Chương 71: An ancient story part1

"Hello Evelyn, how are you? It's sad that there are so few people in your support classes."

"Hi Katie, I'm fine, thanks. The reason there are so few people in class is because of the Chamber of Secrets. With Colin's petrification, the first years are too scared to go anywhere other than their regular classes, and the older students aren't feeling very reassured either. Only those who are truly determined or scholars, like Daphne Greengrass or Hermione Granger, still attend."

The funny thing is that Daphne and Hermione are still in my support classes, hoping to learn more about the classes while I teach the higher years.

There's a small rivalry between Hermione and Daphne because they're in the same year and both are the two best in their class. Daphne, being pure-blood, has a hard time accepting that Hermione, a Muggle-born, can match her, but that's likely only because Hermione is in Ravenclaw. If she were in Gryffindor, I doubt Daphne would have the humility to acknowledge her respect for Hermione.

"It's mostly because, without your support classes, I wouldn't be able to balance studying and Quidditch. For that, I thank you sincerely."

"I do this mainly because I can visit the library without having to wait until I grow older."

After this brief interaction, Katie sat down at a table. Knowing that no other students would normally attend, I began teaching the ten students present.

"Since you are all here for this class, I decided to teach you a little more about history."

Daphne raised her hand, and I allowed her to speak.

"Despite this special course, would you have time to answer my questions about potions?"

"Of course, but it will be at the end of the class. Today, I would like to talk about the origins of the hostility between Slytherin and Gryffindor. Does anyone know where this hostility came from?"

No hands were raised, which was expected. I would have been surprised if anyone knew the reason for this hostility.

"Know first that there are four houses because they allow people with similar traits to be grouped together. It was necessary to divide the students into several groups, and the best way was to place those who were alike together. Since you already know how the four houses were created and the characteristics of each house, there's no need to review that point."

I paused anyway to observe the class, ensuring they understood.

"The hostility between Gryffindor and Slytherin is, in truth, quite foolish when you understand it. The quarrel began because they faced similar situations but responded differently. When Gryffindors encountered danger, they confronted it head-on, while Slytherins used cunning to achieve their goals. In the end, Gryffindors accused Slytherins of being dishonorable, and Slytherins saw Gryffindors as reckless hotheads. This sparked the conflict, and over time, they became trapped in a vicious cycle. What you see today is the result of that, though the original reasons for their disputes have long been forgotten."

"But most dark wizards come from Slytherin rather than Gryffindor. How do you explain that?"

"Slytherins are placed in this house because they possess great ambition, and for many of them, most people are merely pawns to achieve their goals. Gryffindors, on the other hand, value courage and justice, which makes it less likely for dark wizards to come from this house, though there are exceptions, like Sirius Black."

I noticed that Daphne, who was the only Slytherin in this class, was visibly dissatisfied with my answer. However, she could not deny the truth of what I said.

Hermione raised her hand.

"One thing I don't understand is why there are no Muggle-borns in their house."

I was pleased she asked this question, as it created the perfect segue into the next point I wanted to discuss.

Author's note: Daphne is a very minor character in the series but after reading some fanfiction highlighting it I wanted to do the same and give it more importance.