Seeing the enormous magical castle once again after months, Asterion couldn't help but compare it to how it was before the renovation following the attacks on Hogwarts. The castle had always been large, but now it was even bigger, resembling a giant mythical fortress atop a hill. Perhaps the hill itself had been enlarged to support the base of the enormous building.
At least five more towers had been erected around the castle, linking to the original ones. From these towers, Asterion felt an abnormal amount of magical energy. Obviously, they were not just simple towers meant for decoration or astrology classes. They were true magical defense weapons powered by the infinite energy of the Ley Lines.
Entering Hogwarts, Asterion noticed that the medieval armors were much larger and seemed to emanate a faint wave of magical energy. It seemed that not only the towers had been updated; the entire internal system had undergone a complete upgrade.
As it was still early, there were hardly any students in the corridors. The ones he saw were returning from missions and looked exhausted, apparently having stayed up all night.
Asterion greeted them with a nod and found the stairs. He descended to the lower floors and arrived in front of the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room. He said the password.
"Pureblood."
The door seemed alive with a silver serpent sliding over it and opening, revealing the elegant luxury of the Slytherin Common Room.
Nothing had changed; it looked the same as always—elegant, discreet, with a soft green light illuminating the room. His seat and Daphne's near the fireplaces were untouched and properly cleaned.
For some reason, he felt relaxed entering the Common Room. He could understand why, even after graduating from Hogwarts, people still called themselves members of their own house. This was a second home for many, almost like a refuge.
"Asty." Asterion didn't even have time to react to the sudden voice before he was embraced forcefully, his arms instinctively wrapping around her waist firmly.
"Daph." Asterion spoke gently to the blonde woman in his arms, holding her face with his left hand and claiming her lips.
Daphne surrendered completely to the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. For a woman in love, being away from her boyfriend was nothing short of torture.
Their lips met repeatedly, each kissing the other avidly, like drinking water after a long drought.
Pulling away, Asterion looked at his future wife and spoke playfully, "What a warm welcome."
Daphne simply surrendered completely to the kiss, intertwining her arms around his neck. For a woman in love, being away from her boyfriend was no different from torture.
Their lips met repeatedly, each kissing the other avidly, as if drinking water after a long drought.
Parting their lips, Asterion looked at his future wife and said playfully, "What a warm reception."
"If you like it, I'll greet you like this every time." Daphne laughed and spoke seductively, whispering in his ear.
"Mm-hmm~" Just as he was about to respond equally seductively, Asterion heard a fake cough coming from the stairs leading to the dormitories.
Looking to the side, he saw Tracey Davis, Theodore Nott, and Blaise Zabini looking provocatively at them.
"I know you want to do it right here, but a room would be more appropriate, Asty." Tracey spoke provocatively, arms folded, her eyes shrewdly falling on Asterion and Daphne with amusement.
"I'm glad to see you all are well." Asterion gestured for everyone to sit on the sofas. He himself sat in his seat.
But instead of sitting in their own seats, Daphne sat on Asterion's lap with her arm around his neck. One of Asterion's hands held her waist while the other rested on her thigh.
Ignoring the jealous look Tracey was giving her, Daphne asked what everyone wanted to know.
"So, is it true about the Tournament?"
Tracey, Theodore, and Blaise looked eagerly at Asterion.
"Yes, twelve magical schools from different parts of the world will gather at Hogwarts for the International Tournament of Magic and Witchcraft. It will be broadcast worldwide in real time." Asterion nodded, confirming the rumors, causing the three Slytherin members to gasp with excitement.
Just the thought of being famous worldwide almost made Theodore jump with excitement. Though calmer than his friend, Blaise couldn't hide his excitement behind his calm expression.
"Tell me we can enter the Tournament." Theodore asked, his voice trembling slightly with anticipation. Beside him, Tracey and Blaise also listened eagerly.
Asterion rolled his eyes at these two excited teenagers and replied calmly, "Although it's not official yet, four representatives will be elected from the four Hogwarts houses. Obviously, I won't be participating in the tournament as a contestant."
Upon hearing this, Theodore and Blaise looked at each other and saw the helplessness in each other's eyes. If an election were held, sixth and seventh-year students would definitely garner support from all of Slytherin, rather than second-year students like them. After all, it was the most obvious and safe choice aside from Asterion himself.
In an international competition held in their own country, the pressure was enormous to win; after all, they were at home. So, to play it safer, the veterans would definitely represent Slytherin in this competition. Making it impossible for Theodore, Blaise, and Tracey to participate.
Seeing the disappointed faces of all three, Asterion said nothing to comfort them. He himself didn't want to risk it in such an important event; after all, if England lost at home, it would be quite a blow to the still unstable reputation of the newly created Clock Tower.
"Who do you think will be elected in the other houses?" Seeing the subdued atmosphere, with a noble and intelligent air, Daphne changed the subject with a smile on her lips, subtly feeling her hands tighten on her waist and thigh.
She could tell Asterion was much more interested in her than before, making her realize that this distance over the months hadn't been entirely bad.
"Hufflepuff will be Cedric Diggory," Tracey said without hesitation in her voice. She bit her lip, recalling the handsome young man with brown hair. "Handsome, popular, and above all, powerful. Cedric practically screams protagonist in a book!"
Asterion's lips twitched hearing the name of the glittery vampire; he couldn't help but think of the boy's ultimate fate in the movies.
"Truly an isekai protagonist," Asterion thought with an amused smile on his lips.
"As for Ravenclaw, I have no idea, but for Gryffindor, I would say Rose Potter, but since she's a Special Grade Witch, she can't participate," Tracey continued, and everyone around agreed with her words.
It was completely impossible for Rose to participate in the competition; she herself was the embodiment of cheating.
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Next Chapter Second Volume: Chapter 112 – New Students (1), Chapter 113 – New Students (2), Chapter 114 – Ophelia (1), Chapter 115 – Ophelia (2), Chapter 116 – Doubts (1), Chapter 117 – Humbug (1), Chapter 118 - Ophelia's Mother (1), Chapter 119 - I Decided to Seduce Daphne (1), Chapter 120 - Arrival of the Twelve Schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry (1), Chapter 121 - Arrival of the Twelve Schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry (2), Chapter 122 - Arrival of the Twelve Schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry (3), Chapter 123 - Arrival of the Twelve Schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry (4), Chapter 124 - Conspiracy In Progress (1), Chapter 125 - Conspiracy In Progress (2), Chapter 126 - Ophelia, Narcissa And Andromeda (1), Chapter 127 - Ophelia, Narcissa And Andromeda (2), Chapter 128 - The Four Representatives of Hogwarts (1), Chapter 129 - The Four Representatives of Hogwarts (2), Chapter 130 - The Four Hogwarts Representatives (3), Chapter 131 - The First Trial (1).
September 1st, 1994.
Hogwarts - Great Hall.
At the Slytherin table in the Great Hall, Asterion was chatting with his group, a calm and serene expression on his face. He lifted his coffee cup to his lips, showing a satisfied look.
"I'm excited for the new students," Tracey said next to Theodore, her words echoed by several people at the table.
"Astoria is finally joining Slytherin," Daphne added with a smile rarely seen by others. The thought of attending Hogwarts with her adorable sister was finally becoming a reality.
Then, Daphne's gaze fell on Draco, like a queen looking at her subject—sharp and powerful. "If I hear that you did anything to Astoria, believe me when I say you might not have descendants in the future, Heir Malfoy."
Faced with that look and those harsh words, Draco swallowed hard and gave a rather nervous smile. He clenched his legs tightly together while nodding repeatedly. Theodore and Blaise couldn't help but shrink back at the cruel words of the teenager and looked at Draco with pity.
Dorea, who was beside Daphne, didn't even glance at her brother. Asterion noticed this but said nothing. Anyone could see that the twins were fighting.
Suddenly, Daphne felt eyes on her. Turning her face, she saw a pair of incredibly blue eyes staring at her intensely.
Rose Potter.
Daphne's lips curved into a smile. Although she couldn't beat the girl, she could make her feel something much more painful than the bitter taste of defeat. Under the surprised eyes of everyone at the table, the Slytherin queen sat in her special seat, which was her boyfriend's lap, and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Then, with the wide eyes of the Slytherin table watching, Daphne lifted Asterion's chin and claimed the lips that were rightfully hers while looking at Rose with a sarcastic gaze.
She knew Rose liked Asterion, so even if she couldn't win against Rose in a fight, the emotional damage she caused the girl by doing this was far greater than any physical harm.
*Crack!*
The fork and knife in Rose's hands snapped as if someone had broken a thin tree branch. Gritting her teeth, Rose had never held back so much from casting a Red at someone as she did at that moment.
Especially seeing that victorious, sarcastic look, as if to say, "Take a good look, because it's the only thing you'll ever get to do."
"Rose?" Hermione, sitting next to her friend, looked at Rose in confusion and glanced at the broken cutlery with a bit of pity. Seeing Rose not responding, Hermione followed her gaze and saw Daphne and Asterion kissing publicly in the Great Hall.
Hermione's mouth dropped open in shock. "Don't they know it's forbidden to do that in public!?" she said incredulously, watching the intense kiss unfold. Her cheeks turned a rosy shade of embarrassment.
Hermione had to take a sip of her juice to calm down after witnessing scenes she had only read about in her period romances, but Rose's next words made the young brunette spit out everything she was drinking.
"Pff!"
"I've decided. I'm going to separate Asterion from that snake he calls a girlfriend. As his cousin, I have a responsibility to think about his well-being." Rose spoke each word through clenched teeth, the scene before her making her feel as if her heart was being bitten by several snakes at once, a sensation of anxiety and breathlessness she had never experienced before.
Hermione wiped her mouth and looked incredulously at her friend, unable to believe how innocent Rose was in not recognizing her own jealousy.
"Don't get involved, Rose. You'll only start a war you don't want to fight." Hermione tried to reason with Rose, but seeing the determined look in her best friend's eyes, she could only give up for now.
"War? That's fine. Then let's go to war." Rose murmured, looking defiantly at Daphne still sitting on Asterion's lap, who returned her gaze with the same arrogant look.
The two young women exchanged glances and smiled amicably at each other, as if nothing had happened between them.
"What was that?" With Daphne still on his lap, Asterion asked, confused, holding his fiancée's waist.
"Nothing, I just felt like kissing you." Daphne looked at him innocently and responded in a sweet tone. Her glance shifted to the Gryffindor table, where Rose's furious face made her feel like she was floating on cloud nine. She had never been more satisfied in her life than she was today.
Dorea and Tracey looked bitterly at the couple, their expressions tinged with resentment. The worst pain for a friend is to see their friend dating while they remain alone in a corner, watching everything with envy. That was the situation the two young women were currently in.
"Professor McGonagall is looking at our table with a glare that could kill someone," Theodore said, pointing to the teachers' table, where the Transfiguration professor was glaring at the Slytherin table with a sharp and very severe look.
Daphne just smiled gently at the professor and acted as if nothing had happened. She sat back down on the bench next to Asterion, intertwining her arms with his.
Although still dissatisfied with the situation, Professor McGonagall decided to address it later. She left the teachers' table and walked toward the exit of the Great Hall, ready to fetch the new students for this year.
"She's definitely going to punish us with a lot of homework," Tracey murmured with a disheartened look on her face. The memory of the amount of homework she had last year sent a chill down her spine.
"Don't be dramatic. She would have done that even without any punishment," Dorea responded with a very cold attitude, almost like Narcissa. After the attack on Hogwarts last year, all the teachers had doubled the amount of exercises and lessons, and everyone was exhausted from such a grueling routine.
Many newcomers were dissatisfied with these changes, especially the Gryffindor members, but many also didn't complain, feeling that they were getting stronger with each week of classes since last year.
Suddenly, the doors of the Great Hall opened, and Professor McGonagall, dressed in her classic emerald robes, entered the hall, followed by a long line of new students.
Daphne soon spotted her sister, Astoria, among the descendants of other noble houses, mainly talking to another teenager with long black hair and red eyes...
Red eyes…?
Red eyes!!!
Daphne's eyes widened as she saw the familiar red eyes on the girl next to her sister.
"By Morgana's saggy bosom, what is happening?" Daphne murmured, looking incredulously at the pale-skinned girl with long black hair and red eyes.
The girl's eyes also caught the attention of many people, both at the students' tables and the teachers' table. Dumbledore looked at Asterion and then at the girl with a puzzled expression. Both bore striking similarities, almost as if they were twins.
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Author's Thoughts: I doubt you can guess who the mystery girl is!
Support me to write more and read chapters ahead of all regular readers!
P-atreon.com/HPSCB
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)
Next Chapter Second Volume: Chapter 113 – New Students (2), Chapter 114 – Ophelia (1), Chapter 115 – Ophelia (2), Chapter 116 – Doubts (1), Chapter 117 – Humbug (1), Chapter 118 - Ophelia's Mother (1), Chapter 119 - I Decided to Seduce Daphne (1), Chapter 120 - Arrival of the Twelve Schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry (1), Chapter 121 - Arrival of the Twelve Schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry (2), Chapter 122 - Arrival of the Twelve Schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry (3), Chapter 123 - Arrival of the Twelve Schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry (4), Chapter 124 - Conspiracy In Progress (1), Chapter 125 - Conspiracy In Progress (2), Chapter 126 - Ophelia, Narcissa And Andromeda (1), Chapter 127 - Ophelia, Narcissa And Andromeda (2), Chapter 128 - The Four Representatives of Hogwarts (1), Chapter 129 - The Four Representatives of Hogwarts (2), Chapter 130 - The Four Hogwarts Representatives (3), Chapter 131 - The First Trial (1).
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