"Didn't someone go to the library to seek knowledge, wisdom, and power? Why are you here now? "Pansy asked in a strange tone.
"Oh, I know." Malfoy was about to speak when he was interrupted by Pansy's mutterings.
"When you were telling a story, one of the supporting characters said, 'Every woman is a book,' right?"
"Looks like you've already flipped through that mud … Hermione, right?" Pansy wanted to say those insulting words, but for some reason, she stopped abruptly.
"Pansy!"
"Draco, you're disgusting." Pansy ignored him and turned to leave, but the slight trembling of her shoulders betrayed her feelings. Soon, Pansy disappeared from Malfoy's sight.
"Looks like she's not joking this time." Malfoy could not help but think. "I'll explain it to her when she calms down." He thought about how to talk to Pansy later. Malfoy hastened his footsteps toward the dining hall.
A few minutes later, Malfoy stepped into the dining hall. The sweet smell of roasted pumpkin wafted into his nose.
A thousand bats fluttered on the walls and ceiling, and another thousand like low dark clouds hovered above the dining table, making the candles in the pumpkin's belly flicker. Delicious food suddenly appeared on a golden plate, just like at the banquet at the beginning of school.
"The decorations are pretty good." Malfoy looked at the dining hall's layout.
Looking around, Malfoy did not see Pansy. Instead, he saw Hermione, Harry, and Ron chatting happily at the table. Ron and Harry seemed to be very excited, holding candies made by the Duke of Honey in their hands.
"Hermione, you're so cool!" Ron said. "My brother and the others always don't let me go. I know they always have a way to sneak in. But they just don't bring me. "She also complained about Fred and George.
Harry also chimed in a few words.
Feeling Malfoy's gaze, Hermione secretly gave him an "OK" gesture, indicating that the matter was completely settled, and smiled proudly.
"Your little boat of friendship has set sail again, but my ship is about to sink." Seeing the three chatting happily and Hermione's smile, Malfoy could not help but think of his current situation.
"Where did he go?" Malfoy felt like he had overlooked something. "The little girl won't let go of this food, right?"
Malfoy picked up a pumpkin pie and was about to fill his stomach when Professor Quirrell suddenly rushed into the cafeteria. His large scarf was crooked on his head, and his face was filled with horror. Everyone stared at him as he walked over to Professor Dumbledore's chair, leaned on the table, and gasped, "Trolls — in the Underground Room — thought you should know."
With that, he fell to the floor and fainted.
"Damn it." Malfoy suddenly realized something and cursed. He immediately got up and rushed out of the restaurant.
He finally realized what he had overlooked.
The restaurant was suddenly in chaos. Professor Dumbledore had to make a few ear-piercing explosions from the tip of his wand before everyone quieted down.
"Prefect," he said in a low voice, "take your students to the dormitory at once!"
Percy was naturally familiar with the task.
"Follow me! Don't stray, first years! As long as you follow my orders, you have nothing to fear! All right, stay close behind me. Out of the way, first years are about to pass! Forgive me, I am the prefect! "
"How did the trolls get in?" Harry asked as they climbed the stairs.
"Don't ask me. Trolls are supposed to be stupid," Ron said. "Maybe Naughty Ghost let him in to add some fun to Halloween."
"What is he doing out there now?" Only Hermione noticed that Draco's reaction seemed a little off.
"Pansy, where are you? Pansy? "The corridor was quiet, and only Malfoy's shouts echoed.
Malfoy clenched his fists tightly, revealing his inner nervousness. He had thought himself a butterfly flapping its wings to change the course of events. Perhaps he was just paint, poured into the river of time and diluted by tributary after tributary until it lost its effect.
"Pansy shouldn't be in the ladies' room now," Malfoy's thoughts raced. "Those two should be in the restaurant."
"Then I'll strike first. Find the trolls and get rid of them quickly. "Malfoy was confident in his current strength.
"This way." Malfoy suddenly smelled a foul odor. It was a mixture of stinky socks and uncleaned public toilets. He followed the scent.
"Found you." At the end of a corridor on the left, a huge creature was walking with its back to him. It was impossible not to notice it with its muffled grunts and the dragging of its huge feet.
Malfoy breathed a sigh of relief. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a pair of trembling legs sticking out from under a statue of a soldier on the side of the corridor.
"Flicker!" He had to attract the trolls' attention first.
The plan was successful. The trolls were attracted by the light and turned around. It was a terrifying sight. It was twelve feet tall. Its skin was dull and gray like granite. Its huge and clumsy body was like a huge pile of mud, with a small head the size of a cocoa bean on top. Its short legs were as thick as tree stumps. Below them were large, flat, calloused feet. The smell coming from its body was nauseating. It held a thick wooden stick in its hand. Due to its long arms, the stick dragged on the ground.
Malfoy slowly walked towards the trolls. Suddenly, he raised his wand.
"Shatter!"
A crimson light shot out from Malfoy's wand. It flew straight towards the trolls.
The seemingly bloated trolls had extraordinary agility and intuition. With a subconscious movement, the trolls used the wooden stick in its hand as a scapegoat. A pile of wood chips slowly fell from the trolls' hands.
"Am I lucky?" Malfoy did not forget to mock himself, but his hands were not idle either.
"Petrify!" Another spell flew towards the trolls. This time, the trolls did not have the same luck as last time. They were immediately immobilized. Only a single thick nostril was left exhaling.
"I'll leave the rest to the professors," Malfoy thought as he slowly walked behind the statue.
"Pansy, are you alright?" Malfoy asked softly. There was no response.
Malfoy came nearer to her.
When he looked down, Malfoy was stunned.
The girl in front of him was not Pansy. She looked a year or two older than Malfoy. Black hair, black eyes, shoulder-length hair, and delicate features. Due to being frightened by the trolls, she seemed to be panicking, which made her look even more lovely.
"My compatriot from another world." Malfoy quickly recovered. "I think it's fine now," Malfoy comforted her softly.
"The professors will be here soon," Malfoy continued. Even if it was not Pansy, he could not leave a girl who had been frightened by the trolls alone. It was not gentlemanly behavior. Besides, this girl reminded him of his homeland.
"Thank you," the girl thanked him softly. "I'm Qiu Zhang. You're a first-year Draco, right? I've heard a lot about you in our academy. You really live up to your reputation. You easily subdued the trolls." Qiu Zhang's face was a little red. She was probably embarrassed to be saved by a junior who was younger than her.
"It's just a small trick. It's not worth mentioning," Malfoy suddenly said a Chinese idiom.
Qiu Zhang looked at Malfoy in surprise. "You know Chinese?"
"Of course. I admire Chinese culture the most." Malfoy nodded.
Qiu Zhang seemed a little excited. To be able to meet someone who knew her native language in a foreign country was enough to make her feel close. The slight sense of unfamiliarity and alienation from before suddenly disappeared.
The two chatted for a while while waiting for the professors to arrive. During this time, Malfoy threw out a few jokes in Chinese, causing Qiu Zhang to cover her mouth and laugh.
"You're much more interesting than the rumors say," Qiu Zhang praised. She then added in her heart, "And much more handsome."
"Haha." Malfoy laughed dryly. He clearly remembered how Pan Xi kept saying that he was boring.
"Can you help me up?" Qiu Zhang asked softly.
"I'd love to." Malfoy bent down and reached out his hand, gently shaking Qiu Zhang's soft little hand. He exerted a little force and pulled Qiu Zhang up from the ground.
"Ah." Perhaps it was because she had been sitting on the ground for too long. After Malfoy let go, Qiu Zhang did not stand properly and leaned on Malfoy's shoulder again. Qiu Zhang seemed to have realized that she was too close to a man. She cried out in surprise and blushed.
Malfoy, on the other hand, was looking straight ahead at the empty corridor.
"Recover." Malfoy then chanted a curse on Qiu Zhang's calf.
"How do you feel?"
"Much better now." Qiu Zhang nodded and slowly let go of Malfoy. Her face was still blushing. Malfoy did not know if it was due to shyness or something else.
Just then, Malfoy heard a few hurried footsteps in the corridor.
"Professor, I saw him walking this way just now." A familiar voice was heard.
"He'll be fine, right?" Another voice was also familiar to Malfoy.
"Calm down, child. He'll be fine." Professor Mag comforted the little girl beside him.
The few of them got closer and closer. Professor Mag was at the front, followed by Snape, and Quirrell at the back. Professor Mag even brought two girls with him.
"Mr. Draco, I think you need to give me an explanation." Professor Mag pushed up his glasses and said in a cold and emotionless voice.
Snape went closer to the troll and sized it up. Then, he gave his evaluation. "A perfect petrification curse. As expected of my student." He was obviously starting to side with the troll.
As for Quirrell, he screamed in fear when he saw the troll. He fell to the ground and clutched his forehead and chest as he trembled.
"Professor, I just killed a monster while I was in the corridor. Do you still need an explanation? "Malfoy said calmly.
"That's not what Hermione told me. She said she just saw you running over from the restaurant. "Professor Mag's tone was still cold.
Isn't this a little too quick? Malfoy was about to break down because he saw Pan Xi looking at him worriedly with reddened eyes from the corner of his eyes.
"I think I can already guess the direction of the plot. So, I'm the one who needs to be saved?" Malfoy smiled helplessly.
"Alright, Professor. I was wrong." Malfoy lowered his head in apology.
"10 points for Slythrin." Professor Mag meted out his punishment.
"But you broke the rules for your classmate." Professor Mag patted Pan Xi's head as he said that. "And you fought the troll alone. Looks like you even helped a classmate. "Professor Mag glanced at Qiu Zhang before continuing in a gentler tone. "20 points for Slythrin. Don't do it again."
Malfoy heaved a sigh of relief. He suddenly felt that this old woman had become very cute.
"Alright, the students are all enjoying the Halloween banquet. You guys should go back as soon as possible. Also, I will report this to Professor Dumbledore. "Professor Mag turned and left after saying that. As for the troll, Snape would continue to deal with it.
What came next was the most difficult moment for Malfoy to face.
"Who is this woman?" Pan Xi pointed at Qiu Zhang and stared at Malfoy after Professor Mag left. She was obviously worried that it would be time for her to question him.
"What a headache." Malfoy rubbed his forehead. He was clearly thinking about how to answer this little jealous girl.