Hearing Ron's answer, a flicker of mockery flashed through Lockhart's eyes.
A mere Weasley — short-sighted, intellectually limited, and utterly ignorant — wasn't even half of what he was.
If all he knew was the Shield Charm, why would he have ambushed powerful wizards?
Would he cast a Shield Charm on himself and then rush at people to fight them hand-to-hand?
That was the behavior of a brute.
As a high-class, elegant wizard…
Sneak attacks were obviously the better choice.
Lockhart wasn't the only one scoffing at Ron's answer. Draco also sneered.
Not because he thought Ron's logic was bad.
But because he thought Ron was bad.
In Draco's eyes, a Weasley could never possibly guess correctly.
If Ron answered correctly, Draco would eat…
"So, your answer is A? All right."
Aiden already knew Ron had chosen the first one, but the process still had to be carried out formally.
"I choose A, Shield Charm," Ron repeated.
His stomach twisted at the thought of punishment, but he still answered firmly.
As for the spells listed, Ron had heard of all of them except the third one — thanks mostly to Hermione.
And as a pure-blood wizard raised in the magical world, of course he knew the three Unforgivable Curses.
If Lockhart's strongest spells were Avada Kedavra or Imperio, that would mean he used them frequently.
If Lockhart had been running around secretly casting Unforgivable Curses, he would've been thrown into Azkaban ages ago.
That was Ron's logic.
He had heard of the Memory Charm…
But he had never seen it used.
"Mr. Weasley, I'm sorry — your answer is incorrect."
The moment Aiden said "I'm sorry," Ron's heart plummeted.
By the time Aiden finished, Ron's face had already crumpled.
"And this time, your punishment is…"
Aiden paused and looked at the card as the text shifted.
With one glance, he read it completely.
"Say something nauseatingly affectionate to your same-sex partner: 'I've liked you for a long time, be my boyfriend!'"
"Anyone will do, as long as you say his name."
Ron, who was already pale, stared stiffly at the figure in the middle after hearing his punishment.
Then, reflexively—
He looked straight at Harry.
Outside the Q&A space, the young witches and wizards went silent, but if one looked closely, there was undeniable anticipation in their eyes.
They all watched Ron.
They wanted to see whose name he would say.
Whether it was true or not didn't matter — the moment the name came out, they would all know who Ron cared about most.
Everyone assumed Ron would choose Harry.
Even Harry assumed Ron would choose Harry.
Noticing Ron's stare, Harry looked back with sheer dread, his whole body trembling.
His eyes pleaded:
Please don't say my name. Please do not say that to me.
I'm begging you, turn around. Look at literally anyone else.
Ron, who had spent years with Harry, immediately interpreted Harry's expression.
Even if it was a complete misunderstanding.
"Pfft… As expected of a Weasley. This punishment suits you perfectly."
Draco immediately switched into full sarcasm mode.
"I think this isn't even a punishment — it's probably your true feelings, Weasley. You like men."
Outside, George and Fred exchanged looks, their eyes glowing with mischief.
"Perhaps it's time to bring a little more joy to Slytherin," George mused.
"Fred, didn't we finish making that thing the other day? We could let them try it."
"You're right, George. But maybe we should upgrade it first?"
"We'll discuss details later."
The twins exchanged wicked smiles.
"Shut up, Malfoy!"
Ron, embarrassed and defensive, snapped instantly.
Draco smirked even harder.
"You're admitting it now? I just said what was in your heart. You like men, Weasley."
He looked Ron up and down with mocking disdain, a flash of amusement in his eyes.
"Let me guess — which boy is your type? Potter, maybe? Seems likely. You two are glued together every day. Where there's one, the other isn't far."
That jab annoyed not just Ron — even Harry glared at Draco.
For a moment, Harry wondered if he should introduce Draco to a Muggle weapon or two.
Ron, shaking with humiliation and fury, stared at Draco's infuriating expression — and an idea sparked.
He looked at the punishment.
Then a plan formed.
Slowly, the corners of his mouth curled upward.
"You have ten seconds," Aiden announced. "Complete the punishment as soon as possible. Don't delay."
A massive phantom appeared in the air.
A ten-second timer paused mid-air… then began to tick down.
Ron panicked for a moment.
Then he saw Draco's punchable face.
He didn't hesitate anymore.
"Malfoy, I like you — will you be my boyfriend?"
He stared Draco directly in the eyes.
Draco froze.
Shock. Horror. Confusion. Disgust. All in one expression.
Although Ron wanted to crawl into a hole after saying it, seeing Draco completely break was incredibly satisfying.
The shame inside Ron vanished instantly, replaced by an indescribable exhilaration.
Since Draco wanted to embarrass him…
He would drag Draco right down with him.
Anyway, Ron definitely wasn't the most embarrassing person here. After all—
Someone had danced in a tiny dress in front of everyone before.
"N-NO! WEASLEY, I'LL KILL YOU!"
Draco shot to his feet, bright-red, furious enough to explode.
Anyone who didn't know better might've thought Draco was… emotionally moved.
Dumbledore watched all of this with a smile.
For a brief moment, he seemed to see the phantom of a familiar figure — but it disappeared in the blink of an eye.