Henry sat midway down the Slytherin table, his usual healthy breakfast laid out before him.
He held a silver spoon in one hand while the other rested on a freshly delivered copy of the Daily Prophet.
The headline concerned a surprise raid by the Ministry of Magic on a suspicious shop in Knockturn Alley.
The accompanying photograph showed several nervous-looking wizards being escorted away.
Henry read the article intently, his brows slightly furrowed.
He looked completely different from the students around him, who were either eating heartily or laughing and fooling around.
Just then, two somewhat hesitant figures approached the edge of the Slytherin table.
It was Justin and Hannah, the two Hufflepuff first-years he had first met on the train.
Justin wore a smile that mixed excitement with nervousness, while Hannah followed half a step behind him, curiously looking around.
“Good morning, Mr. Wales?”
Justin tried to make his voice sound natural, but there was still a slight tremor in it.
Approaching the Slytherin table in full view of the entire Great Hall—especially approaching Henry—required a certain amount of courage.
Henry looked up from his newspaper.
The scrutiny in his eyes was quickly replaced by a gentle smile.
“Good morning, Mr. Finch-Fletchley, Miss Abbott. Are you settling in well at Hufflepuff?”
His attitude was casual and friendly, as though he were simply greeting two familiar classmates.
“Oh, very well! Extremely well! The common room is right next to the kitchens, so it’s wonderfully warm, and…”
Justin had barely gotten started when another hurried, clear voice interrupted him, its pitch slightly distorted by excitement.
“Oh! My goodness! It really is you!”
Hermione Granger had somehow hurried over without them noticing.
Her bushy brown hair seemed even more unruly than usual from the excitement.
She completely ignored the invisible boundaries between the house tables.
Her bright eyes were wide as she stared intently at Henry.
“I thought you looked familiar on the train, but I wasn’t sure… It wasn’t until last night that I remembered… You’re Prince Henry! Prince Henry of Wales! The son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana!”
Her voice was somewhat shrill, carrying clearly to several nearby tables. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
Combined with her conspicuously prominent front teeth, she looked almost exactly like an actual beaver.
Many students who had been eating stopped and looked over curiously.
At the Gryffindor table, Ron’s fork stopped halfway to his mouth, a sausage forgotten between his teeth.
Harry also turned around in confusion.
Hermione’s face had gone bright red, whether from running or excitement, and she continued speaking at astonishing speed, almost as though reciting an encyclopedia.
“I’ve read all the biographies about the royal family! I know you’re eleven this year and should normally be attending a preparatory school… but I never imagined… you’re also… I mean, you received a Hogwarts letter? That’s incredible! Does this mean the royal family has always known about the wizarding world? Does the International Statute of Secrecy have special provisions for monarchs? And…”
Her barrage of questions left Justin and Hannah stunned and caused the atmosphere around the Slytherin table to freeze instantly.
Every Slytherin student’s gaze—curious, scrutinizing, displeased, or amused—focused on Henry and the loud Gryffindor Muggle-born witch who had suddenly barged into their territory.
Draco had just finished reading his father’s subtly worded reply and had been thoughtfully cutting into a piece of smoked fish.
Now, his movements stopped completely.
He raised his head, first staring at Hermione in utter disbelief, then quickly turning his attention to Henry.
A Gryffindor.
A Muggle-born, no less.
And she actually dared to approach one of us and speak so loudly?
He had no intention of interfering.
Naturally, he also wanted to see how Henry would deal with this sudden burst of attention.
Pansy wrinkled her nose without attempting to hide her disgust, displaying the quintessential Slytherin expression of disdain.
She leaned toward the girl beside her and muttered,
“Look at that Mud… that Gryffindor. She doesn’t understand even the most basic rules.”
But she, too, kept her eyes fixed on Henry.
Even Theodore, who was usually silent, lifted his eyes from the thick Potions textbook in front of him and calmly observed the scene.
Faced with Hermione’s barrage of questions and the attention of nearly half the Great Hall, both obvious and discreet, Henry put down his newspaper and spoon.
There was neither embarrassment nor irritation on his face.
Instead, he gave a soft sigh.
His expression resembled that of an older brother dealing with an overly enthusiastic and somewhat clueless little sister, carrying just a hint of helpless indulgence. Visit novelping.com for the full chapter.
“Miss Granger,” he said in a calm and gentle voice, possessing a strangely soothing quality that immediately overwhelmed Hermione’s hurried speech, “your breadth of knowledge is certainly impressive. However, I think specific provisions of the International Statute of Secrecy would be better discussed with the professors after class, or perhaps researched through more authoritative sources in the library, rather than discussed during breakfast. Don’t you agree?”
He neither confirmed nor denied anything.
Instead, he smoothly redirected the subject while gently pointing out that this was not an appropriate setting for such a discussion.
He then turned toward the still somewhat dazed Justin and Hannah, his tone returning to its earlier casual warmth.
“It’s good to see you again, Mr. Finch-Fletchley, Miss Abbott. Have a pleasant day.”
It was both a polite signal that his brief conversation with the two Hufflepuffs was over and a subtle indication that Hermione should leave as well.
Hermione’s face turned even redder, this time from embarrassment.
She seemed only now to realize how abrupt her behavior had been, especially on Slytherin’s turf.
“Oh! Uh… I’m sorry. I… I was just so surprised… Your Highness…”
She stammered, grabbed her schoolbag, gave Henry an almost panicked nod, glanced at Justin and Hannah, and then hurried away, practically running back to the Gryffindor table.
Suppressed laughter and whispers followed in her wake.
Justin and Hannah quickly said their goodbyes as well and left.
The Slytherin table gradually returned to its usual noise, though many eyes continued lingering on Henry.
He simply picked up his newspaper again.
His posture had not changed in the slightest, as though the entire incident had been nothing more than a passing breeze.
Draco slowly exhaled and resumed cutting his smoked fish, though his movements had become much slower.
His feelings had grown even more complicated.
Henry had dismissed that know-it-all with such calmness, coupled with a faintly superior yet gentle attitude, that Draco felt a strange sense of pride.
See?
That’s how someone should handle a situation like that.
At the same time, Hermione’s actions had unmistakably reminded him and the other Slytherins of something important.
Henry Wales’s status among Muggles was extraordinarily high.
And that status naturally attracted intense curiosity from students in other houses, especially those from Muggle backgrounds.
Pansy pursed her lips hard, clearly filled with disdain for Hermione’s behavior.