Draco had been waiting impatiently for Karmit to ask. The moment Karmit spoke, Draco burst out— "Cousin, I think I made a friend!"
Karmit raised an eyebrow. That was indeed interesting.
Draco's acquaintances were almost always pure-blood children—kids from families aligned with the Malfoys. Draco never talked about "new friends."
So for him to suddenly say this…
"What kind of friend?" Karmit asked.
Draco leaned forward excitedly. "When I went downstairs to wait for Father and Mother, I saw a boy our age getting his measurements done alone.
He has black hair, and bright green eyes. I don't know why, but I just wanted to be friends with him!"
Black hair. Green eyes.
Karmit froze.
That had to be Harry Potter.
No—definitely Harry Potter. Who else could attract Draco like a magnet?
Those two were practically destined to be tied to each other—drawn together, annoyed by each other, destined to clash.
So why did Draco meet Harry now?
The plot had shifted.
Probably because of Karmit's influence.
But he wasn't bothered by that. In fact, he was far more interested in this sudden Draco–Harry interaction than any "plot deviation."
The moment he arrived in this world, the story had already changed. If he didn't use that to his advantage, what was the point of crossing worlds?
As Draco continued talking, his cheeks turned slightly pink.
Karmit stared at him.
Why was he blushing? Why was he blushing over Harry Potter?
Suddenly, Karmit remembered something from his previous life—one of the most famous ships in the Harry Potter fandom:
Drarry.
He slowly edged his seat just a little farther from Draco.
Just in case.
He coughed. "And then?"
Draco brightened. "I just felt like I should talk to him. So I approached him—just like you taught me. Not arrogant, very polite. And we talked! It went really well. I think… we might be friends!"
Karmit fell into thought.
So Draco was Harry's first peer in the magical world?
Why had Harry befriended Ron so quickly in the original timeline? Simple: Ron was the first kid his age Harry met in the wizarding world.
Then they ended up in the same house, same dorm. And of course, Dumbledore had his hand in it—after all, the Weasleys were staunch Dumbledore supporters.
Harry, the "Chosen One," was meant to be surrounded by Dumbledore's people.
But if Draco became Harry's first friend…
If Karmit nudged things in the right direction… Could the so-called Golden Trio shift toward the pure-blood side?
It wasn't impossible.
And if the Chosen One leaned toward Draco and Slytherin, the benefits could be enormous.
For the "greater interest," of course.
The only issue was that it might put Karmit at odds with Dumbledore, Snape, and even McGonagall. That could become messy.
But still—Draco and Harry meeting early was an unexpected opportunity. One worth exploiting.
After all, the Potter family wasn't inherently incompatible with pure-blood traditions.
They were wealthy, old enough, and nearly pure—
But the other families mocked them as upstarts because the Potters had grown rich selling hair-care potions based on formulas imported from abroad.
Pure-blood snobbery at its finest.
Karmit had already formed a plan by the time Draco finished speaking.
"So," he asked, "what's your friend's name?"
Draco blinked. "I… forgot to ask. I'll go ask now!"
He turned to run, but Karmit grabbed his collar.
"Draco," he said sternly. "That behavior is not befitting a noble. I taught you—be calm."
Draco forced himself to take a breath. "Sorry, cousin."
"It's fine," Karmit said. "Mistakes are fine as long as you don't repeat them. But you won't find him now. You've been upstairs for at least ten minutes. Diagon Alley is huge. You can't track him like this."
Draco panicked. "Then what do I do?"
"When we go downstairs," Karmit said, "I'll have someone check the shop records. If you're serious about this friendship, you can visit him before school starts.
Friendship needs effort. Understand?"
Draco's eyes lit up. "Right! He must have left his name and address when he ordered the clothes. Cousin, let's check right now!"
Karmit agreed. He had finished giving his measurements anyway.
Besides—why not begin laying groundwork for a new potential trio? A Slytherin-leaning Golden Trio: Draco, Harry, and Hermione.
Ron could fend for himself.
Karmit never liked Ron. Not even a little.
He had far too many reasons.
Karmit and Draco went downstairs and ran directly into Lucius and Narcissa. Draco called out, "Father, Mother! Wait here for a moment!"
Then he dashed to the counter to speak to the clerk. The clerk looked at Karmit for permission.
Karmit nodded.
The employee immediately began checking records.
Lucius frowned. "Karmit, what's Draco doing?"
Karmit smiled—mischievous, knowing. "He's made a new friend. You may be… very surprised."
"A friend? Surprise?" Lucius muttered, completely confused. Karmit didn't explain. He wanted to see Lucius's reaction himself.
Narcissa approached Karmit with concern. "Karmit… your wand?"
"Don't worry, Aunt," Karmit said. "It's handled. I wouldn't put myself in danger. Trust me."
"That's good," Narcissa said. "As long as you know what you're doing. Oh, by the way, I picked out a gift for you!"
She turned and lifted a cage from nearby. "Karmit, look. I thought this would suit you—perfectly."
Karmit glanced toward the cage.
And his expression froze for a moment.
Inside was a black cat.