Chapter 21: Ubiquitous Hierarchy

After everyone left the auditorium, a tall figure with a prefect badge on his chest stepped out of the Slytherin group.

"All new students, come over here! Gather around me."

Following his principle of staying low-key, Ino unhurriedly followed the new Slytherins ahead of him, slowly moving towards the prefect.

However, events often unfold unexpectedly. When the Slytherin new students lined up in two columns, the prefect placed Ino at the very front.

Looking at Malfoy beside him in the first row, wearing an expression that screamed 'I belong here,' Ino was left speechless.

He had already resolved to stay low-key and avoid attention. Yet, barely any time had passed since the Sorting Hat's ordeal, just one meal, and he was already entangled in Slytherin's unwritten rules.

The situation had occurred, and though he was forced to stand at the forefront, he knew that the best course of action now was to do nothing and stay quiet.

Trying to sneak back or asking the reason... That would only attract more attention.

Notably, over in Gryffindor, they seemed either intent on a showdown or simply mimicking Slytherin. They too had placed their newly-drawn SSR savior, Harry, at the front of the new students' line.

...

Separated from the other houses, the Slytherin new students followed the prefect through a winding corridor, down the side of a marble staircase, and into the depths.

Ino kept an eye on his surroundings as they walked.

The dimly lit basement, labyrinthine stairs, and the sparse torches on the walls were their only source of light. The weak flames did nothing to warm the place but instead added a touch of eeriness.

Now he understood why there were rumors that the Slytherin common room was converted from a dungeon. In this atmosphere, calling it a dungeon might even be an overstatement; it felt more like a crypt.

A few minutes later.

The prefect stopped in front of a stone wall and turned to face the new students.

"I suppose you all remember the route we took to get here? The first step to entering the Slytherin common room is to find this stone wall accurately."

"And the second step? I mean, how do we open it?" Malfoy asked, trying to appear composed.

Malfoy might have wanted to seem mature and steady, but he forgot basic facial expressions during conversation. His arrogant look seemed to suggest that he alone was qualified to speak among the new students.

Ino subtly shifted his position. Right now, he wanted to award Malfoy the Best Sidekick Award, as he was being used without realizing it.

The prefect clearly wanted to give the new students a lesson and was just waiting for someone to ask.

Sure enough!

"Good! That's exactly what I'm about to explain."

The prefect glanced at Malfoy with interest, then turned to the rest of the new students:

"The second step to entering the common room is to speak the correct password. But if I find out that anyone has leaked the password to outsiders... hey! I'd be delighted to show them Slytherin's traditional way of dealing with traitors."

At this point, the prefect's previously warm demeanor turned cold and stern, making him seem even more sinister in the torchlight.

Seeing the new students visibly nervous, knowing he had achieved his purpose of establishing authority, the prefect softened his tone and smiled warmly:

"Of course, you've passed the Sorting Hat's test and are now a Slytherin, so I trust you would never divulge the password. Now, listen up, this month's password is—Glory!"

"Rumble..."

As the prefect finished speaking, the stone wall slowly opened, revealing a crack just wide enough for one person to pass through.

Overall, this scene was not much different from the way the Leaky Cauldron opened the passage to Diagon Alley.

The new students passed through the wall one by one, in the order they had been standing.

...

Mysterious!

This was Ino's first impression of the Slytherin common room.

The entire hall was rectangular, with luxurious chairs and velvet-covered sofas lining the long corridor. The most striking feature was the transparent wall at the end of the hall, which provided a view of the Black Lake.

Upon closer inspection, one could even see fish swimming in the depths.

The Slytherin common room was predominantly decorated in dark green tones, which, combined with the Black Lake's backdrop, gave it a sunken ship's eerie vibe.

After the new students had adjusted to their surroundings, the prefect began assigning dormitories.

Perhaps due to the vastness of the castle or the abundance of rooms in the dungeon, the dormitory assignments in Slytherin varied widely, from rooms with just two people to those with up to six.

This disparity revealed how Slytherin perpetually emphasized privilege, a rule that had become customary.

"Ino Swinburne, Draco Malfoy..."

As expected, Ino was named first again, and he was assigned to the same dormitory as Malfoy.

"Let it all end... I'm exhausted!"

Ino no longer cared about everyone's reactions.

He now just wanted to know what had led Slytherin, which prided itself on bloodline hierarchy, to rank a stranger named 'Swinburne' ahead of 'Malfoy.'

He was fully aware that his surname was a last-minute concoction, created on his 6th birthday when an old matron at the orphanage picked it from an obscure storybook.

...

Half an hour later.

After completing the dormitory assignments and giving a few additional instructions, the prefect left.

With his departure, the new students regained their vigor.

They no longer stood rigidly but began chatting leisurely.

Several new students even went over to converse with some older students lounging on the sofas. A quick glance at their similar facial features and almost identical hair colors revealed their familial connections.

Ino had no interest in joining this get-together. He just wanted to get back to his dormitory and quietly reflect on the near-farcical Sorting ceremony.

Ignoring the curious glances around him, he headed straight for his newly assigned dormitory.

...

Meanwhile, after Ino left, the common room buzzed with a lively discussion.

"Draco, you shared a compartment with Swinburne on the train? Tell us, what kind of person is he?" Pansy suddenly asked.

Pansy seemed to voice everyone's curiosity, as the previously noisy room fell silent.

Even some older students looked at Malfoy with interest, seemingly eager to hear some juicy details.

Seeing all eyes on him, Malfoy swallowed the refusal he was about to give. He was relishing this moment of being the center of attention.

"Ahem! Although I don't know much about Ino, from the first moment I saw him, I knew we were alike, true Slytherins..."

Malfoy then went on to describe, as elaborately as he could, his impressions of Ino, his various conjectures, theories, and assumptions...

Of course, after a bit of embellishment, these guesses and assumptions turned into so-called 'established facts.'

___