On the long table, silver plates reflected the candlelight, and the aroma of roast goose filled the dining room of Malfoy Manor.
Draco set down his knife and fork, looked up at Lucius at the head of the table, and said casually, "Hogwarts, I suppose."
Lucius's hand paused slightly around his glass, sending faint ripples across the deep purple Firewhisky within.
He set down his glass and tapped his fingertips lightly against the smooth tabletop, looking at Draco. "I happen to think Durmstrang would be more suitable."
At those words, Draco, who had transmigrated into this world, felt his heart lurch. This is bad.
If he went to Durmstrang in Northern Europe, far from Hogwarts, the Hermione he longed for would become an unattainable dream, and all the plot details he had memorized would be useless.
As he pondered this, he heard Lucius ask again, "Why do you want to go to Hogwarts?"
Draco organized his thoughts before speaking slowly. "Father, Hogwarts is quite close to home. If I miss Mother, I can come back to visit her whenever I like. Besides, as a member of the Hogwarts Board of Governors, you would be able to look after me a little more at school."
His tone held just the right measure of obedience and filial affection.
At this, Lucius raised his eyebrows slightly, a flicker of approval passing through his eyes.
Such an astute mind was certainly in keeping with the Malfoy family's style.
Beside him, Narcissa was even more delighted. Her eyes were full of affection as she looked at her son, the smile never leaving her lips as she nodded repeatedly. "Draco is right. It's better to be close to home. I can keep thinking of him often, too."
"You are a clever boy." Lucius nodded, but then abruptly changed tack, a note of displeasure entering his voice. "It's just that Hogwarts today, under Dumbledore's control, is far too tolerant and permissive. They even admit those Muggle-born students. It truly compromises the dignity of pure-blood wizards."
Narcissa, who had offered no opinion on this, immediately agreed. "That is precisely what worries me most. Son, if you go to Hogwarts and spend every day with those Muggle descendants and people of mixed blood, who knows what dreadful habits you might pick up?"
Lucius nodded emphatically, fully agreeing.
Draco grumbled inwardly: Utterly ridiculous. If I hadn't transmigrated here, the original Draco would already have been spoiled and domineering through and through, a hundred times worse than those students of so-called 'mixed blood.'
But he dared not say this aloud and could only listen patiently.
Narcissa took Draco's hand and spoke earnestly, her tone almost admonishing. "Son, if you really do go to Hogwarts, remember to stay away from people with complicated bloodlines. Don't fall in with them."
Draco nodded obediently on the surface, but inwardly he had his own plans. I'm the one going to school, not you. Surely you can't follow me around every day?
His parents' belief in pure-blood supremacy would probably be difficult to change anytime soon.
If he really did end up with Hermione someday and these two found out, they would probably blow the roof off.
Seeing his son agree, Lucius began listing Durmstrang's advantages again, trying to salvage the situation. "Durmstrang really is quite good, you know. It only admits pure-blood wizards, none of that mixed rabble. That alone would spare us many concerns."
Draco had known very little about this school before, so he took the opportunity to ask, "Father, what is so exceptional about Durmstrang that you hold it in such high regard?"
A trace of pride flashed through Lucius's eyes as he explained slowly. "Durmstrang stands on the frozen plains of Northern Europe. It is a sanctuary for pure-blood wizards and never accepts Muggle descendants. More importantly, what they teach is true magic!"
"True magic?" Draco feigned puzzlement while muttering inwardly, Does that mean everything Hogwarts teaches is fake?
Then he looked up and pressed, his face full of confusion. "Father, what is true magic?"
Lucius considered for a moment before replying slowly. "Magic used in actual combat. Only something fierce and forceful can demonstrate a wizard's strength."
Beside him, Narcissa, worried that her son might not understand, added, "To put it plainly, Dark Magic. No one at Durmstrang teaches those gentle, useless spells."
Understanding dawned on Draco, and he silently scoffed. So it's Dark Magic. And here I thought it was something special.
Unaware of his son's thoughts, Lucius continued boasting. "Durmstrang's headmaster, Igor Karkaroff, is a formidable wizard with uncompromising methods. There, the people you meet will all be descendants of Europe's oldest and most distinguished pure-blood families. You can build truly valuable connections, which will be of great benefit when you take charge of the Malfoy family in the future."
By the time Lucius finished, Draco had already prepared his response. His tone was composed and his reasoning clear. "You are absolutely right, Father. Durmstrang's connections are certainly impressive. But however powerful those connections may be, they are still resources over there. After I graduate, surely I can't stay in Northern Europe forever and never return to England? Visiting you and Mother would be terribly difficult then. People must eventually return to their roots. In the end, I will come back to help you manage the family's affairs and build up our home. Besides, with the foundations and connections you have established here, it would be far easier for me to get things done than in a foreign country."
His words both preserved Lucius's dignity and appealed to reason and sentiment. Narcissa praised him repeatedly. "Our son makes such good sense. We must return to our roots. Home is still the best place."
Lucius fell silent for a moment. After considering it carefully, he found he had no rebuttal.
Everything his son said was reasonable. The Malfoy family's roots lay in England, and if Draco were far away in Northern Europe, it would indeed be unfavorable to the family's long-term development.
At last, he settled the matter, saying in a low voice, "Very well. We shall do as you say. Hogwarts it is."