After enduring this brief yet long punishment, the young wizards were as exhausted as dead dogs. Although Hader himself did not complete all the physical repetitions, he appeared drained and completely dazed. Once the punishment was concluded, he stood blankly among the crowd until his Third Year companions helped him back to his seat.
With the punishment over, Alan announced the end of the monthly meeting. The rewards previously allocated to the Third Year were revoked and transferred to the Second and Fourth Years. The top three individual spots were also adjusted, with Joey, the Fourth Year leader, moving up the rankings.
But now in Slytherin, no one felt any joy; instead, there was a profound sense of relief, as if a lifetime had passed. It was finally over; every minute of that meeting had felt like a year. With Hader's lesson fresh in their minds, the young wizards no longer dared to harbor any hope of luck. From the next day on, they returned to the trepidation of the first week of school.
Hader's transformation was the most dramatic. He changed from a somewhat cunning boy into a student obsessed with his studies, demanding high intensity from himself daily. Whether during self-study or in his personal life, he acted with a level of rigor that bordered on self-torture. He became the first to wake, the strictest in discipline, and the last to stop studying, as if he had become an entirely different person.
At the same time, the young wizards in the House began to truly care for one another. Everyone supervised their peers daily to ensure no one violated the rules. They woke each other up in the morning, and if anyone made too much noise while eating, they were immediately reminded. This wasn't limited to their own years; even across different grades, the students helped and supervised each other. Now that a single mistake could implicate everyone, Slytherin appeared incredibly harmonious and unusually united.
They had no choice but to be united. If they weren't, their Chief would "help" them find that unity. Hader had nearly turned into a moral paragon under the pressure. In this high-stakes environment, their daily routines and studies gradually evolved into habits.
Many of Alan's rules weren't inherently difficult; they were simply matters of internal affairs and etiquette. The struggle had been overcoming years of laziness and a lifestyle that was far too relaxed. After Alan's forced correction, the young Slytherins adapted. When this disciplined life became routine, they even found a sense of pride in it. Appearing impeccably dressed and moving in an orderly fashion created a stark contrast with the other Houses.
Initially, students from other Houses mocked the Slytherins for being pretentious. But when they maintained those standards for months, they simply became proper. Soon, the gap between Slytherin and the rest of the school widened—not just in grades, but in conduct. When eating, one group remained silent and polite. When walking, an orderly line of well-dressed students greeted everyone they passed. This contrast made others feel rude by comparison, as if they were commoners standing next to gentlemen, which fostered a slight sense of inferiority in many.
Slytherin's persistence eventually began to influence the rest of the school. Two months into the term, many Professors noticed subtle changes: students paid more attention to their dress, there was less noise during meals, and the young wizards had become more polite. Even Filch felt unaccustomed to it; the students were usually so mischievous that their sudden good behavior made it feel as if something was missing.
The young Slytherins took pride in this change. However, not everyone was happy. Hog soon discovered he was essentially out of a job, having not caught a single student violating the rules in a long time.
Alan, however, had no time to worry about Hog's employment status; he was currently dealing with a witch.
Outside Hagrid's hut, Alan was petting a cat while overseeing the training of the top three students from the first two months. Evan, Bill, and several others had been sent to the side to help him test tactical equipment samples. Recently, for his alchemy business, he had been focused on product improvements—mainly reducing costs to create low-end versions of his tools. Testing their functional limits and durability was imperative. The development of his magic lathe was progressing well, and he hoped for a trial version within the year. If the lathe was ready, his workshop could open next year.
A young witch stood beside Alan. She had fluffy green hair and was sitting casually on a fence, swinging her legs back and forth.
"So, what do you want? You're a Slytherin Prefect, right? Why did you have Charlie call me over?" the girl asked unceremoniously.
"Tonks, why do you insist on making your hair green? It doesn't suit you," Alan said, staring at her hair. "As for why I called you, I'd like to ask for your help with something. It will be beneficial for you as well."
This was indeed Tonks, who had left a deep impression on him earlier in the year. Alan was fascinated by her ability as a Metamorphmagus. Since Charlie had joined Bill in training, Alan had asked him to arrange a meeting so he could study her unique abilities.
"I'll change into whatever I want; it's none of your business," Tonks said, rolling her eyes. "I'm not interested in Slytherins. It was your lot who drove my mother out of her family."
"Your feud is with the Blacks, not every student who wears green. You can't hate the entire House just because of where they came from," Alan said with a smile, maintaining his persuasion. "Besides, I'm good friends with your House's Prefect, Marin McMillan."