Struggling to survive at Hogwarts

The study group reached its peak size after Thea's speech, with almost two-thirds of the Slytherins joining.

Admittedly, many upperclassmen were there simply to invest in Thea, a promising freshman, but many more were there because of Thea's rallying cry: "Take back the honor we deserve! Fight for honor!"

It has to be said that Thea's slogan precisely hit the mark with Slytherin's preferences, and coupled with the momentum from last night's House Cup, it gave Thea an excellent opportunity.

Actually, Thea didn't do anything special; she just seized the opportunity and stepped onto her own stage.

From that moment on, he became a legend!

Thea's good mood lasted until she made a holiday study plan for each member of the study group.

Even though it involves various financial investments, potion materials, and spellbooks, Thea believes that those parents will not be stingy when it comes to raising their children.

Until Thea received a letter from Malfoy Manor.

When Thea received the letter, she sensed something was wrong. If it wasn't something serious, Uncle Lucius would have preferred to ignore her, let alone send her a letter.

Thea deftly unfolded the letter. It contained only a few words, stating just one thing: all the invitations sent out by the Malfoy family had been rejected!

In order to get Thea's matter sorted out, Lucius not only searched for dueling instructors in Britain, but also sent many letters to the United States, France, and Germany!

The reward was increased to an unbelievable level, but he still failed.

Those people either ignored the invitations altogether or politely declined Lucius in their replies.

Even if someone is stubborn and insists on taking the plunge, there are always some "unexpected" events that catch them off guard.

Besides, everyone knows that Lucius hired the dueling instructor for that mysterious child. If the rumors were true, who would dare to become the dueling instructor for the Dark Lord's daughter?

They are taught well because they are talented; God is feeding them.

If the teaching is poor, does it mean the students lack talent?

That's impossible! It's definitely because you, the teacher, didn't teach well!

What if I really didn't teach that child well, and the Dark Lord came back and gave me an Avada Kedavra curse?

Therefore, under the threat of Avada, no one was willing to get involved in this mess for the sake of Galleons.

There are always things more important than Galleons, like... one's own life.

After receiving the letter, Thea did feel somewhat troubled, and her earlier joy quickly vanished.

Draco and the others noticed that Thea wasn't very interested, so even though they were extremely curious about what Thea had seen, they remained quiet to allow Thea to think of a solution.

Thea did come up with a plan, which was originally scheduled for later, but now that something unexpected has happened, Thea naturally intends to bring the plan forward.

"What are your plans for the summer vacation?" Thea asked.

There was a suspicious silence among them for a moment: "My mother said she was planning to take us on a trip, but with studying..."

Under the resentful gazes of everyone, Thea couldn't help but blush slightly.

Since Thea blushed very rarely, the boys in the private room were stunned for a few seconds.

Seeing their embarrassing state, Daphne cleared her throat and said, "Actually, we really want to try our best, not only for you, but also for the honor of Slytherin."

Dumbledore ruined our six-peat, so from now on, starting with us, we're going to win another six-peat!

Daphne's speech received everyone's support, and the atmosphere eased.

But their enthusiasm didn't last long; the arrival of snacks got everyone talking.

Thea glanced at the snack cart, her eyes flashing slightly, and then said directly to the sales clerk:

"Auntie, I'd like to buy all the snacks in your car. Could you help me deliver them to all the private rooms?"

The salesperson, tempted by the gold, naturally agreed.

Thea's feat naturally stunned everyone in the private room. Draco was the first to ask, "Thea, why did you suddenly invite us?"

"Fool! Of course it's to apologize! After all, I had a conflict with Mr. Potter last night, so I naturally have to apologize to them."

Thea gave Draco a light scolding before explaining the reason.

Draco didn't care; it was Thea anyway, so it didn't matter!

Thea, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle all went out with the sales clerk—Draco, worried that Thea might be bullied, chased after them with two of his henchmen.

Theodore's eyes flickered, and he asked quietly, "Are they really going to apologize? It looks more like they're going to show off..."

Zabini didn't pick up on Theodore's topic, but said ambiguously, "If I were Thea, I would definitely apologize with snacks while greatly increasing the amount of snacks for the study group members!"

As for the reason... it's naturally the holiday perk I gave them as the team leader!

This would both demonstrate Slytherin's friendly attitude, thus winning people's hearts, and create a stark contrast with the Gryffindors next door. Both sides had a dispute, but Thea apologized promptly…

Theodore's eyes lit up as he listened, then he lowered his head somewhat dejectedly: "She's really brilliant, isn't she? To come up with such a good idea in such a short time..."

Zabini paused for a moment, then, seeing his friend's downcast mood, raised his hand and gently patted the other's shoulder.

Daphne sat opposite the two, watching their actions, swallowed a piece of candy in her mouth, and then slowly said:

"Of course Thea is excellent, haven't we always known that? Otherwise we wouldn't have..."

Daphne didn't continue, not because those words were unspeakable, but because the occasion was inappropriate; who knew how many of Dumbledore's spies were here?

They never underestimated the danger the old man posed, even though he was over a hundred years old.

Pansy only vaguely realized something now. She pursed her lips and continued to think about her holiday plans.

She wasn't very bright, otherwise she wouldn't have been treated as the "chicken" to be killed, but she also realized one thing: as long as she followed Thea, she couldn't go wrong.

Anyway, all her childhood friends are still around, so she just needs to follow in their footsteps.

Thea was unaware of the reactions of the people in the private room, but even if she had, it wouldn't have mattered. She always believed in equal exchange. Their families had provided Thea with protection and investment, so Thea naturally had to reciprocate by helping them improve their lives within her means.

But the prerequisite is that they have to be able to keep up.