After regrouping, Pansy and the others returned together to Draco's Prefect's room.
By the time night fell, they were no longer appearing as Neville Longbottom and Ginny Weasley, but had returned to their original appearances.
Just as the plan had gone smoothly, they did not run into anyone on the way back.
After the effects of the Polyjuice Potion ended, Draco and the others returned to their own bodies. As for that, Pansy had plenty to say.
"If there's ever another plan like this, I am never drinking Polyjuice Potion again!"
"..."
Hermione looked wordlessly at Pansy, who had leaned against Draco the moment they got back, recharging what she called her "Draco energy."
For once, Hermione did not snap back at her.
After all, Hermione had once drunk Polyjuice Potion herself, so she could actually sympathize with how Pansy felt right now. She knew exactly what it was like, because that taste was truly beyond words.
What Hermione did not mention was the target she had transformed into back then. In any case.
It was obvious that compared with getting close to Harry Potter, Pansy hated drinking that revolting potion far more. Especially when it had someone else's hair in it, the discomfort was both mental and physical.
On top of that, Pansy had indeed brought back extremely useful news and information, so Hermione decided to turn a blind eye to the woman's behavior for now.
"So, you mean Dumbledore is planning to take Harry Potter with him to find a Horcrux?"
"Mm... That's what it sounded like. At least, I can't think of any reason Potter would lie to me... I mean, to Ginny Weasley. Potter shouldn't have any reason to lie to Weasley, right?"
"That's true. If Potter didn't trust Ginny, he wouldn't have handed you the Marauder's Map."
After nodding in agreement, Hermione frowned and looked at the Marauder's Map, which was no longer blank after the command had been spoken.
Hearing about it from someone else had not made it clear enough, but after seeing the changes on the parchment with her own eyes, Hermione finally understood just how astonishing the thing called the Marauder's Map truly was.
"So, Padfoot should refer to Sirius Black, and Wormtail... must be that rat."
"And Moony is the Werewolf Lupin! In other words, the remaining Prongs is Potter's father."
The fact that Sirius Black was an Animagus was no longer a secret, and when Peter Pettigrew had been caught in the snow, Draco and the others had been hiding nearby and watching.
So, after combining that with the information Pansy provided, Hermione easily worked out these minor details.
However, this discovery did ignite Hermione's competitive spirit and intense curiosity.
Because she had learned something from Pansy.
This Marauder's Map seemed to have been personally created by Harry Potter's father, Sirius Black, and the others while they were still students.
Faced with that kind of talent.
Hermione, who was also a Hogwarts student, certainly did not think she was any worse than them.
...
Draco had no intention of paying attention to Hermione's newly stirred competitive spirit, nor did he have any intention of stopping her.
Compared with that small matter, Draco cared far more about the unknown Horcrux.
He looked at Pansy, who was still clinging close to him. "Did Potter say anything else about that Horcrux?"
"Mm... No." Pansy hesitated, then shook her head.
"You didn't try probing him with a few questions?"
"That's easy for you to say, Granger. The situation wasn't as simple as you think. I almost got exposed, and besides, he didn't give me a chance to ask."
Although Pansy did not think being discovered would have been impossible to handle, it had been hard not to feel nervous at the time. Especially when the Marauder's Map showed both her and Draco's names. Her heart had nearly leapt out of her chest.
Under that kind of pressure, it was only natural that she had not thought that far ahead.
Hermione, who had not been there at the time, could understand that.
Avoiding Pansy's glare, Hermione looked at Draco. "Draco, which Horcrux do you think Dumbledore is targeting?"
"Mm... I'm not sure, but it's not as if we can't do anything. At the very least, we need to figure out where Dumbledore is going."
Draco was not a Seer, nor was he someone who had been reborn. Naturally, he had no way of knowing Dumbledore's target, or what the Horcrux he planned to find was.
However, if they could learn where Dumbledore was going, perhaps they could uncover some clues from that.
With that thought.
"Dobby."
"Yes, Young Master."
"Take this letter to my father. Remember, don't let anyone except my father get it."
"Leave it to Dobby! Dobby will protect this letter with his life!"
"..."
Crack!
Without giving Draco the chance to comment, or Hermione the chance to lecture him, Dobby vanished from the room in a flash.
It had to be said, every time Draco saw House-elves use magic, he became curious about the magical principles behind it.
If he could learn the magic unique to House-elves, then he would be able to use Charms without any restrictions.
...
As for the contents of that letter.
There was no need to read it. One could more or less guess what had been written inside.
It surely told Lucius Malfoy and the others to monitor Dumbledore's next destination and movements.
And most importantly, it contained speculation about Voldemort's Horcruxes.
After all, Dumbledore was not the only wizard who wanted to destroy Voldemort.
After Dobby left, Draco and the others turned their attention back to the Marauder's Map on the table.
Hermione curiously used her fingers to zoom in on it.
"Incredible. It can actually zoom in this far... No, the most amazing part of this map is still its ability to show the locations of wizards."
"And these secret passages no one knows about. Did Sirius Black and the others actually use all of them back then?"
"Not only that, there are even classrooms I didn't know about?"
Hermione kept letting out startled exclamations, drawing Pansy, who had not been especially interested at first, over as well.
The two girls leaned in with their heads close together, discussing the magical Marauder's Map.
Draco did not interrupt them. Instead, he thought of another matter Pansy had mentioned.
To be precise, a wizard.
Snape, whom Harry Potter suspected of being a spy.