As the scion of one of the twenty-eight sacred pureblood families that traced their lineage back to the ancient times, the business tycoon of the British wizarding world that controlled countless enterprises and organizations, and the undisputed lord of the Malfoy family that was renowned for its wealth, power, and shrewdness, Lucius Malfoy prided himself on being a wizard who had seen a lot of the world and was not easily surprised by anything.
He had rubbed shoulders with high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Magic in Britain and many other European countries, negotiating policies and contracts with them. He had consulted with renowned scholars, skilled potion masters, and other experts in various fields of magic, learning from their knowledge and experience. He had dealt with greedy and cunning goblins, bargaining with them for gold and treasures. He had mingled with many outstanding wizards who were leaders in their respective fields, competing or cooperating with them for fame and glory.
But to be honest, the feeling that this young wizard gave him was… Lucius didn't know how to describe it. It was a bit like facing Dumbledore, the old headmaster of Hogwarts who was revered as the greatest wizard of the age. And it was a bit like facing the young Voldemort, the dark lord who had almost conquered the wizarding world with his charisma and cruelty.
"–I think,"
Lucius felt ridiculous for his feeling. He secretly adjusted his breathing rhythm, trying to calm his racing heart. He relaxed his expression a bit, smoothing out the wrinkles on his forehead. He tried to use his rich negotiation experience to gain the initiative in this exchange.
"Could it be that Dumbledore was afraid that you would steal the limelight from his favorite student, so he specially talked to the Minister?"
He said in a mocking tone, hoping to provoke the young man's anger or pride.
"Your level of sowing discord is really disappointing, Mr. Malfoy–"
But Bryan's smile didn't change at all. He just said with a hint of playfulness in his purple eyes that contrasted sharply with his black hair,
"If you are really curious, I don't mind telling you. Actually, this was a request I made to Dumbledore myself. And as for the reason–"
Lucius held his breath subconsciously. He stared at Bryan's eyes without moving, hoping that this would put some psychological pressure on the young man. But the words that came into his ears soon shattered all his calculations and pretenses.
"Of course it's for the sake of one day in the future, when that Dark Lord who can't even be named reappears in people's sight. When he learns about what happened at Hogwarts last year, he won't target me as his enemy. To be honest, Mr. Malfoy, you don't think that the thing you secretly stuffed into Ginny Weasley's backpack was just an ordinary diary, or a little gadget that the Dark Lord made when he was bored in Professor Binns's History of Magic class at Hogwarts, do you?"
He said casually, as if he was talking about the weather.
"What do you mean?!"
The fine sweat beads on his not-so-full forehead showed that Lucius was shocked beyond words. Lucius's face was pale as death. His lips were cracked like parched land. His eyes lost their calmness and became restless and fearful. He couldn't believe what he just heard.
The Dark Lord will come back? Among those followers of Voldemort who were called Death Eaters by their enemies, quite a few still missed their old master and hoped for his return. But these people definitely did not include Lucius Malfoy.
He would never forget what means he used and what promises he made to avoid being sent to Azkaban with Dementors after the Dark Lord fell. He betrayed his former comrades, lied to the Ministry, bribed the judges, and even donated generously to various charities. If the Dark Lord came back one day, then what awaited the Malfoy family would definitely not be a reward but a cruel punishment.
Lucius knew how terrible the Dark Lord was. He had seen him torture and kill countless people with his own eyes. He had felt his wrath and fear when he failed him or displeased him. He didn't want to lie to himself that he had never imagined that the Dark Lord would come back one day. But as time went by, he thought that this possibility was almost zero. Otherwise, he would not have stuffed the thing that the Dark Lord gave him when he entrusted him to take good care of it into that weasley girl's backpack just to trouble her father who was a poor and ignorant blood traitor!
"Only that old fool Dumbledore thinks he will come back. He wants to scare people so that he can always get respect!"
Lucius had no time to care about his hoarse voice. He said with his remaining reason, trying to convince himself more than Bryan.
"Maybe–"
Bryan shrugged noncommittally, as if he didn't care whether Lucius believed him or not.
"At least I think Dumbledore's worries are reasonable, Mr. Malfoy. You obviously know more about the Dark Lord's power than I do, don't you?"
Bryan's words hit Lucius's weakness like a sharp dagger. He clenched his teeth and looked like he was struck by lightning. His blond hair was disheveled and his elegant suit was wrinkled. It took him a long time before his heart that was frozen by fear began to beat again.
"Dumbledore told you… You know what that diary is, don't you? Tell me!"
He shouted desperately, hoping to get some answers from Bryan. He wanted to know if there was any way to undo what he had done, to erase the traces of his involvement, to escape the Dark Lord's wrath.
"I'm here today to tell you these things just to give you a heads-up, Mr. Malfoy. Not to save your miserable life."
Bryan lowered his eyelids and his eyes were deep and unfathomable.
"I don't care about your fate at all, Malfoy. But if possible, I do hope to save Draco's innocent soul. If one day in the future the Dark Lord returns to the people, then I hope you are prepared to ensure that Draco and his mother can escape death. As for you, Lucius Malfoy, you can wait for death–"
Lucius Malfoy was a shrewd businessman. He worked hard for half his life for two things: one was the glory of his family, and the other was wealth. But before the lives of Narcissa and Draco, all these were insignificant! He loved his wife and son more than anything in the world. He would do anything to protect them from harm.
"Tell me, Watson, what is that thing? If you really pity Draco!"
Lucius's roar was covered by Bryan's spell effect, but his strange state still attracted the attention of many people in the Leaky Cauldron. The bartender Tom behind the bar obviously recognized the famous Mr. Malfoy. After a little hesitation, he was about to come over and ask what was going on. But the deep look that the young man opposite Mr. Malfoy swept over him made him stop his steps and shiver.
"I know how you got into Hogwarts, Watson!"
Lucius was not in his right mind at this moment. If he was rational and clear-headed as usual, he would know that his words would only anger Bryan Watson, not help him solve the puzzle. But the safety of Narcissa and Draco clouded his judgment and made him blurt out.
"I know Fudge. He must have never thought that he issued a special order and awarded a precious Merlin Second Class Medal to a criminal who lurked in the underworld. I can figure out your identity there, Watson. You don't want to be disgraced, do you!"
He snarled menacingly, hoping to intimidate Bryan into telling him what he wanted to know.
"Oh, how interesting. You're actually trying to dig up my dirt?"
Bryan put down his wine glass and laughed coldly.
"Malfoy, even if I never bothered to inquire, those despicable things you did in private still came into my ears one after another. I heard that after Arthur Weasley emptied those things you hid in your house, you spent a lot of money to avoid punishment? And also, to fill your empty collection room, you spent a lot of Galleons to get a batch of new goods from Kakus?"
Slowly, he stood up and looked down condescendingly at Lucius who was sitting on the chair like a puppet with broken strings. The chill in his eyes seemed to freeze the Black Lake.
"Who do you think I am, Malfoy? The good old Dumbledore? Who gave you the courage to talk nonsense in front of me? Is it those cold coins?"
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