Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Hogwarts Invitation Letter and Shopping
As he learned magic, taught two young children whose IQs were lagging behind, and occasionally improved his relationship with Pansy through storytelling, Draco's days were quite fulfilling.
However, such a day was interrupted by a letter brought by an owl.
The letter was from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, with Albus Dumbledore as the Headmaster.
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Chef Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, President of International Confederation of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Draco,
We are happy to inform you that you have been accepted to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Attached is a list of required books and equipment.
The semester is scheduled to begin on September 1. Please reply to this letter via owl before July 31.
Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
[Uniforms]
First-year students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will need to purchase the following items for their uniform:
3 sets of plain black work robes
1 plain black pointed hat for day wear
1 pair of protective gloves (preferably made of dragon hide or similar material)
1 black winter cloak with silver fastenings
All students' clothing should have name tags.
In addition to the uniform, students will need the following course books:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
Other necessary equipment includes:
1 wand
1 standard size 2 pewter cauldron
1 set of glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set of brass scales
Students may also bring their own owl, cat, or toad if they wish.
Please note parents that first-year students are not allowed to have their own broomsticks.
"I think Durmstrang would be more suitable for him," said Lucius, trying one last effort to convince Draco to attend Durmstrang. After all, Dark Arts research is rarely restricted there, and there is no need to live with non-pureblood students. Lucius thought that Draco would be better educated at Drumstrang.
"Are you willing to let our son go so far away? It's on an island, it will be so inconvenient!" Narcissa insisted on her own opinion and wanted to send Draco to a Hogwarts closer to home. "You are also a Board of Directors in Hogwarts, maybe you can still look after him."
"You know that the old man with the white beard and I don't get along," said Lucius, looking a little unhappy.
"I've already made my decision to go to Hogwarts," said Draco calmly.
After all, he had spent so much time cultivating a relationship with Pansy, he couldn't just give up now. Plus, after a few years of being in a similar relationship with Pansy, Draco had developed a deep friendship with her, excluding the fact that she still maintaining some arrogance.
"I understand, Mother. I'll go to Diagonal Alley with Father tomorrow." Draco nodded and replied to his mother.
"Good, good." Narcissa smiled happily, feeling that her son was growing up and becoming more and more sensible.
"It's not too late. We can go now and avoid the crowds in a few days. I don't think we'll enjoy being in a crowded place," Lucius said to Draco.
"I agree. I'm really excited to see all the different shops and places in Diagonal Alley, Gringotts and other more shop," Draco replied.
The two of them then went to the living room by the fireplace.
"Make sure you speak the destination correctly," Lucius reminded Draco.
"Don't worry, Dad. I won't make any mistakes. I'm very focused, especially since it's my first time using the Floo network," Draco reassured his father.
"Diagon Alley!" Draco and Lucius shouted in unison as they stepped into the fireplace, holding hands. They then sprinkled a handful of Floo powder, a sparkling substance used for transportation.
The green flames rose and began to swirl around them, causing Draco to feel dizzy and disoriented as he was spun around and around. But the sensation didn't last long, and soon Draco found himself standing on a cold, flat surface again.
"I think we should find a place to rest for a bit," Lucius suggested, noticing that Draco was still a bit disoriented from their first experience with Floo powder transportation.
"I agree," Draco replied, still trying to catch his breath.
"I think we should go to the Florin cold drink shop and try their new licorice ice cream," Lucius suggested, wanting to see his son happy.
It's true that sweets have the power to heal and lift spirits, and after eating an entire ice cream, Draco was feeling much better.
"I think this ice cream will bring us good luck," Lucius said with a smile. "Come on, Draco, let's go check out Ollivander's wand shop. I'm sure you'll find a wand you love there."
The two of them walked for a while until they came upon a small, run-down shop with a solitary magic wand displayed on a faded purple cushion in the window. The gold sign on the front door of the shop was peeling and read: "Ollivander, maker of fine wands since 382 BC."
As soon as they entered the store, Draco and his father heard a jingle. The store was empty except for a bench and an old man.
"Good afternoon," a soft voice greeted them. It belonged to Garrick Ollivander, the owner of the shop and one of the three major wand makers in Europe.
Ollivander had an ordinary appearance, but his silver-white eyes seemed to contain the wisdom of life's experiences, like two shining moons.
"I can see that he's not an ordinary person," Draco thought to himself, feeling a similar aura emanating from Ollivander.
"Oh, it's Mr. Lucius. The last time we met seems like just yesterday," Ollivander said.
"Yes, you remember every wand you've sold. You always say that to everyone. Although I know you do remember, there's no need to remind me," Lucius replied, his tone slightly cold and unfriendly.
"This is a handsome young man. Is this your son? I'm guessing he inherited a lot of your genes," Ollivander said, turning his attention to Draco and easily deducing their relationship as father and son. "What is his name?"
"Draco Malfoy," Draco answered.
"That's a good name," Ollivander said.
He then led Draco to the counter.
"Which hand do you prefer to use a wand with?" Ollivander asked.
"I think the right hand is more convenient for me," Draco replied. Most people in the world are right-handed.
At the same time, a tape measure with a silver scale began measuring Draco's hand automatically.
Ollivander was about to go back and get a wand for Draco to try when Draco spoke up.
"Mr. Ollivander, I think this one looks very good," Draco said, pointing to a wand.
"Hmm..." Ollivander considered this for a moment. "I think it's best to listen to the advice of a professional. After all, a wand may be with you for life."
"I think I'd like to listen to my son's advice first," Lucius said.
"Okay," Ollivander said, shrugging helplessly and retrieving the wand that Draco had pointed out. "This wand is made of hawthorn wood and has a unicorn hair core. It's exactly ten inches long. Why don't you give it a try?"
Ollivander's expression was not very pleased, as anyone in his field would be unhappy to be questioned.
Draco, holding the wand, quickly used the spell he was most familiar with: "Lumos!"
A dazzling light burst from the end of the wand, causing Lucius and Ollivander to almost be unable to open their eyes.
"It looks like I'm going to lose my job," Ollivander said with a self-deprecating smile, clearly impressed that the wand was a perfect match for Draco.
"I just didn't want to waste time,"Draco thought to himself.
"How much is it?" Lucius asked, ready to pay for the wand.
"Twelve gold galleons," Ollivander replied, his voice weak. It seemed that he had taken a financial hit.
"I think your son will become an amazing wizard," Ollivander said as he saw Draco and his father off, bowing slightly and expressing a heartfelt sentiment rather than a mere compliment.
"Thank you," Lucius said, feeling good despite the fact that his good mood was about to be shattered.
As they walked out of Ollivander's wand shop, the noise level in Diagonal Alley was high, as many parents had brought their children to buy school supplies. It was then that Lucius saw someone he despised more than anyone else.
"Dear son, I hope you remember the glory of our bloodline and don't tarnish our honor like some others have," Lucius suddenly said to Draco.
"Yes, Father. The glory of the Malfoy family will surely be eternal," Draco replied, a little puzzled as to why Lucius would suddenly say such a thing to him. But he soon understood.
Lucius led Draco straight to a pair of father and son who were selecting goods.
"I understand now," Draco said with heavy sigh as he saw the flaming red hair on the heads of the two men.
"It's unbelievable, Arthur, to see you here. I thought the Weasley family wouldn't use anything new. By the way, one wand per person. It can't always be the old one. That's my advice, not a good one," Lucius mockingly said to them.
Unfortunately, Lucius was still wrong, and Ron was using Charlie's old wand.
"I guess the Malfoy family has become busy with gossip," Arthur, the man that Lucius had spoken to, responded coldly.
There was only one family in the wizarding world with such distinctive appearances - the Weasley family. The two men were, of course, Arthur Weasley and Ron Weasley.
Ron blushed at this comment, obviously feeling embarrassed by Lucius's words.
"I just hope that some people won't bring shame to our pure-blood families and give some kind reminders," Lucius said, although his words were more of a ridicule than an explanation.
"Let's go," Arthur said, quickly dragging Ron away, clearly not wanting to argue with Lucius in public.
"It didn't look good when we first met," Draco thought to himself.
Both the Malfoy and Weasley families are pure-blood families in the wizarding world, but they have taken two extreme positions. The Malfoy family advocates for the pure-blood theory and strives to prove their superiority, expressing contempt for Muggles.
On the other hand, the Weasley family is very interested in and friendly towards Muggles, even going so far as to write the Muggle Protection Law to ensure their interests. The former sees the latter as tarnishing the glory of pure-bloods and the latter sees the former as a group of lunatics promoting a dangerous ideology.
These different viewpoints have caused a strained relationship between the two families, and it's easy to see how such differences in ideology can lead to conflict.
Lucius was not well-liked by the public and often chose to attack the Weasley family's weak points, one of which was their economic situation. Arthur, as the director of the Ministry of Magic's Department of Muggle Protection, should theoretically be able to make a good amount of money, but the Weasley family's financial situation was still quite tight. This was evident in the fact that most of Ron's possessions were second-hand from his brothers.
On the other hand, Lucius used his family's influence to make a fortune, and the luxurious decorations in their manor showed the Malfoy family's impressive financial power.
"As a vested interest, who can easily give up everything in front of them?" Draco thought to himself. As a person with a good education in the 21st century, this discriminatory view should have been discarded long ago as a pile of garbage. But who can easily give up their excellent lifestyle? Draco was not a saint and naturally had his own selfishness.
To make an inappropriate analogy, if you were a slave owner in the time of slavery, could you immediately follow in Lincoln's footsteps and work towards the liberation of slaves?
"You can only change it as slowly as possible," Draco thought to himself. He was well aware that there were many people in the Malfoy family tree who had married Muggles, and even the family's wealth today was largely due to this. If this were to be exposed, it could be a devastating blow to the family, so changing their stereotyped ideas may be in their own best interests.
"Remember the red hair color of that family. That is a shame among our pure-blood wizards," Lucius said, feeling pleased with himself as he saw Arthur "retreating". He continued to instill his ideas into Draco.
"I remember, Father," Draco said.
"That's good," Lucius's pale face couldn't help but show a smile.
"I think we should go to the Gringotts bank now," Lucius said after a moment.
"Father, I think we should have enough money to buy wizard robes and school books," Draco reminded him.
"Dear child, don't you want to own your own flying broom? This kind of money is not enough," Lucius replied.
"Uh, I think, Father, haven't read the letter carefully," Draco said.
Lucius smiled: "As the member of Board of Directors, I think I can still give my son some small privileges in this regard."
"That's really great." From this, Draco
couldn't help but have a trace of excitement, flying-one of the ultimate dreams of mankind.
"Wow, that's fantastic news," Draco exclaimed, clearly excited at the prospect of flying, which is a dream shared by many people.
"But I have one condition," Lucius said with a knowing smile. "You have to promise not to tell your mother. You know she hates it when you do dangerous things."
"Alright, let's go," Lucius said as he affectionately patted Draco on the head.
It must be noted that although Lucius may not have the most upright moral compass, he will do anything to protect those he loves.
As the sun began to set, Lucius and Draco returned home, loaded with supplies, and disappeared through the entrance of Diagon Alley, marking the end of their journey for the day.
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