Draco's chest rose and fell sharply — clearly, the boy was furious.
A child who had never truly suffered loss or humiliation would always be this way.
Karmit smiled. "So, let me guess — you want to prove you're stronger than I am?
Or perhaps you're anxious about entering the magical world, so you came here to test how skilled wizarding children really are?"
His words struck straight through Hermione's pride.
Her eyes widened. "I—I'm not scared!"
Karmit laughed softly.
"Whether you're scared or not isn't important. What matters is this: if you wanted a fair comparison, you should've challenged Draco, not me.
Because if you compete with me… you might lose the courage to attend Hogwarts altogether."
Hermione frowned, clearly unconvinced, but Karmit only chuckled.
"You don't understand yet. When you finally step into Hogwarts, you'll learn what the name Karmit Black means in the magical world."
He turned to Draco.
"Well then — if you want to compare, Draco, play with Miss Granger for a bit.
And Harry, pay attention — you can learn some spells ahead of time."
Draco's eyes lit up. "Can we really use spells here? Isn't that illegal?"
"You're already on the Hogwarts Express," Karmit said. "That counts as being within school grounds. Perfectly allowed."
Draco was ecstatic.
He had long wanted to impress Harry with magic, but had been too cautious in the Muggle world.
The duel between two eleven-year-olds wasn't especially thrilling to Karmit —
but something did surprise him.
Hermione's talent was astonishing.
Using the same beginner spells as Draco, she executed them with more precision and better casting control.
And she'd only had her wand for maybe two weeks.
Draco, on the other hand — though he'd gotten his wand at the same time — had been studying spell theory and wand movement for months under Karmit's guidance.
Yet Hermione was already catching up.
She was a true natural.
Draco noticed it too. He wasn't the brain-dead brat from the original timeline anymore.
After spending so much time around Karmit, the rusted gears in Draco's head had finally begun turning.
He realized Hermione's talent was real.
It shocked him.
Meanwhile, Harry watched the little duel with pure wonder — utterly enchanted by the magic he was witnessing.
Children bond quickly.
And if this were the original story, Draco would never dream of befriending Hermione Granger.
But proximity shapes character — and Draco, who had admired Karmit for so long, had unknowingly begun adopting Karmit's worldview.
Blood purity mattered far less to him now. What Draco valued more was strength and talent.
Lucius had sensed this change in his son, but he didn't interfere.
He knew the old pure-blood ideology was fading and that Karmit's philosophy — one rooted in benefits, power, and strategy — was more effective in the modern wizarding world.
So Lucius let Draco choose his own path.
After a handful of spells each, neither Draco nor Hermione won. Harry applauded them both with stars in his eyes.
Hermione turned toward Karmit, ready to speak—
Draco immediately stepped between them, "You're not actually planning to challenge my cousin, are you?"
Hermione lifted her chin. "And if I am?"
Draco shook his head quickly. "I suggest you wait until you learn more about Hogwarts."
"My cousin is not like us.
He once told me: Never attempt what you can't control — it might cost your life. You may think I'm joking, but trust me, I'm saying this for your own good."
Hermione hesitated.
Draco smirked internally. It felt incredible using his cousin's philosophy to lecture others.
He decided he needed to memorize more of Karmit's lines — scolding people like this felt amazing.
Hermione glanced at Karmit again, thoughtful now, and quietly stored Draco's warning in her heart.
She would investigate properly once she reached Hogwarts.
Then she turned back to the boys.
"Draco, were you raised in the wizarding world?"
Draco nodded. "Yes. My name is Draco — Draco Malfoy. My family is one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight.
That's Harry Potter. And you've already met my cousin."
Hermione's eyes brightened. "The Sacred Twenty-Eight — I read about them in A History of Magic! The Malfoys and Blacks are both on the list!"
Draco nodded proudly. "Yes, but books don't show the full picture.
Once you're at Hogwarts, you'll understand what a true pure-blood family is."
Hermione nodded thoughtfully, then turned to Harry. "Harry Potter… of course I know who you are. The books say you ended the era of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and saved the wizarding world. But now that I've seen you…"
She paused awkwardly. "You seem… rather ordinary."
Harry's face froze.
His shoulders slumped.
"I—I don't remember anything. I was only one year old."
Hermione nodded. "Well… you're still famous.
By the way, I couldn't find anything in the school records about how Sorting works. Do you two know how Hogwarts divides students?"
Harry shook his head.
Draco smirked. "My mother and father told me the Sorting Ceremony is extremely dangerous — people have died during it.
Hogwarts keeps a death quota every year."
Karmit almost burst out laughing on the spot.
Wizarding humor was truly vicious.
And somehow, every adult wizard had united in perfect silence, refusing to tell the truth about the Sorting Hat.
No spoilers.
Not a word.
Just pure psychological warfare against eleven-year-olds. Exactly the kind of tradition Karmit could appreciate.
__________
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