In the afternoon, Harry went to Madam Mogin's Robe Shop again to buy an outfit suitable for attending the dinner.
Pabi initially wanted to go with him to help pick out clothes, but considering his very stark appearance, he decided against it.
Just past four o'clock, Harry prepared to set off towards Malfoy Manor.
As he was leaving, Pabi suddenly grabbed Harry's coat hem with a yap.
"Make sure to come back early."
"Don't worry." Harry patted Pabi's head, "Even though you're a unicorn and don't need to... well... it's still better to eat less so you don't get indigestion."
"Okay~ Dad~!" Pabi grumbled and shook his head, "You really remind me of my dad, just as annoying."
Harry shook his head in amusement, waved goodbye to Pabi, and stepped out the door, disappearing in an illusionary appearance.
After Harry left, a ghostly white light suddenly flashed through Pabi's body.
The beautiful girl in the Hufflepuff robe appeared in place again.
"Fool..." she murmured, "How could a unicorn ever..."
Indeed, but I'm a ghost...
She looked sadly at the spread of food that covered an entire bed in front of her.
Thank you, Harry...
But, I can't feel their taste...
————
Even before Dobby returned to Malfoy Manor to report to Lucius, Lucius had ordered all the house-elves in the manor to start preparing for the banquet.
Even though Harry was a first-year student, Lucius planned to take it seriously.
This was not about anything else, because Harry identified the Dark Mark on Draco's arm.
As for what Draco said, he didn't take it to heart.
The Harry Potter from a hundred years ago?
Lucius had no doubt that his own silly son had been conned.
Nevertheless, etiquette always mattered which is why he, along with his wife Narcissa and son Draco, stood at the manor's gate at half-past four to await Harry's arrival.
"Dad, will Potter come over a little later..."
Before Draco could finish speaking, he heard the sharp crack of air.
The air ahead suddenly began to spin, and then Harry appeared in front of their family of three.
Seeing Harry arrive at Malfoy Manor's entrance through apparition displacement, Lucius's pupils shrank.
This hell, he's only twelve?
As everyone knows, the spell of apparition displacement requires students who are at least seventeen years old, after complex studies, to be able to use it.
Even a considerable number of wizards cannot perform illusionary appearance and easily end up with dismemberment issues.
But this Harry in front of him—
Keep in mind, he was at the Broken Cauldron Bar! London's Broken Cauldron Bar!
Malfoy Manor is located in Wiltshire, more than a hundred kilometers from London!
Apparition displacement over such a long distance not only requires extremely high skill but also needs surging magic power as support.
Of course, as a fair-weather gentleman, Lucius smoothly accepted the fact of Harry's genius.
He also pondered that Mr. Savior must indeed be special.
"You must be Mr. Harry Potter?" Lucius thought, stepping forward and extending his hand, "Lucius, Lucius Malfoy, pleased to meet you."
"Hello, Mr. Malfoy." Harry shook Lucius's hand and then gave Narcissa a gentlemanly bow, "Hello, Mrs. Malfoy."
"Hello, Mr. Potter." Narcissa returned the bow.
"Draco, we meet again." Harry smiled at Draco.
Draco looked anxious, wanting Harry to quickly self-destruct.
"Potter... Harry." Draco seamlessly inherited his father's silkiness, casually addressing Harry more intimately.
Before he finished speaking, he was stopped by a warning glance from his father.
"Mr. Potter, please come in." Lucius invited Harry inside with a gesture.
Harry looked up and surveyed Malfoy Manor.
The manor was an elegant lord's mansion, surrounded by carefully designed gardens, with several fountains within, and free-roaming white peacocks.
It seemed the manor had not changed much over the century, even with some additional decorations, without tarnishing the Malfoy Clan's reputation.
Inside the mansion, the luxurious decor was vastly different from a hundred years ago, with opulent furniture, marble fireplaces, and gilded mirrors, fully carpeted floors, all flaunting the Malfoy family's style and wealth.
Harry gave Lucius an approving glance, this Mr. Malfoy... didn't seem like a fool at all.
He seemed to have a knack for making money.
Lucius felt uncertain under Harry's gaze.
It was confusing; Harry's gaze just now wasn't one of contempt or anything, but it felt very odd.
It felt more like approval, a kind of elder's approval towards a junior?
Lucius shook his head, trying to dismiss the strange feeling from his mind.
He decided to dine first.
The dinner was French cuisine, a tradition in the Malfoy family—Harry had also visited the Malfoy Clan as a guest a hundred years ago, and Mr. Septimus Malfoy had treated him with French cuisine.
Since it was a small private banquet, the Malfoy family's long table hadn't been lengthened. Under the guidance of house-elves, Harry sat at Lucius's right hand.
This was the rule of the British dinner; generally, the first guest of honor sits at the host's right hand, convenient for the two to discuss things, while the guest's lady sits at the hostess's right hand.