Ma Tianlong had recently become obsessed with the Harry Potter films, though mostly with the proud, adorable Hermione. If they had cast the characters according to the original novels, Harry Potter's success would probably have been greatly diminished.
Just how obsessed was he?
Put it this way: he watched Harry Potter even while walking, and tragedy struck.
The next second, his foot found empty air, and he plummeted. The sewer shaft was far too deep, and he hit the bottom with a bang.
A second before losing consciousness, a thought occurred to him. Which goddamn bastard stole the manhole cover?!
The sound of his landing died away before it could even escape the shaft. He had lived to the age of twenty.
At that moment, someone groggily awoke. His eyelids slowly opened, and he looked around, discovering that he was lying on a luxurious bed.
Ma Tianlong was astonished to discover that he was actually alive. Had someone rescued him, or what?
That's not right. If I'd been rescued, I'd definitely be in a hospital. This clearly isn't one.
I looked down and examined my body. My arms and legs are so skinny now, like a child's. Have I been reborn?
That doesn't add up either. Judging by this room's decor, I'm clearly in a foreign country.
Have I been reincarnated? Being reincarnated as a human is fine. If I'd ended up as a chicken or a duck, wouldn't I be at anyone's mercy, waiting to be slaughtered?
He had heard there were plenty of handsome men abroad. Ma Tianlong rolled out of bed and walked barefoot to the full-length mirror to take a look.
He would never have known without looking, but one glance gave him a shock. He touched his face with both hands, and the person in the mirror moved with him.
There was no mistake. It was him. Ma Tianlong had become a handsome young foreign boy.
His face was so smooth and soft. He reached up and stroked his slicked-back blond hair. So this is what it means to comb your hair like a grown-up.
Absolutely stunning. Won't this make thousands of girls swoon? And foreign chicks have C cups or bigger at the drop of a hat. This is practically a perk for a ball enthusiast.
After admiring his handsome profile from both sides for a while, Ma Tianlong calmed down.
Upon closer inspection, Ma Tianlong suddenly realized something. Wasn't the person in the mirror Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter?
The son of the Death Eater Lucius, a stepping stone on the protagonist's path to growth.
Now Ma Tianlong finally understood. He had transmigrated. Then he could not help feeling a little annoyed.
Why couldn't I have transmigrated into that plain-looking guy Ron? At least then I could have gotten a nibble of that prize cabbage.
Fortunately, Draco had plenty of good points. Apart from being handsome, he was super handsome. As long as he did not act like that idiot Snape.
With his recollections of the Harry Potter novels and films, wouldn't winning Hermione over be a piece of cake?
Ron, all I can say is sorry. Hermione is mine.
After thinking it through, Ma Tianlong accepted his identity as Draco Malfoy.
Transmigrating into Draco seemed like a good thing, too. At least his fellow wage slaves far away had one less competitor.
But now Draco had to think about the future. A pure-blood Death Eater family-there was a long, hard road ahead!
What's it like having a Death Eater for a father? It means starting out on the opposite side from the protagonists. Even marrying Hermione will mean facing obstacle after obstacle. How should I break out of this situation? Should I cling to the protagonist's thigh, play the villain to the bitter end, or take some other path?
Draco thought for a while, then stopped dwelling on it. He was himself, a firework unlike any other.
He would just do as he pleased.
I'm their only flesh and blood, anyway. Being an only child is leverage.
Forget it. Why think so much? I might as well keep admiring my exquisite features. The only flaw is that this smile is a little too stiff. It's probably the influence of the original owner's gloomy psyche.
Leave being handsome to me, Draco thought.
Because being handsome was a lifelong affair!
After giving himself a pep talk, Draco left the mirror and discovered two admission letters on the bedside cabinet.
One was from Hogwarts, and the other was from another wizarding school, probably Durmstrang. That school admitted plenty of pure-bloods, so it was hardly surprising that it had sent him one.
Draco picked up the Hogwarts letter and examined it. The thick, yellowed parchment felt antique and dignified.
The letter was sealed with wax, with the school crest stamped over the join. A large H stood at the center of the crest, surrounded by four animals representing bloodlines: a lion, a snake, a badger, and an eagle.
Draco eagerly opened the letter. The writing was in emerald-green ink, with his name at the top and Professor McGonagall's signature at the bottom. It listed the supplies students needed, much the same as in the film.
Then Draco sealed the letter again and picked up the Durmstrang letter for a look. It was made of dark metal foil, cold and solid to the touch. As expected of a school for pure-blood aristocrats-even its letters were so noble.
Is there even a choice to make? Draco put the Durmstrang admission letter straight into a drawer and kept the Hogwarts admission letter out. After he closed the drawer, a voice rang out.
"Son, time to eat." It was a woman's gentle, caring voice. Presumably, the mother he had inherited from the original owner had come to call him to eat.
"Coming," Draco answered. He put on his shoes and left the room.
A tall, slender woman stood outside the door. Smiling broadly, she said to Draco, "Son, eat first, then you can go back to sleep."
"All right, Mother." Draco felt no resistance toward this mother. Whatever else might be true, she at least doted on him.
Narcissa rested a hand on Draco's shoulder, and they went to the dining table together and sat down.
Lucius Malfoy was already seated. As soon as Draco took his seat, he began lecturing him. "You don't even know to come and eat when it's time. Do you still think you're a child?"
Narcissa spoke up for him. "Our son is only eleven. There's no need to be so harsh."
Draco pulled his chair into place and sat properly. "Who isn't a child in front of their parents?"
That retort left Lucius speechless, while Narcissa's smile bloomed once more.
After a few seconds of silence, Lucius picked up his knife and fork and said, "Let's eat first."
The other two then began eating as well.
During the meal, Lucius turned his gaze toward Draco and asked, "Have you decided which school you want to attend?"