Draco had been very, very young at the time, and the Malfoys 'large manor had been left with only him and his mother besides the house-elves.
Little Draco was sitting on the sofa in the living room, playing with the little rabbit. A tall and handsome man pushed the door open and entered. His eyes were bloodshot, and his face was tired and haggard, but there was a relaxed smile on his lips. Her platinum-colored hair was neat and tidy, and her slightly faded clothes were meticulously taken care of, as if she was ready to attend a formal dinner party at any time.
She looks like me.
When Draco tilted his head to look at him, his mother, who liked to stare at the door, stood up and smiled so brightly that it lit up the whole hall.
The man smiled faintly." I'm back.”
His mother walked forward and gave him a gentle hug." Why are you back so late? Draco, come and take Dad to the dining room.”
Biting his finger, Draco looked at them in confusion.”
The man walked in front of him and half-squatted down to kiss his little face. His grayish-blue eyes, which were exactly the same as his, were filled with a warm smile." I'm really sorry, baby. Daddy came back late. Your little stomach must be hungry, right?”
Draco's eyes lit up. He let go of the little rabbit, stretched out his two small hands, and gave the man a sweet smile." Daddy-photo, move, hug-"
The dinner was unusually sumptuous. His mother was smiling happily, and his father walked out of the photo, holding him and playing with him. Little Draco was very happy.
"... the Imperius Curse..."
"... No... Missing..."
"…Xi Fu…"
Not understanding what they were talking about, the tired little guy yawned and slept soundly in his father's arms.
――――――――――――――――――
When Draco was eight years old, his father began to train him strictly.
On the first day, he held the cold little rabbit and looked at his father with tears in his eyes." Why did you kill it?”
"This is the first lesson I'll teach you. If you're too weak, you won't even be able to protect your most important thing.”Lucius tapped his wand." Work hard on your spells. You are not qualified to question me now.”
――――――――――――――――――
"Godfather, I hate these potions.”
"Yes."
"I hate father too. He killed my little rabbit.”
"Unforgettable?"
"Yes, I'm so sad. I'll always remember!”
"That's good."
――――――――――――――――――
"You're the heir to the Malfoy family, Draco, and a lot of people find it hard to act too good in front of others.”
Draco, who had been showing off in front of his friends on his broomstick for a long time, knelt quietly in his room with a half-understood expression.
――――――――――――――――――
"Why do you even have to learn this?"
Draco shouted at Lucius as he saw Dobby carrying a few more white mice.
Lucius just looked at him indifferently and played with his wand without saying a word.
Draco took a deep breath and quickly put on a decent smile.
"Alright, continue, Father.”
――――――――――――――――――
The slender young man in the mirror had an exquisite face. If one didn't look at his raised chin and arrogant expression, he would be considered cute.
Madam Malkin explained to the little guest with a respectful smile that the fabric of the Hogwarts uniform could not be changed into satin. He said impatiently,"That's it then-when will this damned ruler be done?”
"Please be patient, Mr. Malfoy.”
The wind chime hanging at the door rang. She smiled and turned to receive another guest.
Draco lowered his eyes indifferently. He still remembered the first time he came, Madam Malkin pinched his face and called him cute, calling him Baby Draco. Although she still felt a chill when she thought about that title, but…
Now he was the arrogant and despotic Master Malfoy, cold, hypocritical, ignorant, and show-off…No one would like him, right?
The tape measure flew automatically. He looked around the room in boredom, ignoring the slight bitterness in his heart.
"Hello, Madam, I'm a new student at Hogwarts. Can we customize school uniforms here?"
A timid voice rang out behind him. Malfoy looked in the mirror at the boy's baggy pants and averted his eyes in disgust.
"Of course, dear, come here.”
The boy was standing on a bench beside Draco as Madam Malkin took out another measuring tape and measured him. When the tape wrapped around him, he let out a low cry and almost fell off the bench.
Another kid from the Muggle world, Draco pursed his lips.
Madam Malkin quickly caught him." Don't be afraid, child. It's just taking your size."”
The boy smiled shyly." I'm sorry, Madam. I'm making a fuss.”
"It's okay. Many people are like this."
He stood straight on the bench, still looking nervous, and smiled shyly when Draco looked back at him.
The boy's fair and thin face had a faint blush, and his clear green eyes revealed his owner's shyness and uneasiness. His hair was slightly messy, and he looked quite cute.
Draco suddenly had the interest to speak, trying to ignore his clothes, and asked arrogantly,"Hey! Do you go to Hogwarts too?”
"Yes."
"My mum and dad are buying me books next door, and I'm going to need them to buy me brooms later, I don't know why first years can't have their own brooms, I think I'll have to try and get one and sneak it into school.”
Madam Malkin shook her head disapprovingly.
The boy looked at him in confusion.
"Do you have your own broom?" Draco asked deliberately.
The boy blushed." No."
"Have you ever played Quidditch?" Ah, I'm bullying a child. I don't care. I'm in a bad mood today, so what if I bully him?
"No, I haven't." The boy lowered his head in embarrassment.
"I've played-Dad said it would be a shame if I wasn't selected for the team. Do you know which academy you will be assigned to?”
"I don't know." The boy raised his head and looked at him, his eyes gradually revealing a trace of fear.
Draco's chest felt a sudden tightness, and he decided to stop there."It's all right, everyone knows when they get there, doesn't it? I think I'll go to Slytherin-hey, look at that guy-"he shouted, pointing out of the window at a huge man.
The boy looked pleased."That's Hagrid, he works at Hogwarts.”
So it was him? That clumsy key keeper.
Draco shook his head disdainfully."You know him?”
"Yes, he was the one who brought me to Diagon Alley.”The boy waved happily at the window.
"Is that so? What about your parents?" Draco looked at the boy whose attention was easily diverted and asked with slight dissatisfaction.
"They're dead." The boy answered simply. A faint sadness appeared on his face, and his beautiful green eyes dimmed.
Draco was silent for a long time, turned his head to look at the mirror, and said in a very careless tone,"I'm sorry."
"Darling, your clothes are ready.”
Madam Malkin appeared just in time. He jumped down from the bench, straightened his clothes, glanced at the boy who was still in low spirits, and left in a hurry without even asking for his name.
――――――――――――――――――
"I heard the famous Harry? Potter is in this compartment..."Draco pushed open the compartment door, and his triumphant voice suddenly paused.
The little boy from the robe shop? No wonder she didn't see him in the other carriages.
Well, he knew Dumbledore wouldn't send Hagrid out of his way to pick up a Muggle kid.
"So you're Harry? Potter?"
Harry did not look very happy to see him, and Draco snorted.
"He's Crabbe, he's Goyle.”"I'm Draco," he said absentmindedly, introducing his two followers. Malfoy, you remember last time we met in Madam Malkin's shop?”
Harry nodded, and a red-haired boy next to him gave a small cough that looked like a snicker.
Draco glanced at him, and a sarcastic word slipped out of his mouth without thinking. I don't have to ask who you are, my dad told me, the Weasleys have red hair and freckles and more children than they can afford. Potter-"
Hmm? Angry? Harry? Was Potter on good terms with that red-haired pauper?
"You don't want to make bad friends, do you? I can help you with that." He reached out his hand. Would he refuse?
Sure enough, Harry curled his lips and hid behind the red-haired pauper, ignoring him.
Draco withdrew his hand, snorted, and left with Crabbe and Goyle.
Forget it. Father only said to keep a distance from the boy who survived the disaster and not to become enemies. He didn't say that he had to be friends with him.
――――――――――――――――――
Dumbledore must be pleased that Harry has been assigned to Gryffindor?
Sitting at the long Slytherin table, Draco elegantly cut his steak and looked down on the Gryffindor's poor eating manners.
" Draco, come, try this-" The eldest daughter of the Parkinsons-who was also Draco's designated fiancée-handed him a small plate of fruit pudding and winked at him.
Draco took the pudding.”
He really didn't understand why his father would choose such a girl. She looked ordinary and had an average IQ. Moreover, she would act coquettishly the moment she saw him. It was really unbearable. Didn't the Parkinson family have any other marriage partners?
His eyes slid across the long Gryffindor table. Harry looked slightly tired and was secretly yawning.
Snape was staring at him from above, and Draco suddenly remembered something his father had mentioned and could not help but squint and smile.
It seemed that life at Hogwarts was worth looking forward to.
――――――――――――――――――
Harry? Potter was much better than he had thought, and as a child who had grown up in the Muggle world, he had made it through the school in such a short time that he was able to cope with even the most dreadful of Potions lessons.
Draco had to admit that there really were geniuses in this world.
It should be said that he originally thought that he was a genius. Now that he had discovered someone even more abnormal, he was a little depressed.
When he was in a bad mood, he naturally had to find someone to vent his anger on, like the little teardrop from the Longbottom family, or that red-haired pauper, or that Miss Know-it-all. Tsk, why was it that the people he wanted to find trouble with were all by Potter's side? Trouble.
The most frustrating thing was that every time he and Weasley quarreled, Weasley would always stand aside and watch with a smile at the beginning, and then pull him away when the argument went too far. What was he doing? It was as if he was looking at a child making a scene. He was clearly eleven years old, okay?
During the flying lesson, the little teardrop's mistake allowed him to show off his flying skills. Draco's heart was pounding at first, but when he saw him flying steadily in the air, he realized that he had overreacted.
What's the big deal about getting into the Quidditch team early? Did he offend Lord Snape? Fortunately, his Potionology results were good. Otherwise, if the godfather found out that he was in the wrong, Gryffindor's points would definitely be deducted.
He had found an excuse to quarrel with the red-haired pauper and asked him out for a duel that night, and he had actually brought Harry along.
Forget it, Dumbledore wouldn't fire them even if they got caught.
Draco lay on the bed, turned over comfortably, and fell asleep with a smug smile.
"A hundred points from Gryffindor, Ron?" said Filch, who had suddenly descended from the sky as the red-haired boy was being chased around by a large, vicious dog. Weasley, you're expelled."
Weasley packed his bags with tears in his eyes and left Hogwarts, looking back at each step he took.
Wahahaha…
The dream was so realistic that he rubbed his eyes in surprise the next day when he saw a certain someone still hanging around the school. She put down her hand in disappointment and thought about how to give him more trouble.
――――――――――――――――――
He hadn't even made a move, and someone in Slytherin was already in trouble.
He looked at the mixed-blood that he didn't have a deep impression of. Draco frowned and tossed a box of ointment to the boy in Bursted, who was bruised and swollen.
Bursted smiled gratefully and complained that the Weasley twins had hit him too hard as he applied the ointment.
"Why this time?" There were many conflicts between the two academies, but they were usually resolved with magic. It was rare to see someone use their fists.
Perth was a little embarrassed and said,""Well, um, said I said something wrong-I didn't know-"
Draco looked at the others in confusion.
Pan Xi cleared his throat proudly and told Draco about the rumors he knew. In the end, he added," I heard he cried.”
Draco's heart felt as if it had been gripped by someone. He recalled Harry's ill-fitting clothes, his thin figure, and his timid smile when they first met.
What had Dumbledore been doing all these years?
There seemed to be a fire burning in his heart. For Gryffindor?
He instantly calmed down and looked around. The others did not look too good either.
That's right, that clear and bright gaze, that pure and innocent smile, no one could truly hate it after seeing it, right? Not to mention Slytherin, who wore a mask all day long and had become instinctive in being hypocritical and polite. Wandering in the darkness for many years, he had a desire for sunlight that was similar to an extravagant hope.
Bah, what a mess.
Those damned Muggles! How could he bully a child, a noble Magus, like this?
That's right, he was angry because of this. Although the Potter Family had declined, it was still an ancient family with a great reputation. Their only descendant was actually being ordered around by a relative as a servant. It was simply too unforgivable.
――――――――――――――――――
Who on earth put a curse on the broomstick?
Draco, worried that Harry might fall at any moment, searched the stands for suspicious people.
Quirrell? Oh my god, he usually acted quite well.
Why did that brainless know-it-all burn the Godfather's robe for no reason? Can't you even tell the difference between harming people and saving people?
But he had not expected the godfather to save Harry.
Was there something he didn't know?
Ah-that's not important, what's important, Harry-
"Hiss-"
Draco gasped as he watched the boy fall to the ground. He felt a buzzing sound in his head, and his heartbeat slowed down. He subconsciously wanted to pull out his wand.
His right hand was suddenly grabbed, and at the same time, it awakened the calmness that he had lost due to fear. In that split second of distraction, everyone cast a Levitation Charm on Harry and he landed safely on the ground.
Draco breathed a sigh of relief, only to realize that he had broken out in cold sweat. He looked to his right, and Pansy threw herself into his arms with an exaggerated look of amazement."Draco, I was so scared-"
He opened his hands stiffly, and the Quidditch pitch was in a frenzy over the Snitch that Harry had raised, so that no one could hear his whispering laughter in his ear.
"Can I trouble you to cooperate?"
Draco smiled wryly.
"Never underestimate anyone around you.”
Very good, Father. I will always remember your words.
――――――――――――――――――
Merlin, Weasley is too bold to wander around Hogwarts at night with a dragon?
Draco held the letter in his hand and could not help but sigh at his luck.
Hehe…Dumbledore won't be able to explain himself if I don't fire you this time, will he?
Er-well, everybody makes mistakes, so it's no shame that he was caught by Professor McGonagall and the godfather together.
But then again, it's so late at night. Why are the two of you walking in the corridor?
Could it be…
Shrugging his head in a penitent manner, Draco's mind was wandering.
Filch walked in triumphantly, and Draco stared at the gloomy black head behind him.”
No way! Harry was caught? Where's the Weasley boy?
It was against the law to keep a dragon for yourself. Would Harry be in any trouble?
Draco began to feel uneasy.
Should I say hello to my father? Damn it, he didn't even inform them of the sudden change.
"I found this student at the stairs of the Astronomical Tower.”
Phew, fortunately, his movements were quite fast. If it was just a night tour, it would not be a problem.
Draco felt a sudden sourness in his heart when he saw Harry listening to Professor McGonagall's lecture with tears rolling in his eyes.
Actually, it's not what you think.
He tried to explain for Harry.
Isn't it too late to retract your confession now?
Sorry, Harry.
He wanted to apologize, but he couldn't.
Originally, he had told on his friend to chase him away. If he told on his friend, he would be even angrier, right?
Forget it…
――――――――――――――――――
In the forest, Hagrid was chatting happily with a centaur, and Draco walked suspiciously beside Harry, feeling that something was not quite right.
Before he could figure out what was going on, the blockhead jumped up alertly and stood in front of them.
He poked his head out and saw an extremely horrifying scene. The injured unicorn fell to the ground, and a black shadow wearing a mask leaned over it, sucking its blood.
Hagrid shot an arrow at it, and the black shadow flashed and slid away. Draco could vaguely see a pair of red eyes, and the blood in his body seemed to freeze instantly.
"Ronan, help me keep an eye on them." said Hagrid, and he ran after the shadow.
That person…It was that person…
Draco wanted to scream, but his teeth chattered and his body trembled uncontrollably.
How could this be…
As the centaur was escorted out of the forest, a cold breeze cleared his mind.
Dumbledore wouldn't know that the man was at Hogwarts?
The forbidden corridor that the old fox had deliberately mentioned at the start of the school year, Quirrell cursed at Quidditch, the confinement in the Forbidden Forest, the unicorn attacked... who was it, and what was it?
Draco looked at the pale Harry beside him and felt inexplicably worried.
――――――――――――――――――
The black-haired youth fell to the ground. His bloody hands had been dug into the stone slab, and his handsome face was distorted. His eyes were closed, and his pale mouth was slightly open. He let out a very low moan, as if all his vitality had been sucked dry. A pair of dark red eyes flashed with a cruel and crazy light, looking down at him in the darkness. His skeletal right hand slowly raised, and his wand pointed at the dying youth.
"No! Harry-"
Draco screamed and sat up from his bed, his grayish-blue eyes filled with fear.
The dim moonlight shone through the window into the room. The breeze blew the curtains, bringing the fragrance of the garden downstairs and the faint chirping of cicadas in the distance. The night in the manor was still as peaceful as usual, as if nothing had happened.
He clutched his chest, feeling his heart still throbbing in pain.
"Harry-"
Draco let out what sounded like a whimper and curled up in a ball around his knees, shivering under the covers.
It's okay, it's just a nightmare. He's still alive. He's in that red-haired pauper's house. It's okay, he's still alive...
He tried his best to comfort himself. After a few minutes, his tensed body relaxed a little. He buried his head in the blanket and sobbed softly.
When he saw his godfather carrying a student in Gryffindor's uniform as he ran past, the ominous feeling in his heart rose to the extreme, making him follow without hesitation. Hearing the trio's cries outside the infirmary, and knowing that the unconscious student was Harry, his heart jumped.
"Cruciatus Curse,"
He couldn't believe his ears and didn't dare to go in to confirm.
Harry? Cruciatus Curse? How could these two words be related? This was simply too ridiculous!
The carved oak door of the infirmary, Madam Pomfrey's angry roar, Neville's muffled sobs, Dumbledore's probing gaze as he passed... everything was blurred, as if the world had suddenly become distorted. Only three cold words echoed in his ears.
Cruciatus Curse.
Of course, he knew how terrifying this Unforgivable Curse was. He had once raised his wand shakily and tested it on several white mice under his father's cold gaze.
"At least you have to know." His father said with a calm expression.
However, he did not want to know. The war, enemies, torture, and even death that his father mentioned were far away from his life. He never thought that he would really face these things.
Cruciatus Curse!
It was unknown when he had escaped from the door. He knelt down in an empty corner by the lake, trembling uncontrollably. His nails pierced his palm, but he did not notice it. He couldn't imagine how much torture that thin and weak young man had suffered. Would he die silently in pain like that white mouse, and he could only watch helplessly?
No, he did not even have the courage or excuse to visit her.
He could only spend the last few days of the semester in fear, guessing the situation by looking at the trio's expressions. It was not until the end of the term dinner that his heart was extremely cold. When he had the urge to rush straight to the infirmary, he saw the familiar smiling face on Gryffindor's long table.
The way he wolfed down the food without any temperament almost made him cry.
To see him faking pity when Hermione asked him, to see him take Ron's snack with shining eyes, to see him grinning at a worried Neville, to see him scream when his hair was ruffled by the team, to see him cheer loudly for Gryffindor's House Cup victory...
He watched his every move greedily, deeply feeling the wonderful fact that he was still full of energy, until Pan Xi deliberately reminded him loudly,"
"Draco, let them be, we won't lose next year!”
He lowered his eyes, and the intense light in his eyes dimmed.
"Of course."
He put on an arrogant smile and looked up again. He was still that arrogant and domineering young man. That boy raised his favorite apple juice and smiled happily at everyone around him. His eyes never stopped on him.
Never.
He jumped out of his memories and lay back on the bed.
You're finished, Draco.
He raised his hand to cover his eyes, and the corners of his mouth curled up into a deep self-deprecating smile.
Fortunately, it was the holidays-what if the others in the Slytherin dormitory heard themselves calling Harry in their dreams? Potter's name would probably shock everyone and become the biggest gossip in Hogwarts.
What a joke-the Prince of Slytherin, the son of a Death Eater, falling in love with the First Model Student of Gryffindor, the boy who had survived the Dark Lord's defeat?
No, Harry didn't like that....
Damn it, he would never hear it anyway!
That stupid, reckless, and self-righteous idiot! Was his brain all focused on the books? He actually brought a few first-year students and foolishly barged into the checkpoint set up by the old fox to compete with that person face to face! Who did he think he was? Savior? What a joke. Even if the world was about to end, he just had to hide in a safe place. Since when did the Magic World need a child to save the world?
What does Dumbledore want? He didn't believe that the old fox knew nothing about it. Was this indulgence, even luring Harry into taking risks, to build up his courage? If this incident was just an experience, did it mean that there would be more dangers waiting for him in the future?
Reaching out his hand, Draco stared blankly at the tear stains on it.
He was too weak. He couldn't even protect the most important thing to him.
He was Malfoy.
A proud and stubborn light suddenly flashed in his eyes.
How could he allow himself to continue being powerless like this? --
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。