Professor Slughorn glanced at the material in Thomas's hand—Billywig wings. Mixing them into the potion would create a hallucinogenic effect, turning the brew into a strange kind of sedative.
Before class, Slughorn had jokingly mentioned that he might select two groups to sample their own potions by the end of the lesson. It was clearly a jest, but Thomas evidently intended to exploit this remark to humiliate Black or sabotage her grades. Such behavior was, to say the least, disgraceful.
As the professor stood there, momentarily unsure of how to handle the situation, Lys returned to her workstation and slapped the wings out of Thomas's hand. "I don't need your help with my potion, Master Thomas. Why don't you mind your own business?"
Lys reminded herself to avoid engaging with fools. Last time, she had acted impulsively by resorting to physical violence; this time, she resolved to exercise restraint.
Once freed from the curse, Thomas shot a resentful glare at Lys but, wary of the professor's presence, returned to his cauldron and his partner.
"Ah-ha, Slytherins fighting among themselves!" a Gryffindor student sneered as they exited the classroom, throwing a mocking glance over their shoulder.
Thomas, flanked by friends bought with Galleons, left the Potions classroom with a "just you wait" expression etched on his face.
---
Recently, whispers had begun to circulate in the Slytherin common room.
At first, Lys paid no attention to them until Regulus Black intercepted her.
"Having some disagreements with the Thomas boy lately?" he asked, his tone calm and polite.
"The blond idiot? Yes," Lys replied, slightly annoyed at being blocked but willing to respond due to Regulus's courteous demeanor.
"There's been some talk that's not in your favor. You might want to pay closer attention," Regulus continued, maintaining his composed tone.
Seeing Lys's disinterest, he added, "After all, we both bear the name Black. Let me remind you that if these rumors spread beyond the school, they could affect an entire family."
Lys raised an eyebrow, her gray eyes—so characteristic of the Black family—flickering with emotion for a brief moment.
Regulus knew then that family was her soft spot. And judging by her reaction... it seemed Thomas was in trouble.
The Black family had never lacked for lunatics, but was that really a bad thing? Foolish Thomas...
---
Over the next few days, Lys spent her time in a secluded corner of the common room with a book in hand. As Regulus had warned, the situation was indeed troubling.
Thomas and his friends frequently boasted about their family's loyalty and contributions to the Dark Lord's cause. They began spreading rumors about Lys, claiming that she had been heartbroken and despondent after witnessing the Dark Lord punish dissenters.
They loudly speculated that Lys Black might be a traitor to Slytherin, possibly even an opponent of the Dark Lord's cause.
Such accusations were no small matter. A Ravenclaw student had recently lost his sister because their uncle had made critical remarks about the Dark Lord at a gathering.
If things continued down this path, Lys wouldn't just face difficulties at school; the Black family, to which Regulus belonged, might feel compelled to dig up every corner of their estate to clear their name.
Even though some Slytherins thought Thomas was the real fool, no one dared involve themselves in a topic as dangerous as opposing the Dark Lord.
After all, who could say whether this was merely a feud between two students or a deliberate attempt by the Thomas family to undermine the Black family, another supporter of the Dark Lord?
The accusations were nothing short of severe.
Before anyone with ulterior motives could use the rumors to attack the Black family, Thomas and his cronies found themselves beaten into the hospital wing.
The culprits? Lys Black and Barty Crouch Jr.
The incident made the two infamous throughout the school—Lys for her ferocity, and Barty for his sheer combat prowess.
---
Standing in the Head of House's office, Lys remained silent while Barty Crouch Jr. wore an expression of unrestrained madness.
"Using the Dark Lord's name for personal gain, tarnishing his reputation—how dare they? How dare their family?" Barty ranted, his voice trembling with indignation.
Slughorn, who had heard rumors about Barty's fanatical devotion to the Dark Lord's ideals, was deeply uneasy. He quickly stopped Barty from continuing and turned to Lys.
He knew that a second-year student, no matter how unhinged, couldn't possibly take down a group of fourth-years alone.
"So, what's your reason, Lys Black?" Slughorn asked, his gaze a mix of scrutiny and avoidance.
"Professor, he insulted my family! My father is disabled, and my mother is just an ordinary witch, but they treat me well," Lys said, carefully distancing her family from any potential political implications in front of the witnesses.
"And he kept claiming that I'm an opponent of the Dark Lord's cause. I'm not! I only stopped Thomas, that fool, from further tarnishing the reputation of our house's founder. That's something I should do."
The rumors about the Dark Lord recruiting werewolves and Dementors might or might not be true, but even if they were, such matters should remain secret.
The honor of purebloods should never be associated with beasts and monsters. For Thomas to openly claim in class that this was the Dark Lord's strategy was utterly idiotic...
And the Dark Lord was the last heir of Slytherin himself.
---
Regulus stood among the onlookers, his eyes lowered slightly. Clever. By refusing to take a stance, Lys had ensured everything was framed as being for the glory of Slytherin.
As for Lys's reputation as a fierce fighter, the entire Slytherin house had known about it since her third year. Slughorn wasn't particularly surprised either.
Given the sensitive nature of the situation, the professor docked a few points and assigned a month of detention, resolving the matter quickly.
As for Thomas, he would be spending some quality time in the hospital wing.
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