Volume 1

Sunday morning was marked by new news about another basilisk attack. Well, as a basilisk attack, it just became known that someone cursed a Muggle-born student from Gryffindor, and the curse is very similar to what was previously applied to the Flitch cat. For me, it only meant that a certain snake-eater continues to have fun with my snake, and it's time for me to stop doing bullshit and still go down to the Secret Room.

But not today. According to my plan, I have a lesson with Snape and a trip to the rescue room. Lately I've been feeling the call from this mysterious place more and more clearly… Although calling this feeling a call will still be too loud. Rather, some attraction somewhere deep into the room, but I can't figure out exactly where. And this "call" reminds me of the craving that I feel in the presence of Harry Potter. And this will also need to be dealt with.

By the way, a rumor has already begun to circulate around the school that Harry Potter is the heir of Slytherin. At the same time, not some empty babble in the till "someone said so, and I believe him." No, Tom knew perfectly well how fickle such rumors were. I know this too, and therefore I did not spend money on spreading such nonsense. Oh, no! I went much further and wrote a whole article on the topic of who the Potters are and why they are not a bright kind of wizards.

Such a move, although it required several days of work from me, but it will now be very, very difficult to refute the evidence of the "darkness" of a kind of minor hero. After all, almost half of the pure-blooded students of Hogwarts can safely confirm all the facts that I have given in my article, and they are in every faculty. In this light, it is not at all surprising that my story resonated with students, and it spreads among students almost at the speed of light, I made the gossips I bought memorize it by heart.

And Potter's reputation is going down very quickly, although many still hold the opinion that a national hero is not responsible for the deeds of his ancestors. Well, I expected something like that. Yet now a generation of wizards is studying at Hogue, who grew up on fairy tales about the hero who defeated the great evil – Harry Potter. And such a mental bookmark is quite difficult to overcome ... if a person is alone. The team can calmly change their mind almost instantly. The main thing is to set the right mood.

But all this is so, it goes in my life more like a background than I'm really working on it. Harry Potter is the enemy of Draco's past, not mine. I continue this conflict rather because of the image and possible profits in the future. The main thing is not to allow the weight of this conflict to acquire some kind of symbolic character. According to the type "The great light wizard Harry Potter has been waging a cold war with a certain Draco Malfoy from the very first day at Hogwarts, whose family has a very ambiguous reputation among the people ..." well, or something like that.

I need this whole conflict to look exactly like a conflict between schoolchildren and not blacken my reputation in any way. And for this "The Great Light Wizard Harry Potter" should not be. There should be a simple wizard with his skeletons in the closet. So I am engaged in creating just such a reputation for Harry. Fortunately, no one prevents me from doing this yet.

But stop thinking about nonsense, very soon I will have another series of sparring sessions with the dean. And you should not forget about your own training. After yesterday's "fight" I finally decided that my physical form does not suit me. You need to instill in yourself the speed and flexibility of Tom. Fortunately, with my gift for metamorphism, this will not be too long an occupation, rather difficult and dreary, but not long…

*****

Monday started somehow suddenly. Due to excessive work on the weekend, I did not notice the passage of time, and therefore, the sudden realization that it was about time for me to go to breakfast, and there were already classes nearby, turned out to be a little surprise for me. And it turned out to be an even bigger surprise that over the weekend I did not push my potions and transfiguration dz to Pansy or Daphne… here's an ambush.

We'll have to get out somehow. That's just how you can write two essays of six feet each for not a full hour before the start of classes, I had little idea… Moreover, there is a breakfast ahead, at which I simply have to be, and a quick-writing pen is not able to write at the speed I need… But I'll use it anyway.

At a furious pace, having collected all the textbooks I needed in my bag and "connected" to a quick-writing pen, I lifted a piece of parchment into the air and made it hover behind me, the pen already knows the built-in function to hover over the parchment… That's exactly how I was going to show up for breakfast, having written at least part of the weekend essays. Yes, I can't exactly write six feet at this rate, but three... it's quite possible.

Fortunately, my mental and volitional abilities were enough to broadcast my thoughts to peru with sufficient speed, while making out the text in the manner familiar to Draco. Now the main thing is that no one pays too much attention to this performance, otherwise knowledgeable people may be surprised at the speed of writing the text with my pen. No, I have a convincing explanation for this phenomenon ready, but it will still be unpleasant.

- Did Malfoy forget to do his homework on the great Draco? - Sarcastically, but not too loudly, almost in a whisper, Daphne asked me ... sitting right in front of the entrance to the men's part of the hostel. Clearly, an ulcer was waiting for me. And after all, I was not too lazy to get up early for such a thing. It's almost impossible to hide the sleepiness in my eyes from me, although she hid all the more vivid manifestations of lack of sleep just fine.

- You may not believe me, but even the greatest of people can forget about something. - No less sarcastically, I gave out, also without raising my voice. Still, her teasing somewhat exasperated me. The situation was already unpleasant enough, I didn't care about the lessons, but I really didn't want to waste time on working out. But Snape will definitely send me to Flitch, as soon as I show up at his lesson without a completed dz. And McGonagall is no better.

- I believe. - The girl breathed out, taking out two parchments collected in scrolls from her purse. - That's why I took care of your work in advance. - Having lost all her sarcasm, the girl added… Well, I felt a little awkward. Before, my fiancee had never taken care of me. And here it is ... and after all, she did not sleep, most likely, precisely because of my essays. It turned out ugly on my part.

- thanks. - Taking the scrolls, I said... before getting close to the girl and gently kissing her on the cheek. - You're just a darling… Especially when you're embarrassed. I grinned contentedly, grabbing the girl by the arm. For her care, she deserved a small reward. And I wasn't going to miss such an opportunity to get closer to the bride.

That day I appeared for breakfast for the first time, leading my fiancee by the arm. R-r-romance, damn it. But that's exactly what Daphne lacked in our relationship, so I can tone down my too rational side. Let the girl enjoy the moment. Yes, and an intuitive understanding that I know how to thank for the work I have done needs to be instilled in her. The bride after all, I still have to live with her…

It was with such thoughts that I continued my courtship already at breakfast, making Pansy's eyes sparkle with anger and jealousy, and the squires perplexed by my actions. Well, that's nothing. But the upperclassmen and other girls clearly understood the situation, cheerfully looking at our couple.

It's a pity that such a moment was spoiled by the announcement of some kind of opening of a dueling club. As if everyone didn't know about him anyway!? ... And well, yes, it was only Snape who told me about the club in advance, the rest really don't know anything. Apparently, stress in the morning has a rather negative effect on the criticality of my thinking, since I'm already starting to forget such obvious things.