I don’t think Will’s a bad guy, Harry thought, figuring Ron was overreacting.
Slytherin or not, nothing about Will read as dark wizard material.
If anything, McGonagall’s approval for helping classmates suggested the opposite.
Harry glanced over at Neville and Hermione, both clearly won over already, and let the thought drop for now.
…
Hogwarts’s first-year curriculum wasn’t especially demanding.
History of Magic had genuinely interesting content buried somewhere inside it, but Professor Binns delivered it in such a flat, droning monotone that none of it landed.
His voice was so consistently empty of inflection that it practically functioned as background noise.
The class made for excellent nap time.
Binns never took attendance, never called on anyone, and barely acknowledged the students at all.
The exam only required memorization at the end, so almost nobody paid real attention, Will included.
He always claimed a seat in the back row and read on his own instead.
The subject had genuine value to him, just not the way it was being taught.
Buried in the dry historical record were real clues, which wizards had excelled at what, which paths were worth chasing further.
From there he could hunt down the source material or case studies behind each name.
One paper sitting in his private collection, The Secret of Andros: An Unorthodox Patronus Charm, was a serious academic analysis of an ancient wizard whose Patronus had reportedly stood the size of a giant, cast entirely without a wand.
Herbology, by contrast, barely held Will’s attention at all.
The first-year material stayed simple, mostly cultivation basics for common magical plants, nothing dangerous, nothing especially complex.
Plenty of students who’d read ahead could already answer Professor Sprout’s questions without much effort.
In Charms, Professor Flitwick paid Will unusually close attention early on, and it didn’t take long for him to realize the boy’s grasp of the subject went far beyond first-year level.
“Will, I really did think you’d end up in Ravenclaw,” Flitwick said, a note of genuine regret in his voice, as Will lingered after class with a question.
“So did I.
Not sure what went wrong with that hat.”
“Well, let’s leave that be for now.
What did you want to ask?”
“Professor, I came across something in a book about how modern magic has evolved…”
[You have gained new knowledge of Charms.
Charms Experience +1]
[You have gained new knowledge of Charms.
Charms Experience +1]
[You have gained new knowledge of Charms.
…
Will was starting to genuinely enjoy life at Hogwarts.
Experience came far easier here than it ever had at home.
His Transfiguration sat nearly at Level 3 already.
On Wednesday evening, Will settled into dinner: seared veal steak with mashed potatoes, a serving of fish and chips, and a tall glass of orange juice.
Sylvia wasn’t with him for once, off somewhere enjoying herself with a group of Slytherin girls.
[You have acquired new knowledge of Transfiguration.
Transfiguration Experience +1]
[You have acquired new knowledge of Transfiguration.
Transfiguration Experience +1]
Will was midway through a mouthful of chips, book propped open, when a group of students closed in around him.
Two or three of them were clearly older, second- or third-years by the look of it.
The one leading them was older still, flanked by Ivan Selwyn and Oberyn Nott, who hadn’t slept in his own dormitory bed in two full days.
Apparently they’d spent that time finding themselves some backup.
“Oi, Ravenclaw’s little spy.
Where’s your bodyguard today?” Oberyn’s resentment was practically radiating off him.
He hadn’t had a proper night’s sleep since term started.
Merlin’s beard, why do I keep attracting vermin, Will thought, rubbing his temple.
All he wanted was a quiet corner and some uninterrupted grinding.
“Boy, let me offer you some advice.” The older boy’s tone dripped with quiet arrogance.
“You’re clearly talented, I won’t deny that.
But as your senior, I’d suggest a bit of humility.
Talent like yours isn’t as rare in this world as you might think.
Apologize to these two, and I’ll personally arrange things through the Yaxley name.
Cooperate with the Yaxleys going forward, and you’ll find us quite welcoming.”
This particular student, a Yaxley, was sharper than most.
He’d clearly noticed Will’s talent went well past “promising.” On his very first day, the boy had used offensive spells most second-years hadn’t touched yet.
That kind of gift didn’t come along often.
And in two days flat, Will had already earned the nickname “Ravenclaw’s spy,” which told Yaxley everything he needed to know about how much the boy read.
A student that gifted and that hungry for knowledge had real potential, worth more as an ally than half the useless pure-blood heirs currently wasting space in Slytherin. Get faster updates on g.com.
As a third-year, Yaxley understood perfectly well how many pure-blood children amounted to nothing much at all.
“Senior, I’ve no idea where you’re finding this confidence, but here’s my advice.
Tell your two friends here to leave me alone.
I’d like to study in peace, and if anyone has a problem with that, I don’t mind hanging the lot of them from the common room’s wall lamps again.” Will finished his last bite of fish, calmly packed his books away into his satchel, and decided it was time these Slytherin idiots understood exactly what gap separated them from him.
“So you’re determined to be difficult with the rest of us first-years, then?” A flicker of embarrassment crossed Yaxley’s face.
Will clearly wasn’t giving him the deference he expected.
“Do you even know what the Yaxley name represents?”
“Yaxley, along with those two idiots, Selwyn and Nott, all belong to the so-called Sacred Twenty-Eight.
You don’t need to remind me.
I’m perfectly aware.”
“Is that so.”
Will could feel the older boy’s patience thinning fast.
“Right, are we going to keep standing here, or would you rather settle this properly?
Fair warning, I’m in a hurry.” Will grabbed his bookbag, stood, and pushed past the students blocking his path, heading straight for the Slytherin common room.
Nearby, Draco Malfoy spotted the commotion, set down his fork, and waved his two companions along.
“Come on, Goyle, Crabbe, keep up.”
…
Slytherin Common Room.
“Will, what’s going on?
I turn my back for one moment and you’re surrounded by this lot—” Sylvia hurried over, visibly anxious, trying to place herself between Will and Yaxley’s group.
“Easy now, Lestrange, this doesn’t concern you.
I’d suggest staying out of it, seeing as it’s just this Muggle boy we’re dealing with.” Yaxley waved a hand, and two Slytherins immediately stepped in to block Sylvia’s path.
“It’s fine, Sylvia.
I’ve got this.” Will raised his wand and pointed it calmly at the two boys blocking her, freezing them solid on the spot.
“Behrens!”
“Relax.
I don’t know why you’re so worked up over this, but trust me, I’ll be fine.
Besides, if these three don’t learn their lesson now, they’ll just keep interrupting my sessions.” Will figured it was well past time to put some distance between himself and these boys.
He couldn’t get any real work done if they kept wasting his time like this.
Level 4 Charms wasn’t something to underestimate.