"I am your Prefect, Vanessa Greengrass. The password for the common room changes every two weeks. The current word is Ouroboros, and all future updates will be posted on the notice board," Vanessa explained to the gathered first-years once the stone door had sealed them inside.
She stood on the steps leading down to the lounge, her gaze sweeping over the students of all grades who had lingered to watch the newcomers.
"In this school, we are Slytherin. We do not reject ambition, but we expect it to be tempered by calm, elegance, and honor. I expect each of you to uphold the reputation of our house. Slytherin has not won the House Cup in several years. I suggest you spend less time brawling with Gryffindors and more time focused on your studies and your standing."
The younger students listened in silence, though their expressions varied wildly. It was clear that for many, the lecture was merely background noise. Before she could continue, a discordant voice cut through the room.
"That doesn't mean we should let those Gryffindor idiots walk all over us. The time for our rise is now. Look at the world outside these walls; things are shifting." A fifth-year student with golden hair stood on the stairs, his tone challenging.
"That's Rory Yaxley," Vivian whispered to Alan, leaning in close. "He was only just made a Prefect this year."
"That is enough!" Vanessa snapped, her eyes flashing. "Do not bring outside politics into this school. You are here to learn, not to recruit for a cause."
"Everyone, disperse," she continued, cutting Yaxley off before he could retort. "Your luggage is in your dormitories, and your timetables are on your desks. Your names are on the doors. Go."
"We are born noble, Vanessa!" Yaxley roared as the crowd began to thin. "Slytherin has a duty to maintain the purity of our world. I heard we even have Muggle-borns joining us now. Look at what your leadership has done to our prestige!"
Alan didn't stick around to hear the rest of the rant. He had no interest in being the target of a fifth-year's mid-life crisis, so he slipped into the shadows of the corridor leading away from the lounge.
It was obvious that Slytherin was fractured. One side seemed to be a neutral faction, wanting to keep the war at arm's length, while the other was clearly aligned with the pure-blood supremacy of the Dark Lord.
Alan walked until he found the door bearing his name. Since the Slytherin dormitories were built into the dungeon levels, many were structured as individual cells, allowing students the luxury of private rooms. This was one aspect of his sorting that Alan found genuinely agreeable.
The room was surprisingly lavish. A four-poster bed stood against polished stone walls, draped in emerald green and silver silk. Two reinforced windows offered a direct, underwater view of the lakebed. Medieval tapestries depicting the adventures of famous Slytherins hung on the walls, and the stone floor was covered by a thick, high-quality carpet.
"Not a bad setup," Alan admitted. While he didn't feel a shred of loyalty to the house yet, he appreciated the privacy and the decor.
He unpacked his trunk, his mind shifting back to his long-term strategy. "I need to stay under the radar. My training and physical conditioning cannot stop. Slytherins look out for themselves, and I can't expect the fanatics to leave me alone just because I share their colors. The magical world is fascinating, but safety is the priority. I need superior firepower."
His military background dictated that all unknowns were threats until neutralized. His gaze, usually carefully neutral, hardened with a sharp, resolute focus.
The next morning, Alan was awake and stretching by six o'clock.
The Hogwarts schedule was straightforward: two consecutive classes from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, followed by lunch. Afternoon sessions began at 1:00 PM. Tuesday's schedule started with Charms, followed by History of Magic in the afternoon.
Dressed and ready, Alan set out to scout the castle layout. The common room was ghost-white in the early light, the only movement coming from the giant squid drifting past the overhead windows. He took a moment to appreciate the engineering—the view of the lakebed was a masterpiece of magical architecture.
He spent the next two hours mapping the corridors. The moving staircases were a nuisance designed to confuse the unwary, so Alan bypassed the frustration. When a staircase shifted away, he simply used an Impediment Jinx to create a temporary magical platform, leaping between levels with practiced ease.
He discovered that the main tower spanned eight floors, topped by the Headmaster's office. A series of courtyards and covered bridges connected the various towers. He located the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor entrances, the Astronomy Tower, the library, and the sprawling greenhouses. By the time the rest of the school was stirring for breakfast, Alan had a mental map of every shortcut and escape route in the building.