Harry Potter: The Rise Of Malfoy

Chapter 22.

Soren was wandering in Borgin and Burkes, and he saw a glass case at the front of the counter containing a dry, shriveled hand resting on a cushion, with a few candles placed nearby.

He vaguely remembered this item being called the Hand of Glory, which, when candles were placed on it, would only illuminate for the holder, making it a helpful tool for thieves and robbers. It had to be said that this thing was quite practical, but just thinking about holding another person's hand on his own made him feel a wave of nausea.

Soren shook his head and continued to look around. The counter was filled with various human bones, a playing card stained with blood, and an old glass eye that seemed to be watching him. Terrifying masks hung on the walls, and long, rusty, sharp instruments dangled from the ceiling.

Draco was studying a long hangman's noose while foolishly reading the label on a lavish opal necklace out loud: "Caution: Do not touch, has been cursed—has already claimed the lives of nineteen Muggles."

Suddenly, he caught sight of a uniquely shaped large cabinet and pointed at it, saying, "Soren, look at this cabinet; it seems quite interesting!"

Soren's heart skipped a beat; if he was not mistaken, Harry was currently hiding inside that cabinet.

Soren replied lightly, "This is a vanishing cabinet; many ancient wizarding families have one, as it can be used to escape in times of disaster. It's quite practical, but unfortunately, due to its high cost and the later emergence of more convenient Disapparition magic, vanishing cabinets have slowly been phased out, and by today, their methods of construction have been lost…

Alright, Draco, I think Father's business is almost done, so let's get ready to leave!"

After leaving Knockturn Alley, Draco impatiently pulled Lucius to buy broomsticks, while Soren, who was not interested in that, separated from them. He planned to head to the bookstore to buy the required textbooks for himself and Draco, intending to read there for a while.

On his way to Flourish and Blotts to buy textbooks, Soren couldn't help but notice a tall man standing in the middle of the street; although he had never interacted with the Hogwarts Keeper of Keys and Grounds, he instantly recognized it was Hagrid due to his extraordinary height.

Standing beside him was Harry Potter, who had bruised skin, was covered in soot, had broken glasses, and looked quite disheveled. It seemed Harry was being scolded by Hagrid. Despite Hagrid trying to lower his voice, his booming tones made it impossible for Soren not to hear him clearly. "Wandering around Knockturn Alley, don't you know that's not a good place, Harry? Don't let anyone see you there!"

Just as Hagrid was scolding, Hermione and the Weasley family arrived. Hesitating, Harry explained, "We saw the Malfoy family. Draco, Soren, and his dad went into Borgin and Burkes, which is a shop that sells dark artifacts."

"Oh, what did you discover?" Mr. Weasley asked warily.

"Nothing. I watched for a long time from outside the window, and until they left, I didn't see them buy anything!" Harry looked at Hagrid and retorted, "Hagrid, I was tracking Malfoy; what were you doing in Knockturn Alley?"

"I was looking for a potion to drive off the flesh-eating slugs; they're about to ruin the cabbage patch at school!" Hagrid replied gruffly.

Hearing this, Soren lost all interest in continuing to listen to their meaningless dialogue and continued on to Flourish and Blotts.

Although his father kept his dealings with Draco a secret, Soren, familiar with the story, already knew the purpose of his father's visit to Borgin and Burkes. It was merely because recently Arthur Weasley, who had always been at odds with him, was putting pressure on him, wanting to dispose of Tom Riddle's diary at Borgin and Burkes. Unfortunately, he was unaware that this diary was one of his master's Horcruxes, and his actions would directly lead to a series of tragedies for the Malfoy family years later.

As for Mr. Borgin, the owner of Borgin and Burkes, he was a shrewd character who stood firm in the chaotic and disorderly Knockturn Alley; how could he take on such a troublesome mess?

It seemed he needed to hurry to Flourish and Blotts. He was afraid that there would be another good show to watch in front of the bookstore soon.

Soren rushed to the bookstore, purchased the complete list of textbooks, and found a discreet corner to quietly wait for the scene to unfold.

When Harry and the group arrived at Flourish and Blotts, there was already a large crowd gathered at the entrance. Most of them looked to be witches of Mrs. Weasley's age, all crowding at the door, eager to get in. Through the gaps in the crowd, they could see Gilderoy Lockhart, dressed in blue wizard robes, sitting in the middle of the shop signing books.

Around him, there were large photographs of himself everywhere, with the faces in the photos winking at the crowd and flashing dazzling white teeth. Soren had to admit that Lockhart was a successful writer, if only he didn't steal from others' experiences.

The next events need not be elaborated; Harry was unsurprisingly discovered by Lockhart, who pulled him in for a photo, announcing that he would be teaching at Hogwarts. Once everyone regained their senses, they found Arthur Weasley and Lucius Malfoy grappling with each other, even Ginny's cauldron had been knocked away with a clatter. Lockhart, standing aside, was extremely excited, and then the two were separated by the suddenly appearing Hagrid.

Mr. Weasley had a split lip, and one of Lucius's eyes had been hit by a thick book, which he held along with Ginny's tattered Transfiguration textbook.

Ginny had picked up her cauldron, and seeing this, Lucius casually shoved the book into her cauldron, his eyes glinting with malice. While everyone's attention was focused on Arthur Weasley, Soren was observing that tattered "Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration" Ginny was holding, and if nothing went wrong, a black diary should be tucked inside it.

"Here, little girl, take your book! This is the best thing your father can give you." He broke free from Hagrid's arm, waved at Draco and Soren still inside the bookstore, and rushed out without looking back.

"You shouldn't pay attention to him, Arthur." Hagrid stretched out his hand to smooth Mr. Weasley's robes, nearly lifting him up. "This guy is rotten to the core; his whole family is! Everyone knows it. The Malfoys' words aren't worth listening to. Their blood is tainted, that's just how it is."

Even after leaving Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour for quite a distance, Soren could still clearly hear Hagrid's booming voice—damn, caught in the crossfire, he thought to himself while feeling the blood of Malfoys run through him. It seemed that gaining Hagrid's favor in the future at Hogwarts would be quite challenging or obtaining his help.

The three returned to the Malfoy family's designated parking spot.

Despite being beaten by Arthur, it was evident that Lucius was in a good mood, probably because he had successfully shifted Tom Riddle's diary onto the unfortunate young girl in the Weasley family. The four of them then boarded the carriage, flying back to Malfoy Manor.

I must say, compared to the various modes of transportation Soren knew in the wizarding world, such as Floo Powder, Portkeys, and Apparition, the Nightmare carriage, which was fast, steady, and completely smooth, was definitely one of the most comfortable ways to travel.

The three remained silent during the journey, with Lucius showing a contemplative expression. Just as they were about to reach Wiltshire, he suddenly spoke to Draco and Soren: "Listen, there may be some incidents at Hogwarts this year, but they have nothing to do with you two. Just remember to fulfill your duties as a Malfoy and maintain a wise approach to self-preservation."

After pursuing the matter relentlessly, Draco finally got Lucius to reveal a little more, "Fifty years ago, before I was born, an incident occurred at Hogwarts…"

Lucius thought for a moment before wording it carefully: "I can't say the specifics of that incident, but a Mudblood girl died in it, and Hogwarts covered it up, so not many know about it. You just need to know that this was a conspiracy against Mudbloods; you don't need to know too much. Knowing too much will only make you look suspicious. Also, Draco, you need to study hard this year. As a noble Malfoy, it's disappointing that your grades last year were worse than those of a lowly Mudblood. Honestly, you've let me down. Look at Soren; now that's a true son of mine! You should learn more from your brother!"

Draco rarely saw his father so stern with him and obediently agreed.

That night, Soren tossed and turned in bed, plagued by tangled thoughts.

According to the plot, Tom Riddle's diary would eventually be destroyed by the savior Harry Potter, and Voldemort would lose one of his life-saving horcruxes. This was the root cause of his father's offense against Voldemort, leading to the various cruel punishments Voldemort inflicted on his father and brother, and the selection of Malfoy Manor as the Death Eaters' headquarters trapped the family in unescapable fear. After Voldemort's downfall, his father was sent to Azkaban; even after being cleared and released, the family's fate of decline could not be reversed.

He was tangled in whether to find a way to snatch the diary back from Ginny, directly eliminating Lucius's mistake from the source, or to let the plot develop in a direction he was familiar with, allowing himself to maintain an advantage in the story. The various gains and losses involved made him indecisive. However, the most important thing was that at this moment, Soren had to face a question he had been avoiding since his time travel: what kind of role was he supposed to play in this new world?

If he acted according to his past personality, he could easily escape this family and return to the Muggle world to live. With the knowledge and experience he accumulated in his previous life, it wouldn't be difficult to rebuild a successful career and life. Unfortunately, every time he faced this choice, he couldn't bring himself to cut off the rare familial bond in this life.

As the first light of dawn approached, after a night of contemplation, the confusion and hesitation in Soren's brow dissipated. A newfound determination and conviction ignited in his gaze. He felt an invisible force slowly rise from his abdomen, spreading to his chest and limbs, as if he had been reborn, filled with strength.

At this moment, he finally regained the courage to face his fate and had a clear direction for his future.

"Since heaven has allowed me to live again in this new world, I should bravely face my destiny! To protect my family, I cannot join the Order of the Phoenix. To safeguard the honor of my family, I also cannot join the Death Eaters. My destiny must be determined by myself!"

Regardless of success or failure, even if he truly succeeded in reclaiming the diary, what would it matter?

Voldemort would eventually fall, and his father's incorrect choice of the Death Eater faction would inevitably lead the family to irreparable decline; even if Soren changed the plot and allowed Voldemort to achieve final victory, his inherently destructive and mad nature wouldn't align with the family's interests. The family has never wanted to eliminate Muggle-born wizards but rather to maintain a superior dominance over them.

If the final outcome is to be like that, it might be better to let the plot follow the predetermined development of the original text. At least Soren could still retain a narrative advantage.

What Soren should do now is to leverage this advantage to grow stronger. As long as he becomes powerful, revitalizing the family would be just a matter of speaking.

This year marks the opening of the Chamber of Secrets for Slytherin; it is time to plan how to gain the best interests amidst this turmoil.