Although this wasn't the first time they had trained together, the meaning and possibilities of this session were on an entirely different level.
"Secrecy, and training without holding anything back?"
After her initial curiosity about the Room of Requirement was satisfied, Hermione didn't immediately get to work like Astoria, who acted as though she'd returned to her own home and began brewing potions without hesitation. Nor was she like the energetic and excited Pansy, who couldn't wait to drag several followers along to try out every piece of equipment in the room.
Instead, unlike the others, Hermione sat quietly on a sofa, her gaze fixed on Draco's back. There was both worry and anticipation in her eyes…
"What's wrong? Is there something you want to ask?"
Perhaps Hermione's stare was too obvious, or perhaps the girl had done it on purpose. In any case, Draco soon noticed her gaze and walked over to sit beside her. Whether anyone else noticed this was unclear, but Astoria, who had been focused on her potion-making, unexpectedly let her hand shake for a brief moment…
"…Nothing. I was just wondering… can we really help you?"
"Hmm?"
"W-What are you doing, looking at me with that expression?"
Hearing the subtle meaning in Draco's tone, Hermione flushed and glared back, her legs rubbing together awkwardly.
Seeing the beautiful girl in front of him suddenly turn shy, Draco let out a soft laugh.
"That doesn't sound like our know-it-all. Since when did you become so lacking in confidence?"
At that, Hermione rolled her eyes with a touch of indignation.
She had to admit it. She really was feeling a little unsure.
After all, she couldn't single-handedly defeat a Thunderbird with a danger rating of XXXXX, nor did she have the confidence to face a Dark Lord who had stirred the wizarding world decades ago…
"Isn't it normal to lack confidence? Do you think everyone's a freak like you?"
Despite everything she'd been through, Hermione was indeed far more capable and mature than most witches and wizards her age. But at the end of the day, she was still just a minor.
Her mind, strength, and experience hadn't fully developed yet. Even if she was more mature than others, it didn't change the fact that she was only sixteen. And her parents were Muggles, people she couldn't even talk to about these things.
So feeling lost and troubled about the future was only natural…
Noticing this, Draco raised an eyebrow slightly.
"That line… I'll take it as a compliment for now. But…"
"What?"
"Don't underestimate any wizard. And don't underestimate yourself either."
"Huh?"
Draco reached out and took Hermione's hand, which had been resting at her side.
The warmth and faint tickling sensation from his palm made Hermione blink in a daze. She looked utterly stunned, as though she hadn't yet processed his sudden action.
Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but she hesitated and closed them again.
At the same time, her wandering gaze drifted toward Pansy and Astoria, who seemed not to have noticed anything. That guilty, furtive look only made Hermione seem even more endearing.
While Hermione was still lost in her thoughts, she suddenly realized that an unfamiliar wand had somehow appeared in her hand. At the same time, Draco withdrew his own.
"For certain reasons, Astoria has achieved remarkable results in potions, while Pansy, with her family's legacy, has shown solid progress in Transfiguration. So tell me, what do you think your strength is as a witch?"
"My strength…" Hermione tightened her grip on the wand that had been pressed into her hand, her gaze fixed steadily on Draco.
Though he wasn't sure why there was something odd in her tone and expression, Draco continued.
"Have you never noticed how you always manage to grasp spells faster than everyone else?"
"What's wrong with that? I read through the textbooks before every lesson,"
"And I pay attention in class."
Draco really wanted to comment on part of that, but he still explained instead.
"If the witches and wizards you're outperforming were only those Gryffindors, that might make sense."
"So…"
"Exactly. That's where your talent lies. More precisely, your control over magic is well above average."
"Magical control?"
Thinking back to how Hermione had cast the Levitation Charm and basic Transfiguration spells ahead of everyone else the very first time she touched magic, Draco couldn't help but look at her more carefully.
Magical control might sound insignificant, but in reality, it was one of the most important talents a wizard could have. After all, Draco himself had spent an enormous amount of time last year improving his own control.
With that in mind, his expression grew more serious as he looked at Hermione.
"From now on, you're only allowed to cast spells using the wand in your hand. As for how long… until I'm satisfied."
"This wand… is there something special about it?"
Noticing something in Draco's expression, Hermione examined the wand in her hand more carefully and gave it a few experimental flicks. Still, she couldn't find anything unusual.
If anything, it was completely ordinary. Dull gray, with faint cracks running along the shaft. If Draco hadn't said it was a wand, Hermione might have thought it was just a random stick picked up off the ground.
Draco offered no explanation. He simply placed a feather in his palm.
"Try it. Start with the simplest spell. The very first one you learned. The Levitation Charm."
"The Levitation Charm?"
Feeling underestimated, Hermione straightened slightly and raised the wand in her hand.
Even though the wand felt faintly uncooperative, she didn't believe she couldn't manage something as basic as a Levitation Charm.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
"..."
"..."
"…Impossible!"
Staring at the feather that hadn't moved at all, Hermione's confident expression froze.
Was the wand in her hand… a fake wand?
...
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