Travers and Wilkes began whining about their ordeal, describing the pain and humiliation, but Yaxley's expression only grew more skeptical. "So let me get this right. He threw you around like ragdolls, left you in pain—but didn't leave a single visible mark on you?" Yaxley said, his tone laced with irritation. "If you go back to him looking like this, how are you planning to prove anything? He'll just deny it."
"Then what are we supposed to do?" Wilkes burst out, his frustration spilling over. "Let him get away with it? He humiliated us!"
Yaxley sneered, his eyes narrowing. "Of course not. But we can't act recklessly, especially here at Hogwarts. He clearly knows how to handle himself, and he's being careful not to leave any evidence. That means we need to play smarter."
Travers glared at Yaxley. "What do you mean by that?"
"For now, leave him alone," Yaxley ordered coldly. "Focus on keeping the other students in line—especially the half-bloods. Make sure they know their place. As for Alex, he won't be able to hide behind Hogwarts forever. Sooner or later, he'll slip up, and when he does, we'll be ready."
Reluctantly, Travers and Wilkes nodded, forcing themselves to stay calm despite their lingering anger. Over the next few days, Alex noticed a change. The Purity Committee left him alone, but their harassment of other students ramped up. Under the guise of "inspections," they raided dormitories and confiscated items they deemed contraband—everything from harmless trinkets to treasured possessions.
Vivian, in particular, was furious. Nearly all her poker cards were seized, bringing her beloved poker club to the brink of collapse. Her club members grumbled and complained, but they didn't dare openly defy Yaxley and his group. Most Slytherins stayed silent, focusing on protecting themselves. Few were willing to stand up to the Committee, and Yaxley skillfully exploited their fear, turning some into allies while crushing others under his control. The half-bloods bore the brunt of the bullying, forced to endure daily humiliation in silence.
To Alex, it was both infuriating and pathetic. The behavior reminded him of past tragedies—groups that were clever and capable but lacked the unity or courage to fight back. Instead, they accepted their torment in hopes of avoiding worse.
Meanwhile, Yaxley's group started watching Alex more closely, their surveillance becoming subtler but no less persistent. Most of their activity was concentrated around weekends, a clear indication of their plans.
"They're waiting for me to leave the school," Alex thought with a smirk. "Do they think I can't see through something that obvious?"
For third-year students, weekends brought the perk of visiting Hogsmeade, the only all-wizarding village in Britain. However, students needed a guardian's signature to leave school grounds. Alex, as an orphan, didn't have one, but Professor McGonagall had arranged for Hagrid to act as his temporary guardian, granting him permission to visit the village.
Even though Alex had permission to visit Hogsmeade on weekends, he didn't rush to leave the safety of the school. For now, Hogwarts was his refuge. With the growing hostility from the pure-blood wizards, it was obvious—even to fools—that those people were waiting to strike the moment he stepped outside the school grounds.
And when they acted, it wouldn't be small. "You're waiting for a chance to make a move, but so am I," Alex muttered to himself. "Rozier's side is nearly ready. No point in wasting time playing with these little fish. If I'm going to act, it's got to be for the big ones."
After some thought, Alex made his way to the small hut near the Forbidden Forest and waited quietly. Before long, Higgs, Charles, and Vivian arrived. To Alex's surprise, Charles brought someone else with him—Bill Weasley.
"Brother Alex!" Bill hadn't seen Alex since the opening ceremony, and his face lit up as he ran toward him.
Alex had specifically asked Charles to bring Bill. After some consideration, Alex felt it was only right to include him in their training. The Weasleys had always treated him kindly, so it only felt fair to look after their younger sibling. When Charles learned about Alex's plan, he enthusiastically agreed.
As the self-proclaimed assistant coach, Charles was thrilled at the idea of training someone new. Now he could boss Vivian and Welen around under the guise of "guiding them," and he thoroughly enjoyed the role. Watching Bill greet Alex with excitement, Charles grinned like a mischievous cat.
After Alex explained the training plan to Bill, the younger wizard eagerly agreed. In his mind, it was like getting special attention from an older brother—a treat he wasn't about to refuse.
That enthusiasm didn't last long. The very same afternoon, Charles gleefully dragged an excited Bill to the Forbidden Forest hut. But when they arrived, Bill's excitement quickly turned into horror. Charles, wearing his most serious expression, made him start with endurance training: standing upright for extended periods. By the time they were done, Bill was so exhausted he could barely stay on his feet.
As Bill struggled to recover, he watched the others—Charles, Welen, and Vivian—practicing spellcasting, target shooting, and walking exercises. He was stunned. This was the training plan? Was this the kind of grueling routine waiting for him in the future? And did training like this really stop people from dropping dead?
But Bill had no time to dwell on his questions. When Alex switched into his "hell instructor" mode, there was no mercy. Every mistake, no matter how small, earned a sharp reprimand—even for someone like Vivian.
Yet, despite the intensity, the results were undeniable. Bill soon realized his magical perception and spellcasting improved significantly. Even his physical endurance and mental state were leaps ahead of where they had been.
Meanwhile, back in Slytherin, the atmosphere had become more oppressive by the day. After taking Alex's advice, Welen Higgs avoided directly confronting the pure-blood wizards on the committee. Alex himself kept a low profile, going out early and coming back late. This retreating behavior only fueled the arrogance of the pure-bloods, who assumed Alex was scared of them. Emboldened by this belief, they became increasingly brazen.
When power goes unchecked, and ambition lacks restraint, it inevitably leads to overreach.
The pure-blood committee was no exception. Having succeeded in banning Muggle-related items, they began pushing half-blood wizards further into the margins. Wilkes took complete control of the Slytherin Quidditch team.
Clubs with even a hint of Muggle influence were dissolved—Vivian's poker club, a half-blood reading group, and even a Muggle studies club. They went as far as threatening students to change their elective courses. Alex couldn't help but wonder why Professor Snape, their Head of House, didn't intervene. The Potions Master was a rare sight outside of class, and it seemed he spent much of his time away from the school entirely.