The Family Head's Secret Chamber

During Skylar's stay at the Greenery Manor, many things happened in other parts of Great Britain.

Let's start by talking about the Malfoy Manor.

On the day Skylar went to Diagon Alley (August 11), Lucius stopped Draco Quidditch, at the entrance of the hall. "Draco, come with me for a second, Daddy has something important to tell you."

The father and son left the hall in silence, walked down a long corridor, and entered Lucius's study, where he usually worked.

Lucius took out a pure silver Malfoy family crest from a hidden compartment in the drawer and said, "Drop a drop of your blood on it."

Seeing his father's serious expression, Draco dared not ask any questions and could only do as he was told. He used his wand to prick a small hole in his left index finger, squeezed out a bead of blood, and dripped it onto the family crest. The crest then emitted faint magical fluctuations, as if it had been activated.

"This crest is a special Portkey that can only be activated by a drop of blood from a direct descendant of the House of Malfoy. Now I'll count to three, and we'll touch this crest together. One, two, three!" The father and son's hands touched the crest at the same time and were sucked in by a powerful suction force.

They entered a dimly lit small room, with a round bead embedded in the ceiling that emitted a faint green glow.

Lucius stood upright on the ground, but his hair was blown around and became disheveled. Draco, on the other hand, lost his balance and slumped to the ground.

Draco couldn't help but ask, "Father, why don't we use the Anti-Dizziness Bracelet that Skylar?"

Lucius: "..."

Draco had no idea that Lucius was thinking, "Damn it, do you think I would tell you if I forgot?"

Looking around, there were four dark gray stone walls, covered with portraits, the figures in which were now watching the two whispering to each other.

A man dressed in medieval clothing, with imposing features, spoke, "Are you two the current head and heir of the family?"

The usually arrogant Lucius now dared not be disrespectful even before a portrait. He bowed in an ancient nobleman's salute, "Yes, I am Lucius II, son of Abraxas, the thirteenth head of House of Malfoy, greetings to Lord Nicholas."

"Draco, this is our House of Malfoy's fourth-generation ancestor. He is the oldest among the portraits here. Back then, he used the Black Death as a cover to massacre Muggle and plunder a large amount of land and wealth for the family," Lucius introduced to Draco.

Upon hearing this, Draco quickly followed suit, bowing respectfully to the portrait. "I am Draco, son of Lucius II, greetings to Lord Nicholas."

Then Lucius pointed to the next portrait, "This is our fifth ancestor, Lord Artemis. He participated in the war between the Vampire Royalty and ultimately made an unequal treaty with the remaining Vampire Royalty, forcing them to serve our family."

"This is our sixth ancestor, Lucius I. One of our three ancestral precepts—'Never put all your eggs in one basket'—originated from him. This ancestor possessed great magical power; it is said that he once used a curse to ensure that the Queen of the Muggle World would never marry."

"This is our seventh ancestor, Lord Artemis II. He participated in the Italy Wizarding Civil War, cooperating with the Italy wizarding family, the Vongola Family, to annihilate the rival family in one fell swoop. This allowed our family's business to extend into Europe territory outside of Britain for the first time, and we also gained the friendship of the Vongola Family."

"This is the eighth ancestor, Lord Brutus. He founded the anti- Muggle publication, 'Wizards in War,' and garnered a large following for the House of Malfoy. Many of the current illegitimate members of the family are descendants of his followers."

"Who is this...?"

Every time Lucius introduced a figure in the portrait, Draco had to bow and pay homage to his ancestor, while secretly wondering what his father's purpose was in having him pay respects to these ancestors.

After introducing them one by one, we finally arrived at the last one—the twelfth head of the family, Abraxas Malfoy, Lucius's father, and Draco and Skylar's grandfather.

After introducing all the portraits, Lucius bowed again. "Ancestors, the wizarding world is about to undergo another major reshuffle. My eldest son Draco, is still young and his magical power is weak. I hope that you ancestors can assist me in rapidly increasing his strength to cope with the impending chaos."

Abraxas couldn't help but interject, "Wait a minute, Lucius, don't you have two sons? Where's my other grandson Skylar?"

Lucius replied, "I was just about to discuss this matter with our ancestors. Skylar's ideas are different from ours. He believes that the Pure-blood theory is outdated, and he wants to..." Lucius then recounted the contents of the House of Malfoy meeting that took place last week.

Abraxas said angrily, "That brat! I've spoiled him for nothing! He actually wants to side with the Muggle-born wizard!" Abraxas had met the Malfoy brothers and loved them dearly until they were almost four years old when they died of Dragon Pox.

The other figures in the portraits, such as Brutus and the tenth patriarch Septimus, were also whispering among themselves, and their expressions suggested that they agreed with Abraxas's view.

Lucius I disagreed. "This lad sounds very opinionated and intelligent, and I think his views are not without merit! Besides, everything he does is ultimately for the family. Aren't you old folks being too rigid in your thinking?"

Abraxas retorted, "This kid's just blinded by temporary success. While Pure-blood families may have weakened somewhat in recent years, they're not that pathetic. Don't forget—the existence of the Knights of Walpurgis..."

Lucius I seemed determined to argue with Abraxas, scoffing, "The Knights of Walpurgis? So what? The Knights of Walpurgis were indeed powerful back then, and our House of Malfoy had no choice but to submit to them and become part of them. But after two defeats— Grindelwald and Voldemort —those two failed investments should have been enough to cripple them, right?"

Artemis II spoke up, supporting Lucius I's view. "Our House of Malfoy no longer needs to be subservient to them. Don't forget, we also have allies— the Vampire Royalty has been recuperating for over four hundred years. Do you think they've been doing nothing all this time? And then there's the Vongola Family of Italy. After that civil war, they appeared to be badly injured, but their foundation remains. Over the years, even if they haven't fully recovered to their peak, they're probably not far off."

Abraxas was a person who deeply disliked Muggle-born wizard. When the Ministry of Magic finally welcomed its first Minister for Magic of Muggle blood, Nobby Leach, in 1968, he was forced to step down because of his methods.

The Ministry of Magic's official explanation was that Leach had to leave his post due to a mysterious illness. In reality, however, he suffered severe internal strife, with his subordinates outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, and even deliberately disrupting the rules.

It can be said that the vast majority of the reasons why Lucius and Draco so discriminate against and hate Muggle blood come from him.

He said in a low voice, "You haven't forgotten... about the Knockturn Alley, have you? If we attract that person's attention, do you think we'll be in good shape?"

Lucius I," his tone no longer as confident. "That person... hasn't appeared in the world for so many years. He didn't do anything during Grindelwald's and Voldemort's two upheavals... Could he be dead? Or is he restricted for some reason, unable to appear in the world at will?"

"That person" seemed to be a taboo topic; after he was mentioned, every portrait fell silent.

Finally, Nicholas, the most senior member of the family, spoke. His words immediately silenced the others, who listened intently. "Lucius II, it sounds as if you already have a conclusion—that you want your two heirs to place their bets on the two sides. We are all dead men; we can do nothing but offer advice. What is the purpose of your seeking us out to discuss this?"

(Note: Except for Abraxas, who calls his son by his first name, other portraits refer to Lucius as Lucius II to distinguish him from Lucius I. )

(Note: Nicholas lived in a very early 13th century, so the author had him speak in Old English.)

"Here's what happened. It was a good idea to bet on both sides, but back then... how should I put it, I was too hasty and performed the family head succession ceremony for my two sons. Now Draco has been designated as the next family head..." Lucius stammered.

"What?" Draco shouted. "I'm the next head of the family? Why didn't you ever mention this to us, Father?"