Hogwarts: I Am Such a Model Wizard

Chapter 867: Draco’s Compromise

Since the incident at Godricʼs Hollow, the Death Eaters—once wreaking havoc across the wizarding world and flaunting their presence—had suddenly gone quiet overnight.

Even Voldemort had vanished from the public eye. No one knew where he had gone, as if he had suddenly turned into a recluse.

But that wasn’t like Voldemort at all. He was never one to stay silent.

Still, most people didn’t think much of it. Even the Ministry of Magic believed it was simply because the Death Eaters had suffered heavy losses at Godricʼs Hollow and needed time to recuperate.

But was that really the truth?

Seventy Death Eaters was no small number, sure, but it wasn’t enough to truly cripple them. Besides, most of those who had been there were brought by Bellatrix—cannon fodder for the most part. Only a small fraction of them could be considered elite.

That much was clear from how many were sent to hunt down Kyle. At the time, there were only about a dozen who could skillfully use the Killing Curse.

And the Killing Curse just happened to be the best benchmark for a dark wizard’s strength.

Kyle didn’t believe for a second that the loss of those expendables had stalled the Death Eaters’ operations.

He had long wanted to find out what Voldemort and his followers were up to during this quiet period, but he couldn’t find a way in.

Snape likely knew something, but he only answered to Dumbledore and would never leak anything to Kyle.

That’s why Draco Malfoyʼs appearance had caught Kyle’s attention. This Death Eater—neither fully good nor completely corrupt—was exactly the opportunity he needed.

With that in mind, Kyle hadn’t left Knockturn Alley immediately after being spotted. Instead, he’d slipped past Snape and followed the pair, which led to the current confrontation.

“You want me to betray the Dark Lord?” Malfoy stared at Kyle in horror. “That’s impossible. He’ll kill me! The Dark Lord doesn’t spare traitors!”

“Keep your voice down. Want everyone to hear you?” Kyle reminded him.

Malfoy quickly clamped his mouth shut.

“It’s simple. Just don’t let him find out, right?”

“That’s even more impossible,” Malfoy whispered. “No one can fool the Dark Lord. We have no secrets in front of him.”

“I’ve got my ways.” Kyle glanced at Narcissa, lying unconscious on the ground. “Why do you think I hit her with a Memory Charm? She doesn’t even remember seeing me. So how could the Dark Lord possibly know? See? It’s perfectly safe.”

“A Memory Charm?” Malfoy froze, something clicking in his mind. “So earlier, you…”

“That’s right. I was looking for information,” Kyle said. “Too bad your head’s full of fear and nothing else useful.”

The comment struck a nerve, and Malfoy snapped.

“Fear? Of course I’m afraid! Do you have any idea what I’ve been through?!”

“Oh, just the Cruciatus Curse?” Kyle said flatly. “I saw you writhing on the floor.”

“Ha…” Malfoy let out a bitter laugh. “Just the Cruciatus Curse? You say it like itʼs nothing. You’ve never experienced it!”

“How do you know I haven’t?” Kyle looked straight at him. “You really think those Death Eaters at Godric’s Hollow threw down their wands and lined up to die for me?”

“I…” Malfoy’s eyes wavered. The fear he had just managed to suppress began to rise again.

Right. Even seventy pigs, if cornered, would charge. Let alone wizards who could use magic.

“You fell apart just from the Cruciatus Curse?” Kyle sneered. “I’ve been hit by it too—by the Dark Lord himself, no less. How’s that? Satisfied now?”

“And not just that. Have you ever seen the Killing Curse flying around like rain, coming from all directions? No? I have. Lived through it. It was absolutely insane.”

Staring at Kyle, who spoke so casually, Malfoy felt like he was looking at a stranger.

Only now did he realize—the Kyle standing before him wasn’t that Hogwarts student peddling enchanted maps anymore. He was a cold-blooded figure who had carved his name into Voldemort’s mind with the blood of Death Eaters.

If Voldemort ever wrote down a list of the people he most wanted to kill, Kyle would no doubt rank in the top three.

Malfoy’s legs began to shake again. If he wasn’t bound by vines, he probably wouldn’t even be able to stand.

“There you go again,” Kyle muttered, giving him a sideways glance. “Relax. I promised Dumbledore I’d let it go, so what happened before? We’ll call it even. You don’t have to worry about me killing you here.”

“But if I agree to pass messages for you, I’ll die anyway,” Malfoy said. “It’s just a matter of time.”

“I told you, he won’t know.” Kyle smiled. “And neither will you. When you leave this alley, you’ll only remember getting into a fight with Professor Snape, storming off with Madam Narcissa, and slamming the door behind you. That’s it.”

“You’re going to... use a Memory Charm on me...” Malfoy asked, terrified.

“Is that a problem?” Kyle looked at him. “You couldn’t even block my Legilimency. And you think you can hide anything from your Dark Lord?”

Kyle clicked his tongue. “Now I’m curious—who taught you Occlumency? It’s full of holes. Even Harry’s better than that.”

Malfoy’s breathing quickened, as if the name Kyle mentioned had touched a raw nerve.

But in the current situation, he didn’t dare lose his temper. All he could do was voice his dissatisfaction like this before speaking coldly, “Bellatrix. She’s the one who taught me Occlumency.”

“Oh, that explains it. She can’t even manage her own mind, and you learned from her?” Kyle paused. “If you ask me, you’d have been better off with Professor Snape. He’s the real expert in that field.”

“Anyway, back to the point.” Kyle cleared his throat. “We’ve delayed long enough—any more and people will get suspicious. Now, about my proposal. Do I get an answer?”

“If I refuse... will you kill us?” Malfoy glanced at Narcissa lying on the ground.

“Of course not. I’m not the Dark Lord,” Kyle replied. “But think carefully. If you stay with the Death Eaters, that man won’t let you go. Lucius and Narcissa know that perfectly well. That’s why she brought you to Professor Snape—to try and find a way out for you.”

Malfoy fell silent. He didn’t respond to Kyle’s question, instead asking, “So you were the one tailing me earlier?”

“That’s right, it was me,” Kyle admitted. “And I’m the one who planted the listening charm in your pocket. I heard everything you said in that room.”

“And I can pretty much guess what Professor Snape’s plan is—sending you to Dumbledore, hoping he might be able to keep you safe... or at least, keep you alive.”

“Then why would I bother doing anything else?” Malfoy shot back.

“What are you thinking?” Kyle chuckled softly.

“You joined the Death Eaters. You helped with their plans. You betrayed Hogwarts. And now you think a simple apology is going to wipe the slate clean? That’s not how it works.”

“You have to actually do something if you want to make amends.” Kyle waved his hand, and the vines binding Malfoy loosened.

The sudden shift nearly sent Malfoy toppling over, but he didn’t care. He just stared at Kyle.

“Can you guarantee the Dark Lord won’t kill me?”

“No. This is a dangerous job,” Kyle said with a shrug. “Just like when you let Death Eaters into the school, you didn’t care whether your classmates might get killed.”

“No! I didn’t! I was forced to!” Malfoy shouted, all pretense gone. “If I didn’t do it, he would’ve killed me! You don’t know how terrifying he is—I had no choice but to follow orders!”

“And that’s why you’re getting this chance.” Kyle’s expression didn’t change. “Besides, didn’t this all start because Lucius tried to use You-Know-Who’s diary to set up Ginny? Slipping something that dangerous to a first-year student in secret—you lot aren’t exactly innocent.”

“Also, you say you were forced—but I don’t remember you resisting much at first. In fact, you looked pretty proud of yourself.”

Malfoy stammered, unable to argue—because it was true. When he first got Voldemort’s order, he had felt proud. Especially when people around him looked at him with envy. That heady sense of importance had gone straight to his head.

“Alright, enough small talk.” Kyle checked the time, then drew his wand and pointed it at Malfoy. “I need your answer. Think it through. This might be your only shot at survival.”

Malfoy’s face turned pale. He clenched his fists tightly, then glanced down at Narcissa. A moment later, he let go, slumping against the wall.

“How can I help you...” he asked weakly, as if all his strength had drained away. “I’m just a nobody. They never tell me their plans in advance, and there’s no way I could pass information to you under the Dark Lord’s nose.”

“That’s fine. If you can’t pass messages, you can still go shopping,” Kyle said. “There’s a new store in Diagon Alley selling high-end luxury items.”

“It’s perfectly normal for a Malfoy to spend money on something rare and expensive—it suits your family’s image, doesn’t it? Even the Dark Lord wouldn’t forbid Death Eaters from spending money.”

Malfoy’s head jerked up in alarm. Now he understood what Kyle was planning... Just like before—use Legilimens to extract his memories, then erase the event with a Memory Charm. Honestly, it was a safe plan. With no memory of the event, Voldemort would never be able to see his betrayal.

But the problem was, a poorly cast Memory Charm could be dangerous. He didn’t want to end up like Neville Longbottom.

“Relax. I’m quite practiced with Memory Charms,” Kyle said, clearly reading his concern.

“But... but I’m not in the mood to shop,” Malfoy muttered. “If I don’t remember anything from today, I won’t even think to go to that shop.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. I’ll leave you a little clue... Oh, and this.”

Kyle pulled out a piece of parchment, tore off a small section, scribbled something on it, and slipped it into Malfoy’s pocket.

“What’s that—”

“Obliviate!”

Malfoy’s hand froze midair. His gaze slowly turned blank.

...

A few minutes later, when Malfoy regained consciousness, Narcissa also woke up—but not from the ground. Instead, she was being supported by Malfoy.

“Draco, you were too impulsive,” Narcissa said instinctively, rubbing her forehead. “You shouldn’t have spoken to Severus like that. He’s your godfather—and the only one who can help you.”

“I don’t care,” Malfoy said through gritted teeth. “Can’t you see? He’s just making excuses. He has no intention of helping us.”

“You...” Narcissa sighed. “I really shouldn’t have brought you here today.”

“Enough, Mum. Let’s go.” Malfoy frowned. A flash of something passed through his mind.

It looked like a shop—but he had no memory of it.

He shook his head and took in his surroundings.

The dark, cramped alley made him uneasy, especially the mess of vines crawling across the walls—it was disgusting.

“Where are we? Mum, why’d you bring me to a place like this?”

“Weren’t you the one leading the way?” Narcissa asked, confused.

She had been wondering the same thing. Draco had dragged her out here—why was he now asking her where they were?

“Damn it, we must’ve taken a wrong turn,” Malfoy muttered in frustration.

This wasn’t like Diagon Alley. In Knockturn Alley, to avoid enemies and make escape easier, people often added twisting, interconnecting side alleys—it was easy to get lost.

Still grumbling, Malfoy pulled Narcissa along as they turned back, trying to find the right path.

After they left, the alley fell quiet again. A breeze stirred a few fallen leaves on the ground, as if nothing had ever happened.

...

Meanwhile, in Diagon Alley—

“Professor, even if youʼre still a Head of House at Hogwarts, we’ve already graduated. You’re not seriously trying to boss us around, are you?”

At Weasleysʼ Wizard Wheezes, Fred and George looked helplessly at the unexpected visitor in front of them.

They had to be dreaming—wasnʼt term already underway at Hogwarts? Why was Snape here, and for some reason, lecturing them?

Seriously, they were graduates now. Did he still think that “Professor” title gave him leverage?

No chance!

So, when faced with Snape’s questioning, Fred and George didn’t bother giving him any respect. They just went on doing their own thing, not even glancing his way.

“And we don’t need you reminding us about banned items.”

Fred said lazily as he dusted a shelf, “We’re the ones who expanded the banned list from thirty pages to two hundred and thirty. Think we don’t know what’s on it?”

“Exactly,” George added. “And we didn’t sell anything to those little first-years on purpose. I thought they were just tourists from Beauxbatons.”

“Professor, maybe you should head out. Don’t let us hold up your business…”

“Yeah, if you wait any longer, you’ll miss the Hogwarts Express…”

“Wait—where’d he go?”

Fred turned around, only to find that Snape, who’d been standing there a moment ago, had vanished.

“How rude,” he muttered. “George, we should give the shop a proper cleaning.”

“Definitely. I’ll grab the all-purpose cleaner.”

“Get the strong stuff.”

...

Outside the joke shop, Snape stood listening to their chatter, his expression darker than the bottom of a cauldron.

But he couldn’t be bothered with them right now—because he’d just spotted two people walking out of Knockturn Alley.

Malfoy and Narcissa, strolling casually into Diagon Alley like they were out for a walk.

The sight nearly made Snape explode. Here he was, running around handling things, and those two looked completely unbothered—as if they had time to shop.

But Snape wasn’t stupid. He quickly realized something was off.

This was a life-or-death matter for Malfoy. Narcissa would never be so calm unless something had happened while he was gone.

Snape narrowed his eyes. Instead of confronting them directly, he turned and walked back into Weasleysʼ Wizard Wheezes.

“Professor—”

“You again?” Fred and George sighed, carrying buckets in hand.

They’d just finished cleaning, and now they’d have to do it all over again.

“This—” Snape couldn’t be bothered to explain. He reached for an ear-shaped device from the shelf.

“This the only place that sells it?”

“Of course,” Fred puffed his chest. “One of our finest creations.”

“I’ll take it.”

Before the twins could reply, Snape tossed them a Galleon and walked off without another word.

By the time Fred and George snapped out of it and rushed outside, he had already vanished down the street.

“What a shameless git!” Fred fumed. “That thing’s worth six Galleons, and he gave us one! And acted like it was totally fair!”

“Just because he’s Head of Slytherin? We’re telling Headmaster Dumbledore!” George stomped in frustration.

They were already annoyed just seeing Snape, and now they’d lost five Galleons. That was daylight robbery!

Absolutely shameless!