Chapter 13

-oOoOo-

The door of the compartment slid open and a young redheaded boy came in.

After staring at Harry's forehead for a good five seconds, he asked "Seat taken?" The boy pointed at the seat opposite Harry. "Everywhere else is full."

Padfoot whined at the stranger lazily. The dog looked a bit annoyed at the red-headed boy for interrupting Harry's petting him.

Harry's mind rushed to make a quick calculation of the possibility that all other compartments were actually full. There were three passenger-carrying vehicles, each of which contained 14 compartments, and a compartment could seat six passengers (up to eight, but that would be quite uncomfortable). So the train's normal passenger capacity was 3 times 14 times 6 = 252.

And according to Hogwarts: A History, there were about 10 students per house per year. That made a student body of 10 times 4 times 7 = 280 at any time, 24 of which were prefects who had separate and special seating arrangements. So that left the position-less student body of... 280 minus 24 = 256 if Head Boy and Head Girl were also prefects; 254 or 255 otherwise.

Harry big-sweated. All compartments were supposed to be jam-packed if no student was sick, or left Hogwarts before they graduate and was not replaced with transfers. Capacity utilisation was well done, and efficiency was not something that Harry expected from the Wizarding World.

Before Harry opened his mouth to reply, the door of the compartment was knocked three times.

At Harry's nod, Draco Malfoy came in. It didn't take long before Draco made a guess of what had happened. The red-headed boy who looked ambivalent about something had not taken the seat, and Harry looked a tad bored. This meant the red-headed boy had not asked Harry whether he could take the seat, or the boy failed to impress Harry and Harry did not say an outright 'no,' Draco concluded.

"Quiz time, Harry!" Draco said brightly.

Harry looked amused at Draco's sudden change of manner. For the first time, Harry saw a child Malfoy, not Mr. Draco Malfoy a social elite and future lord of an Ancient and Most Noble House.

"Are you really Harry Potter?" the redhead blurted out.

"That... is a very good question." Harry looked thoughtful.

Draco snorted as the redhead looked puzzled.

Harry retrieved some small shiny pieces of paper from his pocket. "Behold the power of Wandless Scar-making Transfiguration, also known as Tattoo Sticker!"

Now both boys looked puzzled.

Padfoot perked up. He barked excitedly, his tail wiggling to and fro like a frenzy clock pendulum.

"Draco, mind receiving a Harry Potter scar?" Harry looked at the pale boy expectantly. Sensing Draco's reluctance, he added. "It is temporary, and you can just wash it off with water whenever you want."

"Alright" Draco said, looking brave.

Harry applied a sticker to Draco's forehead. "There." Harry grinned with satisfaction before addressing the red-haired boy. "Now there're two Harry Potters in this compartment. Would you like to become the third?"

The redhead screamed and ran off, as if he were a Muggle boy having seen a ghost.

Draco took the seat opposite to Harry's, amusement shining in his eyes. "A loo for a minute and I almost missed one of the most fascinating tricks I have ever seen! Human Transfiguration is not taught until sixth year. Did you know that?"

Harry grinned. "I didn't." But then he realised he couldn't answer the question correctly if he had been Obliviated. "But maybe I did."

Draco eyed the remaining tattoo stickers on Harry's hand. "Can I have some of those, Harry? This is fun." Draco wanted to study the advanced charms that Harry applied to the unpromising pieces of papers, maybe sending some of them back to Father for further analysis. But Harry didn't have to know that. Fun was usually a good excuse for a child's curiosity.

"Sure. Why not?" Harry gave Draco all of them. "I have more in my trunk."

Draco sweated. The Boy-Who-Lived was a bit crazy-prepared and thought quite highly of himself. But he had to admit, though, that Potter was very good at what he did.

"At first I wanted to make it happen that everyone can be Harry Potter for a Knut." Harry said nonchalantly, "But then I had a better idea. I wanted to start printing a fashion magazine with Harry Potter Instant Scars (TM) as a complementary thank-you. So I started making prototypes and a bit of market testing. It has proved to be popular so far."

Draco nodded soberly. He was no match for Potter with regard to 'business idea development' skills. Potter had already planned to start some sort of fan club, with the Instant Scar symbolising exclusive membership. The club members would feel special and no doubt more loyal to the M&P brand, or maybe something else that Potter was coming up with.

"By the way, what was the quiz thing about?"

"Oh," Draco's lip twitched upward slightly, "I was about to ask you this: Who have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford?"

Harry was stunned for a few seconds before finding his voice. "Thanks Merlin you didn't ask the question. It was not a nice thing to say, mate. Besides it is simply not true."

Draco raised a brow. "You seemed too nice to shoo him away. I, on the other hand, do not have to be nice to the wrong sort of wizarding families. So basically I just wanted to lend you a hand."

"Thank you, Draco." Harry's mind rushing at high speed, searching for the right words.

Harry didn't think concepts like human dignity would appeal to Draco. Sure, the redhead wore hand-me-down, a bit over-sized robes and was not very good-mannered or good looking. But Harry found it distasteful to look down on someone just because they were poor and not good looking. Harry may have pranked people from time to time and jested around, but he never looked down on people, not on purpose anyway.

He needed to talk to Draco in a language a Malfoy could understand. An idea came to his mind.

"Draco, imagine that you actually asked me the question. What was I supposed to do? If I didn't banish you from this compartment right away, I would lose my reputation as the Boy of Light. But if I did, our relations would never be the same. Either way, it would be a net loss. And a loss does not sound very nice."

Draco's eyes widened in shock. He leapt to his feet and gave Harry a slow, deep bow.

"You have my sincerest apology, Mr. Potter, um, Harry. My shortsightedness blinded me. It seems I still have much to learn. You see, I am still an intern at my family business while you already run yours."

Harry was uncomfortable. Dudley bowed to him just to be dramatic. Robot bowed to him because Dudley set programming that way. Harry was fine with that. But he didn't want people to bow to him for a non-comical reason. "C'mon, now, please don't bow for too long. It will give people a wrong impression if they see this. Anyway, no harm was done, so no apology is necessary."

Draco took his seat again, somewhat relieved. "You mentioned what I said was not true. May I ask which part? Red hair, freckles, or more children than they can afford?"

Harry blinked, regretting he had said that now. "As far as I'm concerned, the boy sure looked healthy. If hand-me-down robes give sufficient warmth or say, cheap food gives sufficient nutrients, they would make an obvious rational choice, don't you think? I mean, this is behaviour expected of people who wisely maximise usefulness per each Knut spent, assuming that the cost of new fashionable clothes exceeds the benefits of impressing someone with the clothes, right?"

"But that would be really bad for business," said Draco slowly. He looked thoughtful for a few seconds before adding, "Yes, I also heard the rumour that the Weasleys pretended to be poor, but what sort of parents could be that mean to their children? If parents could give their children expensive gifts but they choose not to, then they cannot be good parents, can they?"

Harry doubted it. He never met rich parents who didn't spoil their children, but he never met spoiled children who had received good parenting either. "So you concluded that they had to be poor or they were bad parents?"

Draco nodded. "Can you conclude otherwise?"

Now Harry knew why the Malfoys hated the Weasleys. If the rumour was true, the Weasleys represented a type of consumers that the Malfoys feared – rich consumers who lived a modest, non-extravagant life and was not easily influenced by marketing. They did not own the latest and flashiest iPhone model, fashionable clothes, or smartest sports car. They owned a reliable phone, warm and polite-looking clothes and a safe family car. They bought only what they needed, not what marketers kept telling them they needed. In their eyes, they were some of the wisest consumers out there in the planet although the rest of the world saw them as unfashionable and sneered at them.

If this rumour was true, Harry would truly respect the Weasleys. (Maybe except the Weasley boy he had just met.)

-oOoOo-

Harry had heard annoying clatterings outside the compartment for a while. It grew louder and louder until a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"

"For free?" Harry smiled his best charming smile. Not waiting for a reply, he stood up and bowed. "THANK YOU SO MUCH, Ma'am!" Harry said excitedly.

With great effort, Draco successfully repressed his snigger.

The Trolley Witch was stunned for a moment before replying with kind eyes. "I'm so, so, so sorry, dears. I'm not well off enough to run a charity. But tell you what, since you sort of asked, I will give you special prices."

Draco looked very impressed.

"What are these and how much, Madam?" Harry pointed at small packages with pictures of chocolate-coloured frogs.

"A box of yummy Chocolate Frog for a Sickle and four Knuts, dear," the saleswoman replied sweetly. "A free collectible card inside, guaranteed!"

Harry frowned. "May I ask you a question, Ma'am? Does Hogwarts charge you a concession fee so heavy that impels you to set such a high price on candies, or you just enjoy your monopoly power a little too much?"

The Trolley Witch's face darkened. "What do you mean, dear? I don't quite understand what you have just said."

Harry was relentless. "Every other shop I've come across sells a box of Chocolate Frog at the retailed suggested price, which is a Sickle. Your price at a Sickle and four Khuts is 13.79% higher the market price, even after the alleged discount you gave us. May I ask, why is that so?"

Draco watched the scene with wide eyes.

Padfoot was, however, sniggering, though his snigger sounded more like half-barking and half-coughing.

The Trolley Witch looked outrageous. "If you don't want anything, you could just say so! No need to be rude, Mister!" She took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself down, and she left without a word.

Silence lingered for a moment before Draco walked to slide the door close. He looked like he couldn't contain it any longer, his face red and badly, badly controlled. It didn't take long before Draco Malfoy burst out laughing. His laugh was loud and hearty, not the tactical or cultured sort of laugh expected of a Malfoy.

Harry frowned. "I hope you are not encouraging me, Draco. Given that her business is rather small in value and she is quite old and a bit hunchbacked, I'd like to give her a break."

-oOoOo-

There was a knock on the door of their compartment and a round-faced boy came in. He looked tearful.

"Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad?"

Harry looked thoughtful. "I think I met a toad-faced woman at the Ministry of Magic last week. Are you looking for her?"

The boy said miserably. "No, Trevor's my pet toad." He wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "I'm not an expert in zoology, but aren't toads sort of poisonous?"

The boy looked blank, not knowing what to say.

"Most magical toads are." Draco offered softly. "But their toxins are not deadly. Common effects include forgetfulness and skin irritation. This is why my family pet shop has very few toads on sale."

"Hang on!" Harry looked a little confused. "Do pet toads keep getting away because their owners keep forgetting to feed them or because they are free-spirited?"

"Both." Draco replied, noting Potter's brilliance in deduction skills. He then addressed the round-faced boy sympathetically. "Best of luck with finding him. But speaking as someone who doesn't want to see people unnecessarily intoxicated by pets, I suggest that you get a new one. I bet you will be happier with an owl or cat."

"Well, if you see him..."

"I'll tell him to look for you?" Harry snorted a bit before seeing the boy's face and muttering an apology. He cleared his throat. "Don't worry that much. If he keeps getting away, this means you keep finding him, or for some mysterious reason he keeps getting back to you despite his free-spiritedness. So there is a good chance that you will see him again."

The boy's face brightened up.

"Let me help you find him." Harry said heroically. "Hopefully, we'll find him just before he decides to jump off the window or something."

The round-faced boy looked horrified at the thought, his face very pale. He muttered a thank you very weakly.

Draco was on his feet. "I'll come too."

Padfoot was on his feet too, and barked a few times.

"Padfoot," Harry reprimanded, "stay here! If you don't listen this time, I will find a collar. Understand?"

The dog snorted.

Harry wanted to roll of the floor laughing right there. He had never seen a dog snort. Well, he couldn't even have imagined a disrespectful laugh from a dog!

"Let's go!" announced Harry energetically. "Mission: Rescue Trevor begins!"

Unbeknownst to the round-faced boy, this was a mutually beneficial unsaid agreement between Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. They knew they could use a locating spell (or asked someone to do it). But Harry wanted to do a bit of public relations, and Draco wanted to be seen around with Harry.

Sometimes a golden opportunity didn't come twice. So they grabbed it as soon as they saw it coming.

-oOoOo-

Draco watched with fascination as Harry handed out lightning-shaped chocolate to everyone he came across. "Harry Potter, pleased to meet you!" "No, sorry. But questions may be asked during the upcoming press conference. For now, please let me know if you have seen a toad." "Alright. Appreciated your help. Have a good term, mate!"

Draco was often asked how he got his lightning scar. "Oh," Draco grinned mysteriously, "I can't say anything, but you'll know soon enough." "Sorry but that's between Harry and me." "By the way, have you seen a toad at all?" Draco gave people the impression that Harry confided some sort of secret in Draco. And anyone that Harry Potter trusted could not be a bad guy, right?

If people trusted Snape because they trusted Dumbledore and Dumbledore trusted Snape, then this could be a new beginning for the Malfoys. People did not really trust their story of being Imperius'ed and working on the Dark Lord's bids against their will. Their opinions could easily change with Draco's frequent presence around Potter.

Of course, it was not an important secret, but people didn't have to know that. Draco just needed to pretend it was some sort of top secret.

And Harry Potter seemed to play along... because he thought it was fun or he didn't want to ruin Draco's fun, Draco was not sure. But Draco achieved his goal and he was happy.

There had been awkward moments, though.

The Slytherins seemed to understand why Draco did this. Those who didn't understand pretended to understand it anyway, because not doing so would make them look less cunning and less dangerous... of course, unless you wanted people to think you were not dangerous, but this sort of trick could only be used once.

So the Slytherins asked Draco no question and eyed him carefully.

Not surprisingly, they did not act very friendly with Potter, but they were not rude to him either. After all, lots of them were children of Death Eaters. The fates of their parents – imprisoned, dead or still running – were partly attributable to the Boy-Who-Lived. They didn't want to be publicly hostile to the Boy-Who-Lived either, as that was not a Slytherin thing to do. A cunning person would attack people in the back, without them suspecting an attack. Doing otherwise would pose unnecessary risk.

They were therefore cold and calculated, collecting as much information as possible while observing Harry and Draco. To be fair, this was pretty much what Father asked Draco to do too: getting to know Potter and learning his tricks.

Things in Draco's life were getting pretty interesting.

-oOoOo-

The round-faced boy followed Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy silently, being grateful. He was a little disappointed though, that Harry Potter introduced himself to everyone but him. And Harry Potter gave chocolate to everyone but him.

He guessed it was his fault for not introducing himself first when he knocked the door. Damn, he wanted to kick himself for that. He even looked tearful – definitely not a good first impression. Harry Potter would want to hang out with cool kids, not a loser like him.

With a sigh, he followed them to the next compartment where two red-headed twin boys and a black boy with black hair and dreadlocks were chatting animatedly.

-oOoOo-

To be continued.