Parkinson, standing nearby, glared at Greengrass before turning to Malfoy. "Draco, I thought you and Zabini were friends. You even let him into your compartment on the train."
Malfoy said disdainfully, "He's just a Zabini. It's not like he comes from some great family. I only put up with him before because his mother's latest man did business with my father."
"Then he really was just trying to cozy up to the Malfoy family." Pansy glanced at Daphne as she spoke. Daphne's expression darkened, and she hurriedly looked toward Malfoy.
"Pansy, Greengrass is one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, just like us. As long as they aren't those traitors with red hair, we ought to be friends."
Pansy smiled smugly.
"Of course, Draco. You're always right. Greengrass 'ought' to be our friend."
Early the next morning, Breeze rose from a daze. Slytherin had classes only in the morning on Fridays, and today's class was Potions. He had only memorized the textbook material for this subject and had never done any practical work. Like Transfiguration, it left him worried that his talent hadn't awakened.
"You're up awfully early."
Breeze obviously wasn't talking about himself. He knew his own habits. Besides, this gloomy dungeon had a fireplace, but it still felt damp, making it a place where anyone could sleep soundly.
Of course, Breeze longed for a breeze from the tower, not the sight of an ugly mermaid swimming past the window. What luck to open his eyes and see one. Hadn't he heard that merpeople rarely came near Hogwarts?
Zabini had already gone out, so Breeze got up and washed. He hoped the Head of House would be gentler during class and not so overbearing, as if someone had killed his girlfriend. He seemed so gloomy and world-weary. What a tiring way to live.
Knock, knock, knock...
"Stop it, Miss Mermaid. You can't break the window, and I don't want to touch you. I don't want to have to remember what you look like while I'm eating breakfast, either."
After washing up, Breeze tucked his Potions textbook into his shoulder bag and headed out, giving his eager admirer a cold shoulder.
He wondered if it was because of his talent. With Nature Affinity, he was always popular with small animals.
Mermaids probably counted as small animals. Goblins, like the one before, didn't, though they were ugly in a different way.
The day was peaceful. Breeze made it to the Great Hall without incident. Still, it was strange that the Weasley Twins hadn't come to find him. If they didn't show up soon, he'd toss the Stinkweed in his bag.
"Good morning, Breeze."
"Good morning, Cedric. You look well today."
Viewed from the High Table, the tables in the Great Hall ran from left to right: Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor.
Breeze sat on the inner side of the Slytherin table, close to Hufflepuff, so Cedric could easily talk to him.
Cedric smiled warmly at Breeze's words. It was good to see him doing well in Slytherin, but there was still something he ought to warn him about—Potions Class, for example.
"Good, then. But be careful in Potions Class. Don't do anything Professor Snape hasn't told you to do. He... well, he's rather strict. But I've heard he's pretty good to the Little Snakes. At least he won't take points from his own house. Still, you're not very lucky—you have class with Gryffindor."
Cedric hadn't spelled it out, but Breeze understood. Gryffindor and Slytherin were sworn enemies. The day before yesterday had been all right; the Little Snakes had only just started school. But yesterday, once they'd stopped paying attention to Breeze, they started spewing venom at the Gryffindors, whether they were older or younger students.
The Gryffindors were no different. They really were noisy.
Especially with the Savior starting school. For example, right now—
A little Badger beside Breeze said, "Look, the one beside the red-haired boy..."
"The one with glasses?"
"Yeah, that's Harry Potter. See that scar? It's amazing!"
"Hmph, Potter sure knows how to make use of his fame. The day before yesterday, yesterday, and today—he won't even let anyone eat in peace."
At Malfoy's words, the Little Snakes nearby nodded knowingly. The older students frowned at Potter, then went back to their elegant breakfast.
Breeze was grateful for the Slytherin beds, and for the library. He wouldn't run into Potter in either place.
He was grateful to Malfoy, too.
Malfoy could always absorb the attention Potter drew, letting Breeze study in peace without running into Potter or hearing too much gossip about him.
But today had been an eye-opener. The whole of Hogwarts spent breakfast whispering. Even some Slytherins couldn't resist dropping their manners to say a few words.
But Potter clearly wasn't used to all this attention. He wasn't cut out to be a celebrity. Perhaps, like Breeze himself...
"Maybe he just wants to get through seven wonderful years in peace and graduate without a hitch."
Breeze muttered to himself, while Cedric smiled at him as he drifted off.
"Hey, are you looking at Potter too?"
"Ah, yes. Everyone's looking, aren't they? But I'm not hostile toward Gryffindor like the other Little Snakes." Breeze took a sip of milk. "I just want to get through the next seven years of magic classes in peace."
Breeze pointed to his Potions textbook.
"I'm more worried about whether I have a talent for Potions—or even an interest in it—than I am about Potter."
Cedric shrugged helplessly, since he didn't like Potions either, even though he could get the top marks in his year.
"If you have any trouble, I can tutor you."
"That would be great, but I should try on my own first. Well, let's eat. Some Little Snakes are glaring at me. Honestly."
They didn't like him, yet they were so controlling. Slytherin really was a contradictory house. They could unite against outsiders, but they were divided among themselves. They really were like snakes.
"Coo-coo-coo..."
Just then, a large flock of owls flew in. They had nothing to do with Breeze; he didn't have anyone he needed to write to regularly.
Potter, on the other hand, received a letter today.
Harry Potter looked at the owl flying toward him, surprised and expectant. He didn't have anyone he needed to write to, after all. He wondered, "Who could it be?"
Harry Potter's owl was called Hedwig. She hadn't brought a letter, just a note.
"Hagrid?"
Harry Potter turned to Ron Weasley, who was sitting beside him. "Hey, Ron. It's a note from Hagrid. He wants me to go see him at three this afternoon."
Harry happily wrote a reply on the back of the note.
"Hagrid? Is he that Giant?" Ron Weasley asked, looking confused. But seeing how happy Harry was, he didn't say anything. Instead, he decided to go with him and see for himself.
After eating enough for several people, Breeze followed the first-year Little Snakes toward the first basement floor, under the admiring gazes of the Hufflepuffs and the cold stares of the Slytherins. The Potions classroom was down there. It was close to Slytherin, but oddly secluded.
The Potions Classroom was large enough to hold dozens of students at once. It had many small potion stations, usually shared by two students. Shelves lined the walls, filled with bottles and jars containing all sorts of strange things, probably potion ingredients or specimens. There was also a cabinet for storing potion ingredients, and a blackboard at the front. Since the classroom was underground, it was gloomy throughout—and, with so few people around, it felt even colder than the corridor.
Breeze was used to it. He quickly found a seat toward the back. Some Gryffindor students who arrived later were in for a shock. As soon as they entered, the room and the mass of Little Snakes turned them pale, making them look almost as green as Malfoy.
But when Harry Potter walked into the classroom, they seemed to find their anchor. They gathered around him, gradually found their seats, and settled into two sharply divided blocks, one green and one red.
"Hmph, Harry Potter," Malfoy said disdainfully. Then he folded his arms and waited for class to begin. Gregory Goyle was his partner, Theodore Nott was with Vincent Crabbe, and Pansy Parkinson was paired with Daphne Greengrass. The two girls couldn't stand each other.
As for Breeze—well, he was grateful there was an even number of first-years in Slytherin this year. A burly girl with a seemingly mild manner quietly came to stand beside him.
Breeze raised his head slightly and saw that the girl, who was a head taller than him and rather stout, had blushed. She didn't dare look at him.
Breeze kept a straight face. At least someone would be partnering with him.
"I'm Millicent Bulstrode. I'm a first-year too." Her voice was very quiet; Breeze wouldn't have heard her if he hadn't been standing beside her.
"I mean, I'm a Pure-blood, but I don't hate Muggle-b... no, I mean... Actually, not many Slytherins really hate you. Because, because most people follow the rules—the Pure-blood rules."
"You're really good. That Wand-Lighting Charm on the path was excellent. At home, I can barely make the tip of my wand glow. And Malfoy... you actually dared to cross him. I don't know what happened between you, but a lot of people say you put those mud spots in Malfoy's hair on purpose when he was sorted..."
She seemed flustered, but what she said piqued Breeze's interest. He tilted his head slightly.
She seemed encouraged. Summoning her courage, she lowered her voice and said, "It's not all because of Malfoy. It has more to do with you. No Muggle-born wizard has ever been in Slytherin, at least not that I've heard of. And you've never denied where you came from, so everyone is afraid to approach you. Even the Half-bloods. They're sometimes even more reluctant to associate with you than the Pure-bloods."
"That's what happened with those two second-years the other morning. But hardly anyone is that stupid. Maybe someone put them up to it... because according to Slytherin's unspoken rules, whoever joins us gets a certain period of protection. Like snakes: you can't hurt a snake that hasn't been born yet."
Breeze was stunned. "How long does that protection last?"
Millicent Bulstrode glanced toward Malfoy. "If there's no personal grudge, the protection within Slytherin lasts until the end of all classes on the first Wednesday, which is next Wednesday. As for Slytherin protecting you from other houses, that lasts a month. During that month, Slytherin will protect you from being bullied by the other houses, but they won't care how you're treated within the house..."
Breeze nodded thoughtfully, then smiled warmly at her. "Thank you. You're a good girl."
Millicent Bulstrode blushed and reminded him worriedly, "If you really are a Muggle-born wizard, then you need to prove your worth. In any subject, you should at least be good enough to leave everyone speechless."
"I'll certainly study every subject seriously, but I'm not doing it for Slytherin."
Before you continue