Vader left Malfoy Manor carrying a stack of books.

The Malfoys watched as he boarded the Knight Bus and disappeared from sight. Only then did they breathe a sigh of relief.

The two returned to the drawing room and sat in silence.

But the silence didn't last long.

Narcissa finally broke it.

"Lucius, that man... he's going to come back, isn't he?"

"Definitely."

Lucius answered seriously, his voice weary.

"If he created his first Horcrux at the age of sixteen, then there's no reason he couldn't have created a second."

"No. He must have created at least two Horcruxes. Otherwise, he would have died the moment the diary was destroyed."

"But what information do we have now? He's still clinging to life somewhere in the forests of Albania."

"As long as any of his remaining Horcruxes survive, he can rise again even if all that's left of him is a fragment of his soul."

"And if someone helps him, the process will be much faster."

"Then should we..."

"No."

Lucius interrupted her.

"Narcissa, the Malfoys absolutely cannot openly take a side."

"That man hasn't lost yet, but that doesn't mean he'll win."

"And even if he does win, there's no guarantee he'll remain victorious forever."

"Maintaining the status quo and pretending we know nothing is the best option."

"But one day he'll return. If he discovers that we never went looking for him, then..."

"Leave that to me."

Lucius gently reassured her.

"I'll find a way to explain it."

"For now, the most urgent matter is the diary."

"That was a Horcrux. A fragment of his soul was stored inside it."

"Once he returns and discovers that his Horcrux has been destroyed, the Malfoys will inevitably face his wrath."

"What are you planning to do?"

"Listen, Narcissa. You don't know anything about the diary."

"From beginning to end, I was the one communicating with it. I didn't know it was a Horcrux either. I simply followed its instructions and sent it to Hogwarts."

Narcissa reluctantly nodded.

"But what about our memories? We can't resist his Legilimency."

"We need to find someone who can help us."

"Someone reliable who can seal our memories and prevent that man from probing them."

"And to be safe, we'll also need to make an Unbreakable Vow."

"But who can we turn to for something like this?"

Narcissa spoke uneasily.

"This involves his Horcrux—the greatest secret behind his immortality. How can we guarantee that the person we choose is trustworthy?"

"If anything goes wrong, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Lucius fell silent as well.

Among the people he and Narcissa knew who were capable of sealing their memories, most were currently in Azkaban, such as Bellatrix and Barty Crouch Jr.

But those people were fanatically loyal to the Dark Lord and absolutely could not be trusted.

As for the remaining few...

Those who had the ability weren't trustworthy, such as Karkaroff.

Those they trusted didn't have the ability, such as Crabbe and Goyle.

They were trapped from both directions.

"If there's really no other choice, we could ask Severus for help."

Narcissa hesitantly made the suggestion.

"He's skilled in Occlumency, and considering our relationship with him, he shouldn't betray us."

"You're right."

Lucius nodded.

"But that's our last resort."

"Snape is currently a Hogwarts Potions professor. He's under Dumbledore's watch every single day."

"If Dumbledore notices something..."

Lucius didn't finish the sentence, but Narcissa understood.

The Dark Lord was certainly dangerous.

But did that mean the White Wizard was someone they could easily fool?

Especially after they had just offended Dumbledore so thoroughly.

Going to Snape for help now might be like walking straight into the line of fire.

"We don't necessarily have to look among our former colleagues."

Lucius's voice became solemn.

"A considerable portion of the Malfoys' connections are with pure-blood wizarding families. There must be someone among them capable of helping us."

"You mean... the Greengrasses?"

"The Greengrasses never truly joined the Death Eaters."

"Even You-Know-Who treated the Greengrasses with considerable respect."

"We also have a good relationship with Stephen and Alyssa."

"And you know how powerful Stephen is. If he's willing to help, there won't be any traces left behind."

"You're right. But even if Stephen agrees to keep our secret, he won't make an Unbreakable Vow."

"Then offer him enough."

"An amount that can truly move him."

Narcissa nodded seriously.

"I'll write Alyssa a letter tomorrow."

"Better to wait until after September first."

"Once both of his daughters are away at school, we'll pay them a visit."

At that moment, Lucius suddenly thought of something.

He hurried up the stairs and called for Draco.

"Lucius, I think we need to buy another house-elf."

"I know, Narcissa."

"I'll find a new servant as soon as possible. But first, we need to deal with the problems in front of us."

Draco came downstairs and looked around.

"Where's Vader? Did he go to the bathroom?"

"He's already left."

"Your mother and I personally saw him out of the manor."

"He left without even saying goodbye to me?"

"He's here to discuss business with me, not with you."

Lucius answered irritably.

"How did it go?"

Draco asked curiously.

"Did he lower his price?"

"No."

"I agreed to all his demands."

"What?"

Draco stared at his father in astonishment.

There was an indescribable suspicion in his eyes.

Whoever you are, get off my father's body right now.

"What kind of look is that?"

"Nothing. I was just surprised."

"Don't ask."

Lucius spoke solemnly.

"It's best if you forget this ever happened."

"Understood."

"Draco, how does Moria usually perform at Hogwarts?"

"Well..."

Draco thought for a moment.

"Aside from Potions, his other grades are about average."

"But he also has talent in Divination and Alchemy. He made that Floating Cloak himself."

"Do you think he's inferior to you?"

"Compared to me, he's still a little worse."

Draco smiled proudly.

He completely failed to notice the dark lines appearing across Lucius and Narcissa's foreheads.

The two exchanged glances, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes.

"Draco."

Narcissa spoke earnestly.

"Moria devotes most of his time to studying Potions, Alchemy, and Divination."

"Even so, his other grades are only slightly below yours."

"Where did you get the confidence to think you're better than him?"

Draco froze.

Then he straightened his back.

"Strength."

"Dad, I remember you once said that strength is the most important thing for a wizard."

"When it comes to magic, he's no match for me."

"Doesn't that prove that I'm stronger than him?"

Lucius rolled his eyes.

Sometimes, when a person was truly speechless, all they could do was laugh.

"Strength is certainly important to a wizard."

"But I'm talking about overwhelming strength—the kind that creates an absolute gap and crushes everyone else."

"Right now, you're stronger than Moria."

"But by how much?"

"After you graduate from Hogwarts, how large do you think the gap between you two will be?"

Draco pursed his lips, unable to answer.

"I'll work harder."

"I won't let him surpass me."

"We're glad you think that way."

"But you've misunderstood the point."

"What your mother and I mean is that you shouldn't treat him like an ordinary classmate."

"You need to make an effort to maintain the friendship between the two of you."