Harry and Malfoy surveyed their thriving Death Eater recruits with deep satisfaction. All of this was due to their tireless efforts! Even Minister Fudge had offered praise, and Tom's casual, "Not bad," from earlier still had them buzzing with excitement. The Ministry actually WANTED them as Aurors? Please. They commanded hundreds of followers at Hogwarts alone, a veritable army compared to those pathetic, underpaid Auror dogsbodies. They probably extorted more pocket money than an Auror's salary. Unless Tom specifically ordered it, they had absolutely no interest in joining the Ministry.
...
The dinner party concluded, and Harry and Malfoy made their way back to the Slytherin Common Room together. They passed Hermione Granger, who was feeding Crookshanks, and Luna Lovegood, who was tending to a bizarre, puppy-sized Curved-Horned Snorkack. Neither of them could fathom why it was so small, nor did they particularly care.
They reached the familiar stone wall.
"Strength is paramount!" they intoned to the doorknob. The black, snake-like doorframe writhed in response, and the entrance to the common room swung open.
They had previously suggested changing the password – perhaps to something like "The Great Dark Lord" or "Long Live the Death Eaters." Tom had refused, only to then suggest, as if influenced by their idea, changing it to "Salazar is Bald." Apparently, a strange, bearded, bald ghost had suddenly materialized in Tom's office, weeping and wailing about "unfilial offspring," and threatened to haunt the Slytherin House in perpetuity if they proceeded with it, so the idea was scrapped immediately.
...
Harry and Malfoy entered the common room, which was still bustling with activity. Students were huddled in small groups: some playing wizard's chess, others struggling with homework, some reading, and some practicing spells.
Harry and Malfoy settled by the fireplace, indisputably the most comfortable spot in the Slytherin dungeons. The common room's location beneath the Black Lake made it perpetually chilly, making the fireside seats especially coveted. And, of course, those seats were generally reserved for Harry and Malfoy, a clear indication that the young Death Eaters still respected the hierarchy. Cassandra Volle was the sole exception; everyone in Slytherin knew she barely spent any time in the common room at all.
As soon as the Slytherin students noticed Harry and Malfoy's arrival, they subtly cleared the area around them. After all… conversations between the Death Eater high command must be incredibly serious and important, right?
"Harry, could I maybe borrow your Transfiguration homework from before the break? Just to, you know, have a look?" Malfoy leaned in close, whispering.
Harry shrugged helplessly. "Transfiguration homework? Didn't do it."
"Then what did you do?"
"Snape's Potions assignment."
"Oh~ I didn't do that one either. Let me borrow it to 'have a look'."
"…"
Their holiday "finding the giants' village" and "experiencing Auror work" had only lasted about a week. Neither of them were particularly diligent students to begin with. Like any ordinary student, they had completed only a fraction of their summer homework, fully intending to cram at the last minute before the start of term. Fortunately, their chosen subjects didn't overlap completely. After an all-night copying session, fueled by nervous energy and dwindling firelight, they finally managed to finish their summer assignments. Exhausted, they carefully stowed away their parchment and quills and trudged back to their dormitory.
...
The next morning, Harry stretched as he emerged from his dormitory, the familiar crackling of the common room fireplace greeting his ears. He threw on his robes, left the common room, climbed the stairs, and stepped outside Hogwarts Castle. A thin mist still clung to the grounds. He took a deep breath; the slightly cool and damp air filled his lungs, banishing the last vestiges of sleep.
Refreshed, he glanced upwards. An owl carrying letters soared overhead. Harry hurried towards the Great Hall, found an empty seat, and summoned his breakfast. A rather lavish plate materialized before him: juicy roasted tomatoes, a perfectly half-cooked fried egg, and two sizzling strips of freshly fried bacon, along with a steaming mug of hot cocoa and two slices of buttered toast.
He devoured the simple breakfast in record time. He saved some for Malfoy and, on his way to class, found his companion still fast asleep. Malfoy gratefully scarfed down the toast Harry offered, and the enchanted staircase leading to their classroom seemed to stretch on forever, allowing them to slip into the classroom just before the bell.
…
The morning classes passed without incident. As lunchtime approached, Harry and Malfoy returned to their cherished tradition. Their teamwork remained impeccable; in a single lunch break, they successfully persuaded around ten new students to join the Death Eaters. They also offered guidance to their other followers on effective persuasion techniques.
After finishing, they rushed off to their afternoon classes. Once those were over, the two headed towards the Quidditch pitch together. They had practiced quite a few times over the holiday, even arranging some exhilarating matches against other wizards at various communal Quidditch pitches.
They trained until sunset, the fading sunlight turning the wooden handles of their broomsticks a warm, orange hue. Gathering up their Bludgers and other equipment, the two left the Quidditch pitch and walked back towards Hogwarts Castle, facing the setting sun.
They passed by numerous other Hogwarts students along the way. This was not particularly surprising; many students enjoyed spending their free time outside the castle.
But what did surprise them was who they encountered…
"Professor Tom?!" Both Harry and Malfoy had grown accustomed to addressing Tom as "Professor" within the school grounds.
"Where… are you going?" Malfoy inquired curiously, glancing in the direction Tom was heading; it seemed to lead towards the Forbidden Forest.
"Oh, I need to visit Hagrid," Tom replied casually. "By the way, do you have any plans after class tomorrow?"
The two exchanged a quick glance and responded in unison, "No."
"Then come to my office after class tomorrow." Tom smiled mysteriously. "I have a magical creature to show you. One you've never seen before."
Harry and Malfoy exchanged another look, both visibly surprised. "A magical creature we've never seen before?!"
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