章 371: 0370 Hermione's Class
In Paris, where the romantic ambiance blended with historical grandeur, Bryan became entangled in matters affecting Hogwarts. Meanwhile, back at Hogwarts, Hermione had been nervous all day. She had just been assigned to help with what appeared to be a physical education class, but was, according to Fred and George, actually a military training course.
As the gloomy sky darkened, her state became increasingly hysterical.
After dinner, in the noisy common room, the small groups involved in this class had gradually gathered. Hermione paced back and forth by the fireplace, imagining the situations that might occur later. Her anxious appearance made the already nervous Neville appear even more helpless.
"No need to be so tense, Hermione—"
Hermione and Neville had been appointed as assistants by Professor Watson, which was absolutely a good thing for Gryffindor. Harry was also pleased about this.
"If anything happens, we won't just stand by."
"You don't understand, Harry!" Hermione muttered distractedly, her mind consumed by the weight of her responsibilities.
"Something is bound to happen, right? I must be fully prepared so as not to betray Professor Watson's trust. If Professor Watson returns and sees that the physical education class he values so much has disbanded, I will definitely be expelled from Hogwarts!"
Hermione's ominous assumption made Neville even more nervous. He helplessly darted his eyes around, hoping someone could offer a reasonable suggestion.
"But Professor Watson has given you authority, hasn't he?" Ron interjected; his voice coming with the crunch of a potato pie as he relished in Hermione's frantic appearance.
"If those slimy Slytherin snakes dared to cause trouble, you could have them clean all the castle's bathrooms. I think you should talk to Percy; he has a book called 'How Prefects Gain Power.' When Percy knew that he was appointed as a prefect that summer, he always kept that book in his hands. Rumor has it that it contains a thousand legal reasons to detain young wizards in detention."
Neville's eyes lit up, looking like he wanted to say something but didn't know how. However, Hermione sternly stopped him.
"We can't abuse our authority, Neville!"
"If you're really worried about classroom discipline, Hermione—" Harry hesitated for a moment before offering a more sensible suggestion. "I can ask Sirius. I think if he appears in the classroom, those Slytherins definitely won't dare cause you any trouble."
This method was indeed not bad, and even Hermione was somewhat moved. However, after brief contemplation, Hermione still shook her head slightly.
"Professor Watson obviously hopes we'll get some training, so this is our own matter. What's the point of seeking Sirius's help?"
"Malfoy, that little bastard won't care about righteousness and morality, silly girl," Fred's voice rang out in a light tone as the mischievous twins descended the rotating staircase, their footsteps echoing with a sense of unrestrained energy.
"Regardless, we need to rely on ourselves," Hermione said, the gleam in her eyes gradually becoming resolute.
Harry and Ron exchanged a helpless glance, their shoulders shrugging in unison. They both knew Hermione very well; she was brilliant but sometimes liked to go down dead ends. Moreover, once she made up her mind about something, not even ten dragons could pull her back.
It was already past seven o'clock in the evening. The Gryffindor group was ready to go, seeing that Hermione still couldn't completely shake off her tense mood. Ron tossed the remaining potato pie into his mouth and stood up as well.
"I can call Seamus and Dean. If that little bastard Malfoy dares to cause trouble for you, just give us a signal, and we'll rush in and give him a good beating."
"Oh—" Hermione raised an eyebrow, looking at Ron with a slight smile flashing across her lips. However, she eventually took a deep breath and said seriously, "Thank you, Ron, but I don't think that will work."
"Don't worry, we'll keep an eye on her for you!" Fred and George said, ruffling Ron's hair vigorously before leaving arm in arm. Harry didn't have a chance to say goodbye to Ron, as he was busy encouraging Neville. After all, compared to Hermione, the pressure Neville would face as an assistant was obviously a bit greater.
Ron stood on the sofa by the fireplace, watching the stream of people leave the common room. For some reason, he suddenly felt a pang of discomfort in his heart.
"Hey, Ron, want to play a round of gobstones?" Dean waved at him from a few seats away.
"Okay—" Ron shook his head, pushing aside the strange feeling, and sat down across from Dean, avoiding the obstructing sofa.
"Have you finished the essay Professor Sprout assigned, Dean?"
"No—" Dean bent his head, fiddling with the props. He replied casually, "But there are still a few days left, right?"
"Oh, of course!" Ron shook his head, his expression gradually becoming calm.
On their way to the special classroom, Hermione and the others encountered Luna, who was climbing the stairs alone. However, her face showed no sign of unease or loneliness.
"Good evening, Luna—" Hermione glanced at the pocket behind Luna's bottom, where she had rolled up the sheaf of parchment Professor Watson had given her, supposedly allowing one to see annoying Wrackspurts and crumple-horned Snorkacks, and tucked it in the back.
"How are you feeling?" Hermione inquired tentatively, her voice laced with genuine concern.
"Very good," Luna said cheerfully. However, her silvery eyes revealed a strange emotion that was quite contagious. Even Hermione's furrowed brow unconsciously relaxed after meeting that gaze.
"I can see them more clearly now," Luna explained, her voice brimming with an infectious enthusiasm. "Which means perhaps one day I can avoid their harassment. Oh, my father will definitely be surprised by the depth of Professor Watson's research on them. Today, I was considering whether to write him a letter about these methods—"
No one responded to Luna's words, or rather, they wanted to reply but didn't know how.
Hermione glanced curiously at the rolled-up parchment tucked behind Luna's bottom and, after a moment's thought, she carefully suggested, "Um, you mean you want to show your father Professor Watson's research notes on those Wrackspurts? Er, I think it's best to get Professor Watson's permission first."
After a few simple conversation, Gryffindor's group had arrived at the physical education classroom. The Hufflepuff students had almost all gathered, and the remaining three Ravenclaw girls had also arrived. Harry wondered why they didn't invite Luna along, but when he saw the tall, thin figure of Cedric Diggory surrounded by the group of Ravenclaw girls, his mood soured inexplicably, and he forgot about standing up for Luna.
Some Slytherins had also arrived. They glanced indifferently at the Gryffindor group before returning their gaze and continuing their own conversation.
Professor Watson had often been absent for entire days recently, and even during mealtimes, he was nowhere to be seen at the staff table. Therefore, the students from the other three houses were unaware of his departure.
Over the next ten minutes, the classroom door opened and closed ceaselessly, as the remaining students trickled in, gradually filling the room. Malfoy and Parkinson also entered during this period. They were all waiting for Professor Watson, who habitually appeared at the last moment.
Harry eavesdropped on Cedric's conversation with the three Ravenclaw girls, but as the class start time approached, his attention returned to Hermione and Neville. Neville looked hopeless, standing as stiff as a block of wood, while Hermione, noticing Harry's worried gaze as she tried to calm herself with rapid breaths, gave him a reassuring look.
"Ahem!"
At precisely 7:59 p.m., Hermione's voice rang out, a sharp cough that reverberated through the room – This was a pre-arranged signal. The Gryffindor students immediately began lining up, while the students from the other three houses, however, found themselves bewildered by this sudden display, their expressions a mixture of confusion and curiosity.
Neville also tried to return to his position, but Hermione grabbed him and held him back.
The trembling, sweat-drenched Neville immediately made the young wizards in the room, whose observational skills had been honed, realize that something might happen.
Some were curious, while others remained indifferent.
"Ahem!" Hermione's voice rang out once more, a deliberate cough that once again caught everyone's attention. Her piercing gaze fell upon Luna, who was standing off to the side in a daze.
"What?" Pansy Parkinson sneered. "Did your throat get clogged with frog brains, Granger?"
Laughter immediately broke out in the classroom, mostly from the Slytherins, though some Hufflepuffs also found Parkinson's words funny.
"In fact!" Hermione's voice rang out, clear and unwavering, her resolve steeled by the mockery that sought to challenge her. In that moment, the anxiety that had previously gripped her heart dissipated, replaced by a newfound determination that burned brightly within her heart.
Her gaze did not linger upon Pansy Parkinson, nor did she tried to acknowledge the insult. Instead, her eyes swept across the assembled students, her voice carrying the weight of authority as she said loudly,
"Professor Watson left Hogwarts this morning on business. To prevent any disruption to the progress of this class, before leaving, he appointed me, as well as Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood, as assistants for this class to supervise the daily training during his absence from school. Now,"
Hermione paused, drawing a deep, steadying breath, her resolution unwavering even in the face of the Slytherins's contemptuous reactions to her words. "I hope you will line up quickly so we can begin today's training!"
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章 372: 0371 A Contest (Part-1)
The Hufflepuff students looked at each other, unsure whether to follow Hermione's instructions. Ernie Macmillan and Justin Finch-Fletchley exchanged glances and shook their heads in secret. Hermione Granger was quite famous at school, and many professors highly appreciated her academic performance. However, she was ultimately just a third-year witch, wasn't she?
Having two third-years and one second-year student become teaching assistants for this class, there were truly not many who could accept it wholeheartedly.
If it had been Cedric, the Hufflepuffs would have no objections.
"Oh, congratulations--" But there were also those in Hufflepuff who held different opinions. Hannah smiled and nodded at Hermione, "I believe you all will do very well."
"Thank you--"
Hermione responded with a friendly smile.
"Well, if it is really Professor Watson's decision--"
Cedric also seemed a bit dissatisfied, but out of respect for Professor Watson, he did not raise any objections.
Well, everything was different from expectations; and the biggest problem still came from Slytherin. Not a single young wizard from this house obeyed the orders. They lazily stood in place, staring at Hermione and Neville with mocking eyes.
Disdain shone in Draco's pale gray eyes. He stared at Hermione for a while, and when his gaze turned to Neville, he almost burst out laughing at Neville's silent appearance. As for the Loony Lovegood from Ravenclaw, Draco just glanced at her before losing interest.
"I believe you all heard what I said, didn't you?"
Hermione's breathing became slightly heavier as she glared at the Slytherin students and repeated in a heavier voice, "We don't have much time to waste, we should start as soon as--"
"Why should we follow your orders?"
Unexpectedly, Draco did not come out to cause trouble, but it was almost as if he did. After receiving a cue, Pansy Parkinson arrogantly raised her chin, "Just because of your beaver-like front teeth?"
Pansy's taunt instantly provoked roaring laughter from the Slytherin crowd, and even students from the other two houses who did not harbor much enmity towards Hermione secretly cracked smiles.
Hermione's cheeks immediately flushed red, but her eyes did not show any retreat. She was about to refute Parkinson's words, but Harry was a step ahead of her. He swiftly drew his wand, stood in front of Hermione with a red face,
"Oh, how interesting!"
Harry pointed his wand at Pansy and shouted, "You have the nerve to mock others with that pug-like face of yours, Parkinson?"
The atmosphere in the entire classroom erupted due to Harry's words. Before Hermione could stop Harry's sharp but accurate statement, Parkinson over there was already screaming and cursing. The moment Harry drew his wand, Draco also took out his own, shielding Pansy in front of him.
"Apologize, Potter!" Draco's pale gray eyes flickered with rage. "Or I'll make you pay for your words!"
"Are you deaf, Malfoy?" Harry said coldly, "Why don't you listen to what Parkinson said to Hermione!"
"Oh, how amusing--"
Fred and George also stepped forward, each placing a hand on Harry's shoulder and glaring at Draco, "We'd like to see how you plan to make Harry pay, little mutt?"
"Want to fight, Weasley?"
Marcus Flint, the oldest Slytherin here and even a former junior of Bryan, rolled up his sleeves and struck a gorilla-like posture, snarling, "I hope you perform better than on the Quidditch pitch. By the way, how many times have you dimwits lost to us?"
"Hey, this isn't looking good!"
Seeing chaos about to erupt, most Hufflepuffs chose to stay out of it, and a few young Ravenclaw girls had already paled under the tense atmosphere, unable to do anything. However, Cedric still stepped forward,
"Let's talk this out. I think Professor Watson wouldn't want to see--"
"This is none of your business, you big oaf!" Malfoy roared furiously, "How dare you insult me, Weasley? The blood-traitor Weasleys dare to insult the noble Malfoy family? You're all doomed, my father won't let you off!"
Fred and George responded very directly. With a whoosh, they dashed out, agilely dodging Cedric's attempt to grab them, and charged towards Malfoy. They leapt up, swinging their fists at Malfoy's face. However, Marcus had already prepared himself. He rushed over and blocked Fred and George's punches with his arms, and the three of them fell to the ground, and started wrestling!
Ginny let out an angry cat-like shriek. She flung a curse at Malfoy, who was trying to help Flint. But their training during this period had certainly not been in vain. More than just Neville had improved. Malfoy pivoted, turned his head, and easily dodged Ginny's curse.
Whether it was spells or fists, Harry would not have the slightest fear!
After Fred and George fell, Harry immediately tried to rush over, but Hermione who had foreseen it, grabbed his robe.
"Don't do this, Harry!"
Before Harry could question her, Hermione shouted. She looked at the completely out-of-control situation, panting heavily, and then, "Stop it!"
Hermione's shouting at the top of her lungs had no effect. Harry was struggling to break free, while on the other side, Fred and George were also brawling with Flint. Malfoy and Parkinson both wanted to curse the twins, but they kept switching positions with Flint, and because they were concerned about accidentally hitting Flint. Draco and Pansy had not yet found an opportunity.
Boom!
All the noises in the chaotic classroom fell silent amid a tremendous rumble, nearly causing many young wizards to stumble and fall after the shaking!
"Stop!"
Hermione raised her wand high and shouted angrily again.
This time, her shout had an effect.
The emotionally charged Gryffindors and Slytherins fell quiet. Even Fred, George, and Flint, who were brawling, stopped throwing punches. Everyone stared in disbelief at the suits of armor lining the classroom walls, which had brought them so much pain in the past.
The recent rumbling was caused by these suits of armor marching in unison.
They had already taken attacking postures. The scene of nearly a hundred suits of armor aiming Dung-bombs was a sight the young wizards had never witnessed before. Even during Professor Watson's initial demonstration, they had never been targeted by so many suits of armor at the same time.
Clank, clank, clank—
Hermione's eyes were full of determination. She hurried past Cedric and approached the Slytherins. Upon seeing Hermione rush out, Neville's pale, dry lips moved, but before he could figure out what was happening, his body had already followed her.
Luna did the same, though she seemed completely unaware of the situation's cause, a hint of wonder still on her young face. Under Harry's gaze, she bounced along, trailing behind Hermione and Neville.
"What do you want?"
Hermione, of course, knew where the problem was. She approached Draco, tilting her head up and staring intently into his evasive gray eyes. "You should know, Malfoy, that if Professor Watson returns to find his class in shambles, he'll be furious. He won't let any student who disrupted this class off the hook."
"So what?"
Being confronted by a lowly Mudblood filled Draco with a surge of humiliated anger. He wanted to lash out, but considering Granger's words did have some truth to them, and the fire blazing in this girl's eyes seemed capable of burning away all dark thoughts.
Draco avoided answering directly, "You'd better watch your words, Granger. We didn't intend to cause trouble, but--"
Draco glanced at the like-minded Slytherins behind him, as well as some of the Hufflepuffs.
"I think many agree that Professor Watson made a mistake in his choice of teaching assistants."
Malfoy tilted his head slightly forward, giving a fierce grin.
"There was a mistake"
Pansy Parkinson let out a stupid snickering laugh.
"Alright, I understand--" Hermione didn't get angry. She seemed to have expected Malfoy to say this. She simply nodded calmly, then turned to glance at Neville behind her, mustering who knows how much courage to stand here, and Luna, who didn't seem to care much about the questioning of their assistant status.
"Then--" Hermione took a deep breath. "Let's have a contest, Malfoy, and anyone else who objects--"
After the calm tone in which Hermione spoke those words, the classroom fell utterly silent, even the hushed murmurs ceased. People stared intently at the thin frame of the girl, as if searching for the source of courage that seemed to emanate from her body.
"A contest--"
Malfoy's brow furrowed, he leaned back, eyeing Hermione suspiciously. "Contest in what?"
"Of course, a contest of the very skills we're training in this class, Malfoy," Hermione stated matter-of-factly, her voice pausing briefly before she looked at Malfoy with a mocking gaze. "Besides that, what other class can you outperform me in? Oh, I'll admit your superiority at Quidditch, of course."
Hermione's grades were the best in their year, but even in front of Harry and Ron, she rarely emphasized this. Apart from in classes, Hermione was rather modest in private, Harry had never seen her flaunt her grades publicly.
Hermione's words were irrefutable, Draco's face darkened as he shot her a few resentful glances. The corners of his mouth curved into a sneer, he wanted to mock her, but before he could, Hermione, eager to resolve the chaos swiftly, looked at everyone and said.
"In our current training, Cedric has achieved the best results. He can complete half the course – two hundred feet – under the assault of the Dung-bombs. No one else has exceeded two hundred feet."
In truth, it was also a matter of resilience, some young wizards were more agile than Cedric, but the physical differences due to the age gap meant they couldn't endure like him. Well, the big and strong Marcus Flint could probably take more hits, but his dodging and evasing skills were inferior to Cedric's.
"Professor Watson has selected me, Neville, and Luna as teaching assistants," Hermione stared at Malfoy with an intense gaze. "If anyone is dissatisfied with this, they can challenge us. The marker of victory is whoever can surpass Cedric's two hundred feet the fastest. Of course, if someone manages to finish the entire course, they'll also be declared the winner."
Neville's forehead was sweating profusely, and his pale lips were trembling, but Hermione seemed to have anticipated Neville's reaction. She turned to look at him, her clear brown eyes reflecting the firelight.
"Remember Professor Watson's assessment of you, Neville. He believes you're excellent."
Hermione didn't reveal Professor Watson's evaluation of Neville because she knew it would inevitably subject him to ridicule. Moreover, she herself had some doubts about the professor's opinion of Neville, but for now, she could only believe his judgement, believe Neville.
The flickering fire in Hermione's eyes seemed to hold a unique power. Gazing into those flames, Neville felt as though he too would be ignited. His heart still pounded erratically, his mind swam, but gradually, a flush crept onto Neville's pale cheeks. This rosy hue, like a spark igniting dry tinder, swiftly blazed into an inferno.
"Well then, bring it on, Malfoy!" Neville suddenly whipped his head around, panting heavily as he glared at Malfoy, shouting abruptly.
"Longbottom, you're just humiliating yourself!" Malfoy snarled through gritted teeth.
Harry blinked, watching the furious Neville beside Hermione, suddenly unable to connect him with the clumsy Gryffindor boy he knew. But Neville's display undoubtedly rallied everyone's spirits, prompting applause and cheers like crashing waves.
Luna fixed her protruding, misty eyes on Malfoy. "Questioning the decisions of those wiser than yourself will only bring you trouble, and it's foolish."
Draco hesitated for a moment, but things had come to this point, and he was in a dilemma but couldn't back down.
"Very well--" he said coldly, scanning the Slytherin crowd briefly before picking out their top performers in this class. "Three on three, Zabini, Nott, and me. If any of you loses, you'll have to resign as Professor Watson's assistant!"
"You're trying to cheat, Malfoy!" Harry saw that this contest would be unfavorable for Hermione's group. Malfoy and his lackeys could easily target one of the three of Hermione's group, forcing that person to forfeit their assistant position. To be honest, Harry wanted to take Hermione or Neville's place, but he understood this was their issue. Even if he participated and defeated those despicable Slytherins, they wouldn't stop causing trouble.
"No problem--" At Hermione's questioning look, Luna readily agreed, rising onto her tiptoes.
"I'll be the referee."
Cedric also stepped forward.
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