How to Break Down Your Family's Defenses

"...I've already memorized the timetable, Vaughn. Gryffindor and Slytherin have a lot of classes together. I don't think House sorting really affects much."

"Our first class today is Transfiguration. Have you prepared? If not, I can lend you my notes, or we can sit together during class?"

Breakfast had already been laid out on the four House tables in the Great Hall, and it was quite lavish.

Of all British "cuisine," breakfast was the only thing that did not weary Vaughn.

There were the usual sausages, bacon, scrambled eggs, and dishes in tomato sauce.

Even the bread came in a wide variety.

Wearing the Slytherin serpent crest, Vaughn sat openly at the Gryffindor table, calmly eating breakfast as Hermione chattered beside him.

Every Gryffindor who passed by them would first hurriedly look up in disbelief.

After confirming that they had not sleepily wandered to the wrong place, they would hurry away from the two with strange expressions.

The Slytherins some distance away kept looking back as well.

The matter of Vaughn knocking out a prefect with two spells last night had spread overnight, and nearly all of Slytherin already knew about it.

It was said that the spell the prefect had been hit with was extremely powerful. His classmates could not undo it even after casting the counterspell, so they had no choice but to send him to Madam Pomfrey in the middle of the night.

Everyone was reevaluating this red-haired Weasley!

This was probably Slytherins' only virtue: they worshipped strength and power. In fact, in the pure-blood education they received, strength and power were one and the same.

Whoever was strong would earn their respect!

But... why was that guy sitting at the Gryffindor table? Was rebellion simply in the Weasley family's nature?

How infuriating!

Many little snakes who wanted to strike up a conversation with Vaughn did not dare provoke him, so they settled for glaring at the Gryffindors instead.

The Gryffindors also found it strange. For Percy, Fred, and George's sake, they felt too embarrassed to drive Vaughn away, so they glared right back at the Slytherins.

It was an ordinary breakfast, yet the two Houses somehow managed to turn it into a powder keg.

Naturally, this also drew the attention of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.

However, Ravenclaws had always understood the art of staying out of trouble and could not be bothered with anyone else's business, while the Hufflepuff badgers were simple and honest by nature and did not like showing off.

So no one stirred things up or egged them on.

That was, until Fred and George stormed in.

"Look, George! The Weasley family's viper is actually sitting at the Gryffindor table!"

"Yes, Fred, you're not seeing things. It's terrifying. This guy betrayed us, and he still has the nerve to come back!"

The two stood behind Vaughn, one on each side, arms folded as they tried their hardest to widen their eyes and make their little brother understand just how angry and disappointed they were!

Vaughn tore off a piece of bread, dipped it into the thick mushroom soup, and took a bite before saying leisurely:

"Are you sure you want to pick a fight with me?"

"Mm—I remember two people sucking up to me all summer. Seeing how sincere they were, I was going to put ten Galleons in the Halloween package I planned to send them, to support their enterprise..."

As he spoke, Vaughn turned around and looked at his two brothers with an earnest expression. "But now, it seems they don't want it anymore!"

The twins unconsciously lowered their arms and looked at each other.

"What do we do, Fred?"

"...How about... we forgive him first?"

"Wouldn't that make us seem too lacking in principles?"

"Ten Galleons..."

"Percy said yesterday that no Weasley had ever been sorted into Slytherin. Someone had to teach him a lesson..."

The twins exchanged another look, then suddenly burst into laughter. "Who cares about the bullshit Percy says!"

"We're definitely not doing this for the Galleons, but how could we bear to disappoint our little brother's heartfelt support for our enterprise? Right, Fred?"

"That's right, George. So what if he's in Slytherin? Isn't he a Hogwarts student? Isn't he our brother?"

"Ahem, there are still quite a lot of bastards in Slytherin, but our little brother definitely isn't one of them."

"Exactly, George!"

Vaughn smiled and stopped teasing them. Instead, he asked seriously, "Is ten Galleons enough?"

The twins nodded repeatedly.

"Enough, enough."

"It's absolutely crucial, Vaughn!"

In excellent spirits, the two casually grabbed a few pieces of bread and hurried off, quietly discussing product development as they went.

Only after they had gone quite far did one of them mutter softly, "No Weasley has ever been in Slytherin..."

"What can we do? He's our little brother, George."

"Sigh..."

"The twins were dealt with." Though he had looked calm all along, Vaughn secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Things had not gone beyond his expectations.

In the entire Weasley family, Fred and George might have been the most mischievous.

But because they were close in age, they were also the most protective of their younger brothers.

The night before, he had also written to Molly and Arthur, explaining why he had entered Slytherin—without mentioning Occlumency. Instead, he said that he had discussed it with the Sorting Hat and hoped to study Potions under Professor Snape.

Since it concerned his studies—and Snape—his parents probably would not still hold it against him...

"If I'd had such a clear head for handling interpersonal relationships in my previous life, why would I ever have ended up as an ordinary corporate drone?"

Vaughn sighed.

Then he heard Hermione beside him speak hesitantly in a low voice. "Actually, I don't think going to Slytherin means anything."

Vaughn looked at her. Her cheeks were flushed, but she still spoke earnestly.

"I've read Hogwarts: A History, History of Magic, and Modern History of Magic. No historian has ever said that Slytherin only produces bad people, and I don't think House sorting can determine whether someone is good or bad. In Modern History of Magic, I even read that one of the most notorious Death Eaters came from Gryffindor!"

Listening to her earnest explanation—or perhaps consolation?—

Vaughn smiled and ruffled her hair. "Thank you, Hermione."

Not that he needed comforting.

But having a sensible little girl thinking of you was rather pleasant, wasn't it?

That pleasant mood lasted through breakfast, until he and Hermione went to their Transfiguration class.

It was the first lesson of their first year. When Vaughn and Hermione arrived, there were only two or three people in the classroom—Malfoy, for instance, and Neville, whom Malfoy was currently mocking.

And on the teacher's desk sat a tabby cat.

At the sight of Vaughn, Malfoy and his lackeys instinctively shrank into a corner. Neville was immensely grateful. He did not care in the slightest that Vaughn was a Slytherin, and he tearfully thanked him. "Thank you, Vaughn! You're the only one who can make Malfoy afraid. I heard you gave him a brutal beating. You're such a good person!"

The tabby cat sitting on the desk wore a stern expression on its feline face.

Vaughn's good mood instantly vanished.

Thank you, Neville. It would have been even better if you could keep your mouth shut...