章節 43: The Hogwarts Express
After getting his wand, Draco spent the rest of his summer trying out different spells at home, in the Malfoy Manor. Casting magic with the wand was easier than doing so without one, however, it wasn't as satisfying. The control one had to have and the power one had to exert was on a different level. If, before, Draco could only cast 'Expelliarmus' spell up to twenty times wandlessly, after getting his wand he could do the same almost eighty times without completely draining his magical core.
The difference was of four times!
It was no wonder that witches and wizards started to rely on wands and neglected the practice of their natural magic. Laziness was a disease, which penetrated the Magical World to the core.
On the day of his departure to Hogwarts, the whole family gathered in the Platform 9 ¾ at King's Cross Station. Abraxas Malfoy also portkeyed in the night before - just to send off his only and most favorite grandson to school, for the first time ever.
"Make sure that you don't neglect the practice of wandless magic! It will help you grow your core quicker. However, don't exhaust yourself – if you damage your core at its growing stage, it will be next to impossible to repair it," lectured Abraxas relentlessly.
He seemed to be the most worried out of them all about sending Draco off to school. Without even taking a pause for breath, he continued:
"And don't forget your physical training. If you want to participate in Dueling Competitions in the future, you will have to use the sword. I won't accept anything less!"
Draco nodded.
"Don't worry, grandfather. I will make sure to do as you say. We can always communicate via mirrors, and you will be able to check up on me whenever you want."
"Alright, I won't say anything more," Abraxas put up his stern front once again and looked around the platform, letting Draco's parents make their goodbyes too. Suddenly, his expression changed. "Who invited that old coot here?!"
"Ah, Abraxas. Long-time no see," Arcturus Black approached his fellow Patriarch and offered a genial smile and a nod. "How's France? Still lazying around all day, doing nothing but wasting living space over there?"
"You!" Abraxas almost burst out with curses but managed to control himself, remembering where he was. "Who invited you here? Don't you have a lot of responsibilities as the Black Lord? Not able to retire at your age – what a pity…"
Draco silently stood at the side and enjoyed the show. He had alway been curious about what would happen when Abraxas and Arcturus met.
Lucius, who witnessed countless such encounters over the years while he was courting Narcissa, cast a privacy spell to ensure that no one overheard the conversation between the two respected Patriarchs.
If people knew, what they were talking about, both families would be unable to wash off their humiliation!
But with the privacy spell, two men, who showed polite smiles to each other, seemed to get along very well - at least on the surface. It was just that their words were a bit…
"Draco has been spending a lot of time with me and he is my family's member. Of course, I have to see him off! I've been teaching him politics, which I am sure you neglected, what with your obsession with physical combat. A barbarian, such as you, teaching future generations… It will be a wonder if he doesn't turn out to be a muscle-head. You should thank me instead!"
Arcturus also didn't spare his words and rebutted the blond man with expert ease and experience.
Abraxas turned to Draco, and the boy could almost see his grandfather thinking: 'You really spent time with my enemy? But you promised to never meet him!'
Draco guiltily looked away and pretended that he didn't understand.
Arcturus quickly stepped forward, ignoring Abraxas' glare, and patted the blond boy on the shoulder.
"We are all very proud of you! I know that you will do well in school. If you need anything – the Black family will always help." The old man then took something out of his pocket and placed it in Draco's hands. "Melania wanted to come and say goodbye, however, she wasn't feeling well. She especially made some snacks for you and your friends to enjoy during the train ride. Take care, Draco, and call us often."
The boy smiled at the Black Patriarch. A feeling of affection filled his heart for the old man and his wife. Although he hadn't liked Arcturus at first, over the years he spent a lot of time with the Black Lord and understood his heavy burdens and responsibilities, which made him seem strict and unapproachable on the surface. In fact, the old man was just tired and wished to rest. He probably envied Abraxas, who handed over his responsibilities to Lucius and lived a carefree life.
"Thank you, grandfather."
Arcturus nodded silently.
Abraxas came forward and quickly hugged Draco. "I said what I wanted to say. Be safe, Draco."
"Yes," the blond boy replied and turned to his father.
"Draco, I know you will do well no matter what. Don't feel pressure, though. Your mother and I will be proud of you, despite anything that crops up. If something really happens, no matter how small, let us know and we will help you. Don't hold everything in," Lucius said while looking straight into his son's eyes. He wanted Draco to understand that, no matter what, the family will always stand behind him.
The boy nodded once again. His eyes started to itch a bit, but he was too embarrassed to cry in public. No matter what, he was over thirty-years-old on the inside!
However, the same couldn't be said for his mother. Narcissa rushed over and hugged her son with reddened eyes.
"We should have chosen to home-school you! Why do you have to go somewhere so far away? You are so smart - you will do great even if you don't go to school!" she said emotionally. Draco awkwardly patted his mother's back, trying to silently console her.
A whistle blew, signifying the train's departure in 5 minutes.
Narcissa tried to calm down. She slackened her hold over Draco but didn't completely release him from the hug. Instead, just like her husband, she looked into her son's eyes and said in all seriousness:
"Draco, you know that we love you and we will be there for you, no matter what happens. If you get into a dangerous situation - run. If someone bullies you, call me and I will sort them out. If you kill someone - call me the very next second and I will take care of everything, alright?"
Draco nodded while speechlessly staring at his, usually gentle and graceful, mother. He should never delude himself into thinking that he was raised in a normal family!
After another quick round of hugs and goodbyes, Draco finally boarded the train just as the final whistle blew and all of the doors magically closed themselves. The boy quickly found a window and waved his hand in a final goodbye to the four adults, who were closest to him over these few years after his transmigration.
The train moved and Draco gradually lost sight of the platform, and people gathered on it. He released a sigh and moved his gaze away from the window. Around him were many kids holding their trunks. They were mostly first years, who were still very emotional about leaving home for the first time in their lives.
More experienced students weren't as sentimental in saying their goodbyes. Their families were already used to not having them at home for most of the year. As such, they usually boarded the train earlier - to occupy compartments for their friends.
Draco adjusted his mood and took out his communication mirror.
"Daphne Greengrass," he intoned quietly. Not even a second passed before his call was answered and a pretty dark-haired girl was reflected on the mirror's surface.
"Draco, where are you? All of us are already seated in a compartment. We saved you a seat, come quickly," she commanded without letting him say a word.
Draco nodded and, after noting down the directions, he quickly headed over. He wasn't burdened by a large suitcase, like other students. His trunk was shrunken and charmed to stay light while being safely hidden in his pocket. The snacks for the train ride were hidden in another pocket, which was enchanted to have bigger space, while also making the items placed into it weightless. Even though wizarding families were not always logical, they were at least practical in the usage of their spells.
As he walked through the train, Draco curiously looked into other compartments. A few students came out to greet him when they noticed the blond passing by. While Draco had his own circle of best friends, he was still familiar with most of the older pureblood students as well as his peers from the numerous parties he had attended over the years. Because he was often featured in the newspapers, none of the children shunned him, and most tried to get closer to him, hoping to rub off some of his glory.
Because of that, he naturally stopped to talk with Chester Davies, a Ravenclaw second year, who greeted Draco when he was passing by the older boy's compartment.
"You are crowding the hallways," a bossy voice interrupted their conversation.
Draco and Chester simultaneously turned their heads to look at the girl, who stood nearby with her arms crossed in front of her chest and impatiently tapping her foot. Her bushy brown hair was spilling over her shoulders, while her brown eyes were staring at the two boys challengingly, as though daring them to argue with her. Draco didn't need her to introduce herself to guess, who she was.
"What are you looking at? Move over," she commanded when she saw them silently staring at her without reaction.
Draco moved, intending to let her pass by without a comment. He didn't want to argue with Hermione Granger in a hallway, knowing that nothing good will come out of it if he points out her own rude behavior. She will either get hurt and start hating him right away, or argue her case and hate him anyway.
Besides, the girl didn't seem to have any social skills. When a person usually saw that they couldn't pass by other people, who were blocking the way, they tended to politely request others to move over and let them through. Yet, this girl pointed metaphorical fingers at other people, intentionally or not offending them with the tone of voice and the choice of words she used.
Unlike Draco, Chester continued to stand in Hermione's way and even moved to block the passage.
"You know, you should be politer to others. While we were indeed in the wrong for standing in the way, that's not a reason to speak to us as though we are your servants and have to do whatever you say," he reasonably pointed out.
Hermione's cheeks flushed from embarrassment. She visibly swallowed the words, which would escalate the argument, and nodded with some difficulty. After all, the one who spoke was polite, and he was an older student, already sorted and wearing the Ravenclaw's uniform. Besides, she had indeed been a bit impatient earlier.
"I apologize," the bushy-haired girl answered. "Now, could you, please, let me through?"
Chester didn't make it difficult for her and moved over. Draco silently looked at one of the main characters as she hurriedly left. He could see why she was sorted into Gryffindor. Although she was very intelligent, she was also a bit rash and too direct when talking with others. This trait may not have been obvious in the books, where she was surrounded by even more rash characters, but when she stood alone - it was very glaring.
Draco didn't linger in the hallway for much longer. After bidding his farewells to the older student, he left to search for his friends. After five more minutes of looking around, he finally found them.
"I was beginning to think that you were kidnapped on your way here," Susan commented as soon as Draco entered the compartment. The blond by snorted and fell into the soft seat.
"You almost guessed it. Being the most popular guy is very hard – everyone kept trying to stop me on the way here. I was even tempted a few times to stay with other people – they kept offering me various sweets and snacks. Pansy Parkinson tried to bribe me with Swiss chocolates and I almost succumbed. But after taking a look at her compartment, which was full of giggling girls, I ran off without looking back. Too scary..."
Draco sighed woefully, as though regretting being born so desirable. Theo laughed out loud while Susan playfully hit Draco's side. Hannah giggled behind her hand and Daphne just snorted incredulously at Draco's displayed self-importance.
Their pleasant conversation was interrupted by the sound of sliding doors.
"Having fun without me?"
Draco turned his head and his eyes widened in surprise. Before him, casually leaning on the compartment's door, was Aleksandr Sokolov – the boy he met back in Russia.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, confused. As soon as Draco's words sounded in the compartment, he realized that his tone was a bit rude. However, before he could correct himself, Alex answered:
"My adoptive father and useless grandfather decided to send me overseas because I am causing too much trouble at home. Did you forget?" the Russian boy asked with his trademark tranquil smile. He casually raised his hand to examine his nails and continued:
"I was originally supposed to go to Koldovstoretz and act like Dmitrij Sokolov's real youngest son, instead of a half-blood nephew. However, after the Black family's visit and my hosting you, leading you to sightsee various magical places in Russia, it 'somehow' got out that Lord Sokolov's younger brother had a son with a muggle. If I went to Russian magical school with the Sokolov surname, the whole family would become a laughingstock."
Alex explained everything in a calm manner. He didn't have to be worried about others overhearing because all of this was said in the Russian language.
"And here I am!" he spread his hands as though trying to say 'ta-dah!'. After deciding that he posed long enough for the astonished public, he continued: "By the way, I wouldn't advise for you or the Blacks to go to Russia any time soon. My adoptive father thinks that it's your fault that the embarrassing secret got out. Coincidentally, it happened just after you left..."
With a shrug of his shoulders, as though to say 'what can you do if the other person is so unreasonable?', Alex finally closed the compartment's door and took the last empty seat.
Without dropping his calm smile, he switched back to English and greeted others:
"Hello, nice to meet you, guys. Draco told me all about you when he visited our house in Russia! Sorry about talking in another language earlier – I was just explaining, why I am here. I wanted to create a surprise, but Draco doesn't seem to be too happy to see me now… And here I thought we were friends." Alex's smile wavered and eyes widened. He acted as though Draco's behavior made him sad, but he still wanted to hold strong and hide his distress from others.
"Oh, you poor…" Hannah cut off her own words, remembering to be considerate of the other boy. Instead, her eyes flashed to Draco and she glared at him, silently blaming the blond for being so callous.
Draco could only speechlessly stare as Alex was quickly taken under the gentle girl's wing and introduced to other children in the compartment.
He had to revise his impression of the Russian boy, who wasn't as simple as he had thought before. Draco remembered thinking that Alex was still too inexperienced and that the Sokolovs knew of his hidden depths and could deal with him. However, now it seemed that even they were played by this constantly smiling boy, who had not one, but two layers of masks! And who knew, whether it was all there was to it?
Was it true, what the boy said at that time, in the orphanage?
He used Legilimency on the caretaker and them explained his situation to Draco. At that time, the boy seemed to be very emotional, however, now it looked like Draco had been played.
Who knew, what the actual situation was?
Maybe the other was really a half-blood, and maybe Sokolovs really had a hand in killing his sister (if she even existed). But for Draco, it would be hard to find the truth – Lord Sokolov hid the matter from the pureblood circles, so he wouldn't be inclined to disclose this information to others.
How much truth and how many lies were in the whole story – only Alex and his family would probably know.
Anyway, it wasn't Draco's business, and he didn't want to be involved in it. Draco shook his head and ceased thinking about this matter. His mind turned back to his friends' conversation.
As Draco observed them, he noticed that while Hannah seemed to believe in Alex's act, Susan, Daphne, and Theo didn't buy it so readily. While they were certainly polite and friendly, they were also noticeably distant in their conduct.
Alex also seemed to have noticed it because he lessened his pitiful act.
"Anyway, let's all be friends," the Russian boy said smilingly. "I brought some sweets from Russia – most of you probably hadn't tasted zefirs before."
The Russian boy took out an elegant carved wooden box and opened it, revealing colorful confectioneries, which resembled marshmallows.
Hannah was the first to reach out and take a bite out of a snowy white zefir. As soon as a piece of it was in her mouth, she exclaimed and covered her lips with a hand. Her eyes closed in silent enjoyment. A few seconds later they opened once again, and she turned her head to Alex, who was curiously observing her.
"Merlin and Morgana! It felt like I took a bite out of a fluffy cloud! It was very sweet, and as soon as it was in my mouth, it dissolved and started to float inside. After a while, it disappeared, leaving a refreshing aftertaste in my mouth – completely unlike the sweet first moments!" Hannah observed the snack with sparkling eyes and took another bite.
Daphne and Susan exchanged glances and hurriedly picked out their own zefirs. Even Theo succumbed after Alex's urgings. Draco refrained because he didn't like the overly sweet snacks, however, this made him remember that he had his own treats packed away in the pocket.
The blond boy took them out and opened them up. This prompted other children to also take out their own snacks, which their house-elves and parents packed with care.
Soon, the compartment was full of laughter and loud exclamations, as happy children conversed and ate while sharing their treats with each other.
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