The Great Hall was buzzing with noise.
Aside from the first years and the group that had gathered around Wade at the entrance earlier, almost all the students were now seated at their respective House tables.
Although Grindelwald's arrival at Hogwarts had left many students uneasy, that anxiety was gradually fading as they chatted among themselves.
The club members from other Houses greeted Wade before returning to their own tables, eagerly sharing what had just happened at the castle doors.
After all, only a small portion of students had been present at the entrance earlier—those who had entered the hall first still had no idea what had gone on.
As for Wade and the Slytherin members of the club, when they returned to the Slytherin table, they immediately noticed something off.
Compared to the harmonious atmosphere at the other tables, Slytherin students were clearly divided into two groups, sitting apart at opposite ends.
From a distance, the table looked like a serpent that had been cut clean in half.
Everyone glanced at the scene in silence before taking their seats on one side.
Not long after, Walburga and her small group of followers entered from outside.
Their expressions were far from pleasant—especially Walburga's, whose face was full of resentment when she caught sight of Wade and Alphard behind him.
Alphard shivered and instinctively stepped back.
It could be said that these past days had left him with a genuine psychological scar.
"Is she really your sister, Alphard? You sure you weren't adopted?" Tom couldn't help asking.
"No…" Alphard hid behind a tall upperclassman, using him as a shield from his sister's murderous glare, and only then let out a sigh of relief.
"Then your parents just let her treat you like that?" Tom asked again.
"They used to care a little, but… ever since my sister told them I was spending time with mud—ehm.. muggle-born classmates, they… they stopped interfering," Alphard said with a sob. "They think my sister's doing this to correct me…"
"Tch. Damn pure-blood traditions," Tom said angrily.
Although he was a half-blood, he was still counted among those whom the pure-bloods despised for their "Muggle" background.
Being looked down on by people far weaker than himself infuriated him.
"…I probably won't be able to go home again," Alphard said bitterly. "Once my sister writes to our parents tonight, they'll burn my name off the family tree with a candle…"
"What's there to be afraid of? If they throw you out, you can come live at my place!" Henry said generously. "My parents might've joined that man's camp, but at least they're not as rigid as yours!"
Henry knew his parents well—they were the kind who bent whichever way the wind blew, flexible to the core, unlike the stubborn and conservative Blacks.
As long as Henry spoke up, his parents probably wouldn't object. After all, Alphard was still a pure-blood—an exceptionally pure one at that.
"Thank you, Henry… but… that would just trouble you and your family," Alphard said hesitantly.
"Don't say that between friends!" Henry waved his hand dismissively.
Alphard's eyes grew wet again.
In the Black family, having one's name burned off the family tree meant being cast out completely.
That would leave him homeless.
With no money, he wouldn't even be able to afford food, let alone continue studying.
And yet, Henry was willing to take him in…
"Better not… I could stay with one of my distant relatives. I remember… I think I have a Squib cousin somewhere, and—"
"You said it yourself—distant relative. They might not even want you there. If you're going to trouble someone, you might as well trouble me. At least I won't think of it as trouble," Henry said, frowning.
"But… I…" Alphard still hesitated.
Wade said, "If you don't want to inconvenience anyone, Tom and I can help. We'll find you a place to stay. You won't have to worry about the expenses."
"I know you and Tom aren't short on money, but I…"
Tom said, "If it makes you uncomfortable, then just think of it as a loan from me. You can pay me back after you graduate and start earning."
"Sigh…" Alphard let out a long breath. He was truly grateful that his friends were willing to help him.
But… he really didn't want his friends to spend their money or effort on him. If they did, he wouldn't even know how to face them afterward.
He couldn't accept the thought of his friends becoming his creditors—even if they themselves didn't see it that way.
It was a strange feeling, or rather, a fragile kind of pride.
Wade looked at him deeply, and with a small use of Legilimency, he understood what Alphard was thinking.
"Do you still want to go back? Back to that home?" Wade asked carefully.
"Home? That's not my home anymore, Wade…" Alphard said sorrowfully. "Honestly, ever since I was a child, I've always felt out of place there. My sister…"
"In that case, stop calling that woman your sister. You should be calling her the defendant," Wade said seriously.
"Huh? The… defendant?"
"You've been hit with multiple jinxes, some of which qualify as Dark Magic. That already counts as a violation of the Ministry's assault regulations," Wade said sternly.
The crime of intentional injury didn't exist only in the Muggle world—it existed in the wizarding world too.
"My sister… I mean, Walburga—what she did to me counts as intentional injury?" Alphard asked in surprise. He had never thought about it that way before.
"What else would it be? If that doesn't count as intentional injury, then wizards could just go around hexing people without consequence. If that were the case, Grindelwald wouldn't have to go through the trouble of staging public trials," Wade said.
He reached into his pocket—expanded with an Undetectable Extension Charm—and pulled out a thick, Ministry-issued Complete Compendium of Wizarding Law, placing it on the table and sliding it toward Alphard.
"You actually read things like this? How can you even get through it? Don't tell me… you've memorized the whole thing?" Tom stared at the enormous tome in disbelief. A book that dry—he wouldn't even make it through a single page.
Wade gave him a sidelong glance. "I flipped through it casually when I had free time, and it just stuck. Is that so hard?"
"How is that not hard?" Tom was dumbfounded.
And seriously… who in their right mind read that kind of book for fun—and memorized it?!
"When you need knowledge and don't have it, that's when you regret not reading, Tom… Enough interruptions!"
Turning back to Alphard, Wade continued, "So, if you don't want to accept our help, then I suggest you turn them all into defendants. As long as you win the case in the Wizengamot, Walburga and those pure-bloods who took part in abusing you will have to pay you compensation."
"And even if your parents expel you from the Black family, under the Ministry's Underage Wizard Protection Act, they're still legally required to pay you a monthly allowance. That way, all your future expenses will come from what's rightfully yours, and no one will be anyone's creditor."
"Huh? Wait… you still get money even after being kicked out of the family? How come I've never heard of that before?" Alphard was completely stunned.
"Actually, compared to the Muggle government, the Ministry of Magic may seem a bit rough around the edges, but these laws have always existed! It's just that… very few wizards ever bother to learn about them," Wade said, rubbing his thumb and middle finger together.
"You're an underage wizard—if you're expelled from your home, you have the right to demand compensation and child support from your parents."
Everyone at the long table glanced at the thick legal tome and couldn't help swallowing hard.
Suddenly, it felt completely understandable why no one ever paid attention to this kind of knowledge.
"Is… is that really allowed?" Alphard's voice trembled slightly.
Wade shook his head. "It's your choice whether to do it or not. But what I want to say is—the Wizengamot court has always been there."
Tom patted Alphard on the shoulder. "Let's wait and see for now. Maybe your parents won't actually throw you out. But… I still have to remind you, if they really do burn your name off the family tree, that means they no longer consider you family."
"And if they don't see you as family, then you don't owe them any kindness. You've been bullied and humiliated at home for years—don't tell me you don't feel even a spark of anger? Are you really willing to be tossed aside like garbage? You're a person, Alphard, not some pet cat or dog!"
Alphard's eyes turned red again. "You're right… I'm not a cat or a dog… how could they treat me like that? If they don't see me as family anymore, then… I'll do it!"
"You won't wait a little longer?" Wade asked.
"I know my parents well, Wade… If they hear about what happened today, my name will definitely be burned off the family tree! When it comes to siding with Walburga, they've never disappointed me… So there's no need to wait," Alphard said, his tone growing firmer.
Wade nodded. "I'll help you."
In the original timeline, Alphard Black was indeed expelled from his family, and his name was burned away.
Years later, when Sirius suffered the same fate, the still-living Alphard had given him considerable help.
No doubt, when Alphard saw Sirius back then, he must have remembered his own past…
Wade gently ran his hand over Nagini's cool scales, a thoughtful glint flashing in his eyes.
Tom, ever perceptive, noticed it immediately. Whenever Wade had that look, it meant he was brewing some grand plan.
"Wade? What are you thinking about?" Tom couldn't help asking.
"What happened to Alphard might not be an isolated case… even among non–pure-blood families," Wade said. "Maybe we can make this into something bigger—and at the same time… give our club a little publicity."
"Publicity for the Student Mutual Aid Social Hub?" Tom frowned. "Is that really necessary?"
Wade smiled gently. "Tom… you don't actually think the Mutual Aid Society I founded is limited to Hogwarts, do you?"
Tom suddenly understood.
Sorry—you looked so righteous just now, I almost forgot you're a Dark Lord in the making.
After all, the great future Dark Lord Wade would never abandon his foundation right after graduation.
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