Lockhart was unreliable—everyone knew it. It was practically common knowledge at this point. After all, this was the first time most students had ever seen a professor abandon his students and flee for his life.
Still, unlike Noah and his friends, the rest of the students didn't dare to ignore Lockhart outright.
Noah and his group were recognized as some of the top students in the entire school. They had their own judgment and confidence, and their actions didn't affect their grades. But other students? They didn't have that luxury.
In their subsequent Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, they noticed that Lockhart seemed rattled—likely still shaken from the last time Noah had hit him with a Full Body-Bind Curse (Petrificus Totalus). Because of that, he barely dared to interact with Noah's group. He ignored them entirely, never deducting points for their absences or even acknowledging their presence.
This made other students envious.
Having to endure Lockhart's self-absorbed ramblings day after day was exhausting, and they wished they could get away with skipping class too. So, naturally, many students started gravitating toward Noah and his group, hoping to join them.
Noah and his friends welcomed this development.
They still remembered Dumbledore's words—it was, in a way, their mission. Expanding their wizarding alliance had always been part of their goal.
"Noah, can I bring my running friends in? I guarantee they're all capable," Ernie Macmillan asked, panting as he flopped down beside Noah in the Room of Requirement.
Ernie had just finished using the room's magic to summon a Verhetian Bird, a cursed creature somewhat similar to a werewolf but far more vicious. Its greatest weakness? Fire.
After mastering the Bluebell Flames spell, Ernie had challenged the creature directly. He had nearly been taken down twice, but in the end, he managed to defeat the beast—reducing it to ashes.
"Your friends?" Noah asked curiously, his quill pausing over his notebook. Then, a thought struck him. "Are you talking about Justin Finch-Fletchley and Hannah Abbott?"
Noah found it a little strange to say Hannah's name. He remembered that, in the original books, she had been the first student called forward to wear the Sorting Hat. But in his world—one more like the movies—Hermione had taken that spot instead.
Still, Hannah Abbott was a notable figure. She would eventually become the Hufflepuff Prefect alongside Ernie in their fifth year. Later in life, she would run the Leaky Cauldron and even marry Neville Longbottom.
She had talent, though Noah recalled she struggled under pressure.
As for Justin?
Noah remembered him mostly because of his terrible luck. He had almost been bitten by the snake Draco Malfoy summoned during the Dueling Club incident. Later, his Muggle-born status prevented him from attending Hogwarts during the Second Wizarding War.
Noah wasn't too sure about Justin's abilities, but if Ernie vouched for him, it was worth consideration.
"Alright," Noah said after a moment. "But make sure you screen them properly, Ernie. Don't go easy on them just because they're your friends."
"I know," Ernie assured him, downing a goblet of pumpkin juice. "If they're not good enough, I'll ask for help. If they pass, I'll personally introduce them to everything."
"Fair enough," Noah agreed. If they weren't up to standard, Ernie would be the one embarrassed—not him.
Of course, Noah wasn't expecting newcomers to be as skilled as their original group. His core team was already far ahead of most students. They would need to ease new recruits into things.
Having a trustworthy circle of friends was better than being surrounded by people he couldn't rely on. After all, in two years, Noah would be leaving Hogwarts. Eventually, everything would be handed over to Kenn and the others.
"Speaking of which, Kenn," Noah turned to her, "do you have any Slytherins in mind?"
Slytherin was tricky. Noah had few connections there, but if anyone had a lead, it would be Kenn.
If he had to name the most talented Slytherin in their year, Draco Malfoy would be the first to come to mind.
But there was a problem—Noah had once openly threatened Lucius Malfoy, warning him to keep his son in check. While Noah hadn't taken his own words too seriously, Draco clearly had. He now actively avoided Noah at all costs.
If it weren't for shared classes, Noah probably wouldn't see Malfoy at all.
So, he hadn't expected much from Slytherin—until Kenn spoke up.
"I do have someone in mind," she said.
"Oh?" Noah and the others perked up. "Who?"
"Kennis Lopez." Kenn shrugged. "I've known him since childhood. His dad was a Gryffindor, his mum was a Ravenclaw, but somehow, he got sorted into Slytherin."
That wasn't unheard of, but it was unusual.
"Our mums are friends, so we grew up together," Kenn added.
"Wow, and he didn't fight the Sorting Hat on it?" Lance asked curiously.
"Nope. The Hat said he wanted to master magic and become a respected wizard, so… Slytherin it was."
"Unfortunate."
"Yeah. He says he can't stand the house's pure-blood obsession, but he's got a few like-minded friends. The problem is, you know what the environment is like."
Noah and the others exchanged looks.
Slytherin House had once been a respectable place, but after Voldemort, things had changed. Though most students weren't extremists, the radical influence lingered.
"So, what's his stance?" Noah asked.
"He wants in," Kenn said simply. "Said our performance last year was too impressive to ignore. He wants to become that strong."
"Alright, let's bring him in. Ernie's friends too," Noah decided.
"Sounds good to me," Ernie and Kenn agreed.
Before they could continue, Hermione suddenly spoke up.
"Wait a minute, Noah."
"What is it, Hermione?"
"Well… Harry and Ron want to join us too. They've been asking me about it all week. What should we do?"
Noah blinked.
"Ah-ha?"
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