"I think so, too. I mean, look at him."
"Humph, he thought he was someone. But how can a mudblood like him..."
"I can't believe that the Slytherins are already bullying their housemate in just one day. Poor guy."
As Saku walked through the corridors, he encountered many whispers and murmurs. When he got close to them, no matter the house, they would stop talking and look at him with pity or ridicule. Saku couldn't understand how these people knew about him in just one evening and one morning. The evening didn't even count. As he got near to the Great Hall, even the lively portraits started to look at him more attentively.
Saku knew that he was eye-catching since he had pink hair and soft facial features, which may not be well liked in the western world. But being famous in one day is unimaginable. Such a reputation could potentially lead to serious consequences.
"Hey, are you okay? Maybe you should go to Professor Snape?"
Due to the sudden voice, Saku looked behind him. He saw two girls walking leisurely. The two girls had opposite temperaments. One lively and the other expressionless. They were his housemates who didn't interact much with others. They seemed to be childhood friends. They didn't pay much attention to others outside of their circle. Saku noticed that even when the whole first year Slytherins were insulting him, they did not participate, nor did they intervene. Perfect neutrality.
"Who?"
"You don't know?" The talkative girl was called Tracey Davis. She wore glasses and is a lovable lady. The expressionless girl was called Daphne Greengrass. She had blonde hair and blue eyes. "Oh, Merlin's beard. Professor Snape is the head of Slytherin House. The one who always wears black robes. I'm sure if you just tell him what you're going through, he will gladly help you."
"Let's go Tracey. We're late already," urged the expressionless girl.
"Thanks for the advice. Can I ask you a question?" asked Saku, not willing to let them go since he still had a doubt.
Daphne Greengrass glanced back at him. Although no emotion could be seen, Saku was pretty sure that the girl was impatient. However, Tracey Davis just nodded politely. Saku could see how their dynamic works. Most of the time, intimate relationships were formed between people with completely different temperaments. They became best friends or worst enemies. He said, "So, why am I being bullied? I know I'm from muggle parents and all. But I don't see why they are so fixated on clashing with me."
"You still knew you're being bullied?" asked Tracey. Her expression suggested that she couldn't believe Saku was aware of the situation. It seemed she had assumed that Saku's stoic face and unresponsiveness were due to him being dumb beyond belief. 'That's hurt.' thought Saku.
"It's because you're weak. You are the easiest to be pushed down. Don't think for a second that as long as you ignore them, they will go away." The answer surprisingly came from the expressionless girl, Daphne Greengrass. Her voice was as steady as a cold lake. Saku nodded to show that he understood. The girls went past him. "Glad to meet you," said Tracey.
Watching the disappearing backs of the housemates, Saku softly sighed. He looked at the portrait near him. It displayed a man with a well-groomed mustache. The portrait man had been secretly, or not so secretly, listening to their conversation since the start. For some reason, Saku felt that man is a big gossiper. It would probably recount the events of their conversation with other neighboring portraits, or worse, the whole school. Saku gave up trying to shut up its mouth since he didn't even know how these portraits worked.
Hogwarts was established by four powerful wizards to teach children magic. It was quite an innovative and ground-breaking attempt to change the world. And they succeeded. They successfully protected the young wizards from being hunted and provided streamline, effective education. This establishment was so successful that the whole era was affected. Many similar schools that adapted Hogwarts' education system were born. The lives of many defenseless young wizards were protected. The world became different.
The glory of four founders shadowed the entire history of the future wizarding world. The influences they wielded were so enormous that Dumbledore would be treated as a child. Despite many centuries of existence, Hogwarts is still treated as the center of the world. And ultimately, Hogwarts had also produced many historical figures.
But Saku never thought that the four founders were as powerful as Dumbledore. If not, why just protect the children? Why not kill the preparator? At that era, the distinction between wizards and hunters was so blurry. Even the hunters themselves could be classified as wizards. However, if the four founders were as powerful as Dumbledore, surely they could unify the whole wizarding population, not just the British Isles.
Among the four, two were stereotype pricks, one was a perfectionist, and one was an average but kind gardener. They were special, but not that special. Gryfinndor demanded bravery. Ravenclaw, intelligence. Hufflepuff, loyalty. And Slytherin, purity.
Saku didn't know why all wizards interpreted their ideals this way. Gryffindor believed that bravery was the most important characteristic of a wizard. Because if one lacked the courage to stand up and use force for oneself, learning magic was nothing but fancy tricks. Ravenclaw required more of the thirst for intelligence than just pure smartness. In the wizarding world, knowledge itself is equal to power.
Hufflepuff believing that loyalty as the best quality of a wizard was just a shallow interpretation. Dumbledore had Order of Phoenix, Voldemort had Death Eater, and Grindelwald had Acolyte. These three powerhouses needed followers to accomplish their visions. What did this situation say? Even for a very powerful wizard, a certain number of people was needed. For weak and average wizards, numbers naturally mean power. And diligence was a quality needed to be a skilled wizard. Slytherin demanded purity and cunningness. But Saku begged to be different.
One of the neglected qualities of a Slytherin was resourcefulness. In the magical world, many resources were required to wage a battle at 100% power. These may be wand materials, ritual materials, clothing, potion materials, and so on. There were countless things to spend on. Having resources means strength in itself. And pure blood naturally has more resources. Why would Voldemort preach of pure-blood supremacy when he himself was a half-blood? That's why Slytherin students were more adapted at finding wealth than any other houses. Even the children would look for opportunities to gain connection. The competition was fierce. And he who underestimated them as children was seen as a pushover.
Saku didn't think much of the insults until now. He began walking towards the great hall. 'I'm sorry, Charles. I think I'm going to get expelled.' thought Saku. He entered the great hall, where four long tables were mostly occupied. Loud conversations between friends set the mood to a cheerful tone. Smiles and laughter adorned the faces of many students. Some were reading newspapers. It's seemed like Owl's delivery time was already over. He walked toward the Slytherin house's table.
Saku could see that the first years had already made their own circles. There were ten students this year. Five girls and seven boys. Five of the boys, Malfoy and the gang, sat together. One black boy was shunned, albeit not obviously. Two of the girls, Daphne and Tracey, sat together. The other three girls whispered among themselves. All of them had their breakfast ethnically and elegantly.
Saku naturally sat down in the empty space. The table was engulfed with silence. The second year watched over curiously. The first years sneered in contempt and mockery. Saku glanced at the staff table and found the brooding man with a black robe. Their glances intersected as they observed each other. 'In Slytherin, even a tiny place must be earned. I can't control my urge anymore.' thought Saku. Saku smiled at him and broke their eye contact. From their short exchange, Saku already figured out that the Slytherin head wouldn't get himself involved unless students were physically harmed.
'Why don't we just kill them. It's easy after all.' A voice resounded within Saku's mind. Ethereal and bewitching.
'Blood, I want to see'
'Warmness of life spilled on me. How happy would I be?'
'It's ok to relax slightly. Isn't it? Just this once.'
"Hey, mudblood. I thought you're crying in a closet and won't come out," said Draco Malfoy. Other boys jeered as they joined in on the fun. Except for one boy and two girls, all the first years were looking at him. They were expecting him to go silent, just like last night. Saku watched as their faces twisted in delight for being superior.
Saku could feel. He could his desires breaking free. 'Just this once? I won't kill anyone anyway. It won't be a huge matter. I am really sorry, Chrales.' thought Saku.
His eyes dilated. His muscles tensed. He could feel the joy of the beast inside him. His breathing became rougher. Finally, his stoic expression collapsed as a twist smile graced his face. He took a silver fork from the table in front of him.
Without a warning or whatsoever, he pierced a nearby boy's hand with the fork. His white hand was immediately painted red. The blood splashed everywhere on the table. Before the boy could screeched in pain, Saku jumped onto the table, kicking the plates and bowls, instantly messing the whole table.
The first years stood up in shock as the curries and soups flied around. Their once meticulous robes were now dirty with oils and blood. But no one paid the robes any attention.
"AAAAAAAAHHhhhhhhhh..." The belated cry of the boy was very loud. However, Saku wasn't done yet. He placed his hands on the table and kicked the stupid faces of two big guys. His shoes nicely connected with their noses, breaking them along the way.
The two big guys were knocked out without making a sound due to excessive shockwaves to their brains. At this moment, the dumbstruck students regained their clarity as alarm bells went off in their heads. Saku crouched on the table, holding a silver plate.
A short girl pulled out her wand. Before she could do anything, a silver plate flied through the air, hitting her Adam's apple at the neck. Saku didn't pay her any more attention as he punched the blonde boy in the face three times without stopping. Blood drilled out of his nose.
A lanky boy pointed his wand at Saku. However, his wand was snatched away in the blink of an eye. Saku gave the wand back to its owner by putting it in the boy's arm. "Stop this instant!! You bunch of baboons." A shout came. But Saku didn't have any idea of stopping.
He grabbed a nearby girl's hair. He pounded the girl hard on the bloody surface of the table. And suddenly, a heavy punch hit his side and threw him off the table. He twisted his body midair to get a view of the preparator. It was the male prefect. He used the momentum that sent him through the air as the force to propel his wand, aiming at the abdomen of the prefect.
"Who dares to raise a wand? Do you have a dead wish?" Saku perfectly stood on his feet, not losing balance despite being thrown off the midair for about 2 meters. He watched as his wand approached the prefect's abdomen with the speed of an arrow. He could feel his excitement reaching the peak. The exhilaration he experienced couldn't be explained in just a few words.
"Protego!" A shield appeared in the path of the wand. The wand bounced off the shield. The prefect, who couldn't react to the flying wand, breathed a sigh of relief. A man wearing a billowing black cape with an ugly expression approached the scene.
He looked at the students hastily and only calmed down when he saw that no one was critically injured. The man stared at Saku, his eyes twinkling. He said it in a low voice. "Mr. Ryomen, I very much hoped you are prepared."
Saku closed his eyes. 'How would I be judged? It was an aggressive attack in all senses. It would be good if it's just expulsion.' The great hall fell into complete anarchy as the students panicked. Even the professors are bewildered. They couldn't effectively control the chaotic crowd of the students. The Slytherin table was dead silent as the upper class students looked at the scene in horror. It wasn't a great way to start a term by any stretch of imagination.
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