"What a disappointment." Draco closed the book and sighed, his face filled with disappointment.
Earlier in the secret chamber beneath the manor, Draco had secretly slipped a book into his pocket. Since it was Lucius's usual laboratory, the books inside were naturally not ordinary. What the book was about was self-evident—things related to Dark magic.
After sending Pansy away, Draco naturally found an excuse to quickly return to his bedroom and start reading.
Draco himself firmly believed that Dark magic, the so-called evil magic, did not inherently exist. The key lay in the person using it. If the price of using it was evil, that was another matter. To maintain the stability of wizarding society, some powerful magic was classified as Dark magic, and its research was prohibited, which had to be said to be a kind of regression. In addition, with a soul that had already experienced various cultural influences in his previous life, Draco had no psychological burden reading these so-called forbidden books. With his superb memory and comprehension, he could truly read ten lines at a glance. He finished the book very quickly.
However, Draco did not find what he wanted. In his previous life, he had some scattered knowledge of philosophy and theory. If magic were a means, then it corresponded to "skill," something used to achieve a certain purpose. But for Draco, who was eager to pursue the essence, he hoped to understand the foundation of magic itself.
For example, what exactly wasthe magical power? Did it slowly increase over time? What was consumed when casting spells? Was it mental strength, or magical power itself? In the original books, when Barty Crouch Jr., disguised as Mad-Eye Moody, was teaching students, he also said that even if they used the Killing Curse on him, he would probably only get a nosebleed at most because the students did not have a strong magical foundation. So what was this so-called magical foundation? Knowledge reserves? One's own magical power? One's willpower? Or a combination of all of them?
Draco had originally thought he could find answers through books, but unfortunately, this book was merely a "skill" manual—some minor jinxes and ancient Dark magic legends. That was why Draco was so disappointed.
"Ah~" Draco stretched, feeling a little sleepy. A young body needed sleep. He had been tired all day, and Draco did not want his height to be affected by lack of rest. So, after washing up, he went to bed.
People often recall the events of the day before falling asleep, and Draco was no exception. So he inevitably thought of Pansy's kiss. Pansy's earlier arrogant and shy expressions kept swirling in his mind.
Draco reached out and touched his forehead, thinking, "I always feel like something is wrong." But then he thought, "It's not as if I was the one who suffered a loss." In any case, being kissed by a little girl was still a rather novel experience. So Draco did not dwell on it.
Just as Draco was falling asleep, things were not peaceful in Pansy's room at Parkinson Manor.
"Little liar, you're clearly not a Squib, but you didn't explain, deliberately making me look bad." On her small bed, Pansy was fiercely ravaging her stuffed bear, clearly treating the toy as some kind of enemy.
"And you deliberately took me to such a dark place to scare me. You didn't even light up the room sooner, even though you know magic. You act more politely than anyone in front of adults. You're full of bad ideas," Pansy muttered to herself, tearing at the toy's ears.
"I'm not that easy to deal with." If Pansy had complained at the time, Draco would naturally have been scolded, but if the relationship broke down, it would definitely be difficult to meet again next time. Out of the pride of a young lady, Pansy naturally could not accept relying on her father to get revenge. She had to rely on herself.
So Pansy chose to direct and act out a scene of a hero saving a beauty, laying the groundwork for their next meeting. It had to be said that girls were natural actors. Although Pansy was still young, her acting skills were not bad at all.
"Anyway, I've got your weakness. I don't believe you will submit. Next time we meet, I'm going to deal with you properly."
Thinking of the scenes of Draco being successfully retaliated against by her, Pansy could not help but giggle.
"This lady's first kiss is not so easily obtained." Thinking of that kiss, Pansy's cheeks were suddenly covered with blush.
"But that little liar is still a bit handsome." Pansy could not help but think again.
"No, no, I can't be soft-hearted. He dared to bully me. I definitely have to bully him back." In the end, the desire for revenge prevailed after a struggle in her heart.
In a short period of time, Pansy's thoughts had turned many times. Just as she was still thinking wildly, a voice suddenly came from outside the door.
"Pansy, it's getting late. Go to sleep. You must be exhausted today," the voice belonged to Pansy's mother.
"Okay, Mother."
"Next time we meet, I will deal with you properly." Before going to sleep, Pansy still did not forget to tug at the stuffed bear's ears. Truly deep resentment.
The night passed quickly.
"Ring, ring, ring." The sound came from Draco's room—it was his alarm clock.
As a psychologically mature person, Draco maintained considerable self-discipline. Time was limited, and Draco needed to strengthen himself as much as possible before going to Hogwarts, so he naturally had to plan and use his time properly, leaving no room for slack.
Opening his sleepy eyes, Draco sat up in bed, ready to begin today's plan.
A "creak" sounded from the door. Lucius pushed it open and entered Draco's room, his expression somewhat displeased.
"Put today's plan on hold. Your mother wants you to meet two new friends." Lucius's tone was slightly stiff.
Lucius and Narcissa had a serious argument the night before. Narcissa had always been dissatisfied with Draco's education method. Her son stayed in the study all day, without the vitality a boy his age should have, which was unacceptable to Narcissa, who doted on her son. In a mother's eyes, her child should be lively and bright. Studying all day would make him dull—at least, that was Narcissa's view. In Lucius's eyes, however, Draco was extremely talented and might even surpass the Dark Lord or Dumbledore in genius one day. How could he allow his time to be wasted on play? Most importantly, Draco himself enjoyed studying.
However, Narcissa held considerable influence within the household. After repeated quarrels, Lucius had to compromise and find two playmates for Draco.
Of course, Lucius had his own plans as well. Sooner or later, Draco would attend Hogwarts. It would not be ideal for him to be alone. Finding two followers now was also a suitable arrangement, and he already had appropriate candidates in mind.
However, as head of the family, Lucius still expressed his dissatisfaction appropriately, so his tone was not particularly pleasant.
"Come with me after you've tidied up. You may be spending a great deal of time together in the future." Lucius's tone remained indifferent.
"Okay, Father," Draco replied.
But he could not help thinking, "It must be Crabbe and Goyle. Only the original Draco would be enthusiastic about that." Draco sighed inwardly. "How can you be friends if your IQs are not even on the same level?"
The current Draco naturally had no interest in playing games of dominance and followers. Magic was the ultimate goal he needed to pursue, so he was not particularly interested.
"But it's my mother's good intentions, so I should accept it." Draco had a very good impression of his mother. Regardless of whether she spoiled him or not, Narcissa's love for her son was unquestionable. In the original books, she had concealed the truth from Voldemort to learn whether Draco was alive. Now, in ordinary life, she indulged him as much as possible, fulfilling nearly every request. Draco naturally did not want to go against her wishes.
"Let me go see my two future followers." Draco thought so. Soon, he arrived at the drawing room with Lucius.
Narcissa was sitting on the luxurious sofa, and standing beside her were Crabbe and Goyle, who looked restrained.
The three boys' fathers had all been Death Eaters, but in terms of status, Lucius's position had naturally been the highest. Wealth and influence were the most common measures of standing, even in the wizarding world. Voldemort had needed to build his forces, and Lucius's support had been indispensable. Even after Voldemort's downfall, Lucius's position in wizarding society remained solid. These facts naturally meant that future activities among the boys would be led by Draco. This was also consistent with the original story.
Crabbe was short and stout, with a bowl-cut hairstyle. Goyle was noticeably taller, with short, stiff hair. Both had unusually long arms relative to their bodies, and combined with their physiques, they looked like two young gorillas.
"How can we be friends if our styles are so different?" Draco sighed inwardly. But he still walked step by step to Narcissa's side to greet her, glancing briefly at the two boys.
"My darling, you must be bored reading in the study all day long. Your father truly pushes you too hard before you've even started school," Narcissa said, exaggerating her dissatisfaction with Lucius. "But today, I've found you two playmates. They are both sons of your father's friends. I believe you will get along very well in the future." Immediately afterward, Narcissa introduced them.
"This is Vincent Crabbe," Narcissa said, pointing to the shorter boy.
"Y-you, hello," Crabbe stammered.
"This is Gregory Goyle," Narcissa said, pointing to the taller one.
Compared to Crabbe, Goyle performed slightly better and offered a greeting, though he still seemed restrained.
Whether in the Muggle world or the wizarding world, class differences existed. Power and wealth determined one's position. In the wizarding world, there was also the added layer of blood purity ideology. Crabbe and Goyle's fathers had once been Lucius's followers. This relationship inevitably extended to the next generation. At home, their parents had surely instilled similar ideas, which explained why the two boys' attitudes toward Draco were not entirelythoset of equals.
As for Draco himself, he had no interest in playing games of companionship. Using them as errand boys would suffice.
Nevertheless, he gave a flawless bow. "I am Draco Malfoy. Welcome to my home. I believe we shall get along well in the future."
Seeing her son finally interacting with peers, Narcissa appeared delighted, a smile forming at the corner of her mouth.
Afterward, to satisfy Narcissa, Draco had to pretend to be a lively young boy and mingle with the two of them, even recalling one or two simple games from memory. For a while, he was genuinely enjoying himself. It allowed him to briefly step away from his books. But at the same time, he discovered a serious issue.
"Well-developed limbs, simple minds. That saying is indeed true." Draco was panting slightly. Compared to their questionable intellect, it must be said that their talent points had clearly gone into physical strength. With the same amount of activity, Draco was already tired, while Crabbe and Goyle showed no signs of fatigue.
"Physical training cannot be neglected." Although Narcissa's arrangement had disrupted his study schedule, it also allowed Draco to identify his shortcomings.
Wizard duels could not rely solely on spells and wands. Physical condition was equally important. A flexible body and strong endurance were crucial. What use was the most powerful spell if it failed to hit? This was not a game with guaranteed targeting. For a wizard, dodging once more might mean the difference between victory and defeat—or life and death.
Knowledge was power, but the body that carried knowledge could not be neglected.
"It seems I really can't study myself into frailty." In his previous life, Draco had enjoyed sports; otherwise, he would not have been able to save a child from a car. Perhaps the allure of magic had distracted him from maintaining that habit.
"I hate those frail, pretty boys the most." Draco shook his head with a wry smile. He strengthened his resolve. "It seems I need to add another item to my daily routine."
Watching the three boys playing in the open space, Narcissa smiled. "This is what childhood should look like. Staying in the study all day will make him dull sooner or later," she said, turning to Lucius. "Look, he's smiling so happily."
What was done was done, and Lucius was not particularly opposed. He allowed his expression to soften slightly and said faintly, "As long as he's happy."
Time passed quickly, and soon it was noon.
After exercise, energy was naturally consumed, and the best way to replenish it was to eat.
The manor's servants had already prepared lunch.
However, looking at Crabbe and Goyle devouring their food and the "sumptuous" dishes on the table, Draco truly had little appetite.
"I still haven't gotten used to it after eight years." As a member of wizarding high society, Draco enjoyed the finest clothing, housing, and lifestyle. But when it came to food, that was another matter entirely.
Perhaps he would never fully adapt to British cuisine.
There were no truly horrifying dishes, but facing potatoes and fish day after day made him suspect he might lose his sense of taste. Grilled tomatoes, blood pudding, sausages, beans, mushrooms—once or twice was tolerable, but frequently, it became difficult.
Draco stared blankly at the food before him, thinking with dark humor, "I wonder if chili sauce exists in this world. But even if it did, bringing it out here would be rather inappropriate."
"What's wrong, darling? Are you feeling unwell?" Narcissa asked with concern when she saw him not eating.
"Oh, Mother, I'm just too excited. I haven't quite recovered from making two new friends," Draco replied smoothly, immediately picking up a dessert to prove he was fine.
"That's wonderful," Narcissa said with a smile, adding two more puddings to his plate.
"Sometimes ignorance is bliss." Draco shook his head inwardly and began eating.
The meal did not take long, especially with two boys who possessed impressive appetites.
Soon, Crabbe and Goyle departed with their parents, accompanied by polite conversation among the adults.
With the two sidekicks gone, Draco returned to his study and resumed his planned studies.
Life continued steadily. Draco accumulated knowledge and maintained the necessary physical training with Crabbe and Goyle. If nothing unexpected occurred, perhaps these ordinary days would continue until he turned eleven—until Hogwarts sent his acceptance letter.
However, the peace was soon broken.
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A/N: About The Kiss Scene, I had to remove it due to webnovel policy, as it comes under the pe*ophile section. I just want to keep it wholesome, that's all
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