Compared to Ron and Harry, who could continue strolling and chatting in Diagon Alley, Malfoy wasn't so lucky.
He had been grounded ever since the Dementor incident that day.
The Gringotts vault had an accident, and Dementors had invaded. Malfoy concealed this from his parents, and Fudge, perhaps out of revenge or something else, told Narcissa about both incidents.
This naturally made the doting Narcissa anxious for a long time.
Unfortunately, due to Malfoy's negligence that day, the owl returned empty-handed, and the agreed-upon letter did not arrive on time. Even though Fudge said he had personally seen her child safe and sound, Narcissa was still terrified.
In addition, Malfoy had taken care of too many things that day and had been delayed for a long time. Therefore, considering that the holiday was about to end, Narcissa gave her son a "punishment" of being grounded. For the remaining time of the holiday, her precious darling should stay at home until school started.
This time, Lucius did not object. These days had indeed been a bit turbulent. Not to mention the frequent accidents at Gringotts, the escape of Sirius Black had stirred up a pool of water that was originally calm. He didn't want his son to be exposed to the eyes of a murderer at any time, even if he knew that Black's target might be someone else.
Malfoy could only accept this arrangement. He had completed the key plans for this holiday, so staying at home for a few days was not a problem.
He spent time studying the Vanishing Cabinet he had brought back from Borgin and Burkes, doing some experiments, such as throwing things into it, waiting to verify it after returning to Hogwarts. If it was broken, he would have to find a way to repair and improve it.
Then there was the preparation for books.
When Malfoy saw "The Monster Book of Monsters" on the book list that needed to be prepared in the headmaster's back-to-school letter, he guessed that Dumbledore had probably cleared Hagrid's name. As for what method, he didn't care.
Hagrid, if he followed a good person, like Dumbledore, he would be a good person. But if he followed a bad person, he would also become a bad person.
His IQ was not enough to distinguish the right and wrong of his behavior. His only two advantages were loyalty and the foolish kindness influenced by Dumbledore.
Hadn't he done many foolish things that violated school rules?
Who could imagine that a normal student would raise an Acromantula as a pet? Even humans can't restrain their desires, but he expects a spider to keep their agreement not to hunt humans? If Voldemort himself hadn't taken the initiative, the injustice might have really become an ironclad case.
As for privately hatching dragon eggs and raising dragons, there was no need to mention it. If Dumbledore hadn't really been prepared and guessed that he might let it slip, the Philosopher's Stone might have really been stolen.
As a teacher, introducing dangerous creatures like Hippogriffs to students when he didn't have full confidence, and not having corresponding countermeasures after the students were injured, but helplessly asking the surrounding students for help, "Can anyone help me?"
Even if a student in a Muggle school caused an accident in a chemistry class by not listening to the teacher, the teacher wouldn't be at a loss, would they?
"Alas, what a boring course." Thinking that he might have to endure various hybrid monsters created by Hagrid in the future, Malfoy was a little disappointed. Whether from the course itself or the teacher's level, this was not a course that people could enjoy.
"Perhaps his most suitable job is to cultivate dangerous species for the Ministry of Magic." Malfoy thought of the Blast-Ended Skrewts that Hagrid casually created. Those creatures were used in the Triwizard Tournament to test the courage of the champions. If they could be used as grenades to fight Death Eaters, that might be a great achievement.
However, he guessed that when he really had to contribute these creatures, he might cry and be reluctant to part with his "children."
Just as he was thinking, an owl fluttered its wings and landed on his desk, which reminded him that he hadn't sorted out his letters for a long time.
The nutrients sent by relatives who heard that he was injured, or the letters of condolences sent by his cronies at the instruction of their elders, were all placed in his private warehouse by the manor's butler. Of course, there were also some unknown items privately customized by Malfoy.
For example, the large iron cage in front of him, which was painted black and made of special magical materials. Its texture and styling style were obviously products made by goblins. Malfoy felt that his body's physical movements and the operation of magic within his body were hindered when he approached it slightly.
"I just don't know when this can be rented?" He thought of the goblins' rules. When the goblins "lent" the items they made to wizards, the time of recovery was the time of the wizard's death. When the wizard died, the lease contract between them would end.
Although the goblins themselves recognized this principle, most human wizards would not buy it. This should also be a kind of irreconcilable contradiction between races.
In Gringotts, he had to win over more than just Ragnok. He was one of the few humans working there, so he couldn't let himself be isolated and helpless. Therefore, studying goblin culture also took up a lot of his time. If there were no extra informants, what if Ragnok only wanted to take money and not do things?
Scanning through those meaningless, repetitive letters, Malfoy realized that he had finished reading them, which made him a little puzzled.
"Where did the little girl go to play again?" Pansy usually wrote him a letter, arranging to meet somewhere to buy books and go shopping, but this time there was an abnormal lack of even one. He had felt that Pansy was a little different since he stepped on the train back to school last semester, but he couldn't tell what it was.
"Let's make an appointment." Malfoy sighed, sat at the desk, and slowly left his handwriting on the parchment with his quill.
Malfoy wouldn't believe a word of the Ministry of Magic's promise. Dementors, lacking effective restraint, could make predatory acts that angered both gods and men at any time, and he wasn't at ease about it.
So he felt that Pansy was safer by his side, even if he only used a partial, incomplete Patronus Charm, it shouldn't be a problem to drive away those Dementors.
"Okay."
Malfoy received a reply that night, but the single word on the letter made him feel somewhat hurt. Even if she was proud and aloof before, her attitude wouldn't be so cold.
"Headache." Thinking of some of the events that might happen in the coming year, Malfoy felt that he couldn't relax in any way.
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