The next morning, Malfoy boarded the train back to school.
There was something in this world that spread faster than anyone could imagine, and that was rumors.
Malfoy sat in his seat. He didn't even need to prick his ears to listen carefully for such words to drill into his ears.
"Did you hear? Draco's wand was confiscated by the Ministry of Magic. "
"Why?"
"I heard that he used a curse to torture a Muggle and was discovered."
"That can't be. He's usually very gentlemanly and elegant," some girls said.
"If you don't believe me, go and see if his wand is still there."
In the end, some girls pretended to pass by his seat unintentionally and ran away in a panic. Evidently, most of them believed him.
Malfoy was happy to have some peace. After all, Slythrin's image had always been like that.
"Is there anyone here?" A gentle female voice sounded. "If you don't mind, I'll sit here." A girl sat beside Malfoy.
"I haven't agreed yet." Malfoy didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Also, I ruthlessly tortured a Muggle a few days ago. Student Qiu Zhang, aren't you afraid?"
Qiu Zhang shook her head and stared at him. "I still believe in my own judgment." She then asked, "Can you tell me what's going on?"
"No comment." What a joke. If Voldemort found out about this one day, it would be a huge problem. She had a record of leaking secrets in the previous timeline. As for making up a random lie, Malfoy wasn't interested in it.
Qiu Zhang let out a disappointed 'oh', but she still insisted, "No matter what, I still believe you."
"Thank you." Malfoy replied politely and nodded slightly. Then, he began to flip through the latest issue of "Singing Different Tune".
The journey seemed short, but when Malfoy returned to Hogwarts, the sun was setting. It was already dinnertime.
Walking in the school, there were people coming and going. Some students avoided him like the plague. Those walking in front of him didn't dare to look him in the eye, afraid that he would remember their faces. Those walking behind him would also find an opportunity to take a detour.
Of course, there were also a small number of students in green robes who followed him from afar. It was obvious that the rumored Malfoy was very much to their liking. His previous performance in the academy had also shown that he was very strong. It was a tradition for the Snake Institute to rely on the strong.
"It's over. I've lost my life." Malfoy sighed inwardly. "Old Deng is probably going to call me to his office to give me a good lecture." Malfoy was like a younger version of Voldemort. Sidekick, talent, and some misunderstood tendencies were enough to make Dumbledore wary.
"I'll just have to take it one step at a time." Malfoy comforted himself and slowly walked towards the dining hall.
The banquet seemed to have just begun. Many people still had plates full of food in front of them. Hogwarts always had so many reasons to hold banquets, and the end of Christmas was one of them.
As soon as he found a seat and sat down, Pan Xi leaned over and asked with concern, "Are you okay?"
"What can happen to me?" Malfoy smiled and waved his hand to show that he was fine.
Seeing that his smile was natural and did not seem to be forced, Pan Xi was relieved. She leaned forward and sat back in her chair. She whispered, "I knew you were fine. Some of the stories you told me before were about racial equality." She paused and continued, "But I still hate Muggles."
Malfoy did not comment. A change in mindset was not something that happened in a day or two.
"I'm not satisfied with the Christmas present you gave me!" Pan Xi knocked on the table, as if trying to get his attention. "Shouldn't you give the pen and ink to that mud-" She seemed to have thought of something and stopped abruptly. "Give it to that Muggle witch?"
Without waiting for Malfoy's reply. Pan Xi continued, "But I quite like the color of the ink."
"And at least you have a conscience," Pan Xi whispered as she glanced at his hand quickly.
Malfoy raised his hand and looked at the pair of gloves with a strange color combination and some balls of thread sticking out.
"Put it down." Seeing him raise his hand and look at it, Pan Xi hurriedly said with a red face.
"You dare to knit, and I dare to wear it. Why would I be afraid of others seeing it?" Malfoy smiled. He felt that Pan Xi's current appearance was so cute that he could not help but tease her.
"Stop smiling! Give it back to me. "Pan Xi pretended to get up, looking like she really wanted to snatch the gloves back.
"Weren't you full of confidence when you wrote the letter?" Malfoy raised his eyebrows.
"Don't mention it." Pan Xi's head suddenly drooped, and her tone was indescribably gloomy. "I took a picture with my camera as a souvenir. My mother saw it, and she actually laughed at me."
Then she raised her head and said seriously, "If you really give it back to me, I'll change it again. It'll definitely look better." Malfoy clearly saw the fighting spirit in Pan Xi's eyes. She was clearly competing with her mother.
"How can I take back a gift that has been given out? I'll keep it well until the day I die." Malfoy looked at the gloves with a cherished gaze, his eyes filled with indescribable affection.
"Disgusting!" Pan Xi's face turned even redder, and the redness even spread to her ears.
"Alright, I won't tease you anymore." Malfoy's expression became serious, and he continued, "I'm very grateful to Miss Pan Xi for taking the time to knit this pair of gloves for me. I'm very honored, but due to the uniqueness of this first gift, I've decided not to return it."
"When did you become so sly? Give me back the silly goose from before. "Pan Xi said with some resentment.
"Growth is irreversible, my lady." Malfoy smiled.
In the end, the gloves were still worn on Malfoy's hands. They were not taken off, and Pan Xi did not glare at him.
"Harry, have you heard?" The Gryffindor table was also in full swing. Ron reached his hand into the middle of the table and took a piece of pancake as he spoke to Harry.
"Heard what?" Harry asked without raising his head. He was devouring a drumstick.
"It's all over the academy, and you don't know?" Ron first glanced at Slythrin's table, and then whispered to Harry, "Draco was captured by the Ministry of Magic. It's said that he used magic to torture Muggles. I think if it wasn't for his father, he might be in Azkaban now."
Ron rejoiced in Harry's misfortune.
"But even so, his wand was confiscated," Ron continued.
"That's really lucky." Harry couldn't help but touch his chest. He could feel that his heart was beating violently. "It's really hard to imagine that I actually suggested to ask him who Nico Lemour is. Ron, you're really a great help."
"Of course." Ron raised his head, and couldn't help but feel proud.
"It's not like that." Hermione suddenly slammed the table and said loudly. She attracted the attention of the Gryffindor students, and even some of the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students looked over.
"What's not like that?" Ron asked her. Obviously, they didn't expect Hermione to speak up for Slythrin. They thought that Hermione was just thinking about a question.
"Nothing," Hermione said weakly. Hermione said weakly. What she had just said was her impulse. As soon as she finished speaking, it seemed that the breath she had been holding back had been released. She did not have the courage to admit that she was speaking for him. She was afraid that others would look at her strangely.
"Hermione, we were worried about you before, but we didn't find the opportunity," Harry interrupted. "You didn't seem to be in a good state during Christmas." Harry paused, and then said, "But it seems that you're much better now."
"Yeah." Ron nodded.
Hermione wouldn't tell them that she was happy because she received that piece of paper, even though there were only a few sentences and a spell on it.