Chapter 285
"We're heading south right now."
Fleur Delacour spread a world map across the small table and traced her slender fingers across it while muttering to herself.
"Are we going to France?"
"I can be your tour guide."
Her blue eyes sparkled brightly as excitement filled her expression.
"Then we'll probably have to reach Calais first."
Fleur closed her eyes briefly, recalling the route from memory before speaking confidently.
Beauxbatons students usually traveled with the winged Abraxan horses rather than Muggle transportation.
Still, Fleur was familiar with the route because she had accompanied Madame Maxime to England before.
Though—
That had been back in 1993.
Now, the British Ministry of Magic had heavily restricted Floo Network travel.
Apparition was also under tighter supervision due to Voldemort's return.
As a result, the two of them had chosen trains instead.
Of course, Draco himself had never actually traveled through most of these places.
And he had no intention of relying on long-distance Apparition.
The farther the distance, the greater the magical strain.
Crossing multiple straits in succession would probably exhaust him completely before arrival.
"So where are we going first?"
Fleur enthusiastically pointed at locations across the map.
"Provence?"
"I don't really like it there."
"The air is nice, but that's about it."
"Or maybe the Louvre?"
"I like a lot of Muggle artists."
"Their music is much better too."
"At least it's far better than Celestina Warbeck."
"Seriously—how does a vulgar song like You Charmed the Heart Right Out of Me become so popular?"
Fleur complained dramatically.
"We aren't going sightseeing."
"And personally, I think the best way to pass boring time is sleeping."
Draco Malfoy yawned tiredly before closing his eyes.
Fleur pouted unhappily.
Meanwhile, Draco's thoughts drifted elsewhere.
The best solution would still be sending her back immediately.
What awaits me next isn't a pleasant journey.
His mind unconsciously returned to his final conversation with Dumbledore inside the Forbidden Forest.
The forest at night had been damp and cold.
Rustling sounds constantly echoed through the undergrowth.
Countless unseen reptiles seemed to dominate the darkness.
"Making a young lady sad is hardly gentlemanly behavior."
"And besides—"
"I refuse to watch another child get hurt in front of me."
The silver phoenix spoke gently.
"First of all, I'm a wizard, not a gentleman," Draco replied flatly.
"Very well."
"But I still think additional help would benefit you."
The phoenix tilted its head thoughtfully.
"She'll only create more trouble."
"For example—the chaos in the Great Hall earlier."
"When emotions overwhelm reason, problems follow."
Draco frowned while absentmindedly brushing his wand with his fingers.
"Then couldn't I say exactly the same thing about you?"
The old man's amused laughter echoed from the phoenix.
"If reason truly controlled everything you did, Mr. Malfoy—"
"You would still be an ordinary Hogwarts student."
"You wouldn't have approached me all those years ago."
The words carried deeper meaning.
"And honestly?"
"I don't think this is a bad thing."
"Trust an old man's intuition for once."
"At the very least, you've acquired a free translator."
The phoenix ended the sentence jokingly.
"I think English is enough."
"And France isn't our destination anyway."
Draco clearly failed to appreciate Dumbledore's humor.
"Very well."
"Let's end this topic here."
"Voldemort won't uncover the truth behind the wand resonance anytime soon."
"At the very least, it won't become his highest priority."
"So we still have time."
This time, the phoenix's tone became serious.
Draco silently considered the words.
Then—
"Hm?"
"Someone is knocking on my office door."
"Our conversation ends here."
"Good luck, Mr. Malfoy."
"And enjoy your journey."
The silver phoenix released a soft cry.
Its body dissolved into drifting silver smoke before vanishing into the depths of the forest.
Dumbledore had ended the Patronus communication.
The phoenix song surrounding Fleur's ears disappeared as well.
She immediately walked back toward Draco with light footsteps.
"First, let me clarify something."
Draco suddenly spoke seriously.
"All the Dementors in Azkaban have already disappeared."
"So even if I had been captured earlier, I wouldn't have become the idiot you imagined."
Fleur froze in shock.
Moonlight illuminated her slightly flushed cheeks, enhancing her already overwhelming beauty.
Perhaps—
She had made a very serious misunderstanding.
"So what?"
"I only acted because I trusted you."
She looked embarrassed for a moment, but stubbornly maintained her position.
"Then are you prepared to learn a secret you may not be able to bear?"
Draco raised an eyebrow and turned toward a nearby fir tree, deliberately avoiding eye contact to give her time to think.
Fleur's eyelids twitched slightly.
She bit her lower lip before answering firmly:
"Of course."
"Really?"
Draco suddenly stopped walking.
He casually waved his wand.
There was no flash of light.
No sound.
But magic quietly spread outward in rippling waves.
Fleur abruptly wrapped her arms around herself.
An indescribable coldness invaded her body.
Anxiety and dread rose instinctively from deep within her heart.
Something terrible seemed to be approaching.
A rotten stench entered her nose, making her feel nauseated.
"Dementors!"
Her blue eyes widened in alarm.
"We need to leave immediately."
"There are too many of them."
At the same time, she silently cursed Draco's terrible luck.
Didn't you just say they were gone?
Then why are they here now?!
"They formed a magical contract with me."
"In a sense…"
"I'm their master."
Draco answered calmly.
Originally, he had intended to scare Fleur away.
Instead—
Her eyes suddenly lit up with excitement.
"Then tell them not to move."
"I want to test my Patronus Charm."
She stared curiously at the approaching Dementors with obvious fascination rather than fear.
Draco stared at her silently for several seconds.
Then he rubbed his forehead helplessly.
Perhaps bringing a translator really isn't such a terrible idea after all.