The Prince

The Prince- Prologue

Throughout his childhood, Draco had always been known as "the prince".

"The prince of what?" he would then ask each time a family member referred to him as such. This response always prompted laughter from the nearest family member, who would then comment on how adorable and precocious he was. This, in turn, would make Draco scowl, and at the tender age of six, did not have the same effect as it did when he was, say, sixteen, only making his family laugh harder.

True, he was not royalty, but Malfoy protocol dictated that he be raised as such, and therefore, behave in a similar fashion. Frivolity was a rare occurrence for a young Draco; anytime he spent around other children was brief and done for the sole purpose of networking.

His parents, in contrast to whatever demeanour they may outwardly display, adored their only son with every fibre of their beings. They had moments when they were cold and inattentive, yes, but on the whole, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy treated their son as any other parent would treat their child. They doled out punishment when necessary and shielded him from the whole Death Eater business. In fact, Draco hadn't a clue as to why his father was always away, attending "special meetings", until he was arrested and taken to Azkaban Draco's fifth year.

When Draco received his letter from Hogwarts upon turning eleven, Draco's parents (and Draco, too) were overjoyed. While Lucius was just the tiniest bit upset that his son would not be attending Durmstrang, Narcissa drove a hard bargain and had swayed Lucius otherwise.

Draco stepped onto Platform 9 ¾ that first day ecstatic. He was confident in his Sorting into Slytherin (after all, every Malfoy was a Slytherin) and knew that he would have no trouble rising through his class' ranks to the top. And as an added bonus, attending Hogwarts finally gave him the chance to become friends with children his age!

As he bade his parents good-bye, his father pulled him aside and handed Draco a thin, rectangular parcel. There was a tag attached to it, To Draco Lucius Malfoy, may you apply these principles throughout your life, inscribed on the tag's surface.

Upon reading the tag, Draco looked up into his father's eyes, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Read it. Know it," was all Lucius said in response, motioning for his son to board the train before returning to his wife's side.

Read it. Know it.

Draco kept repeating his father's words over and over as he tried to find an empty compartment on the train. He found one, eventually, and once he was situated, he tore open the green wrapping paper of the parcel to reveal a black, leather-bound book. Stamped onto its cover in gold script was "The Prince", with the author's name, Niccolò Machiavelli, stamped at the bottom.

Read it. Know it.

Keeping those words in mind, Draco opened the book.

Pressed between the cover and the first page of the book was a letter. There was no heavy vellum envelope encasing it, just the faded yellow of parchment. Unfolding it, Draco recognized his father's handwriting and began reading.

My dear son,

As of this moment, you are currently on your way to your first of seven years of higher education. As I did (and the many Malfoys before me), you will make connections vital to your well-being as you mature, in addition to you teachings. But, as all children do when they are faced with others their age, you will make enemies. Disregard any who fall under this classification; they are petty and beneath you.

You are, more than likely, curious as to why you were given a book. A book written by a Muggle, no less! But do not be fooled by the author's lack of magical ancestry; he has written his manuscript based on the mistakes his kind have made. Although you are not an actual prince, you have been born and bred to behave like one; this book will only help you solidify your royal-like position during your Hogwarts years and the years to come, much like it did for me and the Malfoys before me.

Your mother thinks me barbaric for continuing this tradition. Each Malfoy patriarch giving his firstborn son (in this case, though, you are both my firstborn, and only son) a copy of Machiavelli's The Prince in hopes that he will take the lessons to heart. I continue this tradition because I have your best interests at heart and feel that you will only benefit from reading The Prince. You, Draco, are a prince. Why else would we refer to you that way while you were growing up?

You are but eleven, though, Draco, and I do not expect you to fully comprehend the various topics discussed within the text. Your age aside, I have tremendous faith in you, son; you are a bright child, and I know that you will understand your readings and make the right choices based on those readings.

Do not hesitate to contact me, though, if you do require clarification on what you will read. And as a reminder (and because your mother would not leave me alone until I mentioned it), your mother requests that you write to her at least once a week. I'd hate to witness the Howler that would be sent to you if you failed to do so.

Good luck this year, your first year, and all your years to come.

Make your mother and me proud, Draco.

Sincerely yours,

Lucius Gabriel Malfoy

Draco couldn't help but smile once he read his father's name, eyeing the Malfoy crest stamped in green wax underneath.

A new phrase now resounded itself in his head; his father's voice uttering 'Make your mother and me proud, Draco'.

He had never had the chance to show his parents all that he was capable of before. Up until Hogwarts, there was never a need to.

Draco fingered the pages of the book in his hands, flipping through it before placing his father's letter to the side and turning to the first chapter.

He was genuinely excited; this book was the perfect way to make his parents proud.

* * * * * * * *

A/N- For those who have read Machiavelli's The Prince, then you know that Machiavelli does not make ruling a nation sound like fluffy bunnies and rainbows. He tells you straight up that "it is better to be feared than loved" and proceeds to go into historical examples as to why it is better to be the former. My friends and family thought I was crazy for wanting to read his guide of my own volition, but my English teacher's awesome reaction when she found out more than made up for it.

As some of you may have guessed, I am basing this particular fic on the topics found in The Prince. I might end up grouping some ideas together, though, for some of the chapters are rather short. The first chapter, for example, is, I believe, four or five paragraphs (short paragraphs, three sentences) long. And as some of you who read A Study of the Mind (which is the literal definition for the word "psychology". Of course, I realise this AFTER the fact...) can attest, love interests are not seen very often. Such will be the case with Ginny. I'm only warning you now so I don't get any complaints later on down the road. But she will factor into Draco's life in this story, make no mistake of that.

Now, please be kind and review with some feedback. :D