Vivian, who had been returning to the common room to put away her things, had witnessed the scene firsthand. Overwhelmed by a sense of justice, she immediately rushed forward to confront Osborne.
Milly Osborne, seeing a half-blood like Vivian dare to stand up for Evan, immediately turned her vitriol on her. However, with her limited vocabulary and slow wit, she was no match for Vivian's sharp tongue and was quickly scolded into a daze.
Realizing she couldn't win the verbal spat, Milly resorted to physical force. At first, it was just pushing and shoving, but as their tempers flared, the confrontation devolved into a chaotic scuffle of hair-pulling and slapping. Unfortunately, Vivian was outnumbered by Milly's friends and had no choice but to grab little Evan and retreat.
"Hmph, don't worry, I didn't come out on the bottom. Those training sessions really haven't been in vain. I managed to scratch Milly several times; she just pulled my hair a bit harder than I expected," Vivian boasted to the group, remaining stubborn despite her swollen cheek.
Charles felt a sharp pang of heartache at the sight of her. He stepped forward, gently brushing aside her hair to inspect the injury. The sudden closeness made Vivian's face flush even redder than the slap had, and she awkwardly turned her head away.
After crying for a while, Evan looked up at Alan cautiously. "Senior, did I really do something wrong? Is having Muggle blood truly a sin? When I was little, my Muggle friends... aside from not having magic, I never felt there was any difference between them and us."
Alan looked at the boy, realizing how effectively the pure-blood faction had begun to make these younger students doubt their own worth. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"Don't listen to them. Those guys are just desperate for a sense of power. If they're so superior, why don't they try to bully the Head of House? He's a half-blood, too," Vivian snapped while Charles applied a cold compress to her face.
"Indeed. Some people simply look for any excuse to hurt others. Even if Slytherin were comprised entirely of pure-bloods, they would find another reason to divide and conquer," Alan added, nodding.
"Alan, this can't go on. Slytherin is a mess because of them, and the Head of House isn't lifting a finger. We have to rely on ourselves," Higgs interjected.
"Hmm." Alan considered his current preparations, then turned back to Higgs. "How are the other half-bloods reacting?"
"How do you think? They're forced to cater to this so-called committee every day. They've been dissatisfied for a long time, but you know how it is—the snakes in Slytherin won't openly revolt. At most, they'll grumble in the shadows. But if those bullies ever fall on hard times, the rest of the house will be the first to cheer," Higgs said in a deep voice.
Alan didn't respond directly. Instead, he looked at Evan Ganber. "Evan, stop crying. You need to learn how to protect yourself. From now on, you'll join Vivian and the others in my training sessions. Remember: only the strong are entitled to speak. Without power, you will always be wrong in their eyes. Understand?"
Evan nodded solemnly. Today's events had stripped away his innocence. Seeing Vivian get hurt on his behalf brought fresh tears to his eyes, but he remembered Alan's words and forced himself to blink them back.
Alan took out a prepared vial of Dittany and had Charles treat Vivian's wounds. Bill stood by silently, watching with wide eyes. He sensed that Alan was discussing something momentous, but he didn't dare interrupt and simply stayed put.
Alan calculated the timing. It was almost time to make a move. He wasn't interested in mere schoolyard squabbles; he wanted the Death Eaters currently at large. These troublemaking students were simply the bait.
---
Meanwhile, in the Headmaster's office, Snape was conferring with Dumbledore.
"Severus, is there any word of them?" Dumbledore looked at Snape, who appeared haggard from his constant travel beyond the castle walls.
"Since they began fleeing months ago, I've investigated several of their known safe houses with little success. However, I believe I've found a lead on one of them," Snape said tonelessly.
"Who?"
"Igor Karkaroff. The man is a coward. And frankly, why am I still doing the work of your Aurors? Traveling between the world and Hogwarts every day is an exhausting task," Snape complained.
"I know the burden I've placed on you," Dumbledore said, looking up over his spectacles. "But as long as these fugitives remain free, they are a spark that could light a new fire. The Longbottom incident is proof. Without their master, these people will act with even less restraint. You have the connections to find them, so I must ask this of you. I will have Moody act on your information, but the reconnaissance remains yours."
"Hmph. I knew I was joining a rogue's gallery when I signed on with you. But enough about the world outside—what about the situation inside the school?" Snape stared intently at Dumbledore.
"What do you mean?" Dumbledore asked innocently.
"Don't play the fool. You know Yaxley and Wilkes are turning Slytherin into a nightmare. Why did you insist I approve Wilkes's Prefect status? The boy is a Death Eater in training. As for Yaxley, I suspect he's already taken the Mark," Snape said sharply.
"Ah, that." Dumbledore looked at Snape with a playful glint. "I believe in giving every child at Hogwarts a chance. That includes Yaxley and his group. If they can seize this opportunity to sever their ties with the dark, I will be pleased. But if they cannot..."
"You mean you're using them as bait to find the others? You're gambling with the safety of every other student!" Snape shouted.
"Don't worry. I've observed them closely; they haven't shown any extreme violent tendencies yet. If they truly cross the line, I will step in. Severus, sometimes the less restricted an environment is, the more clearly a person's true nature is revealed."
"And what about Alan?" Snape frowned. "As a Slytherin of Muggle descent, I can feel those boys want to devour him alive. There have already been clashes. The boy didn't leave Hogwarts for a single day all summer. You don't actually think that's because he loves the campus, do you?"