After class, the students made their way through the clearing near the Forbidden Forest toward the castle. But most of them had one thing on their minds: The incredible bond between William Dante Rosier and Zouwu.
As they walked in groups, the students whispered excitedly, sometimes glancing at Dante and engaging in even more heated conversation. It seemed that this was a day Hogwarts would not soon forget.
Charlie Weasley, sitting next to Dante, finally couldn't stand it anymore and asked with a smile:
"How did you do that?"
Dante looked at Charlie with raised eyebrows.
"Do what?"
Charlie spread his arms wide in an exaggerated gesture.
"This!" he said excitedly. "What happened today! That thing - that huge, fierce, incredibly powerful creature - treated you almost like a cat! It took you in!"
Dante paused for a moment. Indeed, Azhidal's attitude toward him was very different from the distant and threatening one he had shown to other humans. The creature looked at him as if it knew him, moved around him and made its trust clear.
"I don't know," he finally said with a shrug. "I just... looked into its eyes and felt what I had to do."
Charlie shook his head and sighed. "I tried, but Zouwu gave me that 'don't bother me' look."
Dante laughed lightly. "Maybe you were too excited."
Charlie shrugged. "What can I do, I love magical creatures."
By this time, the two had arrived at Hogwarts and walked through the great entrance gates. As they entered the castle, the hustle and bustle around them suddenly stopped.
The first thing Dante and Charlie noticed as they entered the Great Hall was the silence.
Normally, at lunchtime, the four large tables would be buzzing with the lively conversations of the students. Today, however, as soon as they walked in, many students looked up at them and suddenly stopped talking.
Dante in particular was the center of attention.
As the two of them walked forward, the students could be heard whispering to each other:
"How could that Zouwu be so kind to him?"
"Even Professor Kettleburn was astonished! He must have some special talent!"
"Who would have thought he could form such a bond with a Slytherin?"
Dante walked straight up to the Slytherin table, seemingly oblivious to the silence. Charlie still looked around in confusion.
"I think everyone heard," Charlie muttered.
Dante nodded slightly. "Looks like it."
When he reached his desk, he took his usual seat and turned to Charlie and nodded.
"Come, sit down."
Charlie raised his eyebrows. "Really?"
Dante nodded, a slight smile on his face. "Of course."
Charlie hesitated for a moment. It was unusual for a Gryffindor to sit at the Slytherin table. Usually the rivalry between the houses was intense, especially between Slytherin and Gryffindor.
But Dante's invitation was strangely natural. "Well, why not?" Charlie said smiling and sat down next to Dante.
The other Slytherin students at the table fell silent at the sight of someone with the last name Weasley sitting at their table. They stared at Charlie and said almost nothing.
Charlie leaned slightly into the silence and whispered to Dante in a low voice:
"They're not going to eat me, are they?"
Dante laughed and shook his head from side to side. "They haven't decided yet."
Charlie chuckled at that answer and took a potato from the plate in front of him and started to eat it.
But he noticed something out of the corner of his eye: The other Slytherins at the table were looking at Dante with a different kind of respect than before.
At the Slytherin table, Dante and Charlie sat side by side, filling their plates. The buzz in the rest of the Great Hall had returned, but there was a slight tension at the Slytherin table.
Power and success always brought respect.
But it also brought jealousy.
Out of the corner of his eye, Dante watched the other Slytherin students at the table. There was obvious admiration on their faces, but Dante could sense the underlying jealousy. To them, William Rosier had risen to prominence very quickly. In just a few weeks, this boy they had never heard of before had become one of the most remarkable students in Slytherin.
And what happened today...
Today, in the Forbidden Forest, Zouwu's reaction to him was almost like a stamp on his forehead. His name was now spoken in every corner of Hogwarts.
Some could accept this achievement, even admire it, but most were secretly jealous that they didn't have such power.
Dante knew this, but he didn't seem to care. He concentrated on his food with the same calm demeanor. Just as he picked up a piece of fried chicken, Charlie turned to him curiously.
"By the way," Charlie said, "I don't think you like fortune telling, even though you do well in every class."
Dante put his fork down on the table and tilted his head slightly to the side. "I haven't decided yet. It sounds interesting, but..."
Charlie let out a laugh. "But is it ridiculous?"
Dante smiled slightly. "I didn't want to be so specific, but yes."
Charlie nodded and sighed deeply. "Exactly! I've been to a couple of lectures, but... it really doesn't make any sense. Professor Trelawney always says things unconsciously and predicts the death of one of us every week."
Dante's eyebrows raised slightly. "Really?"
Charlie shook his head vigorously. "Yes! for example, when he looked at my tea leaves, he told me that 'a great catastrophe is imminent.'"
"And?"
Charlie took a bite of bread and started chewing, then shrugged and continued. "And... nothing happened."
Dante laughed and shook his head from side to side. "What about the other students? Did any of the prophecies he made to them come true?"
Charlie frowned. "Not really. Sometimes it's a coincidence, but as far as he's concerned, everyone is either in grave danger or has a glorious destiny. It's far from certain."
Dante thought. Divination had always been a controversial topic in the wizarding world. The ability to see the future was rare, and only a handful of people could actually do it. But he doubted how reliable the Divination class at Hogwarts was.
He was about to tell Charlie when a voice came from the table across from him:
"I agree with you."
Charlie turned his head, his eyes wide at the sound. It was another Slytherin student.
He was a boy of medium height, with neatly combed dark brown hair and sharp features. He wore a dark green waistcoat under his Slytherin robes. There was an intelligent gleam in his eyes.
Charlie was taken aback for a moment. It was the first time he had noticed a Slytherin student talking to him. Normally, Gryffindor and Slytherin students kept their distance from each other, sometimes even being openly hostile. But this boy had joined them.
Unsurprised, Dante turned to him and bowed his head slightly. "So you think Divination is useless, too?"
The boy nodded with a slight smile. "Exactly. There are very few people who take Trelawney seriously, but those who believe in him are completely carried away. I guess he just has a dramatic style of storytelling."
Charlie looked at him, still confused. "What's your name?"
"Seth Mulciber."
Charlie nodded as he heard his name. The last name Mulciber sounded familiar. His father had told him about the Mulciber family - he'd heard that they often had a penchant for the Dark Arts. But Seth was not arrogant or hostile, as he had expected. On the contrary, he seemed quite relaxed and open.
"Well," Charlie said, not knowing what to say for a moment, "I think this is the first time I've ever agreed with a Slytherin on something like this."
Seth laughed easily. "William really seems to be changing things."
Dante looked around the table at the other Slytherin students. Some were still quiet and seemed uncomfortable with Charlie at the table. But others, like Seth, were more receptive.
Perhaps Dante's presence was beginning to soften the hard lines between Gryffindor and Slytherin.
Charlie shook his head at Seth's words. "Perhaps. But my opinion on the Prophecy won't change, that's for sure."
Seth raised his eyebrows sarcastically. "So are you going to class next week?"
Charlie gave him an accusing look. "Then let's at least sit together. If I get another death prophecy, at least someone will be there to witness it."
Seth bowed his head and spoke in a serious tone. "If you really die, I remind you that I witnessed this conversation, so I'll be the one to tell everyone that the prophecy was true."
The three of them laughed.
Looking around, Dante realized that for the first time, a conversation was actually developing between Slytherin and Gryffindor. The war between them was still raging, but perhaps... something was beginning to change.
I apologize for not posting recently, dear readers. I haven't updated because I was studying for my exams.
I will go back to my usual routine and probably post a Q&A about the universe and the book tomorrow. If you have any suggestions for the female lead, please let me know. I have most of the ideas decided, but I haven't finalized anything.
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