Aside from Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, who were directly involved, the only other person who noticed Hermione's unusual behavior was Draco Malfoy, who had witnessed the entire incident.
Since all the young wizards were focused on the upcoming Halloween, Hermione's situation went largely unnoticed.
As Halloween drew near, Hogwarts Castle had been thoroughly decorated by the diligent House-elves, creating a vibrant festive atmosphere. No matter where one went, the spirit of Halloween could be felt throughout the castle.
Even someone from a noble family like Draco couldn't find fault with it...
Pumpkin lanterns.
Scarecrows.
Wizard hats.
And ghosts.
All of these were classic Halloween elements recognized by Muggles.
In that sense, the holiday almost seemed like a celebration in admiration of wizards.
In fact, it was said that Halloween originated from the twisted sense of humor of a wizard long ago. That's how the holiday supposedly came into being.
But the truth behind it remains a mystery...
...
Although Halloween was still a day away, the dinner on Halloween Eve already carried a strong festive atmosphere.
"If Goyle and the others saw this, they'd lose their minds with excitement."
"No doubt about it."
Draco and Pansy hadn't even reached the Great Hall when the sweet scent of roasted pumpkin hit them.
For Goyle and Crabbe, who were practically addicted to pumpkin, this was an unbearable temptation...
As for why Goyle and the others weren't here, it was mainly because they still had a task to complete.
It seemed they had run into some trouble or had been delayed by something, which was why they hadn't shown up yet.
Putting Goyle and Crabbe aside for now—
Pansy, standing next to Draco, was a bit distracted, preoccupied with what Draco might be thinking.
More precisely, she wanted to know what Draco thought about half-blood wizards.
She had vaguely noticed before that Draco didn't seem to care much about pure-blood status, but it wasn't until he started paying so much attention to that mudb—cough, that Gryffindor—that Pansy truly realized it.
Whether someone was pure-blood or not didn't seem to matter much to Draco...
"Why? You're a Malfoy."
Pansy had seen it too, and she clearly understood who Draco had been acting for.
That sneaky cat who might not even qualify as a half-blood.
Which is exactly why, as a fellow heiress from one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight pure-blood families, Pansy couldn't make sense of Draco's behavior.
"Hmm..."
She paused for a moment mid-step.
Seeing the conflicted look on Pansy's face, Draco rubbed his chin.
"If I had to say why... I guess it's just... intuition?"
"..."
That was not the answer Pansy had expected—or wanted.
She had assumed it would be something along the lines of liking the person or having a soft spot for them. That was the kind of emotional explanation she had imagined.
But intuition?
Intuition, my foot!
She would've been better off not asking. After all the courage it took to bring it up, that was the answer she got?
While it was somewhat reassuring, it only left her with even more questions...
Just as Pansy was feeling threatened by Hermione and hoping to use this rare opportunity to get closer to Draco—
Goyle and Crabbe suddenly appeared behind them.
"Draco, we're back—"
"Yaaah!!"
"Ahhh!"
As the saying goes, people scaring people can scare someone to death.
Pansy was nearly frightened out of her skin by their sudden appearance, and whatever plan she'd had was completely thrown off.
Goyle and Crabbe, startled by her scream, instinctively screamed back.
It had to be said—seeing two big guys like Goyle and Crabbe scream like little girls...
The sight was downright ridiculous and out of place.
And Draco's bewildered expression said it all...
...
Although the Great Hall was bustling tonight, the atmosphere remained under control.
That was because nearly all the Hogwarts professors, including Dumbledore, were present for dinner—a rare sight since the start-of-term feast. Since then, the staff table had never been fully occupied.
In fact, the professors rarely dined with the students, likely to give the young witches and wizards space to be themselves... or something like that.
In contrast to the lively surroundings, Draco and the others were quietly listening to the information Goyle and the rest had managed to gather.
"So she really got pushed out?"
It wasn't like he hadn't anticipated what would happen if Hermione got too close to him.
Especially considering her seemingly arrogant attitude, which, in reality, stemmed from insecurity mixed with overwhelming pride.
Being disliked by those awkward Gryffindors... wasn't exactly unexpected.
Still.
He'd warned that idiot. He'd known what would happen.
But now that it had, Draco couldn't help but feel a wave of irritation rising in his chest.
...
...
Goyle and Crabbe's eyes kept flicking back and forth between Draco and Pansy.
A silent cry for help.
Though Draco's face showed no obvious expression, that in itself was the problem—because of it, Goyle and Crabbe didn't dare touch the pumpkin pie sitting temptingly in front of them.
It wasn't just their dull instincts—no, they understood Draco well enough to know he was in a foul mood.
Actually...
This version of Draco reminded them of a moment from the past...
Thankfully, Pansy seemed to pick up on their unspoken plea, and she stepped in.
"What are you planning to do?"
"Huh?"
"Tch."
Draco's doubtful gaze made Pansy arch her brow in annoyance.
"Since we were kids, name one decision you made that I could actually stop."
She sighed, shooting Draco a mildly exasperated look.
"You're a Malfoy—you're supposed to act like one, but you never do."
Never mind that the person Draco was so concerned about was from Gryffindor.
Never mind how short a time they'd known each other.
In Pansy's eyes, there was no reason for someone like Draco to care so much about a wizard he'd barely met, and who wasn't even in his house.
Aside from being clever and kind of cute, Pansy just couldn't see what made that person so special...
Draco turned to look at the little princess of the Parkinson family, his gaze serious.
"No, Pansy, you're wrong."
"Oh? What did I get wrong?"
"I'm a true Malfoy—the kind who intends to take every rule in this world and bend it to his will."
...
Pansy's lips parted slightly.
She was drawn in by Draco's eyes—those gray irises pulling her in like magnets.
Within them, she could just make out a fire...
The kind of burning ambition that only a true Slytherin could possess.
And for a moment, the little princess of House Parkinson—
It was as if she glimpsed another world in Draco's eyes...
...