"Now THIS is Slytherin!"
"THIS is Slytherin!"
Watching Tiger's retreating figure, the now-calm Augusta Longbottom's eyes filled with relief.
With such friends helping Neville, no wonder he'd changed so much.
In her student days, she'd been rebellious and unruly, loving to mingle with all sorts.
Whether righteous Aurors or dark wizards walking the edge, she could chat with anyone.
So she wasn't one to judge by appearances.
Though Tiger looked fierce, she genuinely felt the kindness from all three toward Neville.
Especially that composure and elegance—it truly reminded her of those pureblood nobles from Slytherin decades ago.
"Neville, I hope you'll learn from Mr. Shelby. He's a truly good person."
"This holiday, you should take the initiative to visit him..."
Looking at his grandmother's earnest eyes, Neville fell into strange silence. But in the end, he nodded resignedly.
"I won't disappoint you, Grandmother."
(--)(??)
"So tomorrow..."
"Uh..."
"See you next time!"
Under Mrs. Granger's gentle, teasing gaze, Hermione released her grip on Tiger's sleeve. She climbed into the car, steps slightly flustered.
"Goodbye, Tiger~"
"Goodbye, Theodore~"
Mrs. Granger waved meaningfully. The car sped off. As driver, Dr. Granger's face looked rather dark.
Watching Hermione bury herself in the back seat, Tiger frowned in confusion. All along, he'd felt something was off with Hermione.
"Hey, you little bastards!"
"Time to go home!"
Fortunately, Arthur pulled up in a convertible, interrupting Tiger's thoughts.
In the back seat, Nia cradled a baby in her arms, smiling and waving at them.
The unique radiance of motherhood was like warm spring sunshine—soft and bright, illuminating the entire car and gently falling on the two outside.
"Haha, my nunchucks are here!"
As Arthur's face darkened, Tiger braced one hand on the door. Laughing, he leapt lightly and landed heavily in the back seat. The entire car sank with a jolt.
"Oh God!"
Nia cried out, holding the baby.
"Hey! Damn little bastard!"
"Be careful! That's my little devil, not nunchucks!"
Arthur's eyes went wide. He wanted to lunge into the back seat and strangle his bastard brother.
However, when he noticed Tiger carefully supporting the other side of the bundle after hearing it wasn't nunchucks, genuine joy shining in his eyes, Arthur laughed helplessly despite his anger.
"Alright, Theodore!"
"Ignore this damn little bastard. Buckle up, we're going home!"
"Mom's already prepared dinner..."
The breeze blew gently through tree-lined streets. The car sped away, leaving behind a trail of baby cries and wild laughter...
"GO! GO! GO!"
"John! John! John!"
"Five drops! Five drops! Five drops!"
Inside the Shelby pub, the noise was deafening—like a boiling ocean. Wave after wave of cheers and applause surged, threatening to blow the roof off.
"Damn, my ears hurt."
"What are they doing?"
The moment Tiger pushed open the door, sound waves hit him. All the Shelby bastards crowded around the bar, watching something.
Seeing Tiger, the servers greeted him. A blonde, blue-eyed server set down his tray and shouted back:
"John's betting with Vishnyevsky."
"Betting?"
Tiger raised an eyebrow.
Ivan Vishnyevsky. He remembered this Soviet with the big beard—leader of the Cossack gang, answering to Tommy.
Especially after the higher-ups forbade Shelby expansion, the Cossack gang stepped up and swept out all the restless gangs around Surrey.
Honestly, Tiger didn't know how many subordinates like this Tommy had. But definitely not few.
"They're betting on drinking capacity."
Just then, Mother Polly walked over. After looking Tiger and Theodore over carefully, she lit a cigar and turned her gaze to the bar, as if watching a bunch of idiots.
"Drinking with their eyes."
Smoke rose and swirled, hiding Mother Polly's self-doubting expression. How did she give birth to such an idiot son?
"What the fuck?"
Tiger's mouth split into a grin.
Shelby bastards always pulled unexpected stunts. Drinking with eyes—just hearing it made his eyes sting...
"Come on!!!"
John stood on the bar, roaring like a beast. Veins bulged in his neck. He held whiskey in his left hand, a dropper in his right. Amid cheers and applause, he dripped whiskey into his eye.
"One! Two! Three!"
"Four! Five... Six!!!"
As the liquid dropped, deafening cheers and table-pounding exploded like thunder.
Everyone was nearly hysterical with excitement.
John's eyes were bloodshot, his face twisted almost grotesquely. Agonized howls squeezed from his nose.
"Your turn, Ivan!"
Seeing John look at him, the Cossack with the big beard didn't back down. He grabbed the vodka beside him and leapt onto the bar.
"Ivan! Ivan! Ivan!"
Amid frenzied cheers, the big beard picked up the dropper. Vodka dripped slowly like broken pearls.
"One! Two! Three!"
"Four! Five! Six... Seven!!!"
Even more fervent, excited roars exploded.
Ivan Vishnyevsky's entire neck turned purple-red. His bloodshot eyes bulged to their limit. Agonized roars shook from his chest.
The two glared at each other, trying to see who'd give up first.
But the next second, both clutched their eyes and rolled on the bar, painful groans drawing laughter all around.
"My turn!"
"This time I'm doing ten drops!"
Just then, another Cossack with a big beard stepped forward. He picked up vodka from under the table and challenged the Shelbys.
Just as the Shelbys prepared to respond, Tiger's laughter rang out from behind.
"Let me!"
"I'll do twenty..."
"Smack!"
Before he finished, Mother Polly kicked him to the ground. She exhaled smoke and looked down.
"Drinking with eyes still counts as drinking..."
"I..."
Seeing everyone look at Tiger expectantly, Theodore's lips parted. He tried to step forward as substitute. But Mother Polly's sideways glance froze him in place.
"I'll do it!"
Mother Polly glared at both brothers irritably, then strode to the bar. She bared her teeth like she'd devour someone and grinned viciously at the Cossack:
"I challenge—ten puffs of cigar!"
In that moment, the faces of all five family members seemed to overlap.
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