Quarrel

"I am your prefect, Vanessa Greengrass. The password for the Common Room changes every two weeks. The current password is 'Ouroboros.' The new password will be posted on the notice board." Vanessa, seeing that all the students had entered, explained the rules of Slytherin to the new students.

At the same time, she stood on the steps leading to the Common Room, looking at all the underage wizards from every year.

"At Hogwarts, we are Slytherin. We do not reject ambition, but we must always remain calm, graceful, and uphold honor. I hope you will all defend the honor of Slytherin. Our house hasn't won the House Cup in years. I hope you won't spend your days just bickering with those Gryffindors. Focus more on your studies and the honor of our house." Vanessa spoke calmly, her gaze sweeping over the students in the Common Room.

The little snakes of Slytherin stood quietly at the foot of the steps, listening to Vanessa's speech with varied expressions. It was hard to tell how many were truly paying attention. Just then, a discordant voice rang out.

"That doesn't mean we let those Gryffindor idiots walk all over us. Now is the perfect time for us to rise. Look at the magical world—the sky is about to change." A senior student with golden hair, also standing on the steps, protested loudly to Vanessa.

"That's Rory Yaxley, a fifth-year who just became a prefect this year," Vivian whispered to Anduin, sharing the information she'd gathered.

"Enough. Don't bring that outside nonsense into the school. You came to Hogwarts to study, not to pick sides." Vanessa scolded Rory sharply, not letting him finish his words.

"Alright, everyone, disperse. Your luggage is in your rooms, and your schedules have already been placed on the desks in your rooms. Your names are on the doors. Now go to your rooms." Vanessa turned and dismissed the crowd, then gave instructions to the new students, not giving Rory any more time to speak.

"Hmph. We were born noble. Slytherin has a duty to maintain the purity of the magical world. I hear there are even Muggle-born wizards joining the school now. Look at what you've done—what nobility is left in Slytherin?" Rory roared at Vanessa in fury, venting his dissatisfaction.

The young wizards didn't dare to interrupt. They drifted away in twos and threes.

Anduin heard Rory's veiled remarks but had no interest in listening to his ranting. He walked along the corridor beside the Common Room and left.

It seemed there were different voices within Slytherin too. On one side were the neutrals, who didn't want to get involved in the Dark Lord's affairs. On the other were the Pure-blood faction, who believed the Dark Lord would win.

Anduin thought as he walked, finally finding his room.

Because the Slytherin dormitory was converted from a dungeon, each cell was a single room. This meant that in Slytherin, everyone could have their own private room. From that perspective, Anduin was quite satisfied with being sorted into Slytherin.

Entering the room, he was greeted by a luxurious four-poster bed. The walls were polished stone, and two windows offered a direct view of the lakebed. The room was decorated with emerald green and silver fabrics. Candles and oil lamps on the desk and bedside table provided lighting. A medieval tapestry on the wall depicted famous adventures of Slytherin's heir.

"There's even a carpet. As far as decor goes, there's nothing to complain about here." Though his experiences in Slytherin hadn't given him a strong sense of belonging to the house, Anduin had no complaints about the room itself.

Anduin unpacked his luggage while thinking about his plans for the future. After a moment's thought, he had an idea.

"I have to keep a low profile from now on. Training and exercise must continue. Slytherins are good at looking out for themselves. I can't rely on others, and I can't expect those Pure-blood supremacists to leave me alone. The magical world is tempting, but for now, I need to focus on staying safe. I have to arm myself first and build an advantage in firepower." Anduin's military mindset made him define all unknowns as dangers. Gradually, his gaze lost its earlier gentleness, becoming firm and sharp.

The next day, at six in the morning, Anduin stretched.

Hogwarts' schedule had two consecutive classes from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., with a break signaled by a bell, followed by lunch. After lunch, classes resumed at 1 p.m., also two consecutive classes.

Dinner was still in the Great Hall. Afterward, students returned to their Common Rooms to do homework or socialize. Older students could have their curfew extended to 9 p.m.

Today was Tuesday. According to the schedule, the morning had two classes of Charms, and the afternoon had History of Magic.

Anduin dressed neatly, planning to explore the castle early to familiarize himself with the layout and classroom locations. He checked his wand, then opened the door and stepped out.

The Common Room was empty in the early morning. Through the ceiling, he could see a giant squid swimming in the lake. For the first time, Anduin had a moment to quietly observe the entire Common Room.

He had to admit that the person who built the Common Room was both powerful and aesthetically gifted. The view of the lakebed was truly eye-opening.

After admiring it for a while, Anduin walked along the corridor he had entered from and left the Slytherin dormitory.

Anduin spent over two hours mapping out the castle's routes. The randomly moving stairs nearly drove him crazy. Eventually, he used the Obstacle Charm to shape a magical staircase, jumping directly to each floor.

Hogwarts Castle had a massive main tower, eight stories tall, connected by moving stairs. The top floor housed the Headmaster's Office. A Courtyard Building linked several other towers. Most of the classrooms for various years and subjects were in the main tower and the Courtyard Building. Two of the towers connected to the main tower housed the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor Common Rooms. A drawbridge in the Courtyard Building led to the base of the Astronomy Tower.

The other nearby towers were the Central Tower, the Black Tower, and the Bell Tower. These towers were connected by another tall Courtyard Building. Passing through the building's corridor led to the library, and in the middle of the building was the Central Courtyard. Following the corridor past the library and the Central Courtyard, one reached a large door at the bottom. This door led to several massive greenhouses. Skirting the greenhouses and following the corridor brought one to the base of the Central Tower, where two bridges stood. One stone bridge connected to the Courtyard Building near the main tower, and the other led toward the Entrance Hall.