"Correspondingly, because Harry Potter's recklessness placed his classmates in danger, Gryffindor will lose twenty points."
The cheers from the Gryffindor side came to an abrupt halt.
Slytherin's shouts, on the other hand, grew even louder, the girls wearing smug expressions.
Harry stood there awkwardly and guilt-stricken, unsure where to put himself. He knew this whole mess had started because of him, that he'd caused trouble for everyone.
"Harry, don't be so down. This time it was just an accident," Chu Yang said gently, draping an arm over Harry's shoulder and whispering in his ear. "Trust me—there's no Whomping Willow on the Quidditch pitch. You'll become an excellent Seeker. You've got great genes."
"Chu Yang's right!" Ron chimed in from the side. "You're the fastest learner and the best flyer besides Chu Yang. Nobody else even comes close!"
Harry scratched his head and laughed awkwardly. Ron was clearly trying to comfort him, but why did it sound so strange?
"Ron, that didn't sound comforting at all," Hermione said with a frown, clearly unimpressed. "Next time you try to console someone, at least try to see things from their perspective!"
Ron looked utterly confused.
"If you'll excuse me for interrupting," Professor McGonagall said as she approached, "I need Mr. Potter to come with me for a moment."
"O-of course, Professor McGonagall," Harry replied nervously, then followed her out of the Great Hall.
"He hasn't even eaten yet…" Ron muttered, then clutched his stomach. "I'm starving too!"
After wolfing down dinner, Chu Yang took advantage of the darkness to head toward the Forbidden Forest, intending to check on the mutated Whomping Willow. He was promptly intercepted at the entrance by a hurried Professor McGonagall.
"If I remember correctly, school rules state that students are not allowed to leave the castle after dark," McGonagall said coolly, her voice echoing in Chu Yang's ears. "Am I right, Mr. Chu Yang?"
Chu Yang smiled awkwardly. "Yes, Professor."
"Headmaster Dumbledore was right—your head is full of schemes. I'll have to keep an eye on you at all times," McGonagall said, rubbing her temples tiredly, as though already imagining future headaches. "Now—immediately—go back to your dormitory!"
"Good night, Professor McGonagall," Chu Yang tried to salvage his image with an innocent smile, but she remained unmoved, staring at him impassively. Left with no choice, Chu Yang slipped past her and headed toward the damp, shadowy dungeons.
In just two days, Chu Yang had already delivered more "surprises" than Dumbledore could comfortably handle, forcing the old man to keep a much closer watch on him.
When Chu Yang returned to the Slytherin common room, he found it unusually quiet.
A closer look revealed Snape sitting upright on one of the sofas.
"Good evening, Professor Snape," Chu Yang greeted him politely, though he couldn't help feeling surprised—Snape rarely came to the common room.
"Headmaster Dumbledore asked me to arrange a double room for you. I must say, you're quite well-connected, Mr. Chu Yang," Snape said, standing up, his words as sharp and barbed as ever.
"Headmaster Dumbledore probably did it to make sure the Slytherin first-years don't completely occupy the hospital wing," Chu Yang shot back without missing a beat. "If Slytherin ended up with only one male student attending classes all term, it would hurt the House's reputation."
Snape's face darkened. Chu Yang's sharp tongue always seemed to exceed his expectations.
Having achieved his goal of irritating Snape, Chu Yang still tossed him a sweetener. "Professor, I earned twenty points for Slytherin today. That makes up for the points that were deducted earlier."
"Do you expect me to congratulate you?" Snape snorted, though his expression eased slightly as he turned and strode toward the spiral staircase. "Follow me. I'll take you to your new room. But I'll warn you in advance—do not get into any more conflicts with your roommate."
Chu Yang followed closely behind, smiling courteously. "I promise—as long as he doesn't provoke me, I definitely won't make the first move."
Snape ignored the promise entirely; it might as well not have been said.
Slytherin's double rooms were usually reserved for upper-year students and were located near the prefects' quarters.
Much like the prefects' single rooms, these double rooms had private washrooms—no need to share with others.
The room itself was spacious, equivalent to what six people would normally use.
Two large beds stood on opposite sides, each by a window.
Chu Yang smiled in satisfaction. Sharing a room still felt a bit uncomfortable, but the space was large enough that he could practically ignore the other occupant's existence.
"This will be your room from now on. I hope you behave yourself and stay put," Snape said, narrowing his eyes. "I don't want to have to move you a second time this term. I trust you understand what I mean, Mr. Chu Yang."
"I've received more than enough warnings today, Professor Snape," Chu Yang replied coldly, his earlier friendliness gone. "Good night."
Snape snorted and turned to leave. He'd originally intended to question Chu Yang in detail about the incident during flying class, but Chu Yang's attitude made him abandon the idea.
In truth, Snape did admire Chu Yang—partly for his astonishing learning ability, and partly for the courage and composure he displayed far beyond his age.
In all his years of teaching, Snape had never seen an eleven-year-old who could spar verbally with a professor so calmly, so confidently—and not come out worse for it.
And yet, strangely enough, despite this admiration, Snape found himself easily infuriated by Chu Yang. Beyond his sharp tongue, there was something in Chu Yang's demeanor that felt… superior, as though he stood above wizards themselves.
As if his very existence was somehow more exalted than theirs.
Snape found that notion both baffling—and deeply irritating.
What Snape didn't know was that part of Chu Yang's confidence came from the extraordinary advantages he possessed.
And another part came from his understanding of the non-magical world's future.
Wizards might seem lofty and untouchable now, but their glory would one day become a thing of the past. Modern science was advancing at a pace wizards could scarcely comprehend.
Meanwhile, the magical world had stagnated for years. Coupled with the outdated thinking of most wizards, everything about it reeked of decay.
(End of Chapter)