Hogwarts: Rise of the Dark Legacy

"Pfft!"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione burst out laughing, with even Neville snickering nervously.

Draco Malfoy's eyes narrowed. "Think my name's ridiculous, do you? I don't need to ask who you are—my father told me all about the Weasleys. Red-haired, freckled, and too many kids to afford."

He cast a sneering glance at Ron, whose face turned crimson. Ron clenched his fists, itching to charge at him, but Harry grabbed his arm to hold him back.

"And you, Longbottom," Draco continued, turning his sharp tongue to Neville. "I heard you didn't even show any magic until you were nine. People were sure you were a Squib, weren't they? Honestly, you're lucky Dumbledore let you in—maybe he felt sorry for you."

Neville's courage wavered, but he straightened up slightly and stammered, "I'm not a Squib!" Even so, he edged closer to Ron, unable to meet Draco's cold, mocking gaze.

"And you two," Draco said, looking at Hermione and Harry with disdain. "I've never seen you at any gatherings of proper wizarding families. You must be—what's the phrase?—'Mudbloods.'"

Hermione's jaw tightened, but her eyes burned with fury. Before Harry could retort, Draco smirked and turned to the boy beside him—Toby, who stood watching with mild amusement.

"You'll see soon enough that some families are better than others, Potter," Draco added, clearly mistaking Toby for Harry. Extending his hand, he put on an air of arrogance. "You don't want to associate with their kind. I can help you make better friends."

Toby raised an eyebrow, suppressing a grin. He glanced at Harry and then back at Draco. "I think you've got the wrong person. I'm not Harry Potter." He pointed to the real Harry. "That's him. Or does the great Malfoy family judge people by their looks too?"

Draco's pale complexion turned a vivid shade of pink. His hand dropped, and his expression twisted with embarrassment and rage.

"How dare you mock me!" he sputtered. "You'll regret this—I'll make sure of it!"

Hermione couldn't hold back any longer. "What does this even have to do with us? You're just embarrassing yourself."

"Shut up, you filthy little Mudblood!"

Draco snarled, his face contorted with anger and disgust.

The compartment went silent for a moment, the weight of the slur hanging heavily in the air.

"How dare you say that word!" Ron shouted, his face flushing with fury. The insult cut deep—it was one of the most hateful terms a wizard could use. Even Neville, usually timid, clenched his fists tightly, his expression darkening with anger.

Hermione and Harry exchanged confused glances, not fully understanding the word's meaning but grasping its offensive nature from the reactions around them.

Toby broke the tension, his voice calm but carrying a sharp edge. "Jamie, remind me—what's the proper way to deal with unruly children?" His smile didn't reach his light blue eyes, which had turned cold as ice.

Jamie, standing beside him, squinted slightly, a wicked grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Simple. You teach them a lesson."

Without another word, Jamie raised his wand. A powerful burst of red light erupted from the tip, slamming into Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle.

"Boom!"

The three boys were blasted off their feet, crashing into the wall of the train carriage before collapsing to the floor in a heap.

"You... you… stay away!"

Draco stammered, scrambling backward on the floor, his face pale with fear. Crabbe and Goyle, usually so quick to throw their weight around, were trembling, their eyes wide with panic.

They weren't used to being on the receiving end of such treatment. For as long as they could remember, they had been the bullies—not the bullied.

"Pathetic," Jamie muttered, stepping closer to Draco. His movements were slow and deliberate, each step making the boy recoil further until there was nowhere left to go.

"Ahh—!" Draco let out a high-pitched cry as Jamie placed a firm boot on his chest, pinning him to the floor. Tears spilled from Draco's eyes as he squirmed helplessly.

"Shut up," Jamie growled, his wand now aimed directly at Draco's face. His voice was low and cold as ice. "Unless you want me to cut out that vile tongue of yours."

The threat froze Draco in place. His screams turned into muffled sobs as he clamped his mouth shut, not daring to utter another word.

"Woo—"

Draco clamped his mouth shut, too terrified to make a sound, though he couldn't stop the sobs and tears streaming down his face.

"Listen to me," Jamie said coldly, leaning closer. "If you can't keep that filthy mouth of yours clean in the future, I'll cut out your tongue. Don't think I won't do it."

"I… my father…" Draco choked out between sobs, desperately invoking the name of Lucius Malfoy.

"Heh!" Jamie's laughter was sharp and mocking. "Your father? Lucius Malfoy? Do you think he's powerful? Let me tell you something—Lucius Malfoy is nothing more than Voldemort's servant. When Voldemort was still around, he grovelled at his feet, kissing his robes like a sniveling coward."

Jamie leaned in even closer, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper that sent shivers down Draco's spine. "The Malfoy family, like all those other so-called pure-blood families, means absolutely nothing to me. In the wizarding world, the only thing that truly matters is strength. Money? Power? Without strength, it's all meaningless."

Jamie stood back up, his wand still pointed at Draco. "Do you know what happens to people who rely on money and power without strength? They end up dead. And dead people don't get to keep anything."

Draco's trembling grew worse as Jamie continued. "So go ahead. Run and tell your father. Cry to Lucius Malfoy if you dare. But let me warn you—if he comes to me, the entire Malfoy family…" Jamie's wand flicked sharply in the air.

"Boom!" Jamie said with a wicked grin. "…will be like fireworks, turning to ash in an instant."

"You… you… devil…" Draco stammered, his wide eyes filled with terror as he looked at Jamie, as though staring into the face of a monster.

Jamie smirked. "I'm a simple man, Malfoy. I follow one rule: you don't mess with me, I don't mess with you. Behave yourself, and you'll get through your seven years at Hogwarts just fine. But if I ever hear the word 'Mudblood' come out of your mouth again…"

He paused, leaning down once more to ensure Draco heard every word. "…I'll make your life worse than death. Do you know the Cruciatus Curse, Malfoy? I'll use it. Over and over again. And maybe, just maybe, I'll pay your parents a visit."

Jamie straightened up and smiled coldly, patting Draco's pale, tear-streaked face. "Be a good boy now, Malfoy. You wouldn't want to test me, would you?"