Draco’s sudden strike stunned everyone—except the four who truly understood him. For the rest, whether Slytherin or Gryffindor, all eyes snapped to Draco in disbelief.
Unlike the earlier ambush from the shadows, where someone had used a spell to attack Goyle, this time Draco hadn’t even tried to hide. He had acted openly, striking down Ron Weasley—who hadn’t even had a chance to react.
Looking at Harry Potter and Ron Weasley now lying side by side unconscious, like fallen comrades, most of the onlookers wore expressions of shock and discomfort...
“He really went through with it?”
“That was wandless magic. I’ve never seen it with my own eyes before.”
“Wait, wait... did I see that right?”
“Was it really him?”
“If he went that far, he must’ve confirmed something.”
Everyone was stunned by Draco Malfoy’s decisiveness—striking without hesitation—and unsettled by Ron Weasley’s sudden downfall. Could it actually be true, what Draco had claimed? That Ron had been the one who cast the attack on Goyle?
There was no solid evidence. Draco hadn’t offered a single explanation. But after everything that had happened, most of the Gryffindors exchanged uncertain glances, their grips on their wands loosening.
Gryffindors might be impulsive, but they weren’t fools.
If Draco hadn’t truly discovered something, would he have gone this far?
At the very least, it made sense to hear what he had to say.
Of course, not everyone was convinced. Some were furious—namely, Ron’s brothers...
“You—you actually did that!”
“You’re slandering him, Draco Malfoy!”
Fuming, George Weasley and Fred Weasley stepped forward, wands raised at Draco. Sure, they thought their little brother could be an idiot and wasn’t exactly lovable, but he was still family. They couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.
Honestly, if Professor Lockhart hadn’t still been standing there—and if Draco didn’t have such a fearsome reputation—the twins might’ve already fired off spells.
Draco looked calmly at the Weasley twins trembling with rage but clearly hesitant. A slight smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
“Slander?”
“…”
“You…”
He didn’t bother lying. He had no reason to.
And his gaze made that clear.
The confidence and pride in Draco’s gray eyes made the twins instinctively take a step back. They probably didn’t even realize how their certainty was beginning to crack.
“Was it really Ron who attacked Goyle just now?”
As his brothers, they couldn’t help but wonder.
Let alone the rest of the students, who were only classmates.
Before anyone noticed, their raised wands had begun to tilt downward—aimed at the floor, no longer at the Slytherins...
...
Silence.
Stillness.
Seeing Draco singlehandedly subdue the opposing side left Pansy, standing just behind him, positively glowing with pride. She tilted her head up triumphantly, her excited expression making it seem like she wished she’d been the one to take down Weasley herself.
Just then, Pansy suddenly wondered what Hermione Granger, also a Gryffindor, might be thinking in that moment...
“What do you think of Drac—huh?”
Glancing curiously in Hermione’s direction, Pansy’s murmured question trailed off awkwardly.
What caught her off guard wasn’t fear or retreat in Hermione’s eyes, but a thoughtful, focused expression—she was clearly deep in contemplation.
Watching Hermione so lost in thought, Pansy couldn’t help but want to snark, “Is this really the time to space out?”
“Honestly... she's looking less and less like a Gryffindor.”
With a subtle flash of her little fangs in Hermione’s direction, Pansy turned her gaze back to Draco.
Her unwavering, admiring stare must’ve caught his attention, because Draco glanced over at her...
“What is it?”
“Nothing. Just thinking... you’re kind of handsome right now~”
“.....”
Draco blinked, clearly thrown by Pansy’s sudden grin, then silently looked away from her face.
He didn’t say a word, but Pansy’s smirk only grew—she could tell he’d noticed.
Just then, Lockhart, who had apparently remembered he was a professor, finally spoke up. Though frankly, if all those eyes hadn’t turned on him, he might’ve continued pretending he didn’t exist.
Aside from wondering what the Weasley twins might do next, the young witches and wizards were far more curious about what Lockhart would say now.
Would he punish Draco?
Would he launch an investigation?
If the initial attack had gone unseen, there might’ve been some room to maneuver. But Draco’s actions had been blatant—undeniably against school rules.
And as the “attacker,” Draco had openly violated the rules right in front of a Hogwarts professor personally appointed by Dumbledore. Lockhart should’ve had both the authority and the obligation to address it.
Or rather, wasn’t he now required to?
And yet...
“I suppose... hmm... looks like we’ve got one more person to take to the infirmary. All right then—this is no time to be standing around. Take Harry and the others to the hospital wing. I’ll inform Minerva and Severus afterward.”
“.....”
“.....”
Watching him walk away without pause or even giving the students a chance to stop him, the Gryffindors stood there, mouths agape. On the other side, the Slytherins exchanged silent, mocking grins.
Ha. This was the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Dumbledore had invited?
Unlike the rest, whose faces showed disbelief or contempt, Draco simply watched Lockhart’s back as he walked away. Then, leaning close to Pansy’s ear, he spoke in a low, serious tone.
“Send a letter to your father.”
“Huh?”
“Ask if he knows why Lockhart accepted the invitation from Dumbledore.”
Pansy blinked, but nodded seriously at the look on Draco’s face. Still, she couldn’t help glancing curiously at Lockhart’s retreating figure, which now seemed tinged with something like... panic.
She tilted her head, puzzled by Draco’s request.
Was there something important about this she was missing?
Draco narrowed his eyes slightly, turning to look at her...