Chapter 539: Undercurrents in the Slytherin Common Room
Chapter 539: Undercurrents in the Slytherin Common Room
In the Slytherin common room, a student was enthusiastically giving a speech.
"Look at that circular arena, with its familiar star pattern. It's just like the International Wizarding Dueling Tournament arena!" Randolph said excitedly.
The people in the common room raised their heads, their scrutinizing gazes converging on him. The room fell silent, with only the sound of the dark green lake water gently lapping against the basement windows.
The Greengrass sisters put down their quills. The younger sister, Astoria, blinked her eyes, as if she had discovered something amusing. She briskly pushed the parchment, ink bottle, and thick reference book in front of her to her sister, leaning on the table with one hand and watching the commotion with interest, much to Daphne's annoyance.
"Astoria, you little troublemaker..." Astoria stuck out her tongue, causing Draco to chuckle from across the table. He lounged lazily in a sofa chair, while Pansy occupied the seat next to him, fiddling with a green and silver ribbon.
A bit further away, Crabbe and Goyle were eating chocolate cake, the crumbs flying onto Millicent Bulstrode's cat. The cat meowed pitifully, its tail standing up, and it wriggled free from its owner's thick arm to jump in front of a first-year witch. "Go away, stupid thing", she said, her eyes fixed on Randolph's face.
Randolph didn't falter under the scrutiny. Instead, his voice rose unnaturally. He waved his hand vigorously, nearly hitting a nearby student in the eye with the newspaper, but he didn't notice. His entire focus was on what he was about to say.
"This means... all my previous speculations were correct. Professor Hup has finally stopped hiding his true strength!" he said in a low, excited voice, with a clear sense of triumph.
"Has he ever hidden it?" the nearly hit student muttered under his breath.
"Well, I mean, if I had that kind of power, I'd want the whole world to know", Randolph said with a theatrical air of indignation. "You didn't see it, but there were articles in the newspaper recently that slandered the professor, saying he only defeated a few drunks..."
"I don't know much about it; I didn't go to the Quidditch World Cup Final", the boy said.
"I did!" Randolph said excitedly. "The professor was amazing! Spells were flying everywhere, but they strangely stopped mid-air." He made a few wild gestures, then paused, still animated. "Unfortunately, the scene was too chaotic, and not many photos were taken."
"I know the professor is strong, but it's impossible for one person to take on a hundred, right?" his friend said doubtfully.
"Why not?" Randolph said in a low, serious tone. "The professor saved Potter and the others from the Dark Lord, and I heard that one of the Death Eaters even died!"
"Randolph!" a student stood up, his face as grim as his friend leaning against the rough stone wall. Nott said coldly, "Watch your words."
The first-year witch widened her eyes, suppressing her excited voice, and quietly pulled out a small green notebook from her pocket. She pushed the fat cat aside, opened the notebook, and found the page marked 'Nott,' her eyes filled with anticipation as she watched the argument in the common room.
"Mafalda! You pushed my cat?" Millicent glared at her.
"Shut up", Mafalda said dismissively, "or I'll write you into my stories..." This seemed to be a terrible threat, as Millicent shrank back, reaching out to retrieve her cat.
On the other side—
"Did I say something wrong?" Randolph shouted at Nott. "What's the problem with what I said?"
Nott's face turned red, and he struggled to appear disdainful and angry. "I'm telling you to be careful with your words. Don't make grandiose claims about those great—"
"Great? Who are you talking about?" Randolph interrupted rudely. "If I understand correctly, you're trying to speak up for the Dark Lord?"
Nott glared at Randolph, but what made him more uneasy was that no one in the common room came to his defense. The green light from the hanging lamp cast a chilling glow on his face, making him feel a chill inside.
"I... I didn't mean... I just think we shouldn't..." he stammered.
"Then shut your mouth and stop spouting your Pureblood ideology", Randolph said sharply. "Otherwise, I might think someone in your family is on the side of the Death Eaters!" He sat down triumphantly.
The Slytherin common room fell into an eerie silence, except for Mafalda, who was excitedly writing in her green notebook... Nott, who had been spreading the Dark Lord's ideology for the past month... suspected of being influenced by the Death Eaters...
The younger students fidgeted uneasily, like quails that dared not speak. The older students felt a mix of emotions, unsure when the atmosphere in Slytherin House had changed.
Regardless of their reputation, Voldemort had once been a symbol of Slytherin. Before him, there was Phineas Black. However, both of these symbols had fallen, until Felix Hep suddenly emerged. The feelings toward this professor were complex—rumors suggested that he had been treated unfairly by the house during his time as a student, leading to a strained relationship. This wouldn't have been a big issue, but as his influence grew, his fame overshadowed everything else, reaching a point where no one could ignore him.
Compared to the astounding achievements he had made, other aspects that made Slytherin students uncomfortable seemed trivial.
For example, the long-standing criticism of his Muggle-friendly tendencies was completely overshadowed by the rapid rise of 'Future World' company. In just over a year, it was poised to rival Gringotts. Some even began to say that Professor Hep had a unique vision, not only amassing vast wealth but also donning the mantle of 'Muggle-friendly'...
As for the truth, few cared anymore.
When people mentioned Slytherin House, besides the legendary figures like Salazar Slytherin and Merlin, among the living Wizards, the first person they thought of was not Headmaster Snape, but Felix Hep.
This change had happened silently and subtly, but its impact was immense.
One piece of evidence was that when the news of the Dark Lord's return surfaced, a small group of people tried to promote extreme Pureblood ideology in Slytherin House, much like their parents had done during the last war. However, they were surprised to find that there was little response, and it barely caused a ripple.
It seemed that this rhetoric had lost its market.
But the real reason was simple—Felix Hep, the new symbol of Slytherin, opposed Pureblood ideology!
Despite doing nothing and offering no special favors to Slytherin students, his presence alone influenced many.
This realization was sparked by a comment from a third-year Slytherin girl, Astoria Greengrass. She casually remarked, "Professor Hep will definitely become Headmaster one day, and he's a Slytherin, which is enough."
This comment sparked a discussion throughout Slytherin House. After much deliberation, they concluded that it was a simple truth.
If Professor Hep wanted it, there would be no obstacles in his path.
Well... perhaps the only obstacle would be the current Headmaster, Dumbledore. This is why many people, after hearing the rumors of the Elder Wand, fantasized about a duel between Professor Hep and Dumbledore.
What kind of power could an unbeatable wand wield in the hands of Felix Hep, who possessed a vast amount of Ancient Magic? This was a question that made everyone who seriously considered it shudder, even the greatest White Wizard of the age... could he stand against such a combination?
However, these discussions gradually died down when Professor Hep personally debunked the rumors about the Elder Wand, disappointing many Slytherin students.
But once an idea takes root, it's hard to pretend it never happened.
In the past half-month, Slytherin House had been roiling with undercurrents, experiencing a profound ideological shift from top to bottom. Through this collective, comprehensive thinking, everyone developed their own inclinations.
Draco Malfoy watched with a cold eye as Theodore Nott was sidelined. He felt it necessary to have a serious talk with his father, and Christmas this year would be a good opportunity... The Malfoy family must control their own destiny, and if they couldn't, they should align with the side destined to win.
Besides, Muggle-borns weren't so detestable after all...
(End of Chapter)
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