"He did better than you did last year, Draco."
At the Slytherin table, a short-haired second-year witch smirked at the blond boy sitting across from her. Draco Malfoy's expression darkened immediately.
"He's nothing," Draco snapped. "Just a half-blood. Watch this year. I'm joining the team as Seeker and bringing the House Cup back to Slytherin."
Last year, the Bloody Baron had taken the seat beside him and scared him half to death. It had become an embarrassing memory he'd rather forget.
"You're really getting on the team?" someone asked, instantly intrigued.
Quidditch rarely failed to command attention.
"Of course," Draco said smugly. "I'm leagues better than Potter. He was just lucky."
What he didn't say was that his father had quietly sold off a great deal of property and bought the entire Slytherin team brand-new Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones.
As the feast drew to a close, Dumbledore returned with Snape and Professor McGonagall. Dumbledore offered a few reminders, led the school song, and formally ended the welcome banquet.
"First-years, follow me."
At once, the fifth-year prefects stood. The new students rose and followed their respective house leaders out of the Great Hall.
In the entrance hall, the houses split. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw headed up the marble staircase toward the upper floors. Hufflepuff and Slytherin descended underground, with Slytherin going deeper still.
"Of all the dormitories," the Slytherin prefect announced proudly, "ours is the finest. From the common room and bedrooms, you can see directly into the Black Lake and watch the magical creatures living there."
The cold stone corridors had made some of the first-years uneasy, but that promise immediately lifted their spirits. Many still remembered the giant squid from the lake crossing.
At the end of the passage, the prefect stopped before a bare stone wall.
"Pureblood."
The wall parted, revealing a vast chamber washed in green light. The Slytherin common room opened before them.
"The password changes every two weeks," the prefect said as they entered. "New ones will be posted on the notice board."
The students barely heard him.
Elegant furnishings filled the space, carved tables and chairs gleaming softly. Vast windows looked out into the lake itself, where dim shapes drifted past in the dark water. The dungeon gloom vanished entirely.
A massive medieval tapestry hung along one wall, depicting famous moments from Slytherin history. The figures moved and spoke, occasionally nodding or greeting onlookers.
"There!" someone gasped. "A mermaid just swam past!"
"You'll get used to it," the prefect said with a satisfied smile. "Boys' dormitories to the left, girls' to the right. Your names are on the doors."
Rowan didn't linger. He turned toward the boys' corridor and quickly found his room.
Four names were listed.
Balen Baranta. Avery Thorne. Caesar Burke. Rowan Mercer.
"Nothing notable," Rowan thought, unconcerned, and pushed the door open.
The dormitory mirrored the common room's design, with large glass panels revealing the lakebed beyond. On the bedside table nearest the door, Rowan spotted Peaches inside her cage, happily devouring a generous meal.
"So you were taken care of too," Rowan murmured.
"Grr-oo," Peaches replied cheerfully, then returned to eating.
Rowan unpacked efficiently, sat down on his bed, and opened a spellbook.
His drive to study wasn't just about survival or strength. He genuinely loved magic. To him, it wasn't power. It was possibility. Things he'd once believed only existed in stories now lay open before him, ready to be learned.
In his old life, nothing had ever held him like this.
If his body didn't require sleep, he could have studied endlessly.
Sometimes, he thought this life might be the one he'd always wanted. Not the endless routines, false smiles, and quiet exhaustion that had defined the last one.
Half an hour later, voices filled the room as his three roommates entered.
Their chatter stopped when they noticed Rowan and the massive owl beside him.
"That thing's huge," one muttered.
"Hey," the stockiest of the three said, squaring his shoulders. "You're Rowan, right?"
"Rowan or Mercer," Rowan replied without looking up.
The boys exchanged glances.
"I like your bed," the stocky one said. "Move your things to the one at the back."
Their fathers all worked at the Ministry. They'd known each other for years. Seeing that the last bed belonged to the half-blood who'd drawn attention at the feast, they'd decided to establish order early.
They didn't want the bed.
They wanted dominance.