Sean was fortunate. Upon returning to the Slytherin Common Room, he spotted Barrett conversing with two sixth-year Slytherin students in the main hall.
Without any further interaction, Sean slipped back to his room, quickly changed into more suitable clothes for action, grabbed his Potions bag, fed Kulkan some snake food, and then donned the invisibility cloak. He quietly left his room and returned silently to the common room hall.
Standing in an unoccupied corner, Sean fixed his gaze on Barrett, who was not far away. He opened his panel to check the prompt that had appeared after he received the invisibility cloak from Harry.
Ignothus's Invisibility Cloak: Magic Item, Deathly Hallows, capable of shielding all magical detection, concealing all sounds and movements of the user, rendering the user invisible.
Contains the authority of death. Obtain all the Deathly Hallows to become the Master of Death.
Sean's eyebrows lifted slightly. From his previous life's knowledge, he had always thought the Deathly Hallows were simply three magical items far superior to others. The notion that Death itself had created them seemed absurd, a belief even Dumbledore had doubted.
As for the legend that possessing all three Deathly Hallows would make one the Master of Death, Sean had always considered it ridiculous. Yet now it seemed that gathering all three to obtain the authority of death and become the Master of Death was indeed true. Unfortunately, none of these Hallows were easy to acquire or keep for extended study. Still, instinct told Sean that if he could obtain all three, something extraordinary might occur.
After pondering, Sean resolved to let events unfold naturally. He would wait until Harry collected all three Deathly Hallows, then borrow them for study, hoping for new insights.
While lost in thought, Sean saw Barrett rise and bid farewell to his companions. He left the Common Room with one of them, heading straight toward the boathouse outside.
The Hogwarts boathouse was largely unused, except for welcoming new students at the start of each school year. On ordinary days, no one ventured into this dark, damp, and slippery place.
Sean followed Barrett and his companion at a distance, eventually trailing them inside the boathouse.
There, Sean found three others waiting—two fifth-years and one seventh-year. Among the fifth-years was none other than Dicky, the fifth-year male Prefect who had joined the Slytherin Brotherhood Reserve Organization at the start of the school year.
Sean vaguely recalled the name but had paid little attention to him before. Now, however, he was watching closely.
"Barrett," Dicky said, "we just learned about the meeting. Those who formed an organization under the name of the great Slytherin have forgotten the true greatness of the Dark Lord, Slytherin's Heir. They deserve to die!"
Barrett nodded. "Don't worry. These opportunists will receive their due punishment soon enough. But first, we must prepare for the return of the great Master!"
"Exactly!"
"I agree!"
A smile spread across Barrett's face as he addressed the group. "Those fools have forgotten the greatness of the Dark Lord. We must act ourselves to welcome the great Dark Lord and his Basilisk!"
"What must we do?"
"The Dark Lord and his Basilisk aim to cleanse Hogwarts of Mudbloods and the children of Squibs who are unworthy of magical education. As Slytherins, closest to the Dark Lord, we must first purge those unworthy of remaining in Slytherin!"
At Barrett's words, the seventh-year's face twisted into a sinister grin. "That's exactly what I want. I've long resented certain people—offspring of Squibs and Muggles—who have no right to be in Slytherin. I cannot tolerate it!"
Barrett nodded approvingly. "Yes, that's why I've identified three targets: fourth-year Andy Morgan, third-year Liss Bass, and second-year Sean Bulstrode!"
Sean's pupils narrowed. He had suspected from the start that he was a target.
Yet he remained silent as Barrett continued. "The parents of these three are either Muggles or Squibs. Even Sean's parents are Squibs. Such people might be tolerated in Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw, but they should never have been allowed into Slytherin. He is unqualified—unworthy to live and welcome the Dark Lord's return!"
"I agree with Barrett. He is indeed unqualified!"
"Dicky, I recall that Sean Bulstrode is from the Bulstrode family, correct?"
The twenty-eight Pure-blood families still held significant sway in Slytherin, especially prominent ones like the Malfoys and the Bulstrodes, who wielded overt or covert influence in the wizarding world. Their status and power commanded respect.
Dicky replied seriously, "The true heir of the Bulstrode family is also in Slytherin. His name is Marcellus Bulstrode. He possesses the purest Pure-blood lineage, carrying not only the Bulstrode bloodline but also that of the Flitwick family, another of the twenty-eight Pure-blood families. Such a person is a true Pure-blood, unlike Sean, whose parents are shameful Squibs!"
These words swayed the assembly.
Barrett nodded to Dicky and said, "These three are our temporary targets. We will eliminate them one by one. I will notify you when it's time to act. Please prepare yourselves."
"If there's nothing else, return to your places. This is still Hogwarts—we must be discreet."
"Dicky, stay behind. I have some matters regarding the Slytherin Brotherhood to discuss with you."
The others left the boathouse promptly. Once alone, Barrett drew his wand and cast a detection spell, ensuring no one was hiding nearby. He then turned to Dicky.
"Dicky, what did Mr. Bulstrode say? The promises he made—he won't break them, right?"
[Chapter Complete]
***
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