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As night fell, a large, full moon hung high above, illuminating the branches of the trees. It was still Slytherin, still that same meeting room, still those upper-year students.
Of course, Marcus was not present this time.
"Everyone, give a brief report on recent developments. Focus only on the key points. These may be our last few meetings, after all. We'll be graduating soon, and our time at Hogwarts is running out."
The one leading the meeting, seventh-year prefect Richmond Carrow, spoke after scanning the room.
His tone was as smooth as ever, with that faintly oily edge.
In a way, Slytherin was far more united than Ravenclaw, where everyone acted independently, or Gryffindor, which was a complete mess.
And Hufflepuff? That was practically a synonym for disorganization.
If not for Dudley's presence as a complete anomaly, Slytherin would have been even more united this year.
"The biggest recent issue was Dursley's behavior in the common room. But lately, he's been relatively well-behaved and hasn't caused any more trouble. On the contrary, his active performance in class has earned Slytherin a lot of points. Half of our House points come from him. Even if we don't win the Quidditch Cup, the House Cup is already secured this year. I also heard that the Malfoy kid became much more obedient after getting beaten by him, and now even trains with him every morning."
"On the other hand, that Harry Potter hasn't shown anything unusual lately. Average grades, average ability, average presence. In class, he often looks clumsy, like he's learning spells for the first time…"
As Carrow's right-hand man, the sixth-year prefect highlighted two names: Dudley and Harry.
When speaking about Dudley, his tone shifted from initial dissatisfaction to mild acknowledgment. If not for the incident on the first night of the opening feast, the points Dudley had earned would have already secured him widespread approval within Slytherin. When it came to honor, Slytherin was extremely united.
When mentioning Malfoy, he hesitated slightly and brushed past it. But when it came to Harry, he showed clear doubt.
As soon as he finished, Carrow immediately expressed strong admiration for Harry.
"As expected of Potter. He pushed his cousin to the front to draw attention while he himself stayed in the shadows, unnoticed… of course, Dursley is also quite exceptional."
"Is… is that really the case?"
Carrow's words left everyone exchanging glances.
Logically, it made sense… but something still felt off.
"Of course. Haven't you noticed? During this time, aside from our Dursley, only that Granger from Gryffindor has been standing out. As for Potter, there's nothing remarkable about him. He acts like he's just background… as if he were an ordinary wizard."
"But… isn't he?" the sixth-year prefect asked, confused. That was the conclusion he had reached from his observations.
Carrow lightly tapped the table and continued.
"Who is he? Harry Potter. The man who defeated… the Dark Lord. Do you really think he would be an ordinary wizard?"
"Definitely not."
"But…"
Everyone began to agree, though still with some hesitation.
Carrow noticed their doubts, smiled faintly, and took a sip of tea before continuing.
"You simply haven't been observing closely enough. No matter how well someone hides, there will always be flaws."
"Daniel, your intel isn't thorough enough yet."
He pointed to his assistant first.
"Potter showed a strong familiarity with poisons in the very first class. You didn't know that, did you?"
Daniel froze slightly.
"That… I really didn't know."
"He understands how poisons are made, their onset time, symptoms, and even causes of death perfectly. I assume none of you knew that either."
Carrow was referring to Harry's performance in his first Potions class.
"Do you think an ordinary young wizard would know that much about poisons?"
Everyone shook their heads. No normal person would study something like that.
"He's hiding his abilities. Potter has been deliberately keeping a low profile. But he still slipped up."
That made sense.
"And there's more… I wonder if you've noticed."
Carrow continued slowly.
"That Granger from Gryffindor should, in theory, have gone to Ravenclaw. But she ended up in Gryffindor."
"Let's be honest… you all know what Gryffindors are like. Of course, that doesn't include Potter."
A quiet chuckle spread through the room.
The rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor was nothing new. To them, Gryffindors were just reckless fools who relied on brute force.
"They don't deserve Granger."
One of the older students spoke up.
If Hermione hadn't been Muggle-born, they would have gladly accepted her into Slytherin.
With double the points, they wouldn't even need to compete in Quidditch.
"It's said that Granger is quite close to Dursley… but that's not the important part."
Carrow lowered his voice.
"What matters… is that they're all under Potter."
The room fell silent.
That conclusion was unsettling.
"We're all about to graduate. I, for one, am leaving this year. This is just idle discussion. Whatever happens at Hogwarts has nothing to do with us."
Carrow's words eased the tension slightly.
They just needed to stay out of it.
"However, there's one thing to keep in mind. Dursley is Potter's cousin and was pushed into the spotlight by him. If Potter is… a deeply hidden wizard… then what kind of person do you think Dursley is?"
"You mean…"
Daniel stopped midway, realizing something.
"Honestly, I kind of like that big guy."
"He took on students from first to third year all by himself. Clearly not someone ordinary."
Another student added, and the others nodded in agreement.
Carrow shook his head, somewhat speechless.
"Enough. Don't pay too much attention to them. Don't bring trouble upon yourselves."
"Whatever they're planning has nothing to do with us. But if necessary, we can show a bit of goodwill… just don't make it obvious."
"Remember, Slytherin always stands with the winners."
"You're right, Carrow."
Everyone agreed once more.
Unlike Malfoy, who believed Dudley was a powerful dark wizard, Carrow was convinced that Harry was the one who had truly defeated the Dark Lord.
In the end, both of them were overthinking things.
On the grass outside Hogwarts Castle…
"You're an idiot, Malfoy!"
Harry pointed at him.
"You're the idiot, Potter!"
"No, you!"
"That doesn't count!"
The "mysterious and deeply hidden" savior, Harry Potter, was currently arguing like a child with Malfoy.
All because the two of them had come to watch Dudley train… and immediately started fighting since they couldn't stand each other.
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