"I just made myself clear, so... next..."
"Control your mind, clear your thoughts..."
"Legilliments (Mind Reading)!"
...
1990, Surrey.
"Hey! Big dummy!"
A chubby boy who looked somewhat like a short-nosed elephant threatened Little Harry: "Be my punching bag, understand? Otherwise, it will teach you a lesson!"
As he said this, the chubby boy pointed with one finger at his other hand's fist.
Seeing the chubby boy moving forward with several other boys behind him, Harry ran without looking back.
However, running like this was not ideal; he found himself in a dead-end alley.
"I warned you, freak!" The chubby boy said maliciously, rubbing his fists, "Running away only makes me angrier... Are you prepared? I'm going to thoroughly beat up your face!"
After the threat, the chubby boy flew at Little Harry with several students behind him.
But suddenly, something strange happened; Little Harry vanished into thin air.
The group, missing their target, looked at each other in confusion, unaware of what had happened.
"Where is he?!" the chubby boy asked in terror.
"Don't know..." a skinny boy nearby said in astonishment, clearly not comprehending what had transpired.
"There!"
Another person pointed at the distant rooftop and said, "He's there! How did he get up there!"
1887, Train.
"I heard from my dad that there's a Muggle-born coming this semester?"
The young Cassandra pushed open the train compartment door. Though she was young, her straight, light blonde hair made her seem quite mature.
"Is it in this compartment?"
"H-hello..."
Little Harry instinctively stood up and timidly greeted Cassandra.
"Oh, so it's you, the boy with glasses."
Cassandra's expression showed no disdain or contempt, but her tone was lofty, making people uncomfortable.
However, in this carriage, only Gareth Weasley felt displeased; Harry thought her attitude was actually pretty good.
Compared to Dudley, it was as warm as a spring breeze.
"By your appearance, you shouldn't be sorted into Slytherin, right?" Cassandra frowned at Harry, "I think you'd be more suited for Hufflepuff, maybe Gryffindor... but you don't belong to Slytherin."
"I won't go to Slytherin, esteemed Miss." Little Harry quickly said.
"Hmph."
Gareth snorted coldly to assert his presence.
Cassandra turned her head, glancing at Gareth, who snorted coldly.
"Let me guess, red hair, expressionless – you must be a Weasley... My dad said you don't seem to care much about the Pure Blood ideology."
Gareth didn't dare speak since Cassandra hadn't said anything excessive.
His aunt might be the deputy headmaster of Hogwarts, but this Miss Malfoy's father was someone even Mr. Black the Headmaster couldn't afford to offend.
"He could be your friend, Muggle-born boy."
Cassandra's tone was uncomfortable, more like a command than a remark.
"Alright, I understand, esteemed Miss." Harry replied obediently.
...
1888, Malfoy Manor.
"This is your preparation? Potter?"
Cassandra looked down with thinly veiled anger at Harry who's slumped on the ground: "Get up, Potter – I don't allow you to escape!"
"I-I really can't beat you, Miss Malfoy..." Harry gasped for air, genuinely unable to withstand Cassandra's magic spells.
"Stand up!"
Cassandra ordered: "I told you to stand up!"
Harry complied, reluctantly standing up, as the other party was the employer, controlling his scholarship...
Just a single bad word from Miss Malfoy to Mr. Malfoy about him, and his scholarship at school would be gone...
Without the scholarship, buying books would be out of the question, even going anywhere on holidays would become a big issue.
"Expel (Three Feet Away from the Enemy)!"
Red light flickered at the end of Cassandra's wand, sending Harry flying out and heavily onto the ground.
"Leviosa (Float)!"
"Why don't you dodge?" She stood beside Harry, who was floating mid-air, her expression unfriendly.
"You never said I could dodge..."
Harry said timidly, still remembering Miss Malfoy's previous demand – to be a punching bag.
"Before, well, before cousin Dudley would never allow me to dodge when he wanted me to be a punching bag... but I always ran quickly, which made him very angry..."
Cassandra paused.
"I allow you to evade, Potter." She turned away, obscuring her expression: "You must dodge, and fight back – if I merely needed a punching bag that wouldn't fight back, I'd rather buy training dummies than practice spells with you here, got it?"
"Oh, I understand, Miss Malfoy." Harry nodded in agreement.
He felt relieved, thinking... it seems this Miss Malfoy isn't a bad person.
At least, unlike cousin Dudley, she doesn't take pleasure from his pain.
...
1889, Hogwarts.
"Expelliarmus (Expelliarmus)!"
Cassandra's magic wand spun out of her hand, landing in Harry's hand.
"Nicely done, Potter."
Cassandra wasn't angry; instead, she looked satisfied.
"Thank you for your guidance, Miss Malfoy."
Harry stepped forward and handed the wand back to Cassandra.