The Tenth Weasley - CH - 53

The day began as usual for Harry, Blaise, and Daphne.

Their personal dormitory was a luxury most Slytherins could only dream of. The three of them had an attached bathroom, sparing them from the usual Hogwarts morning chaos of shared sinks and cold showers.

Harry, as always, was the first to wake up.

The enchanted windows in their dormitory, a rare feature in Hogwarts, projected a view of the Great Lake’s depths. He flicked his wand at the magical lantern, causing the soft green light to reflect the movement of underwater creatures. A few merpeople swam by in the distance, their silver tails flickering.

Harry stretched, then walked to his small sitting area, where a warm cup of tea was already waiting.

The house-elves loved him.

Whether it was because of his politeness, his tendency to tip them with sweets, or the fact that he never ordered them around harshly, they always made sure he had the best service possible.

Blaise eventually stumbled out of his bedroom, yawning. His dark curls were a mess, and he muttered something about how wizards should invent a spell for instant wakefulness.

Harry smirked. “You mean coffee?”

Blaise glared at him. “No, something better.”

Daphne was next. She was always the last to wake up, but somehow, she never looked messy. It was annoying, really.

She gave both of them a judgmental look. “Why do you two look like you’ve been dragged out of bed by a troll?”

Harry took a slow sip of his tea. “Because we have.”

Blaise pointed at Harry. “It’s his fault. He always wakes up too early.”

Daphne rolled her eyes. “You sound like an old man.”

After getting ready, the three of them headed out of their dormitory into the Slytherin common room.

It was already bustling with students. The sound of conversations, laughter, and last-minute homework panic filled the air.

First-years hurried to find their schedules. Older students lounged near the fireplace, discussing upcoming Quidditch matches.

Harry, leading the way, dodged a floating bookbag as one of the fourth-years accidentally set off a Levitation Charm gone wrong.

Blaise nudged him. “Ready for another thrilling day at Hogwarts?”

Harry smirked. “If by thrilling, you mean dealing with Lockhart’s nonsense and Malfoy’s whining, then yes. I’m thrilled.”

Daphne sighed. “You should really work on your enthusiasm, Harry.”

The humming noise of the Slytherin common room came to an abrupt halt when the entrance door swung open.

Every student turned their heads in shock because the first person to step inside was Professor Snape.

Snape never visited the common room unless it was something serious. His black robes billowed as he strode in, his sharp eyes scanning the room, making every Slytherin instinctively straighten their posture.

But what truly made the room fall into an uneasy silence was the man who followed him.

Lucius Malfoy.

Dressed in his usual high-collared black robes, silver snake-head cane in hand, the Malfoy patriarch entered with his signature cold confidence.

Behind him, struggling under the weight of a large parcel, was a small, pitiful-looking house-elf.

Harry recognized those large green eyes instantly.

Daphne leaned toward him, whispering discreetly. “That’s Dobby. The Malfoys’ house-elf.”

Harry studied the elf more closely this time.

Dobby’s tattered pillowcase hung loosely from his small frame, his thin arms shaking as he struggled to keep hold of the heavy parcel. His large ears drooped slightly, and his eyes darted anxiously around the room, as if expecting punishment for breathing too loudly.

Harry clenched his fists. He knew house-elves weren’t always treated well, but seeing Dobby so visibly mistreated made his stomach churn.

The purpose of this sudden visit became clear a few moments later when Marcus Flint, the Slytherin Quidditch Captain, stepped forward.

Lucius handed the parcel to Flint with a self-satisfied smirk.

“I believe Slytherin House should always have the finest advantages,” he said smoothly.

Flint pulled the parcel open, revealing gleaming new Nimbus 2001 broomsticks.

A collective gasp echoed through the common room.

The entire Slytherin Quidditch team had just received brand-new brooms.

Instantly, murmurs of excitement spread through the students. The Nimbus 2001 was the best racing broom available. It was sleeker, faster, and more maneuverable than anything on the market.

Draco Malfoy stepped forward proudly, his chest puffed out.

“And,” Lucius added, his tone casual but calculated, “with the unfortunate departure of our previous Seeker, my son, Draco, will be taking his rightful place.”

There was a moment of silence, then a loud cheer erupted from the Slytherin team.

Draco grinned smugly, basking in the attention, while several students shot jealous but admiring glances at him.

From the corner of his eye, Harry noticed Dobby flinch slightly at Lucius’s words, his small fingers clenching the hem of his pillowcase.

Harry didn’t join in the applause. He folded his arms, watching the scene carefully.

It wasn’t against the rules to buy a team new broomsticks… but it certainly wasn’t fair.

Blaise leaned in, whispering to Harry. “Buying the entire team broomsticks just to get his son on the team? Typical Malfoy move.”

Daphne sighed. “Well, at least Slytherin will win the Quidditch Cup.”

Harry didn’t care much about Quidditch. But he did care about Dobby.

And something told him that this wasn’t the last time he’d be seeing Malfoy’s house-elf.

Lucius Malfoy paused mid-step, his cold grey eyes narrowing slightly as he turned his full attention to Harry. The Slytherin common room fell into an uneasy silence, students exchanging wary glances. No one openly defied Lucius Malfoy, especially not a second-year student.

Lucius took a measured step forward, his polished cane tapping against the stone floor. He looked down at Harry with the same disdain one might reserve for a particularly annoying insect.

"I don't know what the Sorting Hat was thinking," he said smoothly, his voice dripping with quiet malice. "It put even Blood traitors into Slytherin House."

The insult wasn’t lost on anyone. Blood traitors—a derogatory term some purebloods used for wizards who don't follow old traditions—wasn’t commonly thrown around in public, but Lucius Malfoy had never been one to hide his prejudices.

A few older students looked uncomfortable, but no one spoke up.

Harry, however, didn’t even flinch.

He smiled. A slow, confident smile. Because if there was one thing Harry excelled at, it was winning arguments.

"I quite agree, Mr. Malfoy," Harry said, his tone light but sharp. "I also think the Sorting Hat lost its ability to sort... after all, it put your son into Slytherin."

A ripple of surprise ran through the crowd. Draco stiffened beside his father, his face flushing red, but Harry wasn’t done.

"Tell me, Mr. Malfoy," Harry continued, his voice smooth, measured, every word carefully placed like pieces on a chessboard. "What part of Draco is cunning? What part of him is ambitious? Your son acts more like a Gryffindor—reckless, loud, and predictable. Or maybe a Hufflepuff, considering how loyal he is to you. It’s almost touching, really."

A sharp intake of breath came from several students. Draco’s face went from red to furious.

"Shut your mouth, Weasley!" Draco snapped, stepping forward, but Lucius raised a single hand, halting him.

Lucius’s expression didn’t change, but something dark flashed behind his grey eyes.

"You have quite the tongue, boy," Lucius said, his voice still controlled, but now he was looking at Harry differently. Assessing. Measuring.

Harry met his gaze without hesitation. He wasn’t afraid of Lucius Malfoy.

Lucius studied him for a moment longer before letting out a low chuckle.

"Cunning, sharp, and fearless," Lucius murmured, almost to himself. "Perhaps the Hat did not misplace you after all."

Then, without another word, he turned and walked toward the exit.

Draco hesitated, throwing Harry a murderous glare, before hurrying after his father.

The moment the common room doors closed behind them, the tension snapped.

A few Slytherins exchanged glances, muttering amongst themselves. Others smirked in approval.

Blaise, standing beside Harry, let out a low whistle.

"That was either the stupidest or most brilliant thing you've ever done," he murmured.

Daphne, arms crossed, gave Harry a half-impressed, half-worried look.

"You really don't know how to keep your head down, do you?" she sighed.

Harry just smirked.

"What fun would that be?"

The Quidditch pitch was alive with the sound of whirring broomsticks, the chatter of excited players, and the occasional shout of encouragement from the sidelines. The Slytherin team, now in possession of brand-new Nimbus 2001s, was testing out their speed, maneuverability, and overall performance.

Harry, Daphne, and Blaise stood at the edge of the field, watching as Draco Malfoy took his position in the air, adjusting to his new role as Seeker.

"I still can’t believe he bought his way onto the team," Daphne muttered, arms crossed.

Blaise smirked. "You expected something different?"

Harry remained silent, watching carefully. As much as he disliked Malfoy, there was no denying that the Nimbus 2001 was an excellent broom. It was sleek, incredibly fast, and smooth in turns.

He wasn’t the only one watching.

Before long, the Gryffindor team arrived on the pitch, their red robes standing out against the early morning mist. Oliver Wood, Gryffindor’s Quidditch Captain, strode forward, his usual enthusiasm tinged with frustration.

"Flint," Wood said, his voice sharp, "we booked the pitch for practice this morning."

Marcus Flint, the burly Slytherin captain, grinned, his teeth slightly too large for his mouth.

"Did you now?" Flint drawled. "Well, that’s unfortunate, Wood, because we have a special exemption to train today."

He reached into his robe pocket and pulled out a folded piece of parchment, waving it slightly. "Signed by none other than Professor Snape himself."

Harry caught the way Wood’s jaw clenched. The Gryffindor team behind him was bristling, their eyes narrowing as they scanned the Slytherin players, who were all smirking in satisfaction.

Fred and George, standing behind Wood, exchanged glances.

"Snape, being biased toward Slytherin?" Fred said, his voice mockingly surprised. "I’m shocked."

"Absolutely stunned," George added. "I may faint."

Daphne rolled her eyes. "Did they rehearse that?"

Harry smirked. "They always do."

Wood turned to his teammates, seething. "This isn’t fair. You lot just got these brooms, and suddenly you get special privileges?"

Malfoy, who had been hovering nearby, descended slowly, landing gracefully before stepping toward the Gryffindor players. He adjusted his gloves, looking pleased with himself.

"Jealous, Wood?" Malfoy said smoothly. "It’s not our fault the Slytherin team has superior resources. Maybe if you lot weren’t so... poor, you'd have decent brooms too."

A sharp silence fell over the pitch.

Harry felt Daphne stiffen beside him. Blaise let out a low breath, shaking his head.

The Weasley twins immediately stepped forward, their eyes flashing.

"Say that again, Malfoy," Fred said dangerously.

"Go on, you little ferret," George added. "Let’s hear you talk big again."

Malfoy did not back down. He smirked, "I said—"

But before he could finish, Wood cut in, placing a firm hand on Fred’s shoulder, holding him back.

"Forget it," Wood muttered, glaring at Flint. "We’ll practice later. Let’s go, team."

The Gryffindor players, grumbling under their breath, turned and began heading back toward the castle.

Before leaving, however, Harry caught Ginny’s eyes. She had been standing with the Gryffindor team, watching everything silently.

She didn’t say anything.

But she was clearly furious.

And Harry had a feeling this wouldn’t be the last time tensions flared between the two teams.


The Great Hall was bustling with students by the time Harry, Daphne, and Blaise arrived. The enchanted ceiling reflected the soft morning light, streaks of pale blue and gold casting a warm glow over the long tables. The scent of buttered toast, bacon, and pumpkin juice filled the air as students chatted and ate.

Harry had barely settled into his seat at the Slytherin table when Ginny, Rose, and Astoria appeared in front of him, looking rather cross. Luna Lovegood trailed behind them, her usual dreamy expression making her seem out of place in the minor confrontation.

"Harry James Weasley," Ginny said, arms crossed, her freckled face set in a firm glare.

Harry, still mid-bite of toast, blinked at her. "Er—good morning?"

"Don’t ‘good morning’ us," Rose huffed, sliding onto the bench beside him while Astoria and Luna took the other side. "You’ve barely spoken to us since school started!"

Ginny nodded, pouting slightly. "You just disappeared! We wanted to talk about classes and explore together, but you’ve been too busy."

Harry sighed, sharing a knowing look with Blaise and Daphne.

"It’s only been a few days," he pointed out.

"That’s not the point!" Ginny said. "You promised to help us settle in, and you just—" she waved her hands dramatically, "vanished into your Slytherin hideout."

Luna, who had been quietly sipping her pumpkin juice, suddenly spoke.

"Harry has been very busy," she said in her usual airy voice. "He has secret night adventures."

Astoria and Rose perked up at that, while Ginny narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"What kind of secret adventures?" Rose demanded.

Harry cleared his throat quickly before Blaise could smirk and say something incriminating.

"Nothing exciting," he said smoothly. "Just some extra studying."

"You?" Astoria squinted at him. "Studying?"

Daphne smirked. "I know, shocking, isn’t it?"

Ginny was still glaring at him, clearly not satisfied with his excuse.

Harry sighed, giving in. "Alright, alright—I’ll make it up to you. How about I give you a tour of the Slytherin common room? Maybe even our personal quarters?"

The reaction was immediate.

"Really?" Astoria gasped, eyes wide with excitement. "We get to see the actual Slytherin common room?"

Rose and Ginny exchanged excited looks, and even Luna’s expression brightened slightly.

"You mean it?" Ginny asked, her previous frustration melting away into enthusiasm.

"Yes," Harry said with a grin. "But you have to keep it secret. No telling other Gryffindors—or anyone else, for that matter."

"We swear!" Astoria said quickly.

"We won’t tell a soul!" Rose added, nodding fervently.

Luna smiled. "I don’t think anyone would believe me if I told them anyway."

Daphne sighed dramatically, shaking her head. "I suppose we’ll have to prepare for little Gryffindors invading our space now."

"Technically, only three Gryffindors and one Ravenclaw," Blaise corrected.

"Still feels like an invasion," Daphne muttered.

Harry chuckled. "I’ll show you all after dinner tonight. Meet me outside the Great Hall."

Ginny, Rose, and Astoria beamed at him, thrilled by the promise.

Luna simply sipped her juice, tilting her head. "I do hope the Slytherin dormitories aren’t filled with Wrackspurts."

Blaise stared at her. "What in Merlin’s name is a Wrackspurt?"

Luna blinked at him. "You should probably wear a hat."

Harry laughed, enjoying the ridiculousness of the conversation. He might have been a Slytherin, but it seemed he was still stuck dealing with Gryffindor chaos.