Malfoy's Confusion

After another short while, Harry Potter caught up with the Memory Orb.

Amidst cheers, he made a fifty-foot dive and finally reached out to grab the ball. It was indeed a brilliant move, and Harry couldn't help but feel a little proud. He slowly descended, waving his arms a few times like a triumphant general.

Unfortunately, most people were still immersed in Li Mu's previous barbaric outburst, greatly diminishing the effect of his showboating.

Li Mu observed with interest, noticing Harry's body stiffen in an instant, his face turning frighteningly pale. He couldn't help but chuckle inwardly, but he couldn't possibly tell Harry, "You have the protagonist's halo, you'll definitely benefit from this misfortune." He could only shrink back into the crowd and watch, taking it as witnessing a classic scene from the original story.

"You... you..." Professor McGonagall walked straight towards them. She walked quickly, looking so angry she could barely speak, the glasses on her nose seemingly trembling. "How dare you... you'll break your neck..."

"It wasn't Harry's fault, Professor..." Hermione stepped forward, glancing at Li Mu over by Hufflepuff. She was actually more worried about Li Mu. Li Mu not only flew into the sky, but... Professor McGonagall probably didn't see him hit Malfoy, did she?...

"Hermione, be quiet!"

It seemed not. Because Professor McGonagall didn't even glance in Li Mu's direction.

"But, Malfoy he..." Ron also stood up to defend Harry.

"Enough, Weasley, I don't want to hear any more. Potter, come with me immediately!"

Everyone silently stared at Harry. The famous savior of the European wizarding world dragged his heavy steps, following behind Professor McGonagall, his legs seemingly trembling. When passing by Li Mu, Harry even managed to force out a smile... uglier than crying.

Crabbe and Goyle originally wanted to make a few taunting remarks, but seeing Malfoy's depressed and uninterested expression, they immediately wisely kept silent.

Yes, Malfoy was not happy. Even though Harry was caught red-handed as he had expected, even though the savior might really face severe punishment... even imagining Harry seeing reality and having to ask him for help, begging to be "Malfoy's friend," he didn't feel a trace of joy.

He looked at Hermione for two seconds, then looked at Li Mu with a deep gaze. Everything today made him confused, and even more fearful and angry... especially Li Mu, who patted him on the shoulder twice. What did that mean... ridicule? Pity? Malfoy felt that Li Mu's attitude towards him was like a family elder treating a child, his every move becoming a childish joke.

It was these two people who deprived him of any feeling of joy.

When Harry and Professor McGonagall's figures completely disappeared, this eventful flying lesson could be considered over. Malfoy tilted his head and sternly ordered his two followers, "...Let's go!"

He himself left first, Crabbe and Goyle, and the girl named Pansy Parkinson, followed closely. Goyle, lacking tact, walked along, self-righteously comforting, "Don't worry, Young Master Malfoy. Harry Potter will be kicked out soon, and so will that Li Mu... he actually dared to humiliate you in public, just tell Uncle Lucius..."

"Alright! Shut up!" Unexpectedly, Malfoy's face turned cold in an instant.

Goyle's comfort did not have a comforting effect, only making Malfoy feel more embarrassed.

By this time, they had stepped onto the castle's stone steps and entered the front hall. Far behind them, the other freshmen also moved, dispersing with different expressions.

Draco Malfoy suddenly stopped, lowering his voice, "Listen, for this period of time—no, for all the time... without my permission, no one is to provoke Harry Potter and that Celestial Dynasty person!"

The three around him also stopped, stunned for a moment. Was Malfoy intimidated?... But listening to his words, it didn't seem like it. The glory of a pure-blood, the Malfoy family, was not so easily intimidated. Finally, a light flashed in Crabbe's eyes, as if he had understood: "Haha, Young Master Malfoy is joking, of course we won't... we won't see them in a while... hahaha..."

Yes, Young Master Malfoy must be for the sake of reputation, so he didn't want Potter and Li Mu to be expelled from school and get involved with them. Crabbe had no doubt that Harry Potter would be expelled. Who told them to offend Malfoy? He believed in Malfoy's strength. His father, Lucius Malfoy, was a top-ranked school board member, and he could expel even Dumbledore if he wanted to. Crabbe laughed loudly, feeling satisfied with his cleverness, but he laughed for a while before realizing that Malfoy had not responded.

Malfoy's face was gloomy, staring straight at his two followers with muscles but no brains. He had one more reason to be unhappy. Harry had Li Mu and Hermione by his side—Li Mu aside, that Hermione, despite being Muggle-born, her reputation had recently spread throughout the entire grade. In the week since school started, she had been excellent in every subject except Potions, and had earned extra points in almost every class. This was not something ordinary freshmen could do.

Not to mention, even Ron Weasley was much better than Crabbe and Goyle. Intelligence was really a hard injury.

"Harry Potter will not be expelled. Li Mu even less so." Malfoy sighed. He had always known this. How could the savior who would go down in history be so easily expelled? Even Li Mu, his identity was that of an international exchange student, completely different from the French, German, and Indian students recruited into the school. Expelling him would involve the international diplomatic level of the Ministry of Magic.

He boasted to everyone about how capable his father was, but only these two fools would really believe it completely. He used to feel vain for the praise of others, but now he felt even more disgusted. Why didn't he have a more capable helper by his side?

"From now on, I want to study some things myself. You guys go play by yourselves, and stop following me." The more Malfoy thought about it, the more irritable he became. He threw down these words fiercely, flicked his school robe, and left in a hurry.

"Draco..." Pansy had been following beside him, weakly reaching out a hand, but Malfoy quickly disappeared. Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other, still not understanding what was going on.

They didn't know that Malfoy left in anger, walking far away, his mind still thinking about these two big guys, and from them, he thought of their fathers. Old Crabbe and Old Goyle... that's right, he had seen those two uncles, and often heard them mentioned by his father Lucius—often with contempt and disdain.

Old Crabbe and Old Goyle weren't smart either, their minds completely inflexible, yet they were the most steadfast pure-blood supporters. How could there be people like this among pure-blood wizards? Are most supporters of pure-blood of this type?

A trace of confusion flashed through Malfoy's mind. But soon, he shook his head, dispelling these wild thoughts.

No, he hated Muggles. He would prove—pure-blood was glorious, noble, while Muggles were filthy!

(End of chapter)