Hermione's sharp retort struck deep, leaving Ron at a complete loss for words.
There was no denying that Draco had saved people—it was a solid fact, and Ron couldn't find a single fault in that. Besides, arguing was never Ron's strong suit.
Seeing his face flush red with frustration, Hermione lifted her chin slightly, looking like a proud little cat basking in victory.
Harry, standing between them, was torn. He wanted to defend Ron, but he also felt Hermione had made a good point.
Still, he never imagined that Draco would be the reason Ron and Hermione would argue like this.
It wasn't supposed to turn out this way...
"Hermione, Ron didn't mean it like that. It's just... Draco did overhear our conversation, so it's natural we're a bit worried."
Choosing not to dive into a debate over Draco's character, Harry went straight to the heart of the matter—the part that really concerned him.
As for whether Draco was truly a Death Eater, Harry honestly didn't feel it was likely. That whole world still felt distant, and everyone knew Ron's dislike for Draco was mostly personal.
"I bet she's already—"
"Ron!"
"Hmph!"
Harry shot him a look that made Ron snap his mouth shut. The heat of the moment cooled slightly, though Ron couldn't help but let out a childish huff in Hermione's direction, which made her eyebrows twitch.
But Hermione was more mature than Ron. She didn't take the bait.
"So, Harry, do you think Draco would tell Professor Snape about this?"
"Yeah... I'm a bit worried. You know Snape—he is Slytherin's Head of House."
Harry's concern made Hermione fall silent.
It was true. Even though her opinion of Draco had changed lately, the Philosopher's Stone was far too important. She couldn't be completely sure what Draco would or wouldn't do.
But... her gut told her to trust him. It was instinct.
"That's exactly why I said she's been charmed by that Death Eater!"
"Enough. Right now, what really matters is figuring out how much Draco actually heard. If he overheard everything, then where does he stand on the Sorcerer's Stone?"
As Ron began needling Hermione again, Harry quickly stepped in to steer the conversation back on track.
Unbeknownst to them, Hermione had already tuned Ron out completely.
"Maybe... we should just tell Draco about the Philosopher's Stone."
"Think about it. If we had Draco on our side, we'd definitely stand a better chance of protecting it!"
"Sure, that guy's infuriating sometimes, but let's be honest—whether it's brains or ability, that bastard's one of the top wizards our age."
Despite her choice of words—"that guy," "that bastard"—it was obvious Hermione was in a great mood. Her bright eyes sparkled with something strange and new.
Caught up in her thoughts, she didn't notice Ron's face darkening by the second, or how even Harry seemed slightly uncomfortable.
Maybe they just hadn't expected it—how, in Hermione's eyes, Draco now seemed more dependable than either of them...
...
Seeing Hermione constantly praising Draco, Ron couldn't hold back his frustration any longer.
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting? I'm telling you, that Death Eater is definitely after the Philosopher's Stone too! It grants eternal life—how could those greedy, vile Slytherins not want it?"
Ron, completely losing his temper, shouted at Hermione, his eyes red with anger. Startled, Hermione took a step back.
Sensing the tension, Harry quickly grabbed Ron's arm, trying to snap him out of it.
"Huff... forget it, I don't want to talk about this anymore. Either way, I'm never going to agree to let that damn Slytherin join us! Listen to me, I don't trust him at all!"
"Ron!"
Maybe it was Harry's tug that brought him back, or perhaps it was Hermione's wary expression—either way, Ron took a few deep breaths, threw out one last remark, and stormed off without looking back.
Harry looked at Ron, then turned to Hermione. A trace of discouragement crossed his face. He hadn't expected things to turn out like this.
"If only Draco Malfoy weren't here...ugh!"
The moment Harry muttered those words, his lightning scar suddenly flared with pain. Unprepared, he clutched his head and cried out.
"Harry, are you okay? Do you need to go to the infirmary?"
Hermione rushed to him, worry written all over her face.
"No... I'm fine."
"But you're so pale. That doesn't look fine."
"Hermione, really, I'm okay. I just need a minute to rest."
"...Alright then."
Harry didn't want the other students to think he was a freak, so he kept everything about the scar to himself. Not only Hermione, even Ron didn't know about it.
The pain faded as quickly as it came, and soon, the color returned to Harry's face.
"You're feeling better now, Harry?"
"Yeah, I just got a little dizzy. It's getting dark—let's head to the dining hall."
Ignoring Hermione's worried glance, Harry walked off toward the castle.
Once out of her sight, he unconsciously touched the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.
'Is this a warning? Is it telling me to stay away from Draco Malfoy...?'
Harry didn't slow down, but something in him felt like he had found an answer.
"Hermione."
"Hmm? What is it? Are you still not feeling well?"
"No, not that... I just think Ron has a point. I don't think we can trust Malfoy. We have to be cautious—it's the Philosopher's Stone we're dealing with."
"..."
Hermione stopped, watching as Harry kept walking without turning back. Just like that, Harry Potter left her behind and gradually disappeared through the castle gates.
Biting her lip, Hermione didn't bow her head.
She had her own sense of judgment. She didn't believe Draco was that kind of wizard. After spending time with him, she'd come to realize she might have misjudged him. Now, she wanted to make things right between them.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't convince Harry or Ron. With her limited emotional intuition, Hermione struggled to understand what exactly was going wrong.
For some reason...
She suddenly wanted to talk to Draco.