80: Chapter 80: First Year Ends, New Prey

The Hogwarts Express pulled away from the platform, the Castle swallowed by the hillside, and the carriage was filled with noise.

Draco pushed away his candy box, looking displeased.

"Summer vacation is so boring."

Allen leaned against the window, flipping through a book with his eyelids half-lowered.

Draco nudged him with the toe of his shoe.

"Did you hear me?"

"I heard you."

"Then say something."

"Which part do you want to hear?"

Draco leaned back in his seat.

"Father is definitely going to ask about the House Cup."

Zabini unwrapped a chocolate.

"Just tell him Dumbledore added points at the last minute."

Nott closed his book.

"Mr. Lucius doesn't want to hear the process; he wants to know what you've learned."

Draco's expression darkened further.

"Here we go again."

Allen closed his old book.

"He's right."

Draco restrained himself.

"I know, the Cup isn't important, people are, status is, the Board of Governors is, but I just don't like it."

Pansy looked up.

"Nobody likes it."

Laughter from the Weasley brothers came from the next carriage, and snippets of celebration drifted through the door.

Draco's face darkened.

"They'd better not come over here."

Allen turned a page.

"Don't go looking for trouble."

"I'm not that stupid."

"You said that yesterday, too."

Draco pointed a finger at him, then swallowed his words.

"Can you stop bringing up old matters?"

"Old matters are useful."

Pansy looked at Allen.

"Where are you going for the summer?"

"London."

Draco asked immediately.

"The orphanage?"

Allen's hand paused while turning the page.

"Not necessarily for now."

Nott asked.

"Has the contract with the Potter Family been settled?"

"Enough for me to find a place to stay."

Draco frowned.

"You should have left that place long ago."

"Muggle places have their advantages."

"What advantages?"

"No one understands wands."

Zabini chuckled.

"That's true."

Draco stared at him.

"Are you really not coming to stay at Malfoy Manor for a few days?"

Pansy looked over.

"You're inviting him?"

Draco cleared his throat.

"Just being polite."

Allen said.

"Then I'll politely decline."

Draco's face went dark.

"You declined way too quickly."

"Saves time."

"My family has a large collection of books, and a training room."

"I know."

"Then why refuse?"

Allen placed the book on the table.

"Your father doesn't want to see me."

Draco didn't respond.

Nott finished for him.

"Mr. Lucius would pick you apart with a dozen questions."

"That's why I'm not going."

Draco turned his face to the window.

"He's not as scary as you think."

"I didn't say he was scary."

"Then why are you avoiding him?"

"It's troublesome."

Pansy rested her chin in her hand.

"You think everyone is troublesome."

"Most of the time, yes."

Draco turned back.

"Am I?"

Allen glanced at him.

"You're currently proving it."

Crabbe looked up from the pile of candy.

"Am I troublesome?"

The carriage was quiet for a moment.

Goyle answered seriously.

"You eat too much."

Crabbe looked down at the candy box.

"Does that count as troublesome?"

Draco rubbed his temples.

"Both of you, shut up."

Allen leaned back against the window.

"Don't be idle over the summer. Expelliarmus, Protego, Stupefy—practice every day."

Draco was immediately alert.

"Do you think I'm just an ordinary student?"

"That's what you are right now."

"My first-year grades aren't bad."

"Then practice until you can cast spells without thinking."

Nott nodded.

"The requirement is reasonable."

Zabini put away the chocolate wrapper.

"Will something happen in the second year?"

Draco also looked over.

"Do you know something?"

Allen didn't answer; the sound of the wheels rolled beneath them.

Inside the Portable Space, the black snake coiled in the void beside the ebony box, its silver eyes fixed on the cage. Peter cowered in the corner, able only to see the sealed bottle of Unicorn blood. The blue light of the cracked pocket watch sank into the seams of the box, and the boundary of the space remained stable at 140 square meters.

Allen tapped the spine of his book with his fingertip.

"Hogwarts is never quiet."

Draco pressed him.

"Is that an answer?"

"A usable answer."

"Are you going to hide things from me again?"

"Depends."

Pansy snorted.

"He's definitely going to hide it."

Zabini said.

"That means it's not a small matter."

Draco stared at Allen.

"Is it related to Harry?"

"Don't connect everything to him."

"But trouble is always related to him."

"That part is true, which is why you should practice your spells even more."

Draco's expression tightened.

"We went in a circle and ended up back here."

"Because you don't listen."

"I am listening."

"Then go home and practice."

Draco gritted his teeth.

"To what extent?"

"Expelliarmus should be able to knock the chicken leg out of Goyle's hand, Protego should at least block jinxes from classmates, and don't just recite Stupefy."

Goyle looked up.

"Why mine?"

Crabbe protected the candy box.

"Don't hit mine."

Draco glared at them.

"Shut up."

He looked at Allen again.

"Who in our year would use a jinx on me?"

Nott said.

"Don't let Gryffindor hear that."

Zabini added.

"And don't let the upperclassmen hear it either."

Pansy added.

"And definitely don't let your father hear it."

Draco looked at Allen.

"You're all in agreement today."

"You lack training; it's not hard to see."

Draco was silent for a moment.

"What about you?"

"Sleeping."

"I'm asking about training."

"That's training, too."

Pansy asked.

"Can your condition get any better over the summer?"

"It will be better than before."

Draco caught the point.

"Because of that time in the Forbidden Forest?"

Allen looked up.

"You ask too much."

Draco didn't back down.

"You've been awake for longer periods since you got back."

Nott also looked at Allen.

"You don't fall asleep as easily in class as you used to."

Zabini put down the candy wrapper.

"So you got something in the Forbidden Forest."

Pansy frowned.

"What are you all talking about?"

Allen reopened the old book.

"Nothing."

Draco said.

"Don't give me that."

Allen looked at the page.

"Knowing too much makes writing letters over the summer unsafe."

The carriage fell silent.

Draco lowered his voice.

"Those three spells, I'll practice them."

"Don't let your father see that you're listening to anyone's arrangements."

Draco tugged at the cuff of his robes.

"I don't need you to teach me that."

Nott said.

"I'll compile a book list and send it to you."

Pansy asked.

"To me, too?"

"If you like."

Pansy looked at Allen.

"Will the second year really be more troublesome?"

Allen looked out the window.

"It will be more lively."

Draco frowned.

"Hearing the word 'lively' from you doesn't sound right."

Zabini said.

"Maybe the coursework is just getting harder."

Allen said.

"You can think that."

Draco sneered.

"If he lets you think that, it usually means it's not."

The door to the next carriage was pulled open, and Ron's voice came through.

"Harry, do you really have to go back to those Muggle relatives over the summer?"

Harry answered.

"Yeah."

Hermione said.

"You should at least write letters."

Draco's face darkened again.

"He's really relaxed."

Pansy looked towards the door.

"Should I close the door?"

Allen said.

"Close it."

Goyle stood up and pulled the door shut, blocking out most of the voices from next door.

Draco remained dissatisfied.

"He could win the House Cup while lying in the Hospital Wing, and he gets to receive a bunch of letters over the summer."

"Do you want to trade with him?"

"No."

"Then stop staring at him."

"I just don't like it."

"Not liking it doesn't solve the problem."

Draco leaned back against the seat.

"You always manage to make people more annoyed."

"As long as it's effective."

Nott looked out the window.

"We're almost at London."

Zabini put away the candy.

"How will we send letters over the summer?"

Allen said.

"Use owls for casual greetings, but don't write out important details."

Pansy asked.

"What should we write?"

"Weather, homework, books."

Draco continued.

"Use book titles to represent events?"

"You finally caught on."

Draco resisted the urge to retort.

"Who sets the key?"

Nott said.

"I will."

Zabini nodded.

"I'll be responsible for news from the Ministry of Magic and my home."

Pansy looked at Draco.

"What about you?"

"I'll practice spells and listen to what Father says."

Allen said.

"Less 'by the way', more listening."

Draco glared at him.

"You really don't have low expectations for me."

"Because you'll need it."

Draco's anger dissipated a bit.

"That's actually worth listening to."

Allen added.

"For now."

Crabbe held up the candy box.

"There's one last piece."

Goyle said.

"Give it to me."

Draco finally couldn't help it.

"Can you two keep some dignity for the end of the first year?"

Allen stood up and took his old suitcase down from the luggage rack.

The suitcase was light and empty; the real items were all in the Portable Space.

Draco watched it.

"Every time you take this suitcase, I feel like it's fooling everyone."

"It does a good job."

Nott straightened his robes.

"There are many people on the platform; let's not leave together."

Zabini said.

"I'll go first."

Pansy also stood up.

"Write letters over the summer."

Draco looked at Allen.

"You'll write back, right?"

"Depends on the content."

"What about asking about training?"

"I'll reply."

"Asking where you are?"

"I won't."

Draco clicked his tongue.

"You're really difficult to deal with."

Allen walked to the carriage door.

"You'll get used to it."

The train slowed down, brick walls and iron structures flashed past the window, and the noise of King's Cross Station poured into the carriage.

The door next door also opened, and Harry and Ron dragged their trunks out, with Hermione following behind holding her books.

Harry saw Allen and paused.

"See you over the summer."

Allen nodded.

"Come back alive."

Ron frowned.

"Is that supposed to be a blessing?"

Hermione glanced at Allen.

"He probably always talks like that."

Draco walked out from behind, snorting coldly.

"Potter, don't block the way."

Harry looked at him.

"You're a Potter, too."

Draco was choked up.

Allen passed them and got off the train carrying the empty suitcase.

Draco followed to the door.

"Will the second year really be more lively than I think?"

"Yes."

"How lively?"

Allen looked back at him.

"Practice those three sets of spells well over the summer."

"That's not an answer."

Allen turned and walked into the crowd on the platform.

"You'll know when the time comes."

The sound of the steam whistle came from behind.

Inside the Portable Space, Peter remained sealed in the cage, the Unicorn blood sat quietly beside the ebony box, and the blue light of the cracked pocket watch sank into the seams.

Allen, carrying the empty suitcase, walked through the crowd first.

The first year was over.