Hogwarts holds its breath after the attack. Drawn by fear and scent, a pack of Alphas crowds the corridor until a single voice cuts the air and stills the room. Draco Malfoy steps forward, claims Hermione as his to protect, and turns a riot into silence, while the staff rush in and the night tilts toward the Hospital Wing. There, a hexed cocoon, a jar of Murtlap, and a hard retelling force Hermione to weigh justice, consequence, and what consent must mean at this school. By weekend’s end she has mapped her options in ink, written letters in secret, and returned to class with suppressants in her bag, Slughorn’s experiments in hand, and Daphne Greengrass at Draco’s elbow. One last choice waits in a shuttered classroom where Hermione closes the door and decides what she is brave enough to ask.
