Harry and Ron walked out of Snape's office, still looking slightly dazed.
Seeing Snape rush to the Quidditch pitch earlier had filled them with an ominous feeling. And when they were dragged to his office—along with the entire Slytherin Quidditch team—while their own Gryffindor teammates were dismissed, the two of them had been sure they were doomed.
"This is blatant favoritism!"
Both had thought the same thing, but there was nothing they could do about it.
Harry silently resolved that if Professor Snape truly made an unfair ruling, he would go straight to Professor Dumbledore for help.
On the way to the office, Noah had cured Ron's unfortunate case of vomiting slugs. It was then that Harry learned from the others just how offensive the word Mudblood was. Now, he fully understood why Noah and Kenn had reacted with such fury—Hermione was their friend.
To be honest, Harry envied that kind of friendship. In his heart, he had already considered Noah and the others his friends for a long time.
Ever since last year, when they had helped him thwart Voldemort's plans, Harry had wanted to be part of their group.
But there was something that made him hesitate—he felt like he wasn't good enough. Especially in Noah's eyes.
Even though he had discussed it with Hermione before, nothing had ever come of it.
So, instead, he quietly considered Noah and his friends to be his own, even if they didn't acknowledge him in the same way. He never spoke of it.
And honestly, he couldn't blame them. In Harry's mind, Noah and his friends were exceptional, far beyond the ordinary.
But today, Harry realized that even the high regard in which he held them was still too low.
Even Snape—who was infamous for his bias toward Slytherin—had not punished them. In fact, he hadn't even tried. Instead, he had let them go and even reprimanded the Slytherin students.
Snape, the Head of Slytherin, not favoring Slytherins?
Harry and Ron could hardly believe it.
Of course, they hadn't missed the conversation between Noah and Snape. One particular piece of information stood out:
Noah had become the disciple of a great being.
The mere thought sent a chill down their spines. To them, Professor Dumbledore was already the greatest wizard in the world, and Hogwarts was the pinnacle of magical education.
And yet, Snape—who sometimes defied Dumbledore—had immediately changed his attitude when it came to Noah.
"Who is this great being?"
That question lingered in their minds, but they didn't dare ask.
All they knew was that Noah's teacher must be someone truly terrifying. Even Snape wouldn't dare cross him. And Noah's magic? He had already proven he was leagues ahead of even the sixth-year Slytherins.
As they stepped out of the dungeon, sunlight greeted them, and both Harry and Ron felt a sense of relief. The dungeon always felt oppressive—especially during Potions class. But they'd never dare say that aloud.
"Harry, Ron, thanks for standing up for Hermione."
As they reached the staircase, Noah's voice caught them off guard.
"That's… that's nothing," Harry said quickly. "We didn't really do much. And besides, we should be thanking you—for last year, and for helping Ron back there."
Ron nodded in agreement, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
The truth was, Harry hadn't even known what Mudblood meant at first, so he had just stood there, confused. And while Ron had known, his attempt at defending Hermione had been thwarted—by his own broken wand.
In reality, they hadn't done much at all. If Kenn and Evan hadn't been there, they might have ended up running away in disgrace.
Noah, however, simply smiled. He found them amusing in their own way.
Shaking his head, he suddenly said, "I heard from Hermione that you two want to join us?"
"Ah?"
Both Harry and Ron froze.
Their little secret had been exposed.
They had wanted to join Noah's group for a while. But after witnessing Noah and his friends in action—especially after the Defense Against the Dark Arts class and today's events—they had started doubting themselves.
They had felt like they weren't qualified.
But now, from Noah's tone, it sounded like… they might have a chance?
Their hearts pounded in excitement. If they could become part of the group—if they could become as strong as Noah and the others—wouldn't that be amazing?
After a quick glance at each other, they both nodded eagerly.
"Yes! We want to join you! Very much!"
Then, they hesitated.
There was such a huge gap between them and Noah's group. Were they really worthy?
Harry hesitated before speaking again. "But… we don't seem to be qualified."
"That's not for you to decide," Noah said with a smirk. "Of course, it won't be easy to join us."
Harry and Ron tensed.
Noah continued, leading them forward as he spoke.
"If you want to join, you'll need to pass a few necessary tests. Don't worry, they're not impossible—just first- and second-year level magic."
"If we pass, we can join?" Ron asked cautiously.
"That's right." Noah nodded. "And if you do, you'll have access to better training opportunities and more advanced knowledge."
Harry's eyes lit up. "How many people are in your group now?"
Noah chuckled. "Not many. But you won't find out just yet."
"Will we become as strong as you?"
Noah shrugged. "That depends on how hard you work. To be honest, I don't think you'll be as strong as me. It mostly depends on your talent. But catching up to Kenn and the others? That should be possible."
Harry clenched his fists. "Thank you, Noah, for giving us this chance. We'll do our best to pass the test!"
Ron, on the other hand, looked a bit uncertain. Unlike Harry, he had always lived in the shadow of his older brothers, and confidence wasn't exactly his strong suit.
Noah sighed inwardly.
In the original timeline, Ron would eventually marry Hermione.
Everyone knew how opinionated and strong-willed Hermione was.
This guy's future… probably wouldn't be too easy.
"…But he's a loyal friend, isn't he?"
And sometimes, that was what mattered most.
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