The staff’s discussion of Slytherin’s unprecedented success had put Snape in an unusual spotlight, making him the center of attention among his colleagues.
Even he had to admit that the change in his House under Alex’s leadership had been startling. The transformation wasn’t just academic, Slytherin had become more disciplined, more strategic, more… unshakable. It wasn’t the same House it had been years ago, and tonight, everyone would see just how much it had changed. As the professors left the staff lounge and made their way to the Great Hall, Snape found himself quickening his pace. The House Cup would be awarded tonight, and this time, he had no doubt who the winner would be. By the time they arrived, most of the students had already taken their seats, their faces bright with excitement. The end of exams meant one thing, summer was finally within reach. Laughter and chatter filled the hall as students eagerly awaited the feast.
That is, except for one table. The Slytherin students sat in perfect formation, their posture immaculate, their expressions composed. Despite having dominated the final exams, they showed no sign of outward celebration. Even in victory, their discipline remained unshaken. The contrast was striking. The other professors exchanged glances, their admiration laced with unease. ‘This level of control… is this still the same Slytherin House?’ Even Snape himself couldn’t help but feel a slight chill at the sheer uniformity of it all.
The feast commenced as usual, with golden platters filling with delicious food, and most students, aside from the Slytherins, fell into their usual lively conversations. Throughout the meal, however, glances frequently drifted toward the Slytherin table. ‘No one could quite believe it. Even now? Even on the last night before summer? Not even a little celebration?’
Dumbledore himself seemed intrigued. Every now and then, his piercing blue eyes flickered toward Slytherin’s long table, his expression unreadable. Then, midway through the meal, Professor McGonagall tapped her spoon against her goblet, sending a crisp ringing sound through the Great Hall. Silence quickly fell over the room, as everyone knew what was coming. It was time to announce the winner of the House Cup.
Dumbledore rose from his seat, smiling warmly as he surveyed the students before him. “Another year has passed, and once again, it is time to award the House Cup. The final standings are as follows.” The hall tensed in anticipation. “In fourth place, with a total of 378 points, Gryffindor!”
There was a brief murmur from the Gryffindor table. Despite finishing last yet again, they weren’t particularly disappointed. Their score was significantly higher than the previous year, fewer fights, fewer point deductions, McGonagall noted dryly to herself.
“No. 3, Hufflepuff! With a total of 406 points.” There were polite cheers from the Hufflepuff table, though their expressions were resigned. “No. 2, Ravenclaw! With a total of 437 points.” The Ravenclaws, ever analytical, exchanged whispers among themselves. The gap between them and the first-place winner was unusual, larger than they had expected. “And in first place…” Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled as he turned his attention toward Slytherin. Despite the composed faces of its students, he could see the quiet anticipation in their eyes. “…With a grand total of 635 points, Slytherin!” The moment the words left his lips, the banners above the hall shifted. With a ripple of magic, green and silver unfurled from above, the majestic serpent of Slytherin replacing the banners of the other Houses.
The reaction from the other three Houses was a mixture of shock and reluctant applause. The sheer gap in points was staggering, Slytherin had outperformed them by nearly 200 points. Yet, even as the Great Hall erupted into polite clapping, Slytherin itself remained unnervingly silent.
At the head table, Snape sat as still as a statue, his face impassive, but his hands were moving so fast that he was nearly clapping at the speed of a hummingbird’s wings. It wasn’t just the professors who noticed the eerie silence from the Slytherin table. The rest of the school did as well, their eyes following the subtle, almost synchronized movements of the students.
It became obvious that something was off. The Slytherins weren’t clapping. They weren’t cheering. They were just sitting there. Their gazes, however, all subtly drifted toward one person, Alex. The meaning behind the looks was unmistakable: ‘Can we celebrate now?’ This did not go unnoticed. One by one, students and professors alike turned their attention toward the student sitting at the center of the long Slytherin table.
Alex himself, however, wasn’t even looking at them. His focus was elsewhere. His gaze was fixed on the banners above, his mind turning over what he had just witnessed.
Moments ago, Dumbledore had changed the House banners across the Great Hall with a single, fluid act of silent magic. No wand. No incantation. The sheer scale of it, the seamless, effortless execution, was staggering. To transfigure an entire hall’s worth of banners, at such a long range, without so much as a flick of his wrist… Alex let out a slow breath. ‘So this is the level of magic I have yet to reach.’
When Alex finally snapped out of his thoughts, he realized that every teacher and student in the Great Hall was staring at him. The Slytherins at his table were also looking his way, their gazes questioning, waiting. It only took a moment for him to understand, everyone was waiting for his response.
With a calm expression, Alex raised his hands and began to clap. "Clap! Clap! Clap!" His applause rang out in the silent hall, and as if a switch had been flipped, the rest of the Slytherin students immediately followed his lead.
Though Slytherin finally joined in the celebration, their applause was measured and orderly, in stark contrast to the raucous cheers from other Houses in previous years. This only made the rest of the school more aware of the change that had taken place in Slytherin House. The professors, students from other Houses, and even Dumbledore himself glanced at Alex with newfound interest. Dumbledore, in particular, raised an intrigued eyebrow as if amused by the situation.
At that moment, it became undeniably clear, this transformation in Slytherin was not due to Snape’s guidance or any sudden shift in the students themselves. The driving force behind everything was Alex.
For much of the year, he had kept a relatively low profile. Many had even forgotten that he was once a wizard hero. But now, no one could ignore him any longer. Whispers spread throughout the Great Hall, discussions springing up among the other Houses as they speculated about Alex. But he paid them no mind. His thoughts had already drifted elsewhere, summer vacation. Despite the attention he had drawn, the end-of-term feast proceeded without interruption.