HP: Wizardry’s a Hassle, Wand in the Right Hand, Gun in the Left

Ginny nestled in Hermione's arms, crying for what felt like an eternity, until her sobs dwindled into faint whimpers and eventually faded away.

Despite her outburst, when Ginny finally lifted her head, Hermione noticed that the young girl seemed noticeably more composed and refreshed.

"Sorry, Hermione, I got your clothes all wet."

Ginny glanced apologetically at the damp patch on Hermione's robe, which her tears had soaked through.

"It's really no big deal." Hermione chuckled softly, waving her hand gently over the spot. A soft glow appeared, and the dampness vanished instantly.

"Remember, we're witches. Something like this is hardly a challenge for us."

Ginny stared in awe as Hermione effortlessly performed wandless, silent magic. The already impressive image of Hermione in her mind grew even more radiant.

Though Ginny was only a first-year witch, she had grown up immersed in wizarding culture and understood the significance of wandless and silent spellcasting. It amazed and inspired her that Hermione, just one year ahead, had already mastered such advanced abilities.

"Hermione, you're incredible!"

Ginny exclaimed with genuine admiration, but her expression soon shifted, and she let out a soft sigh, lowering her head.

"If I were as skilled as you, maybe... all of this wouldn't have happened."

Faced with Ginny's lament, Hermione paused thoughtfully before offering an honest reply.

"Well, I think even if I were in your shoes, things would have likely turned out the same way. I'm not as extraordinary as you imagine."

Ginny's shoulders drooped slightly, but Hermione wasn't finished.

"That being said, if we keep working hard, we can reduce the chances of such incidents happening again. And if they do, we can endure longer, giving the professors enough time to intervene and save us."

"For now, achieving that much is more than enough."

"So don't lose heart or blame yourself. The fact that you've recognized areas for improvement and identified actions you can take means you now have a direction to move forward and the motivation to grow."

"In Longguo (China), there's a saying:"

"'Do not belittle yourself.'"

"It means you shouldn't underestimate yourself too much."

Hermione gave Ginny an encouraging thumbs-up, her expression sincere.

"I think you've done remarkably well. If I were in your position, I doubt I could have held on as firmly as you did."

"So chin up, Ginny. You might not realize it, but your resilience was the key to the Nightwatch Professor successfully resolving this crisis and uncovering a major conspiracy."

Ginny raised her head, her gaze meeting Hermione's warm brown eyes.

She could tell Hermione was being genuine—not merely trying to comfort her. Hermione truly believed what she was saying.

"Alright, I understand."

Ginny's face brightened as she nodded earnestly, then chuckled softly.

"Thank you for your encouragement, Hermione. I feel much better now."

"...Ah, haha, it's nothing. You don't have to be so formal. It's what friends are for."

Seeing Ginny express her gratitude so sincerely, Hermione felt a bit flustered. Reflecting on her earlier words...

Ah! They sounded so overly passionate!

Realizing she might have said something a bit dramatic and out of character, Hermione felt her cheeks flush and her toes curl involuntarily.

No doubt about it—her face must be bright red.

"Stay calm, Hermione. Don't let it show. You're the older sister here; you need to maintain your composure and image in front of the younger students."

Giving herself a mental pep talk, Hermione maintained a composed smile. Though she desperately wanted to bury her face in a pillow and roll around on her bed, she managed to keep her cool.

"Hermione..."

Ginny suddenly called out, startling Hermione, though Ginny didn't seem to notice.

"...Yes? What's up?"

"Um... this might sound a bit rude, but there's something that's been bugging me..." Ginny hesitated, fidgeting awkwardly.

"Well... isn't the Nightwatch Professor a man? How did he manage to enter our girls' dormitory?"

"I remember Professor Dumbledore said that each house's girls' dormitory is protected by enchantments that prevent boys and male professors from entering, right?"

Ah, Ginny's gaze just got sharper!

"Uh."

"Well..."

Sweat began to bead on Hermione's forehead.

Since the Nightwatch Professor was a fictional creation, revealing a little more shouldn't hurt...

...right?

Sorry, Glenn!

"Actually... the Nightwatch Professor..."

"...is a lovely girl!"

"?!"

........................

"...Ugh."

Just as Glenn stepped out of Snape's office, he shuddered and sneezed silently. Tightening his wizard robe around himself, he adjusted the temperature setting on the protective charm embedded in his amulet.

Earlier, Glenn had come to collect his share of potion ingredients harvested from the Basilisk and had also handed Snape a sample and the formula for the gender-swapping potion he had developed.

He hadn't asked Snape why he needed the formula for such a potion, nor did he intend to speculate about how Snape might use it.

The potion's development had largely benefited from Snape's expertise, so sharing the research with his collaborator was only fair.

"Next up, it's time to deal with the diary."

With his goal clear, Glenn didn't hesitate. Following his plan, he headed straight for the Room of Requirement on the eighth floor.

Quick and decisive, Glenn intended to dispose of Tom Riddle's diary today to avoid any unforeseen complications.

After escorting Hermione back to her dormitory last night, Glenn had spent some time discussing the technique of using the Cruciatus Curse to sever soul fragments with Dumbledore in the hallway. To Glenn's surprise, Dumbledore hadn't reacted with the extreme disapproval he had anticipated toward his private research into the Unforgivable Curses.

The old bee had merely frowned slightly and, like Hermione, had given him some brief advice and a warning to "try not to use it on people." After that, he hadn't pursued the matter further.

"Alright, let's do this."

Standing before the Room of Requirement, Glenn summoned the room into existence and pushed the door open.

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