Edward had no strong feelings about the matter. Seeing that his son had got what he wanted, he paid it no further attention.
He was about to suggest moving on to the next shop when something occurred to him. "Allen, how did you get along with that boy you met earlier?"
Allen smiled. "Very well, Your Majesty!"
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Dumbledore leaning closer as well. "Do you know Malfoy too, Professor Dumbledore?"
Dumbledore winked at him and gave an evasive answer. "Every wizard in Britain graduated from Hogwarts, so-of course I do."
"Oh!" Hagrid sniffed. "Allen, how could you get along with Malfoy? His whole family's rotten! Rotten to the core!"
Harry watched their disagreement in bewilderment.
Allen's lips straightened before he smiled gently again. "Hagrid, have you met young Mr. Malfoy? He's not a bad person, really. He's just a little arrogant, like a young aristocrat."
Hagrid wanted to say more, but a look from Dumbledore made him shut his mouth for the time being.
Allen suddenly understood. Perhaps Malfoy and this headmaster stood on different sides.
And the fact that Draco could still carry himself with such pride showed that the Malfoys' strength was not to be underestimated.
He turned to Edward. "Your Majesty, I have promised young Mr. Malfoy that I will give him Armand Malfoy's manuscript as a gift the next time we meet."
Edward smiled and lifted his chin in assent, pleased and reassured.
By saying this in front of the elderly gentleman, Allen was telling him that the royal family had already offered something so valuable for the sake of their shared stability and peace.
Then you ought to make a gesture as well.
Dumbledore acted as though he had noticed nothing. "I never imagined that the Muggle royal family would have preserved such an ancient magical manuscript."
Whether deliberately or not, he added, "To the Malfoy family, its value exceeds even half their family holdings. The young prince is generous indeed."
The greater the benefit, the better.
Allen thought nothing of it. The manuscript was as good as wastepaper in his hands anyway.
He handed His Majesty a robe and watched his father examine it with interest as he explained,
"Harry recognized me straight away in the robe shop earlier."
Harry could not help blushing.
"...Compared with me, you'd be better off keeping yourself more thoroughly covered."
His Majesty murmured an acknowledgment, put on the robe, and pulled up its hood.
He wore the simple garment with all the refined elegance of bespoke clothing. Allen's lips curved proudly, and he put on a robe as well.
Dumbledore smilingly complimented their attire, then led them toward the wand shop.
The two groups joined into one sizable procession.
When they passed the pet shop, Allen bought two snowy owls for correspondence at Hagrid's suggestion.
The shopkeeper gave him several extra looks because he was so thoroughly covered.
Best of all, the trunk enchanted with a Space Charm could hold living creatures. Otherwise, parading through the streets carrying two owls would hardly have been elegant or proper.
Meanwhile, Draco had met up with his mother and obtained his wand-exactly ten inches, hawthorn, unicorn hair, reasonably springy.
The wand's materials were so ordinary that it was quite a blow to Draco, who had looked forward to having his own wand since childhood.
Neither mother nor son thought much of it, but it was plainly the wand best suited to Draco.
Only after Ollivander repeatedly stressed that "the right wand is the best wand" did they reluctantly buy it.
Draco waved his wand again, savoring the wonderful feeling of being at one with it, and finally shook off a little of his displeasure.
Worried that her son was unhappy, Narcissa changed the subject. "All right, little dragon, let's go to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour for something sweet!"
"What about Father?"
Narcissa took Draco's hand. "Your father's at the bookshop. He'll come over once he's bought the books. Shall we go ahead?"
Something seemed to occur to Draco, and his expression brightened. "Hurry, hurry! Mother, let's go! I've got something to tell both of you!"
He sat beside the window in the ice cream parlour, constantly looking this way and that outside,
idly poking his raspberry and yellow peach ice cream with his spoon,
until he finally spotted a conspicuous head of platinum-blond hair approaching.
The moment Lucius entered, he saw his son's sparkling eyes.
Caught between amusement and exasperation, Narcissa beckoned him over.
Only once his parents were both settled quietly in their seats did Draco clear his throat and lift the corners of his mouth with haughty pride.
"Father, Mother! I made a new friend at the robe shop earlier. His name is Allen Cornwall, and he's the crown prince of the Muggle world! He's a Muggle-born, but his status is still good enough for him to be my friend!"
"Oh, and he said he'd give us Ancestor Armand's manuscript as a gift the next time we meet!"
Draco tried to sound casual, but his eyes shone as he looked at Lucius and Narcissa.
Lucius and Narcissa exchanged a glance. As Draco had said, although the boy was a Muggle-born, his status as crown prince did indeed make him a worthy friend-
After all, the pure-bloods of the wizarding world called themselves aristocrats because they had been ennobled by royalty in the Muggle world, the Malfoy family being one such example.
Although they had later severed their ties with the Muggle world, it remained an indisputable fact that their noble titles had come from Muggle royalty.
Upon hearing that Allen intended to give them Ancestor Armand's manuscript, both were already leaning toward cultivating friendly relations.
Lucius raised the corners of his mouth by fifteen degrees and nodded under Draco's expectant gaze. "Very well done, Draco! You'll have a Nimbus 2000 as your reward."
Draco cheered, then sat up straight under Lucius's gaze and enthusiastically dug into his ice cream.
Before you continue