Lucius scrutinized Draco for a moment, but he really couldn't see it.
John continued, "He will become a powerful wizard, one who doesn't need to rely on his forebears. He will achieve things on his own that will make you proud."
After all, saying a few nice words doesn't cost anything, so John laid it on thick.
His voice was low and slightly raspy, like an ancient bard reciting a timeless ballad.
"He has someone he needs to follow, a person who will change everything. That person is like a star in the sky, illuminating the entire wizarding world."
Draco was moved by these words, and John's image filled his mind.
Johnny Silverhand seemed to see through everything.
He stared at Draco, and with deep meaning, asked, "Child, do you choose to follow that person, or do you want to spend your life under someone else's protection?"
Draco struggled internally but eventually looked determined. He said, "I'm sorry, Lord Johnny Silverhand. I really have someone I need to follow. Although he isn't as powerful as you, he is someone worth following."
"Draco?" Lucius's eyes widened. He felt something was off with Draco.
John raised his hand, stopping Lucius from saying anything further. He stood up, walked over to Draco, and mysteriously said, "I'm looking forward to it."
The immense pressure made Draco take a deep breath. He nodded seriously and said, "That day will come."
John nodded in satisfaction, relieved that he didn't have to take on Draco as a godson.
To prevent Lucius from causing more trouble, John took out a few letters.
"These are letters from the pure-blood families that will be sent to Hogwarts. By this Christmas, you will be reinstated as a member of the Hogwarts Board of Governors."
Lucius perked up at this. As long as he regained his position on the board, the Malfoy family would remain as prestigious as ever.
"But..
There is one condition."
John's deep eyes met Lucius's as he calmly said, "You must not get too involved in the management of Hogwarts. This position on the board is just a title."
Lucius's face darkened; this wasn't what he had in mind.
"You need to learn to be satisfied. You know the person you angered—he is regarded as the most powerful wizard of the century and the most loved headmaster in Hogwarts' history."
John scolded him, "You should know that even the Dark Lord wouldn't want to make an enemy of him."
These words made Lucius's heart tighten. It felt as though all his thoughts were laid bare before this man.
Dumbledore's years of keeping a low profile had made people forget that he was once the man who fought against two generations of Dark Lords.
There can be two Dark Lords, but there can only be one White Wizard.
Lucius suppressed his dissatisfaction, understanding that the Malfoys needed to keep a low profile in the coming days.
Lucius and Draco left, and John maintained his mysterious demeanor. After they left, he too fell into deep thought.
"From Lucius's attitude, it seems he isn't aware of Voldemort's current condition."
As a former Death Eater, Lucius would have been summoned by Voldemort if the Dark Lord wasn't so weak and incapable of doing so.
This was good news.
Like always, John couldn't remember exactly what happened during the third year, but if Voldemort decided to cause trouble during this period, he certainly wasn't prepared for it.
"Whatever, if trouble comes, Harry will handle it, and Dumbledore will deal with the rest."
John pushed these concerns out of his mind.
Casting a Disillusionment Charm on himself, he left the Johnny Silverhand shop.
Finding a secluded corner, John used Apparition to return home.
He was getting increasingly skilled at Apparition.
The daily trips to Knockturn Alley had significantly improved his proficiency, and he figured it wouldn't be long before he reached level 3.
John walked out of the basement and searched the house for Tom, but couldn't find him anywhere.
"Basil, where's Tom?"
Basil was dozing in his designated spot, eyes half-closed. Upon hearing the question, Basil glanced toward the window.
John walked over and saw that short-legged dog outside—it was indeed his dog. Next to him was that stray black dog he'd encountered before.
"Last time, you were jealous, and now you're playing together," John muttered with a look of disbelief.
He watched as his little short-legged dog, Tom, was completely outmatched by the long legs of the big black dog. The two dogs seemed to have become fast friends.
"Could it be because that one's a male dog?"
John stroked his chin thoughtfully as his gaze shifted to the big black dog.
He remembered that Tom was female. (A/N: Yeah.. WTF?!)
Could it be that she was getting older and looking for a mate?
"Sigh, Tom, you and that dog have no future together, especially considering... well, the size difference. And by that, I mean the leg size."
Looking at the stark difference in their physiques, John wasn't optimistic about this romance.
He thought mournfully, "Is this really going to be one of those tragic love stories between a dashing stray with long legs and a sheltered house dog?"
Since that seemed to be the case, he decided to let them be for a few days.
After all, he'd be heading back to school soon, and once they were separated, Tom would likely forget all about it.
Shaking his head, John decided not to worry about the two dogs.
...
Meanwhile, Sirius Black was hiding out on Privet Drive, evading the Ministry of Magic and the Dementors.
He was certain of one thing: ever since he saw that newspaper, he knew without a doubt.
That coward wasn't dead—he was hiding.
He had been hiding in fear for 12 years, living as a rat in some family's home.
Sirius was furious, filled with anger and resentment. He was so agitated that he wanted nothing more than to devour that rat.
Once, there had been four Marauders, three of whom had helped each other become Animagi, only for one to repay them with betrayal, selling out everyone.
"Woof, woof?"
The big black dog's expression was complicated and deep, something Tom couldn't quite understand. She wagged her tail and spun in circles.
Sirius, in his dog form, looked at her and remembered the taste of the dried fish he'd eaten.
After spending 12 years in Azkaban, then swimming across the sea to reach Harry, he'd had nothing but garbage and bugs to fill his stomach.
Something like dried fish was the best thing he had tasted in 12 years.
Drool dribbled from the corner of his mouth—a pitiful sight for the once-wealthy heir of the Black family.
Seeing his drool, Tom immediately realized he was hungry and quickly ran back toward the house on her short legs.
A little while later, Tom dragged out a big bag of dog food.
Though it wasn't dried fish, it still made Sirius's eyes light up.
As the dog food spilled out, Sirius lowered his head to eat, and to his surprise, he found a piece of jerky!
'There's even a steak! This is amazing!'
Sirius devoured the food, nearly brought to tears by the taste.
...
Watching his own dog eagerly fetching food, John couldn't help but imagine a daughter secretly supporting a lover, spending money left and right.
"Wow, I never thought you were this kind of daughter—I mean Dog."
John stared at the big black dog outside, wondering if he should have it neutered to prevent it from causing trouble with other people's pets.
"Is this the canine version of a heartthrob?"
After letting his thoughts run wild for a while, John shook his head and stopped thinking about it.
But now, he had a new daily task: observing from the attic as Tom brought food and drinks to the black dog. The way Tom did it so freely, without a care, made John feel frustrated.
He stepped on a book that had just tried to bite him, bent down, and picked up The Monster Book of Monsters. His fingers brushed along the spine, causing the book to emit a satisfied sound, softening its aggressive nature.
"Hagrid chose this as a textbook—are we sure there won't be any incidents of students getting bitten?"
John stared at the book. Hagrid had written to him, asking for his help in testing out the new textbook.
What John hadn't expected was that Dumbledore would appoint Hagrid as the new Care of Magical Creatures professor.
Ever since it was revealed that Voldemort had been behind the events of the Secret Chamber and the girl's death fifty years ago, Hagrid had been exonerated and was finally able to live without the shadow of false accusations.
"Justice may be delayed, but it never fails to arrive. Yet, can justice that's delayed still be called justice?"
Fifty years—how many fifty-year spans does a person have?
Not everyone is Nicolas Flamel. Hagrid, wrongfully expelled, had his life consumed by the passage of time. If it hadn't been for Dumbledore's unwavering support, Hagrid might have ended up as nothing more than a shell drained by Dementors.
Fortunately, Hagrid remained passionate. During those fifty years, he continued to pursue his love for magical creatures.
Dumbledore must have recognized this and gave Hagrid this new role as a form of compensation.
Having never been a professor before, Hagrid immediately thought of John. As the Assistant in Defense Against the Dark Arts, John was seen by Hagrid as someone with plenty of experience.
Looking at the list of teaching plans Hagrid had sent him, John shook his head in exasperation.
"Blast-Ended Skrewts and the like... can we not just stick to something more visually appealing?"
John felt a headache coming on.
In Hagrid's eyes, all magical creatures were cute and beautiful, but for the students, it wasn't the same.
At least, Blast-Ended Skrewts were far from what anyone would call 'cute.'
John had no choice but to take up his quill and rewrite a list of magical creatures more suitable for the students.
After completing everything, he looked up, feeling a bit tired.
"Now I just want to lie down and do nothing for the—WHAT THE FUCK!?"
And that's when he saw a giant balloon floating in the sky.
________
Read 12 Chapters ahead of WN:
Patreon.com/Dragonel