Chapter 539: Undercurrents in the Slytherin Common Room
In the Slytherin common room, a student was enthusiastically delivering a speech.
"Look at that circular area, the familiar star patterns; it's just like the dueling stage at the International Wizarding Dueling Championship!" exclaimed Randolph, brimming with excitement.
Heads turned in the room, all eyes converging on him. Silence fell, except for the gentle lapping of the emerald green lake against the basement windows.
The Greengrass sisters, Astoria and Daphne, put down their quills. Astoria blinked twice, seemingly amused by something. She swiftly shoved her parchment, ink bottle, and thick reference books towards her sister, leaning on the table with one hand, craning her neck to see what was happening. This action irritated her sister, Daphne, greatly.
"Astoria, you little nuisance..." Astoria made a face, causing a chuckle from Draco Malfoy, lazily reclining on a sofa chair. Pansy occupied the seat beside him, toying with a butterfly bow, adorned with silver-threaded emerald.
A little further away, Crabbe and Goyle were enjoying chocolate cake, and cake crumbs sprayed onto Millicent Bulstrode's cat, eliciting distressed mewls as it arched its back, freeing itself from its owner's sturdy arms and leaping toward a first-year witch. "Go away, silly thing," she said, eyes fixed on Randolph's face.
Randolph wasn't nervous due to the scrutiny; in fact, his voice unnaturally rose. He waved a newspaper emphatically, almost hitting a nearby student's eye, oblivious to it, fully engrossed in what he was about to say.
"This means... all my previous speculations were right! Professor Haipu has finally stopped hiding his true abilities!" he said in a low voice, tinged with evident excitement and certainty.
"Has he been hiding them?" murmured the student who narrowly escaped being hit.
"Oh, I mean, if I had that kind of power, I'd want everyone in the world to know," Randolph said with a somewhat theatrical air. "You didn't see, a while back, there were people in the newspapers slandering the professor, saying he only took down a few drunks...""I'm not quite sure; I didn't attend the Quidditch World Cup finals," the boy said.
"I did!" Randolph exclaimed excitedly. "The professor was incredible! Spells flew at him left and right, and mysteriously stopped halfway." He gestured wildly, stopping abruptly. "Unfortunately, it was chaotic, didn't get many photos."
"I know the professor is strong, but taking down a hundred people? Seems unlikely," his friend said skeptically.
"Why not?" Randolph said gravely. "The professor rescued Potter and the others from the mysterious person's clutches, and I heard a Death Eater died!"
"Randolph!" a student stood up, his expression as dark as his companion leaning against the rough stone wall. Theodore said coldly, "Mind your words."
The first-year witch widened her eyes, stifling her excited voice, took out a small green notebook from her pocket, pushed aside the fat cat obstructing her, and flipped to the page labeled 'Theodore,' eagerly watching the argument in the common room.
"Mafalda! How dare you push my cat?" Millicent glared fiercely.
"Don't fuss," Mafalda casually waved her hand, "or I'll weave you into a story..." It seemed like a dreadful threat; Millicent glanced at her and promptly retrieved her cat.
Elsewhere—
"Did I say something wrong?" Randolph shouted at Theodore. "What exactly did I say that's problematic?"
Theodore flushed red, trying hard to display disdain and anger. "I asked you to be cautious with your words, not to boldly discuss those great—"
"Great? Whom are you referring to?" Randolph rudely interrupted him. "If I understand correctly, you're speaking for the mysterious person?"
Theodore glared angrily at Randolph, but what made him more uneasy was that no one in the common room stood up for him. The green light from the hanging lamp cast a chill on his face, sending shivers down his spine.
"I-I didn't mean... I just think we shouldn't..." he stammered.
"Then keep quiet. Don't always bring up your pure-blood theories," Randolph said sharply. "Otherwise, I might think someone in your family supports the Death Eaters!" He sat down triumphantly.
The Slytherin common room fell into an eerie silence, except for Mafalda excitedly scribbling in her green notebook... Theodore, in the past month, propagating the mysterious person's ideology... seemed to be influenced by Death Eaters...
The younger students sat uneasily, quiet as quails; the older ones felt uncomfortable. Somewhere along the line, the atmosphere in Slytherin House seemed to have shifted.
Despite the reputation, Voldemort was once a flag bearer for Slytherin, preceded by Phineas Black. But both these banners fell, until Felix Haipu emerged. Their sentiments toward this professor were complex—rumored to have suffered unfair treatment during his student years, leaving him distant from the House. Initially inconsequential, his influence grew, overshadowing everything and finally reaching a point no one could ignore.
Compared to his astounding achievements, the other discomforts among Slytherin students seemed trivial.
Such as the long-criticized pro-Muggle leanings, entirely overlooked in the rapid rise of 'Future World' Company, expected to rival Gringotts in a little over a year. There were even murmurs: Professor Haipu had a unique vision, not just accumulating vast wealth but also cloaking himself in a 'pro-Muggle' guise...
As for the truth, few cared anymore.
When people spoke of Slytherin House, apart from legendary figures like Salazar Slytherin, Merlin, and the few living wizards, besides the unmentionable person, the first name that came to mind wasn't Headmaster Snape; it was Felix Haipu.
This change happened quietly, imperceptible to outsiders, yet wielded immense power.
Evidence? When news of the mysterious person's return surfaced, a small group planned to advocate extreme pure-blood ideologies in Slytherin House—similar to what their parents did in the last war—only to find surprisingly little response, hardly stirring any controversy.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
It was as though that rhetoric had lost its market value.
But the sole reason? Felix Haipu, now associated with Slytherin, was against pure-blood ideologies!
Though he did nothing to favor Slytherin students and hadn't shown any special treatment, his mere presence had an impact on many.
It was a third-year Slytherin girl, Astoria Greengrass, who truly made them realize this. She casually remarked, "Professor Haipu is definitely going to be the future headmaster, and being a Slytherin, that's enough."
This remark sparked discussions throughout Slytherin House. After much deliberation, they concluded: it was a profound truth.
If Professor Haipu desired, there was nothing standing in his way.
Well... perhaps the only obstacle was the current Hogwarts headmaster, Dumbledore. Hence, after the rumors of the Elder Wand surfaced, many fantasized about a duel between Haipu and Dumbledore.
A wand, undefeated in battle,
in the hands of Felix Haipu, possessing vast ancient magic—how much power could it unleash? It was a terrifying answer for anyone seriously contemplating the question, even for the era's acknowledged greatest white wizard... Could anyone counter this combination?
However, this talk gradually subsided as Professor Haipu personally debunked the Elder Wand's authenticity, leaving many Slytherin students disillusioned.
But some ideas, once conceived, were hard to dismiss.
In the past half-month, Slytherin House had undergone a tumultuous period of intellectual contemplation and baptism, from top to bottom. And it was during this collective, all-encompassing reflection that each person, to a greater or lesser extent, formed their own inclinations.
Draco Malfoy observed Theodore Nott's cold treatment with a discerning eye. He felt it necessary to have a serious conversation with his father, and this Christmas was a good opportunity... The Malfoy family must control their fate; if not, they would have to align themselves with the destined victors.
Moreover, Muggle-borns weren't all that detestable, after all...
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