Some people's gifts were particularly thoughtful. The one that impressed Draco the most was Ron's 200 Ways to Make a Witch Happy, which also included a note from Ron with the blessing: "Never make Hermione angry again, she always torments me and Harry when she is angry"—which left Draco both amused and exasperated.
The Weasley twins gave him a pair of newly developed Extendable Ears, which looked like long, flesh-coloured ropes. The instruction card read: "You must insert one end into a person's ear and the other end under a door crack, so that you can hear conversations taking place on the other side of the door as clearly as if they were right next to you. However, the Extendable Ears will not work on doors that have been enchanted with anti-interference charms."
It was rare for the twins to finally invent something more practical than entertaining, and Draco made up his mind to make the most of it someday.
Brilliant sunlight filtered through the gaps in the treetops, dappling Draco's platinum-blonde hair. He squinted, enjoying this rare moment of leisure, leaning against the tree trunk, lost in thought. Just then, he noticed Hermione, who had been reading on the nearby grass, silently standing beside him.
"Draco, I got you a birthday present." She put her right hand behind her back, her face slightly flushed from the sunlight. "I do not know if you will like it. I bought it when I went to the antique market with my mother. Seeing it reminded me of you…"
Draco's interest was piqued by her words, and he tilted his head to look at her. "I am looking forward to it."
"Well, it might be a little… not quite like a gift for a boy… I mean…" she said shyly, extending her right hand in front of him, still keeping the thing tightly hidden.
"Open it and let me see." Draco looked at her hand suspiciously. The thing was clearly not very big, as it could be held in her hand.
"All right, do not laugh at me, I really do not know what else you are lacking…" Hermione used her chatter to mask her nervousness. She covered her eyes with her left hand, whilst slowly opening her right.
A silver snake-shaped ring lay in her palm, gleaming with a cold yet gentle light. Draco did not know why he described the ring that way, but that was his first impression of it.
Hermione felt his fingertips brush against her palm, sending a tingling, tiny electric current through her.
Then, the palm where the ring had been placed suddenly felt light and empty.
She still did not dare open her eyes, then felt someone approaching her. He whispered half a sentence in her ear: "A gift that was very unexpected—"
Then, there was a moment of silence.
The silence was so long and unbearable that she finally could not resist peeking at him through her fingers.
The platinum-blonde boy chuckled softly, bending slightly forward, his pale grey eyes meeting hers through the gaps between her fingers. Hermione could see the corners of his mouth slowly curving upwards. He dangled the ring, already on his finger, at her, saying with a hint of pride, "This gift is quite creative. I really like it. Thank you."
"Then why did you not say anything? You made me so nervous!" Hermione said, looking bewildered.
The boy's smile widened into a larger one. "I wanted to wait until you opened your eyes yourself. Expressing gratitude requires looking the other person in the eye to show sincerity, does it not?"
Hermione pursed her lips, wanting to retort. She felt he was teasing her. But she could not bring herself to argue with that striking face. She held her tongue for a moment, but could not resist, and finally laughed along with him.
"All right, whatever you like." She picked up the book An Introduction to Ancient Runes again and hid her smile behind the book.
Unbeknownst to the boy and girl, who were immersed in a pleasant atmosphere, in the quiet castle not far behind them, through the huge window of the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore and Snape's gazes were fixed on them for a long time.
"Draco Malfoy." At this moment, Dumbledore, who had been rarely seen at Hogwarts for the past two months, was standing by the window of his spacious and bright Headmaster's office. His azure eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Severus, there is a quality about him that reminds me of you."
"Do not compare me to those foolish students…" Snape said impatiently. "I see no resemblance whatsoever to the Malfoys. And, based on my years of knowing Lucius Malfoy, the chances of him siding with us are extremely slim…"
"We will all grow old eventually and one day we will all embrace death. We should place our hopes on the younger generation, like Harry. And Draco, if my eyesight is not failing, I seem to see some new possibilities in this Slytherin…" Dumbledore smiled as he looked at Snape.
"What an amazing imagination… a child who has just turned thirteen can turn around an ancient pure-blood wizarding family that has been passed down for centuries… and make his Death Eater father reform…" Snape hissed, like a disgruntled snake, "Why? Give me a reason."
"I made a promise to someone, and I cannot tell you the reason." Dumbledore smiled gently, not continuing the topic. He withdrew his gaze, a sharp glint in his azure eyes. "Tell me, Severus, how is your research on Quirrell's body going with Professor Flitwick?"
"Not ideal…" Snape's expression turned serious, his brow furrowing. "We still dare not undo Quirrell's Petrification, nor can we simply cut him down with the Gryffindor sword. Who knows if the soul will perish or escape again with Quirrell's death? Nobody has ever seen a body with two souls… We have spent a whole year, yet we still cannot figure out why Voldemort's fragmented soul is trapped in Quirrell's body by a mere Petrification spell… The only thing we can do is properly place his body in the dungeons…"
"This is not the effect of a Petrification spell alone," Dumbledore said with certainty. "Someone must have cast some other, more advanced spell."
"That is impossible. They were just first-year students… Both Potter and Granger were children raised in Muggle families, with no way to acquire higher magic. Miss Granger was incredibly lucky to even be able to cast the Petrification Charm," Snape said, frowning.
"On the day Quirrell and Voldemort's souls were Petrified, there must have been someone else there besides Hermione and Harry. This person cast another spell, which is why Voldemort's soul could not escape," Dumbledore said calmly.
"Who would do that?" A rare look of surprise appeared on Snape's face.
"Mr Potter was not fully conscious at the time, and the only one who was conscious was Miss Granger. I suspect she told us a white lie to protect someone close to her… This person must be very special to her; this is just my immature guess." Dumbledore glanced casually at the bustling world outside the window, finally sat back in his comfortable armchair, and sighed contentedly.
He picked up a Sherbet Lemon from the table. "Want one, Severus?"
Snape glared at him, seemingly reprimanding his rude behaviour that disregarded the occasion and the importance of the matter. "No need. I know what you are implying. Draco Malfoy was also a first-year student back then, and from what I knew of him before, he was not much smarter than Miss Granger."
"But he captured Peter Pettigrew, an Animagus, and rescued Ron Weasley in the Chamber of Secrets, indirectly helping Harry destroy the diary. He even brewed the Mandrake Restorative Draught without any instruction, reviving Hermione Granger. Forgive my bluntness, but I do not think Draco Malfoy would be a good candidate for Death Eater," Dumbledore said thoughtfully, tearing open the Sherbet Lemon packaging and taking a bite.
The child even reminded him that the diary was a Horcrux. Given such profound knowledge of Dark magic, it would not be surprising if he knew a few more spells.
"Do not drag my innocent students into this. He is just a spoiled, boastful, and arrogant boy who is good for his age and has a tiny bit of potion talent, but otherwise he is no different from any other Slytherin…" Snape said sternly.
"Well then, let us observe for a whilst longer," Dumbledore said enthusiastically, engrossed in his Sherbet Lemon. "After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. To me, he is someone worth trying to win over."
Snape snorted, his dark eyes silently fixed on the platinum-blonde-haired boy in the sunlight. Even from a distance, that dazzling colour was as striking as a lighthouse at sea, impossible to ignore.
"How is the research on the Dark Lord's other Horcruxes progressing?" Snape asked after a moment's thought.
"I have some ideas." Dumbledore's tone was as casual as if he were talking about the weather. He said with a smile, "I have found Caractacus Burke, who was Borgin's former partner; and through some connections, I have also got in touch with Bob Ogden, who has retired and used to work in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
"I do not see how these two people can be of any help to your research," Snape said coldly. "You should go find the Gaunt family, if any of their descendants are still alive."
"Of course. I have already obtained a portion of Morfin Gaunt's memories in Azkaban—it took quite a bit of effort to persuade the guards there. But it was worth it. After all, he is the only living member of the Gaunt family left." Dumbledore's expression grew serious. "But his memories alone are far from enough. We need to seek the truth from multiple angles; every clue related to Voldemort is worth investigating."