Harry Potter is a Parselmouth!
As members of the wizarding world, even the most naive Hogwarts students understood what this meant. In an instant, rumors that the so-called "Savior" was actually the Heir of Slytherin spread like wildfire.
Gryffindors weren't keen on discussing the matter. Perhaps, in their straightforward way of thinking, discovering that one of their own was connected to the symbol of the serpent felt like the ultimate betrayal.
But if there was anyone else just as unhappy, it was undoubtedly Draco Malfoy.
For some inexplicable reason, the moment Potter found himself in the spotlight, Malfoy couldn't stand it. It didn't matter whether the attention was good or bad—what mattered was that Malfoy needed to be more noticeable than Harry.
And so, over the next few days, Nolan frequently spotted Draco in the Great Hall, dedicating what should have been his study hours to a grand dissertation—loudly dissecting the entire Potter lineage. He was determined to unearth which distant ancestor had tainted the bloodline by mingling with Slytherin's.
"What does he think he's doing?" Nolan muttered while absentmindedly scooping another spoonful of milk pudding into Eve's bowl. "Is he trying to establish a new elective course at Hogwarts called 'Potter Studies'? Has Malfoy finally had enough of being a student and decided to become a professor?"
Miles snickered. "If that class were real, I'd sign up. Studying Potter sounds entertaining. He's always been unusual, hasn't he? That scar alone makes him worth analyzing. The truth is, wizards have had it all wrong. We should treat Potter as a research subject, not an idol to be worshiped."
Just then, Montague, fresh from Quidditch practice, tossed his broom aside and squeezed in between Nolan and Miles. He glanced around and frowned. "Still no sign of Malcolm?"
"Malcolm hasn't been hanging out with us for a while," Camille Smith remarked with a smirk. "Trust me, after the last time, we embarrassed him so badly that he'd rather disappear."
She then turned, waving enthusiastically. "Afternoon, Astoria! Oh, I'm so glad you've finally started tying your hair up—it really suits you!"
Astoria Greengrass hesitated at the edge of their group, looking as timid as ever. Her bright eyes darted toward Eve before she nervously asked, "Senior, may I sit here?"
"Of course." Eve raised a brow, but just as Astoria settled into a seat, Eve suddenly stood up. "Actually, I was just about to head out. If you'd like to keep Nolan company, feel free to take my spot."
She then leaned down and pressed a light kiss to Nolan's cheek. "I need to see Hermione—she seems anxious about something. You can head back to the dorms with Miles and the others later, alright?"
With that, Eve strode off, but after taking a few steps, she glanced back with a knowing smile. Tossing her twin ponytails over her shoulder, she quipped to Astoria, "Nice hairstyle, Greengrass."
Then, just like a gust of wind, Miss Stock was gone from the Great Hall.
Astoria, who had styled her hair into twin ponytails just like Eve's, glanced around hesitantly. Her lips twitched as she muttered under her breath, "Did I… make her mad?"
"Oh, sweetheart, if I were Eve, I'd have already taught you a lesson for trying to steal my boyfriend," Camille chuckled, draping an arm around Astoria's shoulder. "But don't worry—Eve really did have somewhere to be."
Eve's best friend, Alicia, however, didn't share the same playful attitude. She shot Astoria a cold look and said, "I think you should rein it in. People have their limits, and witches are no exception—especially one as possessive as Eve."
Astoria glanced at Nolan, who remained completely unbothered, calmly eating cherry tomatoes as if none of this concerned him. Her lips pouted slightly. "Then why is she fine with that Ravenclaw girl getting close to him? Just because they were friends before? Maybe I should try the 'wife route' and befriend Eve first?"
The Slytherins exchanged a knowing look and shrugged.
No one was particularly interested in interfering. Instead, they were more than happy to sit back and watch how the first brave 'homewrecker' would fare.
Even if… she was still a bit too young for the role.
…
"I'm here, Hermione."
The library had always been one of Eve's favorite places since her first year. Sitting comfortably in her usual spot, the silver-haired witch held a cup of hot cocoa as she waited.
"Oh, over here, Eve!"
Not long after, Hermione arrived, struggling under the weight of an enormous stack of books. She nearly tripped as she plopped them onto the table. Eve skimmed over the titles—most of them were about rare languages and the life of Salazar Slytherin.
She's researching Parseltongue, huh? That figures.
"It's been a while since we've met in the library like this," Hermione said, sounding slightly nervous.
A little over a year ago, both she and Eve had been the most unpopular first-years in their respective houses—Hermione had no friends, and the library was her only sanctuary. Meanwhile, Eve had thrown herself into relentless studying, determined not to fall behind Nolan.
They had naturally become inseparable study partners.
Unfortunately, that close friendship had been broken at the end of last year—all because of that damned dragon.
Madam Pince passed by, shooting a sharp glance at the two young witches.
Only after she disappeared behind the bookshelves did Eve chuckle softly. "Our friendship never ended, Hermione, and you know that. Don't let the conflict between Potter and Nolan get in the way. You and Potter are different people."
"I mean, I wouldn't say Harry is as terrible as you make him out to be… but alright." Hermione sighed, knowing Eve still held a grudge about Norbert the dragon. "Honestly, I do have a lot I wanted to talk to you about."
"Like Nolan? And Cho?"
"Hey, Eve, I wouldn't—!"
"Oh, please." Eve waved a hand dismissively. She flipped through a massive tome as she spoke. "Before I even left the Great Hall just now, there was already a first-year Slytherin trying to climb over me to get to Nolan. She even styled her hair just like mine."
Hermione's face twisted in protest. "That's completely different!"
"No, it's not." Eve shrugged. "This term, you've been hovering around Nolan all the time. Look, I'm not mocking you. I haven't hoarded Nolan to myself—he's not the type of person any girl could fully claim. The only reason it's just me and Cho so far is that the girls who've tried to approach him have been too weak. Not because I've been sabotaging them."
Hermione pursed her lips. "Well… I never knew you were this… tolerant?" She carefully chose her words. "Most girls, once they have someone like Nolan, would want to keep him locked down."
"Maybe that's exactly why they fail," Eve mused. "Who knows?"