Harry Potter and The Other

In light of the newly uncovered circumstances, the court's decision was quite lenient. Dumbledore had essentially driven an underage teen, who found himself in a hopeless situation, to commit a crime, and therefore Draco was fully acquitted. Lucius Malfoy was fined and conditionally released under a five-year travel restriction. Since the Malfoys' property had been damaged during the Auror raids, the damages were credited towards the fine, and some of their confiscated books and artifacts were even returned. The remaining fine was to be paid to the Greengrasses as compensation from the Ministry for the Auror corps' improper actions, as there were no funds left in the state treasury anyway.

Although nothing was said about helping with the epidemic, Narcissa understood that the quick and lenient court decision was an advance for future assistance. Bringing her husband and son home, she quickly went to the family library, but several days of diligent searching yielded nothing. Then she remembered that the Black family library was much larger than the Malfoys', especially in the area of forbidden knowledge.

Arcturus continued to live in isolation, following the events in Britain through the press. Hermione's diplomatic mission ending in St. Mungo's, two obituaries in the papers, the Malfoy trial, Draco's acquittal, and Lucius's release—all this did not escape his attention. He regularly met with Daphne but could not find the courage to speak frankly with her. Daphne often gave him meaningful glances but didn't rush him into opening up.

The letter was not from Daphne but from Narcissa Malfoy. His aunt invited him to dinner to meet the family and offered to set any convenient time if he was busy this evening. From the tone of the letter, Arcturus guessed Narcissa was eager to see him, and he replied in agreement, using the Malfoys' owl. That evening, he dressed appropriately for a visit to relatives and Apparated to the gates of Malfoy Manor.

Narcissa didn't make him wait a moment. She greeted him warmly, called him her dear nephew, and invited him inside. On the way to the mansion, they both, almost without thinking, exchanged the customary phrases like, "I'm so glad to see you, dear Arcturus," "and I, you, dear Aunt Narcissa," "the weather is lovely this evening," "yes, it's been a warm summer this year," "I hope all is well with you, Arcturus," "I hope the same for you, Aunt Narcissa."

Now Arcturus fully understood the purpose of these phrases, where it wasn't about what was said but how it was said. They allowed him to get acquainted with the other without touching on sensitive topics. Each of them gauged the other's mood and willingness to converse, which would determine the length, openness, and familiarity of their further conversation. Through this social introduction, Arcturus sensed Narcissa was interested in him, while she saw that he was friendly and ready to cooperate.

Pleased with each other, they entered the house. While Arcturus was building a rapport with Narcissa, the thought of meeting the Malfoys, especially Draco, gave him pause. He wasn't worried about Draco himself, nor about the possibility of Draco somehow recognizing him under his new identity; he feared he wouldn't be able to hide his dislike. As he walked with Narcissa to reacquaint himself with old enemies, he reminded himself that if his closest friends had turned out to be calculating scoundrels and traitors, things might be more complex here too. Nonetheless, no nuance could guarantee things wouldn't turn out worse.

When Arcturus entered the sitting room where Narcissa's husband and son awaited him, he struggled to contain his anxiety.

It wasn't as bad as he had expected. When Narcissa introduced him to the family, he was greeted cautiously, almost warily. After a few trivial remarks, Lucius excused himself, citing ill health from his time in Azkaban and said he would have to withdraw before dinner.

"Boy. We'll see what he's made of," Arcturus read from the cold intonation of Lucius. He understood Lucius's position and was even grateful that he kept the interaction minimal. Shortly after Lucius, Narcissa also left, saying she needed to give instructions for dinner, hoping the young men would find something to talk about. On her way out, she cast a warning look at Draco, clearly having already warned her son not to spoil relations with the new relative.

Arcturus was left one-on-one with Draco Malfoy. Silence filled the room as both young men studied each other. Arcturus knew that Draco, as the host and the junior in relation to the head of the Black family, should start the conversation, so he waited, thankful for the etiquette rules sparing him the trouble of finding an opening.

Draco now barely resembled his arrogant school self. No, his usual haughtiness hadn't vanished entirely but had receded, revealing a guarded and weary home face. Young Malfoy understood that the family's troubles had only just begun with his release from Azkaban.

"Have you been in Britain long, Mr. Black?" he inquired with formal politeness. "As far as I know, you didn't study at Hogwarts."

"I never left Britain, Mr. Malfoy," Arcturus replied in kind. "I was home-schooled."

"Did you sit your N.E.W.T.s as an external candidate?"

"I still plan to. The country's political situation is too unstable to deal with the Ministry about exams."

"Oh yes..." Draco agreed. "No one has sat exams this year, and it's unclear when they will. What do you think of the current political situation, cousin?"

"I can't say I'm pleased with it, cousin. May I congratulate you on the favorable resolution of your family matter?"

A mischievous spark flashed in Draco's eyes, reminding him of his school rival.

"You may," he smirked.

"Then, my congratulations," Arcturus responded with a grin, dropping a degree of formality.

They looked at each other almost approvingly.

"Mother hopes we will become good friends, cousin," Draco informed him in a friendly tone, feeling the ice between them melting.

Arcturus doubted Draco had ever truly known friendship. At Hogwarts, Malfoy had only flunkies and admirers.

"Do you already have such friends, cousin?"

"It's hard for a Malfoy to find an equal for friendship, and it's best to avoid those who aren't, if you don't want to be used. Someone seems like a friend, but they just want something from you."

"I understand you completely..." Arcturus sighed. "But I was raised alone, and there are so many students at Hogwarts... It must be easier to find friends there."

"Don't be so sure, Black. Dumbledore's school policies limited me to Slytherins, and there weren't any suitable peers there. I was on good terms with older students, but the age gap wasn't conducive to friendship. All I could do was pretend to be a jerk."

"Are you saying you're not?"

"I am, and a big one at that," Draco admitted. "Though not with my own. But being one and pretending are very different."

"Such a charade can easily create a lot of enemies..." Arcturus mused aloud.

Draco only scoffed dismissively:

"Who there would have let me avoid it? What's the point of fitting in with people who already hate me for merely existing?"

"Maybe if you let them get to know you better, they'd change their minds?"

"Don't be naive, Black," Draco retorted hotly. "It's obvious you grew up in the sticks. They already resent you for being wealthier, for being higher in society. Even if you grovel before them, they'll only tolerate you until the first disagreement, the first hint of independence. And that's it; you're their enemy again. To them, you're just another Malfoy who was pretending. No matter how you adapt to them, you'll always be an outsider. Think it's my invention? Ask any portrait; they'll tell you. Don't trust the Malfoys? Ask your Blacks."

Arcturus internally agreed with him, as he had reached similar conclusions. It might be worth discussing with the portraits, and surely Kreacher would have something to say.

"Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet," he muttered, recalling a line.

"Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God's great Judgment Seat," Draco unexpectedly continued.

"But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth..."

"When two strong men stand face to face, though they come from the ends of the earth..."

They stood face to face, their gazes locked, both realizing the lines they had just spoken.

"You know..." Draco said thoughtfully, "I don't even have worthy enemies to call friends. Potter's a sheep, a sacrificial lamb with Dumbledore-warped brains. What kind of enemy is that?" he chuckled bitterly. "Granger's an arrogant fool. And why do they call her a bookworm? She's an upstart. Plenty of Slytherins would study just as hard if they wanted the attention. As for Weasley, the less said, the better. Having him as an enemy is a disgrace."

Arcturus nodded, astonished at himself for listening to Draco's take on his former friends as if they were strangers to him.

"They called me a ferret, as if that was remotely insulting," Draco's eyes sparkled with amusement. "They understand nothing about ferrets."

"What's so special about ferrets?" Arcturus asked with interest.

"A ferret is a remarkable little predator. Beautiful, flexible, graceful, with a luxurious, valuable coat." Draco smiled unconsciously, and his expression softened. "It's spirited, brave, and quite strong for its size. If a fox steals just one chicken from a coop, a ferret, finding itself in the coop, goes wild and kills all the chickens that couldn't escape it. That's why farmers hate ferrets so much that the very name of the animal has become an insult. When Granger calls me a ferret, she's only showing me that she's a chicken."

"Interesting. I thought people called others 'ferrets' because of the smell."

"No, ferrets are very clean animals." Draco added dreamily, "If I were an Animagus, my animal form would be a white ferret. Exactly like back then…"

"So why don't you become one? Can't manage it?"

"I wasn't born human to turn into an animal, Black. Name me one good reason for a person to turn into an animal if they aren't a thief, a spy, or a troublemaker."

"Hmm… maybe in a fight?"

"In a fight? Are you a wizard or what? It's well-known that nothing in battle beats a good Bombarda. There aren't even ten registered Animagi in the Ministry, and it's not because it's hard as Mordred to learn. The truth is, Animagy isn't useful to anyone."

Arcturus immediately thought of Rita Skeeter and her libelous articles.

"No, it is useful to some people," he countered.

"And I'd bet it's for ignoble purposes," Draco remembered someone too but quickly realized he was being overly categorical. "Though a lot depends on the animal form. Frankly, I'm nothing like a ferret, Black."

"Why not?"

"Ripping out chicken throats isn't my calling. Chickens should be pecking at their grain and laying eggs."

"Or else the Malfoys will go without omelets…"

"Exactly," Draco laughed. "You get to the heart of things, cousin."

When Narcissa returned to call them for dinner, she found the two of them laughing and quite pleased with each other. They hadn't even noticed that they'd been talking for an hour.

After dinner, Narcissa pulled Arcturus aside into the study and explained why she needed access to the Black family library. As she carefully presented her case for help in dealing with the epidemic, Arcturus suddenly brightened and announced:

"Aunt Narcissa, I know someone who will definitely help us with this!"