From Today On, Slytherin Takes the Shelby Name

Screams rose one after another, and Lyon frowned.

"Quietus!"

With a flick of Lyon's wand, the noise from the entire common room suddenly died down.

"Beaton isn't dead, and neither is Carter. They were just frightened. As for Beaton's face..."

Lyon could not let the situation escalate, so he began calming everyone down as he pointed his wand at Beaton.

"Episkey."

The injuries on Beaton's face looked terrifying, but they were really just ordinary scars. After all, Little Black had not gone for the kill.

With a single spell from Lyon, the scars on Beaton's face quickly vanished.

Lyon had just turned around, intending to say something to everyone, when he suddenly saw little Hermione standing nearby with red-rimmed eyes.

"What's wrong?"

Lyon frowned, gently wiping the tears from the corners of little Hermione's eyes with his hand, his voice soft.

Little Hermione shook her head and forced a smile. "I saw their spells almost hit you just now..."

Lyon smiled and rubbed little Hermione's head before turning to face the others in the common room.

"Two of you, carry Carter and Beaton to the Hospital Wing."

"Most of the students from all three years are here now. I happen to have a few things to say."

Lyon's gaze swept across everyone. Neville and Seamus, quick to catch on, brought over a chair, and Lyon sat down.

"Carter and the others did not say it outright just now, but I know what you are worried about. You are afraid that Slytherin will take the Shelby name from now on, afraid that I will rule and control the entire House."

Lyon paused, his gaze passing over everyone present. Almost no one dared meet his eyes.

It was not only because Lyon's presence was overwhelming, but also because he had taken down Carter and Beaton in the blink of an eye.

Whether it had been his casting speed or the strength of his spells, he had utterly crushed them. On top of that, he had Fire Shield to block magical attacks. Even if everyone here joined forces, they probably would not be able to defeat Lyon.

"But you do not need to worry..."

"Because Slytherin has taken the Shelby name as of today. I intend to rule this place!"

"Carter and Beaton are no longer prefects from this moment onward. I have removed them from their positions. I will choose several of you to serve as prefects for each year."

"This is an order from the Razor Gang!"

Everyone's hearts jolted. An unprecedented pressure filled the air, making it hard to breathe.

"From now on, you may call me Godfather. What do you think of that title?"

After saying that, Lyon sat calmly in his chair, tilting his head as he studied the crowd.

Among the crowd, someone slowly raised a hand.

"Fear Shroud!"

Lyon instantly raised his hand, and a black beam of light shot toward a third-year boy who had just raised his hand!

"Ah!!"

The third-year boy immediately let out a terrified scream, clutching his head and rocking on the floor. Lyon nodded in satisfaction.

"Looks like my newly learned spell works rather well. I suppose no one has any objections now?"

Lyon looked at the crowd again. This time, no one spoke.

"Creak..."

Suddenly, the iron door to the common room opened, and a figure walked in before freezing in place.

"What's going on?"

It was Snape.

Snape looked at the students around him, all obedient as quails, utterly baffled. He swept his gaze around and found that Lyon was the only one sitting down.

What... was going on here?

Hadn't someone said students were fighting in the common room?

Why were these students all behaving like quails by the time he arrived?

And why was Lyon sitting there like a Mafia godfather inspecting his subordinates? No, Lyon was a Mafia godfather to begin with...

"Good day, Professor Snape."

Seeing that it was Snape, Lyon slowly rose to his feet and gave him an elegant bow.

Snape's face remained as cold as eternal ice. He swept his gaze around and said, "I heard there was a fight here."

"Yes, there was."

Lyon's honesty caught Snape off guard. Snape was even more confused, though he still did his best to maintain a professor's dignity.

"Tell me what happened."

"The second- and third-year prefects were being a little disobedient, so I merely gave them a warning. They should be lying in the Hospital Wing now."

Snape's eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

Second- and third-year prefects? Disobedient? A warning? And Lyon was the one saying it?

"Do you understand that wantonly harming fellow students is grounds for expulsion?"

But Lyon shook his head and gestured toward the other students.

"Professor, I did not harm any students. I merely gave them a warning. No one was hurt; they were only frightened."

Snape looked at the other students.

"Yes, yes, Godfather Lyon really only gave Carter and the others a warning."

"That's right. Godfather Lyon did nothing at all. Carter and the others started the trouble."

"Godfather Lyon absolutely did not cast the Fiendfyre Curse. I can guarantee that with Carter's life."

Snape: ...

Just look at them. Yesterday, they had still been calling him Prefect Lyon, and now every other word was 'Godfather'...

But Snape did not stop them. After all, Slytherin House had always followed the principle of survival of the fittest.

As long as the strong earned their own privileges without violating school rules, the teachers had no right to interfere.

He was happy to see this situation as well, because over the past few days, he had noticed that the Slytherin students' grades had risen significantly.

Even he, who usually holed up in his office, had begun visiting the teachers' common room more often.

There was no particular reason. Seeing the heads of the other three Houses stare at him with envy, jealousy, and resentment felt even better than gulping down a steaming mug of butterbeer in winter.

Though that was very unlike Snape... he was only human, after all.

"All right, Mr. Shelby. Keep Slytherin House under control. Also, Professor Flitwick often asks me about you. He told me to send you to the teachers' common room."

After saying that, Snape flicked his sleeve and left.

Lyon was a little puzzled. Under normal circumstances, why would Snape pass along a message from Professor Flitwick?

It felt very unlike Snape.

But Lyon did not think much of it. He waved everyone away, then left the common room with little Hermione.

"Lyon, do you know? Your Fiendfyre Curse burned almost three meters high just now!"

Little Hermione had recovered from her earlier worry and excitedly told Lyon about what had happened.

"Can you teach me how to cast Fire Shield?"

"You need to learn the Fiendfyre Curse first, and you must reach master-level Fiendfyre before it becomes possible," Lyon replied. Little Hermione looked a little disappointed.

Just as little Hermione lowered her head, lost in thought, a Chocolate Frog suddenly appeared in her field of vision.

The Chocolate Frog was unexpectedly stuffed into her mouth. Little Hermione's face reddened, and after glancing around to make sure no one was nearby, she lightly punched Lyon with her little fist.

"Lyon!"

"I've been looking for you everywhere. So you were here!"

Suddenly, a voice rang out in the distance.