[Chapter Size: 1900 Words.]
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Gemma walked ahead of Amanda and led her to the door of the girls' dormitory.
"I don't know what to say, but you really are… I mean, you're incredible to me."
"In every way," Gemma added.
The two crossed a winding, classical stone bridge. Branches extended on both sides, leading to different dormitories. In front of each door stood a black plaque bearing the dorm number and the resident's name.
"If I remember correctly, the first-year dorms should be around here."
"By the way, since Slytherin has the fewest students, all our dormitories are doubles, but…"
Gemma's expression grew slightly awkward.
Amanda guessed from her look. "Am I sharing with Pansy?"
Gemma hesitated. "That's right."
But she quickly added, "There are still many empty Slytherin dorms. If necessary, I can help you request a transfer."
"No, I think I can manage."
Amanda shrugged. After passing dozens of intersections, they reached Dormitory 221.
"Huh?"
Gemma gasped in surprise.
There was only one name written on the plaque.
Below the dorm number, it read Amanda Merlin, and behind it, something had been scribbled in black.
Gemma stepped closer, studying it for a moment before concluding:
"It looks like someone used ink or something to obscure it… how stubborn."
It was obvious that Pansy, who had returned first, hadn't wanted to share the room with Amanda. No one knew where she had gone.
Amanda spread her hands.
"Honestly, I don't mind… If that's the case, living alone sounds fine."
She waved goodbye to Gemma, who hurried down the corridor.
"Though I'd really like to go back to the dorm and sleep, as a prefect I need to find out where Pansy has gone first."
"Good luck."
Amanda pushed the silver, snake-shaped handle.
To her surprise, the Slytherin dormitory was remarkably simple.
The rough gray stone walls remained unpolished, retaining their natural texture. At the center was a cold, black fireplace. On the opposite side, two enormous windows overlooked the depths of the Black Lake, just like in the common room.
Two carved wooden canopy beds stood against the far wall, their green silk curtains embroidered with silver thread and the Slytherin crest. They were the only furnishings that seemed luxurious.
The atmosphere was no less gloomy than the common room's. A chill ran down her spine the moment she stepped in.
Compared with the so-called "dungeon" of the common room, which was at least grand, this place felt far closer to an actual dungeon.
But that wasn't the worst of it.
For the first thing Amanda saw was chaos, her belongings scattered and ruined.
Her trunk, once neatly placed by the bed, had been violently ripped open. Nothing inside was spared.
Fresh parchment was crumpled into balls, several quills were snapped and shredded, her clothes torn to pieces, and her textbooks ripped apart, their pages strewn across the floor, along with everything else she owned.
There was no doubt this was Pansy's work.
Amanda frowned and raised her wand. "Reparo."
At once, every fragment of her belongings soared into the air, whirling around her. Pieces straightened and reassembled before flying neatly back into the open trunk.
If Harry had been there to witness it, he would have been stunned once again.
Amanda sighed.
She truly couldn't understand why Pansy was so hostile.
Was it because of Draco?
But she and Draco were just friends, surely it wouldn't justify this.
Not understanding only made her feel detached from Pansy's baseless jealousy.
After all, this kind of behavior was nothing but childish and petty, wasn't it?
Still, since Pansy had dared, she would face the consequences.
Amanda lit the fireplace, and warmth gradually replaced the cold of the room.
By its glow, she sat down and wrote a letter:
Dear Headmaster Ossena,
I have arrived safely at Hogwarts and completed my enrollment. All is well. Please let Sister Karina know I am fine.
With love,
Amanda Merlin
She folded the letter, set it aside, and planned to hand it to Bertha in the morning.
Exhaustion washed over her. The journey and her speech earlier had drained her. She needed rest.
Though the dorm was austere, the bedding was comfortable. The moment her head touched the pillow, she fell into a deep sleep.
…
The next morning, Amanda entered the Great Hall carrying her Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, with the letter tucked inside.
Harry and Draco were already seated at the Slytherin table.
Draco was absorbed in the latest issue of the Daily Prophet, while Harry focused on his breakfast, occasionally glancing at Draco's paper.
Their unlikely pairing had already stirred whispers across the hall. Curious and suspicious glances followed Harry.
At the sight of Amanda, many students immediately cast wary, fearful looks her way, whispering among themselves.
Snippets of their words reached her ears.
"She already showed such powerful magic right after arriving. She must be the next Dark Lord…"
"The darkest time in the wizarding world is coming. I need to warn my cousins to prepare and hide…"
It seemed word of what had happened in the Slytherin common room yesterday had already spread.
Some voices, though hesitant, tried to defend her.
"Don't be so harsh… I heard she gave a speech to Slytherin yesterday. Sounded like she was telling them to stop following the Dark Lord or something…"
"Don't forget she already has Slytherins following her. Just that alone means she must be…"
"How can you be sure?"
Amanda stopped, leaning forward with a sincere expression.
The two boys speaking paled instantly and backed away.
She recognized them, Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, the first-years who had just arrived yesterday.
She wasn't surprised. After all, she couldn't cover their mouth herself.
Their fear of her wasn't entirely a bad thing.
As for the rest, she would prove her worth through her actions.
…
Harry had already noticed Amanda and waved to her. "Amanda, over here!"
Amanda walked over and pulled up a stool.
She glanced down the long table but still didn't see Pansy.
"Before we head to class, there's something else I want to discuss with you."
Draco set down the Quidditch article he had been reading.
"Oh, do tell. I would be delighted to serve the dear Miss Merlin."
He gave a mocking smile, but Amanda could tell he was in a good mood.
"How about we form a study group?"
The moment Amanda said this, Harry gaped in surprise and quickly stuffed another bite of turkey sandwich into his mouth.
"What do you mean? We're already sort of a study group, right?"
"How about calling it a Learning Skills Alliance?"
Amanda stirred her porridge.
"And we can involve more people."
"Fine by me, as long as we gain something useful. Slytherins never shy away from shortcuts."
Draco shook his head.
He wasn't wrong. Without shortcuts, Slytherins wouldn't be so adept at the Dark Arts.
Harry nodded as well. "No objections here."
With both of them hooked, Amanda quickly laid out her plan.
"I've already decided on our roles. From now on, I'm in charge of the library, Draco is in charge of the professors, and Harry will handle the upper-years."
She read faster and more efficiently than most, so by combing through Hogwarts' library she could summarize information quickly and clearly.
Of course, it would be even better if Harry had the Invisibility Cloak, which would be perfect for slipping into the Restricted Section.
Unfortunately, Dumbledore wouldn't give Harry that cloak until Christmas, three months from now.
Speaking of Dumbledore, the headmaster sneezed in his office.
He blamed the honey-butter pudding he was stirring.
"Today's dessert is so sweet it tickles my nose…"
…
"I'm efficient at reading and can catalog books better, extracting the most useful content."
"Draco will focus on building good relationships with the professors and finding opportunities to seek their advice. I believe most of them won't refuse."
There was another reason Amanda didn't voice.
And, of course, the hardest professor to deal with, Snape,bwas Draco's godfather.
Draco nodded and added, "I can also write to my father and ask him to consult academic masters I'm well connected with."
"Thank you, Draco."
"What about me?"
Harry looked up from his mashed potatoes and muttered, "But I don't know anyone…"
"Harry, you're famous. Everyone knows you. You just need to make sure they don't think you mean them any harm."
Amanda looked into his innocent green eyes and flushed cheeks.
Harry was so cute, so approachable. She could easily imagine older students feeling a surge of warmth just by looking at him.
"Trust me, you'll definitely win their favor, and then you can seize the chance to learn from their strengths."
"Well… I hope so."
Harry agreed reluctantly.
"Every evening after class, we'll report our progress in the Slytherin common room. We can also arrange occasional duels or experimental practice."
Draco cut in. "That's probably not possible. Hogwarts forbids unsupervised dueling."
"Of course… That's why we need a secret base. Trust me, I'll take care of the location."
The Room of Requirement was perfect for this, as it would provide everything they needed. She would just have to check it out first.
"Should we have a badge or something, like prefects?" Harry asked.
"I can order some. My father knows a custom craftsman," Draco offered.
By the time they had nearly finished discussing the Learning Alliance, they were on their way to Transfiguration, carrying their books.
There were 140 staircases at Hogwarts, but Transfiguration wasn't hard to find. After leaving the corridor and climbing a rickety staircase, the classroom lay to the left.
As the staircase swung to the other side, Amanda suddenly asked, "Are all Slytherin dorms that gloomy?"
Draco scoffed. "Our room is cold and bare too. I bet the Weasleys' shabby house is more comfortable."
"I think it's fine. Much better than the cupboard I used to live in at the Dursleys'," Harry cut in.
Draco rolled his eyes.
"But there is a solution. My father told me the Slytherin dorms were converted from medieval dungeons. If you want them comfortable, each year has to renovate their own."
Amanda nodded. It sounded like refurbishing the dorm would be a major project. "All right."
She then told Draco and Harry about what she'd found Pansy doing yesterday, hinting at the reason Pansy had targeted her. "Draco, it seems Pansy has some feelings for you, so…"
They stepped into the Transfiguration classroom, lined with massive cages. On the podium stood a dark mahogany desk with a blackboard on each side.
Arriving early, they found seats near the back.
Harry was already indignant, glaring toward Professor McGonagall's desk and whispering, "Who cares if she likes? How could she… that's going too far!"
Amanda curled her lips. "Fortunately, it wasn't much of a loss."
"I know Pansy cares about me…" Draco began, when the door burst open.
Pansy stormed in, her eyes immediately locking on the trio seated together.
She froze, then shot Amanda a look full of venom.
"Amanda, I hope you enjoyed the gift I left you yesterday." She smirked.
"You mean destroying all my belongings and then running to Gemma for cover?"
Amanda lifted her gaze and calmly exposed her actions.
Pansy's eyes flicked to Amanda's desk, where something was tucked inside her textbook.
In a flash, she darted over, snatched Amanda's Transfiguration book, shook it open, and pulled out the letter, unfolding it to read aloud.
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