Harry Potter: The Rise Of Malfoy

Chapter 41.

Studying the dark magic books is a daunting task. A week has passed, and Soren has managed to digest less than one-tenth of the content of the three books. With only a week left before school starts, and needing to visit Diagon Alley as planned, Soren decided to put his magic research on hold and relax.

On this day, Soren changed into a streamlined and efficient outfit. He had quite a few activities planned—he arranged to go hunting for a Snidget with Terence Higgs in Norfolk in the morning, met with Moray to appreciate art at the London Magical Gallery for lunch, and in the evening, he was set to go to Liverpool with Daphne to see cettina Wobek's national tour concert "The Wild Aphrodite."

Running all over the map from northeast to southeast to northwest, it was quite a journey, wasn't it? With the use of the Floo Network and Apparition, anything is possible; magic is convenient!

In the morning, he first traveled to Higgs Manor via the fireplace, where he met Terence and his father, Bertie Higgs. Old Bertie was a gentle middle-aged man and the director of the Magical Pest Advisory Department at the Ministry of Magic, specializing in dealing with Muggle-Repelling Charms, Crups, Ghouls, and Snidgets, making him quite familiar with the techniques for hunting Snidgets. They brought along three pure white Albino Bloodhounds, and Bertie led the two of them to Apparate to a forest in Norfolk.

There, three people were already waiting, one of whom Soren recognized—Gryffindor's Cormac McLaggen, a student one year above him. He had heard that Cormac was quite self-centered, not only domineering and arrogant among his classmates but also impulsive and reckless, disregarding the consequences, embodying all the shortcomings that Gryffindor was known for.

However, he had an uncle in a high position at the Ministry of Magic—Tiberius McLaggen, a member of the Wizengamot—so many classmates were unwilling to get into his bad books, which only heightened his arrogance. At this moment, Cormac was standing in front of two tall men, talking animatedly, one of whom was likely his frequently mentioned Uncle Tiberius.

The other man had a very imposing demeanor. His hair and thick eyebrows were chestnut brown, mixed with strands of gray. Behind gold-rimmed glasses were sharp yellow eyes that resembled an old lion. If Soren wasn't mistaken, he was one of the four most powerful figures in the Ministry of Magic, the head of the Auror Office, Rufus Scrimgeour!

With Bertie's introduction, Soren got acquainted with the three men.

Rufus was an ambitious man. Although he usually maintained a serious demeanor, upon learning about Soren's family background, his attitude became polite, and a rare smile appeared on his stern face—this made Cormac feel a bit displeased, as he sensed his own spotlight being shared with Soren.

The group of six released the three Bloodhounds, which let out cheerful howls and dashed into the forest. These Bloodhounds were well-trained, with very keen senses, and it wasn't long before they discovered a Snidget.

The Snidget is a common dark creature found in the wilds of Europe and America. They are inherently cursed beings, resembling underdeveloped piglets, except for their short and thick tails and their narrow, eerie black eyes without whites. Snidgets often sneak into pigsties to suckle from sows, which causes farms to become cursed and plagued with disasters. The longer the Snidgets lurk, the longer the curse and calamities persist on the farm.

Snidgets have an innate fear of white dogs, so the experienced Bertie specifically brought along the albino hounds, which have a significant advantage in driving the Snidgets away. When the Snidgets are expelled from their hiding places, the hunters must use the specialized "Snidget-Extermination Charm" to kill them.

Since the age of nine, Soren has been practicing shooting diligently. His shooting skills are both fast and accurate. With the intentional leniency of three senior predecessors, the number of snidgets Soren has hunted ranks first, while the combined total of other hunts is less than half of Soren's.

Although Cormac was somewhat unhappy about this, he does not dare to act recklessly in front of several bigwigs from the Ministry of Magic. The others compliment Soren with phrases like "young and promising" and "exceptional talent." Understanding social etiquette, Soren humbly thanks Bertie, Rufus, and Tiberius for their guidance and presents them with precious health potions he had prepared in advance as gifts.

In contrast to Cormac's low emotional intelligence, Soren's ability to know when to advance and retreat, understand hierarchy, and observe etiquette undoubtedly wins their favor. Even Tiberius, who usually dotes on Cormac, secretly shakes his head and sighs after seeing his nephew's performance.

After leaving the fireplace at the Higgs residence, Soren arrives at the British Magical Gallery located in the northern part of London.

The exterior of the British Magical Gallery resembles that of the Muggle National Gallery. Aside from its slightly retro architectural style, its size and grandeur are quite similar. Of course, Muggles cannot see such a large building; only when a wizard recites the correct spell in front of a worn and weathered statue can they enter the gallery from the street.

At the entrance of the gallery, Moray, dressed in a sleeveless white lace dress and wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat, greets Soren with a charming smile. During their time at Hogwarts, Moray usually dressed in a more formal and intellectual manner, but now she reveals a cooler and more lively side, leaving Soren somewhat mesmerized.

"Hey, what are you daydreaming about?" Moray waves at Soren, slightly dissatisfied with her somewhat dazed companion today.

Even Soren, who considers himself thick-skinned, feels a bit embarrassed at this moment and can only admit, "Uh... your outfit today is quite different from usual, and I was a bit taken aback."

Moray's lips curve slightly: "So tell me, do you think I look better now or in my usual outfit?"

Ah! This is an easy question, I know the answer! Soren suppresses his inner excitement and pretends to ponder seriously before responding earnestly: "You're putting me in a tough spot. A girl like you looks good in anything. If your usual self is like the gentle and intellectual Athena, then today you are undoubtedly the pure and chaste Artemis. No matter which answer I give, it would be a desecration of your beauty."

Moray snorts, "Hmph! No sincerity! Is this how you always sweet-talk women? No wonder there are so many around you..." In truth, she is already overjoyed by Soren's compliment. Women can be so contradictory!

Soren wisely does not directly answer Moray's subsequent question but subtly shifts the topic, "There are so many people at the gallery today! I didn't know British wizards had such an appreciation for art!"

Upon hearing about the gallery, Moray begins to explain animatedly: "That's because there's an exhibition today—showcasing the works of the late magical painter Magenta Constock. I've heard for a long time that Constock's magical paintings are the best in the magical world. The eyes of the characters in her paintings can even leave the canvas and follow the viewer. It's a pity that this skill did not pass down after her death..."

Upon hearing this, Soren realizes the implications; a magical painting with eyes that can leave the canvas is undoubtedly a tool for surveillance. It would be strange for the Ministry of Magic to allow such paintings to circulate among the public!

Soren can bet that any information related to this magical painting skill has long been monitored by the Ministry of Magic, waiting to be claimed as their own the moment Constock passed away.

The two leisurely wander through the gallery, occasionally commenting on certain magical paintings.

Despite Soren usually being focused on studying magic, his art appreciation skills are quite good. As the second heir of the Malfoy family, art appreciation and fine wine tasting are compulsory subjects. Soren has received training in this area from a young age, but since he wasn't particularly interested, Lucius allowed him to stop once he met the minimum appreciation standards.

Moray, on the other hand, is driven by her passion; she is very interested in painting and often spends time studying magical paintings. Her greatest dream is to become a magical painter.

The magical painter is a rare profession in the wizarding world, requiring not only mastery of painting skills but also deep understanding of complex soul magic, allowing the characters in the paintings to maintain their personalities and memories for a long time. Magenta Constock is a standout in this field; her magical paintings possess a terrifying ability to draw the viewer's gaze away from the canvas, and she successfully captures the essence of her characters—an angry old witch baring her teeth at the audience, a medieval armored knight full of fighting spirit, shouting loudly...

After appreciating the paintings, Moray reluctantly left the gallery (actually being pulled away by Soren). Seeing there was still some time, Soren gently invited Moray to lunch.

The lunch took place at a high-end wizarding restaurant located in a secluded alley in London, which was exclusive to members, with an annual membership fee of ten galleons.

The interior was decorated with redwood furnishings, and the tableware was made of pure silver, exuding an elegant and noble vintage feel. The lighting and background music were perfectly balanced, creating a romantic and comfortable atmosphere.

Soren ordered a Re'em steak. The Re'em is a rare magical creature from the Far East, resembling a giant cow with golden skin. Its meat is tender and juicy, and it is said to enhance the eater's strength, with rumors suggesting it can even amplify certain indescribable abilities of male wizards. Moray, with a small appetite, ordered only a caviar muffin.

The two enjoyed a leisurely lunch; after which Soren gentlemanly escorted Moray back home from the restaurant's fireplace, politely greeting the McDougall couple before disappearing back into the fireplace, instantly reappearing in Liverpool, located in northwest England.

Tonight, Anfield Stadium in Liverpool has been taken over by wizards—the entire stadium was cast with countless Muggle-repelling charms, causing any Muggle who approached to automatically return home.

Cettina Wobek is a legend in the wizarding singing world. She showcased her talent at the age of 10, gracing the cover of the gossip magazine "Love and Chaos," and has released six albums since debuting at 17, all of which have won awards and sold exceptionally well. Her latest album, "You Stole My Pot, But You Can't Have My Heart," has even gained global popularity beyond the UK.

Tickets for this concert sold out a year in advance—the original ticket price was just five galleons, but now they are being sold for a high price of fifty galleons on the black market, a tenfold increase. Fortunately, the Gringrass family had some business dealings with the sponsor, "The Sorcerer's Saucepot," which allowed them to secure such sought-after tickets. Originally, Daphne's younger sister Astoria was also supposed to come, but she canceled due to sudden illness.

Daphne tonight clearly put in a lot of effort into her appearance, with her long golden hair braided and pinned at the back of her head, layered with silver-white floral hair accessories, looking very elegant and dignified. Her porcelain neck, revealed by her updo, was adorned with a string of milky white pearls, complementing her skin like cream.

Of course, our protagonist Soren did not fall behind, donning a tailored high-neck suit with dark green hidden patterns against a black background, looking dashing and handsome.

Seeing Daphne dressed up, Soren naturally adhered to etiquette, stepping forward to kiss the back of her hand, then linking arms with her as they entered the VIP section of Anfield Stadium together.

As Soren held Daphne's hand, unbeknownst to him, Daphne revealed a cunning smile of triumph.

Although Cettina Wobek is already 76 years old, she still shows no signs of aging, performing 12 of her famous songs in succession. When she sang her latest piece, "You Stole My Pot, But You Can't Have My Heart," the atmosphere in the venue reached its peak.

It was not until nearly 10 PM that Cettina stopped singing, and the audience gave one last round of enthusiastic applause, marking the official end of the concert.

*****

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