Draco watched as Dumbledore carefully put away his diary and casually remarked, "Oh, by the way, Old Dumbledore— "
Upon hearing this, Lucius and Narcissa's expressions instantly froze.
The couple's minds were simultaneously racing with thoughts:
How exactly did this child get along with the headmaster at Hogwarts?!
Are you crazy?!
Old Dumbledore???
"You brat... only you would dare call me that." Dumbledore hadn't expected this turn of events.
Draco, completely unfazed, pressed on. "Don't change the subject. Tell me honestly, how many of these Horcrux have you figured out?"
Lucius, listening nearby, felt his heart nearly stop. He dared not breathe, and could only sit there stiffly, pretending he didn't exist.
Narcissa could only hold onto her husband's arm, hoping Dumbledore wouldn't overreact.
To their surprise, Dumbledore, while suppressing his smile, did not retaliate.
He said earnestly to Draco, "That's about it."
Draco nodded, asking no further questions, only saying, "Contact me anytime if you need anything; I can help."
Until Dumbledore left with his diary and the manor gates closed.
Lucius breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Draco, still somewhat shaken, asked, " Draco... what did you just call Headmaster Dumbledore?"
Draco looked completely innocent. " Old Dumbledore, that's what I always called him at Hogwarts."
Narcissa covered her forehead, sighed softly, and then couldn't help but laugh, "My little darling... next time, at least in front of us, try to... tone it down a bit."
Lucius rubbed his temples, completely at a loss.
He suddenly realized.
His own son has become so powerful that he can be on friendly terms with Dumbledore.
The Malfoy family are truly completely different now.
The days of going back and forth between home and school slipped away quietly amidst the sound of turning pages and the chirping of cicadas in the garden.
Until the end of August, an owl bearing the Hogwarts crest broke through the morning mist and landed heavily on the windowsill of the Malfoy Manor.
The parchment letter it held in its mouth broke the utter tranquility.
At that moment, Draco was reading with Hermione in the library when he heard the noise. He raised his hand and the letter flew into his hand automatically.
"The letter from the second-grade students has arrived."
He tore open the envelope, glanced at it quickly, and a playful smile curled at the corner of his lips. "Looks like we'll have to change teachers again this year for Defence Against Dark Magic."
Hermione looked up from the ancient book, her brow furrowing slightly:
"Change teachers? Why? Hasn't Professor Quirrell broken free of control?"
Draco handed her the letter, pointing to the names on the book list.
Hermione leaned closer and her pupils contracted slightly. "... It's Lockhart now?"
Draco raised an eyebrow. "You know him."
"I know him more than I do; I've read all his books," Hermione replied instinctively.
When Draco heard Hermione say she had read all of Lockhart's books, his eyes drooped, and his tone became sour:
"How come I didn't know? When did you sneak out to see it behind my back?"
Hermione raised her hand and gently tapped his forehead. "What are you saying? We're not together 24/7, aren't we? Don't you have things to do sometimes?"
Draco immediately recalled those days when he contacted Dumbledore to deal with the Horcrux.
Hermione was indeed not at the Malfoy Manor during those times.
He felt a pang of discomfort and a touch of jealousy; he raised an eyebrow and snorted.
"Looks like you're about to become a fanatical little fan of some famous wizard again. It's all my fault for not keeping a close eye on you."
Hermione looked puzzled. "What's wrong? Lockhart is amazing."
Draco sneered, saying without any mercy, "Impressive? He's just a fraud."
Hermione was truly stunned. The doubt on her face instantly turned into disapproval, and she was even a little angry.
She immediately frowned, and her voice rose slightly:
"Liar? Draco, how can you say that about someone? Professor Lockhart is a recognized hero of the Wizarding World; all his adventures are true!"
Draco's jealousy intensified as he watched her earnestly defend Lockhart.
"Publicly acknowledged? Who publicly acknowledges it? The wizards whose credit he stole and whose memories he erased?"
"You..." Hermione was speechless for a moment, but still refused to believe it, "Do you have any evidence? You can't slander someone based on impressions!"
Draco looked at her earnest and slightly stubborn expression, sighed with a hint of grievance, and said, "You don't believe me."
Hermione's heart softened immediately, and she quickly lowered her voice:
"It's not that I don't trust you, it's just... Professor Lockhart so famous, I've never thought of it that way."
"I know everything, Lockhart is no exception." Draco stared intently at her.
Hermione reflected on everything he had said and done during this period, and in the end, everything proved to be true.
Her eyes flickered slightly, a genuine suspicion creeping in. She asked softly, "Do you... really know something inside?"
Draco spoke calmly, his words piercing through the facade. "This guy's a master of the Memory Charm."
"He inquired about the adventures of other wizards, then cast spells to erase their memories, stealing all the credit and stories for himself."
Hermione was stunned, and after a long while, she said in disbelief, "... Is that so? Then everything he wrote in his book was fake?"
"Faketer than Muggle storybook." Draco pinched her cheek confidently. "So, I'm the only hero for you."
Hermione paused for a moment, then realized what she meant and asked with a smile, "Are you jealous?"
"No." Draco immediately turned his face away, his cheeks beginning to flush.
"You do." Hermione nudged his arm.
"I didn't," he stubbornly insisted.
Hermione narrowed her eyes, leaned forward, and threatened in a low voice, "If you don't admit it, I'll never kiss you again."
Draco whirled around, saw her smug "I've got you figured out" expression, and finally gave in, letting out a muffled hum. "... Yes, I'm jealous."
"You are not allowed to read his books anymore, you are not allowed to idolize him, you are not allowed to have anyone else in your eyes, only me."
Hermione beamed and leaned in to kiss him. "I know, I love my jealous hero."
"Then why would Lockhart want to replace Professor Quirrell? Wasn't he already free from Voldemort's control? Theoretically, he could continue teaching."
Hermione gets back to the main topic.
Draco suddenly leaned closer. "Give me another kiss, and I'll tell you."
Hermione narrowed her eyes, her gaze carrying Granger- esque "you're asking for it" intensity.
She reached out and gently pinched the soft flesh of his waist. "Will you talk or not?"
"It hurts, it hurts—I'll tell you, I'll tell you! Let go!"
Draco painfully admits defeat.