"Draco, he's already doing better than you did last year."
At the second-year section of the Slytherin table, a short-haired young witch teased the blond boy sitting across from her.
The boy's expression immediately darkened.
"What's so great about him? Just a half-blood, that's all. Let me tell you, this year, I'm going to be the team's Seeker and win the House Cup for Slytherin!"
Last year, the Bloody Baron had sat right beside him, scaring him half to death—an incident that had become a major stain on his life.
"Draco, you're really joining the team?"
The news of Draco joining the team instantly grabbed the attention of the young wizards around him.
After all, Quidditch was a sport few witches or wizards disliked, and the annual matches were one of the most anticipated events.
"Of course. My skills are way better than that idiot Potter's. He just got lucky."
Malfoy smirked smugly.
In truth, his father had sold quite a few things in Knockturn Alley and used the money to buy the entire Slytherin Quidditch team the latest Nimbus 2001 brooms, which was how he'd secured the spot.
As the feast neared its end, Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall returned.
Dumbledore went over a few important announcements before concluding the opening banquet with a collective singing of the school song.
"First-years, follow me."
At that moment, the fifth-year prefects from all four tables stood up almost simultaneously.
The first-year students from each house also rose and followed their respective prefects toward their dormitories.
Leaving the Great Hall and arriving at the entrance hall, the four houses began to separate.
The Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students ascended the marble staircase to the upper levels of the castle, while the Slytherin and Hufflepuff students headed downward to the dungeons.
The Slytherin dormitories were located even deeper underground than Hufflepuff's.
"Listen up—out of all four house dormitories, Slytherin's is the best. From your rooms and the common room, you can see right into the underwater world of the Black Lake, along with the magical creatures that live there."
The fifth-year prefect leading the way noticed the uneasy expressions on the young Slytherins' faces due to the cold, dark atmosphere of the dungeons and immediately lifted his chin, proudly explaining their accommodations.
Hearing that they could see magical creatures from the Black Lake in their dormitories, the first-years instantly brightened with excitement.
After all, the giant octopus that had rescued them during their boat ride across the lake had left quite an impression.
"Pure-blood!"
At the end of the dungeon corridor, the prefect shouted the password at a blank stretch of wall. The stone immediately split apart, revealing a large room bathed in green light—the Slytherin common room.
"The common room password changes every two weeks. The new one will be posted on the noticeboard," the prefect explained as he led the first-years inside.
By then, the young wizards' attention had already been completely captured by the sights within the common room.
Luxurious furnishings, intricately carved furniture, and the breathtaking view of the Black Lake through the transparent glass windows instantly dispelled the gloom of the dungeons.
The most fascinating feature was a medieval tapestry hanging on one wall, depicting famous adventures undertaken by Slytherins of the past. It was like watching a grand movie—the figures within would occasionally wave or even exchange a few words with onlookers.
"Look! A mermaid—a mermaid just swam by!"
"Alright, you'll see these things often enough, so no need to be too amazed. Right now, I suggest you head to your dormitories to settle in. Boys on the left, girls on the right. Your names are posted on the doors—find yours and get settled."
The prefect waved them off with satisfaction, delivering his final instructions before leaving.
"It's like living in an aquarium."
George glanced around the common room but didn't linger to explore further like the others. Instead, he turned and headed straight for the boys' dormitories.
Soon, he found his name on one of the doors, alongside three others—meaning he had three roommates.
"Baron Ballentine, Ivor Thorne, Cesar Burke… None of them are from notable families."
After a quick scan, he paid it no further mind and pushed open the door to the dormitory.
Like the common room, the dormitory had large transparent windows offering a clear view of the lake's depths.
"Looks like you didn't go hungry either."
On the bedside table nearest the door, George spotted Pigwig happily feasting in his cage. Clearly, the house-elves responsible for transporting the students' luggage hadn't neglected their pets, providing them with a hearty dinner as well.
"Hoot… hoot!"
Noticing George's arrival, Pigwig gave a cheerful cry before diving back into his meal.
After unpacking his things, George settled onto the soft bed and began reading a book on magic.
His dedication to studying wasn't solely about gaining strength for self-preservation—more than anything, he genuinely loved magic itself.
To think that the fantastical elements of his past life's imagination were now real, and that he could wield such incredible power—how could he not be utterly enthralled?
Truthfully, nothing in his previous life had ever captivated him this deeply.
If not for the fact that his body needed sufficient rest to maintain peak magical learning capacity, he might have forgone sleep entirely, devoting every hour of the day to researching and mastering this extraordinary power.
Sometimes, he even wondered—perhaps this was the life he had truly wanted all along.
Not the robotic routine of clocking in and out, wearing a mask to please bosses, colleagues, and clients, only to grow old and fade into obscurity, leaving behind nothing but ashes in a grave.
Looking back on his past life, there had been nothing worth cherishing.
"That lowly mermaid actually dared to scare me through the glass! Just wait till I learn powerful Dark Magic—I'll make her regret it."
"Of course. We're the noblest of wizards, pure-bloods. We're destined to become major figures in the wizarding world."
About half an hour later, three young wizards chattered noisily as they entered the dormitory.
When they spotted George and the unusually large Pigwig beside him, they froze in surprise. Even they rarely saw an owl as big as Pigwig—their own pet owls were barely larger than their palms.
"Hey, you—you're george, right?"
"Call me George. Or just Joe."
George didn't even look up from his book.
The three exchanged glances before the burliest of them puffed out his chest and declared:
"I like your bed. Take your stuff and move to the one farthest inside."
Their fathers all worked at the Ministry of Magic, and having known each other since childhood, they'd decided to teach the half-blood—who'd made a bit of a splash at the feast—a lesson upon realizing he was their fourth roommate.
It wasn't that they actually wanted George's bed—they just wanted to put him in his place, to show him who really ruled the dormitory, and perhaps even the first-year Slytherins.
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