The Slytherin common room was quiet once more.
But this time—
It wasn't silence.
It was anticipation.
I stood before them, my inner circle gathered as always:
Abraxas Malfoy,Avery,Lestrange,Rosier,Mulciber,and Nott.
They watched me closely.
Waiting.
Good.
"I've made a decision," I said calmly.
Abraxas tilted his head slightly. "That sounds dangerous."
"It is."
A faint smile crossed my lips.
"We expand."
That caught their full attention.
"Not just within Slytherin," I continued, pacing slowly.
"Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff."
A pause.
"And selectively… Gryffindor."
The reaction was immediate.
"Gryffindor?" Lestrange scoffed. "They're loyal to Albus Dumbledore."
"They're loyal to ideals," I corrected smoothly.
"Which can be… redirected."
Silence followed.
Not disagreement.
Consideration.
"They value bravery," I continued. "Convince them they're fighting for something greater—and they'll follow."
Avery frowned. "That sounds… risky."
"It is," I said simply.
"Which is why they are not our foundation."
I stopped pacing, turning back to them.
"Slytherin remains our core."
Their posture straightened slightly.
Pride.
"Ravenclaw provides intellect."
Rosier nodded slowly.
"Hufflepuff provides loyalty."
Mulciber raised an eyebrow. "Hufflepuff?"
"Yes."
I met his gaze evenly.
"They are underestimated. Which makes them… valuable."
A faint pause.
"And Gryffindor?"
A small smile formed.
"They are weapons."
At that moment—
A familiar sound echoed in my mind.
Quest Issued:Recruit members from different houses.Rewards scale based on percentage recruited.
The details unfolded instantly:
Gryffindor — 1%Reward: Random Magic Spell
Slytherin — 60%Reward: Heart of Dark Magic
Ravenclaw — 15%Reward: Increased Intelligence
Hufflepuff — 3%Reward: Mastery of Food Magic
I went still for just a moment.
"…Interesting."
The Heart of Dark Magic alone was worth the effort.
Increased spell efficiency. Greater power. Easier creation of original dark spells.
But the others…
Intelligence.
Utility.
Versatility.
"This changes things."
I looked back at my group, my mind already recalculating everything.
"Our recruitment efforts will intensify."
Abraxas smirked slightly. "Ambitious."
"Necessary."
I stepped closer.
"Focus on Ravenclaw."
Avery nodded immediately.
"They respect intelligence. Skill. Innovation. Appeal to that."
Then—
"Hufflepuff."
Mulciber looked unconvinced.
"They value trust," I continued. "Give them purpose… and they will remain loyal."
A pause.
"And Gryffindor…"
My gaze sharpened slightly.
"We proceed carefully."
Because that house—
Was the most dangerous.
Not weak.
Not foolish.
But predictable in the worst way.
They opposed what they didn't understand.
And they followed Dumbledore.
Two names surfaced again in my thoughts.
Alastor Moody.
And—
Filius Flitwick.
"Key pieces."
Moody would not be easy.
Flitwick would not be careless.
But if I could bring them into my fold…
The future would shift dramatically.
I looked back at my followers.
My foundation.
"This is not a club," I said quietly.
"This is not a gathering."
A pause.
"This is the beginning of something far greater."
Silence.
Heavy.
Electric.
They felt it.
The scale.
The ambition.
The inevitability.
I turned slightly, my thoughts already moving ahead, calculating numbers, influence, strategies.
Recruitment was no longer optional.
It was a system.
A structure.
A path to power.
And I would optimize it.
Perfect it.
Exploit it.
Because this time—
I wasn't just building followers.
I was building a network.
A hidden force spread across Hogwarts itself.
And by the time we graduated…
There would be no stopping it.