[Chapter Size: 1900 Words.]
---------------------------------------
"Draco, you'll regret speaking for her like that."
"I most certainly will…"
Pansy's eyes welled with tears. After seeing Draco's frown and the flash of disgust in his eyes, she bit her lip and said nothing more. She turned and ran out of the room.
The few people standing nearby also felt embarrassed. They hurried toward the entrance to the dormitory at the far end of the hall, heads bowed.
The farce was over, and the Slytherin common room returned to its previous silence.
At that moment, the background noises grew clearer. The water of the lake moaned and slapped against the windows, like the weary groans of an old man. Strange cries rose from the depths of the Black Lake. It was impossible to tell what creature they belonged to, distant, muffled, and hauntingly mysterious.
Once things settled, everyone began packing up to return to their dormitories.
Suddenly, Amanda spoke, calling everyone's attention.
"Please stay. I have something to say before the Slytherins return to their rooms."
Her small figure stood at the center of the common room. She gazed at the old green-and-silver tapestry on the wall, its intricate design embroidered with Slytherin's motto:
Slytherin will help you on your way to greatness.
The golden thread had not faded in a thousand years. It gleamed brightly against the dark green cloth.
"May I ask you, and your families, why you chose to follow Voldemort?"
She spoke calmly, her voice echoing along the curved stone walls like the crack of breaking ice.
Several older students exchanged uncertain looks, hesitant to answer.
At last, an older girl stepped forward, a fanatical gleam in her eyes.
"He has the power we all desire…"
"He's incredibly powerful. In today's wizarding world, apart from Dumbledore, no one can rival him. And he's still so young."
A boy with long black hair lifted his eyes from his book with an indifferent expression.
"My family supports his views on pure-blood supremacy and the extermination of Muggles."
Another boy paled. He hesitated before speaking timidly.
"The Dark Lord threatened my family… He said that if we didn't follow him, he would kill us all…" His teeth chattered as his body shook.
"He achieved so much at such a young age, especially in the Dark Arts."
"He's ruthless, willing to do anything, and never respects the law."
…
The Slytherins all began speaking at once, voicing their own thoughts and opinions.
"Really?"
Amanda cut them off. Everyone turned to her, curious about what she was about to say.
"So the reason most of you follow him… is simply because he's strong enough?"
There was a trace of disdain in her tone, which left many of them irritated. After all, she was only eleven years old, yet she dared to dismiss their elders, their families, and even the Dark Lord himself.
"No, no, no, that's not the real reason."
Her cold eyes swept across the students eager to argue back. Then she parted her lips slightly and spoke a single, cutting word:
"It's because you're weak."
「...」
The faces of the Slytherins went pale, stung by her accusation.
The fire crackled in the hearth. Its light danced across Amanda's face, her pupils like shards of ice drifting in a frozen lake.
Beneath that frozen surface, something burned without flame, an indescribable fury pushing her to speak on.
"It's precisely because of your weakness that his strength stands out. It's because of your weakness, and your families' weakness, whether in skill, magic, talent, or anything else."
"You, who endlessly boast of pure-blood pride, allow a half-blood to control you."
Amanda sighed.
"As Slytherins, heirs of noble bloodlines, is it honorable to become slaves, obedient lambs waiting for slaughter?"
"Is Slytherin's honor something to be trampled on by others?"
She walked past those who had proudly proclaimed loyalty to Voldemort, her condemning gaze sweeping over each of their faces as though she despised their stupidity and incompetence.
Sweat gathered on their foreheads. It was as if Amanda's words had stripped away their façades, exposing their hidden cowardice beneath a merciless light.
Their secret shame was laid bare, making them tremble and collapse inside.
No longer did the Slytherin common room feel like home, for now their minds were filled only with the desire to escape it.
"Do you know what the wizarding world thinks of Slytherin and families like yours? That you're opportunists, sycophants. After Voldemort's fall, you became strays, mocked and despised by all."
Amanda spoke the words lightly, as though the very idea was ridiculous.
"You claim that honor is above all else. And yet this is how you defend the honor of Slytherin?"
She stepped up onto the common room table, looking down at them with pride.
"Honor is won through one's own struggle. Only by becoming strong can you have the right to shape destiny."
"Why don't we become strong ourselves?"
Each word landed heavy, sharp, and powerful.
No one dared make a sound, but the hearts of all present were already in turmoil.
This time, the Slytherin common room was truly shaken.
They never expected that a first-year could speak such harsh truths.
Nor had they expected that so many of them, even their parents, failed to grasp something so obvious.
Amanda's words were like slaps across their faces, stinging yet sobering.
Harry and Draco stared at her in bewilderment, suddenly feeling that there was something different about her.
Until now, they had only thought of Amanda as a bookish prodigy. In fact, they had long feared that she might have been sorted into Ravenclaw.
But now, it seemed there was a reason she had been placed in Slytherin after all.
Yet a pale-faced boy broke the silence.
His lips trembled, fear plain on his face, but still he whispered:
"I can guarantee that no Slytherin works harder than my father. But his grades are poor… After all, Voldemort's magical talent is beyond imagination…"
Your words instantly rekindled the confidence of many who had felt shaken.
Several Slytherin students who had been frustrated began to brighten again.
"Yes, he's right. It's not that we don't work hard or want to grow stronger, but no matter how much we try, there will always be someone stronger than us."
"A genius is a genius, and ordinary people like us can't compete with them through hard work alone."
Amanda smiled faintly and answered with confidence.
"Talent is no excuse. I believe there are always shortcuts to mastering magic, techniques only those clever enough can truly grasp."
Just like Snape's Potions book when he was a student, crammed with his personal annotations.
In his sixth year, Harry, who had been failing Potions, received an old textbook. Simply by copying its instructions, he was considered a Potions genius by Professor Slughorn.
"But none of us are equal to Voldemort... and of course, we don't know those techniques."
A curly-haired boy grumbled.
"Really?" Amanda tilted her head, scanning the crowd until her gaze rested on him. "If there's no one among the students, then our Head of House, our Headmaster, and our professors don't count?"
The boy faltered, clearly not expecting such a response.
"Besides... haven't you seen me before? How does my talent compare to Voldemort's?"
Amanda looked at everyone curiously, genuinely intrigued.
Silence fell. They remembered the blazing fire Amanda had just conjured. Though not a particularly advanced spell, its power had clearly surpassed their own.
And Amanda had never spent a single day in school.
One student finally spoke, nervously: "But the Dark Lord came from an orphanage, so of course he wouldn't have used much magic before enrolling. Ah, wait..."
He stopped abruptly, realizing that Pansy had said the same thing earlier when teasing Amanda, Amanda, too, had come from an orphanage.
Everyone was thinking the same thing: Amanda came from the Muggle world. Where had she learned such magic?
Most silently speculated about Amanda's strength, planning to write home later and ask their parents about the Dark Lord's abilities during his school years.
Seeing no one else speaking, Amanda nodded with satisfaction.
"Alright, it seems there are no objections, but…"
"If you truly can't, then choose to follow me."
"I will prove my strength, carry forward the spirit of Slytherin, and never…"
"Well, well, well... what a fantastic speech."
Clap Clap Clap.
Enthusiastic applause echoed from the entrance of the Slytherin common room, cutting Amanda off.
Snape strode toward them, his black cloak billowing, an ambiguous smile tugging at his lips.
The Slytherins realized their beloved Head of House had been there all along without them noticing.
"Miss Merlin, you have truly impressed me, but..."
His cold, silky voice brought the moment to a sharp close.
"First, please step down from the table."
"Ahem." Amanda jumped quickly off the table. "Hello, Head of House."
Now she wore a warm, modest smile, such a stark contrast to her earlier intimidating demeanor that it shocked everyone.
But Amanda paid no mind to their stares. After all, she had to grow stronger, no matter what.
Winning Snape's favor was necessary, perhaps she could even gain access to his Potions notes or receive special guidance.
If lucky, she might learn the Dark Arts, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Wandless Magic, or even Occlumency from him. The Head of House is truly omnipotent.
Snape averted his gaze indifferently. Harry and Draco still stood by the window.
"Ah... Draco, there you are."
He approached swiftly, exuding an intimidating aura.
Draco stepped forward, lips parting soundlessly, unsure whether he should dare call out "Godfather" in front of everyone.
Snape spoke first.
"My dear godson, your father asked me to check on you."
His gaze shifted sideways to Harry, standing behind Draco.
"Tsk, tsk, the poor, old Peacock probably never recovered after being hit on the head by a troll... His beloved son is actually spending time with Potter."
"Harry Potter..."
Harry's name slipped from Snape's lips softly, laced with danger.
He walked up to Harry, tilted his chin with bony fingers, and studied his face, his messy black hair, his every feature.
Harry was forced to look up, his green eyes locked innocently on Snape's fathomless black pupils.
"Let me see... Ah, you look so very much like your father."
"Thank you, Professor. You knew what my father looked like?"
At the mention of his parents, Harry's eyes suddenly lit with excitement, and he smiled brightly.
"Just as arrogant and detestable as he was."
Harry's smile froze instantly.
"But those eyes... exactly like Lily's."
At her name, his voice softened unexpectedly, startling Harry.
Snape lowered his head, staring unblinking into those green eyes.
They were the same, round, emerald-green, brighter than any gem. Whenever she smiled, the world became a spring lake, gentle and enchanting.
Snape didn't seem to realize his hooked nose was nearly touching Harry's face.
Harry stood stiff, practically petrified.
Amanda coughed lightly.
Snape quickly regained his composure, straightening with an expression once again cold and distant.
"Everyone, return to your dormitories immediately. Don't make me find Slytherin's hourglass down a hundred points tomorrow because you all overslept dreaming of scoring a zero on your exam."
It was as if everyone had suddenly woken from a dream. They relaxed and began filing toward the dormitory entrance.
Amanda and the others followed.
As she was leaving the hall, Draco hurried up to her and whispered:
"Amanda, the path you're about to take will be... extremely difficult."
He seemed to have noticed something, a rare expression of concern crossing his face.
Amanda smiled in return.
"Draco, thank you for your concern, but of course I know best what I want."
"I want glory itself to bow before me. If I cannot conquer everything, then I have nothing."
—————————
Author's Note:
If you're enjoying the story and wish to support me, you can visit my P-@-t-r-3-0-n, where you can read 20+ extra chapters ahead!
Thank you so much for your support. It means the world! 💙😊
P-@-T -r-3-0-n [.] com / DylanBriak