Even that statement, "I never lie to my friends," was a lie.
Louis had deliberately brought up the time discrepancy to Hermione in order to avoid unnecessary trouble if the issue were ever exposed. Rather than let the clever Hermione go digging and uncover even more inconsistencies, it was better to break the illusion himself. A "truthful" lie could make the whole thing disappear from her mind.
What kind of problem truly disappears? One that has been answered.
Harry Potter would inevitably interact with Hermione, and Louis's entry into Diagon Alley wouldn't withstand close scrutiny. Trying to hide it would only arouse suspicion—better to expose it himself. In this way, the secret would be buried, a classic case of hiding in plain sight.
Louis and Hermione arrived at the Great Hall. It was just seven o'clock, but many students were already eating breakfast.
The long tables were filled with unlimited breakfast options, all prepared by Hogwarts' house-elves.
House-elves were a special race enslaved by wizards, working in the kitchens. Once the meals were ready, they'd magically send them to the tables in the Great Hall for students to enjoy.
When other students saw Louis, their expressions were quite a sight.
No one had forgotten this bold guy—a Muggle-born wizard who dared to step into Slytherin. That alone was enough to be recorded in Hogwarts history. Some even joked, "The founders of Slytherin must be rolling in their graves."
Yet when they noticed there was nothing awkward or out of place about Louis, they were even more surprised.
Just then, a handsome boy wearing Hufflepuff robes approached.
"Looks like you didn't get into any fights with your roommates last night," the boy said with a sunny smile. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Cedric Diggory, third year, Hufflepuff."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Diggory," Louis replied politely. "I'm Louis Wilson, and this is my friend Hermione Granger—a brilliant Ravenclaw."
"I know your name, of course. I doubt there's anyone in school who doesn't know you by now, our brave little warrior," Cedric said with a smile, then nodded to Hermione. "Good morning, Miss Granger."
"Hello," Hermione replied. She had to admit the boy was quite good-looking—not far behind Louis, really. The only flaw was how bright and open he seemed, almost as if one glance could see right through him. It couldn't compare to Louis's mysterious vibe.
Cedric nodded at her, then turned back to Louis. "So, how was your first night?"
"It was alright," Louis replied casually. "They were very peaceful and didn't cause me any trouble."
Peaceful was certainly one way to put it—those boys were still twitching in their sleep.
Cedric found the word "peaceful" a little odd in this context but didn't dwell on it. He was more intrigued by this Muggle-born wizard who had chosen Slytherin.
"Just call me Cedric, and I'll call you Louis," he said. "I'm actually a bit curious—why did you choose Slytherin? You must've known its reputation."
Most upper-year students knew the Sorting Hat respected personal choices. For a Muggle-born like Louis to end up in Slytherin had to be his own decision.
Louis shrugged. "Alright, Cedric, I get that you're curious, but my friend and I haven't eaten yet."
"Oh, sorry," Cedric said, looking apologetic.
"No worries. If you don't mind, you can join us while we eat. Have you already had breakfast?" Louis asked, picking a spot and sitting down with Hermione.
The breakfast spread included bacon, sausages, fried and scrambled eggs, some tomatoes and mushrooms as sides, toast, baked beans, and drinks like milk and cereal.
It was a hearty meal, but Louis was getting tired of it. After over ten years of English breakfasts, he found himself craving Chinese-style food—fried dough sticks and tofu pudding.
Maybe he could talk to the Hogwarts house-elves. They seemed to enjoy working. Teaching them some Eastern cuisine might actually work.
Lost in thought, Louis started spreading jam on his toast.
"Louis, could you pass me the butter?" Hermione asked from beside him.
"Here you go." Louis handed it to her casually. The atmosphere between them was relaxed and harmonious.
Next to them, Cedric stirred his cereal juice awkwardly. He'd already eaten but took another helping just so it wouldn't be weird sitting with them.
Louis assembled a sandwich with bacon and sausage between two slices of toast and slowly chewed through it. Only after he finished did he finally turn to Cedric and say, "So, you just want to know why I picked Slytherin?"
"Exactly. I mean, someone who wants to be friends with Miss Granger seems like a perfect fit for Ravenclaw. But instead, you chose Slytherin. I find that... puzzling." Cedric smiled. "It can't just be about the Slytherin pure-blood elite, right?"
"Of course not. That's a dangerous assumption," Louis replied after sipping his milk. "I just figured the other houses were too... bland. Slytherin seemed more exciting."
"Uh... huh." Cedric was momentarily speechless.
"Louis is a magician," Hermione added, half-guessing and half-covering for him. "Maybe he needs that excitement to inspire his creativity."
"Well said, Hermione. You really know me," Louis smiled, not denying her answer.
In truth, Louis chose Slytherin because he wanted to test how far he could bend their rigid rules. He believed he could fit in with any of the other three houses just fine. But in Slytherin, there was one thing that no amount of cunning or talent could erase.
He was a Muggle-born.
Unfortunately, it didn't help much. The moment he entered the school, he had already fooled the system—he had stepped into Hogwarts as a wizard. From that point on, whichever house he ended up in was just formality.
It was like a magic trick performed with no audience—only the magician onstage, shouting to no one. Embarrassing, really.
Unless Louis outed himself as a Muggle, there was no way he'd gain Trick Points from a setup like that.
"I'm done eating. Cedric, Hermione and I are heading off now." Louis stood after Hermione finished, swallowing his last bite and politely bidding Cedric goodbye.
Cedric was a third-year; they wouldn't have classes together anyway.
"Alright," Cedric said, finishing his cereal juice. "If you ever need help, feel free to come find me."
He didn't have any ulterior motives. He just thought a Muggle-born in Slytherin was... fascinating.
"If the opportunity arises," Louis said with a wave, strolling off with flair.
Like I'd ever get that kind of opportunity. Let those little snakes come at me with everything they've got—they still won't know what hit them.
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