Draco stood stiffly, surrounded by a group of younger wizards whose curious stares made him uncomfortable. He loathed the way they looked at him—as if he needed sympathy. Malfoy didn't need anyone's pity.
But at only nine years old, Draco was still short and thin, his head comically round like a radish sprout.
Soldaya strolled up and ruffled Draco's slicked-back pale blond hair with a mischievous grin. "Little Draco, itching to ride the new broom too?"
He smiled like a benevolent elder. "But no, can't let that happen. If anything happened to you, your mum would have my head."
"Stay where you are, Sol! We'll settle this later. And stop treating me like a kid!"
Draco huffed, shaking off Soldaya's hand and slicking his hair back to its pristine form. He composed himself and walked over to Moriarty with poise.
"Sir," he began formally, "I bring a gift from the Malfoy family." He presented a finely tailored wizard's robe.
A few students gathered in curiosity. Marcus eyed the robe skeptically. "A wizard robe? Even if it's the newest Fengya brand, did the Malfoys go broke or something? This hardly seems like a proper token of gratitude."
Marcus's sharp eyes narrowed at Draco. As Moriarty's influence grew, so did the number of gifts. It became Marcus's responsibility to vet the offerings. This one felt inadequate.
Draco quickly clarified, "I misspoke. It's from my mother, Narcissa. She asked me to deliver it personally, as thanks for helping us during our crisis."
Narcissa Malfoy? That made sense. Likely more for Draco's sake than Moriarty's.
Moriarty raised a brow to respond but was interrupted by a scoff.
"Mrs. Malfoy sent it?" Lilith stepped forward, eyeing the robe. "It's clearly a man's robe."
She crossed her arms, her tone growing sharp. "I was there too, you know. At Malfoy Manor. I held off those foreign wizards alone."
Draco blinked in confusion, alarmed by her sudden irritation.
"Sir…" he turned to Moriarty for support.
"I've accepted the robe. Now step aside—Nymphadora's descending."
Moriarty looked up and followed a red blur with his eyes. Marcus took the robe discreetly while Lilith let out a frustrated snort and joined Moriarty.
"We were all at the manor," she muttered, brushing hair from her face and planting her hands on her hips. "Where's my gift?"
"What's your point?" Moriarty asked, close enough to notice the delicate dip of her collarbone.
Lilith's eyes flashed. "Don't you get it?"
"Oh, I get it," Moriarty smirked. "You're upset about the robe. Classic girl behavior."
"It's not the robe! That's not the point!" Lilith nearly exploded. Then realization dawned, and she gasped. "You're messing with me again, aren't you? Ugh, you're insufferable!"
"Stop overthinking things," Moriarty rolled his eyes. "It's just a robe. Now move—Tonks is landing. I need clear data for tonight's calibration."
He brushed past her toward the red comet streaking down.
"Fine!" Lilith snapped. "Invent your brilliant broom! I won't waste my breath on the almighty genius."
She stormed off—though not far. Instead, she lingered at the sidelines, sulking as she watched.
Tonks landed gracefully, her fiery red hair matching the gleaming broom she cradled. Her eyes lit up.
"This thing's three times faster than a regular Nimbus 1700! The turning radius is tight—I barely felt it."
"But…" she paused, "the stability could be better."
"Noted," Moriarty nodded.
Just three days earlier, he and Nicholas Flamel had crafted 100 wands and begun broom development. Their focus was speed first, safety later.
This test confirmed they were on the right track.
"Let's keep testing. Next—Charlie?"
Charlie leapt forward, already surrounded by cheering Gryffindors. He soared into the sky with a roar.
"Whoa! This thing flies like a dragon!"
He clung to the broom and dipped low. After a few laps, he found his balance.
"Merlin's beard! I feel like I could chase the sun!"
The Gryffindors cheered. Charlie grinned and shouted, "I'll show Bokov's baiting technique!"
"Captain! Don't give away our tactics!" Wood shouted in dismay.
But Charlie was already demonstrating the complex feint.
Tonks chuckled, twirling her hair. "Well, now everyone knows Gryffindor's got a new playbook."
Laughter echoed around the pitch.
Moriarty called out, "Percy, Wood! Get airborne. Hit Charlie with every Bludger you've got. Let's test his dodging skills."
Charlie groaned from above. "Why do I feel like you're the real captain here?"
"Focus on your flying!" Moriarty grinned. He turned to the crowd. "Everyone else up! I need as many obstacles as possible."
Jericho shot into the air, followed by Marcus, Keith, Ralbo, and a swarm of students. The sky buzzed like an air force squadron.
Draco stood in awe. His eyes gleamed. "What a magnificent sight…"
A voice whispered near his ear, "You want to be up there too, don't you?"
"Yeah…" he murmured without thinking, then snapped around. It was Soldaya.
"What are you doing here? Why aren't you flying?"
Soldaya's eyes glinted with ambition. "Because I'd rather be the one giving orders up there."
Draco followed his gaze to Moriarty and Tonks, still analyzing the flight patterns. He chuckled.
"Unrealistic dreams. Maybe keep those for bedtime."
Soldaya narrowed his eyes. "Hasn't anyone told you? Slytherins go through baptism."
"Baptism?"
"Of venomous tongues!" Soldaya declared. "Our House—our Dean, the Sir, even the Prefects—everyone hurls sarcasm like spells. You can't befriend a Slytherin without surviving verbal fire."
"It's tradition now. I bet next year's prefects will tell freshers that in the dungeons."
Draco grinned. "I love that culture."
"Do you?" Soldaya launched his first sarcastic jab—and Draco shot one right back. The two traded barbs gleefully, their snark drawing amused looks.
Their banter distracted Moriarty. He moved with Tonks a few steps forward.
Tonks leaned close and whispered, "The new broom absorbs shock really well. It's like sitting on an enchanted cushion. My rear used to go numb with the old brooms."
Moriarty's eyes drifted. Tonks' figure was curvy and firm…
She noticed and flushed, instantly changing her hair to match his gray tone.
From afar, Lilith witnessed the scene. Her jaw dropped, then clenched. She spun on her heel and finally left.
Moriarty remained oblivious. "Nymph, you genius… You just sparked a new idea!"