After the feast, the first-year students were led back to their respective common rooms by the prefects.
Ravenclaw and Gryffindor headed up to the towers, while Hufflepuff students stayed on the ground floor near the kitchens, which is actually a nice spot.
As for Slytherin, Luke followed the others down to the dungeons, where the infamous underwater common room awaited.
In his previous life, Luke had heard many debates about the living conditions of the four Hogwarts houses.
Most people seemed to think that Slytherin had the worst, being located underground and under the lake, with a dark, gloomy atmosphere. Cool, maybe, but not exactly a place that felt livable.
However, when Luke finally stepped into the Slytherin common room, he realized that the rumors weren't entirely accurate.
Though the ambiance was dim, the room was well-lit by many candelabras. It was clear that the lighting had been intentionally kept low to maintain the mysterious atmosphere, but it didn't feel oppressive.
There was no dampness either, likely thanks to some kind of enchantment. A warm fireplace stood at the center of the room, above which hung a massive Slytherin crest.
It didn't look carved but instead appeared to be made from gemstones, similar to one Luke had seen in his family's vault. This sight gave him a sense of familiarity.
As they settled in, many students approached Luke to chat. However, he only exchanged a few words with them before casually directing them to his "best friend."
Naturally, Draco Malfoy eagerly took over, basking in the attention. Surrounded by admirers, he proudly boasted about his deep bond with Luke and their supposed lifelong friendship.
According to him, they had shared grand ambitions since childhood and were destined to achieve great things together at Hogwarts.
Luke didn't bother correcting him—he just smiled and nodded.
Meanwhile, a few others watched the pair with dark, jealous eyes.
The common room grew rowdy as more students crowded in. The Slytherin prefect coughed lightly, trying to get everyone's attention.
"Ahem.."
But no one seemed to notice, especially Malfoy, his story was at a critical moment, he and Luke were facing a dragon, so how could he stop at such a dangerous moment.
The prefect's eye twitched in frustration as she stared at Malfoy, her fist clenching slightly.
"Quiet down," Luke said softly.
Though his voice wasn't loud, the room fell silent almost immediately. After all, as soon as Luke spoke, Malfoy stopped mid-sentence, glancing at him with a mix of embarrassment and concern.
This wasn't the first time Malfoy had bragged in front of others, but it was certainly the most exaggerated. He feared Luke might call him out in front of everyone, but thankfully, Luke seemed far more tolerant now than he had been on the train.
His calm, composed demeanor reassured Malfoy, making him even more enamored with his "best friend."
Seeing Malfoy go quiet, the rest of the room followed suit, and everyone waited to hear what the prefect had to say.
The prefect, visibly relieved, shot Luke a grateful look before clearing her throat to give her official speech.
"Congratulations! I'm Prefect Gemma Farley, and I'm delighted to welcome you to SLYTHERIN HOUSE. Our emblem is the serpent, the wisest of creatures; our house colours are emerald green and silver, and our common room lies behind a concealed entrance down in the dungeons. As you'll see, its windows look out into the depths of the Hogwarts lake. We often see the giant squid swooshing by – and sometimes more interesting creatures. We like to feel that our hangout has the aura of a mysterious, underwater shipwreck."
"...If you get along well with the Bloody Baron, he might help you scare a few people. But remember, never ask him where the bloodstains on his robes came from. Trust me, you don't want to know."
"The password to the common room changes every two weeks, so be sure to check the bulletin board regularly. You're not allowed to bring students from other houses here, or share the password with them. For the past 700 years, no outsider has stepped into our common room. The password for these two weeks, which you all should have heard earlier, is;"
"Glory"
At this point, Gemma glanced down at Luke, who was smiling calmly, and added, "I think Luke has already explained part of what this password means today. I look forward to hearing more insightful interpretations from him in the future."
Once again, the room's attention shifted to Luke. It seemed that, thanks to Malfoy's earlier antics, people had momentarily forgotten about Luke.
"No, I've said about as much as I need to for today, prefect," Luke responded with a light smile.
"What's more important now is putting those words into action."
Gemma paused, then nodded thoughtfully. "You're right."
She turned her attention back to the first-years. "I believe you'll love our dorms. We have traditional four-poster beds with green silk curtains, and the bedspreads are embroidered with silver thread. The walls are adorned with medieval tapestries, telling the stories of famous Slytherins' great adventures, and silver lanterns hang from the ceiling. Listening to the gentle sound of waves from the lake lapping against the windows will help you sleep soundly."
"You don't need to worry about the Merpeople or the squid breaking in. The enchanted glass is plenty strong."
"Plus, you're in luck. Since there are fewer students in your year, most of you will have two-person rooms, and some of you might even have a room to yourself."
This news was a pleasant surprise for Luke. He secretly hoped to be one of the lucky few with their own room, which would make sneaking around at night far less of a hassle.
While four-person dorms, as seen in the Gryffindor Tower in the movies, didn't seem overly cramped, having fewer roommates would definitely make things easier.
"Alright, that's it for now. Flint! Take the boys to their dorms. Girls, come with me."
Luke watched as the prefect, who looked like a gorilla with his big teeth, nodded at Gemma before turning to the boys. "Alright, boys, follow me."
As Luke followed the group to their dorms, he felt someone watching him from behind.
When he turned around, he saw it was Taylor—the girl whose eyes were hidden beneath her bangs. She was staring directly at him, and even after being caught, she made no effort to look away.
Luke gave her a polite smile, then turned back around, frowning slightly.
It seemed that his time at Hogwarts wouldn't be as peaceful as he had imagined.
At the very least, he wouldn't be the only one causing trouble.