A murmur of admiration spread through the hall as Victor stood, looking both thrilled and a little overwhelmed by the attention. “Second place is Jane, from fifth year. Like Victor, she received zero disciplinary penalties and earned 7 house points. Her exam scores were also impressive, with 5 O’s and 4 E’s.”
Jane stood up, composed and dignified, though there was clear pride in her expression. “And in third place, we have Mona, also from fifth year. She earned 5 house points without a single disciplinary mark, and her grades matched Jane’s, 5 O’s and 4 E’s.”
Mona stood up next, smiling confidently as applause broke out again. Among the students, Alex cast a few glances in Mona’s direction, while Joey, standing beside him, looked a little disappointed. Alex seemed to notice and turned his attention to Joey. “Joey, don’t be discouraged. Your performance this month showed the most improvement out of anyone in the house. Your overall ranking is fourth in Slytherin. Keep working hard.”
At those words, Joey’s expression brightened, and a few students gave him encouraging pats on the back. As the applause settled, Alex took a step forward, “Alright,” Alex continued, his voice carrying easily over the room. “As you all know, I always reward the grade with the highest overall score, as well as the top three individual performers. Now, it’s time to reveal what those rewards are.”
With a wave of his hand, a small table appeared out of thin air. On it sat three pairs of finely crafted leather boots, and beside the table stood a familiar humanoid training dummy.
Alex first gestured toward the dummy. “This is a new training dummy I created. The top-ranking grade will have exclusive access to it for the next month. Additionally, I’ll be opening up a new empty dungeon as your personal practice room.”
A wave of excitement rippled through the third years, who clenched their fists in silent triumph. This was exactly the reward they had been hoping for. Ever since Alex developed these humanoid targets, they had become the most sought-after training tools in the entire house.
Everyone wanted a chance to use them, since their effectiveness in helping students improve was obvious. But up until now, there had only been one available for grades one through five, with the senior students having their own. That meant younger students had to wait their turn, often queuing up for long stretches just to get a few minutes of practice.
But now, a grade-exclusive dummy? Even if it was only for a month, it didn’t matter. If they kept their top spot next month, they could make it permanent. Alex then turned to the table with the boots. “These are alchemy-enhanced boots, handcrafted from high-quality cowhide. They have multiple enchantments and will retain their magical properties for at least two years. You can choose to take a pair, or, if you prefer, you can opt for private training with me.”
Mona and Jane didn’t even hesitate before choosing Alex’s training. That was exactly what they had been working toward. As for Victor, he had already been training under Alex for a while, so instead, he picked a pair of the Boots, which would assist with movement-based spells. “Alright, that’s enough celebration for now.” Alex’s faint smile vanished as he turned serious, his gaze sweeping over the room. “Next, we move on to the part of the meeting that everyone loves, the disciplinary review.”
The atmosphere in the common room instantly shifted. The warmth from moments ago drained away, replaced by a cold, heavy tension. The excited chatter died down, and the students who had been grinning only moments ago straightened up, their expressions growing uneasy.
Alex’s sharp gaze landed on three particular students. “Third-year Harlan Crestmoor, second-year Gilbert Morrigan, fourth-year Dorian Mulgrave.” His voice was calm, but his narrowed eyes carried an unmistakable edge. “It’s you three again. This time, you were strutting through the corridors in a line like you owned the place. What was the idea? Did you think walking shoulder-to-shoulder would make you look imposing? That the entire hallway belonged to you?”
The three boys stiffened under his scrutiny. Embarrassment flickered across their faces, though there was also a hint of defiance. Clearly, this wasn’t their first time being called out. Alex let out a cold chuckle. “I really don’t understand. How can you keep making such ridiculous mistakes? This isn’t the first time you’ve violated house discipline.” His tone dropped lower, laced with something far more dangerous. “Maybe I’ve been too lenient with you. Or maybe you’ve gotten used to the punishments, to the point where simple push-ups no longer feel like a consequence.”
His eyes flickered across the room, briefly resting on the other students before settling back on the three culprits. “Maybe it’s time for a different approach.”
Without warning, Alex’s voice cut through the hall like a whip. “All second, third, and fourth years, stand up.”
The three troublemakers looked the most terrified of all. They had expected to be punished, but they hadn’t expected Alex to turn his focus onto their entire grade. The standing students shifted uneasily. Some clenched their fists, others looked down at their feet. No one dared to speak.
Alex let the silence drag on for a moment before he spoke again. His voice was quieter now, but it carried a weight that made it even more chilling. “Repeated violations of discipline have dulled your sense of shame. Worse, they’ve eroded your sense of house pride.” His piercing gaze moved between the troublemakers and their peers. “But what disappoints me even more is the rest of you.”The words cut through the room like ice. “You all knew they had bad habits. You knew they would keep making mistakes. And yet, none of you stepped in to correct them. You simply let it happen. Is that what Slytherin has become? A house where everyone only looks out for themselves?”
Alex took a step forward. “What is the third core principle of Slytherin? Say it out loud.”
A beat of silence, then Victor, ever quick on the uptake, responded immediately. “A proper attitude, unity, friendship, and mutual respect.”
“Louder.” Alex’s voice snapped through the room like a whip.
“A proper attitude, unity, friendship, and mutual respect!” The standing students, including the three troublemakers, shouted in unison.
Alex’s eyes swept across them, sharp and unforgiving. “Do you see a proper attitude in those three? Do you see respect? And from the rest of you, where is the unity? Where is the friendship?” No one answered.
Alex turned his gaze back to the three trembling troublemakers. His voice was deathly quiet. “You’ve broken the rules so many times that punishment no longer means anything to you.” He took a slow step toward them. “So tell me, what should I do with you?”
Harlan Crestmoor, the third-year, was shaking now. His usual bravado had disappeared entirely. “N-no, it’s not like that! We, we just weren’t careful, ”
His words were rushed, his voice unsteady, but Alex simply stared him down. “That’s your excuse?” His tone was frigid. “You just ‘weren’t careful’?”