Hogsmeade Village.
The only all-wizarding village in Britain, nestled near the grounds of Hogwarts.
Its unique nature made it especially fascinating to young wizards from Muggle families, who found the idea of a place untouched by the non-magical world irresistibly appealing.
And who could blame them? The village was home to several famous establishments—the Three Broomsticks and the Hog's Head, both serving the finest Butterbeer, and the ever-popular Honeydukes, overflowing with magical sweets that drew in wizards with a sweet tooth from every house.
It was an enticing destination, and now that Draco and his classmates had entered their third year, they were finally allowed to visit on designated days. All it took was a signed permission slip from their guardians, handed in to Professor McGonagall for registration.
That day would come just before Christmas Eve.
But before that, Draco and his friends had to face their first Quidditch match of the season.
Their opponents: Hufflepuff, led by Cedric Diggory—the very same house that had narrowly defeated Harry Potter not long ago...
...
Hufflepuff students shared a few defining traits.
They were modest, reserved, and patient.
Because of that, many tended to overlook them, and it was rare to hear much about Hufflepuff in general.
But that didn't mean they lacked ambition or the will to compete. Ever since Cedric Diggory—known as the "strongest badger"—had risen to prominence, the atmosphere around Hufflepuff House had shifted noticeably.
Though Slytherin had dominated both the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup in recent years, Hufflepuff had begun to close the gap.
Especially after Cedric joined the team as captain, their skill had grown strong enough to genuinely contend for the Quidditch Cup.
Their confidence soared after defeating Gryffindor in their previous match, followed by another victory against Ravenclaw.
Although the outcome of Cedric's game against Harry Potter had been influenced by outside factors, his performance against Ravenclaw fully showcased his abilities—and even earned him the admiration of Ravenclaw's Seeker afterward.
It could be said that lately, Cedric was thriving both on the pitch and in romance. Surrounded by success and the admiration of others, he radiated confidence.
That very morning, he had appeared in the Great Hall with his new girlfriend.
"Good luck, Diggory! We're counting on you for the next match against Slytherin!"
"Our Hufflepuff champion!"
"Is that Cedric? He really does look good—how did we not notice before?"
"Too bad we were all too late."
Hearing the chatter around her, Pansy frowned over her breakfast.
Normally, she disliked the jealous looks Draco attracted—but realizing everyone's attention was now on someone else somehow annoyed her even more.
It felt as if she were holding a true treasure in her hands, yet everyone else mistook a roadside pebble for something precious.
Especially since she didn't think there was anything particularly remarkable about Cedric in the first place, her irritation only deepened.
Of course, Pansy wasn't foolish enough to stand up and tell everyone that Draco was the one who truly deserved their admiration...
"Speaking of which, our next match is against Hufflepuff, right?"
"Yeah, boss lady, you confident about that?"
"Seriously. I mean, sure, that match against Potter had some luck involved, but you can't deny the guy's got real skill."
Pansy rolled her eyes at the doubtful looks Goyle and Crabbe gave her.
Annoyed as she was, she had to admit—they weren't entirely wrong.
She'd been there during Hufflepuff's match against Ravenclaw, and that game had been pretty telling. Since Ravenclaw's Seeker was also a girl, their advantages were about the same, which made Goyle's skepticism understandable...
"Draco, don't you have any thoughts on this? You haven't even been showing up for practice lately."
At that, Pansy's tone took on a hint of irritation.
It was hard to tell if she was more upset about Draco neglecting the team or about the fact that she was seeing less of him.
"Relax. I already have a plan."
As Draco said this, he noticed Cedric and a small group heading in their direction.
He arched a brow, and beside him, Pansy quickly hid her earlier sulky expression.
"So, Cedric, our next opponent. Come to think of it, this might be the first time we've actually spoken."
Cedric extended his hand toward Draco, offering a gesture of goodwill. His easy smile made the girl beside him flush pink.
It had to be said—Cedric was a charming wizard. If Draco didn't exist, he might well have been the most popular student at Hogwarts.
But as the seconds dragged on, Cedric's smile began to stiffen, and the air grew heavy with awkwardness.
Draco made no move to take his hand, while Pansy merely shot Cedric a cold glance before turning back to her breakfast with studied indifference.
Their unspoken coordination drew smirks from the nearby Slytherins, who watched Cedric's discomfort with open amusement.
The display, however, only stoked resentment among the students nearby, many of whom already despised Slytherin.
Cedric slowly withdrew his hand, chuckling at himself.
"Looks like the 'noble' Slytherins aren't too keen on making friends with me."
The self-mocking shrug and smooth recovery eased the tension a little, even earning him some sympathetic looks from the onlookers.
That small wave of shared resentment made the glares directed at Slytherin all the sharper.
Draco, however, ignored every single one of them. The whispers, the hostility—it all slid right past him. He had no interest in their opinions, and even less in humoring them.
He stood up.
The movement was sudden enough that everyone around instinctively stepped back. Draco's strength and presence still left an impression, even among those who disliked him.
Realizing what they'd done, the crowd quickly straightened up, pretending nothing had happened, faces dark with embarrassment.
Pansy, eyes glinting mischievously, followed close behind and asked, "Draco, aren't you going to say something?"
Draco tapped her lightly on the forehead with a finger.
"I have nothing to say to those I've already defeated."
"....."
"....."
His voice was calm, but the effect was devastating.
Every face in the room darkened in response.
...
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