In the competition for the position of Unofficial Prefect, Carlo ultimately suffered a crushing defeat.
Leo, Rose, Phyllis, Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy headed toward the Great Hall together in high spirits.
Along the way, they discussed the election and exchanged opinions about everything that had happened.
Draco walked at the front with his chin held high, clearly pleased with his victory.
Pansy occasionally added a comment or two from beside him, her eyes filled with admiration.
Meanwhile, Rose and Phyllis chatted quietly together, both wearing relaxed smiles.
Leo walked in the middle of the group, simply enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.
For once—
Things actually felt calm.
When they arrived at the Great Hall, they found seats together.
Almost at the same moment, Hermione, Harry, and Ron entered after finishing Charms.
The three of them looked utterly starving.
"Food!"
Ron practically launched himself toward the table.
The first thing he noticed was the chicken leg sitting in front of Leo.
Without hesitation, he grabbed it.
Harry followed immediately and claimed another one with absolutely no regard for manners.
Hermione looked at both boys helplessly before shaking her head.
"You two are unbelievable."
Even so, she sat down beside them and began selecting food for herself.
Leo watched the pair devour chicken legs like starving wolves and laughed.
"What happened to you three?"
"You look like you haven't eaten in days."
Hermione finally claimed a chicken leg from the pile sitting near Leo.
"Because someone overslept."
She gave Harry and Ron a meaningful look.
"After Professor McGonagall warned them about being late, neither of them wanted to risk missing class again."
Taking another bite, she continued.
"I overslept too."
"So I missed breakfast."
She glanced down at the food.
"Honestly, this tastes amazing today."
Ron spoke with his mouth completely full.
"Leo!"
"Is this the delicious food you promised us?"
He held a chicken leg in each hand while speaking.
Leo picked up a chicken wing instead.
Compared to drumsticks, he preferred wings.
"No."
"Wait until Friday."
"I'll cook something myself."
"I guarantee it'll be good enough to make you swallow your tongue."
Draco immediately became interested.
"Better than last time?"
"You mean better than those weird wontons?"
The memory still haunted him.
If the beef and potato stew hadn't appeared afterward, he might have developed lifelong trauma from Leo's cooking experiments.
Nearby, Crabbe and Goyle were already eating enthusiastically.
The unique aroma of the seasonings had completely captured their hearts.
"Leo!"
"This is incredible!"
Even Draco looked genuinely impressed.
"If your Friday meal is even better than this..."
He stared at the chicken thoughtfully.
"Wouldn't that be good enough to make me swallow my tongue?"
The noise inside the Great Hall gradually increased.
Students from every house had begun noticing the unusual scene.
Ravenclaws whispered among themselves while watching Gryffindors and Slytherins actually sitting together peacefully.
Several Hufflepuffs stared curiously at the pile of fragrant chicken wings and drumsticks occupying Leo's section of the table.
The smell alone made their own lunches seem less appealing.
Meanwhile—
Pansy's expression gradually darkened.
At first, she tried maintaining her usual elegance.
But as more and more students stared at them, her patience slowly disappeared.
Finally—
She slammed both hands onto the table and stood.
"What are all of you staring at?!"
Her sharp voice echoed throughout the hall.
"It's just people eating together!"
"Is that really so shocking?"
"You're all unbelievably boring!"
She glared fiercely at the surrounding students before storming away.
Her heels clicked sharply against the stone floor.
Yet beneath her anger—
There was fear.
Confusion.
Regret.
She had chosen to support Draco.
But now even she found herself wondering whether Draco had changed too much after becoming close to Leo and the others.
Maybe she should have encouraged him to keep his distance.
Draco looked helpless.
"Pansy..."
"Don't be so impulsive."
Pansy spun around.
"How can you tolerate everyone staring at us?"
"We're Slytherins!"
Draco frowned.
"But..."
"It's really not that serious."
Pansy snorted and turned away again.
The other Slytherins who had sided with Draco earlier also began looking uncomfortable.
Several glanced nervously toward him.
Waiting.
Watching.
Expecting a decision.
Draco hesitated.
He had only recently gained their support.
He couldn't afford to lose it immediately.
Then he looked toward Leo.
Leo quietly nodded.
Draco sighed before standing up.
"Let's go."
Even while leaving—
He still grabbed another chicken leg from the table.
The sight instantly made everyone laugh.
Rose shook her head helplessly.
Then she glanced toward Phyllis in surprise.
Even the timid blonde witch had turned red from embarrassment.
"Want to move too?" Rose asked softly.
Unexpectedly, Phyllis shook her head firmly.
Despite the whispers surrounding them, she showed no intention of leaving.
Hermione also continued eating calmly.
Back in the Muggle world, she had already experienced isolation because she was too intelligent.
When she first arrived at Hogwarts, she had been terrified of being alone.
Then she met Leo on the train.
After that came Neville.
Harry.
Ron.
Fred and George.
And eventually Rose—
A Slytherin who wasn't evil at all.
Harry and Ron originally considered leaving as well.
However—
After noticing that most of the Slytherins had already departed—
And after glancing at the remaining chicken legs—
Both boys immediately chose to stay.
While eating, they quietly whispered to each other.
Leo watched the scene in silence.
Deep down, he let out a soft sigh.
Changing Draco alone clearly wasn't enough.
Changing only the first-year Slytherins wasn't enough either.
Then suddenly—
Leo froze.
His gaze lifted toward the dozens of owls flying beneath the enchanted ceiling, carrying letters and newspapers to students throughout the hall.
"...Oh no."
His expression immediately changed.
"I forgot to send my reply."
....
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