"Merlin's beard! How did our gemstones turn negative?"

"Negative one hundred points?"

By early morning of the second day, news of Slytherin losing one hundred points had spread throughout the school.

Every Slytherin student was pale-faced. Being dragged down by a full hundred points would be difficult to make up no matter how hard they tried in class.

Even more humiliating was their loss of face.

How could they face the mockery from other houses?

After dinner, almost all Slytherin students sat in the common room with grave expressions.

"We must investigate! Find this student!"

"When I find them, they'll wish they'd never been born!"

The first-years discussed among themselves, dismayed by such an unfortunate start.

This year had already begun with a Mudblood in Slytherin who'd shown open dissatisfaction with their sorting, and now their house points were in the negative on the first day. They feared they might lose their seven-year streak for the House Cup.

It was utterly disgraceful, bringing shame to their alumni and ancestors who'd graduated from Slytherin.

Some parents had even written asking about the situation, adding to their embarrassment.

Then Millicent spoke up in her sharp voice: "It must be Yu Jane! I didn't see her in the common room all last night!"

"She must have been caught wandering around after hours and lost us points!"

Gemma Farley, wearing a prefect badge, looked serious. Even with her good nature and tolerance, she couldn't maintain her smile when a new student had gone missing and their house points had been devastated.

"Thank you for the information, Miss Bulstrode. I will investigate this matter."

Her gaze swept over the first-years as she added her congratulations on their sorting into Slytherin and explained the house principles. Her well-memorized "Slytherin Prefect's Welcome Speech" finally came in handy.

She emphasized at the end:

"Although we've had a terrible start this year, I hope you remember that honor is earned by everyone. We've held the House Cup for seven years, and this year will be no exception."

"Once you become a snake, you're one of us - part of the elite. I don't want to see house points lost due to internal conflicts."

Her meaning was clear - she didn't want to see points lost due to ostracizing Jane, as Slytherin's fragile hourglass couldn't withstand any more damage.

She then hurried to Professor Snape's office to gather information.

She realized that for an entire night plus a day, no student had seen Jane Yu!

Snape's office was located in the castle dungeons, adjacent to the Potions classroom. The place was dark and damp, exuding an eerie atmosphere.

However, just as she was about to knock on the office door, she heard voices through the crack.

"You needn't tell me... I'll be watching her."

That was Professor Snape's voice!

Her hand stopped just before touching the door as she held her breath, not daring to move.

"She's suspicious. I don't believe any first-year would be brainless enough to take on a three-headed dog in the fourth-floor corridor alone."

What?!

Gemma could hardly believe her ears!

The missing first-year, Jane Yu, had gone to the forbidden fourth-floor corridor alone and faced the three-headed dog!

As an upper-year student, she'd learned about three-headed dogs - they were XXXX classified magical creatures, dangerous/requiring specialist knowledge/skilled wizard to handle.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

She'd bet the entire sixth-year Slytherin class together couldn't subdue one.

Yet an 11-year-old witch who hadn't attended a single class had faced it!

She hadn't realized the gap in talent between people could be so vast!

She dazedly returned to the common room, sinking into a sofa with one hand on the armrest, staring blankly ahead.

She should have been angry about the hundred points lost, should have confronted this new student named Jane Yu.

But instead, she felt a secret admiration, appreciation, and joy rising in her heart.

She needed to reconsider how to approach this first-year.

However, at that moment a rough female voice rang out in the common room: "All day... no one's seen her, she missed Herbology and History of Magic, losing us another 20 points!"

Looking toward the voice, Gemma found it was Millicent causing a commotion again.

The first-years all chimed in, with the Parkinson child speaking acidly: "Oh, Bulstrode, how dare she treat you like that in the Great Hall earlier!"

"If she shows up, I'll make her regret being born!" Millicent threatened, her fleshy cheeks quivering.

Gemma frowned, wanting to knock some sense into this stupid girl's head with a Potions textbook - did she really think she could easily handle a first-year who could take on a three-headed dog?

But she couldn't reveal what she'd overheard at Snape's office.

"Miss Bulstrode, I believe I should reiterate - I don't want to see any internal conflicts here."

"After all, our House Cup is hanging by a thread."

She stared intently at Millicent Bulstrode, her blonde hair casting dark shadows in the dim light.

Only then did Millicent realize Prefect Gemma was in the common room watching everyone's actions. Her face and neck flushed red as she mumbled an "apologize" before hurrying back to her dormitory.

"Idiot," Pansy muttered, filing her nails and rolling her eyes at Millicent's retreating figure.

She wasn't stupid enough to speak so boldly in front of a prefect!

Though she'd dealt with Millicent, Gemma remained troubled. The new student avoided all interaction with classmates and seemed so advanced in magic that she didn't need to attend classes.

She needed to talk to her, at least use her position as prefect to ensure no more points would be lost.

At that moment, Jane Yu was sleeping soundly in her dormitory bed.

After all, having returned from the headmaster's office at dawn, it was reasonable to skip classes and sleep all day!

It would perfectly contribute to her plan for expulsion!

However, her sweet dreams were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Who is it, disturbing people in the middle of the night!"

She got up grumpily, her black hair disheveled, muttering as she went to open the door.

There stood a tall, blonde upper-year student.

"Miss Yu... um... sorry... for disturbing you so late... could we talk?"

......

Gemma had imagined many scenarios for their meeting - cordial conversations, handshakes and reconciliation - but she hadn't expected to be unable to speak a complete sentence when actually facing this first-year!

The moment the dormitory door opened, she felt an intangible force and pressure emanating from Jane Yu, like the grudge of a female ghost, directly suppressing her spirit.

A voice in her head kept screaming at her to turn and run, but fear glued her legs firmly to the ground as cold sweat soaked through her back, making her shirt stick to her skin.

"Come in," she heard a clear, childish voice say.

As if granted amnesty, she entered the small dormitory.

It took Jane half the day to understand the intention of this self-proclaimed Slytherin prefect.

She wanted Jane to interact friendlily with classmates and attend classes normally to avoid losing more points.

"Miss Yu, I know you have extraordinary abilities, but many of your yearmates come from prominent magical families. Having conflicts with them won't do you any good," Gemma rambled on.

"You'll be spending seven years here with your classmates, please be more friendly..."

Jane was confused.

Students from magical families in conflict with each other?

The prefect wanted her to improve relationships between classmates, make them friendlier?

But she didn't know any classmates - this was asking too much!

So she refused: "I can't do it."

Prefect Gemma's expression changed.

This first-year actually didn't care about the famous Sacred Twenty-Eight!

Slytherins were known for being cunning, judging situations carefully, and self-preservation - she couldn't believe any house member would rashly offend these pureblood families.

Unless... this first-year's background made her confident enough to do so.

Could she be from some reclusive Eastern magical family?

She became even more cautious in her approach.

"May I call you Yu?" Gemma put on what she considered her most perfect and polite smile.

This time Jane understood.

"Of course, Prefect Gemma."

Exchanging first names was a sign of goodwill and closer relationships in British wizarding society.

Gemma relaxed and continued exercising her social skills:

"I understand. But perhaps for my sake, would you be willing to attend classes? Constantly losing points due to absences puts a lot of pressure on my work."

Jane understood - because she'd skipped classes today, they'd lost more house points.

This seemed to have caused trouble for the prefect?

Although she wanted to be expelled, causing difficulties for others made her feel somewhat guilty.

"I'll go to classes."

For Gemma, this was completely unexpected!

Her family wasn't particularly powerful or influential, and she'd thought Jane would be as dismissive of her as she was of the pureblood families. She hadn't expected such ready agreement!

Having achieved her goal, she happily left a Chocolate Ball as a gift and gave Jane a hug.

Then she marched out triumphantly like a victorious general.