Chapter 207: Malfoy

After the funeral, most of the guests gradually departed. Narcissa and Andromeda stayed behind to speak with Sirius.

In the past, Narcissa hadn't been on good terms with the other two siblings. Bloodline, loyalty, and family ties had all stood as barriers between them. Narcissa never even spoke to the two "blood traitors."

Since Sirius's release from Azkaban, Andromeda had visited him several times and even invited him to stay at her home to recuperate for a while. 

Narcissa, on the other hand, had only appeared in the audience on the day of his trial and had no further interaction with him.

But now, in front of Regulus's grave, they finally set aside their grudges and hostility to exchange a few words without animosity.

The Malfoy father and son waited nearby, naturally keeping their distance. Although they had sat in the front row during the funeral, they seemed isolated. The other guests deliberately avoided engaging with them.

Neither Lucius nor Draco felt embarrassed by this. They looked down on the less affluent attendees and preferred the solitude anyway.

The two were speaking quietly.

"That gray-eyed boy earlier, is he Wade Grey?" Lucius Malfoy asked in a low voice.

"Yes," Draco said with disdain. "Just a Mudblood, yet he's gained the favor of that old lunatic Dumbledore and Professor Murray! And there's a bunch of idiots always hanging around him, including Harry Potter, that scarhead…"

"I thought you'd have learned your lesson by now!"

Lucius cut off Draco's complaints coldly. "I've told you before: you need to associate with people who have potential, not waste your time with those sycophantic fools who cling to you."

Draco's gaze darkened.

The people who used to follow him around like shadows had mostly drifted away.

When he had complained to his father about it, Lucius had harshly rebuked him.

In Lucius's view, Crabbe and Goyle—just like their fathers—were so dim-witted it was a wonder they even had functioning minds. If Draco couldn't even manage to hold onto such simple-minded allies, Lucius believed the real issue lay with his son.

"And what do I see now? A group of the most talented young wizards in your year participating in a collective effort, working together seamlessly, recognizing each other's strengths. And you're excluded!"

Lucius spoke with disappointment. "Draco, I've told you repeatedly: you don't have to like certain people, but you mustn't let your preferences push away those who are valuable."

"I'm not interested in coming here just to do servant's work!"

Draco protested. "Besides, Wade Grey is just a Mudblood! You've always told me that our Malfoy family is pure-blood nobility…"

"And I've also told you that our noble titles and estates came from the Muggle Emperor William the Conqueror. Before the Statute of Secrecy, our family maintained close ties with the Muggle royal families. One of your ancestors even courted Queen Elizabeth I."

"But didn't you say before..."

"Yes, of course, we publicly deny it, but we can't deceive ourselves as well."

Lucius interrupted Draco, instructing him:

"Draco, pure-blood wizards are indeed superior, but supporting pure-blood supremacy doesn't mean we must completely reject the non-magical world. Power and wealth are the only true constants—they are the real forces that sustain the Malfoy family."

"The Dark Lord is also half-blood. So what? If he had succeeded, he would have led the families who supported him into a new center of power."

Draco paused in silence, then said, "But he failed."

As he spoke, his eyes unconsciously drifted to Harry Potter, who was chatting with Neville and others in the distance.

"Then we must accept that outcome," Lucius said as he adjusted his collar and lowered his voice. "Instead of throwing ourself into Azkaban out of a desire for revenge like your foolish aunt."

"If the pro-Muggle faction rises to power, then we must align ourselves with them as well. Dumbledore is not someone who can be swayed by words, but Harry Potter and Wade Grey are still children—easy to influence. 

Building a good relationship with them could only be beneficial."

Draco lowered his head and said nothing, idly spinning a ring on his finger.

His pride made it impossible for him to lower himself to flatter those he disliked, but he had made more valuable friends. Someday, he would prove to his father that he, too, was capable...

A cleaning crab scuttled past them with a clicking noise. Lucius paused the conversation cautiously, and waited for it to leave before continuing.

"Next term, keep an eye on changes at the school. Report anything that happens to me immediately."

"What could happen at school?" Draco muttered. "If you ask me, the biggest news might be magic pets... Wade Grey always manages to come up with something unexpected."

"That's why I want you to interact with him more," Lucius replied. "Do you have any idea how much money Aslan Magical Workshop has made since partnering with him?"

As he spoke, a hint of doubt flickered in his eyes.

The diary had been sent into the school through the Weasley girl half a year ago, yet there had been no sign of activity.

Could it be that the girl had lost the diary? Or had she simply not brought it to school?

Lucius had been puzzled about this for a long time, but there was no way to investigate the matter. He could only suppress his suspicions, and tell himself that perhaps the Dark Lord's entrusted dark artifact wasn't as powerful as expected.

Draco didn't want to revisit old topics and instead asked, "Can I learn alchemy too? Dad, can you find me a great teacher?"

"Alchemy isn't as easy as you think," Lucius replied and shook his head. "I can arrange for someone to teach you the basics first. If you can understand those, then we'll talk about finding a true alchemist to teach you."

"I'm sure I can learn!" Draco said defiantly. "Wade Grey had creations as early as his first year..."

"I know," Lucius said impatiently. "You've mentioned it at least ten times already. If you truly want to achieve something, start putting in the effort now, instead of always complaining about why a Mudblood might be better than you... 

Ah, it looks like your mother's finally finished."

Narcissa was walking toward them, and the Malfoy father and son stepped forward to meet her.

Meanwhile, the cleaning crab was once again scuttling along, clicking as it cleaned muddy footprints from the ground. Some witches, noticing its ruby-like shell, smiled fondly at it, and a few softly inquired where they might purchase one.

The crab, of course, couldn't understand human language. It circled around and slipped behind a bush, only to be scooped up by a hand.

Wade stood there, and thoughtfully watched the Malfoy family as they left. With a light touch, he tilted the crab's upper body, making it seem as if it were looking at him.

"So, what did you hear? Tell me," Wade said.

"Just boring chatter," the crab replied with a series of clicking sounds. "When this is over, can you give me a cooler body? I'm leaning toward a leopard."

"A leopard?"

"Golden would look cooler, don't you think?"

"...I don't get your sense of aesthetics, but I can respect it," Wade said.

"Thanks."

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