Hermione finally spoke about what had happened the previous night.
After recalling that Malfoy might have been playing a trick, she returned to the common room and immediately sought out Harry and Ron to share her suspicions. As expected, their initial reaction was disbelief. Both boys were too used to dismissing Hermione's caution as overthinking, and their lingering bias made them reluctant to accept her reasoning outright.
Under normal circumstances, this disagreement would have quickly escalated into a heated argument. Hermione, never one to back down when she believed she was right, would have clashed with Ron in particular, and the two would likely have parted on bad terms.
However, things were slightly different this time.
Because of her growing trust in Ryze—and perhaps influenced by his offhand remark that "night wandering is a Hogwarts student tradition"—Hermione paused before reacting. Instead of arguing, she reconsidered her approach and came up with a more strategic solution.
She proposed a bet.
If Malfoy showed up for the duel that night, she would never interfere in their affairs again. Even if they were caught and lost house points, she would personally find a way to explain the situation and take responsibility.
But if Malfoy failed to appear—and worse, if he had deliberately lured them out only to alert the caretaker—then Harry and Ron would have to follow her lead at school from that point forward.
The provocation was obvious.
How could the two Gryffindor boys tolerate such a challenge? Even though they privately suspected Hermione might be right, their pride wouldn't allow them to refuse. They accepted the bet, though they negotiated one condition: the duration would only last until Halloween.
If Hermione's prediction proved correct, they would follow her guidance and refrain from reckless or dangerous behavior until then.
With the agreement in place, Hermione immediately began planning for the possibility that Malfoy would not show up.
Her primary concern was avoiding punishment. Sneaking out at night was risky enough, but getting caught would result in significant point deductions.
Her original plan was surprisingly bold.
If they were discovered, she would pour a bottle of Boils Potion on herself and claim she had accidentally spilled a failed potion while studying. Harry and Ron would then escort her to the hospital wing as an emergency.
To make the story more convincing, she had already collected several failed potion samples from Neville's melted cauldron after class. These were part of her ongoing "research," which she now repurposed as a contingency measure.
The route itself also worked in their favor. The Gryffindor common room was located on the eighth floor, while the hospital wing was on the second. Passing through intermediate floors—such as the fourth—would appear completely normal under the circumstances.
Seeing Hermione's determination, and especially her willingness to sacrifice herself to protect them, Harry and Ron couldn't help but feel a little ashamed of their earlier attitude.
After some hesitation, Ron decided to consult individuals far more experienced in this kind of situation.
The Weasley twins.
When they heard about Malfoy's supposed duel invitation and the possibility of a trap, they immediately recognized the underlying scheme. They weren't fools, and with Hermione's explanation, they quickly concluded that Malfoy had no intention of showing up fairly.
Rather than discouraging the plan, however, they became enthusiastic participants.
To them, this was an excellent opportunity—not only to outsmart Malfoy, but also to embarrass Slytherin in the process.
They assured Ron that they could help distract Filch, the caretaker, and even enlist the aid of certain cooperative portraits to keep an eye on movements near the Slytherin common room.
As if that weren't enough, they also provided Ron with several of their homemade prank items.
If Malfoy actually appeared, these could be used during the duel. And if he resorted to underhanded tactics, the twins could create a diversion to disrupt the situation and give Harry and Ron an advantage.
On the other hand, if Malfoy failed to show up, the outcome would be even better. They could spread the story across the school, ensuring that his cowardice became widely known.
With such capable troublemakers involved, even Hermione had to admit that their chances of success had improved significantly.
Although she still disapproved of their tendency to lose points for the house, she couldn't deny their effectiveness.
That night, shortly after eleven, the group made their way to the trophy room as planned.
As expected, Malfoy never appeared.
Because they had anticipated this outcome, no one was particularly surprised. With the twins successfully distracting Filch, the group remained undetected and prepared to return safely to the common room.
They were already discussing how to mock Malfoy the next morning when an unexpected interruption occurred.
Peeves.
The mischievous poltergeist appeared suddenly, startling everyone. Delighted to find students wandering the corridors at night, he immediately began making a loud commotion.
His noise echoed through the fourth-floor corridor, quickly drawing attention from nearby staff.
The situation escalated rapidly.
In their attempt to escape, the group accidentally entered a forbidden room—one that housed a massive three-headed dog.
The creature's presence was terrifying.
Harry and Ron were nearly paralyzed with fear, while Hermione, despite her shock, managed to notice something important: beneath the dog's feet was a trapdoor.
The implication was clear. The beast was guarding something.
After narrowly escaping the encounter, the group returned to the common room in a state of exhaustion and lingering fear. Any thoughts of mocking Malfoy were quickly forgotten.
Fortunately, thanks to the twins' efforts, the situation still worked in their favor.
By the next morning, word had already begun to spread.
Through a network of talkative portraits, the story of Malfoy's failed duel—and his apparent attempt to trick his opponents—circulated throughout the school.
While it didn't escalate into a major house conflict, it was more than enough to damage his reputation.
After hearing Hermione recount everything, Ryze fell into thought.
Could Peeves' sudden appearance have been part of a larger arrangement?
Specifically—was it orchestrated by Dumbledore?
From a broader perspective, the events of the first year followed a familiar narrative structure. A young protagonist faced a series of challenges, overcame them through courage and companionship, and ultimately triumphed over evil.
The obstacles guarding the Philosopher's Stone seemed almost too deliberate—carefully designed trials rather than random defenses.
It was difficult to ignore the possibility that these events had been arranged, at least in part, to guide Harry along a specific path.
As the story progressed into later years, the tone became more complex and mature. The contrast between the earlier "fairy tale" elements and the darker developments created a noticeable shift.
Having knowledge of future events, Ryze understood that Dumbledore was fundamentally a good person—but not an infallible one.
He had his blind spots.
He failed to uncover the truth behind Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew for years.
He did not recognize the impostor posing as Moody.
It took him a long time to fully understand the nature of Voldemort's immortality.
And ultimately, he himself fell victim to the curse placed on the Resurrection Stone.
Despite all this, during the first two years, his actions could easily give the impression of omniscience.
An eleven-year-old boy was placed in direct confrontation with dark forces, yet survived—often with perfectly timed assistance.
It almost seemed as though everything had been planned in advance.
In the end, Dumbledore did achieve his ultimate goal.
He orchestrated events in such a way that Voldemort was defeated, even at the cost of his own life. Through careful manipulation of circumstances—including the ownership of the Elder Wand—he ensured that Harry would be able to finish what he had started.
Ryze shook his head lightly.
There was little point in dwelling on these matters now.
At the very least, during this stage of events, Dumbledore was still watching over everything. Voldemort posed no immediate threat to Harry, and the narrative was already set in motion.
For now, it was acceptable to let Harry take center stage.
As for himself, Ryze had more practical concerns.
He would focus on steadily absorbing magical knowledge, capturing ravens, and refining his divination skills.
If he could find a few more special ravens within the school year, he might unlock additional Hextech Runes.
With enough preparation, by the time the next year arrived, he might even have the strength to confront Tom Riddle in his younger form.
Lost in these thoughts, he listened as Hermione continued speaking.
She proudly declared that she had won the bet and stated, with complete seriousness, that she would ensure Harry and Ron experienced the "joy of learning" before Halloween arrived.
In response, Ryze simply gave her a thumbs-up.
"Keep up the good work."
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