At dinnertime, most of the students in the Great Hall still sat clearly divided at their own House tables.
But a small number had begun visiting other tables to eat with old friends or newly made ones.
Most of them were first-years. Although some older students had voiced objections, no one stopped them.
After all, even the professors had said nothing.
Professor Flitwick even happily greeted a student wearing Hufflepuff robes as he passed the Ravenclaw table.
Professor McGonagall beamed when she saw the first-year from Slytherin House who had caused such a stir sitting at the Gryffindor House table.
The Hufflepuff House students had no objections. They welcomed every friend who liked them and treated them kindly.
Only Professor Snape occasionally wore a cold sneer when he spotted Mr. Harry Potter eating at the Slytherin House table. Yet, surprisingly, he did not utter a word of reprimand.
"Luke? Luke!"
Hearing someone call him, Luke finally came back to himself and looked blankly at Hermione across from him.
Hermione looked at Luke's dazed face and shook her head helplessly. "What's wrong with you? You've been zoning out since the beginning."
"Nothing. I was just thinking about something."
Luke shook his head as he spoke.
He really had been thinking. As he looked at the newly appeared talent on the skill panel before him, he felt thoroughly confused.
[Talent: Emotional Control, Beginner]
Luke had always overlooked his ability to sense other people's emotions. To him, it was more like an instinct. He had always thought it was just a small perk brought about by having lived two lives and possessing a powerful soul.
But what he had seen while speaking with Quirrell—or rather, Voldemort—today clearly could not be explained by some minor perk.
Sure enough, when Luke opened the