After bidding farewell to Snape, Sean returned to the Slytherin common room. The moment he stepped inside, the entire room went silent. Every student turned to look at him—some with hesitation, some with open hostility. Miles, who had been discharged earlier, and Draco Malfoy, whose family had lost an entire dragon farm, stared at Sean with clear malice, as though waiting to see a joke unfold.
"Sean, there's a meeting soon. Come with me."
Sean turned toward Samuel, who wore a complicated expression. With a smile and a nod, Sean ignored the onlookers who were waiting for drama and followed Samuel straight to the meeting room of the Slytherin Brotherhood Reserve Organization.
As soon as he entered that familiar place, Sean could feel the difference. Unlike the common room, the atmosphere here wasn't thick with resentment or drama. Still, he could sense that people had taken sides. The moment he arrived, he could read their stances in their eyes—quiet, watchful, reserved.
Without saying a word, he walked to his usual seat and sat down.
But at that moment, a fifth-year student from Oliver's camp suddenly lashed out at Sean, shouting, "This isn't your seat—you're not qualified to sit here!"
Sean ignored him and simply looked around at the others. He said calmly,"You're all gathered here, probably waiting for me. It's an honor to have your full attention. If you have something to say, say it now."
Seeing that Sean ignored him, the boy's face turned red. He suddenly stood up and reached for his wand.
But before his hand could fully grip it, Sean had already raised his wand and pointed it at him. A flash of red light shot out—Bang! The boy flew backward and crashed to the floor. His wand spun through the air and landed right at Sean's feet.
That kind of power...
It seemed the basilisk hadn't been killed by luck after all.
An expert could tell with just one move.
Sean's effortless strike was enough to make everyone present aware of his strength.
But strength alone wasn't everything—some things still needed to be addressed.
Irina looked at Sean, worry in her eyes. After a moment of silence, she spoke gently:"Sean… did you really kill the basilisk left behind by Salazar Slytherin? If you didn't, it's okay—you can tell us. Maybe there was a misunderstanding. After all, the Headmaster's phoenix and the Savior were present at the time. Anything could have happened, right?"
Sean looked at Irina and understood—she was trying to speak for him, to protect him, in her own way. He appreciated her kindness.
But when he came here today, Sean already had new thoughts in mind. At first, he had no one under his command, so of course he had to rely on the Slytherin Brotherhood to build influence.
But now, with Barrett quietly operating under him, there was no longer any need for Sean to remain in this organization personally. Unless something truly important happened, he would begin to withdraw from direct involvement.
Since they wanted to target him over the basilisk incident, he might as well retreat behind the scenes.
Barrett could continue gaining power in the organization. Compared to Sean himself, Barrett—who was fanatical about Voldemort and deeply loyal to Slytherin's legacy—was far more suited to lead here.
"I killed the basilisk. There's no doubt about that."
Hearing Sean's words, Irina let out a helpless sigh.
At that moment, Oliver slowly stood up, his right hand resting on the wand at his waist—ready to draw it at any time, clearly guarding against a sudden attack from Sean. He looked directly at Sean and said,
"Sean Bulstrode, as a member of Slytherin House, you should uphold the glory of Slytherin pure-bloods! But you killed the basilisk left behind by Salazar Slytherin. That act is a betrayal! A betrayal of Salazar Slytherin himself! A betrayal of Slytherin House!
Therefore, we—on behalf of the Slytherin Brotherhood—announce that you are hereby expelled from the Slytherin Brotherhood Reserve Organization. And further, we expel you on behalf of Slytherin House itself. From this moment on, you are no longer one of us!"
"What? How could there be such a decision?" Irina stood up, glaring at Oliver in disbelief. "Leaving the Slytherin Brotherhood Reserve Organization is one thing—but being expelled from Slytherin House? You don't have that authority! I don't believe this is truly the Brotherhood's decision!"
"If you don't believe me, take a look at this."
Oliver flicked a piece of parchment into the air. It floated toward Irina and landed in her hands.
She looked down, scanned the contents, and then her eyes fell on the magical seal in the lower-right corner. The mark was genuine. There was no doubt—it really was issued by the Slytherin Brotherhood.
Her expression shifted. Irina sighed, sat back down, and said nothing more.
Seeing her reaction, Oliver smirked. Just as he opened his mouth to speak again, he noticed Sean staring at him with an odd expression.
Frowning, Oliver asked, "What are you looking at?"
"Oh, nothing," Sean said calmly. "I just found it a little funny."
"Funny?"
Ignoring him, Sean stood up and said,"Since you've made your decision, I won't stay here a moment longer. I officially withdraw from the Slytherin Brotherhood Reserve Organization and will no longer have anything to do with you.
Of course, if anyone here still considers me a friend, you're welcome to come find me.
And as for this nonsense about expelling me from Slytherin House—please don't joke like that in the future. It's absurd. A student-run club based on Slytherin has no authority to decide who belongs in the House."
With that, Sean turned around and left without another word.
But at that moment, two people beside Oliver stood up one after another. From their expressions, it was obvious they intended to cause trouble because of what Sean had just said.
Naturally, Sean wasn't going to give them the chance.
With a swift kick, he sent the first one flying backward. The boy landed on his knees, clutching his stomach and groaning in pain.
Without missing a beat, Sean threw a backhand punch, striking the second one square in the nose. There was a distinct crack as the nose broke.
Then, in a perfectly good mood, Sean walked away—no one dared to stop him.