"What you said makes sense."
Snape folded his arms.
"In that case, no House points will be deducted."
Panessa and Kurat looked relieved.
Cassandra looked victorious.
Liam merely nodded.
Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore had no objections.
After all, Liam's argument was reasonable.
Punishing Slytherin by removing points would also punish two students who had done nothing wrong.
The matter was settled.
Panessa and Kurat received their detention.
The points remained untouched.
And the disciplinary meeting finally came to an end.
...
Panessa and Kurat left first.
Both looked thoroughly miserable.
Hermione followed shortly afterward.
Before leaving, she glanced toward Liam.
He politely nodded.
Hermione returned the gesture before departing with Professor McGonagall.
Soon only Dumbledore, Snape, Cassandra, and Liam remained.
"Well then."
Dumbledore smiled.
"I hope the rest of your first year is somewhat less eventful."
"Probably not."
Cassandra answered honestly.
For a brief moment, even Dumbledore seemed amused.
...
A short while later, Snape escorted the two first-years back toward the Slytherin common room.
The castle was quiet.
Most students had already settled into their dormitories.
As they walked through the corridors, Snape suddenly spoke.
"Mr. Hale."
"Yes, Professor?"
"You handled yourself well today."
The statement caught Liam by surprise.
"You may make a reasonable request."
Cassandra immediately looked jealous.
She wanted a reward too.
Liam considered the offer.
Then he spoke honestly.
"Professor, may I have a private dormitory?"
Snape stopped walking.
"A private dormitory?"
"Yes."
Liam nodded.
"I've always lived alone."
"I'm not used to sharing a room."
Naturally, that wasn't the real reason.
His true concern was the book currently hidden inside his enchanted pocket.
Magick Moste Evile.
Studying a heavily cursed Dark Arts text while sharing a room with other students sounded like a disaster waiting to happen.
There was also the issue of secrecy.
Many of Liam's magical theories couldn't be allowed to spread.
Even with memory charms available, privacy remained preferable.
Unfortunately—
"No."
Snape shook his head.
"Hogwarts doesn't have private dormitories for students."
"Each year shares a room."
Liam sighed internally.
A pity.
"Understood."
The opportunity had been worth trying.
"Any other request?"
"No, Professor."
Snape studied him for a moment.
Then he spoke again.
"If you ever encounter difficulties with Potions or Defence Against the Dark Arts, you may come to me directly."
This time Liam was genuinely surprised.
"Thank you, Professor."
He bowed politely.
Snape nodded.
Then he unexpectedly asked another question.
"What is your opinion of Muggles?"
The corridor fell silent.
Cassandra looked slightly confused.
Liam answered without hesitation.
"Muggles are people."
Snape remained expressionless.
Liam continued.
"Some are good."
"Some are bad."
"The same as wizards."
"When I bought food as a child, some people treated me kindly."
"Others tried to rob me."
He shrugged.
"I don't see much difference."
For several seconds, Snape said nothing.
Then he nodded once.
"Good."
The answer seemed to satisfy him.
...
As they continued walking, Snape's thoughts drifted elsewhere.
His life had been filled with regrets.
A miserable childhood.
Lost friendships.
Lost love.
Years spent serving causes he despised.
Even now, he often felt less like a man and more like a tool.
A weapon used by others.
Perhaps that was why he suddenly found himself considering something he had never seriously contemplated before.
A successor.
Someone worth teaching.
Someone capable of carrying forward what he knew.
Cassandra was talented.
Remarkably talented.
But Liam intrigued him more.
Intelligent.
Observant.
Calm.
Capable of understanding subtle implications beyond his age.
Most importantly—
He didn't seem to possess the blind prejudice common among many pure-blood families.
That mattered to Snape more than most people realized.
After all, Lily Evans had been Muggle-born.
And Snape had spent a lifetime regretting the words that destroyed their friendship.
No.
If he ever chose a student to mentor personally, it would never be someone who looked down on others because of blood.
Liam fit surprisingly well.
Ambitious.
Clever.
Protective of House interests.
Able to read a situation quickly.
A perfect Slytherin.
The more Snape thought about it, the more satisfied he became.
...
Eventually they reached a section of blank stone wall deep within the dungeons.
"This is the entrance."
Snape stopped.
"The password changes every two weeks."
He looked at both students.
"For the next fortnight, the password is Wolfsbane."
The stone wall immediately slid open.
A hidden doorway appeared.
"Good night."
Snape departed without further explanation.
...
Liam stepped through the entrance.
And immediately found himself impressed.
The Slytherin common room was unlike anything he had expected.
Large gothic windows lined one side of the chamber.
Beyond them stretched the dark waters of the Black Lake.
Fish drifted past lazily.
Occasionally something much larger moved through the darkness.
Green lamps hung from chains suspended from the ceiling.
A beautifully carved fireplace crackled nearby.
The entire room possessed an elegant underwater atmosphere.
Cool.
Quiet.
Refined.
Far more appealing than Liam had imagined.
At the center of the common room sat a familiar blonde girl.
Cassandra.
The moment she saw him, she patted the seat beside her.
"Come here."
Liam obediently sat down.
"You're back."
"I am."
"Did Snape give you trouble?"
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"If he did, tell me."
Liam blinked.
"What?"
"My father works at the Ministry."
Cassandra sounded completely serious.
"If Snape bullied you, I'll make him regret it."
Liam nearly laughed.
"No."
"He was very kind."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Cassandra visibly relaxed.
"Good."
Then she crossed her arms.
"Tomorrow morning is Transfiguration."
"With Gryffindor."
"Professor McGonagall teaches it."
"I've heard she's extremely strict."
"Don't be late."
Liam smiled slightly.
"I'll try."
"Don't try."
Cassandra pointed at him.
"Actually do it."
The concern hidden beneath the command was obvious.
For a moment, Liam felt something unfamiliar.
Warmth.
Being worried about.
It was... nice.
Eventually Cassandra stood.
"I'm going to bed."
She turned toward the girls' dormitory.
"Good night, Liam."
"Good night."
With that, she disappeared down the staircase.
...
A few minutes later, Liam entered the boys' dormitory.
Several students were already inside.
Among them sat Draco Malfoy.
Crabbe and Goyle occupied the beds nearby.
The moment Draco saw Liam enter, his entire body stiffened.
His conversation died instantly.
The memory of Ollivanders remained vivid.
Very vivid.
Earlier that evening, Draco had secretly hoped Liam and Cassandra might be expelled.
Now that hope had clearly failed.
Worse still—
They were all Slytherins.
Meaning he would be seeing them every day.
Draco immediately began wondering whether accepting his father's apology money on Liam's behalf had truly solved the problem.
What if it hadn't?
What if Liam still held a grudge?
Would he throw him through another wall?
Set him on fire?
Both seemed possible.
Meanwhile, Liam completely ignored him.
He walked to his bed.
Sat down.
And opened a book.
Not even a glance.
Not even a hint of interest.
Draco stared.
Then stared some more.
Eventually, realization dawned.
Liam genuinely didn't care.
The relief was so intense that Draco nearly sighed aloud.
A few minutes later, he resumed chatting with Crabbe and Goyle.
After all, this was still their first day at Hogwarts.
Everything felt exciting.
Everything felt new.
And for the moment, at least, Draco Malfoy was still alive.
....
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