At Hogwarts with Academic Master System

[Note: Read up to Chapter - 89 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]

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"Well, look who it is!"

"The famous Potter... and Shafiq, too?"

Not long after Hermione left, the compartment door slid open again, and three figures appeared in the doorway.

Draco Malfoy strutted in with his usual entourage—Crabbe and Goyle flanking him like oversized shadows. His eyes flicked between Harry and Aris.

"I heard someone say Harry Potter was on the train. Seems they weren't lying."

His gaze finally landed on Harry, whose name still carried more weight than Aris's at this point.

"That little toad-finding spell was impressive. But let me guess—you didn't actually cast it, did you?"

Aris quickly pieced things together. Malfoy must've overheard someone talking about Hermione's miraculous recovery of Neville's toad, then poked around to learn who'd actually helped. And now, here he was.

"What's it to you?" Ronald snapped, springing up from his seat without hesitation—ever the loyal sidekick in the making.

Malfoy sneered. "You fancy yourself the hero, do you?"

Before Ron could react further, Crabbe and Goyle stepped forward, shoving him back into his seat with a thud. He struggled but couldn't budge.

"Oi! Let him go!" Harry jumped to his feet, face taut with anger.

Malfoy ignored him, swaggering forward and looking Harry dead in the eye.

"You'll come to learn, Potter, that in the wizarding world, true friendships only exist between pure-bloods."

He leaned in slightly, his voice dripping with disdain.

"So then—what's it going to be?

Stick with these charity-case Weasleys, or join someone who actually belongs in the upper ranks—like me, Draco Malfoy, heir to one of the most noble and ancient pure-blood families?"

"I know perfectly well what kind of friends I want, thanks. I don't need you telling me!"

Harry Potter stood his ground, glaring back at Malfoy without flinching.

He didn't quite understand why this pale-faced boy was so full of himself—he was nearly as irritating as Dudley back home.

Still, Harry knew one thing for certain: he wasn't about to let Ron face this lot on his own.

At the very least, he had to show he was on Ron's side.

Though, in truth, it probably wouldn't matter much.

Crabbe and Goyle were built like trolls and easily towered over both him and Ron.

At this point, none of the young wizards had learned any proper spells, so brute strength still mattered in these early scuffles.

At least until Aris decided to intervene.

"Draco Malfoy, was it?"

Aris, who had been calmly watching from his seat, finally spoke.

Malfoy's attention turned from Harry to Aris.

"Yeah? What of it?" he snapped, glaring with the same arrogance he'd thrown at the others.

Aris gave a faint smile, sizing him up. Malfoy's expression was sharp, but his complexion was a little pale—clearly not as tough as he acted.

"Look, if you're really trying to make friends with us, you might want to try a less aggressive approach. Just a thought."

"Make friends? With you lot?" Malfoy scoffed, his cheeks colouring slightly.

"Don't flatter yourself. A noble Malfoy doesn't need friends!"

"Well then, before you start preaching about status, why don't you tell your two mates to back off from Harry and poor Ron, yeah?"

Aris stood up casually and raised his wand with a slow, deliberate motion.

With a faint shimmer in the air, an invisible force gently separated everyone in the carriage.

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle stumbled back slightly, looking visibly alarmed.

And then Aris gave his wand another flick.

"Locomoter Mortis."

The Leg-Locking Spell hit its mark with flawless precision. In an instant, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were rooted to the spot—completely frozen from the waist down.

They flailed their arms in a panic, trying to stay upright, but it was no good. With a thud, all three toppled over in a tangled heap.

"You cast a spell on me?! How dare you!"

Malfoy's voice cracked with disbelief, while Crabbe and Goyle let out shrill yelps of panic.

"I did warn you," Aris said calmly, stepping closer with a pleasant smile that somehow made him look even more dangerous.

"If you want to make friends, you should really try being a bit more... pleasant."

He leaned in slightly, eyes level with Malfoy's.

"So tell me—how's this approach working out for you?"

Harry and Ron both stood frozen in place, their jaws slack as they watched the scene unfold.

But then, slowly, identical grins spread across their faces.

That spell was brilliant.

Still, as their amusement settled, they looked over at Aris again—smiling, relaxed, and confident.

That's when it hit them: Aris wasn't just skilled—he was someone you really didn't want to cross.

They both made a silent vow in that moment—never get on Aris Shafiq's bad side.

"You'll regret this!" Malfoy growled, face red with fury.

"I'll tell the professors—and my father! He won't let this go, I swear!"

"Oh?" Aris tilted his head slightly, amusement flickering in his eyes.

"Didn't your father want you to be friends with me?"

Malfoy froze mid-rant, then faltered.

"How did you...?"

He clamped his mouth shut halfway through the sentence, eyes narrowing in alarm.

"That's what I thought," Aris said smoothly.

"Go on then—tell your father. See what he says."

The moment Malfoy had blurted out how did you know, Aris had already confirmed what he suspected.

From the intel Henry had gathered, he was well aware that the Malfoy family had been sniffing around the Shafiq estate—eyeing certain assets a bit too closely.

They'd even tried forming secret alliances with other pure-blood families, all scheming to carve up what was left of the Shafiq holdings.

But Aris hadn't forgotten. He kept a mental ledger.

And now, that old snake Lucius Malfoy had the nerve to send his son to cosy up to him? It was obvious—there had to be something behind it.

Still, Aris wasn't in a rush.

Draco might be a bit full of himself, always strutting around like he's Hogwarts' top dog, but deep down, he wasn't truly rotten. Not yet, anyway.

If he could be tamed—even shaped—then perhaps he'd be more useful than troublesome when the time came to deal with the Malfoy family properly.

With that thought, Aris's gaze softened slightly, and the smile on his face grew just a touch more disarming.

"What the bloody hell do you want from me!?"

Malfoy's voice cracked slightly as he stared into Aris's eyes, feeling a cold shiver run down his spine.

He could tell—this wasn't just any boy.

This lad was something else. Someone who could smile while terrifying the life out of you.

"I'm not going to do anything," Aris said lightly, lifting the spell from all three boys with a flick of his wand. Then he stepped forward and gave Draco a pat on the shoulder.

"Let's keep it simple. From now on, you stick with me, yeah?"

"You know who I am. You know what I'm capable of.

And if I want something—well, I always get it."

He gave Draco a long, knowing look.

"But if you'd rather not… well, let's just say the alternative won't be quite as pleasant."

Malfoy gulped. For the first time in his life, he felt properly outmatched.

Looking into Aris's eyes—those unreadable, confident eyes—he didn't even hesitate.

"Alright, fine—I'm in!" he blurted.

Whether he meant it or not, he wasn't about to push his luck.

He had a horrible feeling that crossing Aris Shafiq would end very badly indeed.

"Good lad. Smart choice," Aris said, the smile never leaving his face.

"You'll find I'm quite generous with my friends. We look out for each other—simple as that."

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Drop power Powerstonessssssssss!

[Note: Read up to Chapter - 89 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]