Chapter 67: Narcissa's Neurosis + Extra 4: Lucius's Ambition (Lucius's Perspective)
The next day, Lucius Malfoy heard through "special channels" that the Ministry of Magic was about to deploy Dementors to guard Hogwarts, which caused him to complain bitterly at the dinner table in the morning.
"They're crazy!" He frowned in disgust. "There are so many children at Hogwarts who are powerless against Dementors. Sending Dementors there, are they trying to catch criminals or just give those filthy creatures a party?"
Narcissa's calm mask was broken by his complaint, and her expression became a little gloomy.
"Even if all the Dementors in Azkaban were sent in, they wouldn't be able to catch Peter Pettigrew. He's already escaped once. The Ministry of Magic is wasting their efforts," she sighed.
"That's not the case. What if a blind cat encounters a dead mouse?" Lucius said, "But I still don't agree with letting Dementors too close to the school."
Narcissa remained silent. She had not yet told her husband about the visit to the Black house the previous day, nor had she told him that an Animagus could protect against Dementors. She knew that her husband had always hated her cousin and had a very low opinion of this blood traitor.
If Lucius knew that she was dealing with Sirius Black, or even made a deal with him, he might nag her again, listing out the possible risks behind this matter; but she didn't have time to listen to Lucius nagging about these things, she was busy!
"Cissy, isn't this a bit too much?" After dinner, Lucius, who was patrolling the manor with his two deer hounds, looked at the house-elves working hard - they were busy reinforcing and raising the manor wall - and asked in surprise, "Didn't you carefully design the statues and lighting on the wall? Aren't you proud of them? You just tear it down like that?"
"If Peter Pettigrew's Animagus had been an elephant or a boar, it would have been more obvious," Narcissa expressed her concern to her husband. "But he chose to be a mouse! He could have appeared anywhere at any time."
"Okay," the Malfoy family head, who was always decisive, waved his hand at his worried wife, "You can change it as you like, as long as you feel safe."
"Go ahead," she said coldly, crossing her arms as she watched the elves work, like a cruel queen who would burn her opponents to death at will.
Narcissa had become somewhat neurotic ever since she learned from Sirius Black how Peter Pettigrew had evaded the Dementors.
On the one hand, she had given up all hope that the Dementors would catch the dirty rat; on the other hand, she was very worried that Peter Pettigrew would use the same method to sneak into Malfoy Manor without being noticed and harm her beloved son.
Therefore, the nervous mother carried out a complete transformation of Malfoy Manor. More detection magic and shielding magic were added around the manor, so that not even a mosquito could fly in.
In fact, since that visit to Harry, Draco was not allowed to step out of Malfoy Manor again - Narcissa always thought it was unsafe to go out.
Narcissa's neurosis also caused some secondary damage:
Draco's beloved eagle owl "Joan" has also fallen into a period of career stagnation - she hasn't gone out to deliver mail for a long time.
One morning in mid-August, Draco, carrying his Nimbus 2001, returned from Quidditch practice, sweating profusely. Passing by the owlery, he found June plucking her own feathers with her beak, dejected. Clearly, the changes at Malfoy Manor had made her nervous, and the lack of mail had made her think she was out of a job.
"Merlin, June, don't be like this," he advised her. "I still like you very much. You have never fallen out of favor. You have always been my favorite owl. It's not your fault. I have no letters for you to deliver."
Joan cried out in grievance and looked at him with plaintive brown eyes.
He took some owl food and fed her, "Eat some, don't be sad. Just hold on for a few more days..."
Joan glared at him angrily, buried her head under her wings, and decided to ignore her little master.
"Mom, my owl is getting depressed." That day, at the breakfast table, Draco couldn't help but say to his mother, "She needs to work occasionally."
Narcissa didn't care about the life or death of an owl. Nothing was more important than the safety of her precious son. "Little Dragon, you can't let your guard down. The enemy will find your location through the owl."
"But, Mom, you can't protect me forever. I will be going back to Hogwarts soon, and school will start in half a month." His gray eyes looked at his mother, not ignoring the letter in her hand that rarely appeared in Malfoy Manor - it was stamped with the familiar Hogwarts seal.
Narcissa unnoticeably put the envelope next to her plate, her blue eyes filled with worry. "Little Dragon, if you leave Malfoy Manor, no one can truly protect you. Do you understand? You will face two risks: one from Peter Pettigrew, and the other from the Dementors."
"I understand. However, running away is useless. I want to become strong as soon as possible so that I can protect myself even when facing danger." Draco forced a smile at his mother.
"Xiaolong, what do you mean?" Narcissa stared at her son and asked softly.
"No one can be sure whether Peter Pettigrew will come to see me. What is certain is that the Dementors will come to Hogwarts - I want to learn the Patronus Charm." He had wanted to learn it in his previous life, but unfortunately he didn't find the opportunity.
By the time he was branded with the foul Dark Mark, the Patronus had become a delusion.
He had never seen a Death Eater who could conjure a Patronus - perhaps it was because, after being branded with this mark, the soul was incomplete. People with incomplete souls were not qualified to conjure a Patronus.
God knows how much he envied others for being able to transform into a patronus.
"Of course," Narcissa said quickly, her eyes lighting up. "Patronus, that's certainly a good idea."
"Who will teach him?" Lucius subconsciously touched his left arm. There, hidden under the luxurious fabric, was a mark that was the biggest obstacle for him to cast the Patronus Charm.
"I." Narcissa turned the handle of the silver-dotted wand and cast a silent Patronus Charm.
The two men at the table held their breath as they watched the hostess of the house perform her exquisite magic.
A silvery-white robin flew out from the tip of her wand.
"Very beautiful." Draco couldn't help but admire it softly, fearing that the noise would scare the bird away. The robin circled around them and then slowly flew to the other end of the ceiling, disappearing like dust or mist.
"Speaking of which, is the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts full of idiots? He doesn't even teach the Patronus Charm! Go to the dungeon this afternoon, I'll give you some special training." After the Patronus disappeared, Lucius took a sip of tea, cleared his throat, and said to his son with a stern face.
"Yes, father." Draco nodded to him, with a hint of doubt in his eyes.
"Hogwarts is getting worse every year! The textbooks are getting simpler every year. It's just nonsense!" Lucius snorted. "Some of the useful curse spells used to be there have gradually disappeared from the classroom over the years. I have no doubt that this is Dumbledore's doing. But I think it's necessary for you to learn about it under the current circumstances."
Even if he couldn't teach the Patronus Charm, Lucius still knew a lot of evil spells that could be used to deal with that worthless Peter Pettigrew.
This was quite typical of Lucius Malfoy's concern - he would never directly express his concerns for his son, but would instead teach him a lot of curse words in a roundabout way, hiding his emotions awkwardly behind a stern face.
In the following days, Draco often practiced attack spells, protective spells and some questionable evil spells in the empty dungeon in the basement of the mansion - Lucius, who was responsible for watching from the side, was very enthusiastic about it.
"Not bad, Draco, your spell-casting posture is quite neat." Lucius swept the dust in front of his nose with a proud look and said with satisfaction, "The Sand and Rock Spell and the Explosive Spell are both cast well. Next, let's practice the 'Hanging Bell' spell, which was invented by Severus. I personally think it is very practical."
If someone could create a Marauder's Map of Malfoy Manor, they would also find that Draco's name often lingered in the underground potion-making room.
During the month in Bath, he and Hermione took the opportunity to meet almost every day and efficiently finished their Hogwarts summer homework. This allowed him to spend some free time on researching the improved formula for dragon pox, although the progress was still not smooth.
"Dobby, clear these dirty cauldrons for me," Draco said in annoyance, and scribbled a few more lines on the parchment with his quill, deleting the proportions behind some ingredients.
A small amount of time was also spent on Quidditch training. According to memories from a previous life, this year's Quidditch team captain was once again Flint. He was not the easygoing type, and he didn't hold back on old friendships. Every year when reselecting teammates, he was very strict.
Draco wanted to be the best player, and simply "becoming a member of the school Quidditch team" could not satisfy his ambition; since his rebirth, Quidditch was one of the few things that could arouse his passion. He could not help but want to win, to show himself, and to win the Quidditch Cup for Slytherin School in the new school year.
"How many golf balls did you throw and how many golf balls did you catch today?" One morning, Narcissa asked Dobby who was cleaning the Quidditch field as they passed by.
"200 shots, 200 hits." Dobby said in a shrill voice as he picked up the golf balls on the floor.
Narcissa hummed a satisfied sigh and continued her walk.
One way Seekers train themselves individually is by using Muggle golf balls to practice their catching and reaction speed.
Draco could have practiced more, so what if he practiced 300?
But he hasn't been in good shape recently.
For some reason, Draco had been feeling exhausted and anxious lately. Memories of his past life haunted him, and he woke up every morning to nightmares.
He was constantly surrounded by negative emotions. Whether it was the painful memories the manor itself had brought him, or the decline in his Occlumency, those memories were like a flood of water, raging through his heart, soaking his scarred heart with salt water and causing him to scream shrilly every day.
This gloomy and tiring August—this is reality. Draco sighed.
This makes the dazzling and joyful July that just passed seem as false as a shattered dream.
All the laughter, happiness and joy that the little girl brought him seemed to have disappeared with the wind.
He was still the same lonely, cold, unloved and broken boy.
In the deep darkness of the night, he would suddenly wake up in fear, feeling empty in his palms and aching in his soul.
In this feeling - if there is no dreamless sleeping potion - he will lie awake until dawn.
Of course, Draco always hid these feelings very well and still played the role of a son that made his parents feel at ease.
The day before school started, Narcissa took last year's old robes and measured them on Draco. "They're several inches too short." She looked at him with pride and affection.
The thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy began to grow taller. Perhaps because of exercise, he was much taller than before, and his chin looked more pointed.
"Let's buy something new?" Lucius was still reading his newspaper. His statue-like face seemed emotionless. He only glanced at Draco's sleeve from the corner of his eye and suggested to Narcissa.
"Is Diagon Alley safe?" Narcissa asked warily, her face still full of hesitation.
"The Ministry of Magic has added extra staff to Diagon Alley today. Harry Potter is going to buy books tomorrow, which is enough to make Fudge nervous - he is extremely careful about the long hat on his head." He put down the newspaper, revealing a gentle face, patiently comforted his wife, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
—After Draco goes to Hogwarts, Narcissa should regain some of her sanity, right?
"Very well, then we'll have to go to Madam Malkin's robe shop. We also need to buy some new textbooks." Her husband's calm and composed attitude softened Narcissa's thoughts.
"What books does he need to buy?" Lucius folded the newspaper in half and placed it casually on an octagonal carved mahogany side table at hand.
"Intermediate Transfiguration and Standard Spells, Level 3, as well as several new books, including Divination and Diagrams, Simple Introduction to Ancient Magic Runes, and Monster Book of Monsters..." Narcissa pulled the parchment out of the envelope and read the books softly.
"Oh—" Draco groaned reluctantly.
Care of Magical Creatures! This class was a living hell for Draco.
He still remembered the ferocity of the Hippogriff and the countless blast-tailed skrewts.
However, if he didn't take this course, he would have to take Muggle Studies. Putting aside the question of whether Lucius and Narcissa would go crazy on the spot because of his choice to rebel against family ideals, Draco himself would find it difficult to face Professor Charity Burbage's face - in his previous life, she had died in front of him, and this was definitely not a good memory.
He also didn't want to take Professor Sybill Trelawney's Divination class. The tragic expression that often appeared on this divine figure's face was unbearable to him; most importantly, Draco was worried that this mysterious prophet would make shocking statements, such as the details of his rebirth.
Professor Trelawney might seem crazy, but Draco couldn't underestimate her. She was the great-great-granddaughter of the famous seer Cassandra Trelawney, and she had made some remarkable predictions.
She often made irresponsible predictions to her students, and Draco suffered greatly from them; most importantly, she made the prophecy that led to Harry's parents being poisoned by the Dark Lord.
He didn't know what the prophecy said specifically, but the Dark Lord obviously took it very seriously and even asked the Death Eaters to steal it.
His father was thrown into Azkaban because of this damn prophecy, and the Dark Lord lost his remaining good impression of Lucius because of his incompetence. The Malfoy family's status among the Death Eaters has plummeted since then.
In short, stay as far away from teachers who teach about the occult as possible! No one knows whether the predictions she makes about you are just nonsense or true. It's best to stay away from them.
Compared to the first two, the "barbarian" Hagrid was much more lovable; the physical and mental damage caused by the hippogriff seemed insignificant. Draco had mixed feelings about this.
"'A Monster Book of Monsters'? That doesn't sound like the name of a serious textbook." Lucius noticed his son's dissatisfaction and said in a long tone, "Hogwarts's vision in selecting professors is getting worse and worse. I heard that they decided to let that rude gamekeeper be the professor of Care of Magical Creatures. What was his name, Hagrid? He didn't even graduate from Hogwarts. He was expelled halfway through..."
Narcissa curled her lips in an arrogant manner and did not respond.
Please! They were not of the same kind, and she didn't even bother to discuss the gamekeeper.
"He's certainly rough. Hagrid always likes to deal with dangerous magical creatures and goes into the Forbidden Forest every day, but nothing happens to him. I think he might have some real stuff in him," Draco explained to his parents.
As long as he didn't go to the Divination class and didn't give Professor Trelawney the chance to say anything alarmist, he would accept it even if it meant explaining for Hagrid.
"That's surprising. Are you friends with him? Why are you speaking for him?" Lucius looked at his son with a forced smile and a threatening look on his face, as if he was going to cast a curse on Draco if he admitted it.
"Of course not. But he was recommended by Professor Dumbledore, wasn't he?" Draco looked back at his father with feigned innocence.
This kind of witty duel between father and son usually ended with his childlike innocence. There was really no need to confront his stubborn father directly; it was the most unwise thing to do.
"Silly boy, stay away from Dumbledore and those barbaric Gryffindors!" Lucius was clearly deceived by his son's expression. He frowned, stroking his snake-head cane thoughtfully, and instructed Draco, "That gamekeeper is no ordinary man. I suspect he has giant blood. Giants are a violent and aggressive species, and they don't hold back when they strike."
Draco said nothing more. As long as the conversation didn't lead to a change in his elective courses, it was worth it for him to nod obediently to Lucius.
Extra 4: Lucius's Ambition (Lucius's Perspective)
Lucius Malfoy has been having some troubles lately.
He should have been one of those wizards who lived a pretty comfortable life in the wizarding world.
He has the best wife and the most promising son in the world. The old man has taken a back seat, and he is the current head of the noble Malfoy family.
He could spend his whole life lying on a pile of money. He could play with the sound of Galleons every day.
However, Lucius Malfoy had his own ambitions.
Earning more wealth for the Malfoy family, obtaining a higher status in the wizarding world, seizing more say in all walks of life, and ensuring that his wife and son receive 100% respect from everyone in any social occasion, these are what he needs to think about every day after opening his eyes in bed.
He was in the prime of his life and had a fortune. No matter what rivers and streams blocked his path, no matter what sewers and ditches from the past suddenly appeared to trip him up, he could probably fill them up with gold galleons.
Seeking benefits in the midst of drinking and chatting, gaining convenience in power and money transactions, and using strategies in the midst of human cunning have always been games that Lucius Malfoy never tires of playing.
This was his normal daily routine, and it was also the good fortune that most wizards could only dream of.
Logically speaking, this smooth life should last forever, no one can bully him, and he should be the center of the world.
However, recently something always pops up to ruin his mood.
The Dark Arts diary he had painstakingly placed at Hogwarts hadn't caused any real stir and had nearly put his seat on the school board in jeopardy. Fortunately, his son had been smart enough to write a letter to inform Hogwarts of the situation, and with Cissy's astute advice, he had been able to extricate himself from the whole matter without any danger.
——And Arthur Weasley, who stuck his nose everywhere in his house, still sat firmly in his seat, just like Albus Dumbledore, the irresponsible and crazy headmaster.
Then, in a state of slight frustration, he suddenly realized that the reason why his careless and foolish son was able to obtain so many inside information was probably because he mixed with those Gryffindors too frequently.
This made him very worried.
Lucius was caught in a dilemma:
On the one hand, he knew Draco was right. He needed to get close to Harry Potter, to keep this scion of a pure-blood family who might have extraordinary magical talent firmly in his grasp. Harry Potter, who had even destroyed the Dark Lord's strange diary, clearly had some talent.
On the other hand, he couldn't ignore the cold fact that Draco had worked with Arthur Weasley's twin sons to capture Peter Pettigrew.
Arthur Weasley, the blood traitor with ill intentions, was desperately trying to surround his sons with Potter. Given that they were all Gryffindors, this was inevitable, and Draco, wanting to build a good relationship with Potter, unsurprisingly had to deal with the Weasleys' wild children.
Two fists cannot beat four hands.
If his son was bullied by those kids because of their parents, he would have to go to Hogwarts to settle the score with them; however, another subtle possibility made him extremely worried. If his son did not become an enemy of the Weasley kids, but became their friends instead, then would the Malfoys follow in the footsteps of the Blacks?
Just like that pure-blood traitor Sirius Black, who was led into a pit by a few Gryffindor friends, cut off ties with his family, and ran away from home?
At present, everything is still under control.
His son neither blindly showed any special affection for the Weasley children, nor was he stupid enough to fight with them at school.
He seemed to have handled his relationship with the Weasley children very well, maintaining a delicate balance.
He even managed to make a contribution and received the Order of Merlin.
In the first few days after hearing the news, Lucius walked so fast when he visited the Ministry of Magic.
Arthur Weasley…if his two sons hadn't proactively cooperated with Draco and handed over the rat, he would have certainly suffered! Letting an Animagus lurk in his house for more than ten years is laughable to even hear about it.
His silly son! This child was still a little naive, not understanding the wickedness of human nature, nor the many dangers lurking in Hogwarts.
But his father always protects him and always thinks he will have a great future!
His father tended to be a bit too lenient with Draco – he hadn't been that way before as a father!
With Abraxas's level of indulgence, his son would most likely be spoiled, Lucius once thought worriedly.
But this child shows no signs of being spoiled. He is so sensible that he doesn't seem like a boy of thirteen or fourteen.
As a result, this overly worried father sometimes feels like a nagging grandmother who worries about nothing, which makes him feel very depressed.
Finally, before he could get enough of his son's Order of Merlin, Peter Pettigrew escaped from Azkaban.
Will Draco be retaliated against by him?
Lucius appeared calm and composed on the surface, but deep down he was nervous.
Any head of a family would be nervous about the safety of his or her offspring.
In the end, he discovered that something was wrong with his wife.
The fact that there was a shadow over her pretty face was more disturbing than all the other things put together.
Sissy should just drink her favorite tea peacefully, hold her favorite salons in the library, wear the most tasteful jewelry, and face everyone with pride.
How could she stay indoors every day like a frightened bird, and worry about her son's safety as the first thing she did when she opened her eyes every morning?
Now, she even forced Lucius to learn Animagus.
"How old are you? Why are you still playing these tricks?" He turned to look at her and asked this question in confusion, which earned him a cold snort from Xixi.
Narcissa grabbed his wrinkle-free collar and pressed him against the wall. He could even smell the faint scent of irises on her.
Her charming blue eyes looked at him without blinking, and her red lips were slightly parted, with a heart-pounding beauty.
He grabbed the wallpaper on both walls in a panic, and his snake-head cane fell to the ground with a clang.
Her rosy lips were getting closer and closer to him. Lucius' throat moved, and he had forgotten that this was the corridor of Malfoy Manor where everyone might pass by.
"I'm not kidding. Learn it now!" Lucius watched his wife lean in close to his face, her red lips pressed against his ear. Her usually clear and cold voice became seductive. "When you can transform, you can come to my room tonight."
Then she turned her face, kissed him on the lips, and flew away like a proud swan.
"Wait! Sissi, this might take years!" Lucius blushed and yelled at her back, "Can you give it some time?"
This was the first time in his life that Lucius Malfoy felt bald.