Malfoy's unease grew with each step he took up the spiral staircase toward the fourth-floor Potions classroom. Curiosity gnawed at him, an irresistible itch to investigate.
He darted glances around, ensuring no prying eyes—students, professors, or tattletale portraits—were present.
Picking up his pace, Malfoy seized Harry. "Oi, Harry, d'you reckon Cassandra knows…?"
"What in Merlin's name?! Are you mad?!"
Harry's hand shot out, clamping over Malfoy's mouth. He mirrored Malfoy's earlier caution, scanning their surroundings before relaxing slightly.
Gritting his teeth, he hissed, "Stop being so nosy, will you? It's none of our bloody business, and we shouldn't even be asking."
Not that asking would get us killed.
But a severe reprisal is a certainty!
Just like before, Malfoy couldn't control his blabbering, and now they had to rush up the stairs. If one of them fell, the other would offer no help.
"…"
If only we'd mastered the Flight Charm by now.
Why couldn't learning the Flight Charm be simpler?
Harry's lips thinned in frustration. Recently, he and Malfoy had begged Tom Riddle for help with the charm.
The good news: Tom Riddle had agreed to teach them.
The bad news: they couldn't understand a damned thing.
Just thinking about Tom's expression back then… were we really that thick?
Perhaps they weren't stupid. Compared to other wizards, he and Malfoy were geniuses, without a doubt.
But compared to monsters, the gap was insurmountable.
And in the eyes of a monster like Tom Riddle, they were pathetic.
The possibility of Harry and Malfoy mastering the Flight Charm remained high, but it wouldn't be quick; they'd have to hone their skills over time.
He bounced a few more times, finally exiting the spiral staircase onto the fourth floor.
Outside the Charms classroom, Harry turned to Malfoy, his expression grave. "Malfoy, you'd better be careful this time. I don't want to be dragged into another one of your messes."
Though it was Harry's choice to follow him, Malfoy, knowing this, naturally didn't refuse Harry's request and offered the same solemn guarantee, "I swear on the honor of the Malfoy family, I absolutely won't cause that kind of situation again!"
"...Phew."
Seeing Malfoy's unusually serious expression, Harry was stunned. He hadn't expected Malfoy to be so dependable. Then, he let out a long sigh of relief. He swore on the honor of the Malfoy family; surely nothing could go wrong this time, right?
However, Harry was ultimately naive. He didn't know that the Malfoy family's honor was something they frequently picked up and then carelessly discarded; in another timeline, even the most trusting member of the Malfoy family had lost eight lives due to being tricked.
Harry was unaware of this at the time, but the truth would serve as a wake-up call. However, he would probably continue to trust his best friend, because that's the passion between brothers!
...
He pushed open the tall door and entered the Potions classroom.
Only a dozen or so students occupied the room, making the space feel brighter and less oppressive.
As always, Cassandra sat in the corner of the front row, the closest spot to Tom's "tea lounge."
"…"
Looking at Cassandra's seat, Malfoy opened his mouth, hesitating, then catching himself…
Stare~
With a distrustful grimace, Harry peeked out from behind Malfoy.
"…"
Malfoy quickly shook his head, feigning offense. "Harry, are you doubting me? A proud Malfoy always keeps his word! Especially me, Draco Malfoy!"
"Hmm? Is that so? You promised me the same thing last time."
Though Harry wanted to believe Malfoy, he felt it best to remind him again.
"I, I…"
Malfoy stammered, wanting to explain but unsure how.
Fortunately, Harry didn't press him. Seeing that Malfoy clearly "understood his problem deeply," Harry nodded with satisfaction, looking at him as if he were a "teachable child." "I believe you. Go find a seat, Professor Flitwick will be here soon, understand?"
...
Unlike Snape, Professor Flitwick's approachable personality and meticulous explanations made him very popular with his students. Therefore, unlike Potions class where students scrambled for seats in the back, in Charms class students would scramble for seats in the front.
Harry and Malfoy did the same, finding seats in the front row, relatively close to Cassandra's.
"Malfoy, let me tell you something…"
Without turning his head, Harry reminded him as they sat down, "You'd better watch yourself when Tom Riddle arrives, alright? If you say anything out of line in front of him, we'll be relegated to the lowest rungs of the Death Eaters, maybe even starting as toilet scrubbers… Malfoy, did you hear me… Malfoy? Malfoy?"
Realizing something was wrong, Harry turned to look beside him. The seat was empty; the blond figure had vanished!
What drove him even crazier was the familiar voice coming from nearby.
Looking up, he saw Malfoy bouncing over to Cassandra, dropping a bombshell, "Cassandra, you've been cheated on, you know that?"
"…"
Cassandra stopped flipping through her book.
"…"
Harry stilled… Wait a minute? Why hasn't dragonfire incinerated his face? Even his limp leg can't stop him from walking the path of gossip, huh?
Harry suddenly felt a pang of regret. He should have just left Malfoy there in Gringotts' underworld, letting those short, burly men punish him properly.
"Who…are you talking about?"
Clearly, Cassandra was disturbed by Malfoy's words. Though she remained expressionless, Harry, even from a distance, felt a cold sweat trickle down his back.
Malfoy even pretended to glance around to ensure no one was listening in. When his eyes met Harry's murderous glare, his expression froze. "…"
But it was too late; there was no turning back!
"Ahem… I just saw Professor Nagini and Tom Riddle in the Great Hall…"
Malfoy finished, pointing at his good friend. "Don't believe me? Ask Harry!"
Harry, successfully dragged into this by Malfoy, turned as black as a stone.
Surprisingly, Cassandra wasn't angry after hearing Malfoy's words.
"Alright, mind your own business."
They'd initially thought some troublesome philanderer had appeared…
Cassandra knew about Nagini's affair, of course, since she'd "helped" facilitate it.
However, it was impossible for her to be completely unaffected by Malfoy's words… That bastard Tom Riddle did say he wouldn't let her take responsibility until she graduated!
Even though there's only a year left, how infuriating! Was she, the heiress of the Volle family, really that irresponsible?
In this era that promotes "fast food," someone as innocent and responsible as her after a kiss is rare indeed!
Honestly, that idiot Tom Riddle got the better deal and is still acting all pure.
Luckily, he wouldn't refuse if I occasionally asked Tom Riddle for small compensation, otherwise Cassandra would have exploded long ago, let alone watch the two of them put on a show for another year.
"Hey? Cassandra, don't you want to go and find out what's going on?"
Not seeing the scene he imagined, Malfoy felt a little disappointed. "Harry and I can help you."
"...Shut up!"
Harry, unable to hold back any longer, smacked Malfoy on the head. "Don't drag me down with you!"
"I told you to mind your own business."
Cassandra, already in a foul mood because of that year-long delay, waved her hand impatiently, her eyes carrying a clear warning. "The professor's here; go back and sit down!"
Hearing this, the two turned to see Professor Flitwick waddling in through the door.
Helpless, Malfoy could only be reluctantly dragged away by Harry.
---