Passing through the metal walls of Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, the bright red Hogwarts Express was puffing out smoke. With fifteen minutes to go before departure, Narcissa gave her son a final straightening of his collar.
She hugged Draco tightly on the bustling platform, lingering for quite a whilst. Draco looked embarrassed, but was secretly pleased.
"You must take good care of yourself, Draco, you know?" Narcissa said, her voice choked with emotion. She hurriedly stuffed a heavy purse into her son's pocket.
"Write to Mum more often, and tell me if you need anything, understand?" She touched Draco's hair, her eyes glistening with moisture.
"All right, everyone is watching," Lucius said impatiently, fiddling with his cane and putting on a stern face.
"I only have one request of you: do not take risks, and be careful. Always have a classmate with you, and do not go out alone," Lucius said to his son. With that, he hurriedly handed him a small suitcase engraved with the Malfoy family crest.
"These are sweets your grandfather asked me to bring you, from Honeydukes." He coughed awkwardly, seemingly suddenly developing a keen interest in studying the smoke billowing from the express train.
"Thank you, Father," Draco said.
He hugged his parents again, pretending not to see their worried eyes. Draco hardened his heart, turned, and stepped into the steaming Hogwarts Express.
Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle had already taken up a compartment at the back of the carriage and hurriedly helped him with his luggage.
They had grown taller after a summer holiday apart.
"Are you all right? My father said you might be in danger," Goyle said to him. Draco saw a rare hint of concern on his usually dull face.
"Do not worry, if Peter Pettigrew tries to come after you, with us here, he cannot do anything," Crabbe shouted confidently. His new hairstyle, somewhat like the bottom of a pot, made his face look even rounder.
"It is all right," Draco said lazily. "I am not afraid of him."
Crabbe and Goyle looked at him with admiration, stunned by his words.
A loud whistle interrupted their conversation. Through the train window, Draco saw a guard walking along the train, seemingly to close the doors.
A moment later, several familiar figures dragging suitcases flashed past the window of his compartment. Out of the corner of his eye, Draco seemed to catch a glimpse of Hermione Granger's distinctive brown shadow.
He reckoned that Harry and the others were probably looking for an empty compartment.
"Oh, they are going to be disappointed," Crabbe said gleefully. "We are in the second-to-last carriage; the last one is already taken."
"A sickly-looking adult, whom I have never seen before at Hogwarts. His wizarding robes are tattered…" Goyle said.
Sickly? Tattered and dishevelled? The more Draco thought about it, the more he felt that he might be that werewolf professor Lupin.
The conversation did not last long. Crabbe and Goyle were drawn to the various sweet boxes in Draco's suitcase.
"Do not get your hopes up," Draco warned, giving them a warning look. "This was bought for me by my grandfather."
They exchanged a glance and sheepishly put the chocolates back. Children of pure-blood wizards had almost all heard the legend of Abraxas, and they certainly did not dare eat what he had bought for his beloved grandson.
They looked enviously at the Honeydukes label on the box, smacked their lips, and began to talk about "how many kinds of sweets Honeydukes sweet shop actually has".
"I definitely have to go during Hogsmeade weekend." Crabbe's round face lit up with a look of fascination. "Jelly Slugs, Toothflossing Stringmints, Creamy chunks of nougat, Blood-flavoured lollipops… Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans with over seven hundred flavours… Drooble's Best Blowing Gum that fills the whole room with bluebell-coloured bubbles… Pepper Imps that make you breathe fire… Peppermint Toads that bounce around in your stomach after you eat them…"
Goyle, standing to the side, slurped up a mouthful of saliva.
"And there are those fat big Chocoballs, filled with strawberry mousse and clotted cream…" Crabbe said dreamily, "I could stay in Honeydukes all day long!"
"I have discovered your talent, Crabbe," Draco suddenly said. "Your memory is truly exceptional when you list these sweets."
Crabbe gave him a distant smile.
"Add one more that he can always make people hungry just by talking..." Goyle added.
At one o'clock in the afternoon, the woman who was selling food from her trolley finally appeared outside the door. Draco hurriedly walked out of the compartment, intending to buy a little of everything.
Just as he was directing the gleeful Crabbe and Goyle to carry back a large stack of Cauldron Cakes and prepare to return to the compartment, he suddenly heard the girl's surprised voice.
"—Draco?"
Hermione happened to come out of the next compartment. She was carrying a bunch of coins, seemingly planning to buy something to eat.
Draco glanced at her. She was wearing a grey jumper with fine red stripes, olive green trousers, and her brown hair was loose over her shoulders.
He had to admit that these strange Muggle clothes were never within his aesthetic range... but when worn by her, he could not help but find them appealing.
"I had no idea you were next door!" she said with a cheerful smile, the light reflecting off the corridor window onto her pupils. "Would you like to come and play in our compartment?"
Through the glass window of the compartment, Draco glanced inside: Harry, Ron, and the sleeping man with light brown hair—it was indeed the werewolf—Remus Lupin.
Instantly, the good mood that had been stirred by her clear eyes vanished.
"No, your compartments are already quite crowded," he said slowly, a hint of wariness in his expression. "If I were you, I would stay away from strangers."
"Oh, I reckon he might be the new professor—Professor R. J. Lupin—I found his name on his suitcase." Hermione ignored his sarcastic tone and said smugly, like a little girl waiting to be praised.
Her radiant face brought a faint smile to his face. Then came another wave of inexplicable frustration.
Draco did not have time to process his volatile emotions, because the lady pushing the trolley was already getting impatient. Hermione quickly ordered a few pumpkin pasties to appease the exhausted saleswoman who was eager to go home and rest.
"You have a keen eye for observation. However, even if he is a professor, it does not mean he is harmless. I reckon you should be more vigilant." As she prepared to return to the compartment, he meaningfully reminded her, "By the way, you did not say anything inappropriate to him, did you?"
"Of course not." Hermione's face showed a hint of guilt. "Well then, I will go back now."
She hurriedly grabbed the pumpkin pasties and left, seemingly rushing to warn Harry and Ron.
Draco shook his head, a barely perceptible smile on his lips, and returned to his compartment.