51: The source of Malfoy's entertainment

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"But really, I don't understand your thinking logic."

"What?" Malfoy was clearly confused by Ivan's casual words.

What did he mean by 'I don't understand your thinking logic'?

"What I mean is..."

Ivan didn't dislike Malfoy; he was just a spoiled child. If it ever came to it, someone like Dudley, who frequently bullied Harry, would probably be turned into a maggot by now.

"Don't you see the difference between us?" Ivan added as he casually sat down at the table near Malfoy.

Seeing this, Hermione stepped forward and sat down next to Ivan, playing the role of a supportive friend. Neville, looking nervous but determined, followed and took a seat with them, even though he was clearly scared.

Suddenly, the table was filled with Malfoy, Goyle, Crabbe, Pansy, Ivan, Hermione, and Neville, making for a rather awkward gathering.

"What... what are you trying to do?"

Malfoy stammered, obviously startled by Ivan's confident demeanor.

He still remembered the encounter on the train, where Ivan had overpowered him with ease.

In a moment of panic, Malfoy regretted provoking Ivan.

"My father is one of the Hogwarts school governor!" Malfoy blurted out defensively. "You—if you—"

"Pfft~ Relax, relax. I'm not going to do anything," Ivan said, patting Malfoy on the shoulder with a smile. "We're classmates, after all. No need for things to be so tense between us, right?"

Crabbe and Goyle stood frozen in fear of Ivan, while Pansy, who had witnessed Ivan's magical talent during their entrance, wisely chose to stay quiet.

Though she had a crush on Malfoy, she wasn't foolish enough to challenge someone as skilled as Ivan and make a fool of herself.

Of course, there would be no shortage of protection.

A girl in love, how could she tolerate the boy she liked being bullied?

However, before Pansy could make any move, Ivan's eyes fell on her.

In an instant, Pansy trembled all over, as if she had fallen into an ice cave, and was frozen on the spot.

"But," Ivan said, shocking the love-struck girl, and then continued, "You have to understand one thing, Draco."

"In the wizarding world, magic is power!~"

Ivan did nothing but simply stared into Malfoy's eyes, silently.

The invisible sense of oppression made Draco feel incredibly stressed, and any impulse to provoke Ivan quickly vanished.

"I—I know," Malfoy stammered, visibly shaken. Deep down, he didn't want another conflict with Ivan.

After all, when you think about it, what real conflict existed between them?

Hermione?

Mudblood?

Muggle-born wizard?

Let's not even get into Hermione's situation right now.

Malfoy simply looked down on her.

And there was nothing he could do about it.

The dynamics of the wizarding world were like this: Muggle-borns, or "Mudbloods," had always been at the bottom of the wizarding society's hierarchy of contempt.

Contempt, disdain, and the theory of blood purity—these things existed even in Ivan's previous life.

The rich looked down on the poor.

Those with good jobs looked down on those with bad jobs.

Those with beautiful, virtuous, and capable wives looked down on the "single dogs."

So, what do you do when someone looks down on you?

Are you supposed to just let it slide?

Ivan thought, 'Yes, if someone looks down on me, I'll definitely beat them up.'

If you don't have the strength, you might have to endure it. But if your fists are big enough, why put up with it?

So, when Malfoy called Hermione a "Mudblood," on the train Ivan acted swiftly and taught this arrogant brat a lesson.

You can think whatever you want in your head, Ivan figured, but the moment you say it out loud, you're crossing the line.

Magic is power!

If you can't beat me, then keep your mouth shut and save yourself the trouble.

"Arr..."

Malfoy was speechless under Ivan's forceful attitude.

He sat there with an extremely sour expression on his face, but he didn't dare lose his temper with Ivan. He could only sit and bear it.

When Harry and Ronald arrived, they saw the scene unfold.

Malfoy and his cronies were sitting in the corner, looking frustrated, while on the other side, Ivan, Hermione, and Neville were calmly flipping through their Potions textbooks.

"What happened?"

Soon enough, Harry and Ronald learned what had transpired from Seamus.

Apparently, Malfoy had tried to start trouble with Ivan.

But before he could make a move, Ivan made Malfoy back down with just a few words, and Malfoy even distanced himself from Ivan.

This news made Harry and Ron thrilled.

Unfortunately, before they could revel in it, a dark figure swept into the classroom, exuding an aura of intimidation.

Ivan glanced up to see the man dressed in black robes, a cloak billowing behind him. He was tall and slender, with greasy, straight hair, cold, deep-set eyes, and a sallow complexion. The figure resembled a large black bat.

Severus Snape, the most skilled wizard in the entire Harry Potter series, second only to Dumbledore and Voldemort.

He had inherited his mother's talent for potions and demonstrated an aptitude for inventing spells as soon as he entered Hogwarts.

To be honest, if it weren't for Lily, Snape might not have ever reached the heights of greatness as a wizard.

'What a pity', Ivan thought.

This was the first time Ivan had seen Snape since the opening feast, and as the head of Slytherin entered the room, he brought with him a palpable sense of foreboding, casting a heavy shadow over the young wizards.

Snape stood at the front of the classroom, reading out the list of names. When he reached Harry's name, he paused.

At that moment, Harry had no idea what sort of targeting he was about to endure.

'It's starting—Harry Potter's famous scene', Ivan thought, remaining calm and showing no intention of stepping in to help Harry.

After all, if one looked at it plainly, this was an issue rooted in the sins of Harry's father.

As the saying goes, 'the hatred of losing a lover is irreconcilable.'

It was remarkable that Snape could restrain his anger whenever he looked at Harry, who bore such a strong resemblance to James Potter.

The beloved goddess was stolen by the rogue with messy hair,

Ivan mused.

In an effort to protect her, Snape chose to become a double agent, silently sacrificing everything without expecting anything in return.

And after the goddess died, Snape devoted his life to protecting her son—the son of that man who had taken her away.

To make matters worse, the boy, Harry, except for his green eyes, looked almost exactly like the man who had stolen Snape's love.

Damn!

It's so utterly incredible.

Thinking about all this, Ivan couldn't help but admire Snape's resilience. He truly was the ultimate first love martyr in the Harry Potter series.

Strong. Really strong.

"You really are the first true man of the wizarding world," Ivan thought, his mind marveling at Snape's sheer perseverance.

"What did you say, Ivan?"

Hermione overheard Ivan mutter something under his breath but didn't catch it clearly, so she asked.

"Oh, nothing."

Ivan didn't explain and instead casually praised, "I was just thinking how impressive our Potions professor is."

"Really?"

Hermione didn't press further. She trusted Ivan's judgment and now had high hopes for Snape's teaching abilities.

"Very good, very good."

At that moment, Snape raised his head from the list and directed his gaze toward Harry. "Harry Potter, our new celebrity," he said with a cutting tone.

Malfoy, along with Crabbe and Goyle, snickered, covering their mouths with their hands.

Seeing Harry being singled out by Snape, the frustration Malfoy had felt from his encounter with Ivan vanished instantly.

'I should never have tried provoking Ivan,' Malfoy thought to himself. 'Is Harry losing his appeal, or has Scarhead given up?'

No, right?

At that moment, Malfoy made a decision.

'The source of my entertainment should always be Harry Potter!'