Snape looked at Dumbledore in confusion. Was he trying to get this child killed?
Dumbledore offered no explanation. He merely shook his head, signaling Snape not to ask questions, his gaze urging him to hurry and take Chu Yang away.
Snape snorted coldly, gave Dumbledore a slight bow, then turned and left.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Headmaster Dumbledore. The snacks were excellent," Chu Yang said politely, bowing before following Snape out.
Dumbledore watched their departing backs until the door closed tightly behind them.
The Slytherin dormitories and common room entrance were located underground at Hogwarts.
Hufflepuff House was there as well.
The two houses lay in opposite directions, with the Hogwarts kitchens between them—where hundreds of house-elves worked tirelessly.
Chu Yang followed Snape back along the route the first-years had taken from the underground harbor into the castle, then turned down a different branch.
Before long, a damp stone wall blocked their path.
The scene was exactly like the hidden entrance behind the Leaky Cauldron.
"Pure-blood."
Snape lifted his chin proudly as he spoke the password, casting Chu Yang a sidelong glance. The stone wall rumbled open, revealing a narrow path paved with cobblestones beneath their feet.
They followed it deeper inside, and a spacious common room suddenly came into view.
The surrounding walls were built of black Gothic marble. The ceiling was a transparent crystal dome, through which rippling water shimmered overhead.
They were beneath the lake—more precisely, beneath the Black Lake.
Chu Yang looked up.
Through the windows, he could see fish swimming past, along with massive aquatic creatures gliding through the depths.
Greenish lamps hung from chains on the ceiling. A fireplace stood in the room, complete with an exquisitely carved mantelpiece.
On either side of the common room were stairways leading to the boys' and girls' dormitories.
Snape stopped at the entrance and said coldly, "You don't expect me to find you a bed to sleep in as well, do you?"
"Thank you."
Despite Snape's frigid attitude, Chu Yang bade him farewell with impeccable manners.
"Slytherin isn't like the other houses," Snape added suddenly. "The students here are extremely hostile toward non–pure-bloods. If you don't have the ability to protect yourself, you'd best leave sooner rather than later—before you end up losing your life here."
With that, he turned and left the common room without looking back.
Sharp tongue, soft heart.
Watching Snape's aloof retreating figure, Chu Yang shook his head and climbed the stairs toward the boys' dormitory.
When Chu Yang entered the room, he saw rows of beds draped with dark green curtains. Unlike Gryffindor's lively atmosphere, the Slytherin boys were noticeably serious. They weren't excitedly roughhousing—instead, they were preparing to establish who would be in charge of the dormitory.
As for how they planned to decide…
Naturally, by comparing family backgrounds.
Whoever had the most illustrious lineage would hold the greatest authority and say in the room.
Draco Malfoy wasn't present, so for the moment, no clear winner had emerged.
But one thing was certain—
Someone like Chu Yang, a non–pure-blood, would unquestionably be at the very bottom.
"What are you doing here?!" Goyle shouted in surprise when he noticed Chu Yang standing in the doorway.
All the new students turned to look at him, recalling the shocking scene from the Great Hall earlier.
"Isn't he Muggle-born? How could he be sorted into Slytherin?" Crabbe and Goyle whispered among themselves, spreading Chu Yang's background. Before long, everyone in the room knew his origin.
The boys who had just moments ago considered welcoming Chu Yang instantly changed their expressions. Without a word, they formed a united front, staring at him with open hostility.
"Sorry, but you'll have to leave," Blaise Zabini said as he stepped forward, his dark skin and aristocratic posture unmistakable. He looked at Chu Yang with thinly veiled contempt. "This is the great House of Slytherin, not somewhere a non–pure-blood wizard like you belongs. You must be in the wrong place."
Chu Yang looked at the classmates who regarded him as an enemy, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
"You don't want me here. Funny enough, I feel the same way. Even back at the orphanage, I preferred sleeping alone in a private room."
"A communal dormitory really doesn't suit me. So you'd better all clear out and let me sleep in peace. Otherwise, a lot of people might not make it to class tomorrow—and if Slytherin loses points because of that, it'll be a real hassle for me."
"A filthy Mudblood dares to threaten us?" Blaise's pride as a pure-blood was thoroughly provoked. "This isn't your territory, you Eastern freak!"
"I seem to recall that Africa doesn't even have wizards as a profession—only shamans," Chu Yang sneered. "I've heard your ancestors learned magic while working in cotton fields."
Blaise, who had African ancestry, exploded with rage.
He charged straight at Chu Yang, intending to let this slender Eastern boy experience his strength!
The scene was almost comical—a self-proclaimed pure-blood wizard resorting to fists, simply because he hadn't learned a single offensive spell yet.
At the same time, Crabbe and Goyle retreated in perfect unison. They still suspected that Malfoy's incident might have something to do with Chu Yang.
They might be dumb—but their instincts were sharp.
How much of a threat could an eleven-year-old's punch really be?
Chu Yang didn't even bother dodging. Seizing the moment, he drove a kick straight into Blaise's abdomen.
A tremendous force slammed into Blaise's body. As pain surged through him, his consciousness blurred—he only felt himself flying.
In fact, he was sent flying.
After hitting the ground, he slid several meters across the smooth floor, carried by inertia straight under a bed.
Blaise immediately fell into a dazed, unconscious state.
The others were stunned.
With just one casual kick, the strong-built Blaise had been knocked out cold.
"Damn it! Let's all go together—drive him out of Slytherin!"
The boys swarmed forward, trying to overwhelm Chu Yang with numbers. The noise attracted first-years from other dormitories.
After learning what had happened, they decisively joined the effort against Chu Yang.
Meanwhile, Crabbe and Goyle retreated yet again.
Their instincts remained spot-on.
In just a few breaths' time, a group of eleven-year-olds lay sprawled across the floor, foaming at the mouth.
Chu Yang brushed his hands off and smiled at the two of them. "If you don't mind, could you take this trash out with you? Try not to disturb my sleep, all right?"
Crabbe and Goyle nodded frantically like pecking chickens.
Chu Yang then chose a bed by the window—one with a view of the mysterious creatures beneath the lake. He efficiently removed his robes, slipped beneath the soft blankets, closed his eyes, and smiled contentedly.
Crabbe and Goyle carefully carried the boys out one by one, terrified of making any noise that might wake Chu Yang.
While moving Blaise, Goyle slipped for a moment, and Blaise's head struck a bed leg with a dull thud.
Chu Yang's eyelids twitched. He didn't open his eyes—only frowned in annoyance.
Crabbe and Goyle were nearly scared out of their wits. Trembling, they dragged Blaise out as gently as they could.
Once the door was closed quietly behind them, Chu Yang smiled and drifted fully into sleep.
Looking at the common room filled with unconscious first-years, Crabbe and Goyle—sweating profusely—each found a comfortable sofa and collapsed onto it with miserable expressions.
The fireplace roared with flames, yet it couldn't dispel the damp chill seeping up from the floor.
After all, this was beneath the Black Lake.
By morning, most of those first-years were going to catch colds.
(End of Chapter)