Lucius’s smug attitude only made Bartemius Crouch angrier, but Crouch was a lot more composed than Arthur Weasley.

“Mr. Malfoy, I’m sorry for our staff’s lack of professionalism. We hope you…”

Before he could finish, the Malfoy family’s defense system threw him out.

“I was planning to handle this gently, Cissy…” Lucius said, wrapping his arms around Narcissa’s waist, looking rather put out. The magic inhibitor that had restrained him was now broken in two.

“They went too far… cursing our children…” Narcissa held the snake-headed cane, an heirloom of the Malfoy family. While Lucius had activated the defense system, Narcissa had retrieved his wand.

Lucius’s wand, made of elm and dragon heartstring, could only be wielded by someone he completely trusted. When Narcissa handed it back to him, he refused.

“You hold onto it for me…”

“Alright.” Narcissa didn’t argue. She stepped forward to help straighten Lucius’s slightly disheveled hair.

“I’ll still go to the Wizengamot, but I won’t give them a single Galleon.”

“So their plan will be for nothing?” Narcissa smirked.

“They’ll see who stands to lose more.”

The Ministry of Magic, needing funds desperately for post-war reconstruction, had essentially tried to extort the Malfoy family under the guise of a “donation.” The trial’s outcome depended on how much the Malfoys were willing to pay.

“Dad…” Draco and I approached, Draco already in tears.

“Don’t worry…” Lucius reached out to wipe the tears from my face. Was I crying too? I, who was usually so cold-hearted?

“Dad promises to come back safely. We’ll spend Christmas together, okay?” Lucius crouched down and hooked our pinkies.

“Double the presents, Dad!”

“Alright.”

“Cissy, that person reached out to me. Asked if I needed help…”

“Grandfather?”

“Yes.”

“Dad, who’s Grandfather? Why have we never seen him?”

“He’s here.” Lucius gave a mysterious smile.

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Among the Ministry officials who had come to Malfoy Manor, one person remained. He was unremarkable and almost invisible. Suddenly, a wave of magic passed, and he revealed his true form.

A middle-aged man with blond hair and blue eyes stood before us. Now I understood where Lucius’s good looks came from. Short golden hair, perfectly sculpted features, sharp eyebrows, and heterochromatic eyes that made him look almost otherworldly handsome.

He looked down at us.

“Lucius, Cissy, it’s been a while. I brought gifts for the little ones.” He spoke with a heavy Eastern European accent, exuding nobility with every gesture.

“Let’s get acquainted.” He crouched down to our level. “I’m Gellert Grindelwald.”

Gellert Grindelwald! The leader of the Grindelwald acolytes! Wasn’t he imprisoned in Nurmengard?

“You’ve heard of me?” He noticed my reaction immediately.

“I’ve heard your name mentioned in portraits.”

My brain worked rapidly to provide the right answer.

“Is that really so?” Grindelwald’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Gellert,” Narcissa said quietly, shielding me behind her. She was wearing Lucius’s coat, which slipped off one shoulder with the movement.

“Cissy, take the kids and get some rest,” Lucius said, wrapping Narcissa up tightly again and guiding us away like a true gentleman. Grindelwald just smiled and looked away, clearly used to Lucius’s possessiveness. If I remember correctly, Grindelwald prefers men! Lucius, you should be more worried about yourself. If it weren’t for our blood relation, he’d probably be more interested in you!

Obviously, He was still curious about me.

“Aurora, don’t be scared…” Narcissa’s go-to phrase.

“Mom, why should I be scared of him? He’s family…” Narcissa ruffled my hair.

“The closer someone is, the more they can hurt you… Aurora, you’re braver than I am…” she said, looking at me with pride as she kissed my forehead. Draco, not wanting to be left out, leaned up to kiss Narcissa’s cheek.

“That way, my kiss goes to my sister too.”

The heavy atmosphere was lightened by our laughter and smiles.

Lucius wouldn’t let us attend the public Wizengamot trial. As a savvy politician, he knew that having his wife and children there would garner a lot of sympathy. It was the best move for him and the Malfoy family.

The family portraits told me the truth. “Lucius, that jealous man, would never want Cissy to appear in public.”

Indeed, Narcissa’s beauty was something to be cherished and protected. Besides, there were people who would take advantage of our vulnerable moment. Without the Dark Lord’s protection, the Malfoy family was a tempting target.

Both the Order of the Phoenix and the Ministry of Magic needed significant funds to keep running. Lucius never put all his eggs in one basket. He always had a plan B. Grindelwald’s foreign connections pressured the Wizengamot, and the Malfoy family, being the brains and the bankroll among the Death Eaters, operated discreetly. Unlike Bellatrix, the Carrow siblings, or the Lestrange brothers, who delighted in torturing Muggles and killing Order members, leaving lots of evidence behind.

In the end, Lucius was released in court.

One peaceful afternoon, the Malfoy family gathered to watch the trial’s playback. The screen froze on Arthur Weasley’s angry face.

“Jealousy makes people ugly…” Lucius said, lightly swirling his wine and watching the way it clung to the glass.

“I can’t recall having any issues with the Weasleys,” he added, shaking his head theatrically.

“Maybe you tried to date Prewett back in the day?” Narcissa teased. Prewett was Molly Weasley’s maiden name.

“You know my taste, Cissy,” Lucius raised an eyebrow.

“Or maybe because you caught the Weasleys being intimate when you were Slytherin prefect?”

“That did happen. It seems these pure-hearted Gryffindors are more like vengeful Slytherins.” Lucius then changed the subject. “Cissy, shouldn’t we follow the Weasleys’ example and do whatever we please…”

“But we just did this morning…”

“No matter. This is Malfoy Manor. We do as we please, Cissy.”