A teacup materialized before Lucius, filled with steaming Ceylon black tea. The brew was flawless—just the right strength, just the right temperature, exactly as he liked it.
He took a measured sip, letting the warmth seep through his body and steady his nerves.
With a firm tap of his cane, a house-elf appeared, bowing so low its nose grazed the floor. "Master, how may I serve you?"
"Send Draco to my study."
…
After dismissing the elf, Lucius drew a notebook from his pocket. Its cover was pitch black and utterly unremarkable.
Inside, the contents seemed just as ordinary. The first page bore a simple, nondescript name: T.M. Riddle.
A notebook purchased from a Muggle stationery shop—yet it had been given to him by Voldemort himself, entrusted for safekeeping.
For over a decade, Lucius had kept it hidden within the manor.
He'd always scoffed at the idea of using a Muggle notebook, especially one with such a plain Muggle name scrawled inside.
But over the course of Draco's summer holiday, he'd begun to realize this notebook was anything but ordinary.
He'd tossed it carelessly into a basement corner and told the house-elves to ignore it, yet it never gathered the slightest bit of dust. It looked as pristine as the day he'd received it.
His attitude shifted—from disdain to a wary vigilance.
This notebook was anything but simple.
As the head of an ancient pure-blood family, Lucius prided himself on his knowledge of the Dark Arts. Precisely because of that, he dared not use the notebook lightly, fearing whatever dark magic might lurk within.
He now carried it with him everywhere, never letting Narcissa or Draco come into contact with it.
…
Over the past month, Arthur Weasley had gone on a rampage—raiding wizarding homes for banned items, especially dark artifacts. This time, he was deadly serious: nine families with prior offenses had been searched in a single night.
Arthur was laying the groundwork for the so-called Muggle Protection Act, still in the proposal stage.
Lucius would never tolerate such an affront.
He decided to use the notebook—to plant it on Arthur Weasley and frame him. If he could prove that Arthur himself collected dark artifacts, Lucius could leverage that evidence at the Ministry and kill the damned Muggle Protection Act before it ever became law.
…
Today should have been the perfect opportunity. After completing his business with Caractacus Burke, he'd spotted those infuriating redheads on the street. All he needed was an excuse to approach the Weasleys, slip the notebook to one of them, and his plan would be set in motion.
But then, halfway through, he'd felt the Dark Mark on his arm flare to life.
That searing, bone-deep agony had wiped his mind clean, making him forget everything he'd intended to do.
…
"Father, may I come in?"
The sudden voice snapped Lucius from his thoughts.
"Come in," he replied, clearing his throat and schooling his features into composure.
Draco entered, looking uneasy as he sat across from his father. "You wanted to see me?"
Lucius spoke in a calm, measured tone. "Do you know a student named Wyzett Lovegood?"
"Wyzett Lovegood?" Draco frowned. "He's in my year… that Obscurial. Didn't you tell me about him, Father?"
Lucius pressed on, "What else? Which House is he in?"
"Ravenclaw!" Draco scowled. "He's the reason Slytherin didn't win the House Cup this year!"
"Go on."
"And in the end-of-year exams, Professor Snape actually gave him an 'O'—and he's a Ravenclaw!"
"Severus gave a Ravenclaw an 'O'?" Lucius tapped his desk thoughtfully with one finger.
A fresh cup of tea appeared before Draco.
Draco nodded. "Pansy and the other Slytherins wanted to ask Professor Snape about it, but he'd already left Hogwarts for the holidays."
"To earn an 'O' from Severus…" Lucius murmured. "What else do you know about Wyzett Lovegood? Tell me everything, Draco."
"Er…" Draco took a sip of tea, frowning in thought. "He visits Professor Snape every weekend."
"And… according to the Hufflepuffs, Snape has even given him extra points. Actually, a lot of professors have. Plus, he's a Chaser on the Quidditch team—his skills are… well, he won this year's Quidditch Cup for Ravenclaw. That's why we lost the House Cup…"
"And there's what I told you before—after finals, a Dark wizard broke into Hogwarts. He, Harry Potter, and Professor Quirrell dealt with it together."
Lucius laced his fingers, thumbs circling each other. "An outstanding student, favored by every professor… And a Quidditch star, helping Ravenclaw clinch the Cup as a first-year Chaser. He's in your year, isn't he?"
"Yes… Father." Draco looked down, sounding a little dejected.
"A strange sense of familiarity…" Lucius rubbed his brow. "Draco, is there anything you haven't told me?"
He knew his son too well. That hesitation in Draco's voice was all the evidence he needed.
"Father… nothing else… cough, cough!" Draco sipped his tea and choked, coughing several times.
Lucius raised an eyebrow, drawing out his words: "Draco… you should remember, your father is a Hogwarts governor. If I want to know something, I can find out."
"It's just… last time, I tried to catch Harry Potter with a dragon, but Professor McGonagall caught me…" Draco's voice grew quieter and quieter.
"She took twenty points from me… and made me do detention in the Forbidden Forest with Harry Potter and the others…"
"Then I ran into Wyzett Lovegood… he was riding on a centaur's back… I think he was in the Forest to hunt Acromantulas…"
"Oh?" Lucius narrowed his eyes, resting his chin on his interlaced fingers. "Hunting Acromantulas?"
Realizing his father wasn't interested in the point deduction, Draco breathed easier and spoke up. "Yeah! That's what the centaur said."
"The centaur was carrying a huge spider leg—must've been from an Acromantula. Grandfather's diary was right—there really are Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest!"
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