What, You're the One Who Stuck My Son to the Ceiling?

"You—you're not a Mudblood. What family are you from, little wizard? I advise you not to act rashly. My name is Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. We might even be relatives!"

Seeing this strange magic he had never encountered before, Malfoy immediately decided that Kane was the descendant of some mysterious wizarding family. Seeing Kane's obvious ill intent, he hurriedly tried to explain himself.

"I'm sorry, but my relatives are probably all dead." Kane waved at Malfoy. "Next time you go looking for trouble, keep your eyes open."

The next moment, Malfoy was swiftly seized by the shadowy claws and hoisted up, bound tightly to the ceiling by the shadows like some kind of failed man.

"We should probably change places. I'm afraid Mr. Malfoy might spit into my ice cream from the ceiling." Kane picked up his bowl of ice cream and prepared to leave the stall.

Of course, the real reason was not that ridiculous. Maxwell had suddenly warned him that an adult who looked remarkably like Draco Malfoy was rapidly approaching.

Seeing this, Harry and Ron also picked up their ice cream and moved elsewhere. Having someone hanging from the ceiling constantly crying and shouting as he watched them was rather appetite-killing.

It was not until Harry and Ron had left the ice cream stall that they finally realized what had just happened.

Ron looked at Kane, then at Harry. He now somewhat understood why Harry had been so willing to spend money on Kane. With such an overwhelmingly powerful friend by his side, what was a little money? If it were him, he would be willing to spend it too—if he had any, that was.

Meanwhile, Harry was still listening to the wailing from the ice cream shop in the distance. "Uh, thanks for going easy on me back in that alley. You were even willing to send me out of the alley before running away yourself, instead of leaving me to sleep with a trash can all night."

While eating his ice cream, Kane spared Harry a glance. "What kind of thing is that to say? I'm not some ungrateful lunatic."

Ron was stunned as he listened to Kane and Harry talk. So Kane, who did not even need to move to deal with Malfoy, had once run away from Harry? As expected of the person who killed Voldemort as a baby. So fucking awesome.

If Kane and Harry had heard Ron's inner thoughts, they would definitely have thought there was something wrong with the kid. What kind of bizarre comprehension was that?

As the three sat by the roadside eating ice cream with their books, two figures came running toward them, one fast and one slow. One was the larger Malfoy Maxwell had mentioned, presumably the father of the boy currently crying on the ceiling inside.

The other was Hagrid, carrying three cages.

Although buying Ron a pet when both his parents were alive might be seen as a slap in the Weasleys' faces, Hagrid had bought pets for both Kane and Harry. Leaving Ron to watch from the side with longing eyes...

That would be far too pitiful. Hagrid was kind-hearted and could not bear to see that.

"This is a surprise for all three of you!" Hagrid placed the three birdcages before them. "I bought you three little messengers that can deliver letters. Pick one each. It's a surprise, so I didn't tell you in advance!"

"I get one too?" Ron asked in surprise.

"Of course. I bought these for you, not Hogwarts. Don't worry about those so-called rules." Hagrid thumped his chest so hard it boomed.

"You two pick first. I'll take whichever is left." Kane awkwardly took a step back. If he had known Hagrid had sneakily slipped away for this, he definitely would not have let him buy one for him.

Honestly, keeping himself healthy and normal already exhausted all his energy. He truly did not have the strength to raise another... bird.

Still, it was Hagrid's kindness, so he would accept it. He would most likely share a dormitory with Harry anyway, so he could just have Harry raise the pet for him.

Soon, Harry and Ron had both chosen their pets. Harry picked a pure white snowy owl, Ron chose a gray jackdaw, and the last one was a pure black raven.

"So, how do I look with it? Do our temperaments match?" Kane asked Harry and Ron, lifting the raven's cage.

"It suits you. Between the two of you, you look like you won't survive the end of the month," Harry commented reservedly.

"You should shut up. Ron, you tell me." Kane turned to Ron.

"You look a bit like an evil dark wizard who eats children."

"..." As Kane held the cage and helplessly faced the two purebred champions of foul mouths, a deep voice sounded behind him.

"Was this young gentleman the one who stuck my son to the ceiling?"

Kane turned around. Sure enough, the same blond hair and the same air as that Draco from the ice cream shop.

Hagrid was somewhat confused when Lucius Malfoy suddenly came looking for Kane. Harry and Ron immediately began talking over each other as they explained the entire matter.

Once he understood the full story, Hagrid immediately stepped in front of Kane. "Malfoy, you're not thinking of laying hands on a little wizard in front of me, are you?"

Lucius had also heard Harry and Ron's overlapping explanation. He was somewhat helpless that Draco had not even told his own father the whole truth. Well, now he had caused trouble that Lucius had to clean up.

"Don't misunderstand, Hagrid. I merely came to apologize on behalf of my immature son. My name is Lucius Malfoy, and the one on the ceiling is my son, Draco Malfoy. I apologize to you for his rudeness just now."

Lucius Malfoy's apology could be considered sincere enough, but when Kane saw the hand he removed his glove from and extended toward him, he ultimately did not shake it. He merely stated his name. "Kane Hiss. An orphan."

Lucius Malfoy frowned, as though trying to determine where the surname Hiss came from, but in the end, he still had no clue.

That was only natural. Because of Voldemort, far too many pure-blood and half-blood little wizards had left the wizarding world and languished in Muggle orphanages from an early age. That kind of bizarre shadow magic was absolutely not something a Muggle-born little wizard could use.

He had to come from a wizarding family with strange and specialized methods, one that passed down magical talent through bloodlines. After all, orphaned Kane had nowhere to learn magic. Bloodline inheritance was the only explanation.

"It seems you don't wish to accept my apology." Lucius spoke while considering Kane's possible origins.

"Perhaps you could have your son come apologize to me." After Kane said that, Harry and Ron behind him both burst into giggles.

Lucius Malfoy's expression remained unchanged. "He's still on the ceiling and hasn't come down yet."

Kane understood. After all that circling around, Lucius merely wanted him to let Draco down.

"Go prepare a cushion for him," he said bluntly.

Upon hearing this, Lucius immediately waved his wand. The floor of the ice cream shop became soft and springy like jelly.

The shadow holding Draco Malfoy then dissipated in an instant, and Draco himself fell onto the floor and bounced twice.

"Your son is down. We'll be leaving now." Seeing that everything had been settled, Hagrid prepared to take Kane and the other two away. He simply did not feel right whenever he saw Lucius Malfoy.

"I'll help you ask around the wizarding world about your family. You definitely aren't Muggle-born." Lucius completely ignored Hagrid and called out to Kane's retreating back.

Kane shrugged indifferently. Asking about his family based on his magic? The odds of finding the Eternal Realm were probably greater.

For now, he would rather see how Ollivander's custom wand was coming along.

Lucius watched the four of them leave in the direction of Ollivander's wand shop. Then he suddenly sensed something and looked at Draco. "If there's something you want to ask, say it."