A man suddenly appeared out of thin air in a narrow alley. The moment he landed, he warily scanned his surroundings. Once he confirmed that no one was watching, the wand protruding from beneath his black cloak withdrew. He let out a soft breath of relief.
On the left side of the alley were low, wildly overgrown thorn bushes; on the right stood tall, neatly trimmed hedges. The man set off, his long cloak brushing against his ankles.
The low-hanging branches overhead blocked the moonlight, leaving the man's anxious face shifting between light and shadow.
He hurried out of the alley and turned right onto a broad driveway. The tall hedges curved along with it, stretching into the distance, while a pair of imposing wrought-iron gates blocked his path. The man did not stop. Instead, he extended his right hand from beneath his cloak and walked straight through the mist-like iron gates.
At the end of the straight driveway, an extraordinary manor loomed out of the darkness.
Malfoy Manor.
This was not Nott's first visit to his old friend Lucius's home. In the past, he had greatly admired the stately, luxurious manor. Its elegant decorations did justice to the glory of the Malfoy family's ancient pure-blood lineage while displaying the family's wealth.
But now, the respectable manor standing in the darkness exuded a heavy gloom. Even the bright moonlight could not pierce the ominous aura surrounding it.
"Phew—"
Entering the Entrance Hall beneath the gaze of the pale portraits on the walls, Old Nott took a deep breath and muttered to himself, as though trying to steel his nerves. Then, he crossed the sumptuous carpet that nearly covered the floor and came to a heavy wooden door.
"I will... phew... earn praise."
After hesitating for a moment, Old Nott turned