Normally, aside from the house colors, a student's robes don't reveal much information.
But that's only under normal circumstances. For example, the Head Boy and Prefects wear badges on their robes that mark their status. These serve as both a symbol of honor and a clear sign that helps younger students recognize them at a glance.
The same goes for the current captains of each Quidditch team.
So it wasn't exactly easy to explain when Hermione showed up wearing the Slytherin Quidditch captain's robe.
Maybe that's why Draco had wanted to remind her—he must've seen this coming.
But Hermione, whose mind was a bit of a mess at the time, never gave him the chance to say anything...
"Is that... Hermione?"
"Why is she dressed like that?"
"Where'd she get such an expensive Slytherin robe?"
As Hermione wandered dazedly into the Gryffindor common room, every wizard who caught sight of her froze mid-action, staring wide-eyed as if they'd just seen something bizarre.
Messy brown hair, a slightly flushed face, and a Slytherin robe with a captain's badge—this odd combination was impossible not to notice.
Especially with the way Hermione seemed to be radiating an irresistible charm at that moment.
Looking more different than ever before, she immediately became the center of attention.
"......"
Noticing everyone's stares, Hermione froze for a second before realizing exactly what she had done.
She glanced toward Harry and Ron, who had returned earlier and were now standing nearby. They'd made sure to find a secluded spot to change out of their Slytherin robes before showing up here.
Hermione, however, had completely forgotten that crucial step...
There was no explaining this now. What was she supposed to say—that she was cosplaying as a Slytherin?
...
Unaware that his premonition had come true, Draco cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself after Hermione left and quietly slipped out of Hogwarts Castle alone.
This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision—it had always been part of his plan. He'd just moved it up earlier than expected because of Hermione and the others...
"They were actually suspecting me?"
Thinking back on what had happened earlier, Draco's expression twisted slightly.
And the one who made that decision was the very person he'd been suspicious of all along. Wasn't that the definition of a thief crying "thief"?
Still, if Hermione hadn't accidentally slipped up, it might have taken him longer to realize the truth. Thankfully, not too much had been exposed.
But if his instincts were right, then the warning had already been sounded, which was why he needed to act now...
"Looking back, there were definitely too many strange details... I'll have to be more careful from now on."
Learning his lesson, Draco made up his mind to study the Polyjuice Potion more closely, to see if there was any way to pierce through this kind of underhanded disguise.
He couldn't rely on the other side making a mistake—or on the potion being difficult to brew.
At the very least, he had to ensure something like this didn't happen again.
It had to be said—Hermione and the others had definitely taught him something this time...
As Draco reflected, his destination came into view: Hagrid's hut at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Knock, knock!
Still concealed by the Disillusionment Charm, Draco paused to listen inside, then gently knocked on the door.
"Woof, woof!"
"Who's there?!"
The excited barking was followed by a tired, raspy voice, and Draco immediately realized Hagrid hadn't been doing well lately. At the same time, it confirmed that Hagrid was alone.
"It's me, Hagrid."
"Draco?"
As soon as Draco dropped the Disillusionment Charm, the door swung open.
Just as he'd expected, Hagrid looked awful. Bloodshot eyes, and even his thick beard couldn't hide the exhaustion and pallor on his face—it was clear he was in no shape to be dealing with much.
"Sorry, I thought it was... Anyway, come in and sit."
Hagrid seemed like he was about to say more but stopped himself. As Draco stepped inside, Fang ran to his feet and began licking his robes in a welcoming manner.
Draco gave the dog a few pats on the head—the same dog that had kept Pansy from ever daring to visit here—then walked over and took a seat in front of Hagrid, who looked visibly uneasy.
"Draco, if you're here to ask about Norberta, I probably won't be much help right now..."
"No, I'm here to see you."
"Me?"
"Yes. I have a few questions to ask. Some things can only be understood by the people directly involved—and they're often closest to the truth."
"The truth?"
Draco's serious tone and strange phrasing made Hagrid shift uncomfortably in his seat. For some reason, the determined look in Draco's eyes reminded him of Dumbledore.
"The truth I'm talking about... is the Chamber of Secrets incident in 1943."
"...Sigh."
"Honestly, if not for who I am, I wouldn't even know this event had been deliberately buried."
Just like the last time, Hagrid's massive frame trembled, and his already pale complexion turned an even more alarming shade.
But this time, there was no Hermione around to interrupt Draco.
And judging from the resolve in Draco's expression, he clearly wasn't planning to back down.
"Go on, tell me. Even if you don't, I can figure it out from other sources. It'll just take more time and effort. Besides, I don't believe you had the ability to open the Chamber of Secrets anyway."
..."Sigh."
Maybe it was because he knew Draco would find out sooner or later, or maybe it was that last sentence that convinced him, but after a long sigh, Hagrid finally began to speak.
It was the truth that had been buried—hidden by a former headmaster of Hogwarts...
...
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