Harry Potter: Reunion with the Enemy

What Draco got was not the address and house number of Chief Whip Andre, but a thin envelope. When he opened it, he found a box seat ticket for the theater.

The meeting with the Chief Whip had been prepared for a long time, and Draco had previously discussed with Kingsley how to gain his trust. The conclusion was: people are always more willing to trust people who are similar to themselves.

Draco gazed at the actors on the stage who were performing wholeheartedly, and was thinking about shaping himself into someone similar to Andre: an ambitious man who cast greedy eyes towards the throne of power.

The performance was already halfway through, and Draco was still sitting alone in the box seat waiting for Andrea to appear. The Italian language of the opera "Rigoletto" forced Draco to distract himself by looking at the English subtitles in the theater while paying attention to the performances of the actors on the stage. The opera's setting was very exquisite, and Draco was somewhat surprised to find that Muggles could create a shocking rain on the stage without any spells.

"Why are you frowning? Is it because the plot doesn't suit your taste?" Andre finally appeared during the intermission. Although the light was not bright, the first thing Draco saw when he turned around was the deep wrinkles around his eyes and neck. These marks reminded him of his age and rich experience - as well as the little time he had left in politics. "Or do you wizards not like to watch these?"

Without waiting for Draco to answer, Andre continued, "The goblin has already told me about your appearance in the underwater dungeon. Until I left the island, I thought you were really a young talent from a multinational company. You still remember the hunting activity not long ago."

"The wizarding world is nothing more than these plots." Draco stood up and shook hands with him. "Love, revenge, crime, fighting against evil... It's an honor to see you again."

"And the pursuit of power and wealth." Andre simply continued his unfinished words. "If wizards have more abilities than goblins, many things will be within their reach." His deep blue eyes showed a hint of exploration. "I first noticed something was wrong when I saw the portrait in the Prime Minister's office. It was not until I came into contact with goblins by chance that I realized there was a group of wizards in this world."

"These methods of acquiring wealth are probably now in the International Wizarding Law. Hiding the existence of wizards from Muggles is the main job of the Ministry of Magic. I'm sure you know the existence of the Ministry of Magic." Draco responded to Andre's test honestly. "Of course, there was this opportunity when wizard laws were not yet perfect, such as a few hundred years ago..."

This was how the Malfoy family had accumulated their wealth hundreds of years ago. Draco would not reveal this, of course.

"Then what is your purpose in approaching me? Others approach me in the hope that I can help them, such as obtaining the latest policy information, controlling the process of pushing or blocking a law by members of parliament, or making other things favorable to them..." Andre narrowed his eyes. The intermission of the opera was over and the actors on the stage began to perform again. "Even goblins approach me to check and balance wizards and compete for their power."

Fortunately, the whispered conversation in the box would not be noticed by others.

"To help each other, sir." Draco watched the jester on the stage crying heartbreakingly for his daughter, and leaned close to Andre's ear, "If you just want to replace the current Prime Minister, it seems wiser to cooperate with wizards than goblins. And our family has always been very influential in the Ministry of Magic, which will be very beneficial to your work after you become Prime Minister."

"But I have already made an agreement with them." Andre sneered, "The evidence of the wizards' crimes has been listed in categories. Over the centuries, wizards have killed many of us, and others have used potions or other methods to deceive, cheat, and gain benefits."

"It sounds righteous. But can you win the hearts of your voters by doing this? Are you 100% sure?" Draco said slowly, imitating the voice of a baritone. "You can put the blame on successive prime ministers to cause dissatisfaction, but can you definitely win in the chaos after the announcement - relying on those goblins?"

"The goblins said that wizards' words are the most untrustworthy. You are just a bunch of robbers." A trace of hesitation appeared on Andre's face. Perhaps it would be enough to shake the current prime minister's support rate. He needed this opportunity for an early election.

"But we are stronger. Wizards are much stronger than goblins." Draco concluded in a cold tone. "Even now, if I want, I can use spells to control your actions. Is winning the election based on popularity? Or do they think you can do what you promise?"

"I have already given the information to a few of my confidants. Even if you control me, you can't stop this." Andre's voice trembled a little.

Draco knew that his words had worked. "Muggle memories are as easy to erase as pencil drawings. If you are willing not to cause us any trouble, we can help you realize your little wish of becoming Prime Minister, provided that you give up your entanglement with goblins first."

There was silence between the two of them. The drama on the stage had come to an end. The jester, who had helped the dissolute Duke to play with the wives and daughters of the courtiers, had indirectly killed his own daughter, and he was crying heart-wrenchingly.

"You let me watch The Fool to tell me that doing dirty work for the Prime Minister every day will not end well?" Draco said sarcastically, "From what I know, what you did before was not much more noble than the Fool."

"It's just that there will be political reporters chasing and blocking my door. It's safe here, and no one will eavesdrop." Andre said without emotion. "By the way, let the wizards see the precious spiritual wealth of Muggles, and stop killing innocent people."

"Do you really care about the life and death of ordinary people, or do you care about whether you still have the opportunity to be remembered in history before you retire?"

Hearing the word "old" from Draco, Andre frowned, as if the word was thorny. But it was true that he didn't have much time left. Although he was still tall and strong, wrinkles could not deceive people.

The actors on the stage have already stood in a row and are taking their bows amid the audience's applause.

"What do you want me to do? Why should I trust you?" Andre said in an almost inaudible voice. He didn't want to leave the political stage, at least not now.

"I never treat my partners unfairly. But there is still a lot to do before we really turn against the goblin." Draco stood up and applauded along with the audience.