39 Chapter 39 "Skyler's Summer"
The past year had been a year of relentless frustration for Lucius Malfoy.
From the Ministry of Magic, the formidable enemy Arthur Weasley had repeatedly visited the Malfoy Manor to conduct investigations.
Although he had unearthed nothing incriminating, it had brought Lucius immense trouble.
Lucius had conceived a brilliant plan to unseat Dumbledore from his position at Hogwarts, pin the blame for Muggle killings on the young Weasley girl from his rival family, and get her to unwittingly carry the Slytherin heir in the dark plot.
To Lucius's dismay, Dumbledore, who had seemed utterly harmless, wielded such influence over the school administration that it was as though he could control the very heavens.
Lucius's grand scheme to implicate the Weasleys ended up causing his own family considerable turmoil.
His son Draco was ensnared in the chaos, but Lucius could not confess that his own diary had fallen into the wrong hands, even if that person was his own son.
In the end, his intricate plan had collapsed around him, leaving Lucius feeling as though he'd shot himself in the foot with a rock.
As a consequence of this debacle, Lucius had lost a House-elf.
Each house-elf was allocated by the House-Elf Relocation Office of the Ministry of Magic, making them highly valuable.
Lucius remained unaware that Dobby had ended up in his own son's possession.
More distressing than the loss of the House-elf was the damage to his reputation and the fact that he had lost his post as the Hogwarts Director. This blow was particularly detrimental to the esteemed Malfoy family.
For years, Lucius had maintained his prominent status in the British wizarding world due to his control of three key positions: Chairman of the Hogwarts Board of Governors, Chairman of the Board of Governors of St. Mungo's Hospital, and a close personal relationship with the Minister of Magic.
Losing even one of these esteemed positions was a significant blow and, to Lucius, felt deeply painful.
Lucius noticed that when attending gatherings within the pure-blood aristocratic circle, the reverence previously afforded to the Malfoy family had waned.
Adding to his vexation, the audacious Avery openly taunted the Malfoy name, receiving the support of other formidable families such as the Notts, Carlos, and Lestranges.
Every recollection of these insults kindled Lucius's inner resentment.
What troubled him most was the nagging fear that he might not be able to stabilize his position, thus causing the vassal Goyle and Crabbe families and even his allies, such as the Parkinson and Borgin families to entertain undesirable notions.
His standing appeared increasingly precarious, and these somber thoughts weighed heavily on his mind.
The only source of solace for Lucius was the consistent performance of his second son, who had not disappointed him.
While Skyler's unintended actions derailed his conspiracy, Lucius understood it was an honest mistake.
Skyler had been entirely unaware of the conspiracy's existence.
Furthermore, Skyler's swift intervention in Slytherin House, delivering a stern lesson to those who dared to challenge the Malfoy family's prestige, had been heard by Lucius through his trusted source, Snape.
Skyler's actions helped maintain the Malfoy family's dignity, earning Lucius' appreciation.
It was worth noting that Skyler had also received an exceptional honor: a special medal of honor from the Merlin Trial.
This achievement, unprecedented in the history of the Malfoy family, had especially pleased Lucius.
The Malfoy family had long emphasized political and business endeavors, but they had rarely seen a child with such remarkable magical talent.
Winning this honor from senior students had solidified Lucius' contentment.
Another aspect that made Lucius reassess Skyler was his son's growing talents.
The changes in Draco's magical abilities seemed influenced by his younger brother.
Since Skyler had received the Order of Merlin, Lucius had noticed Narcissa's frequent praises and Draco's envious glances during family dinners.
Draco no longer resembled his previous self but appeared more mature and driven.
During the summer vacation, he could often read and study in the library or practice spells on alchemical puppets in an empty room.
Narcissa was delighted by Draco's transformation, and even the stoic Lucius felt relieved—he now had hope in both his sons competing and contributing to the Malfoy family's glory.
Returning to Skyler, he had set several plans for himself this summer:
First, he intended to learn the Patronus Charm. The theoretical knowledge and casting method for the Patronus Charm were detailed in Miranda Goshawk's "Book of Spells," a rare and out-of-print volume.
Ordinary wizards could only obtain it through special approval from a professor to borrow it from the restricted section.
However, Skyler had a copy in his personal collection, the origins of which he no longer remembered.
Having committed the entire content to memory, he only needed practical practice to master it.
Second, Skyler planned to study the bloodline research data of the Greengrass family, hoping to uncover hidden abilities in their lineage.
If possible, he aimed to assist the Greengrass family in breaking their ancestral blood curse in exchange for their full support, knowing this was a challenging endeavor but a necessary test of his abilities.
Third, Skyler planned to write a book detailing his experiences at Hogwarts during the past year.
He chose the title "Me and the Basilisk at Hogwarts."
Drawing inspiration from his prior life as an adventure book writer and Lockhart's popular series, Skyler aimed to create a compelling narrative for the wizarding world.
He was confident that this book would bring him fame, prestige, and income.
During this time, a new House-elf joined the Malfoy Manor household.
Named Lele, this optimistic House-elf enjoyed humming cheerful tunes.
Despite Lucius occasionally scolding him, Skyler's kindness towards House-elves continued.
Although disapproving of Skyler's actions, Lucius refrained from openly reprimanding him, a sign that Skyler's position within the family had evolved.
Skyler recalled that there were seven secret passages leading out of Hogwarts, four controlled by Professor Filch, one under the Whomping Willow, and one behind the statue of the one-eyed witch on the fourth floor.
The final secret passage behind the large mirror on the fifth floor had been buried by heavy snow during the winter.
Now aware of this secret passage, Skyler decided to repair and clean it during the summer vacation, keeping it for future use.
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
Skyler had successfully written "Me and the Basilisk at Hogwarts" and negotiated a favorable publishing deal with Flourish and Blotts Bookstore, Diagon Alley's renowned publishing house.
The book's editor-in-chief, aware of Skyler's reputation and deeds at Hogwarts, offered him a generous contract: a 20% commission on every book sold, surpassing Lockhart's deal.
However, Skyler would need to prioritize collaborating with Flourish and Blotts if he had future inspirations for books.
With this task completed, Skyler turned his attention to studying the Patronus Charm and exploring the Greengrass family's bloodline research materials, setting himself on a routine of rigorous daily study.
The Weasley family won the prestigious "Daily Prophet" Grand Prize Galleon Draw during the same period.
In the second week of summer vacation, the family embarked on a trip to Egypt and visited their eldest son, Bill, while waiting for the end of summer to reunite with Hermione and her parents.
Unfortunately, Harry was once again confined to the Dursley household, where he was not allowed to go out.
While Skyler remained engrossed in his studies and research, a significant event shook the entire UK in August: Sirius Black had managed to escape from prison!
Azkaban was a name known to nearly every wizard in England.
Situated on an isolated island in the North Sea, it was initially a fortress built by the malevolent wizard Ekrizdis.
He used it for dark magic experiments, primarily involving the torture and death of abducted Muggles.
After his demise, the Ministry of Magic uncovered the island, and it was converted into an official wizarding prison.
The prison's guards consisted of indigenous dark creatures known as Dementors, considered among the most grotesque beings in the world.
They thrived on the happiness of other creatures, leaving anyone near them with a sense of gloom and despair.
Under severe conditions, Dementors could even consume the soul of individuals, rendering them a lifeless shell.
Azkaban was known to be an absolutely unbearable place to spend any time, even a mere quarter of an hour, and this notorious wizarding prison was the dreaded "Azkaban."
While seated by a window, Skyler was reading the "Daily Prophet."
As he came across the news of Sirius Black's escape, he nodded thoughtfully, reflecting on the events expected in the original book and his own numerous plans.
Days passed, and Skyler skillfully employed the principles of the Patronus Charm to induce feelings of happiness by association.
In just one week, he had mastered the Patronus Charm and successfully conjured a full-bodied Patronus.
In the subsequent week, Skyler meticulously reviewed all the information provided by Daphne, gaining a more profound comprehension of bloodline power theory.
He now held some clues on how to unlock the latent potential within one's bloodline, although conducting experiments to verify this theory required actual samples.
With two weeks remaining before the start of the school term, Skyler suddenly remembered that he possessed three Dark Magic books he had yet to explore.
Typically, reading such books requires the abilities of an advanced student.
Given his current proficiency, not far behind Percy and Penelope, Skyler was adequately equipped to read these Dark Magic books safely.
However, he discovered that the content within these books was particularly complex, written in a cryptic language, and contained several portions in Gurney runes.
With the assistance of his Time-Turner, Skyler delved into the content, knowing it would take considerable time to decipher.
Nonetheless, his deep knowledge of ancient magic allowed him to prioritize the most immediately beneficial sections for his research.
