Chapter 168: The Slytherin Who Recruited Evil
Time: Saturday, 11:20 a.m. – Quidditch Pitch
Alexander Smith sat in the front row of the stands, caught in a storm of noise and mixed emotions.
He hadn't meant to draw attention to himself. But thanks to Hermione Granger, who now had permissions through the system he'd quietly granted her, she had easily found him—and dragged him along with the other Ravenclaw first-years to the front row.
What made things worse was Hagrid.
> "'Scuse me—bit o' room, eh? 'Scuse—ah, cheers."
Hagrid's massive frame forced its way into the row. Despite Ron saving two seats for him, they weren't nearly enough. As a result, Ron and Draco Malfoy, seated nearby, were now uncomfortably squashed together.
> "Watched the last match from me hut," Hagrid said, adjusting the huge telescope around his neck. "But it ain't the same as bein' here with the crowd. Thanks fer savin' my seat, Ron. And Slytherin—bah, evil little—well, Harry'll win for sure." He clapped Ron on the back hard enough to jolt him into Malfoy.
Malfoy scowled. Hagrid noticed him, paused, and visibly restrained himself from finishing the insult.
Students from all four houses had shown up in full force. Though the match was officially Ravenclaw vs. Slytherin, it had become a school-wide event.
As the Slytherin team marched onto the field, a wave of boos erupted from the stands—led, predictably, by the Weasley twins.
Even Professor McGonagall, monitoring Lee Jordan from the commentary booth, couldn't fully hide her amusement. Though she glared disapprovingly at the crowd, the curl at the corner of her lips betrayed her satisfaction.
Alexander sat watching in disbelief.
> Is Slytherin really this bad? Or is it just that Voldemort's downfall has made people comfortable enough to boo them openly again?
Reading about Slytherin House in books didn't prepare him for this… atmosphere.
Now he understood why Snape had been publicly bullied in school. It wasn't just the Marauders being cruel—it was Snape's own social circle. He hung out with future Death Eaters, tolerated their "pranks" on Muggle-borns like Lily Evans, and cared more about Lily's opinion of James Potter than her own pain.
When Lily rejected him, Snape walked away—not from his friends, but from her.
In that kind of environment, Lily's loyalty stood out even more. No wonder everyone who remembered her did so with deep admiration.
As for Sirius Black, Alexander could now see how his aggression toward Slytherins was seen as justified—even heroic—in those days.
> Good thing I didn't end up in Slytherin, Alexander mused. I might've tried to reform it from within—but it's too rotten, top to bottom.
Despite all the fanfiction fantasies of a "cool and noble" Slytherin, the reality was… different.
The house's current culture was shaped by toxic ambition. They believed in results over means, and glorified manipulation. Even Professor Snape, their Head of House, encouraged it with blatant favoritism—adding points for Slytherin, deducting them from other houses on flimsy excuses.
In Quidditch, the problem was even worse.
Slytherin's players weren't chosen for agility or skill, but brute strength. Their lineup was stacked with players who looked more like trolls than teens.
Harry had once joked that they had giant blood—and he wasn't far off.
In the original timeline, Malfoy had only made the team because his father donated Nimbus 2001s. It wasn't about talent—it was about power and appearance.
Even during everyday life, the Slytherins made little effort to hide their disdain for Muggle-borns. And many current members were children of Death Eaters. They may have escaped legal punishment, but public opinion was another matter.
No wonder their reputation was toxic.
Even Madam Hooch, before starting the match, explicitly reminded the Slytherin team to "play fair and clean."
> Yeah right, Alexander thought. They don't even know what "fair" means.
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The Match Begins
Madam Hooch's whistle blew—and chaos erupted immediately.
It wasn't that Ravenclaw was weak; they were a solid, disciplined team.
But the Slytherins?
They were relentless.
"Jonny, Ravenclaw's Chaser, grabs the Quaffle—he's fast! Former Seeker talent on display—wait, what's this? Derrick, Slytherin's Beater—he just slammed into him! That's cheating!" shouted Lee Jordan from the commentator's booth.
> "I was just blocking for my teammate. What's the problem?" Derrick said smugly, clearly unfazed.
The Slytherin crowd roared in support—but they were drowned out by boos and jeers from the other three houses.
Madam Hooch gestured for the game to continue. Technically, Derrick wasn't cheating… not by the rulebook, at least.
Lee Jordan grumbled into the mic.
> "After that obvious and despicable—"
"Jordan!" McGonagall barked.
> "Sorry, I mean, after that entirely permissible but highly unsportsmanlike play—"
"Jordan."
> "Fine. Derrick nearly knocked our Chaser into the stands, but I guess the game goes on…"
Meanwhile, high above the madness, Harry Potter was flying silently, alone.
Following their pre-match strategy, he'd flown to the highest altitude early to avoid being targeted. It kept him safe—but it had a drawback.
The Golden Snitch usually flew near the ground. From high above, Harry might miss it entirely.
And because the Slytherins played like human Bludgers, Ravenclaw's Beaters—Dennis and Woody—had no time to assist Harry or disrupt the opposing Seeker.
Which left Terence Higgs, Slytherin's seventh-year Seeker, free to glide below, scanning the pitch methodically.
He wasn't a cheat.
He didn't need to be.
And Harry? He was beginning to realize this might be the toughest match of his life.
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