Chapter 3

The next morning awoke to the soft sound of torches flickering in the darkness and the first ray of light coming through the window. The air in the Slytherin common room was cool, and the voices of the other students echoed muffled from the corridor. Y/n slowly opened her eyes and blinked against the soft morning light filtering through the curtain of her bed. She still felt a little heavy from sleep, but at the same time there was this feeling of curiosity and anticipation - the day ahead of her was her second at Hogwarts and promised to be more exciting than the first.

Pansy was already awake, sitting at her desk, absentmindedly twirling a pen between her fingers. "I hope you slept well," she said without looking up as Y/n slowly peeled herself out of the covers. "There's a lot to do, we're not going to rest today."

Y/n stretched and walked to the window to take a look at the gloomy Slytherin garden. "I'm excited to see what the day brings," she replied.

After a quick morning toilet and a cup of tea, which she downed hastily, they headed to their first class of the day - Potions. As usual, all the other students were already gathered at the tables when Y/n entered the room together with Pansy.

"Ah, the new faces!" Professor Slughorn called when he noticed them. He was a plump man, with a constant sugary tone in his voice as he greeted them with a wide smile. "I'm looking forward to the next lesson! Today we're going to brew some... interesting potions. I hope everyone is prepared!"

Y/n sat down next to Pansy, trying to hide the excitement that was burning inside her. It was no secret that potions were of great importance to Slytherins - a subject in which the house traditionally excelled. Y/n herself had always considered her potion-making skills to be good, but had never worked under such challenging circumstances. Class began, and she quickly became lost in the fine ingredients and precise instructions from Professor Slughorn.

But even though she was focused on the work, her eyes kept falling on the other Slytherin boys. Mattheo sat not far away, busy putting together the right mix of ingredients, his movements calm and methodical. Y/n noticed a brief glance exchanged between him and Regulus Black - a silent, almost imperceptible sign between the two that made her curious.

"Look," Pansy whispered next to her. "This is the first time you've seen Regulus like this. He's quite... different from the others. A mysterious figure."

"I noticed," Y/n replied. "Why do they keep looking at each other like that?"

"It's complicated," Pansy muttered. "He and Mattheo have their own stories. They're not the kind of Slytherins who get lost in the crowd. Not without reason, anyway."

The class went by quicker than Y/n expected, and when the sound of the school bell marked the end of the class, she packed her things and followed Pansy to the next class, which was Defense Against the Dark Arts. On the way there, she suddenly ran into Goyle, who was still stalking her with an almost mysterious expression.

"You should pull yourself together more today if you want to achieve anything, Y/n," he suddenly said in a deeper, almost shy voice. "Slytherin expects more from you."

Confused and a little annoyed, Y/n raised her eyebrow. "Why should I have to prove myself to someone like you, Goyle?" Her words sounded more determined than she had originally intended. She could no longer ignore his constant need to monitor.

He looked at her briefly, then turned away without saying another word. Y/n watched him for a moment that she could never quite place. Why exactly Goyle was so interested in her remained a mystery to her. But at that moment she was determined not to be distracted by his gaze.

Defense Against the Dark Arts proved to be just as exciting as Potions class. Professor Carrow was a seasoned and powerful woman whose presence permeated the entire classroom. The lesson revolved around various protective spells, and Y/n felt even more attracted to the knowledge and power that the Slytherins exuded in their ranks.

Another subject was planned for the afternoon, apprentice wizards. But this afternoon was not just filled with lessons. Pansy and Y/n spent the free time exploring the castle further, going to a secret place that Pansy had shown her. It was a cool, dark room behind a secret door in the Slytherin common area, and it was the perfect place for Slytherins to spend their evenings.

The day was drawing to a close when they returned to their room. Pansy went to the window, as she often did, and looked out into the darkness, while Y/n collapsed onto the bed and processed the new impressions.

The first full day at Hogwarts was over. It felt more and more real, and at the same time it was more exciting than anything Y/n had ever expected. She closed her eyes, thought of all the fascinating people she had met today - especially Mattheo and Regulus - and went to bed with a smile on her lips, knowing that the next day would hold even more secrets and challenges.

The next morning began with a soft light seeping through the thick green curtains of the Slytherin room, illuminating the dark corners of the room. Y/n turned in bed, still sleepy and torn between the possibility of sleeping a little longer or facing the day. But when she looked out the window, she felt this vague curiosity and urge to learn more about Hogwarts and the people around her.

Pansy was already awake and standing near the mirror, her black hair expertly styled while she collected books at her desk. She noticed Y/n slowly crawling out of bed.

"Time for you to get moving," she said with a mischievous grin. "It's almost breakfast. And if you snooze any longer, you'll be in a terrible mood."

Y/n laughed softly and quickly got dressed, her thoughts flying in different directions. Today was the day she would actually spend more time with some of the Slytherin boys. Especially Mattheo and Regulus. There was something about them that fascinated her, and she wanted to find out what lay behind the discreet glances and secret conversations.

At the breakfast table, most of the Slytherins were already seated at their tables, but when Y/n came in, she immediately noticed the presence of Mattheo and Regulus, who were talking on the opposite side of the long table. She crept over to Pansy's side, who was already deep in conversation, and gave the two a searching look.

"So, how's it going?" Pansy whispered with a cheeky remark and then leaned slightly towards Y/n to see where her gaze was going. "Oh, you're interested in them both. What are you planning to do?"

"I think I could talk to them," Y/n replied, her voice a little uncertain as she watched the two, especially Mattheo. "The two of them have a look as if they don't want to tell me their secrets right away."

"Mattheo is more of a thinker. Regulus is just..." Pansy grinned a little mischievously, "... the inexplicable one standing in the corner. Don't let him think you're too interested, otherwise you'll get in trouble."

But Y/n was determined. She stood up and walked over to the two of them, with a confident smile on her lips. When she stood in front of them, she immediately noticed the look Regulus gave her. But Mattheo also looked up at her, his eyes burning with a hint of interest.

"So you two are a good duo, right?" asked Y/n, her voice open and curious. "I mean, always these secret conversations and the absent looks. What's going on with you?"

Regulus raised an eyebrow, but didn't seem to answer right away. Instead, Mattheo grinned slightly. "And what's that got to do with you, Y/n?" he asked, his tone slightly mocking, but not unfriendly.

Y/n smiled back, a little challenging. "I'm new, so I guess I'm curious. After all, Slytherin behavior seems to have such a big secret. You're not just the brooding type, Regulus."

"I have nothing to say if nobody wants to hear it," Regulus muttered, shaking his head with a sigh. "Don't worry about us. And you should find better company, Y/n. Otherwise those guys will ruin your good reputation."

"You don't know anything about my reputation," Y/n replied coolly. "Besides, I don't need to justify it here right away."

But the moment she tried to answer, Goyle crept up from behind. He stepped in front of her with a very disgruntled expression on his face, as if he wanted her to step back. "You better mind your own business," he growled, glaring at her. "Slytherin expects more than this silly talk. You shouldn't get involved with them. They're not what they seem."

"And you're some kind of Slytherin role model, Goyle?" Y/n looked at him, her voice harder now. "Listen, if I feel like talking to Mattheo and Regulus, I'll do it. What, are you afraid I'll lose my place with the real Slytherins because I try to hang out with people like them?" She didn't take her eyes off him.

"You're nothing but a naive chatterbox!" Goyle yelled, slamming his arm down on the table. A few heads turned as the room suddenly went quiet.

Mattheo, who had been listening the whole time, just sighed, looked at Y/n and Goyle, then said dryly: "If Goyle wants to shout so loudly, let him, but it might be better if he behaves properly before he looks as stupid as he is behaving in the next lesson."

Y/n grinned a little at Mattheo's comment and kept her eyes on Goyle. "Well, Goyle, maybe you should learn how to behave first before you try to tell me what to do."

The tone between the two had become heated, but Goyle gave in and stormed off without another word. In the silence that followed, Y/n exhaled deeply and sat back down in her seat.

"What a... asshole," she said before forcing a quiet smile.

Pansy looked at her and grinned, saying, "Well done, Y/n. You don't let them get you down."

Y/n nodded, but inside she was still upset by the inappropriate confrontation. But she was here to earn her place - and if that meant rubbing shoulders with people like Goyle, then it was worth it. She was officially part of Slytherin now, and no one could change that easily.