After a long search, Adelaide finally found the dozing toad Trevor on the washstand in the women's restroom of the very last train carriage.
It lay there quietly, seemingly completely unaware that it had driven its owner, Neville, frantic with worry.
When Neville saw Trevor, a joyful smile immediately blossomed on his face.
He quickly stepped forward, carefully took the struggling toad Trevor from Adelaide's hands, and hugged it tightly—at least until they reached Hogwarts, Neville would absolutely not give Trevor any chance to escape again.
On the way back, Adelaide passed by Harry's compartment and peeked in a couple of times. She was surprised to find that Draco Malfoy and his two cronies had already left; inside the compartment, only Harry and Ron remained, eating and drinking heartily.
She pondered for a few seconds, then made a decision.
According to Hogwarts tradition, friends made on the train during a new student's arrival often accompany a Wizard for life.
Adelaide knew this well. She didn't want Neville to miss such a good opportunity to build a friendship with Harry—using the excuse of having Harry look after the scatterbrained new classmate, she left Neville in Harry's compartment.
After completing this, Adelaide continued towards the luxurious carriages. She didn't return directly to the compartment where her sisters were. Instead, she stopped a Slytherin student and politely inquired about the location of Draco Malfoy's compartment.
With the exact information, Adelaide arrived at Draco's compartment door.
She gently knocked on the door. A moment later, Draco's somewhat exasperated voice came from inside: "Who is it!"
Judging by Malfoy's attitude, his parting with Harry and the others must have been unpleasant.
Adelaide sighed. Indeed, expecting Gryffindor and Slytherin to get along well was still too difficult.
She ignored Draco Malfoy's poor attitude and directly pushed open the compartment door—Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Daphne Greengrass, Theodore Nott, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle were all in this compartment. Quite a full house.
"Senior Grindelwald!"
Accompanied by this exclamation, the previously somewhat noisy atmosphere in the compartment instantly froze. Everyone's gaze focused on the doorway, as if time had stopped flowing at that moment.
The six pure-blood first-years looked at each other, then simultaneously stood up, their movements swift, uniform, and well-trained.
They struggled to control their expressions into polite smiles, leaned their bodies forward slightly, and bowed to Adelaide with a standard, proper gesture, showing extreme respect for her.
Draco's face instantly turned deathly pale, his lips trembling slightly—his attitude just moments ago could hardly be described as good.
His father had sternly warned him that he absolutely must not offend Grindelwald the Second; otherwise, even his status as the next heir of the Malfoy Family would not protect him.
"Senior Grindelwald, I am so sorry, I didn't know it was you..."
Draco's heartbeat quickened even more. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice from trembling: "Senior Grindelwald, I... I really didn't mean it, please forgive my rudeness."
Adelaide smiled slightly and waved her hand, saying, "That's a small matter, Malfoy. Come out for a moment, I have something to discuss with you."
Her tone was calm and gentle, not angry at Draco's discourtesy.
Draco's eyes flickered with doubt and uncertainty. He hesitated for a moment but ultimately shuffled his feet and followed Adelaide out of the compartment.
They walked to a corner not far from the compartment. The surrounding Slytherin students seemed to sense something, all tactfully avoiding this corner on their own initiative, creating a relatively private space for Adelaide and Draco.
Draco felt extremely uneasy. Looking at the beautiful and powerful senior before him, he couldn't help but ask nervously: "Senior Grindelwald, what is it you need from me? Whatever the Malfoy Family can do, I will definitely have my father do it."
Adelaide didn't exchange pleasantries with him but got straight to the point: "Draco Malfoy, I want to know: who exactly do you intend to pledge your loyalty to? Me, or Dumbledore, or perhaps my Great-Granduncle Gellert Grindelwald?"
Draco clearly hadn't expected Adelaide to ask such a question so directly. His expression changed slightly, and he answered somewhat haltingly: "I... I'm not really sure. I'll write to my father right away and ask for his opinion..."
Before Draco could finish speaking, Adelaide ruthlessly and sharply cut him off: "Draco Malfoy! I am not the least bit interested in who your father wants to pledge loyalty to. I am asking about you, about Draco Malfoy himself! Who do you intend to pledge loyalty to!"
Draco was stunned speechless by the question. He had never imagined someone would suddenly ask him such a thing. His life had always been meticulously arranged and controlled by his parents; he only needed to act according to their wishes.
Grindelwald the Second's question left Draco feeling utterly confused and helpless. He felt like a little deer lost in a forest, completely unsure which direction to go.
He was so young; how could he possibly have his own opinion on such matters?
Looking at Draco's outwardly tough but inwardly weak appearance, Adelaide couldn't help but feel somewhat exasperated.
She knew Draco's nature wasn't actually bad; it was just that living long-term in a privileged environment had made him arrogant and lacking in independent judgment.
This character flaw couldn't be changed overnight; it would require time and patience to slowly guide.
Adelaide took a deep breath and decided to adopt a firm attitude towards Draco.
She spoke in a tone that brooked no argument: "Since you cannot answer my question, then I will make the decision for you—Draco Malfoy, from this moment on, you are my subordinate."
"You must pledge your complete loyalty to me, obey my commands, without the slightest resistance. Otherwise, I will give you the most severe punishment, so you understand the consequences of disobeying me. Do you understand?"
Draco was startled by Adelaide's imposing aura. He nodded frantically like a chicken pecking at rice, indicating he understood completely. In his heart, he knew very well that when Grindelwald the Second demanded his loyalty, he had absolutely no room for refusal.
Adelaide expressed appreciation for Draco's pragmatic attitude, and her tone softened. "Very well, Draco. The first task I assign you is to build a good relationship with The Chosen One."
Draco frowned: "But—"
"No buts. You are the carefully cultivated heir of the Malfoy Family. Surely you know how to win people over? The other party is The Chosen One; it's not beneath you to lower your stance and befriend him."
"I need to see results before Halloween. Do you understand?"
Although Draco found this very difficult, he didn't want to provoke this formidable Grindelwald the Second and had no choice but to agree.
---------------------------------
I hope you enjoy this fanfiction! If you're having fun and want to read 30 chapters in advance, feel free to check out my Patreon: patreon.com/TLScarlet
Your support means a lot so if you like the story, don't forget to drop a Power Stone.