The Dragon King Bloodline of Hogwarts

Chapter 19 The Tradition of Slytherin

Halfway through the banquet, just as the desserts were being served, a clear phoenix cry pierced through the hall from outside.

The auditorium doors were pushed open, and Fox slipped in through the crack, its tail feathers kicking up a shower of golden sparks. It flew low, its wings beating at a steady, unhurried rhythm.

Daenerys stood in the doorway.

A three-year-old girl, her ivory robe stained with mud at the hem, looked up, her face illuminated by the magical candles in the dome of the auditorium. Fox folded his wings and landed on her shoulder.

The entire auditorium fell silent for a moment.

"...Who's that?" Hannah Abbott's voice came from Hufflepuff, forgetting to lower her voice. "She's so cute. Is that Dumbledore's phoenix on her shoulder?"

Ignoring the stares, Daenerys tiptoed over the Hufflepuff table, over Ravenclaw, and finally found the row of Slytherin's silver-green robes. She stopped in front of Viserys.

"Brother," she said in Higher Valyrian, "Mrs. Pince said the museum was closing, and I couldn't find you, so Fox brought me here."

Viserys picked her up and placed her on his lap, replying in the same language, "I'm here. How was your morning with the dragon?"

“It ate a lot of meat,” Daenerys gestured with her right hand, indicating what she considered a large amount. “Hagrid said it’s brighter than yesterday, its scales are glowing. It wanted to come along, but Hagrid said it was too big.” She paused, frowning slightly. “Hagrid said dragons can’t enter the castle, but Fawkes can. Why can’t dragons enter?”

"Because the dragon will break down the door."

Daenerys considered the plausibility of this explanation and then accepted it. "Fox came to visit me, and he brought me here."

Viserys looked up, and Fawkes perched on Daenerys's shoulder, his tail feathers covering her little robes. A phoenix wouldn't go to the library to pick up a three-year-old for no reason; Dumbledore was using the bird to tell the entire Great Hall that he protected this girl.

He reached out to touch the phoenix's wings, but Fox turned his head 180 degrees, putting the back of his head against his fingers.

Daenerys glanced at the back of Fawkes' head, then at Viserys's hand hovering in mid-air. "Brother, it seems Fawkes still doesn't like you."

Viserys withdrew his hand and pushed the dessert in front of him toward her, who ate it with a spoon until her cheeks bulged.

"Your sister!" Daphne exclaimed from the side. "She looks exactly like you."

Draco still stared in disbelief at the scene. "You brought your sister to school?"

Farley had approached sometime earlier and stopped a few seats away. She smiled and waved gently at Daenerys. "Hello, I'm Farley. What's your name?"

"Daenerys".

Farley didn't get too close. She drew her wand and lightly tapped the napkin in Daenerys' hand. The napkin folded several times, transforming into a paper bird. It fluttered its wings twice in Daenerys' palm, then circled around her head before landing on the back of her hand. Daenerys looked down, still swallowing the pudding in her mouth.

"It won't stay still for long," Farley said softly. "Do you like birds?"

"I like it." Daenerys reached out and touched the tip of the paper bird's wing, and the paper bird fluttered again under her fingertip. She looked up at Gemma, her purple eyes blinking earnestly.

"You're better than my brother; all he can do is make things disappear."

Farley paused for a moment, then laughed. "What did your brother make disappear?"

Daenerys thought for a moment, "He made the dragon I drew last time disappear. He said it looked like a lizard."

Farley glanced at Viserys, his smile still lingering. "Next time I'll teach you how to draw one that doesn't look like a lizard."

Daenerys nodded solemnly.

Farley left the paper bird in Daenerys's hand, and as he stood up, a hint of amusement still lingered in his voice. He added, "Hogwarts is huge. I don't know which house you'll be sorted into when you grow up, but if it's Slytherin, that would be very interesting."

Pansy Parkinson and Milison Burst had already squeezed in. Milison half-squatted beside the bench: "Is that hair color natural? Merlin, even her eyebrows are silver." Pansy pulled a handful of candy from her pocket to stuff into Daenerys's hand, but Daphne reached out and stopped her. "Don't feed her so much candy, it's already this late." Pansy glared at her, but Daphne remained unmoved.

Daenerys looked up at the group of Slytherin girls surrounding her, pointed to the pudding on the table, and spoke in Common, her words slow but clear: "This is delicious. My brother said I could have another one?"

Viserys pushed the second pudding in front of her.

Dumbledore rose from the faculty table, thanking the new students for their arrival and reminding them that the swamps on the edge of the Forbidden Forest had been rather restless lately. He glanced at Viserys as he said this. Ghosts floated out of the walls and began singing the school song. Daenerys slid off Viserys's lap, tugging at the hem of his robes, yawning as she followed. Fawkes perched steadily on her shoulder, his tail feathers swaying gently with her steps.

The prefects stood up to greet the new students. The Slytherin students began to move towards the dungeons. Farley led the way, stopping in front of an empty stone wall, and turned to face the new students.

"The password for the Slytherin common room changes every two weeks. This week's password is 'Glory'."

The stone wall slid open silently, and the new students let out soft exclamations of admiration. Farley raised his hand, signaling everyone to wait a moment.

"Before entering the common room, there is something I need to tell the new students. The Slytherin common room is only for Slytherin students and visitors with special permission from the Headmaster. This is a thousand-year tradition. The password may change, but this rule will not."

"She can't go in."

The voice came from the fifth-year line. Lester Todd took half a step forward and pointed at Daenerys. The freshmen fell silent. Draco frowned, about to speak, but was stopped by a tiny gesture from Viserys.

Farley turned to Lester, "Todd, she's only three years old."

"The rules don't consider age; only Slytherin students are allowed in the Slytherin common room. She isn't, so she can't go in."

Whispers began to circulate around him, and Farley frowned slightly.

"According to the rules, non-Slytherin students are indeed not allowed in the common room." Her voice was flat, then she looked at Lester, "But today is the first day of school, or we can wait until tomorrow—"

"Rules are rules," Lester interrupted her, taking another step forward. "Should Slytherin's tradition be broken for someone of unknown origin?"

Viserys didn't speak immediately. His gaze fell on Fawkes perched on Daenerys's shoulder. The phoenix hadn't flown away. It had remained there from the dinner party to the gate. Not negligence, but tacit approval.

Then he raised his eyes and scanned the surrounding crowd. Lester stood opposite him, a fifth-year student, his robe cuffs faded from washing. His question itself carried little weight. But for the older Slytherins standing in the shadows—who had heard of Gringotts, heard of dragons, but had never seen one—Lester's provocation was an opportunity.

He spoke softly, but each word was hushed in the damp silence of the Slytherin dungeon entrance.

"In my world, when someone questions your rights, you can prove them with your sword. The Dragon Knights' courts do not tolerate verbal disputes. Here, you call it a duel."

A commotion erupted around them. Farley's eyes widened slightly.

"I'm the prefect; I can't encourage freshmen to fight on their very first day." Her voice was filled with worry. "Perhaps we can wait until tomorrow to report to the dean—"

"I accept," Lester's voice boomed over her.

A figure in black robes approached silently from the end of the corridor.

Snape.

The surrounding students automatically parted. His dark eyes swept over the two facing off—Leicester's hand was already on his wand, and Viserys' right hand hung by the hilt of his dagger. His gaze lingered on Fawkes, who was dozing on Daenerys' shoulder.

"What happened?"

Farley stepped forward. "Master, Viserys brought his sister into the lounge, but Lester pointed out that it violated a thousand-year-old tradition. Viserys proposed to settle it with a duel."

Snape turned to Lester. "You, a fifth-year student, challenge a freshman who hasn't even attended a single day of school to a duel."

"He brought it up first!" Lester's voice was too urgent.

Snape turned to Viserys. His dark eyes paused for a moment before he spoke.

"You haven't formally studied magic at Hogwarts. You think you have a chance of winning."

"Just because I haven't formally studied magic at Hogwarts doesn't mean I haven't mastered magic from another world."

Snape's eyes narrowed slightly. His gaze fell again on Daenerys's shoulder. Fawkes didn't move, his tail feathers still covering the little girl's robes. The phoenix hadn't cried out or tried to stop them from anywhere. Dumbledore didn't intend to intervene.

"Go outside."

He turned and walked toward the side gate of the castle, his black robe casting a long shadow on the stone pavement. He paused for a moment as he passed Leicester, his voice low.

"Don't use black magic on your classmates at school."

Lester's jaw tightened as he followed, the students automatically making way. Draco leaned close to Viserys and whispered a few words—Lester's signature spells and weaknesses. Daphne took Daenerys from Viserys's arms.

"Leave Daenerys to me, you take care of yourself."

Viserys nodded and descended the steps. The night breeze carried the scent of pine resin and the dampness of the swamp from the edge of the Forbidden Forest. In the distance, beneath the sky, the silhouette of the Iron-bellied Dragon undulated gently at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

Snape had already marked out the dueling area in the open space. Lester stood opposite him, his wand twirling twice between his fingers, while the students formed a semicircle to watch. Farley and several older students stood on the other side of the crowd, their expressions the same as everyone else's: curiosity, tension, and anticipation.