Gryffindor Common Room.
"To our heroes!"
"To our heroes!"
"To Gryffindor House!"
"To Gryffindor House!"
"Roar!"
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
As the Weasley twins raised their glasses and shouted, everyone followed suit, lifting their cups toward Harry Potter, whose face was flushed with excitement. The scene reminded Harry of the time he had lifted the House Cup in his first year.
The similarity was that today, he had once again become the hero of his House. The difference was that this victory felt far more real.
As he absentmindedly downed his Butterbeer, catching the worshipful gazes around him, Harry felt as though his very mind was trembling. The taste of victory and the thrill of being the center of attention were intoxicating...
Beyond Harry, his brothers hadn't forgotten their beloved younger sibling, Ron Weasley.
Yet the calm composure Ron had shown before and after the duel now seemed nothing more than an illusion. At the moment, Ron Weasley stood there with his face bright red, chest puffed out, acting as though no one could possibly overlook him—just like always.
And before long, he was already bragging about how easily he had defeated his opponent.
His smug expression made Ginny cringe. She pursed her lips in embarrassment.
"I don't know how Ron managed to win, but does he really have to act like that? And George and Fred aren't even stopping him..."
As Ron Weasley's sister, Ginny knew his personality all too well. Ron had his strengths, but his flaws were just as obvious.
Right now, he was far too easily swept up by others' praise, letting it go straight to his head. A few words from George and Fred were enough to make him swell with pride, boasting endlessly to everyone nearby. Ginny rolled her eyes helplessly at the sight.
As for why she was so worried about Ron's behavior, it was mostly because Hermione Granger stood right beside her—or more accurately, Ginny feared that Hermione's opinion of Ron might drop because of this...
...
Perhaps it was because Hermione was one of Harry Potter's few female friends, or maybe because the two simply got along well.
After meeting, Ginny and Hermione quickly became close. Whether it was everyday life or little things that girls shared, they often confided in each other's secrets.
It's worth noting that through these exchanges, Hermione also came to know Luna—that peculiar girl.
Perhaps because of Ginny and Hermione's close friendship, and after learning certain things, Ginny had stepped forward that morning to defend Hermione in front of Draco...
As for her reasons, while she was certainly speaking up for her best friend, there was also a bit of personal motivation involved.
As one of only two girls in the Weasley family, Ginny's keen eyes had noticed Ron Weasley's secret long before any of her brothers did.
She realized that whenever Hermione was around, Ron's gaze would always linger on her—sometimes subtly, sometimes not. Having her own experience with such feelings, Ginny immediately understood what that meant.
After all, they were family, and Ginny had never held a good impression of Malfoy. So between seeing Hermione with Draco or with her brother, Ginny much preferred the latter.
From that day on, Ginny began consciously trying to bring the two of them together...
"What's wrong, Hermione? Why are you staring at Ron?"
"..."
Ginny's exaggerated wink made Hermione blink in confusion as she came back to herself. She couldn't quite grasp the meaning hidden behind Ginny's knowing smile.
Something about it just felt strange.
But Hermione didn't think much of it and turned her gaze back toward Ron Weasley, who was lost in the crowd. Her quiet observation only deepened the playful glint in Ginny's eyes.
Perhaps, in Ginny's mind, there was still a chance for the two of them—especially with her gentle nudging...
...
In truth, Hermione wasn't watching Ron Weasley for that kind of reason at all.
If Harry Potter had sensed something unusual about Ron, then Hermione certainly had too.
"Ginny... do you think Ron..."
"Ahem. Well, Ron has his flaws, but he's a good friend. And since last year's incident, he's been working harder than before. You probably didn't know—even during our trip, Ron never stopped practicing his spells."
"Oh?"
Though she didn't understand why Ginny suddenly started talking about Ron, Hermione caught on to the part that mattered.
"Practicing? That Ron?"
"Yeah. During our family trip to Egypt, whenever he had free time, Ron would stay in his room practicing spells. Not even George knew about it."
"You mean mental training—the kind without actually using magic?"
"Probably. After all, we're not allowed to use spells outside school. If you're curious, I can ask Ron for you."
"No, that's not necessary."
Seeing Ginny look ready to charge into the crowd and drag Ron over, Hermione couldn't help but laugh and quickly stopped her.
Ginny's disappointed expression made Hermione smile faintly before turning her gaze back to Ron Weasley, who looked no different from usual.
Her fingertips traced the rim of her Butterbeer mug. Strange...
...
Quite unlike what Ginny imagined.
To Hermione, Ron Weasley was just an ordinary classmate—lazy in his studies, often unable to finish homework on his own. Because of Draco, her relationship with Ron hadn't exactly been friendly either.
If the result of the duel hadn't been so unexpected—and if the defeated opponent hadn't been someone from Draco's side—Hermione probably wouldn't have paid Ron much attention at all.
Perhaps even Hermione herself hadn't realized it yet.
The reason she found herself caring about this matter at all... had just a little something to do with Draco.
...
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