Draco's wildly fanciful idea naturally sent a shock through everyone present.
For ordinary wizards, it might not have seemed like much. But as the ones who stood to benefit the most, they knew all too well what House-elves were really like.
Calling their loyalty "inconsistent" might be a stretch, but one thing was certain: they would never betray their masters.
With that understanding, it was hardly surprising that even Pansy, who usually trusted Draco without reservation, didn't immediately support such a strange proposal.
Almost without thinking, Pansy cast a suspicious look toward Astoria across from her.
'If this wasn't Greengrass's awful idea, then it must have come from Granger, who doesn't really understand House-elves at all.'
The people who know you best are often your rivals.
If Pansy suspected Astoria simply because she had arrived in the room before her, then her doubts about Hermione came from long familiarity.
With Hermione's strong sense of justice, she would almost certainly see this as a perfect two-birds-with-one-stone plan.
Recruit allies while at the same time instilling the idea of equality at birth into those exploited House-elves...
As Pansy lay sideways with her head resting on Draco's thigh, lost in thought, Draco casually tucked the loose strand of hair away from her cheek. The gesture made Pansy narrow her eyes in quiet contentment.
Astoria, feeling an unexplainable irritation in her chest, forcefully tossed aside her empty teacup. "In any case, pulling all of this off will take a long time. Before that, how do you plan to deal with the problem at hand?"
Draco's hand paused for a moment. "That's true. As things stand, the only one who can provide me with information is Lockhart, and even that depends on his mood."
"Lockhart? You mean that Lockhart?"
Pansy blinked, clearly unprepared to hear that name.
Even Goyle and Crabbe, huddled by the doorway and trembling, looked visibly startled.
Seeing their reactions, Draco realized that aside from Hermione, he had never really mentioned his rather unusual relationship with Lockhart to Pansy and the others.
"You could say we have a deal," Draco said. "For now, he's someone I can trust."
"I see... Have you tried getting any information from him about what our parents are doing?" Astoria asked.
Her question brought Draco's thoughts back to that night, standing by the fireplace at Hogwarts.
"He refused the Dark Lord's summons," Draco said. "That's all he told me."
"....."
"....."
"....."
A long, heavy silence settled over the cramped space.
How much time did they have left?
...
Time rewound to a little earlier.
After parting ways with Draco and the others, Hermione felt like Cinderella after midnight, her magic gone, returning to a world she had once known so well.
Compared to the wizarding world as it was now, the Muggle world felt far more peaceful.
The quiet storm brewing within Britain's magical community seemed to have no effect at all on Muggle society in the same region.
Rather, the two worlds were like inner and outer layers, existing side by side without interfering with one another...
By the late twentieth century, Britain was only just emerging from the shadow of World War II. It was also a time when the entire world was developing at breathtaking speed.
Science and technology, culture and entertainment, social economy, medical knowledge. Everything surged forward after the war like a train picking up momentum, making it hard to imagine what the early twentieth century had been like.
Compared to the rapid postwar progress of Muggles, the wizarding world felt as though someone had pressed a pause button. Daily life there seemed frozen in the early nineteenth century...
That sense of being torn across eras was something only witches and wizards born to Muggle families could truly feel.
For example, Hermione, stepping out of King's Cross Station...
In the car.
"Darling, how was school? You know we're not very familiar with the wizarding world."
Once they were seated, Mrs. Granger, sitting in the passenger seat, immediately turned her attention to her daughter.
To be honest, if it hadn't been for Hermione's strong insistence, the Grangers would never have wanted their child involved with such strange and incomprehensible things in the first place. They also hated being separated from her for so long.
More importantly, the unknown was frightening, and they were, after all, just ordinary people...
"Don't worry. My grades are very good, the professors take great care of me, and… my friends are very kind to me."
"Is that so? If you ever run into any difficulties, you have to tell us. We may not understand magic at all, but don't forget, you still have us."
The Grangers expressed their feelings with refreshing honesty. In some ways, Hermione was like her parents, and in other ways, she wasn't.
Her pride made her sometimes act like a little kitten, always slipping away from Draco's side, yet at other times she would openly show him her burning affection.
Perhaps that was just how complicated it was to like someone...
...
The outskirts of London.
Both dentists by profession, the Grangers couldn't exactly be called upper class, but they were far better off than most people. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to buy a house of their own in London.
Of course, compared to Malfoy Manor, Hermione's home lacked any sense of mystery, and its size was simply incomparable...
"Welcome home, dear."
"I made your favorite mashed potato stew tonight. I don't know if anyone at school ever cooks that for you."
Speaking as she guided Hermione inside, Mrs. Granger pushed open the door, as though trying to pour out all the longing she'd been holding back.
Even the usually quiet Mr. Granger seemed a little unsettled.
After all, their daughter, the one they were so proud of, was home again...
Though they had been apart for a long time, and though the lives they lived belonged to entirely different worlds, it hadn't weakened the bond within the Granger family.
At least, there was no sense of awkwardness or distance during dinner.
After the meal, Hermione carried her luggage back to the room she hadn't seen in ages...
Books, and more books. Compared to most girls, Hermione's room had very few cute stuffed animals or dolls.
Still, the faint fragrance in the air, along with the pink-tinged furniture and bedding, quietly showed that Hermione did have a girlish side...
After dragging her luggage into the room with some effort, Hermione turned around and let herself fall onto the soft bed.
She breathed in lightly, catching the scent of fabric warmed by sunlight.
It seemed Mrs. Granger had carefully cleaned her room before Hermione came home.
But...
Hermione let out a soft sigh.
"I already miss him..."