Breeze Was Earning Points

Breeze ran out of the Slytherin Common Room.

He touched his tousled black hair, his gaze indifferent. He really wasn't suited to Slytherin. The people here were too calculating, and the way they spoke was... downright unpleasant.

Of course, Malfoy was the problem. How was he supposed to know so many people wanted to curry favor with Malfoy? There was nothing he could do about it now, and he didn't want to be taken advantage of.

"Slytherin, huh?" Damn that Sorting Hat. Was he supposed to go back a thousand years and study magic at Hogwarts?

That was what Breeze thought...

"Better get to class first."

No one came after him. Tch, all bark and no bite.

Breeze thought of a story: beat up the little ones, and the older ones came; beat up the older ones, and the ones in the ground came...

Would it never end?

Holding his book, Breeze walked toward the hall with a blank expression, struggling to hold back a laugh.

"Hopefully they'll leave me alone."

He'd much rather spend his time studying magic and getting stronger than fool around with children.

But if anyone crossed his bottom line, they'd regret it. Acting weak was a tactic, but it wasn't his nature.

"Just wait. Do you think you'd dare put on airs in front of someone stronger than you?"

Breeze pulled the diary from his shoulder bag and wrote on the last page: two second-years who blocked his way, two big brutes, an ugly, sharp-tongued lion-faced girl, the platinum peacock, the horse-faced male Prefect, the scorpion girl Prefect, and all the others who had stood around, sat around, or slept in the dormitory...

"Wasting paper on these insignificant people is ridiculous, but I'd better write it all down."

Once he'd calmed down, Breeze reached the long table in the hall. As soon as he sat down, a little breakfast appeared on the tabletop. It was a bit scanty...

Breeze had a healthy appetite, which had worried Betty before. The night before, he'd been in a poor mood because so many people had been watching him and he hadn't been sorted into the House he'd wanted, so he hadn't eaten much.

"Hey, you cute little snake..."

"Seems like you've run into some trouble..."

Two big hands suddenly appeared on Breeze's shoulders, one on each side. All right, they belonged to the Weasley Twins, with their unmistakable red hair.

But was it really okay for Gryffindors to barge over to the Slytherin table?

Breeze glanced around and saw the few Slytherins at the table looking coldly in his direction. Malfoy smiled at him, as if amused by his stupidity. Zabini, his roommate, had already looked away as Breeze's gaze passed over him.

That guy was up to something.

Ignoring the two of them, Breeze ate his breakfast slowly, taking large bites.

"Oh, ignoring us now? I thought you'd be sorted into Gryffindor. We even saved you a seat."

"Not much fun, is it? But our little brother clearly overslept, and we can't find him for now..."

The two of them stood on either side of Breeze, chattering away with regretful expressions. Somehow, they lifted his mood a little, and he ate another sandwich.

"Did you need something? I've got class soon." Breeze wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin and pointed at the textbook on the table, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi.

Fred and George exchanged a glance. Then Fred pointed at the book and said, "Right, Herbology. It's a relaxing class. You can play in the dirt the whole lesson, and there are some pretty good plants in there too. They can give us a nice surprise."

George ruffled Breeze's hair, making him glare. "Oh, sure. But no plant is as interesting as Peeves. I heard the Weasley Twins are collecting Stinkweed, and they can get Peeves into all kinds of places to cause a bit of chaos. Brilliant, really."

Breeze looked up at them, staring straight at them. "Thanks. I'll see what I can do about bringing you some."

Fred and George smiled with satisfaction, then slipped a little cloth bag to Breeze without drawing attention to it. They winked at each other and left the Slytherin table.

Breeze smiled, feeling a little excited.

"Breeze?"

"Huh? Cedric..."

Ah, had he heard that?

Cedric blushed, looking concerned. He spoke in a quiet voice. "Don't touch Stinkweed with your bare hands. Even protective gloves won't help. Also, the kitchen is on the first basement level, directly beneath the Great Hall. It's next to the Hufflepuff common room. If you run into trouble, you can come find me."

"The kitchen entrance is a painting of fruit. Tickle the pear, and a doorknob will appear. If you miss a meal, you can order food there."

Breeze gave Cedric a sincere smile. "Thanks, mate. I'm truly grateful."

Cedric smiled too, then waved goodbye and left. They'd heard what was happening in Slytherin. It looked like Breeze had been ostracized. As a friend, Cedric would help where he could, but the rest was up to Breeze.

When Breeze finished breakfast, he set off for the greenhouses for class. Malfoy and his group got up too. They'd arrived before Breeze and eaten less, yet somehow they were still taking their time—a ridiculous drawback of noble manners, except for the two big brutes.

"Hmph. Figures. Some people can only be friends with poor redheads and idiots who eat in the dirt."

Parkinson was as sharp-tongued as ever, but Breeze was in a good mood after eating. He didn't need to care about someone like her, so there was no point wasting his limited patience.

But as he was about to leave, he heard the male Prefect, Bennett Wilder, teasing Jennifer Carrow beside the table. "Look at him, that clueless little Muggle. Are you still going to be his mother, Jennifer?"

Jennifer Carrow frowned without a trace of grace.

"I only did what a Prefect should. Whatever happens to him after that has nothing to do with me."

Bennett Wilder said, "Mm, I knew you had bad taste... Oh, fine, I'll stop. Put your fork down. You're an elegant lady from a Pure-blood family..."

Breeze rubbed his nose, thinking about the curses listed in the Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook that he hadn't studied carefully yet... He wasn't sure whether he could cast them properly. Perhaps he should look for some interesting spells in the library, or ask the Weasley brothers.

The greenhouse was spacious, and sunlight streamed through its transparent covering, making the place feel pleasant. There were plants everywhere, but the ones they'd be studying had been placed on the table in the middle. It was a pot of bright green shoots, so green they seemed to shine.

Their Herbology professor was Professor Pomona Sprout, a plump, kindly woman. Since she spent so much time in the greenhouse tending to the plants, her skirt and sleeves were smudged with dirt, but she didn't look untidy at all. Her smile made everyone like her, and even Malfoy's group didn't have much to say about her.

"Who can tell me what this plant is? Please raise your hand..."

Professor Sprout looked around encouragingly.

"Oh, good. Miss Evan from Ravenclaw."

"It's Luminescent Grass, Professor."

Professor Sprout was delighted and awarded Ravenclaw one point. The Ravenclaws were all happy, especially the girl named Evan, who blushed.

The Little Snakes looked a little disappointed, but their composure kept it from showing.

Breeze thought, So this is Slytherin's glory... Points are tied to the House Cup. You can earn House Points by being praised in class, and lose them for breaking rules. At the end of each school year, the House Cup is awarded, and Slytherin has won it for six years running. The whole hall is decorated in Slytherin silver and green.

Breeze liked green and silver. He thought they suited the hall very well.

"Now, who can tell me what Luminescent Grass is used for..."

"Oh, Mr. Order, why don't you tell us?"

"Certainly, Professor." When Breeze was focused, his pure black eyes sparkled with intelligence. His confident expression was very endearing, and it was clear Professor Sprout already felt a fondness for the little Slytherin.

"Luminescent Grass can be made into a luminous potion, also known as luminous oil, which can light up an area. The plant absorbs light during the day and stores it in its stems and leaves. At night, it gives off a faint glow. That's why so many families want to grow it. But Luminescent Grass doesn't like places where people live. Living around people often leads to its death..."

As Breeze spoke, Professor Sprout's smile grew even warmer. The Ravenclaws around him looked at him with admiration too, but the Little Snakes wore strange expressions. Malfoy gave a snort, and Parkinson looked displeased. Zabini's expression shifted, but he quickly returned to his usual indifference.

"Excellent, simply excellent. I have to award Mr. Order five points. That was a wonderful explanation, even more thorough than the textbook. You've clearly read a lot. But let me add one thing."

Professor Sprout smiled at Breeze. "If you water Luminescent Grass every day with water from a lake under the full moon, it won't die from living alongside humans. Every day, mind you. I discovered this myself... Well, articles about herbs always appear after those about Potions, and Luminescent Grass isn't given much attention, so this discovery hasn't appeared in any relevant publications yet. You should still write it down, though. It might be on the final exam."

Professor Sprout's class was fascinating, and the first lesson was easy. Breeze earned another four House Points over the course of the class. Points were usually awarded one at a time, and each professor had a limit on how many points they could give out during a lesson. Breeze had already done his best.

"Tch, Mr. Order, the dirt-player." Malfoy led his friends past Breeze and straight out of the greenhouse. The other Little Snakes left without a word, but Breeze felt that their hostility had lessened considerably.

"Not a bad start." Still, he couldn't forgive certain people.

Breeze touched his shoulder bag. Inside were his textbook and diary, along with some Stinkweed he'd secretly scooped into the bag during the break. The Weasley brothers had been banned from going near the greenhouse, and even in class Professor Sprout kept a close eye on them. They were having a hard time getting enough Stinkweed. Now Breeze's shoulder bag was heavy, which made him very happy.

"Let's go to the library. I'll give it to the Weasleys when I see them. I wonder what they want it for."

The library was on the second floor of Hogwarts. Its collection was vast, which made Breeze even more excited. After spending so long paying one Sickle a day to read in a secondhand bookstore, he could finally read for free.

Every event was just there to move the plot forward.