Time slipped by unnoticed in the midst of the discussion. It wasn't until Professor Flitwick reminded everyone of the curfew that the group reluctantly began to disperse. As Orianna turned to approach Alex, hoping for a word with him, she realized he had already vanished into the crowd. "Rude as ever," she muttered, her lips curving into a pout. Feeling like an outsider again, she stomped off, frustrated.
When Alex returned to the Slytherin dormitory that night, he sat at his desk, flipping through his notes, preparing to tackle some homework. The quiet was soon shattered by a loud, insistent knock at his door.
Bang! Bang! Bang! "Open up! Hurry!"
Alex's lips curled into a faint smirk. 'Getting bold already, huh? Or is someone in a rush to get themselves humiliated?'
With a wave of his hand, the door's lock clicked open. The door slammed inward with a resounding boom, and Wilkes swaggered into the room, his expression smug and arrogant. He glanced around with exaggerated contempt before his gaze settled on Alex, who was still seated, casually flipping through his book. Alex didn't even spare him a glance, which only fueled Wilkes' irritation.
"Why are you so slow? Today's the first inspection by the Purity Committee, and yet here you are acting like you're above it all! Hand over any Muggle junk you've got in this room, or else—"
"Or else you'll pick a fight with me?" Alex cut him off mid-sentence, finally looking up. His tone was sharp, his eyes gleaming with disdain.
Wilkes froze, his face paling slightly as the memory of last year resurfaced. Alex had humiliated him thoroughly back then, and Wilkes hadn't forgotten. Yet, this wasn't the place for a brawl—not in the dormitory where Professor Snape could easily intervene. And deep down, Wilkes wasn't confident he could win.
Swallowing his anger, Wilkes straightened his posture and said stiffly, "This is an official inspection by the Slytherin Purity Committee. If you cooperate, we won't have any problems. But if you resist, any contraband we find will land you in serious trouble."
"Body search? That's bold," Alex replied coolly. "But tell me, who gave your little committee the authority to impose your nonsense on me?"
Travers, standing beside Wilkes, stepped forward, his face twisted with disdain. "We represent the will of Slytherin House! You're just an outsider trying to defy what we've all agreed on."
Wilkes nodded vigorously. "Exactly! In Slytherin, we follow the rules. You can't just—"
"Rules?" Alex stood up, his movement slow but deliberate. A faint smile tugged at his lips, though his eyes were cold. "If Slytherin's rules are made by trash like you, then maybe they aren't worth following."
Wilkes and Travers flinched as Alex stepped closer. Instinctively, they took a step back but stopped themselves, puffing out their chests as if to regain their confidence.
"Watch your mouth, Alex," Travers barked, his voice shaking despite his bravado. "As pure-blood nobles, we make the rules in Slytherin. If you challenge us, you'll regret it."
"Pure-blood nobles?" Alex chuckled darkly, stopping just inches from Travers. "Do you even hear yourselves? You're not nobles—you're just bullies hiding behind an imaginary title. And you expect me to take you seriously?" Alex clapped a hand on Wilkes' shoulder, making him flinch. Though Wilkes tried to stand his ground, his shoulders stiffened as goosebumps crept down his spine.
Travers, growing more frustrated, snarled, "Take your filthy hand off him! If you keep defying us, we'll—"
"You'll what?" Alex cut him off again, his tone icy. "Throw another tantrum? Cry to Snape?"
Wilkes finally broke free of Alex's grip, his face flushed with anger. "Enough! Stop wasting time and stand aside for the inspection. If you don't, you'll regret it!"
Alex's smile disappeared, replaced by a hard, calculating expression. "Regret? I don't mind rules, but weaklings like you don't get to make them. If you want me to follow your rules, prove you're strong enough to enforce them."
With a flick of his wrist, the door behind them slammed shut and locked with a sharp click.
Travers and Wilkes spun around, their bravado faltering.
"What—what are you doing?!" Travers stammered, his voice high-pitched.
Alex took a slow step forward, his shadow stretching over the two of them. "You barged into my room, tried to search me, and now you want to leave? No, no, boys. If you came here looking for trouble, you'll have to see it through."
"Stay back! You can't attack us—we're in the same House!" Travers shouted, his voice shaking. "If you use magic on us here, you'll be expelled!"
"You're not injured, and you're not bleeding. So how can anyone say I attacked you? And now I need to cast spells to deal with you?" Alex smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief as he faced the two boys.
Travers tensed immediately. He knew he'd walked into a tiger's den, but he wasn't about to give in without a fight. His wand shot into his hand as he prepared to strike first.
But Alex was quicker. Before Travers could even process what was happening, his wand vanished from his grasp. A quick glance at Wilkes confirmed he was in the same predicament—both unarmed in the blink of an eye.
Before they could react, Alex grabbed their wrists in a firm grip, twisted them backward, and used a sharp tug to unbalance them. With a smooth grappling technique, he flipped them to the ground in one fluid motion.
A sharp smack followed as Alex's palms struck precisely on their weak spots. "Argh!" Both Travers and Wilkes screamed in pain, clutching their sides. A searing ache shot through their bodies, leaving them stunned and gasping for breath.
Alex, however, wasn't done. Using a calculated technique, he dislocated their arms, pressed them back into place, and then dislocated them again—repeating the process several times until both boys were left writhing in agony on the floor. By the time he was finished, Travers and Wilkes couldn't even muster the strength to scream anymore.
"You're pathetic. Not even fun to fight," Alex muttered disdainfully, shaking his head as if disappointed.
Dragging them to the door, Alex unceremoniously dumped the two outside the dormitory. As they lay groaning in the corridor, he looked down at them coldly. "Tell Yaxley that if he has a problem with me, he can deal with me himself. And if you bother me again, it won't end this easily."
Without waiting for a response, Alex slammed the door shut, leaving Travers and Wilkes in the hallway, barely able to move. It wasn't long before a few other pure-blood students stumbled upon them and carried the two battered boys to Yaxley. When they finally arrived at Yaxley's dormitory, he stared at their pitiful state with a mix of annoyance and disbelief. "So, let me get this straight—he beat you up inside the dormitory?" Yaxley asked, clearly unimpressed.
Wilkes, still panting heavily, nodded frantically. "Yes! That Mudblood dragged us into his dorm and attacked us for no reason! You have to do something about him!"
Yaxley frowned and leaned closer, inspecting the two of them. "Where exactly did he hit you? I don't see any injuries."