Victor strode toward the Great Hall at an exceptionally brisk, cheerful pace. His spirits had already lifted back on the train when Daphne took pity on him and helped clear the massive mountain of paperwork, which they had successfully finished off well before arriving at the station.
In reality, Daphne and Hermione had deliberately dumped the entire pile on him in the first place; they wanted Victor to finally realize just how hard they worked and stop pulling foolish stunts — like the Diagon Alley festival organized in his honor. It had been a fine idea, only for Victor to completely ruin it with his antics, displaying utter disdain for an event Daphne had worked tirelessly to put together.
— Hee-hee-hee, la-la-la... — he hummed beneath his breath.
Daphne merely rolled her eyes at the overly exuberant Victor, who kept himself entertained with quiet chuckles and soft singing the entire way.
— If I knew making you happy was this easy, I'd dump my work on you far more often, only to help you out later, — she said with a faint smile.
With a glowing face, Victor slid an arm around her waist, pulling her closer as they walked side by side:
— My dear Daphne, that's not why I'm happy at all! I'm simply genuinely thrilled to be back at school. Ah-h-h... don't you feel the exact same way I do? Look at these familiar walls, these living portraits... Damn, I even missed the smell of this place, to be completely honest!
Daphne smiled up at him, then shifted her eyes to the ancient stone corridor. She certainly didn't feel any overwhelming ecstasy — just a pleasant, mild anticipation of the new school year, but nothing more.
— Oh, George, my boy, hold on a second! — Victor called out to George, who was walking ahead toward the Great Hall with a group of friends.
— Yeah, Victor? — George turned around.
— Listen, hustle down to the entrance hall and wait for the first-years to arrive. As soon as they show up, call me immediately — I want to welcome them in person.
George nodded, but made no move to leave. He stood frozen, glancing back and forth between Victor and Daphne with a thoroughly baffled expression.
Victor snapped his fingers demanding ly right in front of his nose:
— Hey! Are you still here?
— What?.. — George finally snapped out of it.
— I said: you should've been standing in the hall yesterday! Why are you still here?
— Victor, can I ask you something?
— Sure, shoot.
George swept a suspicious gaze over them once more, his eyes lingering on how casually Victor held Daphne by the waist:
— Are you two... well, like, together?
— Suppose we are, yeah, — Victor nodded smoothly.
— What about Hermione?!
— What about Hermione? She's completely fine.
— But... weren't you dating her? Did you guys break up?
George knew full well that both girls harbored feelings for Victor. But having personally caught Victor kissing Hermione once, he had been one hundred percent convinced that a final choice had been made.
— No, we didn't break up, — Victor replied just as unflappably. — I'm still dating her too.
George froze completely. He looked over at Daphne, bracing for a scene, but she remained entirely serene, wearing a peaceful smile. At first, he assumed Victor was just brazenly playing both sides, but he discarded the thought instantly. The guy was openly talking about his relationship with Hermione right in front of Daphne, strolling arm-in-arm with her down the corridor without a single care in the world!
After standing there in silence for a few seconds, enlightenment finally struck George. His eyes widened in shock, and he stared at Victor as if beholding the ultimate idol of his life:
— Please... teach me!
Victor caught his drift instantly and let out a soft chuckle:
— George, to be like me... I'm afraid you just don't have the face for it.
At that remark, George felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his chest.
— But... Mum always said looks don't matter! The main thing is being smart, attentive, and polite!
Victor shook his head in sympathetic pity and patted the guy on the shoulder:
— That's not true. Your mother lied to you. She was just terrified that if you learned the harsh truth of life, you'd go hang yourself. Now march down to the hall.
Still holding Daphne close, Victor bypassed the stunned Gryffindor, leaving him to process what he had just heard.
George turned to his friends with a deeply tragic expression:
— Hey... am I really that ugly?
— Nah, course not! You look totally fine, — one of the guys offered sympathetically. — It's just that compared to Victor, we're all trolls here. Hell, even Cedric looks like a four out of ten next to him.
George pondered the argument, then gave a resigned nod:
— You guys coming to the hall with me? I'm kind of bored going alone...
— Of course, mate, let me tag along!
The moment they stepped into the Great Hall, Victor felt Gemma Farley's eyes lock onto him and saw a welcoming smile blossom on her face as she waved a hand in greeting.
Leaning down toward Daphne, he whispered softly:
— Why is Gemma looking at me so strangely?
Daphne followed his gaze, spotted the girl, and replied calmly:
— She probably wants something from you again.
— Hm, interesting... Is she still our Prefect? — the young man inquired.
— Yes, but it's her final year. She's graduating this term.
Victor nodded understandingly. Weaving their way to the Slytherin table, they took seats directly opposite Gemma.
— Victor, hi! Happy start of the new school year! — Farley greeted right off the bat.
— Thanks, same to you, — Victor nodded curtly.
— I also wanted to congratulate you on the successful launch of your company, Hydra.
Victor measured her with an intent look and clicked his tongue with dry irony:
— Alright, enough foreplay. Just tell me straight up what you want.
Gemma Farley let out a soft chuckle and gestured elegantly toward a girl seated beside her, who wore a cold, detached expression:
— This is Valerie Pembroke. You probably haven't noticed her before, but she's a Slytherin too, a fourth-year. I'm currently grooming her to take over my Prefect position after I graduate.
— Good for you, — Victor shrugged. — Though I'm not entirely sure why I need this information.
— Well, I'm really hoping you'll get along with her and help me convince Professor Snape that she's the absolute best candidate.
Victor narrowed his eyes thoughtfully and leaned close to Daphne's ear:
— Do we even need our own Prefect?
Daphne shook her head with a faint smile:
— No. With your presence in the school, it's a completely useless title now. Everyone already knows full well where the real authority on the house resides.
Victor nodded in satisfaction.
Overhearing the whispering, Gemma and Valerie both scowled slightly in annoyance. They both knew it was true, but hearing it stated so plainly was still rather insulting.
— Regardless, I don't mind, — Victor concluded magnanimously.
Gemma let out a visible sigh of relief. Valerie was a close friend, their families had been allied for generations, and Farley had looked out for her ever since her first year.
— Thank you. I hope you'll look after her next year... and after the students in my faction as well.
Victor raised an eyebrow in surprise:
— Whoa! Why on earth would I do that?
Daphne stepped in to explain in Gemma's place:
— Victor, almost every wizard in Gemma's faction is a seventh-year who has been with her from the start. Next year, her faction will only have thirteen members left, and even those will be graduating seniors.
Victor gave an understanding nod. His own faction already claimed almost all the second, third, and fourth-years, as well as the overwhelming majority of fifth and sixth-years.
— Well then... In that case — welcome aboard!
Valerie knit her brows in displeasure:
— Aboard where?
— What do you mean 'where'? Into our faction! — Daphne clarified nonchalantly. — We are fully integrating Gemma's faction into ours. Excluding the seventh-years, of course. That way, every single student in the house will be under our wing, except for the graduating seniors and the prideful purebloods.
— But that wasn't the deal! — Valerie replied coldly.
Gemma, however, merely shook her head with a gentle smile.
Daphne and Victor exchanged a look and smirked in unison.
— Did you hear that, Victor? She genuinely thinks she has a choice.
— Sure did. It really is quite amusing.
Gemma, who had been prepared for such an outcome from the very beginning, spoke up with the same calm demeanor:
— Don't worry, we agree.
Valerie glared at her friend in blatant outrage, while Victor and Daphne simply rolled their eyes.
— We weren't worried, — Daphne said with a smirk. — And we didn't particularly need your permission, Gemma. The second I said it out loud — the matter was already settled.
Valerie opened her mouth to object, but Gemma caught her arm just in time, tugging her back with a firm shake of her head. Unhappy as they might be about it, she had long since accepted that Victor's word was law in Slytherin.