Just imagining it was enough for Pansy and the others to understand how enormous the strategic value of that map really was.
Whether for sneaking into Hogwarts or launching an attack on it, that magical map with its many functions could play a huge role in all kinds of situations....
But where exactly was that incredible magical map hidden?
Or perhaps... whose hands was it in?
Thinking of that, Hermione blinked in confusion. "So what exactly did you mean earlier by stealing it?"
If it had been something sold in a Dark magic shop, Draco, with the backing he had, would never have used the word steal. More accurately, he would not have needed to worry about whether he had enough Galleons to buy the map.
What he would have needed to worry about instead was whether there were other competitors....
Before Draco could answer, Hermione worked it out herself. "In other words, it's not something you can just buy with Galleons. So... it's either hidden somewhere, or it's in the possession of a particular wizard?"
"And it's hidden somewhere in Hogwarts Castle, or even on a wizard who stayed behind during Christmas break," Astoria added.
That suggestion made Hermione think for a moment before she nodded in agreement.
Only that would clearly explain why Draco had phrased it that way....
Compared with Hermione, who tended to think things through on her own, Pansy had far fewer reservations. She simply wrapped both arms around Draco's arm and began to shake it. "Come on, tell us what's going on already. How are we supposed to help you?"
The soft, fragrant body pressed against him made even Draco's calm expression turn a little unnatural.
Before Hermione could send a suspicious look his way, Draco quickly began explaining the map's origins and laid out his plan...
...
After spending so much time together, Harry Potter's family situation was no longer some great secret. In fact, thanks to a certain reporter, quite a lot of it had already been exposed.
And ever since Sirius Black died, Harry Potter had nowhere else to go, so when this Christmas break came around, he stayed at Hogwarts as well.
As for the Weasleys, it seemed that because of Ron's situation, they had no intention of inviting Harry Potter this year...
"You mean that magical map is with Potter?"
"Why would he have something like that?"
"I refuse to believe Dumbledore wouldn't know about it."
"Given Potter's standing in Dumbledore's eyes, turning a blind eye to it isn't really that surprising, is it?"
After Draco explained everything, Pansy and the others finally understood the whole story, as well as the astonishing experience Draco had gone through at the time.
So Harry Potter actually had that remarkable map in his possession.
The problem was that the girls were focusing on entirely the wrong thing.
Because this was not the time to discuss why Harry Potter was allowed to keep such a map...
Seeing the conversation drifting further and further off course, Draco first glanced at the sky, then finally cut in. "First, we need to find a way into Gryffindor and get a chance to be alone with him. Conveniently enough, we happen to have a Gryffindor Prefect right here."
Following Draco's gaze, they turned to Hermione, who had not even realized he was talking about her.
It seemed that after spending so much time with Draco and the others, she had almost forgotten that she was not actually a Slytherin....
"In any case, with Hermione's help, we should be able to get into Gryffindor House easily enough and make contact with Mr. Potter."
"Wait. I have no problem with that part, but even if you really do get into the Gryffindor common room, Draco, how exactly are you going to approach Potter without making everyone else suspicious?"
Hermione's question was exactly what Pansy and the others had also wanted to ask.
To put it bluntly, the relationship between Slytherin and Gryffindor was anything but pleasant.
The most likely outcome was that the moment they stepped into the Gryffindor common room, they would be thrown straight back out.
Maybe no one would get physical, but there was no way they would be allowed near Harry Potter.
And there was certainly no way they could steal that magical map from him... or get him to hand it over willingly.
Faced with that question, Draco gave Hermione a very strange smile.
The moment she saw that look on his face, Hermione nervously crossed her arms over her chest. "You're plotting something bad, aren't you?"
"No, no, no. Have you forgotten?"
"...Forgotten what?"
"Have you really forgotten that you once did the exact same thing yourself?"
"...."
The mischievous grin on Draco's face, together with that so-called kind reminder, instantly made Hermione remember what had happened in the Slytherin common room a few years ago.
And... that scene that had made her face burn and her heart pound.
At that moment, Hermione, who had never before thought having such a good memory was a bad thing, suddenly wished she were not quite so clever, and that her memory were not quite so sharp.
Because Draco's words had brought back all those embarrassing memories and scenes from the past.
And those were absolutely not the kind of black history Hermione wanted to remember...
...
Compared with the shared memories between Draco and Hermione, Pansy and Astoria, standing off to the side, were completely baffled as they kept looking back and forth between them.
It was obvious that something had happened between Draco and Hermione that they did not know about.
And it was clearly a secret Hermione did not want a third person to hear.
Faced with Hermione's adorably fierce glare, Draco was not frightened in the slightest, but he still did not reveal what had happened back then....
He finally put away the smile on his face. "The solution to this is going to depend on our Hermione."
"On her?"
"Because if we want to get close to Potter, we'll need one very important potion."
"A potion... you mean that one?!" Astoria, who knew quite a lot about potions, immediately understood which potion Draco meant.
It was a rare potion that could turn you into someone else.
The recipe for that potion could only be found in the Restricted Section.
And Hermione had once successfully brewed it, and had even personally tried it....
Its name was Polyjuice Potion.