Chapter -44.
"No! You can't."
The little wizard let out a loud, desperate scream.
"Yes, I can! You hurt my feelings, so now it's time for a little payback!"
Dudley grinned wickedly, delivering slaps that echoed with a loud 'smack.'
Sometimes, annoying kids just need a little reminder to behave.
Luckily, Dudley was careful with his strength; it stung, but it wouldn't leave any lasting marks. They might be sore for a day or two, but with all the magical potions around, they'd probably be back on their feet by morning.
He moved from one little wizard to the next, and no one could escape. Those who tried to run were quickly caught and given a taste of Dudley's "discipline."
Before long, all the little Slytherin wizards were left groaning on the ground.
Dudley was on a roll!
After dealing with the others, he turned his attention to a very nervous Malfoy, who was lying flat on the floor.
Each of Dudley's footsteps felt like a drumbeat in Malfoy's chest.
"Please, don't come over!"
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In a hidden room of the Slytherin common room, a group of older Slytherin students gathered around a round table.
Slytherin has cozy lounges for the prefects and plenty of extra rooms. This is partly because Slytherin has fewer students than the other houses and partly because their common room, which used to be a dungeon, is surprisingly spacious—making it the largest among the four houses. In fact, it has more rooms than Gryffindor and Hufflepuff combined!
It's interesting to note that Hufflepuff has the most students overall.
Many of these empty rooms have been turned into secret meeting spots for Slytherins, and the older students were using one of them.
When Malfoy's scream echoed, one of the seated Slytherins stood up. He was tall, with a buzz cut and an average look—someone you might easily overlook, except for his noticeable overbite.
"Marcus, what are you doing?"
As Marcus stood, he heard a sharp voice from behind him; it was the boy sitting at the head of the table.
He was the seventh-year prefect of Slytherin.
Marcus was the captain and chaser of the Slytherin Quidditch team.
"I just want to see what's going on."
Marcus looked down, avoiding eye contact.
The prefect waved his hand dismissively, saying in a tone similar to Malfoy's but less awkward, "It's just a little scuffle among the younger kids. Nothing to worry about."
"But that's Draco, Malfoy's only son!"
Marcus insisted.
His family had a decent relationship with the Malfoys, with some distant connections, but
"So what?"
The prefect replied coolly, watching Marcus closely.
Under that gaze, Marcus's confidence faded.
"He's being picked on!"
"So?"
"What does that have to do with us?"
The prefect challenged.
"I..." Marcus's face turned red as he stammered, finally managing to say, "I think we should help him."
Before the prefect could respond, another Slytherin chimed in from the left: "Haven't we already done enough? We didn't stop the second and third years, and you know how many first years are around, right?"
"The whole common room is silenced to keep things quiet, letting him make a scene."
"And what's the outcome?"
Even though they didn't know the full story, Malfoy's scream made it clear something was up.
"After all, Malfoy is a Slytherin."
Marcus spoke again, this time his voice barely above a whisper.
"The other kid is also a Slytherin."
The prefect seemed annoyed by Marcus's words, his tone rising slightly.
"Listen, Marcus, it was Malfoy who gathered them together and stirred things up. If he can't handle it, why should we step in? We're not here to clean up his mess."
"And besides, the other kid is Potter's cousin; you know who I mean."
In the wizarding world, all pure-blood families are somewhat connected, and Harry Potter's name carries a lot of weight, especially for those with a history tied to the Dark Arts. Before anyone figures out how he defeated Voldemort, pure-bloods will always show him a certain level of respect, even if they might not stop others from testing him.
"Malfoy has plenty of resources; if he can't deal with this, what right does he have to ask for our help? Is it just because he has a famous dad?" Malfoy's tendency to flaunt his father often rubs others the wrong way, especially those who come from strong backgrounds themselves.
"Remember, we're Slytherin, not babysitters. We don't have time for family drama." The prefect's voice softened as he spoke earnestly to Marcus. "Do you remember Slytherin's motto?"
This left Marcus puzzled; after a moment, he stammered, "Pure-blood supremacy?"
"It's about the supremacy of interests, the supremacy of ability. The winner takes all, and the loser is left behind. How many times do I have to remind you? You need to get it together." The prefect was growing impatient, thinking to himself about how frustrating it was to deal with someone from the Flint family. After a moment, he calmed down and said to Marcus, "You're in fifth grade now, and we'll be graduating in two years. We don't have time to teach you everything."
"From now on, you need to rely on yourself. You've already missed your chance at the head boy position; don't make me regret choosing you as the Quidditch captain. And don't bring shame to your family." Seeing Marcus still glancing toward the door, it was clear he hadn't absorbed the message. The prefect sighed, feeling helpless. 'They chose him; what can we do if he's not up to the task?'
"If you really want to help Malfoy, go tell Professor Snape."
"But if I were you, I wouldn't do that."
"Taking on so many people isn't easy; at least you, Marcus, can't do it."
"If I were you, I'd choose to befriend him." The prefect felt he had been more than reasonable; if Marcus remained stubborn, it wouldn't be their problem, especially since they were about to graduate anyway.
In the common room, Malfoy had already crumpled to the floor, curled up in front of Dudley. Ignoring Malfoy's frantic cries of "Don't come near me," Dudley pressed down on Malfoy's head, turning it to face him. He leaned in closer, their faces almost touching. Malfoy could hear Dudley's heavy breathing, and in that moment, he was reminded of the fear he felt in Madam Malkin's robe shop.
Dudley slowly opened his mouth, revealing a row of white teeth that looked quite menacing in the dim green light. At that moment, Malfoy gasped and rolled his eyes, fainting from the sheer terror.
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Note : Guys, some power stones will be really helpful.
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Upcoming chapters :-
45[Part -1] Big-D,The terror.
45[Part -2] Big-D, The terror.
46. No more provoking Dudley Dursley.