A heavy silence settled over the compartment. The Head Boy and Head Girl, as the rightful hosts of the space, showed no intention of speaking first, as though that single "please come in" earlier had already been the greatest courtesy they were willing to extend to Draco and the others.
The confidence and authority that came with being Head Boy or Head Girl, coupled with the assurance and strength of seventh-year students, gave the pair an undeniable presence. It had to be said, when two people simply stared at you in silence, it carried a certain weight and pressure…
But that sort of intimidation clearly had no effect on Draco and his companions.
On the contrary, Draco seemed rather entertained, calmly analyzing the reasons and intentions behind their behavior. Judging from their stiff coordination, this must have been a spur-of-the-moment decision. He just wasn't sure which of them had come up with it.
"A clever move," Draco mused inwardly. "Trying to establish authority over the Prefects so they'll be easier to manage later?"
As he thought this over, Draco walked to a seat by the window and sat down. From there, he could clearly see everyone who entered the compartment and, if necessary, make a quick exit.
As for greetings or introductions, he couldn't be bothered. He wasn't here to make friends.
Besides, the moment he noticed that senior witch, Draco also became keenly aware that Pansy and Hermione beside him were acting like small animals guarding their territory, letting out low, warning growls.
To anyone unaware of the situation, it might look as though the future head of the Malfoy family was some sort of shameless flirt who loved provoking girls wherever he went.
Well… in any case.
From the atmosphere alone, it was obvious that the newly appointed Head Boy and Head Girl were trying to confirm their status and authority through this display, using it to suppress the Prefects a little so cooperation with them would go more smoothly later on.
After all, who among them wasn't a genius? And for witches and wizards who had already become Prefects, their pride tended to run even higher than most.
Conveniently enough, Draco and the others, having arrived early, became the perfect test subjects for this little experiment.
That was why Draco could more or less understand their thinking. If he were in their position, he might have done something similar…
Then again, he probably wouldn't run into this sort of problem at all. If someone didn't listen, the first thing to consider would be whether they were tougher than a Thunderbird under fire.
That said, if it had been other Prefects entering instead of Draco and his group, they might genuinely have been cowed by this kind of pressure, and the tactic might even have worked.
Unfortunately for the Head Boy and Head Girl, the wizard standing before them was Draco, not just anyone else…
…
Silence.
Quiet.
Seeing Draco sit down with a calm, unbothered expression, while the two girls behind him completely ignored her presence, the stern look the Head Girl had been maintaining stiffened almost imperceptibly. Still, her excellent control over her emotions kept anything further from showing.
By contrast, the partner seated beside her flushed bright red, perfectly embodying what Gryffindor-style fury looked like.
"Hmph! Typical Slytherin. No manners at all!"
Hmm… It was hard to say whether he was trying to show off some masculine bravado in front of his beautiful partner, or simply jealous of Draco being accompanied by such lovely girls. Either way, the unnamed seventh-year Gryffindor wizard let out a cold snort in Draco's direction.
This sudden outburst made the female Head Girl frown. To be honest, she disliked his habit of putting down the other Houses. Still, as fellow student leaders who would be working closely together over the coming year, she felt obliged to show him a measure of courtesy.
'So that didn't work, then.'
Noticing the unfriendly looks coming from the two younger girls, she sighed softly and took the initiative to speak.
"I know you all. Our school's Champion, and her beautiful companions… It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Penelope Clearwater, a seventh-year from Ravenclaw."
Penelope made no move to soothe her partner's temper. As she spoke, she blinked lightly, her gaze drifting with curiosity toward Draco's profile as he looked out the window. Even after she addressed them, he showed no sign of turning his head her way.
Come to think of it, this was her first time observing the Slytherin… prince up close. The Draco who had earned the title of Fire Tyrant after that competition.
Her lashes fluttered once. Though she'd never paid much attention to such things before, Penelope had to admit…
This Slytherin junior was, well… rather good-looking.
Just as Penelope momentarily lost herself in thought, two clear, pleasant voices sounded beside her.
"Hermione Granger."
"Pansy Parkinson."
Perhaps because this senior named Penelope showed no hostility, or perhaps because of her flattering words, the anger simmering in Pansy and Hermione eased slightly. Of course, since blame should fall where it belonged, neither of them had any intention of venting their frustration on Penelope.
Their looks toward the senior standing beside her, however, were far from friendly. Those skeptical gazes practically screamed how the school could have chosen someone like that to be Head Boy.
Penelope's show of goodwill, paired with Draco's continued indifference, only made the male Head Boy more irritated and furious.
Just as he was about to say something else, there came another knock at the compartment door.
...
As Prefects from different years arrived one after another, the earlier unpleasantness vanished as if it had never happened.
Soon, the compartment was filled with Prefects from fifth year through seventh year. It was easy to see that every one of them was a well-known figure within their own House.
Among them, Cedric Diggory, who had just advanced to seventh year, and Cho Chang, the sixth-year female Prefect, were undoubtedly the most eye-catching.
No.
There was still one more wizard who drew everyone's attention. It was just that the moment they saw him, the same thought crossed everyone's mind at once.
…Had this guy wandered in here by mistake?
If not for the silver Prefect badge pinned at his collar, someone might have spoken up to question him on the spot.
And that wizard was the red-haired fifth-year Gryffindor Prefect.
Ron Weasley.