“The Dark Lord has fallen, Severus. Now is the time t as many back to the light as we , especially young ones like Yaxley,” Dumbledore replied, his tone even. “Still, your suspi is valid. Check Diagon Alley again. Judging by his behavior, there might be a Death Eater stronghold there.”

  “You don’t o remind me,” Snape said dismissively. “But Diagon Alley is a chaotic pce, full of questionable figures and old pure-blood es. Without Auror authority, I ’t exactly g into every shop or residence.”

  “Give me the general location,” Dumbledore suggested. “I’ll have Moody iigate. It might not be as effective as we’d like—Millit is under siderable pressure as it is.”Snape raised an eyebrow. “Millit? She’s riding high now, isn’t she? People are saying she could be one of the greatest Ministers in history. Don’t you support her?”

  Dumbledore houghtfully. “I do, and the public view isirely wrong. But the situation within the Ministry is more fragile than it appears. Many families that once supported her have shifted to rality now that the Dark Lord has fallen. They’re even aiding pure-blood families tied to Death Eaters. It’s creating a challeo viown criminals. Millit’s fag signifit opposition.”

  “Ah, the usual political games,” Snape said dryly. “Bang power, shielding allies—it’s nothing new. Still, are you suggesting some of these families might be hiding wanted Death Eaters?”

  “It’s possible,” Dumbledore admitted. “We’re w to apply pressure, but it will take time. Meanwhile, I’ll have the Order of the Phoenix monitor Yaxley’s case.”

  “And the other students he dragged into this?” Snape asked, crossing his arms.

  “They’ve likely been frightened out of their wits,” Dumbledore said, his lips curving slightly. “Accessories to murder, all because of one impulsive spell.”

  Snape scoffed. “That’s thanks to Alex. Now they’re being bckmailed by that ing snake. Speaking of which…” He hesitated, then added in a lower tone, “I felt something that day. Alex knew I was there.”

  “Oh?” Dumbledore tilted his head, intrigued.

  “When Yaxley cast the Killing Curse, I was stunned by his audacity. I almost intervened, but Alex reacted too quickly. He ha, but he definitely sensed my presence,” Snape expined.

  “Seem he’s testing the waters, seeing how far we’ll let him go,” Dumbledore mused. “Still, it’s best not to let this escate. Take some time to speak with him.”

  “Later, perhaps. A little suffering might be good for those brats, but it’s reckless to create such division in Slytherin,” Stered, his frustration showing.

  “Slytherin House matters are yours to handle,” Dumbledore said with a faint smile. “I trust Alex uands the boundaries.”

  Snape leaned back slightly, recalling Alex’s behavior that day. “He knows his limits. The boy only used basic spells and self-defense charms to deal with those little wizards. Not a single drop of blood illed. He even healed their wounds with potions afterward. Everything was handled so professionally that it’s obvious he p in advance.”

  What still puzzled Snape was the exact details of what happened i that day. A powerful shielding spell had been cast over the area, making it impossible to observe. He could only assume Alex used potions to treat the injuries, based on what he had seen afterward.

  “You should be proud,” Dumbledore remarked with a light chuckle. “This is real Slytherin talent. He’s resourceful and uands boundaries—qualities worth aowledging.”

  Snape’s lip curled into a slight sneer. “I ’t stand talents like him. As long as he doesn’t bring trouble to my doorstep, I’m tent.” His words carried a mog tone, but Dumbledore could see the faint satisfa in his expression.

  “Still, keep an eye on Alex,” Dumbledore advised, his tone more serious now. “After what happeo Lily and the Longbottoms, who were close to him, I was ed he might lose trol. But it seems he’s managing his emotions well.”

  The mention of Lily’s name made Snape’s face darken. He grunted nonittally and abruptly turo leave the office. Dumbledore watched him go, shaking his head with a soft sigh.

  The month passed peacefully. With the pure-blood fa subdued and Yaxley—the seventh-year prefed student cil president—fleeing, the atmosphere in Slytherin had shifted drastically. Under Alex’s subtle influence, signifit ges were made. The Purity ittee was disbanded, and fiscated Muggle artifacts were returo their owners. Alex’s reputation as someone who kept his promises only strengthened.

  The remaining pure-blood students didn’t dare oppose him. With their leader gone and Alex still present, most opted to steer clear of him entirely. Even Travers, ohe most vocal troublemaker, had grown quiet and withdrawn. With no oo stir up flict, the house settled bato a state of calm. Meanwhile, Vivian’s poker club reopened, and the on room was once again alive with activity, ughter, and games.

  However, while Slytherin found peace, tensions outside the house fred. The rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin reached a boiling point during the test Quidditch match, which escated into a near-physical brawl. The pure-blood students, frustrated and repressed, seemed to el their aryffindor. Pranks aaliatioweewo houses became almost a daily occurrence.

  None of this ed Alex. He had his own project to focus on: a spell he had been developing sihe battle at Hogsmeade. Drawing inspiration from the freezing charm he used during the fight, Alex was experimenting with a ype of magic. Using his accumuted knowledge of temperature manipution and magical energy flow, he created what he called the Incapacitating Curse.

  This spell bined principles of hypothermia and magic depletion, desigo sap the magical energy of its target over time. His ultimate vision ell capable of pletely draining a wizard ical object of its power, leaving them helpless.

  Initially, Alex had envisioned an energy-abs curse that would allow him to siphon magi others for his own use. However, this idea required extensive knowledge of blood magic—a field in which he was still g. For now, the Incapacitating Curse was a simplified version, though he was satisfied with its potential.

  But testing the spell presented a problem. He had already experimented on magical items with great success, but living targets were another matter. Ordinary animals cked the necessary magical reserves for accurate testing, and rger magical creatures were both difficult to obtain and potentially dangerous. Hagrid’s colle of magical creatures outside the Forbidden Forest was off-limits—Alex had no desire to involve the gentle giant in his experiments.

  Ideally, he needed a wizard to act as a test subject. While it was ohing to spar with acquaintances for training, spell testing was far riskier. The memory of his mishap with the infrasonic spell was still fresh, and he had no iion of repeating that mistake.Just as Alex was mulling over the issue, a kno the door pulled him from his thoughts. He ope to find Higgs standing there, looking cheerful.

  “Alex, you’ve been cooped up in here for days. It’s the weekend! Vivian and I are heading to Hogsmeade to rex. You should e with us,” Higgs said, his tone light and inviting. He had been in high spirits tely, especially sihe Quidditch team was no longer dominated by the pure-blood fa. With the ges, Higgs was ba his old position as Seeker, and it showed in his enthusiasm.