After Halloween, early November arrived.
The annual Hogwarts Quidditch season kicked off again.
The already lively atmosphere grew even more intense.
Slytherin Quidditch team members, dressed in their uniforms, frequently passed through the common room, where they were treated like heroes, greeted with encouragement and cheers.
Sean wasn't particularly fond of Quidditch. To him, it was just a pastime. He enjoyed watching matches with others as a break from Hogwarts' academic life, much like he enjoyed watching Cricket matches in his past life—fun to watch, but he had no urge to play himself.
"Sean, you're going to the match tomorrow, right?" Blaise asked.
"Of course. It's the annual Quidditch match. I'm looking forward to it."
"That I believe. You may not care for Quidditch itself, but you love the excitement of the matches."
"Exactly!"
The two walked out of their finished class.
Before they got far, Sean and Blaise spotted Samuel and Irina waiting nearby.
"Sean, there's a last-minute meeting. Let's go," Samuel said.
Hearing Samuel, Sean knew it was a meeting of the Slytherin Brotherhood Reserves. The group didn't meet often, only when something needed a vote or discussion, so Sean immediately understood there was business to handle.
"Blaise, head to the library first."
"Alright, I'll wait for you there, usual spot."
Blaise left, and Sean turned to Samuel and Irina, heading with them to the Slytherin common room. They went straight to a small, secret room tucked deep inside.
When Sean arrived, most others were already there. Some couldn't make it due to other commitments and sent proxies to vote for them. These people were all part of the same faction, so their votes rarely caused disputes.
Taking a seat, Sean stayed quiet as usual, waiting to follow Samuel and Irina's lead in voting.
But this time, the meeting wasn't led by Samuel, Irina.
Instead, a sixth-year boy named Barrett took charge. Sean didn't know much about him, having only seen him once at a meeting since the school year started and knowing little beyond his name.
Seeing Barrett lead the meeting, Sean paid closer attention.
"Good afternoon, everyone," Barrett said, polite and composed, but something about his courtesy felt off to Sean.
"I'm sure you all know about the recent incident. Any thoughts?" Barrett asked.
The incident Barrett mentioned was clear to Sean and the others: The Basilisk petrifying Mrs. Norris.
Looking at Barrett, Sean's gut told him this guy was up to no good.
Sure enough, Barrett continued, "Since I saw that Squib's petrified cat and the message on the wall, I realized this is tied to the legend of Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets. I've been researching and digging into it, and I've finally uncovered the truth. The one behind this great act at Hogwarts is none other than Slytherin's Basilisk!"
Sean's eyebrow twitched slightly. He hadn't expected anyone to figure out it was a Basilisk so soon. But then he remembered that Harry, Ron, and Hermione—second-years—had pieced it together. For Slytherins researching their own house's secrets, finding out about the Basilisk wasn't that surprising.
Sean had to admit he'd overlooked this. His foreknowledge made him underestimate how others, especially geniuses, could uncover the truth from mere clues.
Some in the room looked shocked at the mention of the Basilisk, while others remained calm.
Maybe those who seemed calm were just good at hiding their reactions, but Sean couldn't rule out that some already knew. The world had plenty of clever people, and everyone in the Slytherin Brotherhood Reserves was sharp.
Barrett turned to face the group, speaking slowly. "Now that you all know the Basilisk is likely behind this, you should also realize the heir of Slytherin isn't that ridiculous so-called Savior. It's him!"
At Barrett's words, many faces in the room changed, though some stayed composed. Whether their calmness was due to good manners or prior plotting with Barrett, Sean couldn't tell.
Looking at Barrett, Sean knew Slytherin still harbored admiration for Voldemort. But he hadn't expected someone like Barrett, so openly devoted to Voldemort, to voice such thoughts here.
"Barrett, some things are better left unsaid," Samuel interjected.
Before Barrett could respond, Oliver spoke up. "Samuel, why can't we say them? We're all part of the same group. What, are you worried someone's going to snitch? Or are you just afraid of scaring a certain kid?"
As he said this, Oliver glanced at Sean, his meaning obvious.
Sean looked up at Oliver but said nothing. There was no need. The Slytherin Brotherhood was a stepping stone in Sean's plan for power, and he wouldn't break its rules. Outside this room, though, Oliver's words would've earned him a punch—especially to that nose Sean had long wanted to break.
Seeing Sean stay silent, Oliver didn't push further. Just as Sean followed the rules, so did Oliver, knowing the consequences of breaking them.
Barrett looked at the group and added fuel to the fire. "As I said, the heir of Slytherin can't be that laughable Savior. In recent years, there's only been one true heir of Slytherin Dark Lord! I'm certain the heir is You-Know-Who, and right now, he's here, at Hogwarts, clearing out those who taint wizarding blood. Those mudbloods and squibs will all be cleared out and die under the eyes of the basilisk!".