"Hold up, Potter!"
Seeing Harry step forward, Malfoy instinctively blocked his path. Looking at Harry's puzzled expression, Malfoy declared, with an air of righteous indignation, "Let me go first this time. I always let you go first, and as a proud Malfoy, I feel a sense of…guilt."
"..."
Guilt?
Does he really think I don't know what he's thinking?
Harry's face darkened, as though he wanted to murder Malfoy, but he still chose to let Malfoy go first. After all, in his mind, as long as the Qilin bowed its head, it didn't matter who went first.
Falling back two steps, Harry came to Tom's side and quietly watched Malfoy's "performance."
Tom didn't try to predict the outcome; he preferred to retain his anticipation and curiosity about what would happen.
Malfoy strode confidently up to the little Qilin, opened his eyes, and met its gaze.
But after waiting a long while, he finally blurted out, "Why are you holding your head so high?"
Malfoy's face darkened. "Are you trying to have a head-raising contest with me?!"
He was both amused and exasperated. Wasn't it said that Qilin bowed their heads when encountering someone with a pure soul? Then what did it mean to hold their head up? Was his soul really that impure?
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
Malfoy's first reaction was to refute the thought, but the more he did, the less confident he became. Thinking about it carefully, he did seem to have a tiny bit of "complex thoughts."
He recalled the red-haired girl who often appeared in his dreams, a normal occurrence for a teenage boy.
Hmm…He had a lot of fun playing with her in his mind.
Although he didn't know why, halfway through the dream, the girl's face would turn into Harry's scar, causing him to often wake from nightmares.
After this happened so many times, Malfoy even began to wonder if there was something wrong with him.
Could it be that Harry has a crush on Malfoy, so he poisoned me with a potion? Otherwise, why is he on my mind all the time?
Hmm… That wicked Harry! You'll never win Malfoy's heart! Not even his body!
We're impossible!
"Sigh..."
Malfoy sighed deeply, completely oblivious to the strange look in the little Qilin's eyes.
"..."
This human… his thoughts are too… and…
The little Qilin's gaze darted back and forth between Malfoy and Harry. So, between males… oh… it seems I understand something again.
However, although the little Qilin was thinking a lot, it still didn't lower its head. After all, Malfoy's soul wasn't exactly pure.
"Alright, Malfoy, you can come back now."
Tom waved him off. Malfoy didn't ask to try again. At this point, his competition with Harry was more about competing with him; the real reasons for the competition… well, that's none of your business.
And his obsession with the second-in-command position wasn't actually that strong. In fact, he had long accepted Harry as the second-in-command. If anyone else tried to take it, he would even help Harry make it difficult for them.
After Malfoy returned two steps, Tom patted Harry on the shoulder. "Go on, Harry, it's time to prove your worth as second-in-command!"
Malfoy, in his usual way, "comforted" him, "It's alright, Harry. Even Master Malfoy's pure soul wasn't recognized. It's normal for you not to be either."
"..."
Harry glanced at Malfoy with displeasure, then nervously approached the little Qilin.
Under his tense gaze, the little unicorn curiously observed him.
Harry took a deep breath and waited, but the little unicorn only stared at him curiously.
This made Harry so nervous that he subconsciously closed his eyes, wanting to wait for the outcome.
But after waiting and waiting, hearing no sound, he finally opened his eyes, his pupils trembled, and then he sighed deeply, "Sigh..."
The final result was just as he had expected.
The little Qilin didn't lower its head, though it didn't raise its head like it had when facing Malfoy.
However, it's understandable that the little Qilin didn't bow its head. After all, Harry wasn't a saint.
A pure soul isn't objectively flawless, but rather refers to a person's ability to remain unaffected by greed, desire, or malice, consistently choosing and acting with kindness, sincerity, and morality in mind.
For a person, this is already considered perfect.
But Harry didn't consider himself such a perfect person. He had his own moral bottom line, but his morality was ultimately only at the level of an ordinary person.
Moreover, he also had desires, and he would strive for those desires. He couldn't guarantee that his actions wouldn't be influenced by his desires.
He was, after all… just an ordinary person.
"I am sorry, sir."
Harry turned back to Tom with a somewhat aggrieved expression. "I have disappointed you."
"It is quite alright; this result was to be expected."
Tom waved his hand calmly.
"So, sir, you brought us here because..."
"Purely for amusement."
"..."
Harry's astonishing wisdom suddenly struck. Could it be… that in the master's heart, the second-in-command was already someone else?!
"Then what you mean by… whoever makes the Qilin bow will secure the second-in-command position?"
Harry really thought he and Malfoy had no chance… was the second-in-command position about to slip away?
"I was merely jesting."
Tom walked up to the little Qilin and half-squatted down. "This little creature cannot sway my choice."
"Or do you believe… I require the consent of other creatures to choose someone?"
Tom tilted his head slightly, glancing at Harry out of the corner of his eye.
"..."
Harry finally understood. Tom was truly determined to give him the second-in-command position.
At that moment, Harry felt a lump in his throat… not because he felt like a clown!
Harry declared he had shed the clown label!
As for Malfoy… Harry declared Malfoy was the real clown!
Harry Potter is the Death Eaters' rightful second-in-command!
Draco Malfoy is just here to "keep the young master company"!
Malfoy used to mock him as a "clown," but now the tables had turned, and it was finally his turn!
Thinking of this, Harry couldn't help but burst into laughter. "So, Malfoy, you're the real clown!"
"You are talking nonsense! A cricket clown like Harry dares to mock you, Young Master Malfoy?!"
Malfoy immediately became agitated and lunged at Harry.
Tom ignored their playful fight, continuing to focus his attention on the beautiful magical creature before him.
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