Man of Archives

Chapter 44

The invitation to Draco Malfoy's birthday came as a surprise. Well, no... not quite like that. I knew it was coming, but I didn't expect it to not only arrive, but to be delivered by a hired person who handed the letter to me directly. After accepting it, I quickly read through.

The letter contained an official invitation, along with a note outlining the dress code, the expected food, and the plans for both adults and children.

I quickly drafted a response and sent it back with the messenger. He would deliver it, and in the meantime, I would think about what gift to give young Malfoy. The gift had to be both interesting and useful.

To achieve that, I needed to know at least a little about him. The problem was, I knew nothing about the boy. But I did know someone who knew at least a bit. That someone was Hermione Granger. She had been at Hogwarts with him for a while, even though they were in different houses.

"Tell me, Hermione," I said to her after another intense training session at the Diagon Alley practice grounds. Her skills, let's just say, had improved significantly since day one. In addition to getting a new wand, young Granger had also grown stronger after taking Panacea. "What do you think of Draco Malfoy?"

"That blond prick?" she asked with mild surprise, not quite understanding why I was asking. "People like him are often referred to as 'privileged brats' in literature. Spoiled, thinks everyone should bow to him, but has nothing to offer. Everything he has comes from his father's wealth."

"I see you're not particularly fond of him," I smirked.

"Not at all," she said. "He called me a Mudblood, said his father would get me thrown out of Hogwarts, and was particularly gleeful when I ended up in the hospital, missing classes."

"Hmm," I acknowledged her explanation. "Anything else you can tell me about him?"

"Putting aside my disdain for him," she continued, "Draco Malfoy loves flying. His father bought the entire Slytherin team new Nimbus 2001 brooms, and because of that, he became their Seeker, hoping to outdo Harry Potter. But he doesn't have the talent of Gryffindor's Seeker. That's about all I know."

"So, he likes brooms. Thanks."

If he liked flying, I knew exactly what gift would suit him: a modern broom care set, packaged in a stylish way. I could customize the packaging myself. A little transfiguration and a spell to make it permanent, and it would look quite impressive.

Buying the set wasn't difficult, and enchanting and transfiguring it was even easier. The plain box with ordinary items transformed into a near work of art—golden veins, soft brown pastel colors, and sharp angles that gave the package a sleek, striking look, all with fine details that would impress anyone interested.

When the day arrived, I apparated to the familiar mansion. It was here that I had first met Narcissa Malfoy and where one of my assignments for the Hunter's Guild had taken place.

The place looked a bit different now. It was clear they had done a lot of work on the house and grounds to prepare for the celebration. As soon as I took a step, I was transported to the front doors of the Malfoy home, which stood open. An interesting use of a Portkey spell. If I'm not mistaken, there's something similar at Hogwarts, though they don't use it often—likely to make the experience more magical for the children.

"Good day, Timothy," greeted Lucius Malfoy.

The man extended his hand for a handshake. I reciprocated. His emotions were mildly curious, with not a trace of disdain. The two mastery rings on my fingers were clearly visible. He noticed them too but didn't linger longer than etiquette allowed.