A Certain Magical Hogwarts

Bang.

The door to the study was suddenly thrown opened.

Lucius Malfoy immediately fell silent.

Draco Malfoy cautiously poked his head in.

He looked at the woman in the room and broke into a smile. "Mother, when did you get back? You didn't even let me know!"

Before Narcissa could say anything, Lucius sternly interrupted, "Draco, have I not told you?

"Never enter my study uninvited!

"And remember to knock before entering someone else's room!

"Where are your manners?

"Have you completely forgotten them after just one year at Hogwarts?"

Draco shrank back nervously, ready to step out of the room and knock again.

But Narcissa quickly wiped away the tears from her face and said softly, "It's all right, dear. Draco is still a child!"

She beckoned him over. Draco grinned and ran to her side, sitting next to the woman.

Narcissa fondly ruffled Draco's hair, messing up his carefully groomed locks.

Lucius rubbed his temples, exasperated. Indulging the boy like this was certainly not the right way to raise him, especially for a family like theirs.

But Narcissa was unyielding when it came to this.

"When did you get back, Mother?" Draco asked again.

"Only about half an hour ago. I looked for you in your room, but you weren't there."

"I was in the garden with Pansy, watching the koi fish," Draco replied with a smug expression, "Then, during hide-and-seek, I left her there."

Narcissa chided gently, "Leaving a young lady alone like that? That's hardly the behavior of a gentleman."

"Fine, fine, I'll go back soon," Draco said, quickly changing the subject, "Mother, what about the gift you said you'd bring me?"

"Oh, I forgot," Narcissa replied apologetically with a faint smile.

When she left, she had only mentioned visiting a relative without specifying whom. Azkaban's dreadful environment had shaken her greatly, she hadn't been in the mood to buy Draco a gift.

Draco eyed his mother carefully, noticing traces of tears on her face. His expression shifted abruptly. "Mother, you didn't go visit that family, did you?!"

"That family? She's your aunt," Narcissa scolded him.

Narcissa had two sisters: the eldest, Bellatrix, married Rodolphus Lestrange of the Lestrange family; the middle sister, Andromeda, married a Muggle-born wizard, Ted Tonks, and was subsequently disowned by the family.

Bellatrix and Andromeda had a hostile relationship, Bellatrix would gladly kill her younger sister if given the chance.

While Narcissa didn't like Andromeda either, they were still siblings. Their relationship wasn't as bitter, and Narcissa had secretly visited her elder sister several times.

Draco mistakenly assumed his mother had gone to visit that aunt.

Draco shrugged indifferently, "I saw her daughter, Tonks, at school."

"What was Tonks doing at Hogwarts?" Lucius asked, frowning.

"I'm not sure. She seemed to be there as an Auror, investigating Quirrell's death," Draco replied.

Lucius fixed his gaze on his son, "Draco, I've heard… that you've been getting close to that Mudblood, Stark, at school?"

"No… no…" Draco stammered, his pale face turning red.

"I just saw some of his alchemy items and thought they were decent, so I spent a little money to buy a few.

"You've seen one of them, the warming badge, he invented that.

"Similar items in Diagon Alley are more expensive and of worse quality. 

"Wizards like him will never amount to much, they're only good for selling trinkets like that. Hardly worth your concern!"

"Indeed, you spent over three thousand Galleons this term," Lucius said, fixing his son with a cold stare, "I don't mind you spending money, but… not like this."

"I understand," Draco muttered, lowering his head.

"Now, what gift did you say you wanted?" Lucius asked.

"I'd like a good broomstick. Our house team was crushed this year, and I think it's because we don't have a Nimbus 2000, while Ravenclaw's team has two," Draco explained defensively.

"The school's Nimbus 1700 isn't bad," Lucius retorted, unimpressed, "I'm honestly appalled that Slytherin House has sunk so low it can't even beat Ravenclaw."

Draco said nothing, his head still lowered.

Narcissa shot her husband a sharp look. Sighing, Lucius relented, "Fine. If we're buying one, we'll get the best. We can't afford to tarnish the Malfoy family's name.

"A friend of mine mentioned that the newest model, the Nimbus 2001, is about to be released. How about I get you one?"

"But I'm not even on the house team yet," Draco replied glumly., "Harry Potter got special permission from Dumbledore to play for Gryffindor last year as a first-year.

"He doesn't deserve it—it's only because of his fame… and that stupid scar on his forehead…"

"Draco, how many days have you been home? All you talk about is Potter, Potter… You've already mentioned this at least five times," Lucius said, glancing at his son.

"If you want to join the house team, it's simple. I'm good friends with your Head of House, Professor Snape.

"When I was Head Boy, he'd just entered the school, and I took good care of him.

"Getting you on the team is just a matter of a word."

Lucius turned serious, "But if you fail to perform well and embarrass the Malfoy name during a match…"

"I won't! My skills are excellent," Draco said excitedly, "I promise I'll lead Slytherin to victory."

"Your promises?" Lucius sneered, "You promised me at Easter that you'd be top of your year."

"That wasn't my fault," Draco protested. "The teachers are all biased. Hermione Granger and Stark have extra tutoring—"

"A Muggle-born girl outperforms you in every subject, and you're not ashamed?" Lucius snapped angrily.

Draco bowed his head again, waiting for his mother to intervene with, "He's still a child!"

But just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!"

A trembling house-elf entered, dressed in what looked like an old pillowcase with holes cut for its arms and legs.

The elf bowed so deeply its long nose nearly touched the carpet.

"M-Master," the elf stammered in its high-pitched voice, "Dobby… has news… to report…"

Lucius, still irate, drew out his words ominously as he glared at the elf.

"Dobby, if you're disturbing me because of some nonsense—like 'the peacocks at the gate pecked you again'—I won't hesitate to impose stricter punishment.

"For instance… locking you in the oven."

Dobby shivered, his large eyes brimming with tears, "N-no, Master… At the gate… there are many officials from the Ministry of Magic.

"One of them said his name is Arthur Weasley…"

Lucius shot to his feet and strode toward the door.

As he passed the trembling elf, he lashed out, kicking Dobby hard. The elf was sent flying and hit the corner of a table, knocking over a cup of coffee.

The hot liquid spilled onto the expensive unicorn-hair rug.

"Clean this up before I return, or forget about dinner!" Lucius barked, storming out.

Dobby's head drooped submissively as the coffee pooled at his feet.

His eyes held no resentment, only numb acceptance. 

He was used to it.

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