Tom sat in his exclusive seat, idly stroking the smooth neck of Usagi, while the line of trembling new students stood before him in two neat rows.
Originally, Tom had wanted Astoria to return and rest, but the little witch obediently chose to stand among her classmates. He couldn't bring himself to say anything against it.
Suddenly, Tom's hand froze. Usagi tilted its head curiously at its master, puzzled why he had stopped moving.
Tom just felt… something about this whole scene seemed wrong.
Why did this look more and more like Voldemort holding a Death Eater meeting?
No, not quite. At least Voldemort's Death Eaters got to sit down. Here, every single one of these new Slytherins had to stand like trembling lackeys.
Quickly tossing away that wicked thought, Tom straightened and continued explaining Slytherin's rules to the newcomers—chief among them the Invisible Prefect system, along with the privileges it entailed.
The privileges weren't many, but the most important was status. That alone made several first-years' eyes gleam with desire, as if this position had been created just for them.
This year, however, Tom unveiled a brand new benefit—or one might call it a salary:
"Every month, each Invisible Prefect will receive three 'anonymous' assignments, in any subject."
He let the words sink in.
"Of course, this benefit can also be used for trade. How you use it is entirely up to you."
The room stirred immediately. Even the upper years' expressions shifted.
Three assignments! Even skipping one was enough to make a student's heart sing. Three entire assignments could clear an entire weekend, giving them two days of pure freedom.
And where did these mysterious anonymous assignments come from?
Well, they owed thanks to the ordinary students—those who offered their homework as support for the Invisible Prefects' work.
Tom waved his hand, and the senior students ushered the first-years aside. Chairs and tables obediently flew to the walls in neat order. Then he cast an Undetectable Extension Charm, instantly doubling the size of the common room.
Hogwarts Castle, after all, was one of the most powerful magical artifacts in Britain. Changing its inner structure was no easy feat. Last year Tom couldn't even attempt it. This year, he could barely manage, though the effect would only last a day before the castle restored itself.
"The first-years may just watch for now," Tom announced. "From second-year onwards, the former Invisible Prefects must step forward and accept challenges."
Zabini and Daphne stepped out at once. Tom rarely managed the day-to-day affairs himself; Zabini was the one who bore most responsibilities, so naturally he would be the one to face challenges.
The girls' line all shuffled back a step. Among the boys, however—
"I want to challenge!"
Draco Malfoy swaggered forward, nostrils high, walking as if he owed the world nothing.
"Blaise, you spend all your time hugging cauldrons. Let me help Tom share the burdens instead."
Malfoy had finally realized that proximity to power makes you part of power. Everyone treated Zabini with three parts respect—why shouldn't it be him instead?
Zabini hadn't expected anyone to actually challenge him, let alone Malfoy, the boy he disliked most. His fury rose like wildfire.
No words were wasted. They went through the formal motions perfunctorily, then wands were raised.
"Ex—"
"Stupefy!"
BANG!
A streak of red light struck Malfoy squarely. He collapsed instantly, fast asleep, snoring as his head smacked the floor hard enough to raise a lump. He didn't stir. Youthful sleep was simply too deep.
"Anyone else?!"
Zabini roared, chest swelling with pride. His Stunning Spell was the special version Tom had taught him, faster to cast and quicker to fire than the ordinary kind. Against peers, it was pure one-sided slaughter.
The room went quiet. No one dared step forward. Only after a long pause did Tom signal Zabini to step back and let the third-years proceed.
Slytherins were mostly pure-bloods. With access to summer training, guidance from family, and resources at hand, any student with ambition for the Invisible Prefect position would have trained relentlessly over the break. Parents, seeing their children motivated, would pour in every effort to help.
Thus, after just one holiday, everyone's level had improved significantly. Several positions shifted hands.
Even a sixth-year male prefect was defeated—by Rosier. The boy's face was as dark as soot afterward.
Rozier, victorious, turned and gave Tom a flattering smile. Tom only felt bemused. Something about both Roziers had seemed strange recently, though he couldn't put a finger on it.
Still, when it came to overall Slytherin ability, Tom was satisfied. Test scores aside, in actual combat no other house could match them.
And that was enough. If a real fight broke out, what mattered was spells and fists, not waving a parchment of grades in your enemy's face.
Finally, it was the first-years' turn. Most of them couldn't even cast proper spells yet, so the duels devolved into clumsy fistfights. The older students laughed until their sides hurt.
They had all been through this stage once, but now that they had grown, mocking their juniors felt perfectly natural.
The first-years flushed crimson, each swearing silently to master combat magic as soon as possible.
Astoria did not participate in the contest. One of her roommates had secured the female prefect position, and with Daphne's guidance, Astoria would never be wronged.
It was late by the time things concluded. Tom dismissed everyone with a wave and retreated to his own dormitory.
After washing up, he lay on his bed and slipped into the learning space.
The summer had been consumed by trials and alchemy, leaving his regular magical studies lagging behind. With the new term beginning, it was time to refocus. Practical strength was the foundation of everything.
"Tom, you don't need to learn new spells right now," Grindelwald's voice drifted through, considering Tom's habits. "What you should do is analyze the variations of existing spells, study the essence of magic itself."