Chapter 6: Malfoy’s Right Hand

It’s Thursday, and Gryffindor and Slytherin have Potions class together.

Malfoy entered the dungeon with a large bandage wrapped around her arm.

Some students looked at it as if it were a warrior’s medal, but to Malfoy, the bandage was uncomfortable and unsightly.

How dare a mere beast leave a mark on her, making her unable to use her right arm for a while?

Malfoy sat down, seething with anger. Crabbe and Goyle, sensing her mood, remained silent.

“Karina, how’s your arm? Does it hurt a lot?”

Pansy Parkinson asked with a foolish smile. Malfoy answered curtly.

“Not really.”

“Oh dear! Are you alright? That stupid Hippogriff, how dare it scar Karina’s arm!”

Parkinson prattled on, oblivious to Malfoy’s increasingly cold expression.

“Karina, if I were a Hogwarts professor, I would have cut off its head right away!”

“Parkinson.”

Malfoy’s voice was low.

“Madam Pomfrey gave me a special prescription. There won’t be a single scar, and it will heal perfectly, so don’t mention it again.”

“O-oh.”

“And the Board of Governors has already been contacted. They’ll hold a committee, summon Hagrid and that beast, and sentence that stupid beast to death.”

“I-is that so? That’s good.”

“Also, this has been repeated since morning. Parkinson, I’m getting tired of it, so I hope this is the last time I have to explain it.”

“S-sorry.”

Malfoy glared at Parkinson once, then slammed her bag down and sat.

The Gryffindor students murmured, and one of them approached Malfoy. Malfoy looked up, saw who it was, and sighed.

“What is it now?”

“Malfoy, call off Buckbeak’s execution!”

Hermione Granger stood in front of Malfoy, fuming. Malfoy tapped her foot, showing her boredom.

“That arrogant creature deserves appropriate punishment, Granger.”

“It happened because you made a mistake! Hagrid warned you sufficiently!”

“A mistake? I don’t make mistakes, Granger. Where exactly did I go wrong?”

If anyone in the world had the right to be arrogant, it was wizards.

And Karina Malfoy was at the very top of that hierarchy.

A true noble of the wizarding world, with the right and privilege to be truly arrogant.

For such a person, even being asked to bow to a beast was preposterous.

“Isn’t it wrong for a beast to demand appeasement and threaten to kill if it doesn’t get it? Especially when it doesn’t even have the right.”

In a way, it was a logical argument. Malfoy delivered it coldly, then twirled her platinum blonde hair with her finger, dismissing Hermione.

“I’m done talking, Granger. If you’re so desperate, why don’t you ask the ‘Chosen One,’ Harry Potter? He has connections with Dumbledore, so he might be able to do something.”

“No! Potter, Potter…! I can’t believe it, even so…!”

Hermione shouted, her hands trembling.

“Potter said it couldn’t be helped even if the Hippogriff was sentenced to death! How could he say that, just because it scratched my arm a little…!”

It was astonishing.

The bandage that restricted her movements all day, the dull ache in her right arm. All the things that annoyed her

vanished from her mind.

She felt as if she had just woken up from a pleasant dream.

She felt a smile spreading across her face, but it would be unseemly to smile right then and there.

So, Malfoy made a small huffing sound through her nose.

“Even he has some common sense.”

“But having it executed is crossing the line!”

“Beasts don’t get to decide the line, Granger. Wizards do.”

Malfoy tapped her foot with a smile.

Well, that Hippogriff was arrogant and unpleasant.

But she supposed she could spare its life.

As long as it was out of her sight.

“Hello, everyone! It’s a fun Thursday morning with Snape!”

As always, Harry Potter barged into the classroom unannounced. His mere presence changed the atmosphere.

A natural ability to draw any situation to his advantage. Harry, exercising that ability to the fullest, approached the standoff between Malfoy and Granger, making a commotion even by himself.

“Oh, Hermione. What’s wrong?”

Hermione Granger glared at Harry, then stomped back to her seat. Malfoy felt even better.

Harry scratched his head, looking awkward.

“She’s still mad. Ron, what happened?”

“You know what happened. It’s exactly what you’re thinking.”

Ron Weasley answered gruffly. Harry just chuckled.

Ron looked back and forth between Harry and Hermione, then clapped his chest in frustration.

“Harry, I also think Hermione defends beasts more than necessary. Especially that beast that tried to eat Scabbers. But this time, you should have sided with Hagrid and Buckbeak.”

“I’m still on Hagrid’s side, Ron.”

“I know. It’s just…”

Ron was about to add something, but he looked between Harry and Malfoy, then nodded.

“Alright. You do it your way. I’ll go over to her for a bit.”

“Thanks, mate.”

Ron went to Hermione, leaving Harry alone. He spoke like a tragic protagonist.

“Well, this is awkward. There are no seats left. I need to sit down before Snape comes in to avoid getting in trouble.”

“You know it well, Potter.”

Snape’s somber voice was heard. Harry turned around and grimaced.

“Ugh, it’s Snape.”

“Since you didn’t sit down before I came in, you must be prepared to get in trouble. 5 points from Gryffindor, Potter. And it’s not Snape, it’s Professor Snape.”

“Ugh, it’s not Snape, it’s ‘Professor’ Snape.”

“…Another 5 points from Gryffindor. And if you don’t sit down before I finish speaking, you’ll lose 50 points.”

Harry hurriedly sat down. He lost 10 points in the blink of an eye, but when Harry and Snape met, losing 10 points was like a casual greeting. Neither the Slytherins nor the Gryffindors reacted much.

The only unusual thing was that Harry’s seat was…

“Oops. I ended up here. Nice to see you.”

…right next to Malfoy. Malfoy gave him a slight glare but said nothing.

The potion they were making today was a Shrinking Solution. Malfoy, with her injured right arm, just placed the cauldron on the table and contemplated for a moment. She needed to cut daisy roots and peel fig skin. Both were impossible with one hand.

Malfoy raised her head and spoke.

“Professor. I can’t make the potion because of my injured right arm.”

If another Gryffindor student had said this, Snape would have immediately rebuked them and deducted points.

But Professor Snape favored Slytherin, and he gave Malfoy almost special privileges. No matter what she did, she was never reprimanded or lost points.

It wasn’t as if Malfoy talked during class or ruined her potions, but she secretly took pride in this special treatment.

To her, privileges were proof of ability.

As natural as breathing.

Snape looked at Ron and said,

“Then Weasley, cut Malfoy’s roots…”

“Professor Snape?”

A drawling voice interrupted Snape. Harry Potter waved his hands left and right.

“I’m sitting right next to her, do you really need to call on Ron? I’ll do it.”

And before Snape could even say anything, he started chopping the daisy roots. As if preparing ingredients for two was no big deal.

Snape watched him for a moment, then turned away.

Harry Potter had decent grades in all subjects, and he showed exceptional talent in Potions.

Like all other Gryffindors, Harry Potter had been subjected to all sorts of harassment and insults from Snape since his first year. But unlike all other Gryffindors, Harry Potter, even if out of spite, tried to stand up to Snape. When he was scolded, he would hold his head high and argue back, and he would even study in advance to answer Snape’s persistent questions.

After about six months, his efforts bore fruit. From then on, Harry Potter became one of the two Gryffindors who were not reprimanded by Snape.

Even while making his own potion, Harry would occasionally prepare Malfoy’s ingredients and pass them to her. The neatly peeled fig skin slid across the table and stopped in front of Malfoy.

Malfoy said gruffly,

“…I could have done just as well with my own hands.”

“So that means I did a good job, right? Thanks.”

Malfoy, using her unfamiliar left hand, put the ingredients into the cauldron.

Harry Potter had already prepared the rat spleens and the leech juice. The precisely measured ingredients were arranged in the order they needed to be added.

She briefly checked the book, just in case, but Harry Potter’s order was correct. Malfoy clicked her tongue briefly, added a rat spleen, and picked up the leech juice.

As she was squeezing it out, Harry Potter suddenly covered Malfoy’s gloved hand with his. Startled, Malfoy pulled her hand back.

Harry Potter tapped a section of the textbook.

“Just a little leech juice.”

“I-I know! My left hand just isn’t cooperating!”

Malfoy quickly wiped off her juice-stained glove and moved on to the next step.

Now the brewing was finished. All that was left was to simmer it over a low flame. As she wondered how to remove her glove with one hand, Harry, as if he had been waiting for this moment, gently grabbed the edge of her glove.

It was as if he was perfectly attuned to her needs. For a moment, she thought it would be nice to have a butler like him.

Just a slight tug, and the glove came off effortlessly. Harry wiped the glove with a handkerchief, folded it neatly, and returned it to her.

As Malfoy took the glove, she said,

“…Don’t think this will make me change my mind.”

“About what?”

“The death sentence. The committee will come, that beast will be sentenced to death, and eventually, the executioners will come. No matter how much you struggle.”

Harry Potter’s sudden approach. And his blatant assistance.

It was probably to save the Hippogriff, Buckbeak.

Malfoy saw through his intentions.

“Your service is impressive, but it won’t change my mind. Beasts that attack humans are to be executed. Understood?”

If Harry Potter humbled himself a little more, she might change her mind.

Malfoy said this, waiting for Harry Potter to reveal more of his intentions.

Meanwhile, Harry Potter… scratched his chin with a puzzled expression.

“If you call it off, I and Hagrid would be really grateful. But honestly, I don’t really have a problem with it being sentenced to death.”

“What?”

“It committed a mortal sin.”

It felt different from when she heard it from Hermione Granger.

Unlike the refreshing and cool feeling from before, it was now a bit more stuffy and hot…

But still, she felt good.

Malfoy cleared her throat and asked,

“Then why are you waiting on me now?”

“Hmm, a hobby?”

Malfoy was speechless at his absurd answer.

Harry Potter, in the meantime, glanced around the classroom, then grabbed a daffodil stem and, when Snape wasn’t looking, dropped it into Neville’s potion. Then he winked at Malfoy when their eyes met.

Even to Malfoy, Harry Potter seemed to have no ulterior motive.

And that made it even more incomprehensible.

Then why?

Why did he get so angry… about the diary?

Not long after, Malfoy finally realized Harry Potter’s plan.

“Malfoy! I’ll carry your bag!”

“It must be hard to cut meat with your left hand. I’ll cut it for you. What? Your hand? Pfft, a Malfoy noblewoman eating with her hands? Come on, say ‘ahh’.”

“Do you know the 3-3-3 rule? You’re supposed to brush your teeth for 3 minutes within 3 minutes of eating. But you can’t because of your right arm, can you? Bring your toothbrush and toothpaste. Huh? You’ll do it with your left hand? Don’t underestimate brushing your teeth! Do you think you can defeat the cavity-causing bacteria with just your left hand? I’ll brush them for you, open your mouth, Malfoy.”

“…I’ll take off the bandage! I’ll take it off, so stop it already!”

Harry Potter would appear at any time and any place, offering to serve Malfoy.

She didn’t know if he was enjoying it or teasing her, but when he did it even in the Great Hall, in front of everyone, Malfoy couldn’t take it anymore.

Malfoy finally unwrapped the bandage in front of everyone, revealing her perfectly healed arm without a single scar.

The medicine was still in effect, but it was better than having Harry Potter constantly clinging to her.

“Tsk, what a shame. I really wanted to try brushing your teeth.”

Whether Harry Potter’s words as he walked away were sincere or not, no one knew.

Around that time, Lucius Malfoy arrived at the school with the Board of Governors regarding Hagrid’s case. Lucius first sought out his daughter.

“Karina! How’s your arm? Is it alright?”

“It’s almost healed. I used a scar-removing potion too.”

“It’s all healed? That’s good. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure that lowly beast that injured you is executed.”

“Forget it! Execution, what execution? Don’t do it. I don’t want to keep thinking about whether some beast is alive or dead.”

“Huh? Karina?”

“I said forget it! Just keep it out of my sight!”

Lucius Malfoy muttered, “Is this… adolescence?” and returned to his duties.

Due to the victim’s request, Buckbeak was quarantined instead of being executed. Buckbeak could no longer be used in classes, and no one could ride him. That was the verdict.

It was a much milder punishment than execution, but Malfoy was quite satisfied.