The air in the dungeons was thick with the scent of damp stone, the flickering torches casting eerie shadows along the walls. Harry walked with casual confidence, hands in his pockets, while Hermione fidgeted beside him, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag.
Filch, muttering under his breath, led them to Snape's office and rapped twice on the heavy wooden door before shuffling away.
"Enter," came the familiar cold voice.
Inside, Snape barely spared them a glance as he continued writing on a parchment. The dim candlelight made his sallow skin look even more gaunt.
"Potter. Granger," he drawled, setting his quill down. "Causing trouble so soon?"
Harry met his gaze evenly. "I wouldn't call it trouble, sir. Just setting things straight."
Snape's black eyes flicked toward Hermione, who looked as if she was considering whether to defend herself.
A long silence stretched between them before Snape sighed and waved them off. "You are dismissed."
Hermione blinked. "That's it?"
Snape raised an eyebrow. "Did you expect punishment?"
Hermione opened her mouth, then shut it again, clearly at a loss.
Harry smirked. "No complaints here. Come on, Hermione."
As they left, Hermione tugged on Harry's sleeve. "Why would Snape let us go just like that?"
Harry chuckled. "Because he saw nothing wrong with what happened."
A Hero's Welcome
The moment they stepped into the Slytherin common room, applause erupted.
Harry stopped, raising an eyebrow as Slytherins of all years smirked and clapped. Even the normally reserved Daphne Greengrass had an amused expression as she leaned against the wall beside Tracey Davis.
"Well, well, if it isn't the 'True Slytherin,'" Blaise Zabini drawled, lounging in one of the armchairs.
Harry frowned. "True Slytherin?"
Draco Malfoy smirked. "Oh, you haven't heard? The whole school is talking. Some say you destroyed Weasley in a duel. Others claim you publicly humiliated him in class. A few even think you killed him and got away with it."
Tracey giggled. "Not that we'd mind if that were true."
Harry sighed, shaking his head. "Ridiculous."
"Absolutely," Daphne agreed. "But still, you made a stand, and Slytherins appreciate strength."
Pansy smirked. "Honestly, the way you put Weasley in his place was beautiful."
"And smashing that Remembrall? Pure dominance," Theodore Nott added.
Harry rolled his eyes. "I didn't do it for house rivalries."
Draco waved dismissively. "Doesn't matter. Perception is reality, Potter. Right now, Slytherin sees you as one of us."
Harry didn't argue. He knew Slytherins well enough to understand they'd twist events to fit their own views.
At that moment, Hermione stood slightly apart. No one actively excluded her, but neither did they go out of their way to include her.
Harry nudged her arm. "Come on, Hermione. I want you to meet everyone properly."
She blinked, snapping out of her thoughts as he guided her toward Draco's group.
A New Circle
Draco gave Hermione a once-over, still surprised by her presence in Slytherin.
"You know, Granger, I never expected you here," he admitted.
Hermione lifted her chin. "Neither did I, but here we are."
Blaise tilted his head. "A Muggle-born in Slytherin? That hasn't happened in a long time."
Hermione flushed slightly under the attention.
Harry smirked. "She's more Slytherin than most."
Draco snorted. "We'll see about that."
As the conversation flowed, the group gradually warmed up to her. That was, until Daphne casually mentioned something that made Harry pause.
"Of course, old family magic plays a role in these things. It's a shame some people don't even have access to their own legacies."
Harry's expression darkened.
Daphne raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong, Potter?"
Harry leaned in slightly. "Family magic?"
Daphne exchanged a glance with Tracey. "Oh, don't tell me you don't know."
"Know what?" Harry's voice was sharper than he intended.
Daphne tilted her head. "That you should have inherited access to Potter family magic and wealth by now."
Harry's eyes narrowed.
He had never thought about it before. Dumbledore had always reassured Harry that he was "safe" with the Dursleys. But now that he considered it...
Why had he lived so poorly? Why had he never received anything from his parents' estate?
Had Dumbledore… deliberately kept it from him?
Harry clenched his fists.
Daphne smiled knowingly. "You should look into it."
Dumbledore.
Had the old man withheld his inheritance for his own purposes?
Harry exhaled slowly, forcing his expression to remain neutral. "I will."
Daphne seemed satisfied with that answer and returned to the conversation
Parting for the Night
As the night wore on, Slytherins began retreating to their dormitories.
The common room had settled into a quieter atmosphere, and Harry found himself walking Hermione toward the entrance of the girls' dormitory.
She stopped, looking up at him. "You're not going to do anything reckless, are you?"
Harry smirked. "Who, me? Never."
Hermione huffed but didn't press further. "Just be careful, Harry."
Harry nodded, then—without thinking—leaned in and pressed a light kiss to her cheek.
Hermione's eyes widened, her face quickly turning red.
Behind them, laughter erupted.
"Oh my, Potter's already making moves," Tracey teased.
Daphne smirked. "How bold."
Hermione, now blushing furiously, shot them a glare before rushing into the dormitory without another word.
Harry chuckled. "Goodnight, girls."
Daphne and Tracey only grinned as they watched him head toward the boys' dormitory.
Once inside his room, Harry made sure the curtains were drawn before slipping on the enchanted ring.
With a silent pulse of magic, his consciousness was pulled into the world within the ring.
As he entered the lush landscape of his personal dimension, a familiar figure awaited him—Petunia, standing by the lake, her expression both eager and submissive.
A smirk played on Harry's lips.
To be continued…