His mind raced, thoughts colliding in a torrent that, in reality, only spanned a few minutes. While Malfoy was lost in this mental whirlwind, the girl who had fought alongside him picked up the package he had mentioned and placed it on the counter.
"Thank you," Malfoy said, then began to unwrap the package, revealing its contents.
The girl had been looking at him expectantly, hoping he would produce some precious magical artifact to resolve the still-lingering crisis. However, she was disappointed. When she saw what it was, her expression froze, a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
"Here, have one," Malfoy said, taking out a chocolate bar and handing it to her. "Fighting is quite tiring."
He tore open another one for himself, ripped off the wrapper, and tossed it into his mouth.
"What is this supposed to mean?" the girl asked, refusing his offer. "What are you doing? Didn't you say you were going to use a banishing charm to take care of the aftermath?"
"But I don't know that charm," Malfoy shrugged.
"Then why did you..." The girl didn't finish her sentence, as she heard a commotion from the crowd behind her. Guessing that the Dementors had returned, she quickly turned and pointed her wand at the crowd. However, she didn't cast a spell. Instead, she saw people stirring and waking up, their faces still etched with fear and worry.
"Don't worry, they're not back," Malfoy said, gently patting her shoulder. "Actually, these are for them."
He pointed to the sweets and chocolate. "Muggle scientific research has shown that chocolate has mood-boosting properties. If you'd ever attended one of their chemistry classes, you might have heard about dopamine and such. These things largely control people's emotions. For these people, a little chocolate is just what they need."
"You don't need to show off your knowledge!" The girl snatched one of the packages from him, slapped his hand away, and stomped off towards the crowd to distribute the chocolate to those who had woken up.
Malfoy couldn't understand why his comrade, who had been so agreeable just moments ago, had suddenly become moody. Nor did he realize that she was using anger to mask her shame.
She had been so focused on driving away the creatures that she had completely forgotten about the innocent bystanders. This realization struck a blow to her, as she had been raised with strong values. Her parents had always taught her to help those in need, and she believed she had always done her best, such as stepping forward in the group to defend others. Although the outcome wasn't ideal, she still felt that she had done the right thing.
But after the battle, she had only thought of herself, wondering what would happen if the Dementors returned, and how the boy would resolve the potential crisis.
"When did I become so selfish?" she wondered. At the same time, her impression of Malfoy improved. He was calm and composed in the face of danger, capable, and even in a crisis, he didn't forget to help others.
"Maybe he asked me to go inside and get something to protect me, in case the Dementors came back and I couldn't handle them," she thought.
When a person's impression of another is formed, it's easy for their perception to become skewed, and even normal actions can be over-interpreted.
In reality, Malfoy hadn't put much thought into it. He simply believed that if he was capable, he should take the lead. If the girl's Patronus Charm was better than his, he wouldn't have minded playing support and enjoying a free ride.
As the chocolate bars were handed out, sincere words of gratitude filled the air, making her feel both happy and embarrassed. After all, the food didn't belong to her, and the suggestion wasn't hers either. She was just responsible for distributing it.
Malfoy wasn't idle either. He took the remaining snacks and handed them out to those who had woken up, receiving grateful looks and words in return.
"Clank, clank, clank." Suddenly, the silver doors that had been closed to keep the Dementors out began to shake again, creating a gap.
This time, Malfoy and the girl raised their wands in unison. Several wizards who had just woken up also took out their wands, hoping to help.
Instead of the expected black cloaks, a person's head emerged, with gray hair and small curls.
Once they determined that the creature trying to enter was human, they lowered their wands.
"I am very sorry," the man who pushed open the door said, scanning the scene. Then, he bowed deeply to the crowd.
Malfoy finally had time to observe the man. He was wearing a dark green coat and pinstriped robes, which didn't suit his short, stocky figure. Malfoy had seen his face in the Daily Prophet several times.
The incompetent bureaucrat—Cornelius Fudge.
What followed was the standard routine of bureaucrats from any country. He introduced himself, then explained that due to his mismanagement, the Dementors, who were supposed to be under control, had suddenly gone rogue and caused the incident.
Every politician is a natural actor. He arrived at the scene immediately to show his concern. His seemingly sincere apology, coupled with a look of deep remorse, made many of the victims, even those filled with anger, feel too embarrassed to vent their frustration.
Instead, they felt that he was willing to take responsibility.
"Then you have to thank these two children," a middle-aged man said. "If they hadn't driven away those two Dementors, we might still be lying on the ground, asleep."
"Yes, yes, you have to reward them well. I don't care about your apologies. A politician's words are worthless," said a plump middle-aged woman, whose words, though crude, were not without reason.
The others who had woken up also chimed in, saying that they should be rewarded properly.
Hearing this, Fudge was a little embarrassed, but he rubbed his hands together and said with a forced laugh, "Where are they? Are they still here? I will definitely tell Headmaster Dumbledore to add some points to their house."
He didn't think that anyone other than Hogwarts students could deal with the Dementors. Since the person said "children," they must be young. As a seasoned Minister of Magic, he naturally made the most logical assumption.
"That won't be necessary," the girl said, pulling Malfoy forward, indicating their identities. Malfoy didn't want to stand out, but after some consideration, he allowed her to pull him forward.
Before Fudge could praise them, the girl spoke. Her voice was pleasant and moving, but to Fudge, it sounded like a death knell.
"Having encountered such an incident at the British branch of Gringotts, I intend to file a complaint with the International Magical Cooperation Department in my country upon my return."
As soon as she finished speaking, the forced smile on Fudge's face vanished. He had hoped to avoid trouble, but he didn't expect to involve an international friend. Diplomacy is no small matter, and that's not just true in the Muggle world.
Already overwhelmed by Black's escape, he felt that his political career might be coming to an end.
"However, I find complaining too troublesome. I think if I'm in a good mood now, perhaps I'll forget about this incident when I return to France," the girl said, clapping her hands. The sudden change made Fudge's heart beat faster.
Before Fudge could say anything, the girl continued, "The resolution of this incident is all thanks to him. Since I didn't contribute anything, I don't need your reward. If you can satisfy him, then I should also forget what I should forget."
Then, Malfoy was pushed in front of her.
"Hello, Uncle Fudge," Malfoy said, giving a polite and standard smile, looking at the man in front of him.
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