At Hogwarts, mealtimes follow a strict schedule.
To be precise, students are expected to finish breakfast in the Great Hall before their first class and then make it to the appropriate classroom without getting lost.
As long as you're not late, that stretch of time is yours to manage.
Want to sleep in? Sure—but you'll need to be extra good at time management...
The idea, it seemed, was to help young witches and wizards develop self-discipline and independence.
...
Draco, who had gotten up early and headed to the same dining hall where last night's welcoming feast had been held, noticed something immediately.
"Those are Hufflepuffs, right?"
"Hmm... the house known for hard work?"
Compared to the other long house tables, Hufflepuff's had the most students this early.
And considering Draco hadn't taken long to get ready himself, that meant those students must've gotten up impressively early...
He wasn't sure about the other houses, but he did know that many Slytherins were still lazing around in their dorms.
Take Goyle and Crabbe, for instance—if Draco hadn't dragged them along, who knew how long it would've taken them to show up.
"I can smell the food already."
"There's a spot over there, Draco! Let's go!"
Clearly, Goyle and Crabbe couldn't wait any longer.
If Draco hadn't been walking ahead of them, they probably would've dashed across the hall without a second thought.
"..."
Watching the two charge ahead like starved ghouls, Draco was left speechless.
Thankfully, Pansy hadn't forgotten her sense of decorum. She found them a spot while shooting the pair a scornful glare, then turned back, standing protectively by Draco's side like a knight guarding her lord.
"Keep it down. Do you want to embarrass Draco?"
She was relentless when it came to preserving Draco's reputation.
"I really don't get why you'd be friends with these two gorillas..."
"..."
Draco had long grown used to Pansy's sharp tongue and constant grumbling.
But he also knew she wasn't nearly as mean-spirited as she sounded.
At her core, the little princess of the Parkinson family was just a girl spoiled by her upbringing.
So when it came to Pansy, Draco treated her like a sister—one not related by blood.
Not that Pansy saw Draco as a brother...
It had to be said—the girls in the wizarding world seemed strangely mature for their age.
Pansy was one example...
And Hermione another.
...
Once Draco and the others arrived at Slytherin's long table, they sat down and began enjoying the breakfast prepared by Hogwarts' House-elves.
Everyone knew House-elves were the best cooks.
Draco caught the mouthwatering aroma the moment he sat down.
Even just the presentation of the food was enough to make one's stomach growl.
Goyle and Crabbe, of course, wasted no time and immediately started stuffing their faces...
It looked like the breakfast had been prepared well in advance.
Draco didn't know what kind of magic was used to keep everything fresh, but he was sure it involved a few clever spells.
There were glasses of pumpkin juice and milk, basic cereal, and perfectly toasted bread.
And if that wasn't enough, the smoked bacon was served in unlimited portions.
Not to mention dessert after the meal.
For any ordinary wizarding household, this would've been considered a feast.
At the very least, it was enough to keep even Goyle and Crabbe from looking like they were starving to death…
…
At this hour, aside from eating, it was also time for the owls to deliver letters to the young witches and wizards.
Just as Draco was halfway through his breakfast and the long tables were filling up, the owls swept into the Great Hall as usual.
To the uninitiated, it might have looked like a horde of trolls was chasing them...
"What a mess... Is this another one of Hogwarts' unique traditions?"
Draco couldn't help but frown as packages and letters rained down from above, interrupting his meal. If he hadn't reacted quickly, he might've ended up with a few feathers in his food.
Since most students had just started school the day before, plenty of anxious parents had sent letters to check in on their children.
For the record, Draco also received a package from his mother—a bag of sweets.
Just yesterday, she'd sent a packet of cookies via Snape.
And this morning, another bundle arrived, filled with assorted Honeydukes candy.
"Really now... I'm not even that into sweets..."
Although he was more mature than others his age and showed no signs of a rebellious phase, Draco still felt helpless and a little exasperated that his mother kept treating him like a child.
Especially her habit of showering him with sugary treats...
While splitting most of the candy between the eagerly waiting Goyle and Crabbe, Draco glanced at Pansy beside him, who was resting her chin in her hands and staring at him.
"What are you staring at? Eat your food. What's our first class?"
"Um... if I remember right, History of Magic. Then it's Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration. And in the afternoon..."
"Transfiguration, huh? That's something to look forward to."
"You're still such a study nerd... and you're already so powerful."
Pansy's flattery only earned a quiet smile from Draco.
A love of studying?
No.
For him, studying was just part of the process.
What he truly enjoyed was the exhilarating sense of growing stronger...
...
While Draco continued eating, he failed to notice a subtle gaze coming from the Gryffindor table.
Its owner was clearly distracted, especially with someone nearby loudly badmouthing others without bothering to lower their voice.
Naturally, that didn't put her in a good mood...
"Harry, listen to me. Slytherins are definitely bad news—especially anyone from the Malfoy family."
"You mean... Death Eaters, right?"
"Exactly."
Having just received candy, Goyle and Crabbe deliberately turned to show off to Harry and the others.
That didn't sit well with Ron.
After all, his family couldn't afford such luxuries...
And it was worth noting that most of the Gryffindors came from Muggle families.
So after hearing Ron's comment, the other curious lions gathered around.
"Death Eaters... what are those?"
"Do you know who that guy is?"
Whether it was the unfamiliar term "Death Eaters" or the curiosity about Draco's background, the attention quickly centered on Harry and Ron.
Ron, never having been in the spotlight like this before, was clearly enjoying the attention a little too much.
Meanwhile, Harry squirmed uncomfortably in his seat...
Bang!
The sound of a cup being slammed down silenced the chatter.
"If you've got time to talk behind people's backs, maybe start by changing your robe."
...
Everyone instinctively turned to look at Ron—who, in his excitement, had spilled pumpkin juice all over his front.
Ron, already sensitive, flushed bright red—matching his fiery hair.