The morning light of July fifteenth had yet to fully disperse the mist, but a touch of warmth had already settled over the courtyard of Malfoy Manor.
Draco rose early, carefully put away his Hogwarts acceptance letter, tucked it into an inner pocket, and set out with Lucius and Narcissa, who had been waiting in the hall, to buy his school supplies in Diagon Alley.
[Ding, the timing of your trip to Diagon Alley has changed, altering the original plot. Fortune Points increased by 10.]
Today, of all days? Draco wondered. He vaguely remembered that the original Draco was supposed to visit Diagon Alley in late July. Presumably, this was a minor change brought about by his transmigration, hardly anything surprising.
Once they were ready, Lucius reached out and took Draco and Narcissa by the wrists. A faint light flashed from the wand at his fingertips, and a pale golden magical glow surrounded them.
When the force of Apparition suddenly swept over him, Draco felt the world spin, a fierce wave of dizziness rushing straight to the crown of his head.
Then came a suffocating tightness, as though his entire body had been forcibly stuffed into a narrow rubber tube. An invisible force squeezed and tore at every part of him, until even his consciousness spun and blurred.
Finally, his stomach churned violently, acid rising in his throat. His legs went so weak he could barely stand, and his vision kept darkening. Had he not held on through sheer effort, he would have thrown up on the spot.
The sensation was far worse than he had imagined, a hundred times more intense than vertigo in the Muggle world. In mere moments, he was drenched in cold sweat, his face white as paper.
Only when his feet finally met solid ground and the chill of cobblestones seeped through his soles did he barely manage to steady himself. Even then, he swayed involuntarily, his chest heaving, and it took quite a while before he caught his breath somewhat.
The moment he recovered his senses, Draco could not help muttering to Lucius beside him, "Laodeng, let's use the Floo Network next time. This Apparition business feels awful."
As his words fell, the air around them abruptly froze in a brief yet intensely oppressive silence.
Lucius stopped dead. His body remained still; only the snake-headed cane in his hand turned slightly, its serpent eyes flashing coldly in the morning light.
He slowly turned around, his gray-blue eyes like ice-tempered spikes aimed straight at Draco. His gaze was sharp as a blade as he carefully weighed the meaning behind those words.
Was Draco merely complaining out of physical discomfort, or was he questioning the Malfoy family's way of doing things at his core?
"Draco," Lucius began, his voice smooth as silk yet carrying a steely coldness that brooked no argument, "members of the Malfoy family never willingly choose to mingle with the common masses and the riffraff."
He paused, his fingertips stroking the snake pattern on his cane, his tone full of contempt. "Apparition may indeed be less than comfortable, but it ensures the greatest possible privacy and efficiency in our travels, free from interference or prying by anyone irrelevant. The Floo Network?"
At this, Lucius curled his lip disdainfully, his eyes filled with scorn. "That is merely something used by people with no standing or status, who must expose their movements to Ministry of Magic surveillance and do not mind sharing a chimney with all manner of people and covering themselves in filth."
Narcissa had long since noticed something was wrong with Draco. Hearing the exchange between father and son, a flicker of concern crossed her face.
She stepped forward quickly, her gaze fixed on Draco's pale little face, studying his expression closely for fear he was forcing himself to endure his discomfort.
Then Narcissa gently rested a hand on Draco's shoulder, the warmth of her palm passing through his clothes with a soothing touch.
After comforting Draco, she said to Lucius, "Draco is still young, and this is his first experience with Apparition. Some discomfort is inevitable. Perhaps next time we could use the private fireplace at Borgin and Burkes. Its Floo Network connection is cleaner and safer, and it is quite close to the exclusive area on the second floor of Flourish and Blotts. That would save us a good deal of trouble as well."
Draco knew Lucius's temper and understood that his mother was giving him a way out. He promptly took it, waving a hand. "All right, all right. I'll get used to Apparition gradually. I won't complain next time."
At these words, the marble-hard lines of Lucius's face finally relaxed almost imperceptibly, his taut jaw softening a little.
His gaze, however, did not entirely soften. Instead, its icy scrutiny became a keen, blazing light, as though he were assessing the quality of a rare metal. He studied Draco closely, trying to catch a hint of resilience in his expression.
A moment later, he gave an exceedingly slight nod, so small it was almost imperceptible. Without watching deliberately, one would never have noticed it.
"That's more like it." Lucius's tone eased somewhat, though it still carried the authority of the head of the family.
He raised his snake-headed cane and lightly tapped its tip against the cobblestones beneath his feet, producing a crisp sound-a rarely displayed sign of his satisfaction.
"A member of the Malfoy family is never ruled or constrained by mere physical discomfort," Lucius said slowly, his tone solemn and bearing the weight of a long-passed-down lesson. "Such fleeting discomfort and suffering are nothing more than insignificant obstacles to be overcome along the road ahead."
Lucius stared at Draco, his gaze growing deeper, as though he meant to engrave these words into his very bones.
"Remember, Draco, true power often comes with discomfort and pain beyond what ordinary people can endure. This is true whether you are wielding powerful, domineering magic that is difficult to control or maintaining the honor and standing of our ancient family. Only by learning to adapt to that discomfort and conquer that pain can you turn it to your advantage, truly shoulder the responsibilities of the Malfoy family, and become an heir worthy of this surname."
"Got it, Laodeng!" Draco nodded, feeling thoroughly helpless.
Seeing that he had taken the lesson to heart, Lucius finally lost some of the sharpness in his eyes.
He then turned and raised a hand in a gesture. "Come along. Let us not delay our shopping."
With that, Lucius took the lead and strode deeper into Diagon Alley. The tapping of his snake-headed cane against the ground sounded particularly clear amid the bustling street, carrying the Malfoy family's distinctive air of nobility and authority.
Narcissa gently patted Draco's back and softly reminded him a few times to "say something if you feel unwell," then took his hand and followed close behind.
Although Draco had yet to adjust, as he considered this magical ability to cross space in an instant, he knew he certainly needed to master it. If he could learn such magic in the future, he could go wherever he pleased. How convenient that would be.
Gathering his thoughts, he turned his gaze to the street ahead. The scene before him overlapped with his memories, yet experiencing it firsthand made it seem all the more fantastical.
A winding lane was paved with smooth cobblestones. Sunlight filtered through the shop signs hanging at varying heights, casting shifting, bizarre shadows across the ground.
Overhead, an enormous gilded cauldron hung from ropes and swayed gently. Several owls squinting one eye hooted creakily from wooden stands, while decorative skeletons wearing shabby headscarves rocked in the breeze. Everywhere brimmed with the wizarding world's strangeness and vitality.
The shops on either side of the street leaned crookedly, crowded tightly together, their wooden beams jutting outward and their walls covered in dark green vines. They looked as though they might topple at any moment under the weight of too much magic, yet the passing years had lent them a peculiar steadiness.
"Come along," Lucius reminded Draco in an indifferent tone as he watched him stare blankly at Diagon Alley.
Then he continued forward, with Draco and Narcissa following closely behind, heading into the heart of Diagon Alley.
The school supplies were numerous and varied: cauldrons, parchment, quills, magical books, and pets all had to be purchased, one by one.
As they walked, Lucius turned his head toward Draco and said slowly, "If you need any additional wizarding equipment in the future, you may come to Diagon Alley. It has the most comprehensive selection of goods in the wizarding world, enough to satisfy your needs."
Only then did Narcissa speak from beside them, her voice gentle. "Son, there is actually somewhere to shop within Hogwarts as well: Hogsmeade. It is a village inhabited entirely by wizards, with an even greater variety of shops than Diagon Alley. In the future, when your studies tire you out, you can take a stroll there and relax."
"That is a place only students in their third year and above may visit," Lucius added.
Hogsmeade? Something stirred in Draco's mind. He knew it was the only wizarding village Hogwarts students could freely visit, and he quickly nodded in acknowledgment. "Understood, Mother."
When they reached the relevant shops, Lucius instructed him, "Very well. Your mother and I will purchase your magical books, cauldron, parchment, and other supplies, then choose a pet. You will go alone to Madam Malkin's Robe Shop to have your wizarding robes fitted, then to Ollivander's Wand Shop to choose a wand of your own. As the heir to the Malfoy family, you should be capable of handling matters independently. Your practice begins now."
"All right, Father," Draco agreed calmly, without the slightest trace of apprehension on his face.
He was already thoroughly familiar with Diagon Alley. Going alone would actually be more comfortable, with less to worry about.
Seeing his composure, Lucius's eyes filled with even greater approval, and he nodded in satisfaction.
Narcissa, however, was somewhat worried. Holding Draco's hand, she gave him careful reminders before finally asking, "Son, what sort of pet would you like? Among the pets Hogwarts permits, cats, owls, and toads are the most common and the easiest to buy."
Draco considered for a moment, an idea already in mind, then said with a smile, "Mother, I'd like a dog."
At this, Narcissa gave a helpless laugh. "You child, are you deliberately making things difficult for your mother? Though Hogwarts has not explicitly forbidden dogs, very few students bring them, so I fear one will be hard to find in the shops. Even if there are any, most will be breeds common in the wizarding world, not necessarily to your liking."
Draco grinned. "Mother, that's not the only difficulty. If there really are dogs for sale, please help me find a Chinese village dog."
Listening beside them, Lucius raised an eyebrow and scolded, "You little rascal, you certainly know how to trouble your mother! Are our native English breeds not good enough? Must you insist on finding a dog from China?"
"Laodeng, you just don't get it," Draco blurted out.