According to Draco's plan, the person responsible for luring away Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom had to be Hermione.
After all, among everyone present, aside from Hermione, there really weren't many people who had both the confidence and the connections to pull it off without resorting to force.
Draco might have had some chance of success, but when it came to approaching Harry Potter, he was needed even more.
Besides, Draco was the only one who had ever seen that magical map. Pansy and the others had no idea what it looked like.
In other words, Draco simply couldn't leave.
In short, Hermione would be responsible for drawing Ginny and Longbottom away. While they were absent from the common room, Draco and Pansy would transform into them and make contact with Harry Potter.
As for Astoria, she would keep watch for Draco and Pansy and warn them to leave if anything went wrong.
So there was really no suspense when it came to assigning roles.
The only person unhappy about it was probably Hermione, since she wouldn't be acting together with Draco.
"I have more experience with this kind of thing than Parkinson does."
"Granger, what have you been muttering about this whole time? You're not planning to add something extra to my potion, are you?"
"..."
Pansy was not actually doubting Hermione's cooking skills. No, Hermione's ability in Potions. It was just that...
Looking at the cauldron of potion in front of her, with its deeply unpromising color, Pansy's skin crawled at the thought of having to drink it later, especially after someone else's hair had been added. Fastidious as she was, she immediately felt uncomfortable all over.
Just thinking about it felt like bugs crawling across her skin.
Honestly, if she had not wanted so badly to act alongside Draco, and if she had not known this was a key ingredient in Polyjuice Potion, she would never have gone near this disgusting potion, which not only looked strange but also smelled awful.
Hermione, who had just been accused, turned back and glared at Pansy in annoyance. "Huh? Do you really think I'd do something like that?"
As she spoke, Hermione noticed Pansy's scrunched-up expression. Once she vaguely guessed what the other girl was thinking, realization dawned on her, and a teasing smile appeared on her face.
"Don't worry. Once I add Ginny's hair later, the color will get even more disgusting. You can look forward to it."
"You!"
"Trust me, the smell will make you lose your appetite for the entire day..."
"Shut up! Shut up! Stop talking! I don't want to hear it!"
Hermione's vivid description, paired with acting that was far too convincing, made Pansy's face look worse and worse. To stop herself from imagining it, Pansy covered her ears and shook her head furiously.
Hermione rolled her eyes, feeling thoroughly vindicated.
Although there had admittedly been a little personal spite in what she said, and although she had exaggerated a bit, there was no denying that Polyjuice Potion really did taste... rather awful.
...
With Hermione's help, they avoided a great deal of trouble, whether it was obtaining Ginny and Longbottom's hair or getting the password to enter Gryffindor House.
Hermione's status as a Prefect also made their operation much more convenient.
Setting aside the uncertainty around Harry Potter, the only remaining question was whether Draco and the others could convincingly play the roles of Ginny and Longbottom.
Swirling the dull yellow potion glowing in her cup, Hermione frowned at Draco. "It's finished, but Draco... do you actually understand Neville Longbottom? Don't get exposed the moment you go in."
Although she did not know how good Draco's acting was, the two of them had personalities that were practically opposite in every way.
One was a rising star who had already made quite a name for himself in the wizarding world, confident, commanding, and elegant. The Prince of Slytherin was not just an empty title.
The other was practically invisible at school, someone with almost no presence at all. In other people's eyes, he was simply an ordinary wizard who was timid, clumsy, and bad at his studies.
Put side by side, the two had nothing in common.
Which meant that playing Neville Longbottom would be extremely difficult for Draco.
So Hermione was genuinely curious how Draco planned to hide that powerful presence of his, the kind no one could ignore no matter where he went, along with that innate air of nobility.
Taking the finished Polyjuice Potion, Draco pinched his nose. "Don't worry. Pansy will mainly be the one approaching Harry Potter. As for me, I'll look for a chance to steal the map he has on him."
"Me? With that Potter?" Pansy frowned as she spoke, though it was hard to tell whether she was disgusted by the pink potion in Hermione's hand or by the thought of dealing with Harry Potter.
Hermione shoved the potion with Ginny's hair added into Pansy's hands, then looked at Draco with some concern. "If Parkinson fails..."
"I won't fail!"
"I said if! If this woman fails..." Hermione's words earned her a fierce glare from Pansy.
"Then we'll try sneaking into Potter's dorm. If he isn't carrying it, it must be hidden there."
"I see... If only we could ask Dobby for help."
Pansy curled her lip at Hermione's words. "That might be even harder than making me drink this disgusting thing."
Hermione's idea was a good one, and Dobby certainly could have stolen anything they wanted from Harry Potter without anyone noticing.
The only problem was that doing so would violate the House-elf's bond.