Malfoy, When Did You Arrive?

??!

Hermione stared at the toad in Ethan's hand, her eyes wide with shock as she blurted out, "How is that possible?!"

The textbook clearly stated that the Summoning Charm couldn't work on living things!

"Maybe you should read more extracurricular books, miss."

Ethan waved his wand with a hint of disdain, muttering a Levitation Charm.

He floated the ugly, slimy toad over to Neville.

The round-faced boy looked flattered, quickly taking it and cradling the toad as if it were a treasure, stammering out thanks.

"An ordinary Summoning Charm really can't work on living things, but decades ago, a wizard invented a Summoning Charm for specific creatures."

"For example, the great Magizoologist, Mr. Newt Scamander, and his Niffler Summoning."

Ethan lowered his head, casting a Scouring Charm on his own palm.

Only then did he put down his wand.

Turning around, he smiled at Hermione, who was completely speechless.

"So, it's not impossible that I happened to find this 'Accio Toad' in an old book and learned it, is it?"

"..."

Hermione opened her mouth.

She lost.

Completely lost.

The spell she'd wanted to show off no longer even needed to be cast.

With Ethan's excellent Summoning Charm as a precedent, everything she knew was just rote recitation.

Not only that, but even though Hermione prided herself on thorough preparation and practice, she still couldn't match Ethan.

...This was a gap in talent.

As a lifelong top student, a fierce fire ignited in Hermione's eyes, and a strong sense of crisis surged within her.

—She'd confirmed it: he was a formidable future rival!

"You're from a wizarding family, right? I'm Hermione Granger, both my parents are Muggles. What's your name?"

Hermione had just finished speaking.

Before Ethan could answer, a roar came from the corridor:

"Bloody hell! Whose damn toad is that?!"

!!!

Neville's eyes went wide.

He hugged his struggling toad tightly, looking terrified that someone might covet his precious pet.

At that moment, the group belatedly remembered.

When the toad had flown over earlier, they'd heard, maybe, probably... a thud.

And... a scream?

"..."

Harry and Ron's expressions gradually turned to horror.

—Clearly, some unlucky sod had been hit by a high-speed flying toad!!

One spell, multiple damages.

Ethan, where did you learn that combo move?!

Ethan: "Eheh."

After snapping out of it, Harry and Ron instinctively stood up, blocking Ethan.

Even though Ethan's thought process seemed a bit off from normal, the magic of friendship wasn't about to break so soon.

Ethan was just fond of jokes; his heart was in the right place.

And as for the result, he'd helped Neville find his toad!

Because Ethan was rather slender, the two of them completely obscured him from view.

Malfoy felt like today was just his fucking unlucky day.

First, that insufferable Ethan had made a fool of him in front of everyone.

Then, walking down the corridor, he got smacked in the face by a toad that came flying out of nowhere!

What had he done to deserve this?!

Malfoy's eyes were red with rage.

Since the day he was born, Master Malfoy had never suffered such humiliation.

When he chased after it and saw that stupid fat kid and his toad, Malfoy immediately wanted to cast a nasty curse.

If he knew how.

But just as Malfoy was about to explode with fury.

He caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye—Harry Potter, sitting in the compartment.

Exactly the Chosen One he was looking for.

What a coincidence.

Malfoy's eyes lit up. He forced down his anger, curled his lips, and said:

"Hanging around with that sort of low-class rabble always leads to trouble, doesn't it?"

"..."

Harry's originally tense expression immediately darkened.

"I'm Draco Malfoy."

"You'll soon find out that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

Malfoy said, instinctively reaching out his hand to shake Harry's.

But then some miserable memory suddenly surged into his mind, freezing him in place.

Two seconds later, Malfoy pulled his hand back as if nothing had happened, crossed his arms, and looked at Harry.

Shaking hands... better not.

"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," Harry said coldly.

Beside him, Ron let out a loud laugh.

"..."

Rejected twice in one day, Malfoy could no longer hold back his fury. He roared:

"A broke red-haired rat, a fat idiot, and a buck-toothed girl... hah!"

"You'd rather stick with these freaks than join the glorious evolution, would you? How pathetic!"

"If I were you, I'd show some respect, Pot-ter!"

"Otherwise, watch out—you might end up on the same road as your parents! They didn't know their place either!"

Relying on the two hulking thugs behind him, Malfoy spewed insults without restraint.

"What did you say?!"

Ron shouted, about to charge forward, but was blocked by Malfoy's two tall, burly bodyguards.

Malfoy watched their helpless rage and sneered, feeling his shattered self-esteem return.

Right.

He was a Malfoy, a pure-blood noble.

How could he be scared by some freak...

Impossible. Absolutely impossible.

"Get out."

Harry said coldly, clenching his fists and glaring at Malfoy.

Malfoy curled his lips: "Oh, want to fight on the first day of school, do you, Chosen One?"

With two brawny bodyguards at his side, how could he lose?

Goyle and Crabbe grinned menacingly.

They eyed the unfinished snacks on the seats greedily, reaching out to shove the two blocking their way aside.

Just then.

A clear, calm voice, completely out of sync with the tense atmosphere, sounded from behind Harry and Ron:

"Are you saying I'm one of those freaks too?"

Harry whipped his head around.

He saw the speaker behind him.

The thin boy seemed to have no idea what was going on, a friendly smile still on his face.

No way!

Harry felt a surge of despair.

Ethan was about his build—stepping forward would just be throwing himself into the fire.

But then, a scene that stunned Harry unfolded.

The moment Malfoy saw Ethan, it was as if he'd seen a ghost.

His eyes flew wide, and his flushed face instantly went pale.

His lips trembling, he staggered backward, nearly collapsing to the ground any second.

As if standing before him wasn't a thinly dressed, scrawny boy, but some utterly terrifying demon!

"You—how can you be here... Ethan Vincent!"

At that, as if struck by lightning, it all clicked.

Ron's eyes went wide, and he stared incredulously at Ethan, then back at Malfoy.

He finally remembered.

Where he'd heard the name "Ethan Vincent" before!

It was from his dad, who worked at the Ministry of Magic—one day he came home and shared some Ministry gossip!

—[Ethan Vincent, once listed on the Ministry of Magic's register of potential dangerous individuals, an evil little painter whose drawings carried spiritual contamination!!]

His dad had even forbidden them from looking at the copy of The Quibbler that featured Ethan's art.

Ron only knew that his twin brothers had somehow gotten their hands on one.

And then, for the entire next week, for some reason, they hadn't touched their Flying Broomsticks.

So this was the Ethan Vincent!!!

Now, Ron seemed to understand who had actually made the great Malfoy cry before...