Chapter 51.
Slytherin Common Room..
"He's done for."
"That muscle-bound fool is definitely in trouble this time."
Under the soft, green glow of the lights, Malfoy excitedly shared with his first-year friends what had gone down in Potions class today: "You know, Professor Snape is a buddy of my dad's. They go way back, even before I came to Hogwarts I knew him."
Malfoy was in full show-off mode, bragging about his dad.
Then he leaned in, lowering his voice to sound mysterious: "Professor Snape is going to teach him a serious lesson, punish him, and then kick him out of Slytherin, out of Hogwarts."
"Heh heh, that's not my problem; it's all on Professor Snape."
"I'm just—"
Malfoy continued to gloat about his plans, picturing Dudley being tossed out.
"My dad always says that Slytherin is for those with noble blood."
Ah, the same old bloodline nonsense.
Malfoy was so wrapped up in his own little world that he didn't notice the worried looks on the faces of the other little wizards, or the anxious glances from Pansy and the pale, trembling lips of Goyle and Crabbe.
Until—
"Talking behind someone's back isn't very gentlemanly, but I guess there aren't any real gentlemen left in your family."
"Mr. Show-off, I'm afraid I'm not going anywhere; I'll be at Hogwarts for a while longer."
A chilling voice came from behind Malfoy, and suddenly, he felt a wave of cold wash over him, like he'd just stepped into an icebox. It was as if someone had squeezed the breath right out of him.
A big hand came down on Malfoy's head, lifting him off the ground with ease.
Dudley couldn't wrap his head around why some wizards were so obsessed with bloodlines.
To him, it seemed like only pet owners should care about those lineage and pure breeds.
By the way, the self-proclaimed pure-blood Malfoy had platinum hair, while the Weasley family, whom he looked down on, had bright red hair. What does red hair mean in England?
If you've studied a bit of English history, you'd know.
The original inhabitants of Europe were the Celts, and red hair is a hallmark of Celtic heritage.
So, the Weasley family has Celtic roots, and if you trace it back, they might just be more "pure-blooded" than any of the so-called purebloods around.
As for blonde hair, it could come from Germans or Vikings.
And we all know Vikings were raiders.
So, when it comes to family trees, Malfoy didn't have much to brag about.
"I think we should have a little chat."
"Before I lose my patience."
Dudley grabbed Malfoy and marched him deeper into the Slytherin Common Room.
What a perfect excuse to deal with Malfoy!
"No! You can't do this!" Malfoy shouted, panic rising in his voice.
He kicked and swung his fists, trying to break free, but it was all in vain.
It was almost comical; his short arms and legs couldn't even reach Dudley.
The other Slytherins watched in silence as Dudley carried Malfoy away, not one of them daring to intervene, not even Malfoy's two big protectors, who seemed to faint at the sight of Dudley—whether it was real or just an act, who could tell?
"No one's coming to help you; your reputation really is terrible, Mr. Show-off. Tsk, I thought today would at least be entertaining."
Dudley's words made the faces of the surrounding Slytherin kids go pale, and they quickly backed away, creating a wide space around him. Even the fainted Crabbe and Goyle looked like they'd seen a ghost.
In fact, after that first night of school, Malfoy's reputation had taken a bit of a hit among the Slytherins.
You, Malfoy, are impressive; you, Malfoy, are noble, but you got us into trouble.
And then, not a single Sorry?
Even the good deeds were done by the Carrows.
In the end, Mr. Show-off was just too young to understand how things worked.
"Please wait."
There was at least one person, right?
"Hmm? Do you have something to say about my actions, Miss Parkinson?"
Dudley slowly turned his head, his eyes wide as saucers, staring at Pansy.
Can you imagine how long she'd cry if he punched her?
At that moment, Pansy felt like she was being eyed by a hungry beast. Even though Dudley hadn't done anything yet, she felt like she could hardly breathe.
"I mean, you must be hungry. How about a cup of black tea with some desserts?" Miss Parkinson suggested earnestly.
What did Malfoy have to do with her?
"No sugar in the black tea, please, and could you prepare some biscuits too? I'm a bit peckish."
Since she was a little hungry and someone was offering her food, she couldn't say no.
"I'll be back to enjoy it in a bit, thanks, before the tea gets cold."
With that, she continued to pull Malfoy toward the deeper rooms of the lounge, while the other Slytherin wizards watched the two leave.
"He shouldn't be eating Draco, right?" Pansy murmured as she watched them disappear.
Unfortunately, no one in Slytherin had an answer for her.
Once the two were out of sight, the two chubby boys who had been lying down sprang up as if they'd just been shocked.
It was clear they had been pretending.
"I'm going to tell my dad."
Seeing that force wasn't working, Malfoy tried to play the dad card.
After all, he was known as a mama's boy, and his dad's name usually carried some weight.
"If it were me, I wouldn't."
Dudley roughly grabbed Malfoy, completely ignoring his protests.
Malfoy felt like his scalp was about to come off; it hurt, but he couldn't fight back.
Dudley continued deeper into the Slytherin lounge, casually found a room, 'gently' pushed the door open, and then closed it behind them.
The room was bigger than expected, with a large table in the center.
Coincidentally, it was the same spot where the Slytherin seniors had gathered before.
Since it was in the basement, the room was dimly lit, only glowing with a faint yellow light.
Like a chick being picked up, Dudley tossed Malfoy aside and leaned down, looking him straight in the eye: "Hey, kid, now it's just the two of us. No one will know what happens here."
Especially emphasizing "no one will know" sent a shiver down Malfoy's spine, a cold dread spreading through him.
Tl/N: If you want to read more [upto Ten chapters] while supporting me, you can join me on patreon.com/EmptyThoughts ;Thanks.
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Note : Guys, some power stones will be really helpful.
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Upcoming chapters :-
52. I'll wait for you at your doorstep.
53. This is definitely dark magic.
54. Hagrid's cooking, it's not that bad.