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"I think you need to be taught a lesson." A senior student approached with a sneer.
"You think I'm afraid of you?" Charlie snapped, pulling out his wand.
At that moment, Tom stepped forward, his expression calm. "Are you really not afraid at all?"
Charlie gritted his teeth. "Afraid? My family is being humiliated! If I back down now, how am I any different from a coward? I'd rather die than be that kind of person!"
"Good," Tom said evenly. "Come with me."
Charlie hesitated, his anger momentarily interrupted. "With you?"
"If we don't leave now, we'll be late. Do you want to skip Charms this morning?"
"What?" Charlie was stunned.
He was about to fight, and now this guy was talking about class? Did he have no sense of timing?
"You again?" The senior student finally recognized Tom and scowled. "Are you going to meddle in someone else's business?"
"Good morning, Andre." A voice came from behind Tom. "Have you considered my offer?"
Andre's pupils shrank as he turned to face the speaker. "It's... it's you..."
"Yes, it's me." Robert smiled. "I recall asking you something last time..."
"Wait!" Andre interrupted quickly.
The last thing he needed was Robert publicly mentioning his hesitation about following him. If word got out that a senior had to bow to a first-year, his reputation would be ruined.
"I... I'm still thinking about it," Andre said hesitantly.
The ability Robert had displayed last time had terrified him. He hadn't dared to outright refuse, especially since if Professor McGonagall hadn't shown up back then, he might have had no choice but to agree.
"I believe you'll make the right choice." Robert leaned in and whispered, "Because those who choose to be my enemies... always end up regretting it."
Andre shuddered. He momentarily forgot Robert was just a first-year.
The other students, seeing Andre's reluctance to oppose Robert, fell silent.
Many speculated that perhaps the Shafik family, to which Andre belonged, had witnessed the hidden power behind Robert. Otherwise, why would he be so fearful?
The students in Slytherin respected strength—whether personal or from a powerful family.
Tom turned to Charlie. "Come with us. They don't like us either, so we should stick together."
Charlie hesitated. He had seen how the pure-bloods treated Tom's group and how they had reacted to taking the Felixir yesterday.
He knew Tom wasn't lying.
"Alright," he said, picking up the book that Abraxas had thrown on the ground.
While his words earlier had felt good, he knew he had just made himself a target. Accepting Tom's offer was the smart move.
As Tom led Charlie away, Robert turned back to face the gathered students. "From today on, Charlie Prince is my friend. No one is allowed to bully him. Who agrees? Who disagrees?"
The pure-blood students hesitated, wary of Robert's unknown background.
Only Abraxas, still furious, spoke up. "I object—"
But as soon as he locked eyes with Robert, a terrifying sensation gripped him.
It felt as if a fire-breathing dragon was watching him, ready to strike.
His voice faltered, and before he could stop himself, his words twisted.
"I—I object... I mean, it's impossible to object... I agree..." His voice trailed off into a whisper.
The overwhelming pressure vanished the moment he finished speaking.
"Good," Robert said. "Tom, let's go."
With that, he turned and walked out of the common room.
Tom and Charlie followed, while Anne watched them, eyes shining with excitement.
What she had witnessed today was incredible.
Mr. Grindelwald had allowed her to observe these two, and now she understood why.
Hogwarts had been around for centuries, but had any first-year ever silenced so many pure-blood heirs with just a few words?
Mr. Grindelwald would be very interested in this.
Walking to Class
"Thank you for helping me," Charlie said sincerely.
"No need for thanks," Robert replied. "Friends don't need to thank each other for things like this." He smirked at Tom. "Look at him—I've saved this rebellious brat so many times, and he's never thanked me once."
Tom clenched his teeth but said nothing. If only he were strong enough to fight back...
Charlie still looked puzzled. "I really appreciate your help, but... I don't understand. I heard that you're also pure-bloods. When I insulted them, I insulted you too. Why did you still help me? Don't you hate non-pure-bloods?"
Robert chuckled. "On this, Mr. Grindelwald is right—magic only blooms in the souls of a few."
Anne's eyes lit up. Robert agreed with Mr. Grindelwald! She had to report this tonight!
Charlie frowned. "What does that mean? How does it relate to helping me?"
"Muggles and wizards are all human. Some wizards are born into Muggle families—you know that, right?"
Charlie nodded.
"Then, do you know how many Muggles exist in the world? And how many wizards?"
Without waiting for an answer, Robert continued, "Muggles number in the hundreds of millions. Wizards? Maybe a few hundred thousand, at best."
Charlie listened carefully.
"That means each of us is incredibly rare—a one-in-a-million existence. We are miracles of life."
"If we're all miracles, why should we be divided into superior and inferior?"
"Besides," Robert added, "we don't even know the true origin of magic. Can anyone guarantee that the ancestors of today's so-called 'pure-blood' families weren't once Muggle-born wizards? Can anyone say for certain that their bloodline has remained completely untouched by non-magical ancestry?"
"So tell me," he said, looking at Charlie, "on what grounds do they claim superiority?"
Charlie nodded vigorously.
Those pure-blood snobs bullied him just because his father was a Muggle, but in reality, weren't they all the same at their core?
Just because their wands were fast, did that mean his couldn't be just as quick?
Tom remained silent, deep in thought.
Robert, however, was focused on something else.
Every time he confronted pure-blood ideology in Slytherin—whether through words or sheer presence—he earned merit points.
The system's notifications had been small before: 0.1 merit points here, 0.2 there. He had ignored them.
But just now, as Tom processed Robert's words, the system notifications flooded in.
Ding! The future Dark Lord Tom has slightly altered his fate due to the host's influence! Reward: 20 merit points!
Ding! The future Dark Lord...
One after another, the points rolled in.
By the time Robert finished counting, he had gained over 500 merit points in one go.
While Robert was mentally tallying his rewards, Tom remained lost in thought, and Charlie continued nodding to himself.
Meanwhile, Anne was quietly memorizing every word Robert had said.
Tonight, she would report everything.
She was thrilled—Robert clearly aligned with Mr. Grindelwald's views.
She was certain that one day, Robert would seek out Mr. Grindelwald and join the cause.
If that happened, then maybe—just maybe—he and Tom could truly become her friends.
Charms Classroom
Class hadn't started yet, and the group gathered together.
"Welcome, Charlie!" Alphard greeted him warmly.
Henry smirked. "Even though your words insulted all of us pure-blood Slytherins—including me—I have to admit you had a point. I can't stand those inbreeding-obsessed lunatics either. So, welcome."
With that, Robert's circle gained another member.
Robert, meanwhile, sat quietly, deep in thought.
Something about the name "Prince" felt familiar...
Then, realization struck.
"Charlie," he asked, "do you have any siblings?"
"Yeah, a younger sister—her name's Irene Prince. She's eight."
Robert's eyes widened.
Irene Prince… the future mother of Severus Snape.
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