HP: Pure-Blood Glory

At dinner time, most of the students in the Great Hall were still clearly seated at their respective house tables.

However, a few students had already started sitting at other tables to join their old friends or new acquaintances for a meal.

Most of these students were first-years. While some of the older students had their opinions about this, no one stopped them.

After all, even the professors hadn't said anything against it.

In fact, Professor Flitwick, passing by the Ravenclaw table, cheerfully greeted a student dressed in Hufflepuff robes.

Professor McGonagall smiled brightly as she watched the first-year who had made such a splash in Slytherin now sitting at the Gryffindor table.

The Hufflepuffs and Professor Sprout didn't mind at all; they welcomed anyone who liked them and treated them kindly.

The only exception seemed to be Professor Snape. On the rare occasion that he saw Harry Potter eating at the Slytherin table, he would smirk coldly. But, surprisingly, he never reprimanded him.

"Luke? Luke!"

Hearing someone call his name, Luke finally snapped out of his daze, looking across at Hermione with a slightly confused expression.

Hermione saw the blank look on his face and sighed, shaking her head. "What's up with you? You've been daydreaming since the start."

"Nothing, just thinking about something"

Luke replied, shaking his head.

He really was thinking about something. As he sat there, staring at his ability panel, he was feeling somewhat perplexed by the new talent that had suddenly appeared.

[Talent/Innate Magic: Emotion Control, Beginner Level]

Luke had always overlooked his ability to sense others' emotions, considering it more of an instinct. He had assumed it was a small perk, perhaps due to having lived two lives and possessing a strong soul.

But during his conversation with Quirrell—or rather, Voldemort—today, what he experienced clearly went beyond that simple explanation.

Sure enough, when Luke opened his system panel, he saw this new talent had appeared.

It was both surprising and confusing. While it was undoubtedly a good thing, it had come so unexpectedly that he wasn't sure how to feel about it.

There wasn't much more information about the talent, though. Luke found it difficult to re-enter the state where he could clearly see the emotional "dust" surrounding people, as if he hadn't yet grasped the trick to it.

This left him feeling a bit frustrated.

Still, after Hermione interrupted his thoughts, he resumed eating, wolfing down his meal without much thought.

He wasn't picky anymore—fried fish and chips, roasted pork knuckle, even stargazy pie... well, not that. After locking eyes with the fish staring up at him for a second, he decided to put it back.

(T/N: it's a real British dish, for those of you who don't know what it is, try searching it on google)

Meanwhile, Taylor and Hermione were deep in conversation, unsurprisingly about something related to Potions class.

"Taylor, what did Professor Snape say to you when he kept you after class?"

Hermione asked curiously. She had been so envious at the time. While she had performed well in Potions—her final brew had been flawless, with not even Snape able to criticize it—she knew it wasn't the same as being someone who had caught the professor's attention, like Taylor clearly had.

"He asked me to help him organize the potions storeroom over the holidays and assist him with brewing potions," Taylor recalled Snape's awkward mix of eagerness and pride. "He said he'd see how I do for two weeks, and if I couldn't meet his expectations, I wouldn't need to come back."

Hermione was practically bursting with envy. This was clearly a great opportunity for personal tutoring, so why hadn't it come her way?

"Hermione, don't get your hopes up," Ron said, ruthlessly shattering her dream. He took a big bite of bread and continued, "You're amazing, but even if you were as good as Taylor, I doubt Snape would give you the same chance. He's not just picking on a student; he's picking on the entire Gryffindor house."

"Except maybe for me?" Harry interjected suddenly. "I really feel like he's specifically targeting me."

His words brought a moment of silence to the group, whether they were eating or not.

"You know, that might actually be true"

 Ron said, wide-eyed.

"Still, Taylor, you're really something. Whatever people say about Snape, no one can deny his skills in Potions. He's one of the best. Even at St. Mungo's Hospital, some of his potions are highly regarded"

Neville chimed in. He had returned from the infirmary after a quick recovery, thanks to Taylor's timely intervention.

Taylor nodded in acknowledgment and then glanced at Luke. She had immediately told him everything after her conversation with Snape, and Luke had advised her to learn as much as she could from him.

He had told her that if Snape became too harsh or if anything made her uncomfortable, she could quit. But as long as she could handle the pressure, it would be immensely beneficial to her.

Taylor understood that, at this point, just following Luke around wouldn't help him much. However, if she could build a bridge between Luke and Snape, perhaps Snape wouldn't target Luke so much.

"By the way, Neville, I heard you got pranked by Peeves again?"

Harry asked Neville, concerned.

"Yes.. ugh, that awful Peeves!"

Neville replied, clearly frustrated. While his classmates had occasionally teased him, most of it was good-natured. Ever since Draco had been cleverly outmaneuvered by Luke, Neville's school life had improved considerably compared to the original events.

But Peeves had now become Neville's new arch-nemesis.

"Peeves is such a pain, but he's a ghost. We can't do much about him..." Harry said, resigned.

Even Hagrid's dog would turn away from Peeves.

"Have you all seen Peeves?"

Luke suddenly asked, catching everyone's attention. Even the students who weren't that close to them turned to listen.

After all, Luke was well-known and got along with just about everyone. People recognized him and liked hearing what he had to say.

Unbeknownst to him, Luke had fans in every house.

Though at this point, he still couldn't compare to Harry.

The group exchanged glances before Hermione spoke up. "We've all seen him. Haven't you?"

Luke raised an eyebrow and nodded. "I haven't seen Peeves. Not once. Even when I went out for a night walk."

"Luuuke! You've been out at night? That's against the rules!"

Hermione began in her usual scolding tone, but remembering they were in the Great hall, she quickly lowered her voice.

Harry and Ron looked at Luke with admiration. They hadn't expected him to already be engaging in the classic upper-year activity of sneaking around at night—after only a week at Hogwarts!

Night walks! What a thrill!

As the group started discussing the excitement of nighttime adventures, Luke fell silent again, pondering.

'Is Peeves avoiding me?'

*****

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