly dragged along to admire the snowy view.
The weather might have been cold, but their hearts felt warm....
Adjusting the small bottle of fire she was holding, Hermione said, “Peaceful? That doesn’t seem quite right, unless...”
“Unless a major battle is about to begin.”
Draco finished the thought she had not fully spoken.
That was the only explanation for why the wizarding world had suddenly become so quiet.
Lucius, who was hoping to profit while others fought each other, obviously would not go out of his way to stir up trouble. As for the Ministry of Magic, it was already struggling just to protect itself, so it neither had the ability nor the courage to be the one to take the lead.
And as for what could make those mad Death Eaters calm down, Draco truly could not think of any reason other than the fact that they were planning something big.
After all, only by pulling back your fist could you throw the hardest punch.
In other words, until Voldemort suffered another defeat, the crisis in the wizarding world could not possibly be resolved.
The current peace was only the stillness before the storm.
It was not as if Voldemort had suddenly decided to wash his hands of everything....
...
The three girls had originally been enjoying this rare moment of peace, but Draco’s words left them deeply unsettled.
Just like that, they lost any desire to admire the snowy view in front of them.
Although they did not know whether Draco had done it on purpose, they still exchanged pretty little eye-rolls with him in perfect unison....
Astoria, who had also stayed at Hogwarts, let out a soft sigh. “Hermione already told me, so which relic should we investigate first?”
“Right. Since there are hardly any people at Hogwarts during Christmas break, this is the perfect time to investigate those relics.”
“So should we head out right now?”
Seeing that the three girls seemed rather excited, and were even already getting to their feet as if preparing to set off, Draco twitched at the corner of his mouth and quickly stopped them.
“Most people may no longer be at Hogwarts, but don’t forget that the professors are still here. If we go in unprepared, we’ll definitely arouse suspicion.”
What Draco did not say was that searching around aimlessly like this would never lead to any results.
In fact, Draco had reason to suspect that once Voldemort turned those relics into Horcruxes, he had probably already moved them out of the castle.
Put simply, they were no longer in Hogwarts.
After all, for the Voldemort of that time, who still knew how to think things through and understood the principle of not keeping all his eggs in one basket, that was by far the most likely outcome.
Even if one had been left behind, there was no way he would have left more than one.
Of course, Draco did not say any of that aloud and dampen the girls’ enthusiasm.
Instead, he reminded them in another way. “Think about it. With absolutely no clues, do you really think you understand where they might be better than Dumbledore does?”
“So what do you suggest, Draco? We can’t exactly do nothing, can we?”
Sensing that Draco seemed to have something in mind, Pansy moved back to his side and pressed her small hands against him a few times.
That little gesture looked just like a girl acting spoiled toward her boyfriend.
“Y-yes... at the very least, we should try.” Noticing this, Hermione, equally unwilling to lose, also came to Draco’s other side and, blushing furiously, awkwardly copied what Pansy had just done.
Watching the scene from behind them, Astoria gave an envious yet helpless smile...
Feeling rather pleased by the benefits brought about by Pansy and Hermione’s rivalry, Draco raised a brow and voiced his thoughts. “It’s not that we’ll do nothing, but before that, I want to get my hands on a magical item first.”
“What magical item?”
“How many Galleons do you need? If it’s not enough, I can give you some.”
Hermione gave Pansy a speechless look.
Compared with the magical item itself, Pansy seemed more concerned about whether Draco had enough Galleons, completely forgetting that the Malfoy family was hardly short on money.
Draco slapped Pansy lightly on the head in annoyance. “Relax. It won’t cost many Galleons, because I’m not planning to buy it at all.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re not thinking of stealing it, are you?”
“......”
“......”
“Why did you go silent... don’t tell me that’s really it?!”
Hermione had only been joking, but the moment she saw Draco smiling without saying a word, she instantly realized something and stared at him wide-eyed.
“Wait... is there actually anything you, Draco, can’t get?”
Her words were a little exaggerated, but in some ways, they were not wrong.
Compared with Hermione’s shock, Pansy, who had shown little interest just now, suddenly became curious. “So what is this magical item? And how are we supposed to steal it?”
“That magical item will be a huge help in what we do next.”
“What we do next? You mean investigating those relics?”
“Exactly.”
Whenever he was with Pansy and the others, Draco seemed to become a little childish. He did not reveal the answer right away, instead using it to keep the girls hanging.
It had to be said that this did indeed annoy them, especially since they were already growing impatient for the answer.
The little fists thumping against him did not hurt at all. If anything, they felt rather nice, which only made Draco’s smile look even more insufferable...
Only after satisfying his own mischievous streak did Draco finally reveal the true nature of the magical item. “That magical item can help us accurately avoid every wizard in Hogwarts.”
“Avoid?”
“Accurately?”
“In Hogwarts?”
“......”
“......”
“......”
Another long silence fell.
Only after Draco noticed the girls baring their teeth and their gazes growing more and more dangerous did he hurriedly continue.
“Ahem. More precisely, it’s a map. A magical map that can show the entire castle, every classroom, every secret passage, and even the location of every wizard in Hogwarts.”
To explain it more clearly, Draco even used magic to sketch out a rough version of the map’s effects in the air.
“You’re sure you’re not dreaming?”
“No Headmaster of Hogwarts would ever allow something like that to exist.”
“If that magical item fell into the hands of a Dark wizard, it would be a disaster.”
Hearing this for the first time, the girls all stared in disbelief, their little mouths slightly open and their faces full of suspicion.
Even Pansy, who usually believed Draco without question, could not help ending up on Hermione’s side this time.
After all, no one understood better than they did just how complicated Hogwarts Castle was, let alone its secret passages, which they had never even heard of.
Of course, what shocked them most was that incredible ability to mark the location of every wizard....
...
Just imagining it was enough for Pansy and the others to understand how enormous the strategic value of that map really was.
Whether for sneaking into Hogwarts or launching an attack on it, that magical map with its many functions could play a huge role in all kinds of situations....
But where exactly was that incredible magical map hidden?
Or perhaps... whose hands was it in?
Thinking of that, Hermione blinked in confusion. “So what exactly did you mean earlier by stealing it?”
If it had been something sold in a Dark magic shop, Draco, with the backing he had, would never have used the word steal. More accurately, he would not have needed to worry about whether he had enough Galleons to buy the map.
What he would have needed to worry about instead was whether there were other competitors....
Before Draco could answer, Hermione worked it out herself. “In other words, it’s not something you can just buy with Galleons. So... it’s either hidden somewhere, or it’s in the possession of a particular wizard?”
“And it’s hidden somewhere in Hogwarts Castle, or even on a wizard who stayed behind during Christmas break,” Astoria added.
That suggestion made Hermione think for a moment before she nodded in agreement.
Only that would clearly explain why Draco had phrased it that way....
Compared with Hermione, who tended to think things through on her own, Pansy had far fewer reservations. She simply wrapped both arms around Draco’s arm and began to shake it. “Come on, tell us what’s going on already. How are we supposed to help you?”
The soft, fragrant body pressed against him made even Draco’s calm expression turn a little unnatural.
Before Hermione could send a suspicious look his way, Draco quickly began explaining the map’s origins and laid out his plan...
...
After spending so much time together, Harry Potter’s family situation was no longer some great secret. In fact, thanks to a certain reporter, quite a lot of it had already been exposed.
And ever since Sirius Black died, Harry Potter had nowhere else to go, so when this Christmas break came around, he stayed at Hogwarts as well.
As for the Weasleys, it seemed that because of Ron’s situation, they had no intention of inviting Harry Potter this year...
“You mean that magical map is with Potter?”
“Why would he have something like that?”
“I refuse to believe Dumbledore wouldn’t know about it.”
“Given Potter’s standing in Dumbledore’s eyes, turning a blind eye to it isn’t really that surprising, is it?”
After Draco explained everything, Pansy and the others finally understood the whole story, as well as the astonishing experience Draco had gone through at the time.
So Harry Potter actually had that remarkable map in his possession.
The problem was that the girls were focusing on entirely the wrong thing.
Because this was not the time to discuss why Harry Potter was allowed to keep such a map...
Seeing the conversation drifting further and further off course, Draco first glanced at the sky, then finally cut in. “First, we need to find a way into Gryffindor and get a chance to be alone with him. Conveniently enough, we happen to have a Gryffindor Prefect right here.”
Following Draco’s gaze, they turned to Hermione, who had not even realized he was talking about her.
It seemed that after spending so much time with Draco and the others, she had almost forgotten that she was not actually a Slytherin....
“In any case, with Hermione’s help, we should be able to get into Gryffindor House easily enough and make contact with Mr. Potter.”
“Wait. I have no problem with that part, but even if you really do get into the Gryffindor common room, Draco, how exactly are you going to approach Potter without making everyone else suspicious?”
Hermione’s question was exactly what Pansy and the others had also wanted to ask.
To put it bluntly, the relationship between Slytherin and Gryffindor was anything but pleasant.
The most likely outcome was that the moment they stepped into the Gryffindor common room, they would be thrown straight back out.
Maybe no one would get physical, but there was no way they would be allowed near Harry Potter.
And there was certainly no way they could steal that magical map from him... or get him to hand it over willingly.
Faced with that question, Draco gave Hermione a very strange smile.
The moment she saw that look on his face, Hermione nervously crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re plotting something bad, aren’t you?”
“No, no, no. Have you forgotten?”
“...Forgotten what?”
“Have you really forgotten that you once did the exact same thing yourself?”
“.......”
The mischievous grin on Draco’s face, together with that so-called kind reminder, instantly made Hermione remember what had happened in the Slytherin common room a few years ago.
And... that scene that had made her face burn and her heart pound.
At that moment, Hermione, who had never before thought having such a good memory was a bad thing, suddenly wished she were not quite so clever, and that her memory were not quite so sharp.
Because Draco’s words had brought back all those embarrassing memories and scenes from the past.
And those were absolutely not the kind of black history Hermione wanted to remember...
...
Compared with the shared memories between Draco and Hermione, Pansy and Astoria, standing off to the side, were completely baffled as they kept looking back and forth between them.
It was obvious that something had happened between Draco and Hermione that they did not know about.
And it was clearly a secret Hermione did not want a third person to hear.
Faced with Hermione’s adorably fierce glare, Draco was not frightened in the slightest, but he still did not reveal what had happened back then....
He finally put away the smile on his face. “The solution to this is going to depend on our Hermione.”
“On her?”
“Because if we want to get close to Potter, we’ll need one very important potion.”
“A potion... you mean that one?!” Astoria, who knew quite a lot about potions, immediately understood which potion Draco meant.
It was a rare potion that could turn you into someone else.
The recipe for that potion could only be found in the Restricted Section.
And Hermione had once successfully brewed it, and had even personally tried it....
Its name was Polyjuice Potion.
...
Polyjuice Potion.
Ever since the incident with Professor Moody being replaced by a Death Eater, this advanced potion had become quite famous at Hogwarts.
Not only had the Ministry of Magic seized the chance to use it as a negative example and as a way to undermine Dumbledore’s authority, but Hogwarts itself had also carried out a broad campaign to educate young witches and wizards about it.
The one thing Pansy and the others had not expected was that Hermione actually knew how to brew such a high-level potion.
Even Draco had to rely on Hermione’s help....
Compared with the surprise on Pansy and the others’ faces, Hermione, who knew perfectly well what Draco’s half-smiling expression meant, puffed out her cheeks and immediately shot back at him. “Even if you use Polyjuice Potion, how exactly are you going to get that... map from Potter?”
She paused, then continued, “I don’t think Potter would casually tell just anyone about it, and more importantly, what if he isn’t even carrying the map on him? Are you planning to break into his room?”
Although there was indeed a trace of personal grievance in her tone at first, by the time she finished questioning him, Hermione had genuinely started worrying about whether Draco’s plan could actually succeed.
And that really was a problem that needed solving.
Just as Hermione knew, apart from Ron, Harry Potter had almost no close friends he could truly confide in. As a result, the choice of who to impersonate was extremely limited.
That meant the people he could really talk to were not at Hogwarts, while the students who had remained at Hogwarts could not have any deep conversation with him.
In other words, it was no longer a question of who Draco and the others should choose, but rather that there was barely anyone for them to choose at all....
Not only that, but while that magical map was certainly important, who could guarantee that Harry Potter understood its value well enough to keep it on him at all times?
The issue Hermione raised immediately exposed the key difficulty and the hardest part of carrying out the plan.
By the end, Hermione, who had begun speaking only because she was annoyed at Draco’s teasing, was now frowning in genuine seriousness.
While all the girls stood there deep in thought, Draco slowly got to his feet. “Which is exactly why this plan needs your help, Hermione.”
“You already said that. Isn’t it just Polyjuice Potion? Don’t worry, I still remember how to brew it...”
“No, Hermione. I don’t just mean the Polyjuice Potion. In fact, Astoria can brew it too.”
“...Then what do you mean?” Hermione was not surprised that Astoria could brew Polyjuice Potion. Even she had to admit that Astoria’s gift for and knowledge of Potions far surpassed her own.
When it came down to it, Potions really was a rich wizard’s game.
Seeing the girls’ confusion, Draco did not beat around the bush this time. “The only person who can get information out of Potter is not just that Weasley. Don’t forget... there’s also the organization called the Order of the Phoenix.”
“.......”
“.......”
The Order of the Phoenix.
That was the name they had learned from a certain little fool.
Although there was no proof that the organization truly existed, ever since that last confrontation with Alastor Moody and the others, Draco had vaguely sensed that such an organization probably did exist.
And right now at Hogwarts, aside from Harry Potter, there should also be people who clearly knew about it, and might even belong to it....
...
Although he could not be sure whether that organization was really called the Order of the Phoenix, there was no doubt that the wizard who founded it was their Dumbledore.
And when one thought of Dumbledore’s phoenix, the name Order of the Phoenix suddenly seemed perfectly reasonable.
Still...
“Don’t tell me you want to transform into Dumbledore...”
“As if. Use your brain, would you, Miss?”
“Hah?!”
“One of the ingredients in Polyjuice Potion is somebody’s hair, or some other strand from their body. In simple terms, how exactly are you planning to get close enough to Dumbledore to take his hair, or even his beard?”
“...Then you tell me, who else is in the Order of the Phoenix!”
“How would I know?”
“You!!”
Pansy and Hermione started bickering again, but this time Draco did not let them carry on. He gave each of them a sharp flick on the forehead.
Thunk.
Thunk.
“Ow~”
“You bastard!”
Pansy looked aggrieved.
Hermione looked furious.
Faced with the two girls’ completely different reactions, Draco immediately pulled the conversation back on track. “Obviously, we can’t make Dumbledore our target, and we can’t set our sights on the professors either.”
The professors Draco meant were naturally members of the Order of the Phoenix as well.
Of the ones they could be fairly sure about, besides Rubeus Hagrid, Minerva McGonagall was most likely one of them too.
Targeting Hagrid might actually give them a chance, and he truly was very close to Harry Potter, but the moment Draco imagined himself turning into Hagrid, he found he simply could not get past that mentally...
At the thought, Draco shook his head hard to throw the image out of his mind, then lowered his gaze back to Pansy and the others.
Only after seeing that they had calmed down did he remind them of one more thing.
“Don’t forget, who was it that first mentioned the Order of the Phoenix to us?”
“...You mean Ginny.”
“Exactly. If you’re the one who does it, getting a strand of her hair should be easy, and when we make contact with Harry Potter, distracting Ginny will also have to be your job.”
“So that’s why you kept saying you needed my help?”
Only then did Hermione finally understand why Draco had kept repeating that line.
And it was true. Given Hermione’s relationship with Ginny, she could easily get her hair without raising any suspicion.
But Draco did not give the girls any time to digest that. Instead, he immediately moved on to something else.
“So, among the Gryffindors, which boy can still talk to Harry Potter at least a little, Hermione?”
Draco’s question caught Hermione off guard. Although Polyjuice Potion had no gender restriction, to avoid complications, it was obviously best not to have Draco transform into Ginny.
So choosing a male wizard was also important.
In fact, Pansy and the others would never agree to it, nor would they accept Draco turning into Ginny.
Just imagining it made them feel as though a green light were flashing over their heads...
After catching the look in Pansy’s eyes, Hermione suddenly grew serious. “Then... Neville Longbottom!”
“Oh?”
“He gets along fairly well with Harry Potter, and he doesn’t stand out much. If you turn into him, no one will suspect anything.”
“I see. Then I’ll have to leave getting Longbottom’s hair to you as well.”
“No problem.”
And just like that, in a very short amount of time, Draco and the others came up with a preliminary infiltration plan.
Was this a case of giving someone a taste of their own medicine?
After all, Harry Potter had once used the exact same method on Draco himself....
...
According to Draco’s plan, the person responsible for luring away Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom had to be Hermione.
After all, among everyone present, aside from Hermione, there really weren’t many people who had both the confidence and the connections to pull it off without resorting to force.
Draco might have had some chance of success, but when it came to approaching Harry Potter, he was needed even more.
Besides, Draco was the only one who had ever seen that magical map. Pansy and the others had no idea what it looked like.
In other words, Draco simply couldn’t leave.
In short, Hermione would be responsible for drawing Ginny and Longbottom away. While they were absent from the common room, Draco and Pansy would transform into them and make contact with Harry Potter.
As for Astoria, she would keep watch for Draco and Pansy and warn them to leave if anything went wrong.
So there was really no suspense when it came to assigning roles.
The only person unhappy about it was probably Hermione, since she wouldn’t be acting together with Draco.
“I have more experience with this kind of thing than Parkinson does.”
“Granger, what have you been muttering about this whole time? You’re not planning to add something extra to my potion, are you?”
“...”
Pansy was not actually doubting Hermione’s cooking skills. No, Hermione’s ability in Potions. It was just that...
Looking at the cauldron of potion in front of her, with its deeply unpromising color, Pansy’s skin crawled at the thought of having to drink it later, especially after someone else’s hair had been added. Fastidious as she was, she immediately felt uncomfortable all over.
Just thinking about it felt like bugs crawling across her skin.
Honestly, if she had not wanted so badly to act alongside Draco, and if she had not known this was a key ingredient in Polyjuice Potion, she would never have gone near this disgusting potion, which not only looked strange but also smelled awful.
Hermione, who had just been accused, turned back and glared at Pansy in annoyance. “Huh? Do you really think I’d do something like that?”
As she spoke, Hermione noticed Pansy’s scrunched-up expression. Once she vaguely guessed what the other girl was thinking, realization dawned on her, and a teasing smile appeared on her face.
“Don’t worry. Once I add Ginny’s hair later, the color will get even more disgusting. You can look forward to it.”
“You!”
“Trust me, the smell will make you lose your appetite for the entire day...”
“Shut up! Shut up! Stop talking! I don’t want to hear it!”
Hermione’s vivid description, paired with acting that was far too convincing, made Pansy’s face look worse and worse. To stop herself from imagining it, Pansy covered her ears and shook her head furiously.
Hermione rolled her eyes, feeling thoroughly vindicated.
Although there had admittedly been a little personal spite in what she said, and although she had exaggerated a bit, there was no denying that Polyjuice Potion really did taste... rather awful.
...
With Hermione’s help, they avoided a great deal of trouble, whether it was obtaining Ginny and Longbottom’s hair or getting the password to enter Gryffindor House.
Hermione’s status as a Prefect also made their operation much more convenient.
Setting aside the uncertainty around Harry Potter, the only remaining question was whether Draco and the others could convincingly play the roles of Ginny and Longbottom.
Swirling the dull yellow potion glowing in her cup, Hermione frowned at Draco. “It’s finished, but Draco... do you actually understand Neville Longbottom? Don’t get exposed the moment you go in.”
Although she did not know how good Draco’s acting was, the two of them had personalities that were practically opposite in every way.
One was a rising star who had already made quite a name for himself in the wizarding world, confident, commanding, and elegant. The Prince of Slytherin was not just an empty title.
The other was practically invisible at school, someone with almost no presence at all. In other people’s eyes, he was simply an ordinary wizard who was timid, clumsy, and bad at his studies.
Put side by side, the two had nothing in common.
Which meant that playing Neville Longbottom would be extremely difficult for Draco.
So Hermione was genuinely curious how Draco planned to hide that powerful presence of his, the kind no one could ignore no matter where he went, along with that innate air of nobility.
Taking the finished Polyjuice Potion, Draco pinched his nose. “Don’t worry. Pansy will mainly be the one approaching Harry Potter. As for me, I’ll look for a chance to steal the map he has on him.”
“Me? With that Potter?” Pansy frowned as she spoke, though it was hard to tell whether she was disgusted by the pink potion in Hermione’s hand or by the thought of dealing with Harry Potter.
Hermione shoved the potion with Ginny’s hair added into Pansy’s hands, then looked at Draco with some concern. “If Parkinson fails...”
“I won’t fail!”
“I said if! If this woman fails...” Hermione’s words earned her a fierce glare from Pansy.
“Then we’ll try sneaking into Potter’s dorm. If he isn’t carrying it, it must be hidden there.”
“I see... If only we could ask Dobby for help.”
Pansy curled her lip at Hermione’s words. “That might be even harder than making me drink this disgusting thing.”
Hermione’s idea was a good one, and Dobby certainly could have stolen anything they wanted from Harry Potter without anyone noticing.
The only problem was that doing so would violate the House-elf’s bond.