Hogwarts: This holy light is righteously evil

Chapter 146 Merlin's favor is always on our side!

Puni patiently pressed for details, gradually piecing together the complete story of how the two met.

Inside the robe shop, Draco, who was not accompanied by his parents, ran into Harry, who was the same age.

After learning that Harry's parents were orthodox wizards and that he himself possessed pure wizarding blood, Draco, who had been influenced by the pure-blood ideology since childhood, naturally categorized Harry as one of his own.

In his mind, Hagrid, as a half-giant, was a deserving of criticism and contempt, and his casual remarks and belittling of Harry were just ordinary idle chatter.

He didn't realize that Hagrid held an irreplaceable and important place in Harry's heart, being the benefactor who brought him into the magical world and gave him warmth and kindness.

A thoughtless remark has already offended Harry.

Draco, still oblivious, thought his first conversation with Harry went very well, unaware that he had already left a terrible first impression on Harry.

After figuring out the cause and effect, Puni was both amused and exasperated.

He knew that this was entirely the result of Draco's lack of proper family education.

As the young master of the Malfoy family, he grew up under the aristocratic aura, which fostered his arrogant and conceited nature. He did not know how to respect others, let alone read between the lines.

It seems I really need to find an opportunity to properly correct Draco's distorted views in the future.

Besides this, Puni had another consideration in mind.

He has kinship ties with the Malfoy family, and Draco's bad words and deeds can easily affect how others perceive him.

As Puni looked at Harry in front of him, he couldn't help but compare the two boys of similar age in his mind.

The two men's life circumstances were almost two opposite extremes.

Harry lost both his parents at a young age and lived with his Muggle aunt, where he suffered mistreatment and bullying for many years, living a very cautious life.

Draco was born into a top-tier pure-blood noble family. He had both parents, lived a life of luxury, and possessed everything that others could only dream of.

Harry was born with the legendary aura of surviving a great calamity, renowned throughout the wizarding world, and possessing a reputation that others could not match.

Draco, however, desperately craved fame and recognition, and was determined to prove himself through his abilities and earn a higher status.

The only thing the two have in common is that they are still immature, and their view of the world is based entirely on their own preferences and subjective perceptions. They do not understand human relationships and have their own biases and shortcomings, so they cannot be considered truly mentally sound children.

After much thought, Puni couldn't come up with a suitable excuse or how to comfort the dejected Harry. He could only suppress his own thoughts and quietly stay by Harry's side.

As Puni arranged the cards on the table, he turned to Harry beside him and asked softly.

"Harry, you should know in your heart that what that boy downstairs did was very inappropriate, right?"

This is an obvious fact.

Harry nodded decisively without hesitation.

"But he himself is most likely completely unaware of his own problem."

Puni chuckled softly and patiently offered guidance, "Based on the details of your interaction, I'm sure that in his mind, your first conversation was very pleasant and smooth. If you meet again, he might even want to befriend you."

These words left Harry completely bewildered. He asked in confusion, "Befriend him? Why would I—"

Before Harry could finish speaking, Puni gently interrupted his question.

"Because he has almost no friends his own age in his world."

Then, Puni asked two more questions: "When you were in Muggle school as a child, did you also struggle to make friends? Were you always confined to your home after school and had no freedom?"

Harry nodded gently again, a pang of sadness rising in his heart.

Back in Muggle school, it wasn't that he was unwilling to make friends; it was just that Dali and his companions always targeted and bullied him.

The other students were afraid of Dali's arrogance, and no one dared to approach him or join him.

Not only that, he had to rush back to the Dursleys' house as soon as he got out of school every day, and was bound by complicated housework all day long.

I spent most of my childhood huddled in a small storage cabinet. The only reason I could step out of the cabinet was when my aunt's family asked me to do chores.

He has never had a true friend from childhood to adulthood.

"He is all alone, just like you."

Puni continued, "At least you can occasionally go out and meet people your own age, but Draco is different; he almost never has the opportunity to go out alone."

Puni was fully aware of Draco's predicament.

Aside from being invited to Malfoy Manor, he was rarely seen outside.

From birth, Draco was confined to a vast manor, surrounded only by his parents who lovingly taught him and a group of obedient house-elves.

He desperately craved the companionship of his peers, yet he had absolutely no idea how to make friends properly.

Even in his letters to himself, he adhered to rigid aristocratic etiquette, with stiff and formulaic beginnings and endings throughout, devoid of any youthful vibrancy.

Upon careful consideration, Puni increasingly felt that Draco's current obsession and arrogance were entirely the result of a lack of proper family education.

As Harry listened to Penny's analysis, his initial resistance slowly dissipated, and he inexplicably felt a sense of sympathy for the boy downstairs.

He carefully recalled the scene in the robe shop, and indeed Draco was the one who initiated the conversation and talked incessantly, even though he barely responded, and the other man did not notice the awkward atmosphere.

Seeing the gloom in Harry's eyes fade and his expression return to peace, Puni smiled.

Draco's shouts continued to echo from downstairs. He had already changed into his fine outdoor shoes and was eagerly anticipating coming upstairs for a fight, but the blocked wall prevented him from getting there, so he could only shout from downstairs.

Seeing this, Puni suddenly found it intriguing and turned to Harry, suggesting, "How about we make a bet?"

Before Harry could ask any further questions, he continued, "I'll unlock the mechanism now and let him up. When he sees us here together, he'll definitely greet you right away."

Harry, curious and wanting to verify Puni's statement, immediately nodded in agreement.

Puni raised his hand and waved his wand, unlocking the hidden mechanism in the wall, and the wall that had blocked the passage returned to its original state.

He leaned down and called downstairs, "Draco, come on up."

The tone carried a hint of authority, which made Draco inexplicably uneasy, wondering if he had somehow offended Puni.

Draco, filled with doubt, climbed up the passageway. Just as he was about to greet Puni on the third-floor platform, his gaze suddenly froze.

There was more than just Puni on the stands; there was also the boy he had met by chance in Madam Malkin's Robe Shop.

Draco's eyes lit up immediately, and a surge of joy welled up inside him.

The fact that this boy is here and can play the Golden Dragon War card game with Puni is enough to prove that he and Puni have a close relationship.

This means that you have another peer to make.

He immediately smiled and took the initiative to strike up a conversation, full of enthusiasm: "Hi, we meet again! We parted in such a hurry last time that I didn't even have a chance to ask your name!"

Having witnessed Penny's words come true, Harry's dislike for Draco faded considerably.

He raised his hand and waved slightly, politely responding to the other person's enthusiasm.

"Hello, my name is Harry Potter."

The moment Draco heard the name Harry Potter, his expression froze, and he was completely taken aback, his smile instantly vanishing.

Before he could process this astonishing information, or even have a chance to speak, Puni, standing beside him, interrupted him with a serious question.

"Draco, I just heard from Harry that you publicly slandered Hagrid?" Penny raised an eyebrow, his expression serious. "I clearly told you beforehand that Hagrid is my best friend, how could you do such a thing?"

The sudden questioning left Draco speechless and unable to find the right words to defend himself.

Faced with Puni, who was both a relative and a close senior, he did not resist and admitted his mistake faster than anyone could have imagined.

"I know I was wrong."

Draco readily bowed his head and admitted his mistake.

This straightforward attitude made Puni, who was originally prepared to give a good lecture, feel even more awkward.

He thought he would have to spend a lot of time and effort to correct the other person's mindset, but to his surprise, Draco did not resist.

Puni thought to himself that regardless of one's social class, knowing how to be cautious in one's words and actions and not to make enemies is a basic principle of conduct.

He found it increasingly unusual; Draco's usual stubbornness, arrogance, and unwillingness to back down were too abrupt for him to be so compliant today.

Taking this opportunity, Puni offered a few more words of advice, pointing out problems with his words and actions.

He slowed down the pace and lengthened the sermon so that Harry could listen quietly beside him.

With continued positive guidance, Harry's remaining aversion to Draco dissipated.

Puni had his own reasons.

When the two of them go to Hogwarts to study, it will be normal for them to bicker and compete with each other in their youth. At that time, I will not need to interfere with their way of getting along.

But now that he's in his own shop, he has to stabilize the relationship between the two and get them to put aside their differences and get along peacefully.

After briefly correcting Draco's question, Penny changed the subject, shifting the focus back to Harry.

He directly set aside the controversies surrounding pure-blood, half-blood, and Muggle origins, no longer dwelling on previous conflicts, and instead arranged for Draco to guide Harry in familiarizing himself with the complete gameplay of the Golden Dragon War.

Draco himself is a big fan of this card game, and his greatest pleasure is card battles.

He has never been able to find an opponent of his own age to spar with, so he has to come to the shop day after day to find Puni to play against, and he is still happy to do so even though he loses repeatedly.

Now that he has a brand new playmate, he immediately became very interested.

In Puni's eyes, Draco had been playing the game for a month, but he still couldn't grasp the core gameplay and remained a novice.

He only knows how to attack relentlessly and brute force, completely misunderstanding the attribute combinations and tactical synergies between different cards, showing absolutely no strategy.

Those who are truly skilled at games can always summarize their experiences, explore patterns, and develop their own unique game strategies and practical tactics during gameplay.

In contrast, Draco operates on instinct without any strategy, and even Harry, who is just starting out, can hold his own against him.

This is also a unique reality in the magical world. Without the internet to spread information, all the skills, strategies, and tactics for card games are learned by young wizards through private exploration and exchange, and are quietly circulated after being handwritten into books.

These handwritten guides are like secret manuals, carefully treasured by each owner and never shared with outsiders.

Puni particularly loves this atmosphere; the private study within a niche circle and the secret exchanges between players are what give this card game its strong collective fun and unique charm.

He stood quietly to the side, watching Harry slowly figure out the rules of the game, master the basic operations, and gradually form a rhythm of equal tension and alternating offense and defense with Draco. He nodded.

Taking care of two inexperienced teenagers at the same time and patiently guiding them to learn and adapt took a lot of his energy.

After relaxing, Puni turned and looked down at the lobby.

The public announcement event has ended, and the number of people in the store has decreased significantly, no longer resembling the crowded and noisy place it used to be.

Looking at the much emptier shops, he sighed softly.

The quiet after the excitement has subsided always leaves a sense of loss, and the emptiness after the hustle and bustle is particularly pronounced.

However, the brief respite allowed him to relax and become calm and peaceful.

In the midst of this tranquility, two incredibly familiar youthful laughs suddenly rang out from downstairs, highly recognizable.

Following the laughter was a signature shout of surprise.

"The Golden Legend!"

Puni was speechless for a moment, his gaze fixed on the two distinctive tufts of fiery red hair downstairs. He could identify the person without even looking closely.

"George."

"Fred."

The twin brothers downstairs exchanged a smug smile.

"Merlin's favor is indeed always on our side!"

It was the Weasley twins again! They opened a card pack at the shop and once again obtained a rare golden legendary card, winning a huge prize.

Whether it was customers choosing card packs or people sitting around exchanging tips and playing games, everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look in the direction from which the sound came.

Even Harry and Draco, who were standing on the third-floor stands and had just gotten used to card battles, turned their heads at the sound and looked down at the lobby.

After a year of operation and multiple rounds of promotion, the popularity of Puni's Golden Dragon War cards is now vastly different from what it used to be.

The number of customers in the store has increased several times compared to the beginning of last year.

Almost every young wizard present had their hard-earned pocket money with them, hoping to draw a high-level card and test their luck.

In this atmosphere where everyone is enthusiastic about cards, the notification sound of a golden legendary card being delivered is undoubtedly the most important news of the entire event.

All the young wizards present stared intently at the twin brothers in the center, their eyes filled with envy and resentment.

Draco's reaction was particularly strong.

He has been involved in the Golden Dragon Battle for quite some time, and Puni has always disagreed with his excessive investment of gold coins in card draws and blind consumption of resources. To this day, his deck still does not contain a single legendary card.