"What you just said was truly discomforting. Considering you might be hard of hearing, I'll ask again.
Are you so prejudiced against Wizards from ordinary backgrounds because you're afraid? Afraid they might be better than you?" Harry said, word by word.
"Do you know who I am?" the boy asked, frowning.
Harry felt that this person was becoming more and more like Dudley, arrogant and overbearing.
"I don't know, and I don't care!"
Harry clenched his fist triumphantly in his heart. He had long wanted to say that line like Uncle Howl, and now he finally had the chance!
"My name is Draco Malfoy." The boy lifted his head, then slowly turned to look directly at Harry and Hermione for the first time.
"If you had any sense at all, you would...?!?"
"What do you want to say?" Harry retorted.
There was an indescribable astonishment in Malfoy's voice: "Harry Potter?!"
"All tried on, dear." Madam Malkin patted Draco, bringing him back to his senses.
Draco hopped off the footstool, put on a black robe again, adjusted his collar, and looked at Harry: "If I were you, Potter, I'd be very careful." He said slowly, "You ought to be more polite, or you'll end up going down the same road as your parents, who also didn't know what was good for them."
"Hey, you can't say things like that!" Hermione reprimanded.
"Hermione, it's fine." Harry comforted her, then raised his hand: "Excuse me, Madam, could you pause for a moment?"
"Children, don't quarrel. You'll be classmates in the future…" Madam Malkin could only mediate.
On one side was the famous Harry Potter, and on the other was the youngest son of the equally powerful Malfoy family.
And she was just an ordinary businesswoman…
Harry jumped off the footstool, feeling his head a bit hot, but he was no longer as reckless as he had been a year ago. Instead, he controlled his emotions.
"I'd very much like to ask what 'that road' you spoke of is." Harry said.
Draco was forced to retreat by Harry's steps, feeling a pressure when facing Harry.
Howl glanced into the robe shop, then indifferently shifted his gaze back, responding to Chris: "Yes, I think David Bowie is still very avant-garde even now."
"Yes, his style is very unique and enduring." Chris also nodded.
Hagrid held two ice creams. He couldn't understand their conversation, so he paid more attention to the shop: "Oh, it seems there's some unpleasantness inside. I'll go take a look."
With that, Hagrid shoved the ice cream into Chris's hand, bent down, and walked straight in.
Well, no fun to watch, Howl felt a little disappointed.
Before long, Hagrid came out, holding a person in each hand, and said grumpily: "These two kids almost started a fight in someone else's shop!"
"Let go of me, you big oaf!" Draco struggled, but couldn't resist Hagrid at all.
Hagrid hadn't intended to do anything to him; he just wanted to separate the two children. Helplessly, he put them down.
"Draco!" A somewhat anxious woman's voice came.
"My mom and dad are here, you're going to get it." Draco shouted triumphantly as he ran towards the direction of the voice.
Howl looked at Harry, asking with interest: "What happened?"
After Harry finished speaking, Hagrid immediately felt indignant: "How could he say such things! No, he must apologize."
"They're coming over." Howl smiled.
Hagrid looked over, then said grumpily: "Hmph, Lucius Malfoy, they're not good people. If that's the case, it's no wonder that little brat said such things."
What Hagrid didn't expect was that Lucius walked over, looked at Howl, and nodded slightly: "I'm truly sorry, my son said some excessive things."
Lucius wasn't so foolish as to not recognize that face.
After their unpleasant first meeting a year ago, he had repeatedly inquired about Howl's identity at Borgin and Burkes. Although he hadn't received any effective information, Lucius could be certain that the person in front of him was not easy to deal with.
"An apology is fine." Howl smiled.
Lucius slightly averted his gaze and looked at Draco, who was standing beside him.
Draco was like a different person from before. Although his face still showed defiance, he had no choice but to take two steps forward, lower his head, and say: "Sorry, Potter. I shouldn't have said those things."
"Is this acceptable?" Howl looked at Harry.
Harry was also a bit at a loss, then looked at Lucius, then at Howl, and finally nodded: "It's fine, Uncle Howl."
Seeing this, Lucius also took a step forward: "Howl, I wanted to ask, do you know Borgin—"
"Howl?!"
Lucius's words were unceremoniously interrupted. Howl took two steps forward to stand in front of him, his expression somewhat strange:
"How strange… Lucius, do you not know how to address me?!"
Although Howl wasn't one to hold grudges, he hadn't forgotten that this fellow had been yelling about "idiots causing trouble in Knockturn Alley…" and such in Borgin and Burkes's shop a year ago.
At the same time, Draco, hearing these words, suddenly felt his mind go blank.
Even his breathing became somewhat labored.
Never! No one had ever dared to speak to his father in such a tone.
Not even the high-ranking Ministry of Magic officials who visited their home, or others from the Sacred Twenty-Eight families, had ever spoken to his father like that.
Draco looked up slightly, only to see angry red spreading across his father's neck, and even some veins popping out on his forehead.
"Sir, I think the Malfoy family in Britain still has a bit of influence!" Lucius said through gritted teeth.
"Influence?!" Howl said with some apology: "For so many years, I have only ever given one kind of influence."
Saying that, Howl slightly raised his hand, smiled at Lucius, his fingers slightly clenched, and said softly: "That is, influence earned through force."
Lucius's breathing instantly hitched, his gaze fixed on Howl.
Draco also noticed Lucius's knuckles, white from gripping his cane.
They were even trembling slightly from extreme anger.
"Alright… Captain!!"
Howl's face instantly broke into a smile, and he shook Lucius's hand: "That's right, Mr. Malfoy, what were you just asking Borgin about?"
"Nothing!" Lucius quickly withdrew his hand, saying coldly.
Actually, he wanted to ask where Borgin and Burkes had gone. That fellow had disappeared like thin air since Christmas, and no one knew where he had gone.
Without this channel for handling Dark Arts items, his family had been encountering many nuisances recently…
But now, he was no longer interested in knowing about it.
Thinking this, Lucius turned around decisively: "Let's go!"
Watching Lucius's retreating back, Howl smiled, then said: "Harry, it seems you'll have an opponent at school in the future."
Harry shook his head: "I wouldn't consider someone who constantly brags about their family background and upbringing to gain a sense of superiority as an opponent."