After finishing the paper, Sean let out a sigh of relief and finally relaxed a little.
But that was only a small reprieve. He still had a Transfiguration paper that he'd barely begun. Although Professor McGonagall wasn't one to scold harshly, her standards when it came to academic writing were notoriously high. That sensation of constantly making errors—being sliced again and again by a dull blade—was hardly any better than being doused in Snape's verbal poison.
In short, every professor could be terrifying when it came to a thesis.
Potions Club.
Snape was never one to gossip—but he certainly enjoyed unleashing verbal venom. And today, with the knowledge that no one else in the Potions Club had finished their thesis, he had the perfect excuse. Sean, ironically the only one who had completed his essay, was also the youngest member and the one with the lowest grades. That made him the prime target.
Snape spat out his name with ridicule and contempt, his words splashing over every student in the room—except Sean himself.
"Some of you are already in sixth year, and next year you'll be in seventh. If I don't see your essays when school starts next year, I will refuse you entry to my N.E.W.T. Potions class—even if you score an Outstanding on the test!"
The moment those words dropped, the room fell into frozen silence. A visible wave of dread spread, especially among the sixth years, some of whom looked as though they were about to cry.
As he surveyed the tense room, a flicker of satisfaction appeared on Snape's otherwise impassive face. Today's Potions Club ended with Snape being the only one in a good mood.
Snape swept out first, his black robes billowing behind him. Sean followed a few steps behind, ready to leave as well—until Jennifer suddenly called out.
"Sean, got a minute?"
Turning to her, Sean had a good idea what she wanted. At first, he thought about brushing her off. But then he reconsidered, stopped, and turned to face her.
Once the others had gone, Sean looked her in the eye and said plainly, "If it's the same pitch as last time, there's really no need to say it."
"Why are you so against it? Wouldn't you at least gain something by taking Oliver down?"
"Of course I hate Oliver," Sean said, voice steady. "But I'd rather see him fall by my wand, not by some scheme."
Jennifer frowned, frustration flickering across her face. She had assumed Sean would be eager to cooperate, especially after being targeted by Oliver in the Slytherin Brotherhood reserve. But to her surprise, Sean was still unwilling to join her cause.
Some people might think that although Sean, who left the Slytherin Brotherhood reserve organization, is indeed a genius, he lacks the background to support him and isn't worth paying attention to.
But while others may not know, Jennifer knows very well—Gideon Bulstrode's attitude toward Sean is quite intriguing. She doesn't know exactly what Gideon wants Sean to do—whether it's to sharpen him like a grindstone or something else—but what she does know is this: whatever Gideon is thinking, at least during their time at Hogwarts, Gideon is Sean's biggest supporter.
So in Jennifer's eyes, Sean quitting the Slytherin Brotherhood reserve is not only not a bad thing—it's actually a good thing. It makes it even more likely that she can pull Sean into her camp to fight against their common enemy, Oliver Fawley.
However, the outcome didn't go as she expected. Sean didn't seem moved at all.Could it be that he's not a vengeful person?Could it be that he's some kind of calm and detached saint?Don't be ridiculous. Would someone like that ever end up in Slytherin?
"What do you want in exchange for cooperating with me?"
Looking at Jennifer, Sean smiled and said playfully,
"You both share the Fawley name.If you want me to get involved, you'll first have to show me a real attitude—a firm attitude.An attitude that won't waver just because of blood or personal feelings.Otherwise, how could an outsider like me dare interfere in your family affairs?I'm not a fool. Don't you agree?"
"So what kind of attitude do you want from me?"
"That's up to you."With that, Sean turned, waved his hand casually, and left the Potions Club classroom.
Jennifer stood where she was, staring at Sean's retreating back with an unreadable expression. No one could tell what she was thinking.
Walking out of the Potions Club classroom, Sean turned the conversation over in his mind.
Originally, he had no intention of getting involved in the internal conflicts of the Fawley family.But then he changed his mind.Perhaps he could use the situation to his advantage.
The Slytherin Brotherhood is an organization with no small amount of power.The main reason is that most wizards who graduated from Slytherin are, more or less, willing to give it some face—so long as their own interests aren't affected.
So Sean doesn't plan to abandon the Brotherhood.But unlike before—when he had planned to work his way up step by step and earn his place in the upper ranks—this time, he wants more.He wants to completely control it.He wants all the power of the organization.
At the moment, there's only Barrett helping him from within the Brotherhood. That's too weak.Sean needs someone else—someone whose involvement won't arouse suspicion—to assist Barrett and help take over the Brotherhood step by step.
And right now, Sean's ideal candidate is Oliver Fawley.
If he can control Oliver, it will not only lay the groundwork for his control over the Brotherhood, but also let him monitor and backstab Barnabas and Miles Bulstrode through Oliver—killing two birds with one stone.
Of course, none of this can happen overnight.It will need to be carried out step by step.Sean is only in his second year.But he has the time, the patience—and most importantly, the confidence—to see it through.
As time went by, the end of the semester approached.
When facing the final exams this year, Blaise was not as anxious as he had been last year. He spent most of his free time in the library with his ex-girlfriend. Although his learning efficiency in the library was just so-so, he managed to learn a thing or two, and he completed his homework independently under her supervision. Now that the semester was coming to a close, he didn't feel any urgency at all—instead, he felt rather at ease.
Sitting in the library reading a book, Blaise became dazed, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, as if he were recalling something pleasant.
When Sean saw the look on Blaise's face, he knew right away—this guy was finished. He had really fallen in love.
For a former "Aquaman" scumbag, falling in love but not being able to truly have it might just be the perfect punishment for all the emotional irresponsibility of the past.
Of course, as Blaise's friend, Sean still hoped he could get over it—or even better, get back together with her and spend the rest of his life working like a slave for her. That would be a pretty satisfying outcome too.