This Hogwarts is not normal

Chapter 1338 Taking a look shouldn't be considered a breach of agreement

Day 28.

Winter is coming to an end, and the afternoon sun is much warmer.

It's the weekend, and Hogsmeade is as lively as ever, filled with Hogwarts students.

Amid their laughter, the snow on the rooftops quietly melted.

Inside the Elegant Wizarding Clothing Store, Hermione stood in front of a row of newly arrived spring robes, her fingers gently stroking a light gray velvet top.

The fabric is indeed of high quality and the tailoring is exquisite, but the overly exaggerated lace trim around the neckline makes the overall look of the garment somewhat vulgar and not suitable for everyday wear.

Behind her, Daphne and Cho were discussing the pattern on a peacock blue cloak.

“I think it’s a Thunderbird. Look at the shape of these feathers.” Daphne turned her head slightly, her soft hair falling from her shoulder.

Qiu's long, slender fingers traced the cloak. "I'm more inclined to think it's some kind of decorative pattern. Ced showed me some totems commonly used by wizards in the Americas, and I remember the Thunderbird didn't look like this."

Daphne smiled politely, "Okay, but... Qiu, could you please stop always talking about Ced and Ced? Now is our time."

She looked to the other side. "Hermione, do you think I'm right?"

Hermione nodded, but her gaze went past the row of clothes in front of her, through the magically heated glass display case, and landed on the wall across the street—or rather, on the wanted posters on the wall.

Despite the darkening effect of the photograph by the Ministry of Magic, Vincent still looks incredibly dashing.

Autumn went to another shelf, picked up a well-tailored men's shirt, and asked, "Hermione, which color do you think suits you better?"

Hermione flashed Daphne's polite smile. "Hmm... white is classic, but his skin is too pale. A darker color would be better, like dark green."

Qiu picked up a dark green shirt and compared it to the white one, saying, "A darker color is definitely better."

Daphne couldn't help but sigh softly. She wanted to say something, but looking at Qiu's sweet expression, she seemed to see Cedric's figure.

She took her sister Astoria's little hand and walked to Hermione's side, no longer disturbing Cho's "private time".

Astoria was no longer a child, so Daphne picked out some more mature-looking clothes.

She tried on several outfits, but she was never quite satisfied until Hermione pointed out that the clothes didn't match Astoria's style, and then she understood what was going on.

Compared to her older sister Daphne's elegance and poise, Astoria always gives off a well-behaved and adorable vibe. Therefore, when choosing clothes, she can opt for bright colors, but not overly flashy ones.

Hermione, who had given the advice, returned to her absent-minded state, her gaze once again unconsciously drifting towards the shop window.

Elegant Wizarding Clothing Store is undoubtedly the top clothing store in the wizarding world, but the clothes here... well, she didn't think they were quite suitable for her.

Perhaps because she is used to Vincent's minimalist style, she doesn't like clothes with too many elements. Unless it's a special occasion, she prefers clean and comfortable styles for everyday wear.

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the alley across the street.

It was a boy wearing a Hogwarts robe, thin, with striking light blond hair.

He moved hastily, looking flustered, tightly clutching a long, narrow object carefully wrapped in dark, high-quality silk.

Draco Malfoy?

With those signature silver-gold hair, who else could it be but him?

Hermione's gaze was fixed on his thin back. He kept his head down and walked quickly away from Hogsmeade, almost hugging the wall.

Only after the figure had completely disappeared did she turn her gaze to the alley from which he had emerged.

That place specializes in adult drinks.

Drowning his sorrows in alcohol? That doesn't seem like something Malfoy would do.

If it really was alcohol, why didn't he put it in his pocket? As the heir to the Malfoy family, his clothes are custom-made, and his pockets must have been enchanted with a seamless stretching spell.

Unless, of course, this bottle of wine is so important to him that he must hold it himself.

Hermione seemed to have made a connection to something, and a slight ripple appeared on her calm face.

Wine – Sherry – Trelawney

She shook her head sharply, forcing herself to stop thinking about it.

She had promised Vincent not to spy on him or act strangely; she heard nothing and knew nothing.

The four girls spent the afternoon at the Skaville cosmetics store next door.

The shop owner was an exquisitely made-up witch with tiny star-like glitter at the corners of her eyes, enthusiastically showing them the latest arrival of color-changing lipsticks.

“A trace amount of salamander blood was added, which changes color with temperature.” She applied the lipstick to the back of her hand to show it off. “Indoors it’s a highly saturated true red, but outdoors it turns into a cherry pink with a watery sheen.”

Qiu and Daphne each picked out a lipstick to try, and Hermione also picked one up and lightly drew a line on the back of her hand.

Under the soft light, the red hue was rich and full, exuding a powerful aura.

Hermione pushed open the shop door and walked under the eaves. A cold wind blew in, and the red on the back of her hand faded, turning into a moist pink, like an unripe cherry.

She was very pleased with the color that changed with the temperature. She pushed open the door and went back into the warm store, where she tried four more lipsticks.

It wasn't until evening that the four girls, having made a bountiful harvest, were willing to return to the castle.

At dinner, Lavender vividly recounted her encounter that afternoon at Honey Duke with a highly suspicious third-year Hufflepuff boy.

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According to Parvati's analysis, the fact that the other person kept glancing at her suggests that he might have a crush on her.

"Hermione, do you know how long he stared at me? Three seconds, a full three seconds!"

Hermione forked a piece of cod, gave a soft "hmm," and put the cod in her mouth, savoring it slowly.

Then, her gaze inadvertently swept over the Slytherin table.

That seat was empty, it seemed like it had just been emptied. The plate was still there, there was half a cup of pumpkin juice left, and the fork was casually placed on the table. I guess the person had suddenly lost their appetite halfway through the meal, or had left in a hurry because of some urgent matter.

Hermione looked away and continued to focus on her dinner.

……

……

night,

Gryffindor Tower, girls' dormitory.

Lavender and Parvati sat side by side against the headboard, huddled together flipping through the latest issue of "Wizard Weekly".

They were reading a divination column about "springtime love luck," and they were sometimes amazed and sometimes discussing it in hushed tones.

Hermione lay on the bed with her back to them, an alchemy manuscript open in her hand.

The handwriting clearly indicates that this is Vincent's manuscript, which is further confirmed by the excessively messy diagram.

Suddenly, Hermione frowned.

It wasn't because of the contents of the manuscript, but because she remembered the figure from earlier that day.

Thin and flustered, clutching what he was holding tightly, he hurriedly left, hugging the wall to the side.

Is it alcohol?

Sherry?

So, he should start taking action.

She unconsciously turned to the next page, her gaze falling on the densely packed encrypted text.

Should we take a look?

Taking a look shouldn't be considered a breach of agreement.

You've finished watching, so what's next?

That's all, just observing.

Behind him, Lavender yawned. "It's too late. I'll figure out tomorrow whether my true love will come in the spring."

She closed the magazine, and Parvati returned to her own bed.

The lights went out, and under the dim light of the nightlight, Hermione remained motionless, still reading, the words Vincent had spoken to her that night echoing in her ears.

I don't want you to take any risks...

Because I'm going through all of this, I know how dangerous and dark it is. I hope you don't have to face these things and can choose the path you want to take in the future, instead of ending up like me...

After a long while, Hermione very slowly reached out from under the covers and activated the magical communicator on her wrist.

The moment the projection screen lit up, her finger hovered in mid-air, hesitant to tap it.

After a long while, she finally tapped her finger lightly, opening an icon that resembled a map.

Please enter the password.

Hermione took a deep breath and quickly typed in the password.

"I solemnly swear that I will not do good deeds."

A miniature version of Hogwarts Castle appeared on the projection screen, composed of simple lines, with each dot representing a person.

Her fingertips traced the base of the castle, zooming in on the Slytherin dormitory area.

She didn't look for anyone; she was just... well, just browsing.

……

……