Chapter 99: Should I Get a Scarhead Doll?

In the dimly lit basement corridor, Ino walked alone towards the Slytherin dormitory, pondering his plans for the weekend.

Buying books was easy enough; he could simply write to the bookstore, and the owl would bring the required amount of Galleons. However, to commission a musical instrument from Dervish & Banges, a face-to-face meeting was necessary.

Moreover, he needed to get the instrument ready and compose the tune before the Quidditch season started in the second half of the year. After all, performing a rousing World Cup theme song required more than just an accordion. Violin, harp, clarinet, timpani… it would take at least seven or eight different instruments to create a beautiful melody.

The place to get these custom instruments was Dervish & Banges. Located in Hogsmeade, it was primarily a repair shop for various magical items. But Dervish & Banges occasionally made some interesting gadgets, and an automatic accordion happened to be one of them.

Ino had bought it in Diagon Alley but coincidentally met the maker in Hogsmeade. After a brief chat, Ino abandoned the idea of making one himself. Although it was just a simple automatic accordion, it involved too much alchemical knowledge—a whole discipline, much more complicated than he had imagined.

…

The Slytherin dormitory and the Potions classroom were both in the castle basement. It took only about five or six minutes for Ino to return to the dormitory. Pushing the door open, he saw Draco's quiet back.

Seeing this, Ino knew that Draco was angry, but some things had to be reasoned out; it was about principles, not personal matters. Unlike in the original story, this time, Hermione hadn't provoked Draco; she merely commented on Quidditch objectively. But Draco's harsh retort was unreasonable no matter how you looked at it. That was why Ino insisted on Draco apologizing, though his tone might have been a bit harsh.

But there was no choice… in that situation, facing a Quidditch team with an average age of fifth years, if he didn't keep a stern face and instead acted cheerful, he would have been unable to mediate the conflict and might have ended up a laughing stock himself.

Looking at the still-angry Draco, Ino gently tapped his finger, and a block of ice about a foot square condensed in midair. He then took out his wand and used Transfiguration to gradually shape and elongate the ice.

A few minutes later, a lifelike miniature doll about 20 centimeters tall floated in midair. Although it was entirely made of ice with no other colors, its appearance and the iconic scar made it recognizable as a certain star Seeker from another house.

Using the Levitation Charm, Eno controlled the doll to move towards Draco.

"I'm giving this to you! By the way, do you want me to teach you a spell to make it hang upside down in midair?"

On the other side, Draco, who had deliberately turned away when he heard the door open, was now looking at the doll. Though he realized his mistake after calming down, he still felt that he had been humiliated.

Seeing the doll now, Draco seemed to find a reason to convince himself and gradually relaxed.

"Ino! You embarrassed me in front of everyone." Draco's tone was somewhat resentful.

"Sorry, but you were indeed wrong! Let's calmly talk about this. In that situation, if you could stand up to Wood or even the entire Gryffindor team, wouldn't it be better than just insulting a little girl? Also, I had to be fair; otherwise, it could have turned into a fight. Don't underestimate the courage of those lions."

Without waiting for Draco to reply, Ino continued, "A brave person draws their sword against a stronger opponent when angry, while a coward draws their sword against a weaker opponent. I don't expect my friends to be brave because that's foolish. But similarly, I don't want my friends to be cowards. In fact, I'd rather you all be the stronger ones."

"Draco, sometimes it's not scary to lose face once; what's scary is having no ability and still charging forward, repeatedly losing face."

After saying this in one breath, Ino quietly sat on the side, giving Draco some time to think.

The dormitory fell into a brief silence.

After a while, Draco spoke, "Ino, honestly, I never thought about these things. When I was very young, I lived with my mother in a safe house while Malfoy Manor was abandoned. During that time, I rarely saw my father, and when I did, he was always anxious and hurried."

Draco's expression was somewhat downcast, but he continued to gaze at the dormitory ceiling.

"At that time, I heard the most about restoring the Malfoy family's glory. So, I cared a lot about honor, but no one ever told me how to gain it. I knew that the respect others had for me was actually directed at my father and our family's Galleons… even Crabbe and Goyle."

Draco slowly turned his head, his eyes bright and almost glowing.

"Until just now! I think I understand how to gain honor and respect. It's not through Quidditch, not through grades, not through house points or praise from professors…"

"True honor and respect come from being strong, like you were on the training ground. Flint, Wood, Scarhead, the Weasley twins, everyone there feared you, so they had to respect you; no one dared to argue with you."

"So Ino, teach me magic! Not those little tricks, but real magic!"

Ino sat quietly on the chair, once again feeling that stories were just stories. Whether it was the Draco in front of him, Pansy, or others, they were not just fleeting characters in a story.

They were real people with flesh and blood, feelings, memories, and aspirations…

Looking at Draco's expectant eyes, Ino nodded seriously:

"Alright! I'll teach you magic, real magic!"

…

At the other end of the castle.

In the Potions office.

Snape sat alone at the desk, his eyes closed, seemingly deep in thought.

His figure appeared particularly serene in the dim light. From a distance, he looked like a still statue.

But upon closer inspection, one could see that the statue-like body was not completely motionless.

Underneath the black robes, his chest rose and fell slightly, each breath silently proclaiming his life.

And it was precisely this subtle sign of life that broke the stillness of the statue-like silence.

Time quietly passed, and Snape remained motionless in this posture.

After a long time.

The silence was broken.

"Potter…"

Snape's voice was as calm as ever.

Calmer than ever before, as calm as a dead water.

…

In the Slytherin dormitory.

On a round table with potted plants, an old book titled "Advanced Potion Making" lay open.

At this moment, Ino was lying on the table, continuously copying something.

In another part of the dormitory, Draco, holding a wand, was practicing spells on an ice doll.

"Silencio!"

"Leviosa!"

"Petrificus Totalus!"