Common Room

Anduin also cut a piece of lamb chop and ate it slowly, unhurriedly. In truth, he wasn't particularly hungry—he'd snacked quite a bit on the carriage. He noticed that Hogwarts' cooking was far superior to the outside world. Though it was just as greasy as most British food, at least the seasoning was decent.

Not long after the feast began, various ghosts made their appearances. Some descended from the ceiling, others emerged from the tables, startling the new students into repeated gasps.

Anduin, however, stared at the ghosts with bright eyes. This was the first time he'd seen the deceased appear before him. Out of curiosity, he reached out and swiped a hand through a ghost that passed by him. His hand passed straight through its body—no sensation at all.

"If only I could get a ghost to study, that would be something. These things are rare." Anduin's mind once again wandered into sinister territory. In a way, Anduin and Slytherin were quite a good match.

The new students around him were also getting to know each other while enjoying the food. But Anduin noticed that this was Slytherin, after all—the first thing out of their mouths was asking about family background and history. He even saw several new students discover, mid-conversation, that they were actually related to each other, and they started acknowledging their kinship. Many of the new students already knew one another, likely because, like Vivian, their families often visited each other.

As for Vivian, a few people recognized her too, probably having met her over the summer.

The wizarding world really was small. Watching the Slytherin new students around him all cozying up to acquaintances, Anduin felt like a translucent figure, unaffected, silently eating the lamb chop on his plate.

"Hey, friend. I'm Randall Rosier. Why are you eating all alone here? You look unfamiliar. I heard your name is Anduin Wilson. I've never heard of the surname Wilson before. Are you the heir of some foreign wizard family?" A boy suddenly sat down beside him, also a first year, with short light gold hair and a smiling face as he struck up a conversation.

'I'm the heir of a dragon, say that and I'd scare you to death,' Anduin silently mocked in his mind. He turned to glance at the boy and recognized him as the one who had been sitting next to Travers earlier. Anduin guessed this kid was probably sent by Sampur Travers to probe his background.

"No, I'm not the heir of any foreign wizard family. It's normal you haven't heard of it—because I'm a Muggle-born wizard. Is there a problem?" Anduin's tone was flat, betraying no emotion, and his eyes held no warmth as he looked at Randall.

Randall, originally wearing a cheerful expression, stiffened under Anduin's cold stare.

When the young wizards around heard that Anduin was a Muggle-born wizard, they all turned to look at him, then went back to whispering among their companions, sharing the news about Anduin.

It was rare for a Muggle-born wizard to be sorted into Slytherin. Some young wizards looked at Anduin with curiosity, while others' gazes were far less friendly.

Anduin found Travers and Rosier's behavior childish and couldn't care less about the strange looks from the other students. In his eyes, these new students were just a bunch of kids. He had no interest in blending into their family-oriented atmosphere. He just wanted to study and research in peace, preferably without any clueless people bothering him.

Still, Anduin had learned from Vivian earlier that Slytherin was partly made up of half-blood wizards from notable families and partly of pure-blood wizards. A Muggle-born like him dropping in here was bound to cause some trouble. So Anduin silently resolved that strength was the only way. He had to prioritize learning self-defense in a short time. After all, the wizarding world was still in turmoil, and it was likely that some young wizards who admired the Dark Lord would target him.

After Randall Rosier came over to gather information, he felt creeped out by Anduin's stare and went back to sit beside Travers. The two whispered to each other. After hearing what Randall had learned, Travers let out a cold smile.

He looked up at Anduin again, only to find Anduin staring back at him. That deep, still gaze made Travers feel a chill run through him. He let out a 'hmph' and stopped paying attention to Anduin.

The crowd gradually calmed down. After all, discussing someone's background wasn't something you'd do openly in a public setting. Prefect Vanessa also shot a warning look at the loudest gossips. Anduin gave Vanessa a slight smile in thanks, then enjoyed the quiet and went back to eating in silence.

Until he understood the situation, Anduin planned to keep a low profile and lie in wait.

Soon, the feast came to an end. Professor Dumbledore stepped up to the podium again and explained a few rules to all the students: no entering the Forbidden Forest, no approaching the school's borders, and that the current situation was sensitive, with many Aurors patrolling around Hogwarts.

"Now for my favorite part. Before we end the feast, let's all sing the school song!" Dumbledore waved his wand, and golden ribbons transformed into lyrics floating in the air.

All the teachers and students stood up and began singing the school song, each in their own tune. Anduin, caught in the middle, couldn't find the melody at all and just sang along blindly.

In Anduin's view, everyone singing their own tune was utterly ridiculous. All the teachers and students looked constipated as they sang, while only Dumbledore seemed completely enchanted. This gave Anduin a whole new perspective on the great wizard.

After everyone endured the school song, Professor McGonagall instructed the prefects to lead the students back to their dormitories.

The Slytherin Common Room and dormitories were located in the dungeons of Hogwarts Castle, beneath the Black Lake. The group left the Great Hall, twisted and turned through multiple staircases, and arrived at a stone wall.

"Ouroboros." Another fifth-year prefect from Slytherin spoke the password, and a stone door appeared in the wall, leading to the Common Room.

Entering the Slytherin Common Room, the first thing that caught the eye was a long, low dungeon corridor. Round, green-glowing lamps hung from chains on the ceiling.

At the end, seven steps down, was an open activity space. Carved chairs were placed there for students to rest, along with some skull decorations. Part of the dungeon extended beneath the lake, and through the ceiling and windows, one could see the lakebed scenery, giving the room a green tint. The walls and ceiling were made of rough stone, and a fire burned in a beautifully carved fireplace. Despite this, the Common Room still felt dark and cold.