A/N: Do you want to finish reading the book today? Do it! Now you can ;)

/HPMan

May the magic be with you! Enjoy! :3

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"That's kind of weird, by your logic..." I looked at Hermione.

"It's not weird," the girl shook her head. "There was no choice in those situations. But at the Ministry, there was."

"Let's say. There were options, even if not the best. It should be understood that Dolohov had to be killed anyway — he is too dangerous. Crouch had artifacts on which the isolation of the Ministry was tied. If they were not removed, then the protection could well be crushed, and the help might not be in time. And then you would have to kill to survive, but at the same time, the others were also under attack. I brought four of them under their own curses with the help of space transfiguration..."

?And the seventh one was for fun, right??

Yes, yes, that's right, and not at all because he wanted to cut off my head himself.

"I understand all that, but... Your choice to kill... You went there already with that thought and with that purpose. I could see it in your face. Worried, tense, counting on the worst, yes. But even after seeing other options, you started exactly to kill."

"It's not like they wanted to capture me, either. Okay. As I understand it, you are leading to something else."

Hermione became so worried that even through the occlumency, it came through, and she inadvertently began to pull the edge of her skirt with her hands.

"You're becoming like Him... Is someone in the way? Kill. Someone disagrees, kill. Threatens? Kill. How soon are you going to throw Cruciatus at wizards for saying the wrong word?"

"You're exaggerating," I shook my head.

"I say what I see. I can accept a person as a comrade or friend who, out of all possible options, chooses to kill an inconvenient person. As a comrade, a friend.. But more?"

Hermione looked into my eyes, trying to find something there. And I don't repent, nor do I consider myself wrong. But I don't want to change her mind either. It seems that she needs to take a sip of the rottenness of the world, not like now, not in rare cases, like going to the movies. Maybe then she can see more.

Hermione covered her eyes and shook her head.

"I can't..."

I took a deep breath, but not for comfort or anything else. It was as if I was released.

"Well..." putting my hands on my knees, I stood up. "Your position is clear to me. Shall we proceed to the library?"

"You're not mad? Or..."

"No, no," I shook my head negatively. "Somewhere subconsciously, I knew you might take it that way. That's why I didn't often take you on my various ?adventures.? We just see the world and magic differently. Where you see beauty and miracles, I see human dirt, rot, and a sea of problems. You still study various really beautiful charms and rune chains, don't you?"

"Yes..." the girl nodded somehow guiltily, lowering her gaze.

"So we will continue like this. Look at magic and the world as something beautiful, and I'll do the rest. Now I was planning to finish a couple of my spells. You're probably going to finish your part of the Section?"

"Yes," the girl nodded a little more briskly.

"That's great..."

...And so these three days passed. What has changed? Well, the awkward silence on Hermione's part, which I dispelled by discussing something from magic or exchanging mutual assistance in difficult moments for us personally. There was no more comfortable "lying lap" on our sofa in the common room, which the others immediately noticed, but they were in no hurry to ask.

At the end of the third day after Christmas, when the students' excitement over the gifts they had received had subsided and been replaced by anxious rumors from the Ministry, I finally finished my laser spell. Theoretically. Practically, there was no place to test it because it was very powerful, and if I activated it from under the inversion of the magic phase, it wouldn't give a damn about protection.

After dinner, when I was already in our room with the guys and was about to leave the castle and went out into the common room, Lavender intercepted me, dragging me by the elbow to the side.

"What happened between you and Hermione?" historical

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me," the blonde pouted, becoming like some kind of hamster. "You two were kind of dating. It was hard not to notice, how different things are between you guys these days."

"Ask Hermione."

"She won't say. What do you say?" Lavender put her hands to her sides.

"And what's it to you, Lavender, anyway?"

"What do you mean? I'm the Head Girl, and it's my direct responsibility to keep order and tranquility at the House. Believe me, Max, your incomprehensible situation with Hermione, even if it's not obvious, breaks this calm with an irresistible force. When something that has become familiar over the years suddenly changes like this — it is very disturbing."

"We didn't agree on the points of view on various life circumstances. I won't say more."

Lavender sighed sadly.

"Okay."

After such a useless conversation, I decided to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything. Suit, coat, scarf. Is it winter outside? Not a problem. Winter is not severe here. I don't wear a hat, I'm healthy, I don't care about anything. Bag over my shoulder, wand in a holster, only pity that the second wand has died the death of a pencil, and a cane, which now lies reduced in a special pocket, is now just a cane.

After leaving the common room, I immediately cast concealing charms on myself and quickly wandered away from the castle. A dark winter evening greeted me with a clear starry sky and a cool breeze in my face. The snow that had fallen a couple of days before Christmas had already melted or been carried away by the wind, and no new snow had fallen yet. Maybe it won't fall again. That's the climate here.. It seems to be a minus, but snow is a rare "guest."