At the doors of the Great Hall, Victor slowed down and gave McGonagall a meaningful look.
— I think I'll go in first, Professor. Otherwise, if we appear together, I'll unintentionally steal these little ones' minute of glory.
McGonagall merely raised an expressive eyebrow but didn't have time to get a word in. Victor was already busy tidying himself up: with one sharp movement, he straightened the collar of his robes and smoothed his hair. In the next second, he flung the massive doors open and burst into the hall.
— HEY, LITTLE DEMONS! THE KING IS BACK! — his voice, amplified by the echoing vaults, drowned out the hum of hundreds of voices.
The Hall froze for a moment, and then the Slytherin table literally exploded. Whistles, shouts, and frantic ovations crashed over him like an avalanche. Victor laughed loudly and headed toward Malfoy and the rest of the "pureblood" company with a swaggering gait.
— I'M ALIVE, BITCHES! — he threw his hands forward, brazenly flashing his middle fingers at his pals. — Suck it, clowns, you can't finish me off that easily!
The Slytherins rolled with laughter, breathless with delight, chanting his name and pounding on the table. Even at the tables of other houses, snickers and welcoming applause could be heard—everyone knew Victor. Only the first years, frozen in the doorway, watched this madness in silent shock, understanding nothing.
— VICTOR MOSS! — Snape's thunderous voice rolled under the ceiling, making the candles on the tables flicker. — Sit down and bite your tongue before I remove it by magical means!
Victor stopped instantly and turned toward the staff table. His face lit up with the most innocent and disarming smile he was capable of.
— Khem... My mistake, Professor. I got a bit overexcited, honest to God. I missed all of you terribly!
He bowed theatrically and headed for his seat next to Daphne. Along the way, he high-fived the hands stretched out to him like a rock star walking through a crowd of fans after a concert.
Professor McGonagall, still shaking her head disapprovingly, led the first years into the center of the hall. After a brief explanation of the rules, she unfurled the scroll and began calling the children one by one. A few names later, a call rang through the hall:
— Adele Moss!
The Hall went silent instantly. Hundreds of eyes bored into the girl's thin figure. A whisper crawled through the rows: "Moss? Another one?", "Is she somehow related to Victor?". Doubts vanished that same second when Victor jumped up from his seat with a deafening whistle.
— Woo-hoo! Adele! Go on, sis!
Adele sighed heavily, closing her eyes for a moment. She climbed the steps with dignity and sat on the stool. As soon as McGonagall lowered the tattered hat onto her head, it thought for a moment and then shouted through the whole castle:
— RAVENCLAW!
The silence that fell over the hall was almost physical. The Slytherins, who had already prepared a spot near Victor, froze with their mouths open. Adele sat motionless on the stool, her eyes wide open, her gaze fixed on a single point.
Victor sighed and, smiling, began to applaud fiercely, cheering on his sister. Following him, as if waking up, the entire hall began to applaud.
Adele rose slowly, as if in a fog, and wandered toward the table of the clever house. Ravenclaws waved at her welcomingly, someone tried to shake her hand or congratulate her, but she saw no one. Sitting in an empty spot, she lowered her head low, hiding her face behind strands of hair. Victor, not taking his eyes off her, noticed her shoulders begin to tremble slightly. He rose silently from the Slytherin table and walked behind the first years. McGonagall, seeing him, said nothing. She simply called the next student louder, continuing the ceremony.
— Sorry, friend, mind switching spots? — Victor asked quietly of the Ravenclaw sitting next to his sister. The boy nodded understandingly and immediately moved.
Victor sat down on the bench and gently pulled Adele toward him. She didn't resist—she simply buried her face in his chest silently. Victor stroked her back and rested his chin on the top of her head, feeling her trembling body gradually calm down.
— There now, honey, quiet... Everything's fine, — he whispered. — Nothing terrible has happened. We're in the same school, same walls. And we'll see each other every day.
Adele only gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head, clutching his robes tighter.
— You do realize you couldn't always follow me around like a shadow? — Victor sighed. — You have your classes, I have mine. And after lessons, you can always come to the Slytherin common room.
At that moment, the Ravenclaw table exploded with applause again—a new student had joined them.
— Thank you! — came a familiar singsong voice.
Luna Lovegood sat down on the bench directly opposite Victor and Adele with a serene smile. She tilted her head to the side, examining them.
— Adele, why are you crying? — Luna asked as simply as if she were asking about the weather.
Adele pulled away from her brother immediately and shot Luna a prickly, dark look.
— I'm not crying, — she snapped, though her reddened eyes suggested otherwise.
— When I cried as a child, my mother always sang me songs, — Luna said thoughtfully, ignoring the rudeness. — Do you want me to sing to you? It makes things better right away.
— I said: I. AM. NOT. CRYING, — Adele hissed, clenching her fists.
— Mmm, well alright, — Luna agreed meekly. — But if you change your mind, just know—I'm here. Songs help a lot when Nargles get into your head from being upset.
Adele scowled even harder and turned sharply to Victor, who was barely suppressing a smile as he watched the scene.
— What should I sing to you? I can do it.
Adele indignantly slapped his shoulder and, pouting, turned back to her plate. Victor laughed quietly, continuing to stroke her back.
When the last first year took their place, Dumbledore rose, and the hall filled with his deep, measured voice. After the welcome speech and an off-key but spirited rendition of the school anthem, the Headmaster clapped his hands, and food appeared on the golden platters of its own accord.
Victor caught Dumbledore's eye and slightly raised his goblet in a silent toast. The Headmaster replied with an almost imperceptible nod and a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Accepting this sign of attention, Victor began to caringly fill Adele's plate.
— Come on, eat a bit. Stop sulking, — he said softly.
Adele looked at the pile of food but didn't even pick up a fork. She looked up at him with a determined gaze and stated as a fact:
— I will come to see you in Slytherin whenever I want.
Victor nodded:
— Of course. That's not even up for discussion.
— And I will sleep in your room.
— Now, that's a "no," — Victor shook his head. — You will sleep in the Ravenclaw dormitory, as you're supposed to.
Adele frowned.
— If you're afraid of the dark, I could... — Luna began from across the table.
— No! — Adele interrupted. — I'm not afraid of anything, and I'm definitely not sleeping with you.
— Alright, — Luna agreed mildly, not taking her attentive eyes off her. — But if you ever feel lonely or scared, we can sleep together.
— You irritate me, — Adele admitted honestly.
— That's just the Nargles, — Luna nodded understandingly. — There's a whole cloud of them around you right now; they make you angry and muddle your thoughts.
Victor smiled involuntarily. Since meeting Adele, Luna was the third person she had spoken to for this long and with such emotion. He was genuinely glad that his sister was starting to make a friend.
Adele sighed tiredly, deciding to ignore Luna.
— Fine. But I have one last condition.
— What condition? — Victor asked.
— You help me burn that stupid hat.
A Ravenclaw upperclassman sitting nearby choked on her juice and coughed loudly. Victor slowly turned his gaze toward her:
— Something wrong? Did you hear something?
The girl went pale and shook her head feverishly:
— No... no, I didn't hear anything! Nothing at all!
— Good. Carry on with your dinner, — Victor looked back at his sister. — I won't let you burn the Sorting Hat, Adele. But... we can mess with it. Deal: I'll sneak it out of the Headmaster's office for a day sometime.
— Victor, stealing is wrong, — Luna noted, methodically dealing with her pudding.
— No one asked you! — Adele looked at her.
Victor burst out laughing.
— It's alright, Adele, she's right. I won't steal it. I'll just "borrow" it for a while.
Luna thought for a moment and then nodded approvingly.
In the middle of the feast, a Slytherin upperclassman approached Victor and whispered something in his ear. Victor smiled and nodded. The guy beamed and, returning to his table, punched the air victoriously.
— YEAH! — he roared.
The Slytherin table immediately responded with an approving roar, laughter, and whistles. Adele, watching this burst of merriment, tugged her brother's sleeve:
— What did he say to you?
— I'll explain later, — Victor brushed it off, pushing a dessert toward her. — Now eat.
After the banquet, the castle filled with the noise of footsteps. Adele, though she cast longing glances at her brother, followed Luna toward the Ravenclaw tower.
When Victor, having changed clothes, stepped into the Slytherin common room, a surprise awaited him. Right in the middle of the room stood Daphne, holding a tearful Astoria. Daphne was gently stroking her sister's hair, but seeing Victor, she frowned.
— How dare you threaten to cut my sister's tongue out?
Victor stopped and raised his eyebrows in genuine surprise.
— Did she complain to you? And here I thought she hated you.
— We are sisters, Victor! — Daphne sighed. — We can scream that we hate each other as much as we want, but we still love each other.
— I don't understand it, but it doesn't matter. Kid, sorry I threatened you. Well, consider that an apology. Now, Daphne, send the child to bed and let's go. I'm bored of wandering the castle alone.
— I'm not a child! — Astoria grumbled from under her sister's arm.
— Yeah, sure. Grow big, don't be a noodle, — he tossed over his shoulder as he walked out into the dark corridor.
Daphne sighed and stroked her sister's head once more:
— Calm down, Astoria. Just try not to provoke him anymore and don't cross his path at all. Now go to the dormitory.
— Where are you going?
— I have... unfinished business, — Daphne replied evasively.
— DAPHNE! DID YOU FALL ASLEEP IN THERE OR WHAT? — Victor's thunderous shout echoed through the stone corridor, causing the portraits on the walls to wake up indignantly.
— I'm coming! — she shouted back and, casting a final glance at her sister, ran out after him.
Astoria was left standing in the middle of the common room. She pouted offendedly and stomped her foot angrily against the stone floor.