To My Esteemed Father,
I hope this letter finds you and Mother well.
The journey on the Hogwarts Express was uneventful, but the Sorting Ceremony finally brought some solace. As you expected, and as the House of Malfoy bloodline dictates, the Sorting Hat, the moment it touched my hair, loudly proclaimed "Slytherin."
There was no doubt, Father.
However, I must report a matter of extreme displeasure to you.
I followed your instructions and extended the hand of friendship to that "Boy Who Lived," Harry Potter, with proper decorum.
You absolutely cannot imagine, Father! How rudely this fellow, raised among Muggle, rejected me!
He chose to associate with that blood traitor Weasley, the dim-witted Longbottom, and a Muggle girl. This is an insult to his surname!
He clearly lacks insight and understanding of the situation, and is as disgusting as the company he keeps.
However, not all new students are so unbearable.
I met a young man named Nios Chaos.
His manners are impeccable, and the etiquette and conversation he displays indicate he comes from a family that knows how to maintain its status.
He claims to be from Branded Manor in Chelmsford.
Nios is quite shrewd, and I believe he is worth further observation, perhaps even becoming someone worth befriending.
Father, you are well-informed and intimately familiar with the ancient Wizard families and their properties across Britain.
Have you perhaps heard of this Branded Manor in Chelmsford? I hope to gain a deeper understanding of this potential ally's background to ensure his value…
Any information you can provide about the House of Chaos or Branded Manor would greatly assist me in establishing a beneficial network here.
The Hogwarts curriculum has yet to present a true challenge, but I will always remember your teachings and uphold the glory of Malfoy. Please extend my deepest respects to Mother.
Your loyal son,
Draco Malfoy
Draco contentedly examined the letter in his hand, his fingertips tracing the elegant script.
He was confident that when Lucius received this letter, he would be proud of his insight and social acumen, not only for successfully entering Slytherin but also for keenly discovering a mysterious individual who could potentially benefit the House of Malfoy.
After a thorough double-check, he carefully folded the letter, placed it into an envelope embossed with the Slytherin silver serpent crest, and solemnly sealed it with dark green wax.
The next morning, at the Gryffindor table, the sight of Nios conversing with that foolish Longbottom stung Draco's eyes.
An unidentifiable anger flared in his chest. In his letter to Father, he had deliberately avoided mentioning the fact that Nios was a Gryffindor.
Although he was a reckless lion, a family capable of raising such an individual must surely have Slytherin elites within it.
For example, his mother, Narcissa Malfoy, from the House of Black before her marriage, also belonged to the Sacred Twenty-Eight, yet it produced Sirius Black, that disgrace to the family?
Although he was related by blood as his maternal uncle, he was ultimately a traitor.
The mainstream of the House of Black consistently upheld pure-blood ideals.
After a hasty breakfast, Draco avoided the crowds and personally mailed the letter back to Malfoy Manor.
He anticipated that by lunchtime, his parents would be seated at the polished long table in Malfoy Manor, together appreciating his "achievement."
Malfoy Manor, Dining Room
Lucius Malfoy's distinctly jointed fingers clutched Draco's letter, his face as gloomy as the storm clouds outside the window.
His brows were tightly furrowed. The words "Branded Manor" on the letter seemed to brand his vision like a red-hot iron.
Narcissa Malfoy, beside him, keenly sensed her husband's unusual demeanor, and upon seeing the contents of the letter, her elegant mask instantly shattered:
"Lucius! You must go to Hogwarts! That place! Whose it belongs to… you and I both know full well!"
"Calm down, Narcissa!" Lucius's voice was low and taut, attempting to soothe his wife, but his own knuckles, gripping his snake-headed cane, had turned white.
"That cursed land… theoretically, it's impossible for a Wizard to be born there! I will go see Dumbledore. Draco will not be in danger."
He understood Narcissa's fear; that nameless existence was too vicious. That person almost caused the House of Black to become extinct back then!
He stood up, intending to comfort his wife with an embrace, but the moment he touched her, he felt her body tremble.
Lucius's heart sank abruptly, and the afternoon's meeting arrangements were instantly cast aside.
"I'm going now," he said decisively.
Hogwarts, Principal's Office
Lucius did not wait long at the Three Broomsticks pub in Hogsmeade. Dumbledore's reply and a carriage pulled by Thestral arrived almost simultaneously.
Upon reaching the Castle gates, the caretaker Filch was already waiting there, his expression his usual gloomy one.
"Good morning, Mr. Malfoy," Filch's voice was dry. "The young Wizards are still in class. Headmaster Dumbledore asked me to show you the way."
Lucius nodded slightly, saying nothing, and followed Filch through the quiet corridors.
They ascended on the gargoyle, stopping in front of the Principal's Office door.
Lucius straightened his cuffs before raising his hand to knock.
"Come in," Dumbledore's gentle voice called out.
Lucius pushed the door open.
Dumbledore sat behind a large desk, his blue eyes behind his half-moon spectacles calm and unruffled.
"Mr. Malfoy, to what do I owe this sudden visit today?" Dumbledore steepled his fingers.
Lucius knew well that the other party was a Legilimency master. Although he believed Dumbledore would not easily pry into others' thoughts, vigilance was necessary.
He deliberately focused his gaze on Dumbledore's characteristic crooked nose, his tone icy, tinged with suppressed anger:
"Dumbledore! I demand an explanation!"
"Oh?" Dumbledore leaned forward slightly. "About what?"
"Stop feigning ignorance!" Lucius's voice suddenly rose. "That Nios Chaos from Branded Manor! You actually brought a descendant of a witch hunter into Hogwarts! This temple for training Britain's future Wizards! You…"
Dumbledore's gaze suddenly sharpened, like a drawn sword, and that invisible pressure instantly choked Lucius's reprimand in his throat.
Seeing the other party fall silent, Dumbledore slowly took off his glasses, pulled out a velvet handkerchief, and gently wiped the lenses, his movements unhurried.
After putting his glasses back on, his voice was calm but carried an undeniable power:
"Rest assured, Mr. Malfoy. Mr. Chaos is here and will not harm any student."
Lucius let out a short, sarcastic sneer: "Ha! That 'witch hunter' back in the day didn't harm any classmates while he was at school either! How similar history is! You must expel him immediately! This is the will of the Board of Governors!"
Although he hadn't yet obtained the permission of the other governors, he knew that no one would agree to let a witch hunter's descendant stay at Hogwarts!
Dumbledore calmly met Lucius's angry gaze, his voice not loud, but clearly echoing in the office: "I'm afraid I cannot comply."
Lucius's face was slightly contorted with rage.
He slammed his snake-headed cane heavily on the floor, producing a dull thud, then said nothing, turning and striding towards the door.
"Dumbledore!" At the doorway, he stopped, his back to the Principal, his voice filled with a cold warning, "You will regret this!"
Dumbledore's reply was calm and firm, carrying immense weight:
"I am the Principal of Hogwarts."
"Bang!" The heavy wooden door was slammed shut by Lucius in a fit of pique, the loud noise echoing through the tower.
In the corridor, Lucius took a deep breath, suppressing his surging anger.
If the Principal wasn't Dumbledore, he might have been able to unite the other governors to remove him.
But facing the greatest Wizard of his time, as long as he didn't commit a heinous mistake, his position was unshakeable.
Beside the First Greenhouse
Lucius did not leave immediately. He found Filch and inquired about the first-year Slytherin's class schedule.
When the greenhouse door opened and the Slytherin and Ravenclaw students filed out, Draco and his two henchmen finally appeared.
Draco saw his father as soon as he exited, a mix of anticipation and confusion bubbling within him.
He immediately straightened his back, ready to display perfect noble etiquette in front of his classmates: bowing, greeting, followed by the salutations of Goyle and Crabbe.
However, Lucius merely tilted his head slightly towards him, signaling him to follow, and then led the way to a quiet, secluded corner beside the greenhouse.
Draco froze, looking confusedly at his father's back, then glancing back at the equally bewildered Goyle and Crabbe.
This did not conform to any etiquette protocol…
The next day, Hogwarts Great Hall
Change arrived quietly, yet like a boulder thrown into a lake, ripples quickly spread to every corner.
At the Slytherin table, the atmosphere was distinctly different from the previous day.
Almost every young Wizard had received a letter from home during breakfast.
The contents of the letters were unknown, but their effect was immediate.
Students from other houses soon noticed with surprise that the pure-blood young lords and ladies of Slytherin seemed to have been placed under a Memory Charm overnight, forgetting their usual arrogance.
The habit of looking down on people had vanished without a trace, replaced by an almost deliberate friendliness.
They began to actively converse with Hufflepuff students, even with a hint of restrained smiles.
The Slytherin who were usually the most flamboyant and prone to mischief now resembled snakes with retracted fangs, striving to minimize their presence.
When encountering Gryffindor in the corridors, there were no longer provocative glances and cutting remarks, but rather a hurried avoidance of eye contact, even taking detours.
The entire Slytherin house was enveloped in a silent, cautious, and even somewhat apprehensive low profile.