— Why were we all gathered here? — asked one of the Slytherins waiting in the common room.
— No idea.
— Astoria, do you know anything?
Astoria, who was sitting on the sofa, shook her head:
— I don't know, my sister didn't tell me anything.
Earlier that morning, Daphne had informed the whole faction that everyone needed to assemble in the common room at five o'clock.
While the students were debating what Victor might be up to, none other than Dumbledore himself suddenly entered the common room, plunging the space into total silence. Those who had been studying here for six years now stared wide-eyed: in all their time at school, this was the very first time the Headmaster had personally visited the Slytherin common room.
— Good evening. Which way should I go?
— Over there... — someone hesitantly pointed toward a large door in the common room.
— Thank you. — Dumbledore nodded and headed toward it. Hanging on the door was a handsome plaque reading: "Victor's Hall." As the Headmaster approached, it opened on its own, and he stepped inside.
— Tell me I didn't just imagine that. Did the Headmaster really just come to our House? — someone asked, still in shock.
— What on earth is going on? Are we in trouble? Is this... because of the alcohol? — the boy uttered the last word in a whisper.
The door to the hall opened, and Daphne stepped out. She pointed at the nearest girl:
— You, go in.
— Me? — the girl asked in surprise, pointing to herself.
— Yes, yes, hurry up, or we'll be stuck here until late at night!
The girl nodded and, nervously clutching her robes with her head down, walked inside.
Daphne swept a cold gaze over everyone:
— Form a line. One leaves, another goes in. And keep quiet. — With those words, Daphne slammed the door shut.
Once inside, the girl overheard Victor enthusiastically explaining something:
— ..."Door, door," you see? She kept repeating it so softly, and inside her glasses, my Sharingan was slowly spinning!
Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully:
— Well, you know, even if your grandmother is right and Sybill isn't as gifted as her ancestor, she is still capable — rarely, but surely — of foretelling something genuinely important. Therefore, I believe it would be wise for you to consider what exactly she meant.
— Ahem... Professor, Victor, shall we begin? — Daphne chimed in with a sigh.
Victor and Albus looked at her, then at the girl who was still visibly trembling with nerves. Right now, the two of them were sitting behind a large desk, two cups of tea placed before them.
— Yes, I suppose we ought to start, we've delayed long enough, — Victor nodded, lacing his fingers together. — Margo, stop shaking, you're not at an execution here. Tell me, my dear, what talents do you possess?
The girl looked at Victor, thoroughly bewildered:
— What talents?
— Well, like singing, dancing... Do you play any musical instruments? Or at least, I don't know, can you recite poetry nicely?
Margaret completely lost track of what was happening. To be honest, more than anything in the world right now, she just wanted to bolt out of there. She offered no reply, casting a pleading, helpless look at Daphne.
Daphne sighed wearily and decided to bail her out:
— She has good posture and a slim figure. I think she'll do well for dancing.
Victor narrowed his eyes, sizing the girl up:
— Do you really not know how to do anything at all?
— I... Well, I never really had the time for it...
Victor shook his head in disappointment:
— I just don't get British magical youth! Muggles aren't like this at all — over there, most people can do at least something: some sing, some play the guitar, some dance, some tell jokes... This school severely lacks arts clubs! Alright, Daphne, turn on the music.
Ten minutes later, Margaret walked out of the hall, and the next student slipped inside immediately after.
— Well? What happened in there?
— Spill it!
— Margaret, did they yell at you?!
The girl looked at the Slytherins crowding around her waiting for an answer and said, utterly dazed:
— They made me dance...
— Huh? Dance?!
More than an hour passed like this. They brought in the Slytherins one by one, and Victor observed what each was capable of. Right now, George was proudly demonstrating his vocal talent, for which he was instantly struck with a Silencing Charm.
— George, thank you, you may leave, — Victor waved a dismissive hand, shooing him out.
George was clearly disgruntled that he hadn't been allowed to show his full potential. But realizing no one was going to listen to him any longer, he trudged disappointedly toward the exit. Suddenly remembering something, he turned around and began vigorously moving his lips, staring intently at Victor.
Victor lazily flicked his hand, lifting the spell.
— ...is walking around furious! — George finished his sentence and stared at him, waiting for a response.
Victor's eye twitched. Dumbledore merely offered a gentle smile, looking at George.
— I'm going to punch you in a second, — Victor smiled coldly.
George took a slight step back:
— Alright, alright, don't get mad! Anyway, Draco got injured during Care of Magical Creatures. A Gryff... uh, no, a Hyp...
— Hippogriff? — Daphne came to his rescue.
— Oh, right, that's the one! It struck him and bruised his arm. Nothing serious, but Malfoy is furious.
Victor nodded:
— Fine, off you go. And pass the word out there that we're taking a break. My ears need time to recover from your ultrasound.
— Victor, give me another chance! I swear...
Victor flicked his hand briefly once more. George couldn't continue — his lips merely clicked together uselessly without producing a single sound. Realizing he had been silenced again, he pointed an offended finger at Victor, silently mouthed something far from flattering, and stormed out the door in frustration.
— Daphne... — Victor turned to her. — Have I really lost that much authority over the past year? Is no one afraid of me anymore?
Daphne gave him a calm look:
— It's not that you've lost your authority. You just stopped being a tyrant. You've become something of an older brother — strict, but caring and forgiving.
— Haa... Fine. As long as they keep obeying. Let's continue.
— Well, you'll have to go on without me from here, — Dumbledore spoke up. — I must go and look into the situation regarding Malfoy. A student receiving an injury during class is a highly unfortunate matter.
Victor raised an eyebrow in surprise:
— Oh, you didn't know? I thought you were aware of everything that happens in this school.
Dumbledore looked vaguely at Victor, then cautiously shifted his gaze to Daphne Greengrass. Noticing the completely unbothered expression on her face, the Headmaster let out a heavy sigh. It seemed Victor kept nothing hidden from his girlfriends — not even his, Dumbledore's, little secrets.
— You put it correctly: in the school, not beyond its grounds, — he replied.
Victor gave an understanding nod.
With a smile, Dumbledore thanked them for the invitation to such an unusual event and departed the hall. The moment the door closed behind him, Daphne finally relaxed completely. Dragging the Headmaster's chair closer to Victor, she sat down beside him:
— Why did you invite him in the first place?
Victor shrugged:
— Just wanted to add a bit of color to his daily routine. He's always cooped up in his office... This gives him at least some variety.
Daphne leaned her head against his shoulder, her eyes fixed on him. She still didn't fully comprehend the nature of the relationship between her boyfriend and the Headmaster. Teacher and pupil? Friends? Enemies? She was well aware of his and Abigail's experiments on wizards over the past month — even if the victims were people who deserved no sympathy whatsoever, she strongly doubted Dumbledore would ever approve of such things.
— Don't rack your brain, you'll only confuse yourself more, — Victor smiled, noticing her thoughtful look. — Let's carry on instead. NEXT!
The moment his call rang out, the door burst open, and Astoria appeared on the threshold.
— Good evening! My name is Astoria Greengrass, and I am good at absolutely everything, — she declared, swaggering up to the desk and smugly crossing her arms over her chest.
The more students went through the casting, the calmer those waiting their turn in the common room became. Having finally grasped what was expected of them, they set about actively preparing: some even brought out their musical instruments and rehearsed right in the corridor, waiting for a chance to showcase their talents to Victor.
Victor gave a satisfied nod, though a hint of doubt still lingered in his eyes:
— Good start. And what specifically are you good at?
Astoria looked momentarily flustered, but answered just as confidently:
— Everything! I can... — Suddenly, Astoria froze. Panic washed over her face. — I... I can... But I know I can...
Daphne frowned and was ready to scold her sister for her foolishness, but Victor took her hand in time, signaling her not to intervene.
— Astoria, what's wrong?
The girl looked at him in confusion and fright:
— I'm sorry, Victor, I really don't know... I thought I could do absolutely everything: dance, sing, play instruments... I don't know why I thought that! Truly... What happened to me? Have I... Have I lost my mind? — Her voice trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes.
— Alright, no need to cry, — Victor said softly. — You haven't lost your mind. You're just a silly little girl who's very easy to mess with.
Daphne understood instantly. Frowning, she realized who he was referring to: her body trembled with rage, and her gaze turned icy with intent to kill. She snapped her eyes toward Victor, but seeing him pull out his wand and hold it against his own throat, she jammed her fingers into her ears in a panic and glanced at her sister. Having noticed Victor's movement even before her, Astoria was already crouching on the floor, holding her ears tightly shut with her mouth wide open.
— LILIIITH!
The roar was so deafening that the shockwave physically struck everyone present. The paintings in the common room tore off the walls and crashed to the floor, terrifying the portraits inside. Every candle illuminating the Slytherin common room was instantly snuffed out, and even the fire in the hearth, which never went out, died on the spot.
Daphne irritably unclasped her fingers, though it helped little — her ears were still ringing continuously:
— When are you going to stop doing that?! Do you want to make us all deaf?
— How else would they know I mean business?
The door to the hall creaked open, and Lilith was literally shoved inside. The girl clearly had no intention of entering, but what could she do against a crowd of Slytherins? The moment she was inside, the door slammed shut from the outside. Lilith desperately tried to pull the handle toward herself, but the students were holding it firm from the other side.
Victor cast a triumphant glance at Daphne:
— See? If I had just called for her, she would have run off.
Lilith, still clinging to the door handle, froze upon hearing his voice. Her body trembled faintly. Taking a couple of deep breaths to pull herself together, she forced a sweet smile and turned around:
— Ahem... Victor, did you call for me?
Daphne stood up abruptly and slammed her palms onto the desk:
— What did you do to my sister?!
Lilith blinked in surprise, shifted her gaze to Astoria, and her eyes widened in alarm:
— Crap... I'm sorry, I... I didn't know she was your sister! Victor, please, I really didn't know! I just wanted to have a little fun while standing in line, saw this dummy... I mean her, and decided to play a little joke!
Astoria, sniffling, looked over at Lilith — she still didn't quite understand what was happening or how exactly this girl had "joked" with her.
— You... You used Legilimency on my sister?! — Daphne lost her temper completely. Without a second thought, she drew her wand and fired a spell, intending to send the culprit flying.
Lilith cringed in terror, bracing for impact, but no pain followed — a translucent shield flared to life right before her.
The room fell into silence; Astoria hardly dared to breathe.
— Victor, darling... How am I supposed to take this? — Daphne asked, her eyes narrowing as she turned to him.
Victor, who was thoughtfully twirling his wand between his fingers with a smirk, replied:
— Don't harm her, or you'll regret it later.
Daphne's eyes went wide. Was he... threatening her over this little pest?!
Noticing how Daphne was shaking from resentment and anger, Victor realized how ambiguous his words had sounded. Smirking, he pulled her by the hand, forcing her to sit on his lap:
— It's not that I'm taking her side, I'm worrying about you. Understand this: when I said she's a true Slytherin, I meant precisely this. This little girl, despite looking like a harmless angel, is capable of plunging the entire school into chaos while standing aside watching with a smile. So you'd better not make an enemy out of her.
Daphne crossed her arms over her chest, still pouting in offense:
— But she...
— She didn't harm Astoria with Legilimency, — Victor interrupted gently. — She doesn't even know how to do that yet. She merely clouded her mind just a little, making her believe she could do anything.
Victor stroked Daphne's back soothingly:
— Alright, go tell everyone to get ready for dinner. We'll resume after.
Daphne let out a heavy sigh, nodded, and getting up from his lap, took Astoria by the hand and led her out into the common room.