I, the Dark Lord, will definitely be a good principal!

?????????

Vold remained silent for the rest of the dinner, and Angel stopped eating after finishing his steak.

He didn't eat much, and he was indeed tired after a long day.

Rather than enjoying the food, what he wanted to do now was go to his own dormitory room, lie in bed, and drift off to sleep.

Although he barely moved all day, and if he had to name any activities, it would be leaving the Leaky Cauldron in the morning and the short journey after getting off the Hogwarts Express, the whole day of traveling was enough to leave him mentally exhausted.

Especially considering that his health wasn't very good to begin with.

The main course was quickly finished, and a large amount of desserts were presented to them.

Angel took some hard candies and put them in his school uniform pocket, then did nothing more.

By the time the desserts disappeared from the Great Hall, everyone was probably feeling sleepy, and the prefects began leading the first-year students to their respective college's common room.

The fifth-year boys' prefect in Slytherin was a young man named Isaac Greengrass, who was the older brother of Daphne Greengrass, one of the first-year students.

(No description was found in the original work, so this is a personal interpretation.)

He led everyone out of the auditorium, quietly introducing them along the way.

"Go down the marble steps from the main hall, yes, this is it. We'll go down from here, go through a passage, and we'll reach the Slytherin common room."

"This passageway is very complicated, you must remember it clearly. If you remember it wrong, the best-case scenario is that you won't be able to get back to the common room before lights out and will have to sleep outside overnight, or the academy will deduct points. The worst-case scenario is..."

As he walked, he glanced back at the freshmen following behind him, a meaningful smile on his face:

“You may get completely lost inside, and it may be a long time before someone finds your remains.”

A few gasps escaped from the new students, but Isaac's words clearly had a good effect, and everyone began to seriously memorize the route to the common room.

Angell pretended to be looking at the road intently, but in reality, he was trying to recall the part of Tom Riddle that he remembered.

He had explored these winding, maze-like passages before, but found nothing except a few empty rooms.

However, the rumor that getting lost in the passageways could lead to complete disorientation has been around for a long time.

He had also heard some rumors about this place, that someone had disappeared here many years ago.

"Perhaps we can find time to explore this place again in the future..."

"Although I have all the memories of the Harry Potter books, I still feel that... there are many secrets hidden in Hogwarts Castle."

"Vold...are you asleep?"

"Not yet..."

"That's good."

Finally, Isaac led everyone to a stone wall:

"Simply say the correct password, and a stone door will appear in this stone wall, leading directly to the common room. The password changes every two weeks and will be posted on the bulletin board to inform everyone."

"Remember, only a password is allowed to enter and exit. If someone loses house points for being trapped at the door, Headmaster Snape will definitely put that person in solitary confinement!"

"The password this time is 'swamp,' don't forget it!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned his head and gave the password to the stone wall.

A stone gate appeared out of thin air, and Isaac led the group through it.

A very familiar scene...

“Exactly the same as it was 50 years ago…” Angel murmured to himself.

Slytherin's common room is a long, narrow, and low-ceilinged basement.

The walls and ceiling were made of rough stone, and round, green-glowing lamps were chained and hung from the ceiling, giving the space some light.

However, the most eye-catching feature in this space is the entire crystal window.

Instead of the usual meadows or shady trees, there was a tranquil black lake.

At this moment, the moonlight fell on the Black Lake, and then through the Black Lake into the Slytherin common room, creating a mesmerizing effect.

Angel heard a soft sigh from Vold.

He suddenly felt a little dizzy, and some of Tom Riddle's memories of the Slytherin common room suddenly became clear.

The Death Eater organization was initially established as a joke...

Those who thought he was a friend...

And... the belief that gradually strengthened as I stood before that crystal window.

Some people say that sitting here and looking at Black Lake is like sailing on the water.

That's certainly true; it's like rowing against the current—if you don't move forward, you fall behind.

He never had a way out.

Otherwise... he'll drive himself crazy.

There weren't many people in the common room at the moment. Earlier, when Isaac led the first-year students through the corridor, he deliberately slowed down to give them time to memorize the route.

All the returning students should have returned to their dormitories by now.

This time, Isaac also gave the first-year students time to enjoy the Slytherin common room.

He waited until everyone had come to their senses before speaking:

"Our college emblem is the most intelligent animal: the snake, and our college's representative colors are emerald and silver."

“Slytherin’s quality is ambition. Positive traits include ambition, aspiration, and lofty aspirations, while negative traits include greed, admiration for strength, and pursuit of fame and fortune… But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with these.”

"These words have only been given a negative connotation by the world; everyone in Slytherin acts on the basis of pursuing ambition."

"Some people become powerful and fanatical, some become worldly and sophisticated, and some, in their pursuit of power, cause evil consequences and thus seek redemption..."

"I hope your ambitions will be realized, and I also hope that you will not be consumed by your own ambitions."

"——Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness!"

(Slytherin will help you reach the pinnacle)

Isaac wore a faint smile, and from his smile, one could see a great deal of pride.

Angell looked around and saw that everyone's face had a similar color.

Slytherin is indeed an arrogant house.

But as Isaac just said, the word "arrogance" is just a word that has been given a negative connotation by the world, and Slytherin never thought there was anything wrong with it.

"It's getting late. Go through that stone archway over there and you'll enter your dormitory area."

"Your luggage has been delivered. Just look for the nameplates at the dormitory entrance, and you'll find your beds!"

"Alright, go and get some rest. I'll send you the class schedule at breakfast tomorrow!"

…………

…………

Bonus: Tom Riddle's Diary

……

[Date: September 1, 1938]

Today, I arrived at Hogwarts. As I boarded the Hogwarts Express, I was surrounded by laughter and chatter, but it all felt foreign to me. I sat alone in a corner, watching children my age excitedly discuss magic, their eyes sparkling. Their joy was so pure, yet it stung me.

During the Sorting Ceremony, the ancient Sorting Hat lingered on my head for a long time, as if peering into my thoughts… Yet, it called out "Slytherin" without hesitation.

At that moment, I was stunned, followed by a surge of joy.

I know that Slytherin House prefers pure-blood wizards. Does that mean my father, the man I've never met, is a wizard?

This idea ignited a flame of hope in my heart, dispelling the long-standing gloom of being an orphan.

I don't expect my mother to be a witch. I heard that she died in the orphanage after giving birth to me. How could someone like that be a witch?

I thought this was a new beginning, but...

In the Slytherin common room, I felt their strange looks.

Those classmates came from prominent pure-blood families, dressed in fine clothes and behaving arrogantly.

I am just an orphan, without the halo of a family to protect me. They gathered together and chatted in hushed tones, their occasional glances at me filled with disdain and indifference.

When I tried to join their conversation, they deliberately raised their voices, shutting me out as if I were a stain that shouldn't be there.

Yes, Slytherin does not welcome those who are not of noble blood.

My roommates were the same; they ignored my presence and talked about their family gatherings during the holidays and the precious magical gifts they received, while I could only listen silently.

They showed off the magic they already knew, demonstrating their little tricks in front of me, thinking I would be amazed. But they were wrong. These little spells were not difficult for me; I just didn't want to reveal myself too early.

...This is the lesson the professor who came to take me to the magical world taught me.