The next morning, Karmit was sitting at his desk eating breakfast when Kreacher came scurrying in, panting with urgency.
"Master— the house-elf from Malfoy Manor is here for the fifth time. They're asking when you plan to leave for Diagon Alley!"
Karmit rubbed his forehead helplessly.
He already felt a headache coming on.
Little Draco… truly had a talent for being clingy.
And frankly, Karmit was getting seriously annoyed.
"Go tell their elf," Karmit said, "that I will arrive in Diagon Alley at exactly nine o'clock."
Kreacher nodded and hurried away.
Karmit continued reading the Daily Prophet. As usual, nothing interesting.
Though, thanks to him, the Daily Prophet had managed to publish two sensational headlines recently.
Without him, the paper's sales would probably be in the gutter.
Meanwhile, in Malfoy Manor, Lucius watched Draco pacing anxiously, counting the seconds as though the world were ending.
Somehow, the bread in his mouth tasted particularly bad today. He gave Dobby two sharp slaps before he felt even remotely better.
Narcissa sighed. "Draco, Karmit already said he'll arrive in Diagon Alley at nine sharp. As long as we're there, we will meet him. There's no need to panic."
"Mother, I think time is moving too slowly," Draco complained. "What if it's already nine? Shouldn't we just go now?"
"If you finish your breakfast," Narcissa said, "I believe it will be nine by the time you're done."
"Really?" Draco brightened.
Narcissa nodded. "Yes. Eat properly. Once you're finished, we'll leave."
Hearing that, Draco finally calmed down and attacked his bread with determination.
Narcissa watched him helplessly.
When will he finally grow up?
At nine on the dot, Karmit Floo-stepped into one of the Black Family's cafés. The staff had already prepared three cups of coffee and one hot chocolate. This time, without the excessive ice.
Karmit picked up the drinks, planning to take them to the Malfoys, when a sudden voice called out:
"Cousin! Cousin!"
He paused and turned.
Draco and his parents were standing at the entrance.
Narcissa said, "Little Draco dragged us through every single Black-owned shop in the alley.
Luckily, we came here right at nine. If you had gone somewhere else, we would've had to start the search all over again."
Hearing the weary tone in her voice, Karmit almost laughed.
He handed the cup of hot chocolate to Draco.
"Try it. It's a new recipe—hot chocolate with strawberry. Learned it from the Muggle world."
If anyone else had handed Draco something even remotely related to Muggles, he would've thrown it away on the spot.
But coming from Karmit…
Draco took a sip.
His eyes lit up instantly. "It's so sweet!"
Karmit smiled and handed the coffees to Lucius and Narcissa.
"Aunt, Uncle, have a taste. It's a new blend. Diagon Alley is quite crowded today—everyone's here for school shopping. We can have our coffee first, then head out."
Lucius and Narcissa nodded.
The three adults sat by the window, enjoying the new coffee.
As for Draco, he had already found entertainment—some Muggle children's toys displayed in the café. Clearly, he loved them.
Lucius glanced out the window. Many Muggle parents were wandering around in awe, examining everything like excited tourists.
Lucius snorted. "This is the time of year I hate most. Too many Muggles and half-bloods crowding Diagon Alley. They tarnish the street."
Karmit offered no comment. He had never bothered arguing about Lucius' pure-blood beliefs.
To him, pure-blood supremacy was nothing but a joke.
But since the older generation still clung to their ideals, he saw no reason to waste effort changing their minds.
Karmit believed only in one thing—power.
With enough power, he could declare who was pure-blood and who wasn't. If he said pure-bloods were noble, they were noble. If he said half-bloods were the superior ones, then so they were.
Power decided everything.
As for the rest—Karmit simply didn't care.
Lucius understood this about him, so he didn't bother raising the topic again.
Karmit chuckled. "On the contrary, I quite like this time of year. It means I make a lot of Galleons. And look, more business has arrived."
The shop door opened, and a group of four stepped inside.
A surprised female voice spoke: "I didn't expect the wizarding world to have coffee shops. I wonder how wizard coffee compares to ours?"
Karmit looked over and immediately showed interest.
Professor McGonagall… and a couple with a young girl.
His eyes went straight to the girl.
That face—almost identical to Emma Watson's—left no doubt.
Hermione Granger.
A true prodigy. Brilliant, diligent, and formidable in every way. And of course, the couple beside her were Mr. and Mrs. Granger.
Lucius also noticed Professor McGonagall and gave her a polite nod.
She returned it stiffly. As part of Dumbledore's circle, she had little fondness for Lucius.
McGonagall's gaze then shifted to Karmit, and she smiled warmly.
Karmit stood and greeted her. "It's been a while, Professor McGonagall. Bringing a new student this year?"
"Yes, Mr. Black," she said cheerfully.
"I'm excited," Karmit replied. "Soon I'll be one of your students."
"I'm aware," McGonagall said. "I personally wrote your acceptance letter and sent it by owl."
Karmit blinked. "That is quite an honor, Professor."