"So you're saying…" Hermione Granger hesitated, "…that wizard was an ancestor of the Weasley family?"
"Yes," Solim replied with a shrug. "His name was something like Nigelnis or Najilis. I can't remember exactly."
"In that ambush by the elves, fourteen wizards died. Three of them were great wizards. One from the Malfoy family, one from the Black family, and another whose family later died out." Solim sneered slightly. "Great wizards. The kind of people like Gellert Grindelwald, Albus Dumbledore, or Lord Voldemort. Three of them wiped out in one stroke. What do you think their families would do?"
Draco Malfoy looked stunned.
"Why didn't my father ever tell me this? And… what happened afterward?"
"Afterward?" Solim let out a cold laugh. "Isn't it obvious? Something like that couldn't be hidden from the Council of Elders. The victim families gathered their forces and wiped out the Weasley family. Every single one of them. Their wealth was divided among the surviving families."
He paused.
"But because the Weasleys were a contracted family under the Council, they spared one distant bloodline. They didn't wipe them out completely."
"They had no right to do that!" Ron Weasley jumped up, shouting. "You said he was bewitched by the elves!"
Solim glanced at him coldly.
"That's the official explanation," he said with a dismissive curl of his lips. "Back then the Council wasn't separated from ordinary wizard society. The Weasleys had elven blood, and saying he was 'bewitched' preserved their reputation."
He shrugged.
"Besides, whether he was controlled or actually betrayed them—what difference does it make now?"
Wizards knew their magical affinity was weaker than elves. Naturally they tried to bridge the gap.
What better way than having children with elves?
In fact, most wizards whose wands contained unicorn hair likely carried elven blood somewhere in their lineage.
And it wasn't only elves.
Some extreme wizards even used dangerous and unstable transfiguration magic to obtain the bloodlines of other species.
Parseltongue was one example.
"Weasley," Solim continued calmly, "your family should actually be grateful to the Malfoys and the other surviving families."
Ron stared at him in disbelief.
"Grateful?! They ruined our family!"
"Do you even know what a 'contract family' is?" Solim asked mockingly.
"In the Council of Elders, contract families are guaranteed survival. No matter what happens—betrayal, extermination, revenge—the Council ensures the bloodline continues."
"But that contract has a time limit."
"The Weasley contract expired long ago."
He glanced at Draco briefly before turning back to Ron.
"Other victim families survived as well. But most of them now work directly under the Council and are forbidden from interfering in ordinary wizard society."
"However," he added slowly, "even the weakened Malfoy family could destroy yours without much effort."
Lucius Malfoy had strong ties with many pure-blood families.
He had powerful connections in the Ministry.
He also possessed vast wealth.
If he truly wanted to target the Weasleys:
Ron's father would lose his job at the Ministry.
Bill would lose his job at Gringotts Wizarding Bank—the Malfoys were shareholders.
Charlie's dragon reserve also had Malfoy investment.
Those three incomes supported the entire Weasley family.
Without them?
How would they survive?
Even starting a business would be impossible. The Ministry could block permits. Selling goods on Diagon Alley? Confiscation and fines.
They'd be forced out of wizard society entirely.
And that was only the legal approach.
The illegal one was even simpler.
The Malfoys had ties to the Death Eaters.
Hire a few criminals.
Break into the Weasley home at night.
Family extermination was hardly unusual among Death Eaters.
Ron had gone pale.
Stammering like Neville Longbottom usually did, he said:
"D-Dumbledore! Yes, Professor Dumbledore wouldn't allow that. And we have relatives and friends!"
"You're thinking too optimistically," Solim replied coolly.
"Our headmaster can't interfere in matters like this. And Malfoy certainly wouldn't give him that courtesy."
"As for your friends?" Solim sneered.
"Helping once or twice is possible. But when your family is starving, who will support you forever?"
"People aren't charities."
Hermione Granger spoke up thoughtfully.
"So if the Malfoys truly wanted to destroy the Weasleys, they could. Then why haven't they?"
Solim nearly shouted:
"Brilliant deduction!"
But he suppressed the urge.
Clearing his throat, he said, "Because the Malfoys have more important concerns."
He turned toward Draco, whose expression clearly said So that's how you ruin the Weasleys.
"Draco," Solim said with irritation, "when are you going to start taking things seriously?"
"What did I do now?" Draco asked helplessly.
"The Malfoys are no longer a contract family," Solim explained. "And you are the only heir."
"If anything happens to you, the Malfoy family ends."
"Everything your father does—his politics, his alliances—is for you."
"He's preparing the path so that someday the Malfoys can regain contract status with the Council."
Only then would their family's future be secure.
Without that protection?
If Lucius Malfoy died and Draco proved incompetent, the Malfoy fortune would be devoured by rival families.
Seeing Draco's pale face, Solim softened slightly.
"So tell me, Draco. Knowing this… do you still have the mood to harass the Weasleys?"
Draco straightened.
"Solim. From now on I want to study magic with you."
"I'll restore the Malfoy family's glory."
Then he glanced at Ron.
"But that doesn't mean I won't find other ways to entertain myself."
"I still can't stand him."
Ron shot back instantly.
"And I can't stand you either, you evil Slytherin snake! You'll never make me submit!"
Solim slapped his own face.
Great.
After all that talking, it was completely pointless.
"RON!" Hermione shouted.
"I don't trust Slytherins," Ron snapped. "Come on then! Let's see who's afraid!"
He stormed out.
Harry Potter glanced at Solim and Hermione, then followed Ron.
"Let them go," Solim said, stopping Hermione from chasing them.
"I never expected to resolve their family feud anyway."
"If they just stop starting fights all the time, that's enough."
"Doesn't that bother you?" Hermione asked.
"What's the worst that could happen?" Solim shrugged. "Another deduction of points."
"Another deduction?!" Hermione exploded. "That was one hundred points! Do you know how long it takes to earn those back?"
"The House Cup is probably impossible now!"
Solim blinked.
"You care about the House Cup?"
To him, the House Cup was meaningless. Just a symbolic honor.
But Hogwarts students treated the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup with incredible enthusiasm.
In Solim's opinion, the House Cup proved nothing.
Its prestige wasn't even comparable to the Quidditch Cup.
"Wait," Hermione suddenly said. "You mentioned earlier that Neville's family once had a Dark wizard."
"Yes," Solim replied. "Why is that strange?"
Then realization dawned.
"Oh right. Most wizards define Dark wizards differently than we do."
Hermione frowned.
"Differently?"
Solim looked around at Hermione, Draco, and Neville.
"Before we continue, let me ask you something."
"What do you think a Dark wizard is?"
Hermione immediately recited:
"Books say Dark wizards are those who use Dark magic and act cruelly and evilly—"
Solim waved his hand.
"Stop."
He rubbed his face tiredly.
"Hermione… in the future, aside from specialized magical textbooks, you should be careful about trusting history books and biographies too much."
He sighed.
It was time to correct some very serious misconceptions.