With Snape's words, the entire Slytherin breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't just that Snape might not want them to share a dorm room with Darren; they, too, had reservations about being in such close quarters with him.
Who knew if this guy would lose his temper one day and unleash his formidable strength on them? Besides, they lacked the protective amulets that Malfoy had.
Snape curled his lips and gestured for the rest of the proceedings to continue. Observing that Darren seemed half-asleep, Snape determined the first-year prefect to be Kassandra.
Without displaying any emotion, Snape dismissed her along with her fellow first-years. It was then that Darren noticed Kassandra was also sorted into Slytherin; apparently, she was Slytherin's sister.
While this wasn't surprising, had she not been sorted into Slytherin, it would have raised eyebrows.
Yawning, Darren followed the other freshmen to the dormitory. The last row of Tek's classmates walked cautiously, half-expecting Darren to unleash his strength on them. However, Darren merely sighed.
Did he look like a violent person? He was just sleepy and yearned to keep the low profile of His Father.
After selecting a bedroom, Darren promptly fell asleep upon entering the bed curtain.
The next morning at seven o'clock, Darren emerged from the dormitory. Rounding the corner, he discovered all the first-year Slytherin students sitting in the lounge, seemingly waiting for him.
"Hmm, fashionably late as always!" complained Malfoy. He didn't fancy waiting for Darren along with the other students, but Kassandra disagreed and aimed her wand at him. Frightened, Malfoy surrendered and raised his hand, giving in to the situation.
"I'm sorry; I overslept," apologized Darren sheepishly. He hadn't expected the entire Slytherin to attend a class together.
"It's not too late; everyone gathers after seven o'clock," Kassandra said in a softer tone, quite distinct from her usual demeanor.
Slytherin's temperament, learned by all except Darren, appeared colder than even Sister Becky's. Actions spoke louder than words, and Kassandra's spellcasting was both skilled and efficient, reminiscent of a third-year female bully.
As two students arrived late, Kassandra punished them with her wand, instilling silence among the first-year freshmen. Initially, they anticipated Darren would face similar consequences for his tardiness.
Perhaps a confrontation between the two was imminent. To their surprise, Kassandra had altered the gathering time later, allowing everyone a bit more sleep. However, the discontent within them lingered, primarily directed at Darren. Even if he was strong, he shouldn't act so domineeringly.
Darren sensed the disapproval from his classmates. Was it just him, or did Kassandra seem to single him out? He couldn't believe that every Slytherin student willingly got up so early unless someone had instructed them to do so.
And then it struck him. Why hadn't anyone informed him last night? Even if they feared him, Kassandra, being Slytherins' prefect, shouldn't be afraid. If she had knocked on his door last night, he could have woken up on time.
Kassandra's decision to make everyone wait for him and then adjust the gathering time was simply causing trouble.
But for a Holy Father like him, it was the kind of trouble he relished. Last night, he worried about becoming stronger, making others wary of him. Now, he felt an unexpected delight.
To further fuel the drama, the Holy Father system presented him with a task. Darren blinked, approached his Slytherin peers, and bowed his head sincerely.
"I'm sorry; I didn't know everyone got up so early. I thought... I'm sorry. Vorley doesn't need to change the wake-up time for me, and next time I'll definitely keep up with the other students. I feel very sorry for the delay in everyone's time!"
As he spoke, Darren appeared increasingly remorseful, his eyes turning red. Suppressing fake tears, he successfully completed the task, gaining a spell talent +2.
On the surface, he maintained a guilty expression, subtly alleviating the displeasure of his resentful classmates. Slytherin's pure-blood families, being astute even in their youth, discerned the subtext better than students from other houses. Darren seemed to be playing a part.
According to Darren's apology, it was clear the prefect hadn't informed him last night. Why not? Was it to mock him or to spite him? Regardless of the motive, how could they use Slytherin against one of their own?
At that moment, Slytherin, collectively present, harbored a trace of displeasure against Kassandra. The matter would not conclude easily; they planned to write to their parents, hoping Kassandra would refrain from such childish acts in the future.
Darren, however, continued to wear his mask of remorse, concealing the satisfaction he derived from successfully navigating the intricate dynamics within Slytherin House. Unbeknownst to him, his actions set the stage for the unfolding drama that awaited him in the days to come.
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