"Slytherin!"
Cro spoke without hesitation.
If Hogwarts was the best place to farm treasure chests, there was no need to think.
It had to be Slytherin!
These pure-blood little snakes were easy to break down.
The treasure chests they contributed were also better than those from ordinary half-bloods.
After all, pure-bloods began learning magic knowledge from birth.
Once their magical powers awakened, they started practicing magic.
In contrast, half-bloods only discovered they were wizards upon receiving their acceptance letters.
They had less than half a month of practice time.
The difference was clear at a glance.
"Slytherin, huh? That's a very good choice; your talent will be maximized there!"
Dumbledore turned around, unfazed.
"Because there is a great head of house there. Hmm, you'll get to know him in the future."
Cro pouted in boredom.
He thought he might get some treasure chests out of it.
In the end, Dumbledore didn't even give him a bronze chest.
It seemed he really had no bias against Slytherin.
Otherwise, he would at least give him a bronze chest.
"Why is it like this... If I had known, I would have gone to Slytherin too."
Hermione propped her chin in despair, looking helplessly at Cro as he walked toward the Slytherin table.
She initially thought Cro would choose Gryffindor.
After all, she was here.
Harry Potter was here too.
To her surprise, he chose Slytherin.
This left her with a sense of defeat and some anxiety.
Cassandra had only appeared for a short time.
Yet Cro could choose her without hesitation.
What would that mean for her?
Hermione clenched her fists.
"I didn't expect you to come here; I thought you'd go to Gryffindor."
Cassandra looked at Cro with interest.
Her surprise mirrored Hermione's.
However, she didn't believe Cro chose Slytherin for her.
Clearly, he had other motives.
Or rather, his goal had been Slytherin from the start!
"Are you unhappy that I came here? But I think someone else is probably more unhappy than you. Look at our esteemed Malfoy; his face is as red as a boiled lobster."
Cro chuckled, watching the furious Malfoy.
He was one of his main sources of future treasure chests.
The more mad he was now, the higher the quality of the treasure chests that would later drop.
It wasn't that he enjoyed making others angry.
It was more of a feeling of excitement at having someone he could easily provoke!
Absolutely...!
...
Clink, clink, clink~
Dumbledore tapped his glass.
The hall immediately fell silent.
"Welcome new students to Hogwarts and welcome back returning students for a new school year!"
"Before the feast begins, I have a few words to say."
"Our caretaker, Mr. Filch, asked me to remind you: absolutely do not enter the Forbidden Forest or the room at the end of the second-floor corridor. Otherwise, the consequences are on you!"
Dumbledore looked around seriously.
"Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you, everyone!"
Dumbledore sat back down, his robe swaying.
The tables in front of everyone were instantly filled with delicious food.
The new students, having just endured the terror of the "entrance examination," were already exhausted.
Upon seeing the delectable food, they immediately began to feast.
After the meal, students from the four houses left the hall led by their prefects,
leaving only a few professors behind.
"Is that child really alright? The Sorting Hat didn't make a mistake; I can sense that he has dark magic."
"A ten-year-old child, where could he have learned dark magic? Isn't this worth investigating?"
Snape spoke with a cold expression.
"Does that matter? The fact that he received an acceptance letter from Hogwarts says it all. Trust me, Professor Snape; that child will surprise you!"
Dumbledore smiled as he stroked his beard.
"He's a very unfortunate child; he might have learned dark magic from some book. But that doesn't mean anything! Can't we do dark magic too?"
"Does being able to perform dark magic mean one is necessarily evil? That child shows no signs of malice; he hasn't killed anyone, nor has he used dark magic!"
Professor McGonagall looked sternly at Snape.
Cro was her accepted student.
Knowing Cro's background, she naturally felt sympathy for him.
Furthermore, she believed Cro was not a dark wizard.
How could someone who spoke such profound words be a dark wizard?
If a dark wizard could express such philosophical thoughts,
the entire wizarding world would probably already belong to dark wizards.
"Time will prove everything!"
Snape shot a cold glance at the two and turned away with a flick of his robe.
He didn't feel pleased about Cro joining.
Instead, he felt a bit troubled.
A ten-year-old child who could use dark magic was not to be underestimated!
"Snape's concerns are not unfounded, but I believe that child will not let us down."
Dumbledore shook his head.
"Rest assured, Professor Dumbledore, with Snape around, that child won't encounter any issues. I need to return and check on those little lions."
Professor McGonagall politely nodded to the others before turning to leave the hall.
The other professors followed suit,
and soon only the oddly expressioned Quirrell and the leisurely Dumbledore remained in the hall.
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T/N:
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