Welcome to Slytherin
Chapter Five : Welcome to Slytherin
Thoughts || “Dialogue” || Letters
“- SLYTHERIN!”
It took Hermione a moment to realise the Hat had shouted the last word aloud. A heartbeat of silence passed before the Hall erupted into noise. Hisses from the table draped in red, polite applause from the blue and yellow, and a sense of confusion accompanying the applause made by the table of green. Her table. Her house.
Hermione made her way towards it, sitting on the nearly empty end of the table designated for the first years. Vincent and two other girls, Bulstrode and Davis, if her memory served her correctly, were already seated. She nodded politely to them both, which they returned, Vince with more familiarity than Bulstrode.
In the time it had taken for her to sit at the Slytherin table, Daphne Greengrass had already been called up and was currently sitting underneath the Sorting Hat.
“Have they done that for everyone?” Hermione asked her table-mates, shooting a pointed look at the Gryffindor table. It was an older student who answered her.
“It’s because they’re sore losers. Slytherin House has won the Quidditch and House Cups for the past seven years running. Any new snake is a threat to the group of lions.” Hermione recognised the speaker as Prefect Terrence Higgs from the train. She nodded in understanding before turning to watch the remainder of the Sorting Ceremony.
Greengrass had slipped into the seat across from Hermione and the two girls smiled politely at one another. Soon, Gregory joined them too, and Neville wound up in Gryffindor. Hermione clapped politely for both of them, as did Bulstrode, Davis, Greengrass, and Vincent. A few more first-years later, and Draco and Theo joined them as well. Theo sat next to Greengrass, across from Hermione, and Draco sat next to Hermione so she was between him and Vincent. Parkinson joined them just as McGonagall called Harry Potter to the stool.
The Slytherin table collectively scoffed and lost interest in the scrawny first year with taped-together glasses. The rest of the Great Hall, however, grew dead silent in anticipation of The Boy Who Lived’s sorting. Eventually, he joined Neville at Gryffindor, though nobody at Slytherin clapped this time. The Sorting Ceremony ended with Zabini joining them.
The Headmaster chose that moment to stand up.
“Welcome! Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words, which are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!”
Hermione was shocked. This was their Headmaster?
“Uh… Is he mad?” Hermione asked the group of first years. Theo scoffed, but not rudely. It was more of an "I can't believe you just asked a question with such an obvious answer" sort of scoff.
“Of course he is, but I think Drake wants to say something," he said.
"Thank you, Theo. Now, I know all of us know each other with varying degrees of familiarity." Draco said, motioning to everybody except Hermione. "But only those of us who were in the compartment with me know Hermione. So, as is my duty; everybody, meet Miss Hermione Granger. Hermione, let me introduce you to Heir Blaise Zabini, Miss Tracey Davis, and Miss Millicent Bulstrode, and reintroduce you to Heiress Daphne Greengrass, and Miss Pansy Parkinson."
"Granger?" Zabini started, and Hermione had a feeling she knew exactly what question he was about to ask. "As in, the Dagworth-Granger line? I hadn't realised they'd adopted a shortened name."
Hermione sighed but somehow refrained from rolling her eyes at being asked the same question for the fifth time. Impromptu lesson number one.
Before answering, she looked to Theo and Draco and asked "How quickly does information spread throughout the House if I were to speak a tad bit louder than necessary to answer his question with my life story?"
"Probably quite quickly, seeing as most of the upper years keep glancing over at us, and you," Theo answered, casting a glance up the length of the table. Hermione looked as well and saw a few students from each year looking down at them. She recognised a few of them as being the Prefects who escorted her back to their compartment after she left Draco to talk to Potter. With that, she turned back to Zabini.
"I'll have to get an Inheritance Test done with the goblins at Gringotts before I know for sure. Lord Malfoy said he would accompany me if I do well this first year, which, doesn't seem that high of a stipulation but I suppose he thought it was, considering I was raised by muggles and only found out about this world last summer when I received my Hogwarts letter. My birthday is in September, so I turned 11 last year, but it was too late for me to join the school as term had already started.
"As for Lord Malfoy's stipulation, I told Neville - Longbottom, that is - that I don't plan on being lower than fifth in our overall student rank, but my goal is to be the top student in our year. I was the top student of my year every year in muggle school, but I am aware that I'll have to compete against students like all of you (Hermione motioned to all of her year-mates sitting around her) who have known nothing but this world so I'm most probably at some sort of disadvantage, but I will still be aiming for top student regardless," Hermione explained, making sure to glance at the upper students as well as her year-mates. Whispers broke out further down the table, which drew the attention of the first years.
“Granger!” One older girl hissed down the table. With the other three tables making their own rackets, the snakes didn’t have to worry about being overheard too much but it was better to not be too risky.
“Yes?” Hermione replied, turning to look at the older girl who spoke.
“You’re muggle-born? And that lot hasn’t given you shit for it yet?” She asked.
"She's one of ours. We know how to protect our own," Draco answered coolly from Hermione's other side, leaning forward to give a hard stare to the older students. That seemed to be the right answer, for the Prefects all seemed to nod and move on from the topic of Hermione's upbringing. She turned away from the upper years to look at Draco, whose cold expression seemed to melt as he smirked at her. She smiled back at him.
"That's very good and all, but how about you make sure you all eat, Heir Malfoy." Despite being in the middle of the table, Higgs still managed to speak at a semi-normal volume and be heard by the first years sitting at the end.
On that note, Hermione looked down at the table and was shocked at the amount of food there was, and how none of her year-mates, or herself, had noticed it appearing. The once empty dishes were now loaded with everything from roast beef and roast chicken to pork chops and lamb chops to sausages and steak, from boiled potatoes to roast to mash to even chips. Every vegetable imaginable was on the table as well as, for some reason, peppermint humbugs.
Hermione grabbed small amounts of everything except the humbugs and dug in as much as she could with poise and elegance.
While everyone was silent around her due to eating, Hermione chose that moment to look over at the other house tables behind Theo. She saw that Neville looked extremely uncomfortable, sitting between Ronald Weasley and Seamus Finnigan, both of whom ate like starved animals. She swallowed the food in her mouth to speak to her yearmates and friends.
“Look how uncomfortable Neville looks at the Gryffindor table.” She muttered. Draco, having heard her, looked on as well and nodded in agreement.
“He does look miserable, doesn’t he?” Draco agreed. “Although, I would be too if I were stuck between two animals.”
“At least he knows he can come to us if he needs to,” Theo commented before taking a bite of a Yorkshire pudding.
“That’s true…” Hermione replied, trailing off to finish her meal. After the dinner was finished and everybody had had their pudding, Dumbledore stood up again. The upper-year Slytherin’s rolled their eyes.
“Ahem! - just a few more words now that we’re all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.
“First-year students should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well.” The Headmaster’s eyes seemed to be looking at the pair of redhead twins who were catcalling earlier.
“I have been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their House team should contact Madam Hooch.
“And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death.”
“Uh. Sorry, did he just say that there’s a death corridor?” Hermione whispered incredulously.
“I’ll have to tell Father, he’s on the board of school governors. Get that looked into. Hopefully immediately,” Draco muttered, glancing at Greengrass who nodded in agreement.
“I’ll tell Mother as well, and someone should tell Neville to tell his Grandmother,” Greengrass said.
“I’ll do it tomorrow. There aren't any classes, right?” Hermione offered.
“Yeah, it’s Saturday tomorrow. Classes won’t start until Monday,” Zabini confirmed. “I’ll go with you, Granger.”
“Thanks, Zabini,” Hermione replied. He gave Hermione a nod, and the first years tuned back into the Headmaster’s speech, somehow not noticing the other three tables had started and finished singing the school song.
“Ah, music. A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!” The Headmaster practically shooed them out of the Hall.
“First year Slytherins! Follow me please!” A girl with a silver P badge called down the table. Hermione stood up after Draco and accepted his offered arm. As the first years followed the prefect, she began her speech.
“Alright firsties, listen up! My name is Gemma Farley and I’m your fifth-year female prefect. I know most of you have grown up knowing you’d be sorted into Slytherin, but let me tell you some things you might not already know. You’ve probably heard rumours people spread about Slytherin house. Stuff like we’re all into the Dark Arts, and will only talk to you if your great-grandfather was a famous pure-blood wizard and other rubbish like that.
“You don’t want to believe everything you hear from competing houses, though. I’m not denying that we’ve produced our share of Dark wizards, but so have the other three houses – they just don’t like admitting it. And yes, we have traditionally tended to take students who come from long lines of witches and wizards, but nowadays you’ll find plenty of people in Slytherin house who have at least one half-blood or lower grandparent.
“Here’s the little-known fact that I was hinting at earlier and the other three houses don’t like to bring up much: Merlin was a Slytherin. Yes, Merlin himself, the most famous wizard in history! He learned all he knew in this very house! Do you want to follow in the footsteps of Merlin? Or would you rather sit at the old desk of that illustrious ex-Hufflepuff, Eglantine Puffett, inventor of the Self-Soaping Dishcloth?” Gemma paused, waiting for the first year’s responses. Hermione looked around and saw Daphne, Theo, Pansy, and Draco all raising an eyebrow at the prefect.
“I didn’t think so,” she continued. “But that’s enough about what we’re not. Let’s talk about what we are, which is the coolest and edgiest house in this school. We play to win, because we care about the honour and traditions of Slytherin. We also get respect from our fellow students. Yes, some of that respect might be tinged with fear, because of our Dark reputation, but you know what? It can be fun, having a reputation for walking on the wild side and all. Chuck out a few hints that you’ve got access to a whole library of curses, and see whether anyone feels like nicking your shit.
“But we’re not bad people. We’re like our emblem, the snake: sleek, powerful, and frequently misunderstood. For instance, we Slytherins look after our own – which is more than you can say for Ravenclaw. Apart from being the biggest bunch of swots you ever met, Ravenclaws are famous for clambering over each other to get good marks, whereas we Slytherins are brothers. The corridors of Hogwarts can throw up surprises for the unwary, and you’ll be glad you’ve got the Serpents on your side as you move throughout the school.
“And as far as we’re concerned, once you’ve become a snake, you’re one of ours – one of the elite. Because you know what Salazar Slytherin looked for in his chosen students? The seeds of greatness. You’ve been chosen by this house because you’ve got the potential to be great, in the true sense of the word. Yes it’s true, you might see a couple of people hanging around the common room that you might not think are destined for anything special but keep that to yourself. If the Sorting Hat put them in here, there’s something great about them, and don’t forget it.
“Speaking of people who aren’t destined for greatness, I haven’t mentioned the Gryffindors. Now, a lot of people say that Slytherins and Gryffindors represent two sides of the same coin. Personally, I think Gryffindors are nothing more than wannabe Slytherins. Mind you, some people say that Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor prized the same kinds of students, so perhaps we are more similar than we like to think. But that doesn’t mean that we cosy up with Gryffindors. They like beating us only slightly less than we like beating them.” At this, Hermione smirked alongside her classmates.
“A few more things you’ll need to know: our house ghost is the Bloody Baron. If you get on the right side of him, he might sometimes agree to frighten people for you. Just don’t ask him how he got bloodstained; he doesn’t like it. The password to the common room changes every fortnight. Keep an eye on the noticeboard near the entrance. Never tell anyone from another house our password. No outsider has entered it for more than seven centuries. The password for now is ‘Serpensortia’. Be sure to remember it, and don’t ever tell another house,” Gemma instructed.
The group had reached a blank stretch of the wall.
“If you look closely, there are faint engravings of snakes on the wall that signal where the common room entrance is,” Gemma said, pointing the engravings out to the first years, before turning and muttering the password.
Part of the wall slid in and over, revealing the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room.
It was enchanting.
From the entrance, Hermione could see at least three fireplaces with sofas and coffee tables throughout the main room. There were four arched doorways, two of which had staircases at the end of them. The other two led to two other rooms.
The first of the two rooms had walls made of glass with seats in the windows looking out to somewhere - it was dark and hard to see, Hermione decided she’d have a thorough look tomorrow. The second room had a long dining table with what looked to be green, velvet-lined chairs around and there were a handful of older students sitting around the girl at the head of the table.
There was also a balcony surrounding the main room, with two staircases leading up to them on the landing where the entrance was, with bookshelves lining the walls of said balcony. The floor lamps, wall sconces and chandeliers were bright enough to see but dim enough to not strain one's eyes too much, with a slight green tinge to them.
Overall, the Slytherin Common Room was simultaneously cosy and exquisite and Hermione could imagine this very easily becoming her home.
“Alright first years, come sit near this fireplace while we wait for our Head of House to arrive and give us the beginning of the year speech,” Gemma instructed. She herded the first years to one of the fireplaces Hermione had seen, where there were surprisingly no older students.
“If you’re wondering why this lounge is empty, the older students are instructed to leave one fireplace empty for the first-years on the first night, every year. I believe the sixth and seventh-year courts use this fireplace. They’re in the meeting room for the moment, however, until our Head of House arrives.” Gemma explained.
I wonder what she means by courts. Is it similar to how Draco claimed me to be theirs to the upper years, and to Parkinson on the train? Or was that part of the "fraternity" that Slytherins value?
In what felt like no time at all, the entrance to the common room opened again, this time two adults - presumably Professors - entered. Almost in unison, the older Slytherin students walked to where the first years were sitting and gathered around them.
“Well done, Prefect Farley. You gave them the speech on the walk from the Great Hall, yes?” The male Professor with long black hair asked.
“Yes sir, I did,” Gemma replied. The man nodded once and Gemma moved to join the other students with green-trimmed badges pinned to their robes.
“Welcome to Slytherin. For those few who do not know who I am, my name is Professor Snape. Standing next to me is Professor Sinistra. I am your Head of House, and the Potions Master at this institution. Professor Sinistra is the only other Slytherin alumni and she teaches astronomy in the evenings,” Professor Snape began his speech and started pacing the floor in front of the students with his robes billowing behind him.
"To start with, we shall be discussing the rules of Slytherin House. I am unaware if the other houses have rules beyond a curfew, which we have as well, however, we also have a code of conduct beyond the walls of the common room. As such, the first rule of Slytherin House is as follows: we protect our own. Keep your squabbles inside the Common Room, no matter what. The other Houses would jump at the chance to divide us, to weaken us. We cannot let that happen. You must present a united front when facing the rest of this school. Especially where our beloved (Professor Snape sneered as he said that) headmaster can see and be warned, the portraits report to him, so even if he isn't here in person, if there are portraits he will know regardless.
“Our second rule is this: Don’t get caught. Whether that be pranks, retribution, or anything else you would get in trouble for. Do not get caught. However, many of the older students can tell you that if you do get caught - you will not only have to serve the detention you get with another Professor but one with myself the following night.
“Now, for our curfew and lights out. You may not leave the Common Room after curfew, however you may stay awake until lights out. Curfew for first and second years is 9:00pm, an hour after dinner is finished. Lights out for this group is 9:30pm. Third and fourth years' curfew is 9:30pm, with lights out being 10:00pm. For our fifth and sixth years, your curfew is 10:30pm with lights out at 11:00pm and for seventh years, your curfew is 11:30, lights out is midnight.
“The prefects are, of course, permitted to break curfew and lights out only when they have patrol. Quidditch tryouts will be posted on the noticeboard by the entrance after Mr. Flint and I speak together. Mr. Flint is the Quidditch Captain this year as Mr. Higgs opted out to focus on his N.E.W.T.s year. With any luck, Mr. Flint will help us maintain our success.
“First-years may not try out to be a part of the active team, however, if you wish to watch and prepare for your second year, you may do so. Professor Sinistra, is there anything I have missed?” Professor Snape turned to his colleague.
“All of the House rules are already posted on the noticeboard next to the entrance of the common room. Aside from that, if there’s anything personal you wish to address, you may come to me or your Head of House. Are there any questions?” Professor Sinistra asked the group, mostly looking at the first years.
Hermione looked around and raised her hand - the one not wrapped around Draco's arm.
“Miss… Granger, was it?” Professor Snape asked. Hermione nodded.
"Yes, sir. I was just a bit confused about one piece of information that was mentioned earlier by Prefect Farley. What are the courts?"
“You are our resident muggleborn, correct, Miss Granger?” he asked.
“I am, sir,” Hermione confirmed, jutting her chin out slightly. She saw Draco smirk through her periphery.
“Hmm… Well, you would be the one who hadn't already been told about the Hierarchy system. Salazar Slytherin started the House Hierarchy as a way of keeping order to his House. As such, each year has a Prince and Princess that are the leaders of their year. Very seldomly do the two share courts. Courts are made up of the closest friends and allies of the Prince and Princess. First years do not normally arrive with the dynamic in place, however from what I saw at the feast… it seems that at the very least Mr. Malfoy will be your elected Prince. This, of course, can change between now and Mabon, which is our next official House Meeting.
“Second through fourth years tend to keep the same Prince and Princess they elected during their first years, and the only time that changes is if there is a different student elected Prefect in their fifth year. Our prefects are automatically Prince and Princess, and if we have a Head Boy or Head Girl from our house, they are the King or Queen for that year, like we do this year with Miss Walker being our Head Girl.
“Obviously, if we have a direct heir of Salazar Slytherin himself, they are automatically Prince or Princess until their sixth year, where they become King or Queen. The list of the hierarchy officials is posted next to the doors of the meeting room. For any further questions, you may address them to our Prefects or Head Girl, if she has the time,” Professor Snape answered.
“If there are no further questions, Professor Sinistra and I will be taking our leave to meet with the Princes, Princesses, and Queen. First years, you have until Mabon to formally elect your leaders. When our Mabon house meeting comes around, then your leaders will partake in it, but for now, it is time for you to settle into your dorms. Prefects Farley and Spiers will take the first-year girls and boys respectively to their dorms before returning to the meeting room to join the rest of us there.
“The time is 8:47pm. If there is time before lights out, first years you may use this lounge again tonight to socialise. If there is not, go straight to bed. You will have time to explore the Common Room and the school tomorrow,” Professor Snape said, dismissing his students. Hermione pulled her arm out of Draco's, following the rest of the first-year girls and Prefect Farley to their dorm room.
The room itself was rectangular. The beds lined one wall, and the opposite wall was made entirely of glass. The beds seemed to be twin size, with emerald green velvet drapes around them. Each bed also had a bedside table, a desk with shelves built into the wall above it, and a wardrobe. Hermione’s trunk was at the foot of the bed furthest from the door. She was next to Tracey Davis. Daphne Greengrass’ bed was next, then it was Pansy Parkinson, and Millicent Bulstrode, who was closest to the door.
“Alright, girls this is you. The older you get, the less roommates you have. Third, fourth and fifth years have two rooms for the whole year, sixth years are divided into pairs, and seventh years get to choose whether they want roommates or not. Most stick to pairs, while others choose to have their own rooms, however, it’s mostly the prefects and the Head Boy and Girl who get that privilege of single rooms,” Gemma explained. Hermione nodded absentmindedly. It made sense after all. The more responsible you are, the more privileges you get.
“Right, well I’ve got to go to the meeting, see you girls in the morning," Gemma said, walking back down to the Common Room.
“Do any of you know how they decide who’s prefect or Head Girl?” Hermione asked the room casually.
“I think it has to do with our marks and what our class rank is? I mean that makes the most sense…” Davis said, trailing off at the end and looking to the other girls. Greengrass nodded in agreement.
“Yes, that’s what Mother said to me. I think behaviour and what classes we’re taking has to do with it as well,” Greengrass replied. Hermione nodded absentmindedly and opened the curtains of her bed.
“So uh… I’m assuming there’s some sort of… undetectable extension charm on our beds? Because we seem to have double beds, not twin-sized,” Hermione said aloud, turning her head to the right to look at the other girls, who also opened their curtains.
“Yes, my mother mentioned something like this. I believe they might get bigger as we get older,” Parkinson replied.
“Well, I’m finished. It’s only 9:05. Shall we move back to the Common Room?” Greengrass asked, looking at the girls.
“Yeah, I’ve just finished up too," Davis replied.
“Same here,” Bulstrode said.
“Let’s go then, ladies. Our gentlemen await.” Greengrass said, offering her arm to Davis, who accepted it and giggled, causing the other girls to start laughing too. The five girls left their dorm and headed back downstairs, where they saw the boys sitting at their lounge for the evening.
“So ladies, were there any troubles getting unpacked?” Zabini asked, sitting on the sofa with Draco, arm attempting to be draped over the back.
“Nope, none,” Daphne replied, smiling charmingly.
“Does your dorm have a glass wall as well?” Theo asked, patting the seat next to him for Greengrass to sit, which she did.
“Yes actually, I think it looks out to the Black Lake,” Parkinson replied, squeezing between Draco and Zabini on the sofa. Draco motioned for Hermione to sit with them as well.
“That makes sense. I think I’ll ask Farley about that in the morning.” Hermione commented, sitting between Draco and the arm of the sofa when Parkinson wouldn't move over, leaving Davis to sit on the full-sized sofa beside Gregory. Bulstrode sat on the single chair across from Vincent.
“Hey Granger, I meant to ask earlier, but are you worried about any of the upper years teasing you about being a muggle-born?” Davis asked.
“I am a little, but I was teased in muggle school, so being teased wouldn’t be anything new. But I do like to think that we’re all going to be friends, which is something I didn’t have before," Hermione replied. “I know I just met you all, except for Draco and Theo, whom I met at Diagon, and Greg and Vince on the train, but I would like you all to call me Hermione. It feels strange being called my surname.”
“I’d be happy to, Hermione, but only if you call me Daphne,” Daphne requested, smiling warmly at the girl.
“Call me Blaise, Hermione.”
“You can call me Pansy if you want, it’s no problem with me.”
“Of course, you can call me Tracey, Hermione!”
“I’d like to get to know you more, Granger, before I call you by your given name. If that’s all right?” Bulstrode asked.
Hermione nodded, “Of course, Bulstrode.”
“Excellent, we’re all, at the very least, on friendly terms now.” Draco declared, “I think we’ve discovered our court. Possibly Neville, too, if the Gryffindors give him too hard of a time.”
“Didn’t Professor Snape say that it was uncommon for the Prince and Princess of the same year to hold the same court? And here we are, with literally our entire class as court, even if we do still need to formally elect our years leaders.” Daphne replied.
“I think you’re right, Daph. Next thing we know one of us’ll wind up being Slytherin’s direct heir.” Theo said, laughing slightly. The rest of the first years laughed too, not realising the image they made to the rest of the Slytherins. Eventually, the grandfather clock chimed 9:30pm and the first years returned to the dorms.
“Goodnight, ladies!” Daphne called before closing the curtains of her bed.
“Goodnight!” The rest of the first years called, doing the same.
The next morning was a blur. After Hermione and her dorm mates were awake, showered, and changed into perfect, non-school, casual clothes, Prefect Farley arrived to escort them to the Slytherin Common Room.
“I spoke with Prefect Spiers last night after you lot went to bed and he’s going to bring the boys here when they wake up - which should be soon. Most first-years tend to wake up around the same time at the beginning of term. Probably due to nerves or the excitement of your first night at Hogwarts.” Farley explained to the first-year girls. “Coincidentally, we're only required to speak to your *potential* Court members, so it’s a good thing that it’s all of you at the moment, that way we won’t need to repeat anything once you’ve all settled and decided your Court. After the boys have arrived we'll be moving into the Lake Room for our discussion.”
Prefect Farley missed the exchanged looks between the girls when she emphasised potential.
“So what was that… lake room… that you mentioned?” Bulstrode asked, voluntarily changing the topic of discussion.
“It’s one of the two rooms we have here that connect to the Common Room. The Lake Room’s walls are entirely glass, with insulating charms to keep the heat created by the small bonfire in the middle of the room. In the daytime, the Lake Room is a really good room to just sit and relax in.
“Most of the younger students like to sit on one of the window seats or on a seat around the bonfire and read a book or draw, or do their homework at one of the desks fitted between the window seats,” Farley explained. “The first years tend to spend most of their time either in the lake room or in their designated ‘court room’, mostly because there isn’t any space in the Common Room to host your first-year court.”
She opened the double doors into the Lake room and the group saw it was empty.
“Alright, go ahead and pick a few seats to relax on while we wait for Spiers to bring in the boys. Then we’ll discuss the first year courts’ room I mentioned earlier and a few secret passageways to get from the dungeons to the rest of the school.” Farley instructed, walking down into the bonfire area and taking a seat on the built-in sofas.
Hermione took this time to wander around the room, looking at the Black Lake through each of the windows before she settled on sitting in the bay window seat in the middle of the perimeter. Daphne and Tracey picked one of the other window seats to share, while Pansy and Millicent took another one to share as well. The seats were pretty big and the girls pretty small in comparison.
A dark shadow moved past the windows and the girls all gasped when it passed them.
“What was that shadow?!” Hermione asked, turning to look at Prefect Farley.
“That was probably the Giant Squid. He likes the attention he gets when he swims around our common room.” Farley replied, grinning.
The doors opened again and Prefect Spiers led the first-year boys into the room.
“Did you explain the first-year room yet Farley?” Spiers asked, leading the boys to where the girls were sitting.
“No, I was waiting for you Spiers. Like we talked about last night, remember?” Farley replied, rather coolly in Hermione’s opinion - reminding her of the fact that it’s uncommon for each year’s leaders to be friends - before addressing the whole group.
“Alright, first-years, why don’t you all come and sit around the bonfire so we can give you some advice about life at Hogwarts that Professor Snape didn’t go over,” Spiers instructed, waving them into the lowered lounge surrounding the bonfire.
According to the Prefects, the Hogwarts Castle is sentient. A sentient castle with a sense of humour, to be precise, because among the one hundred and forty-two staircases - all of which move throughout the day from corridor to corridor - there were some that led somewhere completely different on certain days of the week and some that even had a vanishing step that you needed to remember to jump over.
The doors aren’t any better. Some won’t open unless you ask politely or tickle them in exactly the right spot, and some doors aren’t actually doors at all, just portions of the wall pretending to be doors.
Apart from the trick doors and staircases, there are also many ghosts, more than just the handful that appeared in the Entrance Hall before the sorting, as well as a poltergeist that haunts the castle. Hermione was happy to hear that the poltergeist didn’t bother the Slytherin students as much as the other Houses, if only because their house ghost, The Bloody Baron, is the only one that Peeves the Poltergeist will ever listen to.
The Hogwarts caretaker, Argus Filch, is another problem that the rest of the school deals with way more than Slytherin. Mr. Filch has a cat named Mrs. Norris who enjoys exploring the dungeons on her own. Most of the time, however, the Slytherin students who bring their own cats give her treats when they see her, so she hardly bothers them at all.
Spiers told them that one of the biggest bets within Slytherin House is whether or not Professor Snape has an agreement with Mr. Filch to stay out of the dungeons. Farley made sure to inform the first years that betting is only open to third years and above, however, as long as they don’t get caught, they could ask any older student to place bets for them.
“Don’t be surprised if they ask for a favour in return though.” Spiers had commented. “After all, nothing in the world is free.”
They were then shown a hidden passageway that led straight to the designated first years' court’s room located on the third basement level, two floors above the Slytherin Common Room and three floors below the Great Hall. From the floor of their court's room, there was another secret passageway that led to the Entrance Hall.
“What’re the odds there are more secret passageways that lead to every floor and they just want us to find them ourselves?” Theo asked, plopping down on the bench next to Blaise and across from Hermione.
They were in the Great Hall to eat breakfast.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if there were. It’s not very determined and ambitious to be handed everything in life, now is it?” Daphne replied nonchalantly from where she sat on the other side of Blaise, pouring herself some tea.
“No, it’s not. Shall we all go passageway hunting while Blaise and Hermione get Longbottom after breakfast and all meet up afterwards in the room Farley and Spiers showed us?” Pansy suggested, turning away from her conversation with Millicent and Tracey. She was putting jam on a freshly buttered scone.
“Pansy, I think that’s an excellent idea,” Draco said from next to Hermione. “Blaise, Hermione. If you can’t find Longbottom after… let’s say an hour, just come back to the court’s room. Daphne and I will start writing the letters to the Board of Governors with or without him, though I think it’ll be harder to get anything done about it without his help.”
“Yeah, alright.” Hermione said at the same time Blaise said, “Sounds like a plan.”
Draco nodded absentmindedly and looked to be deep in thought for a moment. “Greg, can you go with them to look for Longbottom? Just in case,” he asked.
“Yeah, 'course I can,” Greg replied.
Draco nodded and the group ate the rest of their meal in a comfortable silence. After finishing breakfast, Hermione stood up and walked out, along with Blaise and Gregory, who offered to carry Hermione's bag for her. She accepted his offer with a small huff in protest- still not used to the gentlemanly treatment the boys had drilled into them growing up.