"Speaking of which," Nios broke the brief silence, "weren't you planning to go learn magic tonight?"
His words made the few of them pause.
Hermione frowned, speaking with her usual caution: "How about we change the time? Wandering around the school at night, if we get caught, we'll lose a lot of points, and we might even be expelled."
The eye on Nios's blindfold glanced at her: "Wouldn't it be fine if we just don't get caught?"
This righteous remark, like a key, instantly opened up the minds of the others.
That's right! The core of losing points for night wandering is "getting caught!" As long as they avoided the Professors, Filch, and his cat, there would be no risk!
Harry, Ron, and Draco's eyes all lit up with eagerness.
However, Hermione's worries were not dispelled; she turned to Draco, pointing out the most realistic obstacle: "But the Slytherin common room is in the dungeon, which is too far from the eighth floor! Draco's path back is the riskiest; who can guarantee he won't run into a patrolling Professor or Filch in the dark corridor?"
She paused, lowering her voice slightly, "And… Draco is close to us now, and in Slytherin, he's a bit…" She didn't finish, but the meaning was clear.
Draco's current situation was delicate, and getting caught could have more serious consequences.
However, Hermione misunderstood; it wasn't Slytherin isolating Draco, but Draco isolating Slytherin!
Although the little snakes kept their distance from Nios due to family warnings, and consequently had complex attitudes towards Malfoy, who had sided with the "witch hunter descendants," it was more that Draco himself chose to take a stance, rather than being isolated.
The Slytherins felt that the Malfoy family's gamble this time was too… shocking.
"Simple," Nios snapped his fingers, "Draco can go directly to the Room of Requirement after dinner. After I teach you, he can completely rest there for a night."
A mischievous smile played on his lips, "Besides, a room that can be arranged however you like, how can it not be more comfortable than Slytherin's cold, damp dungeon?"
Hearing this, Draco's eyes instantly lit up!
After being away from home for many days, he indeed missed his comfortable big bed and room at Malfoy Manor.
More importantly, spending the night in the Room of Requirement meant he could write home at night!
"I have no objections!" He eagerly expressed his stance, with a hint of anticipation in his tone.
"Hey! Then I want to spend the night in the Room of Requirement too!" Ron was immediately attracted by this idea.
Harry, as a senior member of the Lie-in Alliance, raised a very practical question: "The idea is good… but who will wake him up in the morning?"
Upon hearing this, Draco immediately straightened his back and proudly retorted: "Please! Harry! I don't have those bad habits like you and Ron!"
Ron ignored Draco's teasing, instead winking at him, silently pleading "take me with you."
Draco understood, and subtly nodded.
Ron immediately beamed, grabbing a chicken leg and taking a big bite.
"Um…" Neville timidly raised his hand and whispered, "Can I… go to the Room of Requirement with Draco early? I'm afraid… if I act with you all tonight, I'll hold you back…" He worried his clumsy movements would expose everyone.
Hermione rubbed her temples, feeling things were getting more complicated, but her sense of responsibility made her consider everything carefully: "Alright, even so… Draco, how do you explain not coming back to your roommate? And Neville, what if Seamus and Dean find you're not in bed?"
Draco waved his hand indifferently: "My roommates are Goyle, Crabbe, and that Blaise Zabini. Don't worry, they won't talk." He was very confident in the loyalty of his followers.
As for Blaise Zabini? He wouldn't dare report him, the young master of the Malfoy family!
"You Slytherins actually have four-person dorms?!" Ron's eyes widened in surprise; this was the first time he had heard of it.
Draco was pleased with Ron's reaction and said with a hint of superiority: "Of course. If there's a chance, I can take you to visit."
"Don't interrupt, Ron!" Hermione cut them off, continuing to press the key question, "What about Neville's problem? Seamus and Dean are not Goyle and Crabbe!"
At this moment, Nios spoke again, his tone as relaxed as if discussing dinner: "Simple. I can make a 'substitute' Neville to put on his bed."
Hermione looked at Nios's "it's no big deal" expression, and then at the other boys around her who were clearly convinced, knowing that every path of objection had been blocked.
She sighed, resigning herself, and said: "Alright… I hope Merlin blesses us with enough luck tonight, and we don't get caught."
Night, eleven o'clock, Gryffindor common room
The flames in the fireplace danced, crackling softly.
Nios sat alone in the armchair by the fireplace, holding a heavy religious tome inlaid with gems and gold. In the firelight, the cross on the book's cover shimmered with a mysterious glow.
On the rug at his feet, Azazel was idly playing with a ball of little pink, trying to mold it into the shape of a sword, mumbling complaints about the material's elasticity.
Faint footsteps came from the stairs leading to the girls' dormitory.
Hermione came down, wrapped in her robes, and paused slightly when she saw Nios by the fireplace and the book in his hand.
The book's cover glowed in the firelight, and she instantly understood what Nios was reading.
"As a Wizard," Hermione couldn't help but speak, her voice tinged with confusion, "you actually read… religious texts?"
Nios's gaze did not leave the pages, he simply replied faintly: "Otherwise, how do you think I created a being like Azazel?"
Hermione pursed her lips, deciding not to delve deeper into this topic that might involve dangerous knowledge.
She was more concerned about the present: "That 'doll' you made… can it really fool Seamus and Dean? It won't be exposed, will it?"
After dinner, before Seamus and Dean returned, they used a large mass of little pink to mold a "Neville" and stuffed it into the bed, even using a Transfiguration spell to make it less transparent.
Nios casually turned a page of his book: "Don't worry. As long as no one is bored enough to sprinkle salt on it, maintaining that form for three days is not a problem."
Just then, there was another rustling sound on the stairs, and Harry and Ron also tiptoed down.
Both their faces were filled with tension and excitement.
The few of them didn't waste time, climbing out of the common room one by one.
The corridor was pitch black, and the Fat Lady had already gone visiting. Harry, Hermione, and Ron watched everything nervously.
Just then, with a "poof," a small ball of pink flames suddenly ignited behind them!
In the dim corridor, this light was exceptionally conspicuous.
Harry, Hermione, and Ron were startled by this sudden pink glow, turning their heads sharply, their hearts nearly leaping out of their throats.
Noticing three pairs of eyes staring at him in fright, Azazel blinked innocently, shaking the pink flame on his fork: "Why are you looking at me? It's so dark, without a torch, do you want to trip?"
Hermione gasped, immediately sending Nios a silent warning with her eyes: Control him quickly!
Nios understood, moving as fast as lightning! He snatched the little pink "sword" Azazel had just molded, and without a word, shoved it directly into Azazel's throat, blocking any sound he might make next.
Then, under Azazel's terrified gaze, Nios casually picked up the small fork with the pink flame.
Without hesitation—poof—he stabbed it into Azazel's butt, and the flame extinguished with it!
"Woo!!!" Azazel wanted to scream, but the little pink still expanding in his throat didn't give him the chance.
Nios, like holding a strangely shaped lantern, firmly gripped the fork handle, lifting Azazel, who was stabbed in the butt and had a pink sword stuffed in his mouth, and carried him on his shoulder.
"Let's go!"