Astoria Greengrass had never met Nolan before.
She had an older cousin named Daphne, who had started at Hogwarts a year earlier. Naturally, Daphne was sorted into Slytherin as well.
Through her cousin, Astoria had already heard plenty about the so-called "Prince of Slytherin."
Last Christmas, Daphne had spent the entire holiday raving about Nolan Von Draugr's charm. It was enough to spark a deep curiosity in Astoria.
But now, for the first time, she was actually seeing him in person.
And her first impression of him? Unmistakable presence.
Just imagine—
A Great Hall filled with nearly four hundred people. A professor mid-speech, addressing the entire school.
And yet, this boy had walked in as if none of that mattered.
The moment he stepped through the doors, all eyes were on him. His arrival was enough to bring the entire hall to a standstill, even interrupting a speech.
Even Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of their time, chuckled warmly and remarked,
"Mr. Von Draugr, I suppose we should be grateful that your Hogwarts Express didn't arrive tomorrow instead. Perfect timing—the feast has yet to begin. I imagine you'll find your favorite tomato juice and soft candies waiting for you."
Nolan simply gave a composed nod in response and, still holding Eve's hand, made his way toward his seat.
Astoria felt a shiver run down her spine.
The Prince of Slytherin—was walking straight toward her!
Around her, the other first-year Slytherins whispered excitedly—
"That's Nolan!"
"The Prince of Slytherin!"
Astoria swallowed hard, her heart racing wildly.
Daphne wasn't lying!
Nolan Von Draugr really was as handsome and graceful as she had described!
And she had to admit—he looked even better this year than in any of the photos her cousin had shown her.
In his first two years at Hogwarts, Nolan had kept his hair long enough to fall over his eyes. But this summer, Eve had apparently convinced him to change it.
Not that he needed long hair. Short was fine, too.
He had visited a Muggle barber, gotten his hair neatly trimmed and softened into a stylish, modern cut. The result? A sharper, more refined look that somehow made him even more attractive.
And it wasn't just his hair.
This summer, he had grown taller—almost 5'7" now. He was already as tall as some fourth- and fifth-year students. His lean yet athletic build gave him an air of strength and confidence.
He had also gotten a new set of robes, though that was hardly important…
What was important, however, was the black eye patch covering his left eye.
The eye patch stood out immediately. But instead of worrying that something was wrong with Nolan's eye, most of the younger students were captivated by it.
In their minds, it wasn't a sign of injury—it was cool.
In fact, by the time Nolan reached his seat, a few first-years had already begun whispering about whether they should get eye patches of their own.
Perhaps that was the secret to Nolan's effortless popularity…
Who knew?
"Hey, Nolan!" Miles grinned, raising a hand for a high-five. He slid over to make room. "You really know how to make an entrance!"
"Ran into some trouble," Nolan replied casually, guiding Eve into her seat.
The young witch looked pale, clearly struggling to keep her stomach settled.
"We Apparated just outside Hogwarts and flew in," Nolan murmured, keeping his voice low. "Eve isn't used to Apparition. She already threw up a few times on the way here."
Eve pressed a hand to her chest, looking queasy. "No matter what, I refuse to learn how to Apparate. I'd rather fly around on a broomstick all day—that kind of travel is at least fun."
"You just need to get used to it," Nolan said, ruffling her hair. "This is only your second time. I'll make sure you master it before you turn seventeen. Apparition is the most convenient form of wizard travel, after all."
Eve grimaced, sipping her pumpkin juice. "I really hope so…"
Meanwhile, poor Professor Lockhart attempted to resume his speech.
But it was hopeless.
No one was paying attention anymore.
Everyone was far too busy discussing why Nolan had arrived late…
And, of course, admiring his very stylish eye patch.
///
"Nolan?"
Hermione turned her head and whispered, "Did you see Harry?"
"I did," Nolan replied with a smirk, barely holding back a laugh.
That alone was enough to shock the Slytherins around him.
Over the past two years, Nolan had rarely shown any expression beyond calm indifference, let alone amusement. Now, he was laughing?
Immediately, every Slytherin nearby perked up, eager to hear what could have possibly amused their Prince of Slytherin.
"You're not going to believe this," Nolan said, his voice taking on the tone of a storyteller. "Harry and Weasley flew a car into Hogwarts."
A wave of hushed gasps and murmurs spread through the hall.
"You're joking," Miles muttered, eyes wide.
"I wish I were," Nolan said, shaking his head. "I was flying in at the time, in my raven Animagus form. I had Eve on my back."
"The skies above Hogwarts are lonely, as you all know. Sometimes I have the company of owls or Thestrals, but for the most part, it's just empty air. I thought having Eve fly with me would make things more interesting."
He cast a glance at the silver-haired girl beside him.
"But unfortunately, Eve trusts her Silver Arrow broom more than she trusts me," Nolan continued with a smirk. "She was too scared of falling to talk much."
"It was terrifying!" Eve huffed, her face still a bit pale. "One gust of wind and we could have been blown away!"
"True," Nolan admitted, still amused. "We nearly were blown away. But it wasn't the wind that almost knocked us out of the sky—it was a car."
The Slytherins gasped in shock. Even the Gryffindors at the neighboring table leaned in.
"I don't know where Potter and Weasley got their hands on it, but they were flying a car to Hogwarts. And let me tell you—Weasley's driving skills were questionable at best. Either that or the car was falling apart, because they were swerving all over the place. I was certain they weren't going to make it."
"And then?" Daphne pressed eagerly.
"They barely reached Hogwarts," Nolan said. "And then—well, the car dropped straight out of the sky and smashed into a tree."
"A tree?"
Fred and George Weasley's eyes gleamed with excitement. They had a pretty good idea which tree it was.
"You don't mean—" Fred started.
"—the Whomping Willow?!" George finished.
"I don't know if it's the tree you're thinking of," Nolan said with a smirk, "but it certainly had personality—because it started punching them."
Loud gasps and bursts of laughter filled the Slytherin and Gryffindor tables alike.
"Their car got wrecked," Nolan went on, enjoying the attention. "The tree's branches tore it apart and then pulled them out of the wreckage, dangling them in the air and giving them a good beating."
"When Eve and I arrived, they were bruised from head to toe—looked absolutely miserable."
Hermione groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Oh, Merlin's beard…"
The Slytherins were already whispering amongst themselves, wondering if Potter and Weasley would be expelled for such a ridiculous stunt.
After all, Harry Potter was the thorn in their side. If he got himself into trouble, that was cause for celebration.
The Gryffindors, on the other hand, were having a completely different discussion.
Rather than worrying about Harry and Ron's fate, they were excitedly debating how they could get their hands on a flying car.
Ideas were thrown around—maybe they could fly one into Hogwarts themselves. Someone even suggested crashing it straight into Snape's office.
Hermione spent a good five minutes trying to explain why that was impossible—Snape's office was underground, for Merlin's sake. There was no way a car could crash into it.
But as the evening wore on and the feast came to an end, there was one thing that made everyone uneasy—
Neither Harry nor Ron showed up at the Gryffindor table.
Could it be…?
Had they actually been expelled?