"Who can tell me what is going on?”
The boy, who had been calm and decisive even in the face of dementors, was now trembling under everyone's gaze. His face was filled with panic and helplessness.
Draco clenched his fists and felt his mind go blank. Anger and worry flooded his mind. After hearing the twisted truth, Harry's face became paler and paler. His expression was as pale as a ghost, and everyone who cared about him could only watch helplessly. Seeing the fragile expression he had never shown before, even Slytherin turned his head away in pity.
After a moment of confusion, Dumbledore and the others left the dining room with Harry and the two suspects, who were tied up and making a racket. The students immediately began to discuss animatedly. The professors who stayed behind coldly deducted points from the four academies before they lowered their voices and whispered. Professor McGonagall absentmindedly presided over the Sorting ceremony, and the applause received by the new students was pathetic.
Draco looked as if it was none of his business. He lowered his eyes and cut the steak. He slowly put it into his mouth, chewed it gently, and swallowed it slowly. His expression was so calm that there was no trace of abnormality.
Damn rats, damn Black, damn the Ministry of Magic...
He cursed angrily at all the causes of the chaos. From time to time, Harry's pale face and disbelieving and sad eyes appeared in front of his eyes. His mood was extremely chaotic.
"Draco," said Pansy, handing him a glass of pumpkin juice,"I wonder how Fudge is going to handle this.”
He snorted coldly and said arrogantly,"What else can I do?" There are so many people watching."
said Pansy in a very unconcerned tone."I suppose so. Looks like Potter's going to have another godfather-I wonder what tomorrow's Prophet will say about keeping an innocent man locked up for more than ten years, a dereliction of duty by the Ministry.”
Draco was stunned for a moment, but he continued to eat as if nothing had happened.
――――――――――――――――――
"Godfather..." said Draco hesitantly, cutting a daisy root."What's up with Harry lately? It looks strange."
Snape's stirring hand paused for a moment and he said sarcastically,"How am I supposed to know what's inside a Gryffindor's brain?”
Draco looked at him suspiciously, but said nothing more.
Something must have happened that he did not know about.
He was still the same person. Whether it was answering questions in class or bowing to greet them when they met, the gentle smile on his face was no different from before. However, his eyes…
Originally, when Harry saw his godfather, his eyes would be filled with warmth and trust. Even if he was being bullied, he would only look at him innocently without the slightest dissatisfaction. Sometimes, the godfather deliberately made things difficult for him, but because he performed too well and had no excuse to deduct points, a slight smugness and craftiness would even appear in his eyes.
He had never been as polite and calm as he was now.
Draco did not know if he should be glad, but although Harry had never been close to him, at least his eyes were gentle and calm. She couldn't imagine how long she would be able to hold on without breaking down if she were to face his indifferent and distant gaze.
Sighing imperceptibly, he lowered his head and continued his work.
――――――――――――――――――
"Bloody Mudblood, I told you, I didn't know anything about that!!!”
"Are all Slytherins this brave?! Professor Snape caught you red-handed!”
"We…Hmph, who do you think you are? Why do I have to explain so much to you? Move aside! Otherwise, I won't be polite!"
"What's so great about it? What else do you have other than bullying me with numbers? Wood, George, let go of me!"
"Hermione, calm down-"
"You despicable bastards-"
"Damn it, get out of the way, I'm going to teach this Mudblood a lesson-don't think I can't do it just because you're a woman-"
"I'm not afraid-"
"Hermione-"
Draco was about to go to the dining room for dinner when he heard the roar at the door from afar. He frowned and walked forward. He saw that the two groups of people were arguing with a red face. There were sneers to add to the trouble, frowning to persuade them. There were a lot of people who had nothing to do with it. The corridor was surrounded.
"What happened?" Why would a Gryffindor come here to cause trouble?
Pan Xi had been standing at the door for a while. When he saw him come out, he smiled sweetly at him. Draco left Goyle and Crabbe where they were and returned to the common room with her.
The two of them came to a quiet corner and sat down on the sofa. Pan Xi said lightly,""A few seventh years just ganged up on Harry by the lake? Potter." He pulled Draco back, who was about to jump."He's fine-"
Draco took a deep breath, calmed himself, and looked at her gloomily.”
Pansy frowned."Not sure. Dumbledore and the dean stopped them in time, but they didn't explain anything. They let Slytherin come back with two hundred points deducted. They said they didn't know anything.”
"You don't know?" Draco sneered, his eyes filled with killing intent.
" They didn't lie." Pan Xi pursed his lips and showed a rare serious expression." They were there to participate in the club activities, but they somehow ran to the lake. That part of their memory is blank.”
Draco's face grew uglier, realizing that this was much more serious than he had thought."You mean-the Imperius Curse?!”
Pan Xi nodded." It's very possible.”
What happened next stunned everyone.
At dinner, the little tail who always followed Harry around, protected by a bunch of Gryffindors, got into an argument with the Ravenclaw boys, and Professor McGonagall angrily deducted points from both Houses and sent them back to their seats. When Draco heard Pucey gloating about how the guy had almost fallen into a magic trap, he exchanged a subtle look with Pansy, beginning to wonder if Harry had just happened to be there, or if someone had set a trap for him.
Thinking of Harry lying in the infirmary, he poked at the steak on his plate without any appetite. After a few bites, he picked up a cup of pumpkin juice and tasted it slowly.
The atmosphere at the long Hufflepuff table suddenly became strange. The students gradually put down their knives and forks and looked at each other with misty eyes as if they were seeing each other for the first time.
Draco raised an eyebrow and put down his cup, feeling that something was wrong.
" Darling, I just realized that I love you so deeply…"
" Sophie, you're really beautiful today…"
"Cedric, why did you have to be Cedric..."
……
The growing commotion drew the attention of everyone in the restaurant, and a round-faced boy walked past the fat ghost friar of Hufflepuff, shivering with cold but still obsessively courting a girl. The fat cultivator floated in the air and looked at the chaos below helplessly.
Professor Sprout was white with rage. He stood up and screamed,"What the hell are you doing?”
"Looks like someone put love potion in the food.”Dumbledore stroked his long white beard, and his blue eyes flashed coldly behind his glasses. He had reverted to his cheerful Santa Claus image.
Draco, like the other students, quickly pushed the food in front of him away.
The Slytherins curled their lips and watched the show from the side, whispering from time to time. The Ravenclaws had a strange gleam in their eyes, and a few students even took out quills and began to write quickly on the parchment. The Gryffindors were both excited and terrified. The twins who always liked to join in the fun swallowed their saliva in unison and looked surprised. Harry's little sidekick asked Granger who was sitting beside him curiously, his fingers tapping on the camera.
"Professor Snape-" said a cloying voice from the direction of the teachers 'table, which made all who heard it tremble.
Draco opened his mouth wide without any regard for his image. He looked at the girl who had appeared in front of his godfather at some point in time and felt that something was wrong.
The girl stood in front of Snape with a shy expression, her blue eyes flowing with intoxicating gentleness. Unfortunately, everyone who saw it couldn't help but shiver, revealing an expression that they couldn't bear to see.
"Can I call you Severus?"
The audience gasped in unison.
"Dizzy!"
Snape put away his wand, his face green, and his eyes swept coldly over the girl on the ground.
"If I ever find out who's making such a stupid and vile joke-" He narrowed his murderous eyes around the room, his voice so cold that even Dumbledore trembled-"I'll have a good-a-good-good-talk-with him about the use of potions-"
"Severus," Dumbledore said, clearing his throat to save the frozen students,"now is not the time to hold them accountable. I'm afraid you'll have to give them some antidote first."”
Snape snorted and left the lively dining room.
――――――――――――――――――
At the lakeside.
Pansy looked curiously at Draco, who could not hide his happy smile." What are you so happy about? You've been giggling for a long time.”
Draco's lips curled up as he briefly recounted his experience last night.
" Looks like you guys had a good chat." Pansy tapped his chin thoughtfully." He really doesn't look like a Gryffindor."”
" Sometimes I think so too." Draco shrugged." The Sorting Hat is getting old. Even if Harry can't come to Slytherin, he should at least go to Ravenclaw. Those stupid lions don't deserve to stay with him.”
"Are you jealous?" Pansy looked at him with amusement."Think about it, Dumbledore wouldn't let him go to another House. Even the Sorting Hat had to obey the headmaster's orders, didn't it?”
Draco's face sank.”
"Dumbledore's probably having a headache, though," she said, smiling when Draco raised an eyebrow.”
Draco sighed.
"If nothing unexpected happens, the whole of Gryffindor should have joined the club by Potter's seventh year, including some Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, which I think is more than Dumbledore had expected.”Pansy said faintly," It is indeed a good thing for Dumbledore that Gryffindor can be so united, but unfortunately, this power has not yet been mastered by him, and he does not have a good enough excuse to end this club. Who knew what the situation would be like in a few years? When a war broke out in the Magic World, perhaps the D.A.'s attitude would be enough to decide the entire situation.”
"Pansy..." said Draco with a headache."You're thinking too far ahead, aren't you?”
Pan Xi pursed his lips and smiled faintly." Haven't you thought about it? You know, the more united the other three Houses are, the more disadvantaged our Slytherin is. Although they didn't know what the purpose of the person who secretly instigated the conflict was, in some people's eyes, Slytherin must be the most suspicious, right?”
Draco said gloomily,"Harry doesn't think so.”
"Yeah," Pansy looked at him, amused. Potter-he didn't seem to have any prejudice against Slytherin, considering yesterday's events.”
Draco was about to speak when his eyes suddenly turned cold and he shouted,"Who is it? Come out!"
Pansy pulled out his wand warily, and a pleading voice came from the tree behind them."Calm down, gentlemen, it's me-"
A blond boy jumped down from the tree and smiled bitterly."Hey, put your wands away, I didn't do anything.”
"Blaise? Zabini?" Draco raised his eyebrows and looked at him mockingly."I didn't know the Zabini's stealth was used to eavesdrop.”
Blaise rubbed his nose." I didn't intend to eavesdrop. I was the one who came first. I just didn't want to disturb your date when I saw you coming. Who knew that you would talk about this here?”
"You didn't plan to eavesdrop, yet you hid in the tree?”Pan Xi looked at him coldly." Are you a monkey?”
Blaise sighed." Don't worry, I won't say a word about you guys. As for hiding in the tree..." He shook the charred branch in his hand." I wanted to see the scene of Potter's attack. Fortunately, the Professor and the others didn't clean it up completely."”
"What do you want?" asked Draco, frowning.
"Just wanted to make sure the extent of the attacks from the Imperius Cursed seniors, and also to gauge Harry's abilities. Potter's power." He grinned at the unfriendly faces of the two men."I told you everything, can you please keep your wands?”
Draco and Pansy looked at each other and hesitantly lowered their wands.
Blaise let out an exaggerated sigh of relief, then looked at Pansy strangely." Draco is fine, he is the heir of the Malfoy family after all. But you, Pansy, we grew up together. Why do you always look like a lovestruck fool in front of me? Isn't that too much?"
Pan Xi snorted coldly." You're both only sons. Of course, you don't have to worry about this. If I had always appeared in front of people in this image, how could I have lived until now?”
" That's true. Your stepmother-" Blaise paused and let the matter go." Draco, from your tone, you seem to be quite familiar with Potter. Are you really sure that he has no prejudice against Slytherin?"”
Draco frowned at him."So what?”
Blaise thought for a moment, then drew his wand and cast a few spells nearby.”He looked at their guarded expressions with amusement and sat down with a relaxed expression." I've already said that I won't tell anyone about what happened today. If you're worried, you can use the Loyalty Charm later.”
"Well," said Draco, pulling Pansy to sit beside him."What do you want to talk about?”
Blaise stopped smiling and looked calmly at the sparkling lake." Draco, Pansy, have you ever thought about what we should do if that lord comes back?”
The two of them were silent.
"Even if our family has been neutral all these years, in that person's eyes, it's still considered a kind of betrayal, right?”Blaise said softly," Who can withstand the way he deals with traitors?”
Draco and Pansy looked at him in horror."You-"
" Dumbledore doesn't trust Slytherin. If it weren't for his acquiescence, Hogwarts wouldn't be so hostile," Blaise said, looking back at them seriously." That is to say, even if we want to get rid of that person's control, we can't get any help from the Phoenix Society. Instead, we might become his chess pieces.”
Draco suddenly understood.”
"So, Harry? What Potter thinks of Slytherin is very important to us.”Blaise lowered his eyes and said calmly," In everyone's eyes, Potter is almost the heir to the Phoenix Society. Moreover, his influence on Gryffindor is growing day by day. Many people regard him as an idol and are close to him from the bottom of their hearts. It was conceivable that in the future, if there were any disputes, most of the members of the d.a. would listen to him, not dumbledore. With his D.A. and Boy Who Lived reputation, it's not impossible for Potter to become Minister of Magic if he wants to-if even we nobles don't object. We need someone who can help at a critical moment, and he is the best candidate.”
Draco snorted."Are you sure he'll help?”
"Don't I still have you?" "Mrs. Malfoy and Potter's godfather are cousins," said Blaise, grinning."Would he stand by if something happened to you?”
Draco pursed his lips, finally understanding why this guy was so frank today." It's not that serious, Blaise.”
"It'll be too late when it gets serious," said Blaise."How much pressure did the Slytherin pure-bloods go through when that man first went missing? Although it seemed to be quite glorious these past few years, wasn't there someone monitoring it in the open and in the dark?”His face darkened." Especially that Barty? Crouch, he was staring at him like a fly.”
Draco and Pansy also looked disgusted at the mention of that person.
"So we need to get on good terms with Potter, or at least avoid conflict-that's what many people at the House think, isn't it? Haven't you noticed how much the tension between Gryffindor and Slytherin has eased since he started?”said Blaise." Actually, we don't expect him to side with us. If there are any disputes in the future, it's enough that he can treat Slytherin fairly.”
"You think the Order will win in the future?”Pan Xi suddenly asked.
Blaise smiled lazily." We have to take a gamble. Are you willing to be branded like a slave and kneel down to kiss that person's robe?”He frowned in disgust." If that lord was as elegant and wise as he was at the beginning, I wouldn't have any objections. But now, who would be willing to pledge loyalty to a lunatic?”
The corner of Draco's mouth twitched."How dare you call that man a lunatic-why didn't you join Gryffindor?”
The three of them talked for a while, using the Fiendheart Charm to keep the conversation a secret with Pansy as a witness.
Draco looked at Blaise's back as he left, slightly lost in thought.
Pansy turned around.”
" Do you think that the reason why my father didn't object at the beginning..." Draco asked hesitantly," could it be because of this?”
Pan Xi sighed." Maybe.”
Draco frowned."Feels like he's using Harry.”
"It's what you think that matters," Pansy said with a faint smile. And you don't like it, Potter?"
"I wish he wasn't." said Draco sulkily, and then he quietly relaxed his eyebrows.
――――――――――――――――――
"So, Draco, is there anywhere you'd like to go?”
Harry looked back at him, a faint smile on his face.
Draco's lips curved higher and higher. Suppressing his excitement, he said briskly,"No, I haven't. Why don't we go to the shop opposite and eat something?”
"Alright."
A few minutes later, they were sitting in the Floret Cold Drink Shop, chatting leisurely about each other's holiday life with milk tea.
It was the right decision to come and eat. Draco looked at Harry's relaxed and happy expression and felt a little proud.
"... Although those prank products are quite interesting, the godfather is already so old, but he still gave those Christmas gifts to his friends." The smile on Harry's face was both funny and helpless." As Remus said, he doesn't have the self-awareness of a parent at all. George and Fred, on the other hand, were very interested in the stuffed dinosaur that was kissing Mr. Weasley and kept asking him where he had bought it.”
Draco was completely speechless at the sudden appearance of his uncle." Fortunately, the gifts I received were still in the normal range.”
"The godfather also gave you a gift?" Harry was surprised, then smiled understandingly." Yes, he's your elder too.”
Draco pursed his lips. He didn't think that having an elder like that was something to be proud of, but since that person was Harry's godfather, he would reluctantly put up with that kind of uncle who had no aristocratic demeanor for Harry's sake.
Harry gave a sudden muffled laugh."Draco, you should be glad-I can't imagine you being chased all over the manor by a lovestruck dinosaur. Please be careful of next year's Christmas present. I can't guarantee that the godfather will still be so polite.”
Draco's forehead was filled with black lines.”
" Master Malfoy, it's lunchtime," said Flora, who had appeared out of nowhere and interrupted their conversation." Do you want to eat here?"”
"No need." Draco's expression changed, and he glanced at him coldly.”
" I understand." Flora bowed slightly." If you need anything, please let me know."”
"Yes." Humming a word from his nostrils, Draco waved his hand impatiently and left.
Harry smiled faintly across from him."It's getting late. They should be done with their meeting by now, right?”
"It's almost done." Draco glanced at the ice-cream clock hanging in the shop.”
After chatting for a few minutes, the meeting finally ended. Lucius and Sirius were arguing outside Yalen's Magical Items Shop, and Harry and Draco watched them bicker with amusement until an elderly wizard suddenly appeared to interrupt.
"Then who is it?" Harry frowned.
Draco's face turned cold when he saw the wizard appear. He narrowed his eyes slightly, and there was an indescribable disgust in his voice. Crouch, Director of the Department of International Magical Exchanges and Cooperation, a paranoid lunatic. He thought he was still the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, looking at everyone like a criminal and causing trouble all day long-it was he who had decided to lock Mr. Black up in Azkaban without trial.”
"So it's him."
Harry's voice was almost a whisper, and Draco turned around, puzzled. When he saw the expression on Harry's face, he froze.
The corners of Harry's lips curled up slightly. It was clearly a gentle smile, but it made people's hearts turn cold for no reason. His originally clear green eyes had turned dark green, and now he was looking down at Crouch with a condescending gaze.
A strange idea suddenly occurred to Draco that he could crush the man like an ant if he wanted to. It was the way his father usually looked at house-elves, but how could Harry...
He felt inexplicably uneasy and could not help but call out,"Harry?"
Harry turned his head and smiled, his eyes calm and happy.”
His expression was as quiet as usual, as if the scene just now was his own illusion.
Draco felt a chill in his heart and avoided his right hand that was about to touch his shoulder.”
He began to walk uneasily, but was pulled back by Harry. His body stiffened for a moment, then quickly relaxed.
Draco lowered his eyes with a complicated expression. This was an instinctive reaction after his long training, but why had he subconsciously judged that Harry was in danger just now?
"... looks like Neville's pet.”
He sighed and shook off the thought. He looked at the toad with disgust." What's going on? Where did its owner go?"
Harry picked up the toad. Draco was very interested in the D.A.'s badge, which, if he had guessed correctly, could send messages to each other.
Was it a conversion spell? That was a fifth-year course, and he had only just begun to study it. Had Harry been able to use magical objects last year?
Draco followed his parents back to the manor, somewhat discouraged, annoyed that he had been frightened by a look from Harry.
It seemed that he had to speed up his learning progress. At the very least, he could not be too far behind that fellow.
――――――――――――――――――
"What are you doing? Why did you suddenly rush down? Do you want to die?”
Draco sat awkwardly on the grass and looked at the boy who was patting the grass on his body. He gritted his teeth and said,"You're the one who doesn't want to live, right? Do you know how dangerous that action was?”
Hell, he thought something had happened to Harry's broom again, but it was the guy who was showing off his flying skills. Did he even have a brain? Was he so eager to break his neck?
"I'm sorry-are you hurt?”
Startled by his sudden apology, Draco looked up at Harry's smiling eyes and outstretched right hand, and his anger suddenly vanished.
"No, I haven't." he said gloomily, allowing Harry to pull him up from the grass. When he saw the ring on Harry's finger that was almost identical to his, his ears turned red.
――――――――――――――――――
Draco sauntered up the stairs when he felt something kick under his feet. He looked down. It was a copy of The Complete Collection of Practicable Charms.
Whose book would be left in such a place?
Knowing that some books were untouchable, he simply bent over and looked at them for a while. After confirming that he had seen this book in the library before, he pursed his lips in boredom." Tsk, which idiot lost it? Just wait to be hunted down by Madam Pince."
He leaned against the cold stone wall and stood up straight. Suddenly, a chill spread from his arm to his entire body, and the light in front of him suddenly dimmed.
Pulling out his wand warily, Draco found himself teleported into the middle of a dark corridor, his hand hanging low as he rolled his eyes.
Why was it another secret passage? Were all the founders of Hogwarts rats?
He quietly looked around and his gaze was attracted by a familiar little thing in the corner.
Half of the golden badge had melted, and the surroundings were a little black. Draco picked it up with a frown, startled to see Harry's name on the back.
Why was Harry's badge here? Did something happen to him?
The thought of the person who had secretly cast the Imperius Curse on the students made him break out in a cold sweat. He quickly scanned his surroundings and saw a secret door at the end of the corridor.
The door led out of a paneling in the corner of the second floor, and Draco tore it off and emerged, clutching the deformed badge in his hand, and before he could decide whether he should check to see if Harry was anywhere else, he dashed straight for the cellar.
On the first floor, he stopped in his panic and breathed a small sigh of relief when he saw Snape and Dumbledore disappear at the top of the stairs leading to Filch's office.
It seemed that they already knew. That's right. What else in this castle could be hidden from that old fox?
After a moment's hesitation, his worry prevailed. Draco returned to his room, took the Invisibility Cloak, and put it on, ready to follow him down to see what was going on. As he crept down the stairs, a Soundless Curse shot at him, and the silver-green button on his chest blocked the attack with a white light. Draco took a few steps back, holding his breath, leaning against the wall and scanning the surroundings warily.
Just as he silently prepared himself, a familiar voice sounded in his ear.
"It's me."
"Harry?" He lowered his wand hesitantly.”
The Invisibility Cloak was pulled off, and Harry appeared abruptly in front of him, looking at him with slight confusion.”
Seeing him standing in front of him safe and sound, Draco breathed a sigh of relief.
――――――――――――――――――
"Eh? Why is that book with you?"
Smiling at Harry's confused expression, Draco shook the book in his hand and asked,"I just picked it up. Why, did you lose it?”
Harry took the book and flipped through it, looking relieved."I did, thank you, Draco.”
Draco smiled faintly, waved at Harry, and left. He walked briskly back to his bedroom, waved his wand, and cast a few spells. The relaxed smile on his face disappeared quietly.
It was as if all his strength had been sucked out in an instant. He leaned against the door and slid weakly onto the floor. He slowly raised his right hand to cover his chest, feeling that his heart was throbbing so much that it was almost numb.
" One must die at the hands of the other, because two people cannot live together."
The two of them couldn't live together…
Draco shivered and curled himself into a ball. His face was pale and he closed his eyes. He was almost suffocated by the overwhelming despair.
Although he had already guessed it, when he heard the prophecy with his own ears, he still had the illusion that he had fallen into an icy pool. A dark and cold fear quickly spread in his heart.
Why... why Harry...
The boy's calm and indifferent expression seemed to appear in front of her again." Even if I didn't hear this prophecy today, it won't change this. So don't worry, Draco, I know what I'm about to face.”
Had he known all along?
With a bitter smile, he hugged his legs tightly and buried his face between his bent knees. He bit his lips hard to suppress the sobs in his throat.
Draco? Malfoy, do you really think you can protect Harry? He was already mentally prepared to be enemies with that person. What about you?
You don't even dare to mention that person's name.
"Fu…"
He trembled slightly as he spat out a syllable, but he stopped just as he opened his mouth.
That name represented the darkest decade in the history of magic, the hopeless situation where there was no hope, the endless anxiety and panic, the darkness, the war, the blood, the violence, the slaughter…
How many people in the magic world could say it as casually as he did after knowing all this?
There was nothing to be afraid of. It was just a name.
He gritted his teeth and said to himself.
It was just a name.
"Voodoo…demon…"
Draco leaned against the door and slowly opened his eyes. His grayish-blue eyes were filled with disbelief.
He…he actually said it?!
He supported himself against the door and stood up shakily. He collapsed on the bed tiredly and buried his head in the soft pillow.
It was alright, there was still time to prepare…
It didn't matter…
Clearing his mind as Snape had instructed, Draco drifted into a deep sleep.
——
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]