A.N : Hi everyone! Thank you so much for sticking with my fanfic! By the way, the chapter after this will finally cover that fateful night (you know, the one from the summery), so I hope you'll look forward to it. I'm having so much fun writing this.
PART3
Professor Flitwick's small, squeaky voice filled the room as he explained a spell for creating waterproof barriers. Hermione sat in her usual seat, trying not to sigh too loudly. The class was dreadfully boring; she already knew everything he was teaching. As her gaze wandered, she scanned the room to see if anyone else was paying attention.
To her left, Ron was twirling his quill between his fingers, clearly disinterested. Harry, as always, was diligently taking notes, his glasses sliding down his nose. Neville, on the other hand, looked utterly baffled, his expression growing more strained with each of Flitwick's explanations.
Then her eyes fell on Malfoy's desk. She wasn't surprised to see him leaning back in his chair, looking smug as ever. But it wasn't Malfoy himself that caught her attention—it was his books. They were stacked in a neat perfect tower. Her eyes narrowed as she saw something she wasn't expecting.
At the very bottom of the stack, she spotted it: Practical Charms for Everyday Catastrophes. The book he took from her. Why on earth was Malfoy carrying it around?
Suspicion bubbled in her mind. Instead of listening to Professor Flitwick's voice, which now seemed distant and sheepish, she began plotting. She needed that book back. But how? Confronting Malfoy after class would only end in humiliation—he'd find a way to mock her in front of everyone. Stealing it from his desk right after the bell rang? Impossible; his seat was too far from hers. Maybe… magic?
The bell rang, jolting her out of her thoughts. The students shuffled to leave as Professor Flitwick dismissed them with a cheerful wave. Hermione barely registered Ron mumbling about something as her eyes locked on Malfoy. He stood, gathering his things, and strolled out of the classroom flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.
Blast! She grabbed her things and hurried after him, ignoring Harry and Ron's curious glances. When she reached the corridor, she only saw Crabbe and Goyle lumbering away, Goyle struggling under a comical number of books.
"Where's Malfoy?" she muttered to herself, scanning the hallway. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a flash of blond hair disappearing around the far corner.
"I'll be right back," she said quickly as Harry and Ron finally caught up to her.
"What are you doing?" Ron asked, frowning.
"Probably dueling Malfoy," she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
She darted around the corner, her heart pounding. He might be planning something—something dangerous. Maybe even an attack on Harry. She couldn't let it go.
The chase led her to the boy's bathroom. Hermione stopped short, her mind racing. What was Malfoy doing there? With her book? When he let out his wand, she couldn't wait.
"Malfoy!" she called in a sharp whisper as she stepped inside.
He froze, his shoulders stiffening before he slowly turned to face her. "What the hell, Granger? Fancy following handsome boys into the bathroom now?"
Hermione let out a sharp laugh. "Please. Why are you carrying my book? Worried I'll take it back?"
"It's none of your business," he snapped, though his voice wavered slightly. "Now get out, you bloody Gryffindor."
Oh, he was definitely hiding something.
"Alright, fine," she said, turning as if to leave. But just as she reached the door, she whipped around and shouted, "Expelliarmus!"
Malfoy's wand flew from his hand, and the book tumbled to the floor. Hermione darted forward, snatching Practical Charms for Everyday Catastrophes before he could react. She straightened, clutching the book, and gave him a pointed look.
"Funny how desperate you were to keep this," she said coolly. "Wait until I find out what you're up to, Malfoy."
Without another glance, she strode out of the bathroom, leaving Malfoy gaping after her. As she disappeared into the corridor, she thought she heard him let out a frustrated sigh.
Finally, Hermione had the book she'd been yearning to dive into for weeks. Settling into her usual spot by the library's high windows, she flipped to the Defensive Counter-Charms section and leaned in, quill poised. By the time she finished, nearly every spell was copied meticulously into her ever-expanding notebook.
Satisfied but curious, she let the pages fan under her fingers until the book fell open at a section titled Advanced Healing Magic: Theory and Practice. A sly smile played on her lips. Healing spells had been her obsession over the summer; she'd devoured The Healer's Handbook: A Complete Guide to Mending Magic and mastered charms most students wouldn't dream of attempting. But as she skimmed the pages of A Compendium of Catastrophes and Cures, her smirk faltered.
Basic. Rudimentary. Utterly useless, she thought, Who on earth considers a bandaging spell 'advanced'?
She snapped the book shut, her thoughts drifting to Harry and Ron. Their bizarre disappearance in the dungeon corridors had left her rattled. The idea of enchanted walls trapping them was bizarre—even by Hogwarts' standards. But who could have orchestrated such magic? A Ministry conspiracy? Snape? Perhaps. Or…
The Malfoys, she murmured, tapping her quill against her lip. Malfoy's behavior lately was nothing short of suspicious—furtive glances, cryptic remarks, and that maddening smirk that made her want to hex him and interrogate him all at once.
Still, the book had proven a useful distraction. For weeks, Hermione had read, copied, and memorized its contents, feeling increasingly prepared for both exams and the inexplicable catastrophes that Hogwarts seemed to specialize in. But when she flipped to the back cover to check the return date, her stomach sank.
"Yesterday?!" she exclaimed, startling Madam Pince, who shot her a glare. Hermione groaned as the portrait of the book's author frowned at her disapprovingly. Usually, overdue books at Hogwarts were a nightmare—screeching reminders, self-locking covers—but this one had been eerily silent. Only the portrait's sullen expression betrayed her error.
Hermione dashed to the library shelves, weaving past tables and students. With a soft flick of her wand, the book floated neatly back into its place. She turned to leave, but halfway to the exit, a memory hit her.
Malfoy.
"You know, I should charge you for this kind of service. Maybe five Galleons? Or—no, wait—ten, since you're desperate."
The sheer nerve of him made her laugh now. But the idea sparked something else. If he wanted the book so badly, it was likely tied to whatever secret he was hiding. She could use it—maybe even trade it for answers.
Turning back to the shelf, she quickened her steps. Disregarding the overdue rules wouldn't be that bad, especially since the book hadn't even protested—
She stopped cold.
The spot where she had placed the book was empty.
Her heart sank as she scanned the shelf again, then the one next to, and below. Nothing. Her eyes narrowed, arms crossing as frustration and suspicion warred on her face. Slowly, a realization dawned, and her lips twisted into a smirk of reluctant admiration.
"Malfoy," she whispered.
I watched as Granger practically sprinted to the shelf and returned the book with all the ceremony of someone handing over a lost treasure. She had no idea I'd been watching her the entire time.
Honestly, she made it so easy. She told me exactly which book she wanted, and then—predictably—put it back in the exact same spot it had come from.
Poor, oblivious girl.
I waited until she left, then slipped out from behind the next shelf. With a grin, I plucked the book from its place and tucked it under my robes.
I didn't even make it halfway down the aisle before she came rushing back, her footsteps light but frantic. I ducked behind a row of Transfiguration texts and watched her search, her hair wild, her expression half-furious, half-determined.
She was too late.
Smirking to myself, I disappeared into the shadows of the library, the book safely in my hands.
A.N : This chapter is a bit mysterious, isn't it? I'd love to hear your thoughts and predictions in the reviews! Your feedback means so much to me. Don't worryーthe next chapter will be up very soon!