"Madam Pince, I am so sorry!"
Hermione pulled Lia along, quickly leaving the library amidst the librarian's angry roars.
They didn't return to the common room but instead slipped directly into an abandoned empty classroom.
Hermione waved her wand, and the classroom door locked with a "click" as the curtains automatically drew shut, isolating them from all outside sight.
"Malfoy Manor?" Hermione's initial heat of emotion had passed, and she watched Lia weigh the pros and cons, confirming, "Are you sure you want to go?"
"Why not?" Lia asked back. "He brought the war to your family; this is a provocation.
For a provoking enemy, he should be made to pay the price."
Her logic was simple and direct, carrying the primal law of the jungle.
"But that's Lucius's lair, and it's heavily guarded." Although Hermione agreed to strike back, her reason forced her to consider the risks. "There are only two of us."
"Two people are enough." Lia walked to the open space in the middle of the classroom and stood calmly. "Besides, we aren't going there to fight."
Hermione looked at her.
"We're going there to 'take' things." A cunning smile appeared on Lia's face. "Lucius used public opinion to attack you, so we'll take what he treasures most as compensation."
"What he treasures most?"
"Galleons, antiques, magic books..." Lia's eyes narrowed slightly as the wildness within her was awakened. "And his pathetic little dignity as a pure-blood noble."
Hermione's heart skipped a beat.
She understood Lia's plan—they weren't going on a killing spree, but on a humiliating raid.
"How do we get in? Malfoy Manor has powerful defensive magic."
"Did you forget this?" Lia shook the shimmering powder from the Howler in her hand. "The Weasleys' 'Untraceable' Floo Powder.
It ignores any fireplace network restrictions. No matter how high-end the Malfoys' fireplace is, it's still a fireplace."
Hermione's eyes lit up.
Fred and George always seemed to send the most unexpected help at the most critical moments.
"Alright."
Hermione made up her mind.
She pulled the newspaper with her parents' clinic address from her pocket, and a burst of fire from her wand tip turned it to ash.
"I need to prepare a bit," Hermione said, walking to a corner of the classroom and beginning to rummage through her small beaded handbag.
Lia didn't rush her, just watched quietly.
She watched Hermione take out several Potions with various effects, and even a small bag of Pygmy Puffs.
"Ready." Having prepared everything, Hermione looked up at Lia.
Lia nodded to her.
Hermione took a deep breath, grabbed a handful of 'Untraceable' Floo Powder, and walked to the classroom's abandoned fireplace.
She had never imagined that one day she would step into that place, which she had only heard of in rumors as a symbol of pure-blood glory and darkness, in such a manner.
She threw the Floo Powder forcefully into the fireplace.
"Whoosh—"
A burst of emerald Incendio fire blazed up, but unlike ordinary Floo network flames, the edges of this fire flickered with unstable silver electrical sparks.
"Destination, Malfoy Manor!" Hermione shouted loudly.
She stepped into the flames.
A strong sensation of spinning followed, more intense than any Floo journey she had ever taken.
The surroundings blurred into distorted blocks of color as she traveled through an unstable space-time tunnel.
A second later, the world stopped spinning.
Hermione stumbled out of the fireplace and steadied herself.
The cold, damp air, mixed with the smell of peacock droppings, hit her in the face.
They had succeeded.
This was an extremely luxurious but poorly-tasted drawing room.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was a manicured garden where several white peacocks were strutting proudly.
A giant portrait of Lucius Malfoy hung on the wall, the man in the painting looking at them with a scrutinizing gaze.
"Intruders!" The portrait suddenly came to life and let out a scream.
Alarms instantly echoed throughout the entire manor.
"Quick!" Hermione immediately threw out the invisibility cloak, covering herself and Lia.
Heavy, hurried footsteps came from the hallway outside, and several House-elves wearing tattered pillowcases rushed in holding torches, looking around in terror, their scrawny bodies shaking uncontrollably.
"No... no one, Master! The portrait was mistaken!" one House-elf reported tremulously.
"Get out! You useless things!" The Lucius in the portrait waved his hand impatiently.
The House-elves retreated cowering.
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