First-year students were always noisy during the feast, and the brief conflict between Lykos and Malfoy hardly drew any attention.
After all, ever since the mischievous red-haired twins arrived at Hogwarts, the professors and students had developed an extremely high tolerance for chaos…
Lykos glanced around the Slytherin table. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention to him, he quietly moved to a seat farther away and sat down.
The food on the table remained plentiful. If you tapped the golden plate and spoke the name of a dish, the corresponding food would appear instantly.
But Lykos had no appetite at all.
The bandage on his left forearm had only been wrapped a few times in haste. At any moment it could loosen and reveal the Dark Mark hidden beneath it.
With only one hand free, he couldn't tie a proper knot, and naturally couldn't secure the bandage firmly.
"Incarcerous."
At that moment, a cool voice sounded.
Lykos watched in surprise as the bandage around his left arm began moving on its own. Within seconds, it tied itself into a neat bow and wrapped securely around his arm.
He raised his head in astonishment.
A cascade of smooth golden hair—like strands of sunlight—flowed down onto the table like a quiet stream.
Only then did Lykos realize that the seat he had chosen at random was directly across from the blonde witch he had seen earlier arguing with Malfoy.
"You look a little pale. Do you want me to call Madam Pomfrey for you?" the blonde girl asked as she slipped her wand back into the pocket of her robes.
Her voice remained calm and distant, completely devoid of warmth despite the concern in her words.
"I'm fine. I just need a little rest," Lykos said, shaking his head as he pulled his arm back into his sleeve.
Then, in a natural attempt to shift her attention away from his arm, he introduced himself.
"Thanks for the help. I'm Lykos Hayden. And you are?"
"Cassandra Vole," the blonde witch replied with a small nod before casually looking away.
Seeing that she had no intention of probing further, Lykos quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
But before he could fully relax, Cassandra's cool voice sounded again.
"If something's wrong, remember to ask a professor for help. Don't try to endure it alone."
Lykos paused for a moment and looked at her again.
Her jade-green eyes were calmly focused on the food on the table. She showed no curiosity about the bandage on his arm, as if her words were simply a casual reminder.
"Alright," Lykos said.
After that, silence settled between them.
Amid the surrounding noise and laughter, the two of them seemed to exist in an entirely different world.
In that quiet moment, Lykos slowly chewed a piece of cheese while considering the possibility of asking a professor for help.
If he openly revealed that he was a Death Eater and reported everything he knew about Voldemort to Dumbledore—seeking the headmaster's protection—would that be safer than carefully playing the role of an undercover agent?
A sudden realization struck him.
Voldemort had not yet regained his power.
Perhaps this was the best opportunity to eliminate him entirely.
If he could earn Dumbledore's trust and use his foreknowledge to quickly destroy all the Horcruxes, perhaps the dangers that Hogwarts would face in the coming years could be prevented.
Glancing briefly at Quirrell, who was still nervously playing his role among the professors, Lykos quickly made up his mind.
…
"Excellent. Now that everyone has eaten their fill, I would like to say a few more words—"
When Dumbledore stood up again, all the food on the plates vanished instantly, leaving only a few crumbs on the corners of students' mouths as evidence of the feast they had just enjoyed.
"At the beginning of the term, I must remind you of a few things," Dumbledore continued. "First-year students should note that the forest on the grounds is strictly forbidden to all students. Some of our older students would do well to remember that as well."
Lykos noticed him casting a pointed glance toward the troublemakers at the Gryffindor table.
"Secondly, Mr. Filch, the caretaker, would like me to remind you that magic is not permitted in the corridors between classes."
"Quidditch trials will take place during the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house team should contact Madam Hooch."
"And finally, I must tell you this—anyone who does not wish to suffer an accident or a painful death should stay away from the corridor on the right-hand side of the fourth floor."
When Dumbledore mentioned the final rule, Lykos watched Quirrell closely and saw his expression shift slightly.
But Lykos soon looked away.
He had already decided to tell Dumbledore everything about Voldemort, so the corridor protecting the Philosopher's Stone no longer mattered.
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore said cheerfully.
With a flick of his wand, a long golden ribbon shot from the tip and began twisting through the air above the tables like a serpent, forming lines of glowing text.
As expected, most of the professors and older students stiffened visibly.
"Everyone choose your favorite tune," Dumbledore said enthusiastically.
"Ready—sing!"
…
After the chaotic, tune-less rendition of the Hogwarts school song finally ended, Lykos joined the other Slytherin first-years and followed a fifth-year prefect toward the Slytherin common room.
Unlike Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, whose common rooms were located in high towers, both Hufflepuff and Slytherin were situated underground.
Slytherin's common room was even more unique—it was built beneath the Black Lake itself. Just reaching the castle dungeons required nearly ten minutes of descending spiral staircases.
Along the way, dim green torches burned on the rough stone walls. The light was gloomy, and ghosts occasionally drifted through the corridors, making the place feel like a haunted house.
If the young students hadn't been walking together, easing each other's fears, some of the more timid first-years might have already burst into tears.
"Remember this. The password for the common room is 'Blood.'"
The prefect stopped in front of a stone wall within an arched underground passage.
As soon as the password was spoken, a lifelike stone serpent suddenly slithered up from the base of the wall, startling several students.
The massive snake arched its body upward, and a hidden stone door emerged. The serpent's body curved into the shape of the doorframe and froze in place against the wall.
"Follow me. I'll give you a quick tour."
The first-years followed the prefect into the Slytherin common room one by one.
But no one noticed that after memorizing the password, a black-haired first-year quietly slipped away from the group…