Chapter 1: A Second Life, A Second Chance, and a Cheat-like Ability [EDITED]

1987, an ancient manor on the outskirts of Wiltshire, England. The manor occupied a huge area and was filled with an ancient, gloomy atmosphere. Ordinary people didn't have the opportunity to enter the manor because it was a wizard's manor, protected by spells to prevent ordinary people from entering the wizarding world. The owner of the manor was Lucius Malfoy, a former Death Eater.

"It's finally over," Draco Malfoy said as he closed the book and sighed heavily. Continuous high-intensity reading was too much for an eight year old body. The cover of the book read "A Thousand Magical Herbs and Mushrooms, by Felida Spoor."

"Unknowingly, it has been eight years since I came to this world," Draco said as he looked at the full-length mirror in the study room. He still couldn't believe his platinum hair and small body – he had actually transmigrated. Back then, he had only saved an elementary school student and, after being hit by a car, he had transmigrated to the world of Harry Potter as one of the main supporting characters, Draco.

In his previous life, as a fan of novels and movies, Draco knew the plot development of the original Harry Potter novel like the back of his hand. He also felt that it was a pity for the character of Malfoy in the story. "He has a good family background and a handsome appearance, but all he does are low-level villains. He's not bad enough. He always does things that are degrading to go against Harry Potter. His father is just a fence-sitter who's good at scheming."

But this was just his opinion before he crossed over. After transmigrating, he naturally would not follow the original novel and would continue living his life according to the original path. Since he had transmigrated, if he did not change the course of history, wouldn't he be wasting such a good opportunity? "Seems like this is the only benefit of transmigrating," he thought.

Looking at the large pile of books in the study room, Draco smiled with satisfaction. "Retentive memory and improved comprehension ability, what kind of cheat is this?" he thought.

Since he wanted to change the trajectory of his life, strength was naturally the most important factor. If he had the same strength as Voldemort and didn't commit any crimes, coupled with his inherited good looks and family background, he would be the standard template of a winner in life.

With the soul of an adult in his body, Draco naturally would not be as active as a child. On the contrary, Draco, who had received a good education, understood a principle: "Knowledge is power."

Without a good theoretical foundation, all magic was just a castle in the air. If Tom Riddle had not been brought to Hogwarts by Dumbledore, he would have been a wild wizard at best. Knowing this, Draco made sure to use his free time to learn the basics of magic, such as herbology, standard spells, and other basic subjects.

"I didn't manage to be a top student in my previous life. Looks like I'm going to enjoy being one in this life," he thought. Ever since he set his goal, Draco had been working hard for it, and in the process, he was surprised to find that his memory and comprehension had improved by more than a level compared to his previous life.

This was a valuable opportunity for him, and he would not let it go to waste. He knew that he had a second chance to make a better life for himself, and he was determined to make the most of it.

Perhaps it could only be attributed to transmigration.

There was a knock on the door.

"Young Master, Master wants you to come over," the butler's voice called out. Draco sighed and put the books back in their place before heading over to his father's study.

"Father, is there anything you need from me?' Draco asked as he entered the room. Ever since he had come to terms with reality, he had decided to play the role of a dutiful son. Despite his father being a villain in the original work, Draco still tried to treat his family well.

'I just need to find an opportunity to teach him the art of choosing sides,' Lucius replied. 'Voldemort's team is not easy to follow. In the original work, if Narcissa hadn't saved Harry's life, and if the Dark Lord had still lost, our family would have been sent to Azkaban. Does this count as me wishing for my father to become a dragon?'

Looking at Lucius, Draco's thoughts couldn't help but wander. "How's the progress of your studies?" Lucius asked, standing by the window. Under the sunlight outside the window, Lucius's already pale and pointed face looked even gloomier. Despite this, the concern in his tone couldn't be faked.

Unlike other children his age, Malfoy had been very quiet since infancy. He rarely cried or made a fuss, and as he got older, he rarely spoke. Some gossipy servants began to spread the rumor that the "young master is a mute. He can't even recite that spell, so he's equivalent to a dud." This made Lucius, who was proud of his lineage and family background, fly into a rage and deal with those servants. But he couldn't help but have doubts. "My child is too abnormal. He can't really be a dud, right?"

As a result of his personal teaching, Lucius discovered that his child was a genius. Draco's interest in magic was abnormally strong and, after learning how to read, his learning progress was even faster. He could even consciously control his own magic power. Once, Lucius gave his wand to Draco and taught him a simple spell. To Lucius's surprise, Malfoy succeeded in casting it on the first try. His initial silence became a sign of his talent, rather than a symbol of being a dud.

Which parent wouldn't want their child to be successful? Lucius, in particular, had high expectations for Draco because of his passion for magic, which was even higher than Lucius's own.

"Everything is normal, Father," Draco replied.

"In terms of knowledge, I should have reached the level of a third-grade student," Malfoy replied.

"Very good. As expected of the heir of the Malfoy family," Lucius said, satisfied. His pale face couldn't help but reveal a slight smile. "Tomorrow, the Parkinson family will come to our house as guests. I heard that there is a girl your age. How about it? Are you interested?"

It was rare for Lucius to tease Draco, but perhaps because Draco's talent was so outstanding, it even softened his gloomy temperament. The tradition of marriage between pure-blooded wizards also meant that Lucius's words were not entirely a joke.

"Father is joking," Draco replied softly. But his heart began to race. "Parkinson? Pansy? How should I get along with her?"