"Don't worry."
Liam leaned back against his seat.
"If possible, I'll join Slytherin with you."
"Good."
Cassandra looked immediately satisfied.
Then Liam continued.
"But the other houses must have their own strengths too."
He folded his arms thoughtfully.
"If they were really as terrible as you describe, Hogwarts would only have one house left."
Unlike most children, Liam rarely viewed things through the lens of emotion.
Years spent surviving among Dark Wizards had taught him to think differently.
When researching magic, even the smallest error could lead to disaster.
When dealing with enemies, incomplete information could be fatal.
Objectivity mattered.
That was why he was trying to gather as much information as possible.
His transfer from Azkaban to Hogwarts had happened too quickly.
He hadn't had time to properly investigate the school beforehand.
Cassandra was currently his best source of information.
"Hmph."
She crossed her arms.
"Fine. Since you're asking."
Her expression became slightly more serious.
"Ravenclaws are obsessed with studying."
"Smart, but lacking ambition."
"Most of them end up becoming scholars or researchers."
"Useful people."
"But boring."
Liam nodded.
Reasonable enough.
"And Hufflepuff?"
"Hufflepuff is full of people who care too much about rules."
Cassandra rolled her eyes.
"They'd hand over their own friends if they thought it was the right thing to do."
"The Ministry loves them."
"Reliable workers."
"Not particularly useful companions."
"And Gryffindor?"
"A house full of reckless idiots."
Her answer came instantly.
"No further explanation needed."
Liam laughed.
"You really dislike Gryffindor."
"Because they're Gryffindors."
The answer somehow made perfect sense to her.
Then her expression softened slightly.
"Besides."
She pointed at him.
"If you join Slytherin, I'll look after you."
Liam blinked.
"You'll what?"
"I'll protect you."
Cassandra looked completely serious.
"No matter what happens."
"No matter what you do."
"I'll stand on your side."
The sincerity caught Liam slightly off guard.
For a moment, he didn't know how to respond.
In his previous life, loyalty usually came with conditions.
Cassandra offered it freely.
It was... unusual.
And strangely pleasant.
...
After hearing her descriptions of the four houses, Liam quietly reached a conclusion.
Slytherin really was the best option.
Hufflepuff was immediately eliminated.
If Cassandra's description was even partially accurate, he would constantly find himself at odds with his own housemates.
That sounded exhausting.
Gryffindor was equally unsuitable.
Impulsive people made poor teammates.
Too emotional.
Too easy to manipulate.
And far too likely to create unnecessary problems.
Ravenclaw was more tempting.
A house filled with people interested in learning and magical research certainly had advantages.
But it also came with complications.
Joining Ravenclaw would almost certainly disappoint Cassandra.
And considering she was his first real friend, that seemed unnecessary.
More importantly, Liam knew his own personality.
In an environment dominated by academic competition, he'd either suppress himself constantly or accidentally become one of the house leaders.
Both outcomes sounded troublesome.
Leadership meant responsibility.
Responsibility consumed time.
Time interfered with research.
Meanwhile, Slytherin offered a convenient alternative.
Cassandra clearly enjoyed attention.
She was talented.
Ambitious.
Confident.
Even before starting Hogwarts, she had already mastered several impressive spells.
In Liam's estimation, she was perfectly suited to becoming one of Slytherin's future stars.
That meant she could handle most of the social and political complications.
While she attracted attention, he could focus on studying magic.
It was a very efficient arrangement.
"By the way."
Liam shifted the conversation.
"That girl from earlier."
"Panessa?"
"Yes."
"Do you know her well?"
Cassandra immediately snorted.
"That woman is my lifelong rival."
"Lifelong?"
"Practically."
Her expression darkened.
"She tries to compete with me in everything."
"Unfortunately for her, she's never won."
Liam wasn't surprised.
Based on what he had seen, Cassandra possessed exceptional talent.
"What house is she in?"
"Slytherin."
The answer came with visible disgust.
"She embarrasses the entire house."
Liam nodded thoughtfully.
"Sounds like she'll have a difficult year."
"She deserves one."
Cassandra smiled sweetly.
The expression somehow looked threatening.
At that exact moment—
Growl.
The sound echoed through the compartment.
Both students froze.
Liam slowly looked away.
Cassandra stared.
Then her smile widened dramatically.
"You didn't eat breakfast."
It wasn't a question.
"..."
Liam considered lying.
Then abandoned the idea.
"I left in a hurry."
A faint trace of embarrassment appeared on his face.
That only made Cassandra happier.
Usually Liam was calm.
Composed.
Almost unnaturally mature.
Moments like this reminded her that he was actually younger than her.
And somehow that made him seem adorable.
"Well."
She straightened proudly.
"Today is your lucky day."
With a flourish, she opened her elegant suitcase.
Inside sat a beautifully enchanted food container.
Preservation charms shimmered faintly across the lid.
"I specifically had my family's chef prepare desserts."
The container opened.
Inside lay rows of colorful macarons.
Blue.
Pink.
Yellow.
Green.
Perfectly arranged.
The sweet aroma immediately filled the compartment.
Liam stared.
Cassandra picked up a sky-blue macaron.
Then she brought it directly toward his mouth.
"Ah~"
Liam froze.
"..."
"Open."
"I can feed myself."
"No."
"I have hands."
"No."
"Cassandra."
"Yes?"
"This is unnecessary."
"It absolutely isn't."
She looked completely serious.
"In terms of age, I'm your senior."
Liam raised an eyebrow.
"You're ten months older."
"That's enough."
"It really isn't."
"Details."
Cassandra moved the macaron closer.
"You can call me big sister if you'd like."
"That's definitely not happening."
She laughed.
"I don't care."
The macaron remained stubbornly suspended in front of him.
"I want to feed you."
"Why?"
"Because I do."
"That isn't an answer."
"It is today."
Liam sighed.
Arguing seemed pointless.
Cassandra was surprisingly stubborn once she made up her mind.
"Fine."
"Good."
He opened his mouth.
The smile on Cassandra's face instantly became radiant.
The macaron disappeared.
For a brief moment, the compartment fell silent.
Then Cassandra rested her chin on her hand and watched him with obvious satisfaction.
As though feeding him had been some major accomplishment.
Liam suddenly had a feeling.
Hogwarts was probably going to be much more complicated than he originally expected.
....
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