"Ilvermorny has a relic belonging to Salazar? Is that true?" Rhys was rather surprised to hear the news.
There did not seem to be any connection between him and Ilvermorny. Why would they claim to possess one of his relics?
Could it simply be something like "a chair Slytherin once sat on" being passed off as the real thing?
Then he became wary, because he remembered that Voldemort seemed to have been deliberately collecting "relics" belonging to the four founders. Could this object of his have been found by Voldemort beforehand and turned into a Horcrux?
The thought flashed through Rhys's mind, but he quickly judged the probability to be low.
No matter how careless Voldemort was, he would not leave one of his Horcruxes at Ilvermorny, would he? Just how little respect would that show for Ilvermorny's teaching staff?
Imagine them bringing out the school's prized treasure one day, only to take a closer look and discover that it had become a Horcrux. That would certainly be quite a scene.
Still, to be safe, Rhys felt that he should inspect this so-called "Slytherin relic." First, he needed to confirm that it was not one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. Second, he wanted to see what relic of Salazar Ilvermorny possessed. Third...
Rhys had a very poor impression of Ilvermorny. And he somewhat remembered that they had shown disdain for his house when they first arrived. After learning that the school possessed a relic of Salazar, he could not shake the feeling that Ilvermorny was attempting to humiliate Hogwarts.
[Look, one of your founder's relics is sitting inside our school's display cabinet!]
Just imagining it made his blood boil, and Rhys's expression gradually turned cold.
"Listen, Slytherin House might lose quite a lot of points today."
Halfway there, Rhys suddenly stopped and turned to Daphne.
He stopped so abruptly that Daphne nearly walked straight into him.
After hearing his words, Daphne blinked.
Was it really such a serious matter for their House to lose a great many points? Did anyone genuinely care who won the House Cup this year? Wasn't everyone focused on the Championship instead?
"I might be given detention, so you can return to the dormitory and rest for a while if you like. That way, you won't be dragged into this."
Rhys had already prepared himself for the worst.
How far things went today would depend on whether the Ilvermorny students knew what was good for them.
They had better sincerely return Salazar Slytherin's "relic" to Hogwarts.
The moment Daphne heard the word detention, she immediately became energetic.
"Absolutely not! Even if we're given detention, the two of us will be given detention together!"
Daphne's tone was extremely firm. She looked as though even if a storm erupted and hail began falling along the way, she would still accompany Rhys to the Great Hall.
Rhys stared at Daphne for several seconds before smiling happily.
If Daphne had chosen to return to the Slytherin common room just now, he would not have blamed her, because that would have been the most Slytherin choice.
But choosing to follow in his footsteps was the choice that pleased him most.
Perhaps this was the hereditary charm of the Greengrass family.
"Wait a moment."
Rhys drew his wand and waved it at Daphne, tidying her clothing and appearance. He also combed through her hair, ensuring that it was smooth and neat.
"You should pay attention to your appearance."
An almost imperceptible curve appeared at the corner of Rhys's lips.
"All right!"
Daphne became excited as well and could hardly wait to cause a scene.
When she had first learned that a Slytherin relic had ended up at Ilvermorny, she had also been furious.
Unfortunately, the treasure had not been in the possession of the Ilvermorny student she encountered. Even beating him severely would not have accomplished anything.
Of course, it had still been extremely satisfying.
Rhys strode into the Great Hall with Daphne.
As two contestants who had passed the first stage, combined with Daphne's beautiful appearance, the pair possessed a certain amount of fame.
When they entered the Great Hall together, they naturally attracted considerable attention.
What made the surrounding students even more curious were their expressions...
They looked as though they were about to cause trouble.
After entering the Great Hall and surveying the room, Rhys quickly located the area occupied by the Ilvermorny students.
These visitors from other schools preferred sitting with people from their own school, forming small groups. That made them very easy for Rhys to find.
Rhys walked directly towards the Ilvermorny group and stopped several feet away from them.
His unusual behaviour attracted their attention. They put down their knives and forks one after another and looked towards Rhys and Daphne beside him.
They all recognised the pair.
The silver-haired girl in particular was regarded as one of their greatest competitors.
"Hey, I heard you have a relic belonging to Salazar Slytherin?"
Rhys suppressed his emotions and tried to ask in a calm tone.
He felt that his attitude could not possibly have been any better.
Most of the contestants selected by Ilvermorny were seventh-year graduates, while Rhys was only in his fourth year and still seemed like a child in their eyes.
As a result, his words sounded extraordinarily grating and arrogant to the Ilvermorny students.
"What does that have to do with you?"
"This is Ilvermorny's private business. It has nothing to do with you!"
"Heh. Just look at the colour of his robes. This fellow is a Slytherin."
"No wonder..."
Slap! Slap! Slap!
Several extremely loud slaps echoed throughout the Great Hall.
Rhys remained standing where he was, both hands tucked into the sleeves of his robes as though he had done nothing.
However, bright red handprints had appeared on the faces of the Ilvermorny students who had just spoken.
"Perhaps you can't understand proper English. That's fine. I'll repeat myself."
Rhys's tone remained calm.
"I heard that you possess a relic belonging to Salazar Slytherin. Bring it out, and I'll inspect it for you to see whether it's genuine."
A mocking smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Don't worry. It's free."
Faced with Rhys's "provocation," the Ilvermorny students could no longer tolerate it.
They rose from their seats one after another. Those who had been slapped even reached inside their robes, preparing to teach the arrogant little brat before them a lesson.
The conflict between Rhys and the Ilvermorny students attracted the attention of many people. However, it had erupted so suddenly that few people in the Great Hall had time to understand what was happening.
They had only vaguely heard that the two sides had started arguing over a "relic of Slytherin" before things turned physical.
For the Hogwarts students, there was never any question about which side they supported. Slytherin House might not be particularly popular within the school, but it was still one of Hogwarts' four inseparable Houses. As one of the school's founders, Salazar Slytherin also held a special status at Hogwarts.
At this moment, every Hogwarts student supported Rhys's decision to demand the return of Salazar Slytherin's relic from Ilvermorny.
The Slytherins naturally needed no explanation, while Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw had no reason to oppose him. Even Gryffindor, the House most likely to object, did not cause trouble over Rhys Lint's House after learning what he was doing.
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