"What you just said is rather discomforting. Considering your poor reception, allow me to ask again. Are you so disdainful of ordinary wizards because you're afraid? Afraid they might outshine you?" Harry articulated each word carefully.
"Do you know who I am?" the boy retorted with a frown.
Harry felt a sense of déjà vu as the boy before him increasingly resembled Dudley, oozing arrogance.
"I neither know nor care."
With a surge of pride, Harry clenched his fists feeling smug. He had longed to echo Uncle Felix's words, and finally, the opportunity presented itself!
"I am Draco Malfoy," the boy declared, raising his head and turning to face Harry and Hermione directly for the first time.
"Whatever knowledge you possess, you should...?!"
"What are you trying to say?" Harry interjected.
Malfoy's tone carried an indescribable astonishment. "Harry Potter?!"
"Already tried, dear," Madam Malkin intervened, patting Draco to regain his composure.
Draco hopped off the footstool, re-robed himself in black, straightened his collar, and addressed Harry, "If I were you, Potter, I'd tread carefully. Be polite, lest you follow in your parents' footsteps, clueless about what to do."
"You can't speak to him like that!" Hermione protested.
"Hermione, it's alright," Harry comforted, then raised a hand. "Excuse me, madam, could you pause for a moment?"
"Children, let's not quarrel. You'll be classmates soon..." Mrs. Malkin attempted to defuse the tension.
On one side stood the renowned Harry Potter; on the other, the equally formidable youngest scion of the Malfoy family.
And she, just an ordinary businesswoman...
Harry stepped down from the footstool, feeling a warmth in his head, yet he was no longer as reckless as he had been a year ago; he was controlling his emotions.
"I'd really like to know what 'that path' you mentioned entails," Harry inquired.
Draco was momentarily taken aback by Harry's approach, feeling a subtle pressure in his presence.
Felix glanced at the robe shop, then back indifferently, replying to Chris, "Indeed, I still find David Bowie quite avant-garde, even to this day."
"Yes, his style is truly unique and timeless," Chris concurred.
Hagrid held up two ice creams, unable to follow the conversation between the two, so he focused more on the shop. "Oh, seems like there's trouble in there. Let me check it out."
With that, Hagrid handed one ice cream to Chris, then headed straight into the shop.
With the entertainment gone, Felix felt a twinge of disappointment.
Shortly after, Hagrid emerged, each hand holding onto a child, his voice resonating with anger. "These two nearly came to blows in someone else's establishment!"
"Let me go, you oaf!" Draco struggled fruitlessly against Hagrid's grip.
Hagrid meant no harm; he merely sought to separate the two children. Reluctantly, he released them.
"Draco!" came an anxious female voice.
"My parents are here. You'll see," Draco declared proudly as he dashed towards the source of the voice.
Felix turned to Harry with curiosity. "What just happened?"
After Harry recounted the incident, Hagrid's anger flared. "How could he say that! No, he must apologize."
"They're here," Felix remarked with a smile.
Hagrid's gaze hardened as he saw their arrival. "Ah, Lucius Malfoy. The Malfoy are trouble, mark my words. That brat's words don't surprise me if that's his upbringing."
What Hagrid didn't anticipate was Lucius approaching, casting a brief glance at Felix, and nodding slightly. "I apologize for my son's unwarranted remarks," Lucius stated.
Lucius wasn't oblivious; he recognized Felix immediately.
Following their unpleasant encounter a year prior, Lucius had repeatedly inquired with Borgin about Felix's identity. Though he hadn't gleaned much useful information, Lucius was certain that the person before him was not to be trifled with.
"Just offer the apology," Felix replied with a smile.
Lucius turned to Draco, who stood beside him.
Draco, visibly changed, though still wearing a disgruntled expression, reluctantly stepped forward, bowed his head, and uttered, "I'm sorry, Potter. My words were uncalled for."
"Is this satisfactory?" Felix glanced at Harry.
Harry, somewhat taken aback, looked at Lucius, then back at Felix, and nodded. "Yes, Uncle Felix."
Observing this, Lucius also stepped forward. "Felix, I'd like to inquire—"
"Felix?!"
Lucius's words were abruptly cut off. Felix took two strides forward, wearing an odd expression:
"How peculiar... Lucius, are you unfamiliar with how to address me?"
While Felix wasn't one to hold grudges, he hadn't forgotten Lucius's outburst in Borgin and Burkes' store a year ago, labeling them "idiots causing chaos in Knockturn Alley."
Draco, upon hearing this, felt a sudden disconnection in his mind, finding it difficult to even breathe.
Never before had someone dared to address his father in such a manner.
Not the high-ranking Ministry officials who visited their home, nor representatives of the other twenty-eight Sacred Wizarding Families.
Draco lifted his head slightly, witnessing the anger rising in his father, evident by the crimson flush creeping up his neck and the bulging veins on his forehead.
"Sir, I believe the Malfoy name still commands respect in the UK!" Lucius gritted through clenched teeth.
"Respect?" Felix apologized, "For years, I've only extended one kind of respect."
With a slight raise of his hand and a smile, Felix tightened his grip slightly and murmured softly, "That's the respect you've earned."
Lucius's breath caught in his throat, his gaze fixed on Felix.
Draco noticed the white-knuckled grip on his father's cane, some fingers even trembling with rage.
"Alright... Captain!"
A smile spread across Felix's face as he shook hands with Lucius. "Exactly, Mr. Malfoy. What did you wish to inquire of Borgin earlier?"
"Nothing!" Lucius hastily withdrew his hand, his tone chilly.
In truth, he had wanted to inquire about Borgin's whereabouts. The man had vanished since Christmas, leaving Lucius's household with numerous problems dealing with dark magical items.
However, now, he found himself disinterested.
With a crisp turn, Lucius declared, "Let's go!"
Watching Lucius depart, Felix smiled before turning to Harry. "It seems you've already found yourself a rival at school."
Harry shook his head. "I refuse to consider someone who flaunts their family lineage and status to assert dominance as a rival."