In front of Hagrid's hut.
Seeing that Lucien still hadn't responded, Malfoy gritted his teeth and, with a sharp motion, opened the box to reveal its contents.
Inside were various bottles and jars, smaller and more delicate silver boxes, and at the bottom, what seemed to be a book.
"This is the horn of a Romanian Longhorn, this is the hide of a Swedish Short-Snout, and this is the scale of an Australian Opaleye.....…"
Malfoy introduced each item with practiced familiarity.
Not only had his father provided him with detailed notes, but as a dragon enthusiast himself, Malfoy spoke about them fluently and confidently.
"Oh, and this here…"
He carefully opened one of the ornate silver boxes.
"This is the complete heart of a Hungarian Horntail!"
After listening to the introductions, Lucien asked calmly, "Does your family run a dragon farm?"
Even before Malfoy opened the box, Lucien had already noticed several clusters of magical signatures similar to those of dragon heartstrings through the Eye of Peering Magic.
He had guessed that Malfoy's so-called apology gift contained several materials sourced from dragons.
But after Malfoy's detailed explanation, Lucien was still somewhat surprised.
These materials were the most valuable parts of those particular dragons.
For instance, the scales of the Australian Opaleye shimmered with an iridescent rainbow sheen.
Whether used as luxurious decorative pieces or ground into powder for Potions or Alchemy, they held considerable value.
Among them, the most precious and rare was undoubtedly the heart of a Hungarian Horntail—widely regarded as the most dangerous of all dragons.
To have acquired a complete heart… Lucien glanced at the ornate silver box. The heart inside was perfectly preserved.
Hmm, it was quite similar to the one in Snape's office.
Perhaps Lucius Malfoy had been the one to gift it to Snape.
"Dragon farms? Yes," Malfoy said proudly. "My family holds shares in dragon farms in Britain, Australia, and South America… The House of Malfoy has investments—large or small—in dragon farms in all of these regions."
As he spoke, Malfoy's lips curled in pride, and he instinctively began to lift his chin. But remembering his earlier encounters with Lucien, he thought better of it and quickly restrained himself.
Hearing Malfoy's reply, Lucien understood.
No wonder he was able to produce so many materials at once—an ordinary wizard or family could never gather them in such a short time.
Yes, Lucien recalled reading that the Malfoy family crest included the image of a dragon.
It was likely an inherited family enterprise.
"Malfoy, there's no need for such an extravagant apology," Lucien said calmly. He didn't change his attitude or show any flattery just because the gift was valuable.
From his perspective, the so-called conflict had merely been a childish quarrel.
He hadn't cared much about it and certainly hadn't expected Malfoy to come personally to apologize—let alone bring such a gift.
"No, no, it's not just an apology. A friend of the Malfoy family deserves to be treated with sincerity."
"Friend?"
"Yes, friend. There's an old saying in the Muggle world—'No discord, no concord.'"
Lucien looked at Malfoy with mild surprise.
This boy, who hated all things Muggle, had actually spoken a Muggle phrase.
And his expression was... remarkably sincere.
Since Lucien was a Muggle-born, Draco must have learned it to make a genuine apology. His use of a Muggle phrase with sincerity made Lucien see him in a slightly different light.
"Lucien, I really like the meaning of that saying. Through sparring and duels, people can come to understand each other better—and even become friends."
Lucien nodded slightly, his tone softening a bit.
"Indeed, that's a fitting interpretation. Have you studied the Muggle culture before?"
Sensing Lucien's change in attitude, Malfoy thought to himself that his father's advice had been right!
In the letter from home, his father had mentioned that the Hogwarts kitchens now served several Muggle dishes, called something like 'Michelin star recipes' that Lucien had suggested and taught the house-elves to prepare.
Lucien's question also reminded Malfoy of two other pieces of advice from his father.
The first was that all pride and appearances ultimately existed so one could show sincerity when it mattered most.
The second was to always show sincerity when dealing with intelligent and powerful people.
"My family had some education on the subject before. Um, of course, I mentioned it because I thought you might hold things from the Muggle world close to your heart, considering you've lived there till now."
Malfoy's explanation made Lucien narrow his eyes slightly, a hint of amusement flickering within them.
Hmm, thinking he held things from the Muggle world close to his heart—Malfoy wasn't entirely wrong.
The 'Muggle elements' he'd shown must have been the Michelin star dishes in the kitchen.
That wouldn't have been hard to discover; anyone could have learned it from a house-elf.
But Lucien had to admit—it was impressive that this pompous pure-blood kid had put in this much effort to understand him.
Or perhaps… it wasn't entirely his doing. Maybe it was advice from the adults at home.
"Malfoy, was this your own idea, or…?"
"My father instructed me," Malfoy said honestly. "He's one of the school governors and knows quite a bit about what happens here."
"He told me to become friends with you—and he said I should be honest, humble, and sincere."
Malfoy's straightforwardness left Lucien momentarily speechless.
From one extreme of awkwardness to another, huh?
"If you were honest and humble with everyone," Lucien said mildly, "you'd have made friends with him long ago."
"With whom?"
Malfoy blinked, looking confused. He had no idea who "him" referred to.
Lucien only shook his head and instead took out the book lying at the bottom of the box.
"This book—is it also part of the apology?"
This time, Malfoy shook his head.
"No, this is my tuition fee."
"I heard from my father that Potter is studying Potions with you, and I'd like to learn as well."
After a brief hesitation, Malfoy added, "Besides, I think it would help strengthen our friendship."
He knows Harry is studying with me?
Hmm, he must have found out through Snape. Lucius and Snape were on good terms, and Snape certainly knew about it.
Lucien glanced down at the title on the book's cover again:Inspiration and Divination.
Hmm, something related to Divination… Inspiration?
Perhaps intuition for good fortune and avoiding danger—or something along those lines. It didn't seem like a Malfoy family magic book.
Heh, based on the nature of pure-blood families, everything was about luxury and dignity.
If it truly came from their family, the cover would at least be dragonhide, the lettering in gold powder, and the edges inlaid with ornate designs.
It was most likely a rare book acquired through the family's wealth. Since it was placed together with dragon materials, its value clearly wasn't low.
Lucien brushed his hand over the book and asked his final question: "Was it really necessary to go this far?"
Hearing Lucien's words, Malfoy's eyes lit up. Sensing an opportunity, he quickly said,
"Of course. A Malfoy is always a friend of the strong. Lucien, may I have the honor of earning your friendship?"
This time, Malfoy was far less arrogant than before; he had placed himself in the proper position.
After all, his father's letter had clearly instructed him:
Befriending the strong is good, but befriending those who will become strong is even better.
When you meet someone you truly believe has potential, invest in them as much as possible. Don't fear losses—the House of Malfoy has no shortage of capital.
And at the end of that letter was a line Malfoy had committed to memory:
Trust your judgment—the judgment carried in the blood of the Malfoy family.
Lucien smiled faintly. Tsk, tsk. This kind of opportunistic charm—being a fair-weather friend—wasn't something just anyone could pull off.
Lucius Malfoy's ability to shift between good and evil so effortlessly was no coincidence.
And Draco was indeed his father's son.
"Alright," Lucien said, smiling. "Come in and have dinner with us."
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