Malfoy's Confusion

A little while later, Harry Potter finally caught up with the Memory Orb.

Amid cheers from some of the students, he dove fifty feet and finally reached out to seize the ball. It was certainly a flashy move, and Harry could not help feeling a little proud. He descended slowly, waving his arms like a victorious general.

Unfortunately, most people were still absorbed in Li Mu's earlier violent outburst, greatly diminishing the effect of Harry's showboating.

Li Mu watched with interest and noticed Harry's body stiffen instantly, his face turning frighteningly pale. He secretly laughed to himself, but he could hardly tell Harry, You have protagonist's luck. You'll definitely turn misfortune into fortune. He could only hide among the crowd and watch, treating it as witnessing a classic scene from the original story.

"You... you..." Professor McGonagall strode straight toward them. She walked quickly, seeming too furious to speak. Even the glasses on her nose appeared to be trembling. "How dare you... You could have broken your neck..."

"It wasn't Harry's fault, Professor..." Hermione stepped forward and glanced from afar at Li Mu over by Hufflepuff. She was actually more worried about Li Mu. Not only had he flown into the air, but... Professor McGonagall hadn't seen him crash into Malfoy, had she?...

"Hermione, stop talking!"

Apparently not. Professor McGonagall had not even glanced in Li Mu's direction.

"But Malfoy..." Ron also stepped forward to defend Harry.

"Enough, Weasley. I don't want to hear another word. Potter, come with me at once!"

Everyone silently watched Harry. The famous Savior of the European wizarding world trudged after Professor McGonagall with heavy steps, his legs seemingly trembling. As he passed Li Mu, Harry even forced out a smile... one uglier than crying.

Crabbe and Goyle had originally wanted to throw out a few taunts, but seeing Malfoy's gloomy face and lack of interest, they wisely kept silent.

Yes, Malfoy was not happy. Even though Harry had been caught exactly as he had hoped, even though the Savior might truly face severe punishment... even imagining Harry facing reality and having no choice but to beg him for help, crying and pleading to become "Malfoy's friend," brought him not the slightest joy.

He looked at Hermione for two seconds, then fixed a deep gaze on Li Mu. Everything that had happened today confused him, and made him both afraid and angry... especially Li Mu. He had lightly patted Malfoy's shoulder twice—what had that meant? Mockery? Pity? Malfoy felt that Li Mu treated him as an elder of the family would treat a child, as if every one of his actions had become a childish joke.

Those two were the reason he could no longer feel happy.

When Harry and Professor McGonagall had completely disappeared, this eventful Flying Class was finally declared over. Malfoy tilted his head and sharply ordered his two lackeys, "...Let's go!"

He left first, with Crabbe, Goyle, and the girl named Pansy Parkinson following closely behind. Goyle was incapable of reading the room. As they walked, he smugly tried to comfort him. "Don't worry, Young Master Malfoy. Harry Potter will be gone before long, and that Li Mu too... He dared to humiliate you in public. As long as we tell Uncle Lucius..."

"Enough! Shut up!" To his surprise, Malfoy's face instantly turned even colder.

Goyle's consolation had not soothed Malfoy at all. It only made him feel more humiliated.

By then, the group had climbed the castle's stone steps and entered the entrance hall. Far behind them, the other first-years also began moving, each leaving with a different expression.

Draco Malfoy suddenly stopped and lowered his voice. "Listen. For a while—not, for all time... without my permission, none of you are to provoke Harry Potter or that Chinese boy!"

The three around him stopped as well, stunned for quite some time. Had Malfoy been frightened?... But that did not seem to be what he meant. The glory of pure-bloods, the Malfoy family, was not something that would cower so easily. At last, a gleam flashed through Crabbe's eyes as though he had understood. "Haha, Young Master Malfoy really knows how to joke. Of course we won't... In a while, we won't be seeing them anymore anyway... Hahaha..."

That was right. Young Master Malfoy surely did not want Potter and Li Mu being expelled from school to become associated with him, for the sake of his reputation. Crabbe had no doubt that Harry Potter would be expelled. Who told them to offend Malfoy? He believed in Malfoy's power. His father, Lucius Malfoy, was one of the top school governors; if he wished, even Dumbledore could be driven out. Crabbe laughed loudly, pleased with his own cleverness, but after laughing for a long while, he realized that Malfoy had not responded.

Malfoy's face darkened as he stared straight at his two muscle-brained lackeys. He had gained another reason to be unhappy. Harry had Li Mu and Hermione at his side—Li Mu aside, that Hermione, despite her Muggle blood, had recently become famous throughout the entire year. During this first week of school, she had excelled in every class except Potions, and had earned points in nearly every lesson. That was not something an ordinary first-year could accomplish.

Not to mention anything else, even Ron from the Weasley family was far better than Crabbe and Goyle. Intelligence really was a fatal weakness.

"Harry Potter won't be expelled. Li Mu certainly won't either." Malfoy sighed. He had actually always known that. How could the Savior, whose name was recorded in history, be expelled so easily? And Li Mu was an international exchange student. He was completely different from the French, German, and Indian students recruited by the school. Expelling him would involve the international diplomatic affairs of the Ministry of Magic.

He bragged to everyone about how capable his father was, but only these two fools truly believed it completely. He had once felt vain because of other people's flattery, but now it only disgusted him more. Why did he not have a more capable helper by his side?

"From now on, I'm going to study some things on my own. Go play by yourselves. Stop following me around." The more Malfoy thought about it, the more irritated he became. He viciously threw down those words, shook out his school robe, and hurried away.

"Draco..." Pansy had been following beside him all along. She weakly reached out a hand, but Malfoy quickly disappeared. Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other, still unable to understand what had happened.

They did not know that Malfoy had left in anger, and even after walking far away, he was still thinking about those two hulking boys. From them, he thought of their fathers. Old Crabbe and Old Goyle... Yes, he had met those two uncles, and often heard his father Lucius speak of them—with contempt and disdain more often than not.

Old Crabbe and Old Goyle were not clever either. Their minds were completely one-track, yet they were the staunchest supporters of pure-bloods. How could pure-blood wizards include people like that? Were most supporters of pure-bloods this sort of person?

A trace of confusion flashed through Malfoy's heart. But he quickly shook his head, casting aside those wild thoughts.

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