As they left Professor McGonagall's office, Draco looked at Ariana with barely concealed excitement and, surprisingly, a trace of admiration in his eyes.
"You're incredible! You actually left Professor McGonagall speechless. But seriously, you were a bit impulsive back there. What if she had really agreed to let you withdraw?"
Though Draco admired Ariana's courage, he couldn't help feeling a little concerned.
If it had been earlier, Ariana might have still been hesitant. But after that confrontation with McGonagall, she had made up her mind to leave Hogwarts.
"Wasn't my attitude clear enough? I do want to withdraw," she said calmly, her tone firm and resolute.
After spending another class together, Draco had come to understand her a bit better. Hearing her insist on dropping out filled him with genuine regret.
"You aced Transfiguration on your first try you're obviously really talented at magic. Wouldn't it be a shame to give that up?" Draco frowned, trying to persuade her.
Eleven years had passed, and the threat of becoming an Obscurial was no longer a concern for Ariana. Frankly, she didn't care much about magic anymore. She didn't answer Draco directly but instead posed a question.
"Let me ask you this what's the point of learning magic?"
Draco thought long and hard before cautiously replying,"To become powerful?"
Ariana didn't deny his answer, but she threw out another question."Then tell me how many famous, truly powerful witches and wizards in history actually graduated from Hogwarts?"
Draco was only eleven, but clearly the Malfoy family's education had been quite thorough. He answered quickly."Other than the Founders, I guess just Dumbledore and You-Know-Who."
"The Founders didn't graduate from Hogwarts they created it. So really, after Hogwarts was established, the only famous graduates were Dumbledore and You-Know-Who," Ariana said with a hint of sarcasm.
"What does that have to do with you wanting to drop out?" Draco was puzzled.
Ariana patiently guided him to think deeper."Neither Dumbledore nor You-Know-Who became famous while they were still students, right?"
Draco thought about it and nodded with certainty."Yeah, Dumbledore only became famous after his duel with Grindelwald and that was when he was already quite old."
As for You-Know-Who, Draco was even more confident."My dad told me he disappeared for a while after graduation and only became powerful when he resurfaced."
Ariana waved her hand as if stating the obvious."So you see, becoming powerful doesn't necessarily require finishing school at Hogwarts, does it?"
Draco, now thoroughly swayed, hesitated for a moment before asking,"Then should I drop out too?"
The Malfoy family had wealth and influence, but they lacked real personal power. That's why Draco had immediately answered "to become powerful" earlier. If Hogwarts couldn't help him achieve that, he needed to seriously consider whether transferring elsewhere was the right move.
"I can drop out because my parents are gone and I can make my own decisions. Your parents are still alive would they even allow you to drop out?" Ariana asked, genuinely curious.
"Yeah, you're right. My dad would never let me quit, even if he knew studying at Hogwarts wouldn't make me any stronger," Draco admitted, sounding a little deflated.
He was starting to realize that whenever he talked to Ariana, his self-confidence always seemed to crumble a little.
Draco sighed and muttered,"I used to feel proud that my parents took such good care of me, but now I kind of envy the freedom you have with no one to restrict you."
"If you knew how busy I actually am, you probably wouldn't think that," Ariana said flatly.
"What do you usually do?" Draco asked, curious.
Ariana didn't hide anything. She'd already started seeing Draco as a friend arrogant, yes, but not a bad person.
"I told you my parents passed away when I was very young, so I've been managing my family's assets myself. I'm planning to move to America next year, and there's so much going on right now that I can barely keep up."
"Then why did you even bother coming to Hogwarts?" Draco asked in confusion.
Just thinking about it made Ariana angry. She grumbled,"Because Professor McGonagall told me that if I didn't get proper magical education, I could become an Obscurial."
"I was just trying to stay alive. But after reading more about magical history, I realized the conditions for becoming an Obscurial are actually really specific and my situation doesn't even meet them."
"If you're serious about meeting Dumbledore, you should ask Professor McGonagall where his office is," Draco suggested. "She's the Deputy Headmistress she must know."
Their next class wasn't until 2:30, so Ariana still had time. She decided to go find McGonagall right away.
Draco had nothing else to do, so he went along with her to see how things would turn out.
"What? You've only been here one day and you're already planning to withdraw?" Professor McGonagall looked at her in disbelief.
Muggle-borns often struggled to adjust to Hogwarts at first, but they were usually captivated by magic. No one had ever asked to drop out.
Ariana had made up her mind."Yes. Hogwarts has been extremely disappointing, and the Obscurial issue you warned me about doesn't actually apply to me. Since my life isn't in danger, I don't think learning magic is all that necessary."
As someone who loved Hogwarts deeply, Professor McGonagall's face darkened at Ariana's words."What exactly has disappointed you?"
Ariana answered without hesitation."We're nearly in the 21st century, but this castle's infrastructure is still stuck in the Middle Ages."
"In London, most middle schools now have apartment-style dorms with private bedrooms, and some even offer private bathrooms. But here? We're still in cramped four-person rooms with shared bathrooms down the hall."
Living in a dungeon was bad enough but no private rooms and no private bathrooms? That was unacceptable.
"You don't come to school to enjoy luxury," Professor McGonagall said sternly. "Even if our accommodations don't meet your standards, Hogwarts' scenery must surely be far better than any school in London."
Ariana, firm in her resolve, replied,"Maybe."
She added,"I didn't have to board at primary school, so I wouldn't know what London middle schools look like but I can tell you my house is way better than this."
Professor McGonagall had personally been to Ariana's house she knew exactly how luxurious it was. But a home and a school weren't the same thing.
"The school's facilities have to consider everyone's needs. We can't tailor them to suit just you," McGonagall reasoned.
Ariana pointed at Draco near the door and said,"Then ask Draco wouldn't he prefer having a private bathroom in his room?"
Draco, prideful as always, couldn't bring himself to say much. He just lowered his head and mumbled,"Having a private bathroom would definitely be more convenient."
"And besides that, what else are you unhappy with?" McGonagall asked, her patience clearly thinning.
Ariana had already realized McGonagall didn't want to let her leave, so she pushed even further."There's also the teaching style."
"In London, even the most ordinary teachers are required to complete educational psychology courses before they can teach. They don't necessarily have to smile all the time, but they're at least kind and approachable. But here at Hogwarts? Professors are still using intimidation to manage students, I really can't accept that."
"Which professor intimidated you?" McGonagall obviously didn't believe her.
Ariana briefly recounted her argument with Professor Snape, then complained,"All I said was that I wanted to try practicing the Imperius Curse, I hadn't even started but he immediately threatened to keep me under constant surveillance. Isn't that like arresting someone for a crime they haven't committed, just because they might?"
McGonagall opened her mouth but couldn't find a suitable counterargument. After a long pause, she sighed and told Ariana to return to class.
"I'll speak to Headmaster Dumbledore about the housing situation. If there's a way to improve it, we'll try."
As for the teaching issue, McGonagall hesitated before saying,"As for Professor Snape, I need to verify what you've said with him first. Once I've confirmed the situation, we can talk again."
Since she had gotten this far, Ariana could only agree."Alright, but I hope we won't have to wait too long for that meeting."