"Rowan! Long time no see!"
Rowan had barely stepped into the Entrance Hall when a familiar voice rang out from above. He looked up to see Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley coming down the marble staircase together.
"Morning, Harry. Hermione," Rowan said, then glanced at the red-haired boy. "And you are?"
"I'm Ron," Ron said quickly, eyes bright. "Harry told me you helped him get out of Knockturn Alley. That's brilliant!"
Knockturn Alley had a reputation. Ron's twin brothers dreamed of sneaking in someday.
"Please," Hermione cut in dryly. "You two flew a magically modified car from London to Hogwarts, made the Daily Prophet, and smashed into the Whomping Willow."
Ron winced. "Can you stop lecturing us for five minutes? We didn't want that either."
Harry smoothly stepped between them before the argument escalated. "We missed the Sorting last night. Which house did you get?"
"Slytherin."
Rowan took out the green-and-silver badge he'd been given and fastened it to his robe.
Harry's smile faltered. "That's… a shame. Gryffindor would've been better."
Rowan understood the hesitation. Malfoy. Snape. Slytherin didn't have a great reputation from Harry's perspective.
"Every house has its merits," Rowan said easily. "I'm happy as long as I'm studying at Hogwarts."
"Good morning, Rowan!"
This time it was Ginny Weasley, Colin Creevey, and Luna Lovegood hurrying down the stairs.
"You know each other?" Harry and Ron asked at the same time.
"We shared a compartment on the train," Ginny said softly. Her posture straightened the moment she noticed Harry. "Rowan looked after us."
"Thanks for that," Ron said sincerely. Any lingering discomfort about Slytherin vanished at once.
"Um," Colin said, stepping forward nervously and holding out his camera, "could you help me take a picture with Harry? My dad delivers milk. He won't believe I met him otherwise."
Ron sighed but took the camera. He remembered being just as starstruck once.
Afterward, the group chatted their way into the Great Hall. Breakfast was already underway. The four long tables were piled with food. Pumpkin porridge, eggs, bread, cured fish, meat.
As usual, houses kept to themselves.
Rowan headed for the Slytherin table. Luna drifted toward Ravenclaw. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Colin joined Gryffindor.
Rowan had barely sat down when a familiar blond voice spoke up.
"So," Draco Malfoy drawled, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, "you know Potter?"
"Friends, more or less," Rowan replied casually, ladling pumpkin porridge into a bowl.
Malfoy's expression hardened. "Slytherin and Gryffindor are enemies. Always have been. Stay away from them, unless you want me to teach you how a Slytherin behaves."
Rowan didn't even look up.
"Who I associate with isn't your concern," he said calmly. "Besides, wasn't the top student last year Hermione Granger from Gryffindor? And didn't Slytherin lose the House Cup after holding it for six years straight?"
He raised his voice slightly at the end.
"By that standard," Rowan added, "you're all pretty useless."
The surrounding tables went quiet.
Malfoy slammed his hand down, bread tumbling over. "What did you say? You half-blood think you can insult me?"
Rowan set his spoon down and met Malfoy's glare. "If I recall correctly, our Head of House is a half-blood. Are you insulting Professor Snape?"
Malfoy stiffened. "That's different. I meant you."
Before Rowan could reply, a second-year girl stepped in. "Careful, first-year. Slytherin values strength, not sharp tongues."
Rowan rose smoothly to his feet.
"You're absolutely right," he said, voice carrying across the table. "Which is why I'm not singling him out."
He swept his gaze over the older students.
"I'm saying the entire second year is useless."
The hall froze.
"If you weren't," Rowan continued evenly, "you wouldn't have let six years of dominance end on your watch. I'll say this once. As long as I'm here, Slytherin won't settle for second place. I'll take the House Cup back from Gryffindor."
He paused, then added, "But competition doesn't mean hatred. I won't shun friends just because they wear different colors. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff. I'll compete fairly, win openly, and bring honor to Slytherin the right way."
Silence followed.
Then murmurs.