Boats glided toward the cliff as though drawn by the castle itself, rather than magic of the gamekeeper. The sight managed to silence everyone and we moved in a silence that pushed against the ears like the silence was a solid thing. We all sat mesmerized by the sight.
The castle loomed above us now, no longer distant, no longer softened by a starry sky around and behind it.
A warm light spilling from its windows illuminated the lake and all our faces in the dark. Stone rose straight from the lake, sheer and unyielding, windows burning with warm light that did nothing to lessen the sense that the place had been here from the dawn of time itself.
The boat slid into a small inlet beneath the cliff.
Stone steps waited there, worn smooth by time and use. One by one, we stepped out—boots against damp rock, hands briefly steadying ourselves on the edge of the boats. The water lapped quietly behind us as the last of the students disembarked.
"Up yeh go kids," Rubeus Hagrid called, lifting his lantern higher. "Mind yer step now,steps are slippery."
The climb began.
The steps were uneven, narrow in places, forcing us closer together than before. Lantern light flickered across wet stone and shifting shadows. Someone slipped briefly behind me—caught themselves before falling—but the sound was enough to ripple unease through the group.
Still no one spoke. The path curved upward, then leveled, and then—
A great wooden door loomed before us. It was simply massive,even the gameskeeper looked like a child standing before it. Everything about it screamed enduring times long past, as well as times yet to come. Hagrid raised one massive hand and knocked.
Three times.
The sound echoed, deep and final. The door opened almost at once.
A tall witch stood framed in the doorway, her posture straight, her expression composed into something that allowed for neither delay nor misunderstanding.
"Hagrid," she said, her tone calm, precise.
"First years, Professor McGonagall," he replied, stepping slightly aside.
Her gaze moved over us. She seemed to be inspecting us as whole as well as individually.
Making first impressions about every single first year she saw in front of her, like she had probably done every year for who knows how many years gone by.
"Thank you,Hagrid," she said softly. "I will take it from here."
Hagrid nodded and stepped back, his presence receding with surprising ease for someone of his size.
I also noted how suddenly his movement was silent as a whispering wind. Unlike before as he was stomping on so heavily the whole castle must have heard him coming. Now if I wasn't looking at him go, I wouldn't have believed he moved at all since no sound was left in his wake.
He isn't as simple as he seems, not a simple man at all,but clearly gotten used to playing the part of one.
Professor McGonagall, who had apparently finished studying us, said "Follow me please."
She didn't raise her voice but our silence was so absolute so it carried easily over the distant noise of lots of people talking, and so we followed.
The entrance hall was vast.
Stone floors stretched wide beneath our feet, polished to a dull sheen that reflected torchlight in long, wavering lines. The air was cooler inside, carrying the faint scent of old stone, wax, and something less definable—something that felt like time layered upon itself.
I did not stop walking. Everything here was built to last. To endure the test of time as well as enemy action.
We were led through the hall and into a smaller chamber just off to the side. Compared to what we had just passed through, it felt almost confined—though there were still more than enough of us to fill it.
"Wait here," Professor McGonagall said.
We did.
The door closed behind her.
The noise returned almost immediately.
Whispers. Shifting feet. The quiet friction of nerves began to surface now that there was nothing immediate to occupy them.
"They say it's a test," someone muttered nearby.
"Not a test," another voice replied quickly. "My brother said it's something else."
"What else?"
"I don't know."
One redhead told his dark headed friend about having to fight a troll but I doubt that very much.
They look as nervous as I feel.
I remained where I stood, hands loosely at my sides even though I wanted to push them in my robe pockets I didn't. I felt it would make me look too relaxed or casual, so I stood in my corner like a simpleton and tried studying my classmates without appearing to be doing so. Probably failed miserably at it.
Some students clustered quickly into groups—those who had arrived together, or who had found each other on the platform. Others stood alone, attempting to look as though that had been a deliberate choice.
Tracy and Daphne were somewhere to my right.
Terry stood a short distance away, not quite joining anyone, not quite apart either. On the edges of a few groups of people without joining any of them.
Hermione was speaking rapidly to a boy I recognized—Neville—who looked as though he would have preferred quieter company, or perhaps a train ticket back home.
The door opened again and a silence fell again.
Professor McGonagall stepped back into the room.
"The start-of-term feast will begin shortly," she said. "Before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses."
A pause.
She allowed that to settle.
"The houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin."
"While you are at Hogwarts, your house will be something like your family. Your triumphs will earn your house points, any rule-breaking will lose house points, and at the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup."
Her gaze moved across us again as if to underline how momentous this occasion was.
"Your sorting will take place in a few moments in front of the rest of the school."
A faint shift in posture passed through the room.
Public? Of course it was.
"Now," she said, "form a line."
The doors to the Great Hall opened. Light spilled through along with a cacophony of voices.
Hundreds of them. The ceiling. I did not stop, I tried not to stare in awe as I wished to as I kept walking. Someone I suspected was Hermione informed everyone that it wasn't real sky, just an enchantment.
Stars were gorgeous and glorious and there was nothing "just" about them.
I thought to myself as we were led forward to the front of the hall.
A stool stood at the front.
And upon it—A hat.
Worn, Old and Entirely unimpressive.
Until it opened its mouth.
A ripple passed through the hall—not quite a surprise, not quite an expectation fulfilled. The song that followed was… well lets just say it was a song and keep it at that. If one listened for meaning rather than melody. It sang about the Houses and their values. The History and ideals compressed into something almost lighthearted.
Almost.
When it finished, the hall responded with polite applause.
Then silence returned.
Professor McGonagall stepped forward, a roll of parchment in hand.
"When I call your name, you will come forward, sit on the stool, and place the Sorting Hat upon your head."
"Abbott, Hannah."
She stepped forward, composed in a way that suggested she had prepared for this moment and did not intend to let it show. I saw Susan giving her a small smile as she went.
The hat dropped over her eyes.
A pause.
Then—
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Applause rose from one of the tables.
Warm.
Immediate.
Hannah smiled—small, real—and relieved as she moved quickly to join them.
I watched around barely following the sorting itself; everything was just so fascinating to me. I only focused whenever I heard a familiar name and did my best to follow their sorting.
"Boot, Terry."
Terry walked forward without hesitation, posture straight, expression unreadable.
The hat barely settled before—
"RAVENCLAW!"
A flicker of satisfaction crossed his face—not pride, exactly, but confirmation. He moved to his table without looking back.
A few more students came and went, without me noticing anything as I admired the ceiling and the floating candles. Then I hear another familiar name.
"Bones, Susan." She seemed more confident that Hannah had been as she walked to the front and sat down. As the hat was placed over her head.
We barely had to wait at all when the hat shouted
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
This time the applause was louder, more certain. She joined Hannah, the two exchanging a brief look that needed no explanation.
"Granger, Hermione."
She placed the hat on with deliberate care, as though the proper way to wear it itself might influence the outcome.
A longer pause.
Then—
"GRYFFINDOR!"
There was a moment—brief, but noticeable—where that seemed to surprise even her.
Then she stood and went, already recovering, to the screaming and shouting gryffindor table.
Names continued to be listed, kids were sorted. Some quick,some not.
"Malfoy, Draco."
He walked forward like he had been waiting for this his entire life.
The hat barely touched his head.
"SLYTHERIN!"
Immediate.
Certain.
The table to my left responded with sharp, approving applause. Malfoy joined them without hesitation, the faintest hint of satisfaction settling into place.
As expected.
"Longbottom, Neville."
He nearly tripped on the way to the stool.
The hat slipped down too far over his face.
A pause.
A longer one.
The hall grew quieter.
Then—
"GRYFFINDOR!"
A burst of applause, louder than before. Relief flooded his expression so visibly it was almost painful to witness. He was so excited to be sorted that he sprinted from the stool still wearing the hat and had to jog back to return it.
More names,more decisions.
Each one a line drawn, invisible but absolute.
Then—
"Potter Harry"
The name moved through the hall like a physical thing.
Wherever it went, it pulled whispers with it, necks stretched and eyes followed.
I did not turn to look around. I just stayed still and looked at the small skinny boy with messy black hair, walking towards the stool and sitting down.
Just before the hat lowered I managed to get a glimpse of shockingly green eyes behind round classes that were filled with anxiety.
A pause.
Longer than most. He seemed to be whispering something to the hat.
Then—
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The hall erupted, especially the gryffindor house. It seemed to lose their collective mind as they jumped,clapped, yelled and two older boys even did a small dance and sang " we got Potter"
It took a moment to calm down and then the sorting continued but eventually it did.
"Davis, Tracy."
She started a little too quickly, then steadied herself and walked more slowly.
Sat.
The hat settled.
A brief pause.
"SLYTHERIN!"
The same table as Malfoy.
She blinked once—then smiled, small but genuine, before moving to join them.
"Greengrass, Daphne."
She did not rush or hesitate, she simply moved to the stool and sat down and waited.
The hat took longer this time.
"SLYTHERIN!"
A quieter reaction than Malfoy's, but no less certain. She inclined her head slightly as she removed the hat and joined her house.
Fewer names now.
The list was thinning.
Which meant—
"Hawthorn, Alexander."
I stepped forward.
The hall did not react.
Which was, I thought, preferable.
The stool was lower than expected.
I sat down and the hat was lowered over my head and it slipped over my eyes immediately
Darkness and silence.
Then—
A soft voice."Careful sort."
It sounded familiar and utterly strange at the same time.
"Very careful."
I said nothing.
"Hmm."
A pause.
"You're not afraid are you?."
Another pause.
"No… you've done something more useful with your fear, you made it your engine a source of power and motivation."
I remained still, listening "You watch and you learn as much as you can." it whispered softly
"But not for its own sake."
A faint shift, as though something leaned closer.
"Tools,structure and safety. That's why you study and watch, not for the learning or the sake of knowledge itself, but to feel secure."
it was close enough to the truth that I myself never wandered in that direction in fear of what might be found there.
"You don't trust easily but you understand the value of trust all too well."
A flicker of something like amusement.
"And you would very much prefer not to be at anyone's mercy again."
Small pause as if to gauge my reaction.
"Ravenclaw would indeed take you. You would do well there too."
Another pause, longer now.
"But that's not what you want, not really. It would be the easy choice and you don't want easy, you want the truth even when it's hard to bear."
No It wasn't, and yes I did.
I could feel the hat move a bit as if to prepare itself.
"Better be—SLYTHERIN!"
The hat lifted and light returned. Sound followed a heartbeat later.
Applause. Less explosive than Gryffindor, it was more measured,curious and halted in a way.
I'm sure even the dimmest of purebloods figured out I'm not one of their cousins.
I thought a bit meanspiritedly, my nerves finally relaxing since the ball was now rolling with nothing to do about it so no point in being nervous.
I stood up and turned towards the Slytherin table and walked.
The Slytherin table waited, most looked disinterested, few seemed angry and few curious. I noticed the ones who I saw on the train and knew by name.
Malfoy.
Tracy and Daphne.
Others I did not yet know but whenever my eyes met with anyone I gave a polite nod
I took my seat near the end and kept to myself.
Across the hall, the other houses had already begun to settle into themselves. A few more students were sorted before one more boy joined Slytherin house and the sorting ceremony ended.
I glanced once toward the teachers' table. Professor McGonagall was just sitting down and looking at the old man next to her who had just stood up. with his standing up the whole room stilled. Everyone was now watching him attentively.
"Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you."
I raised a brow at that, the man was leaning a bit more on the mad side of eccentricity than I was used to.
Plates and cutlery appeared. Then the whole table seemed to explode with sights and smells.
Food had followed the cutlery and it was the most variety and amount of food I have ever seen or even imagined in my whole life.
Conversation rose—louder now, less restrained. Even Slytherins started to talk amongst themselves a bit louder, most maintaining impeccable manners even as they did so.
I picked up a little bit of everything in my vicinity and ate slowly.
Not much, I wasn't used to such amounts of food and did not wish to get sick.
Around me, Slytherin were already in full swing of things, older students trading favors and judging us new students on what they could see. Not just us new Slytherin students but all new students.
Most if not all were conversing about Harry Potter and his sorting to Gryffindor.
How it would affect the school dynamics and especially us Slytherins.
"..painting the whole Slytherin house as his adversary" one older girl was saying solemnly a few seats left of me to her friend.
I didn't hear the beginning of the conversation but could take an educated guess. I have, after all, seen a few books about said boy in Flourish and Blotts last month, Most painting him to be the ultimate hero of the masses and the enemy of all things dark. Apparently us Slytherins were considered dark by default not "innocent until proven quilty" strange that.
Slytherin did not feel the same as other houses. It did not operate with the easy warmth of Hufflepuff,the open energy of Gryffindor, or even the intellectual curiosity of Ravenclaw.
It was quieter, more measured. Focused on finding an angle to exploit the situation or conversation to their advantages. The thing is, since everyone was doing it or some form of it, the whole house came off as a group of magical lawyers nitpicking every word and action with a tiny tooth comb to get the better end of the deal against the whole world.
So In a way most of us did fit the stereotype, we are a house of the ambitious after all.
I suddenly noticed my sleeve cuffs were emerald green and I glanced down at my robes and noticed the whole robes were now edged with green and silver with a Slytherin house emblem above my heart.
huh? When did this happen? Was there some magic in the sorting ceremony? Well they call it a ceremony, so I bet there's a reason for it.
I stopped admiring my newly modified robes and refocused on my meal.
In Slytherin house the voices were kept lower than in the others. Eyes moved more often than mouths. Names were exchanged carefully and rarely. Most near me atleast went by mr or miss and last name. It seemed only close friends use first names or it's a privacy thing.
Malfoy too had already found his place near the center of the table with a few boys of our age and a couple of older years.
Tracy or Ms Davis spoke to him once—briefly—then turned back to Daphne who seemed far less interested in immediate alliances than in observing how they formed and how to eat without seeming to do so.
She took the smallest of bites and tried to eat without looking like she was doing so for some reason as her chin barely moved as she chewed.
Well, still not the weirdest thing here, that redhead in the Gryffindor table seems to be trying to inhale the whole table of food.
I noticed in amazement.
Then I looked at the Ravenclaw table and saw Terry.
Now I better start using their last names even when thinking about them, who knows what is grounds for insult in the wizarding world, until I do lets play it safe.
Mr Boot, across the hall, had already begun speaking with others at the Ravenclaw table.
Ms. Grangers sat straight-backed among Gryffindors, already engaged in something that looked suspiciously like an argument.
I watched, and listened. Spoke only when required to, Once I confirmed I was indeed an orphan and I had no idea who my parents were to a curious and a bit hostile upper year student.
Whether I was a muggleborn, halfblood or pureblood orphan couldn't be confirmed.
I felt it was particularly clever of me to leave the ambiguity so those who would hate me on principle alone, could at least lie to themselves that I might be halfblood so they dont need to bother until confirmation was there or I become a problem.
"You should take the blood ancestry test at Gringots when you get the gold for it, if you have a magical family they will know" Said a polite voice from an older student who didn't look up from the book he was reading from my right as the more hostile student stared at me next to him.
"Thank you, I will look into that at a later date." I said politely with a nod. I ate the rest of my plate and drank some water, the pumpkin juice wasn't my cup of tea at all, so I took just some plain water from the pitcher next to it.
The old man stood up as soon as the food on the tables vanished as a sign of the end of the feast.
"Good evening and for those of you who aren't aware, my name is Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of this school." He began and the boy next to me sniggered to his friend" who wouldn't know who he is?"
Well I didnt, good thing I didnt much advertise the fact.
I thought as I glanced at the boy from the corner of my eye, keeping my face neutral.
"Another Year has begun, Welcome for those newly sorted, welcome back to the older students. I have a few start of term notices"
He took a small break.
"Firstly, the forbidden forest on the grounds of Hogwarts is funny enough, forbidden." The headmaster said with a jovial smile his deep blue eyes twinkling in amusement.
"Secondly Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you all, that magic is not permitted in the corridors between classes.
"Third,"he continued."Quidditch tryouts for students in their second year and above would be taking place in the coming weeks, and that those interested should speak to Madam Hooch about it"
Finally, with a faintly amused expression, he added that anyone wishing to avoid a painful and unexpected death should stay away from the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side.
"thank you, now get to bed all of you."
Soon the hall started clamoring with noise as all the houses got to their feet.
None of the Slytheris moved so I too stayed sitting until I hear older student calling
"First years."
The voice didn't shout, it was just loud enough to be heard over the noise and no more.
A taller student stood at the end of the Slytherin table, posture composed, expression firmly neutral in a way that suggested long practice, and small silver P on his robes. A prefect.
"Follow me please, and try to keep up"
He turned on his heel without a further explanation and headed out of the great hall. We all stood up and followed along in a line, like ducklings after their mother as quickly as possible so we wouldn't be left behind.
Torchlight replaced the glow of the thousands of candles in the Great Hall.
Corridors narrowed. The path turned downward more often than not, each descent taking us further from noise, from warmth, from the illusion that Hogwarts was a place designed for comfort and learning.
This part was not, this part was older.
The air shifted as we descended into the dungeons—cooler, heavier, carrying the faint scent of water and stone that had not seen sunlight in centuries.
The prefect did not slow.
Not once did he check if we followed. Of course we did, at times we had to almost run to keep up with his longer pace but we kept up.
We stopped in the middle of a corridor that looked no different from the last three we had passed.
Stone walls,torchlight, no portraits, nothing moved besides us.
Uneasy silence spread as we just stood in the middle of a random hallway.
There was no door. Nothing to suggest an entrance of any kind.
Then again, King's Cross had been much the same. Perhaps we need to run through the wall.
The thought came, dull and sleep-heavy. It had been a very long day.
The prefect turned to face us.
"For your benefit," he said evenly, "this is the entrance to the Slytherin common room." he said and waved his hand towards the wall next to him.
A small pause. Just long enough for doubt to form.
No one voiced it.
"There is no visible door." he said when nobody was willing to voice it.
Yes. That was apparent.
I thought unimpressed
My tiredness probably was making me more snarky than I would usually be, even in the privacy of my own mind. Should probably work on not slipping up in the coming days. Who knows when I start spewing rude things out loud.
I re-focused on the prefect and what he was saying.
"Most first-years attempt to remember the exact location relative to the corridor."
A faint shift in his expression.
"Most first-years fail a few times before they figure out a method that works for them. Whatever method you use—keep it to yourself."
A few uneasy glances passed between us.
"Some have attempted to mark the wall."
He paused again, this time longer.
"That works. It is also forbidden, for obvious reasons"
He looked at us—really looked this time—taking in the tired faces, the slow reactions.
Then, with deliberate patience:
"Let me make this clear to your sleepy minds. Anything you place on the entrance makes it visible. Not just to you—to everyone. That defeats the purpose of hiding the entrance in the first place."
Ah. There it was.
Not stupidity—fatigue management, making sure no miscommunication happened.
"All right, everyone watch closely now."
He raised his wand and flicked it toward the stone.
Something shifted in the wall
There was no sound or movement I could follow. I could feel pressure as he waved his wand. Like my ears had popped without warning, not exactly that but the sensation was close, my sensitivity to magic seemed to have increased again.
A seam appeared where none had been before—straight on the middle of the wall section, too precise to be natural.
Stone parted without resistance, sliding inward before vanishing entirely. Leaving a circular opening on the wall.
"Memorize the location," the prefect said. "Inside, I will explain how to open it."
He turned and stepped through.
We followed.
The Slytherin common room was not large.
Then again, comparing anything to the Great Hall was hardly fair.
Green light filtered through the windows, drawn from the lake beyond. It moved slowly across the stone walls, shifting with unseen currents. Shadows passed occasionally—distorted shapes gliding through the water.
Something large moved once.
No one comment.
Three fireplaces burned along the walls, their warmth fighting against the cold that clung stubbornly to the dungeons.
"Sit."
The prefect flicked his wand. Chairs shifted, aligning themselves into a loose half-circle.
it wasn't as big of a sensation this time, why is that?
We obeyed silently.
I shook my head slightly, forcing the fog from my thoughts as I sat down.
The prefect remained standing.
Watching and assessing us.
"Let us begin with the password."
He started pacing.
"It is not silent casting. Not exactly. You will think of the password while moving your wand across the entrance. No spell is required."
A small gesture of his hand.
"Magic follows intent. Push it through your wand while holding the password in mind. That is sufficient."
He paused, then added:
"You may use a spell, if you insist. It is unnecessary so practice out if the habit quickly"
He resumed pacing.
"Your robes and the password work together. They align with your magical signature—recognized by the entrance."
A brief glance at us.
"How? Why?"
A beat.
"I do not know. So don't bother asking."
A few faint shifts in posture. No one spoke.
"The current password is written on the notice board. Learn it and do not share it."
A theatrical pause.
"With anyone. Not even your fellow Slytherins who say they forgot it."
I felt it was a bit excessive but they probably had a reason for it.
"You are Slytherins in name only."
His voice sharpened slightly.
"You possess these qualities. Nothing more. You have not been tested. You have not been accepted."
Silence.
"What that means—being a Slytherin—depends on you."
A small smile.
"But there are expectations and we are watching"
His gaze moved across us.
"First: you do not fight each other outside this house. Ever."
No reaction.
"Disagreements will happen. You resolve them here. Not in corridors. Not in classrooms."
A few nods. Muted.
"Second: school rules exist for a reason."
Another theatrical pause accompanied by a faint smile.
"Breaking them is not forbidden." he said with a clever smirk
"Being caught is."
A ripple of chuckles spread through us.
"We tolerate rulebreakers."
His expression hardened slightly.
"We do not tolerate fools who draw attention. If your incompetence damages this house's reputation, we will ensure it does not happen twice."
Then the smile returned.
Colder this time.
"Third: Slytherin governs itself. As much as the school allows."
He stopped pacing and turned to facing us fully, hands behind his back.
"There is a tribunal of three members. Commonly called the Serpent Court."
A faint exhale.
"Yes, the name is excessive. There were worse suggestions I'm sure."
A few glances exchanged.
"Outside the house, we refer to it as a Runespoor."
He studied us.
"Does everyone know what a Runespoor is?"
I shook my head.
Several others did the same.
One boy spoke.
"Is it… a mushroom?"
A pause.
Then movement.
Chairs shifted slightly away from him.
Even Malfoy sitting next to him leaned away towards similar looking boy on his other side.
The prefect exhaled softly.
"Mr. Grabb."
Measured. Patient.
"A Runespoor is a three-headed snake."
He began pacing again.
"The right head plans. The middle dreams. The left criticizes."
A glance at us.
"As is with the creature, so it is with this house."
He raised a finger.
"Planners—practical. They pursue progress without discarding tradition."
Another.
"Dreamers—attached to the past. Preservation over change."
A third.
"Critics."
A slight tilt of his head.
"They question everything. Often loudly. The pureblood movement has been… their preferred banner."
A pause.
"Each faction believes itself to be the right direction for our house."
Another pause.
"That being said, each believes the other factions are also necessary."
He looked back at the boy.
"Are you still with us, Mr. Grabb?"
A slow nod.
Good enough.
The prefect moved on.
"So there's factions, each faction has a leader as one of the members of the tribunal,whose identities are hidden deliberately to keep them from getting targeted directly with bribes and or attacks."
He repeated slowly, eyes still on Mr.Grabb. Making sure the boy understood every word then he let his gaze wander on all of us to see if someone else had similar problems to understanding things.
"Of course it's kinda irrelevant in a way."
He explained, slightly amused.
"Since each member on the council is usually one of the most outstanding members of our house. So it's common practice to everyone close to the top of the hierarchy to pretend to be one of the leaders whether they are or not,and in the end all of them are targeted in one form or another "
He gave out a small chuckle and we all joined in a bit hesitantly.
"As I said, their identities are hidden by means of magic as well as mundane. If they have to give a house statement they usually wear a serpent mask and a dark emerald cloak so you can't miss them"
He said and flicked a wand and a shimmer in the air formed a cloaked masked image whose mask had snake motif on it
"By tradition." He continued "They are not elected or inherited." He looked at us " positions can't be bought from the House head either. He won't meddle in our affairs unless he absolutely has to, and believe me you do not want that"
He took a break and watched as the illusion faded.
"All the members of the tribunal are chosen by those members already seated. Simply put they pick their own successors"
Daphne's attention sharpened.
So did mine.
Can't be bought from the head of house, but from the previous seated member perhaps you can..
I pondered
Perhaps if I ever manage to get rich or see any value in the position, now it seems just an unnecessary distraction.
"If you are selected, you will know. If you are not, life goes on without interruption."
Simple.
"They can be challenged though."
That changed the air slightly.
"Challenges are private and only the results are publicized. The Challenged can pick the challenge but it's usually a duel. Although not that long ago enchantment battles were quite popular. Chess matches and other such games have been used too, but less as of recently
No one spoke.
"lastly."
The prefect's expression did not change but something in his tone did.
"Slytherin values independence, its privacy."
He gestured slightly toward the dormitory entrance.
"You will be assigned a shared dormitory as a sleeping quarters."
A beat of silence as he let us think about how the two things he mentioned were connected.
"That is for appearances."A few raised eyebrows, some wide eyes and Mr. Grabb seemed to be parsing out the content of the sentence.
"Your actual rooms are… very much private."
Now he had the full attention of everyone in the room.
"Each bed's headboard is an entrance. The headboard slides in and opens, like a door through a similar password protection as our entrance did" He said with a smile
"Beyond it is your space."
A pause.
"It will respond only to you as long as you consider it yours."
That—That was familiar. It was precisely what I was practicing to accomplish with my Bolt hole spell.
"Within it, you are not observed or interrupted. Only head of House and a Headmaster can invade your locked space if the need arises"
I filed that away immediately.
"Use your freedom wisely it is a privilege that can be revoked"
"A mirror will link the inner space to the outside so you may observe outside without being seen."
Of course. The prefect straightened slightly.
"You will be given passwords and how to change them whenever you're capable of doing so, so take one from here when going up"
He gestured with his hand to a stack of parchments that were neatly piled on a small side table.
"You will decide, very quickly, what sort of Slytherin you intend to be."
His gaze moved once more across us.
"My name is Adrian Pucy. I'm a fifth year Prefect, if you need anything you may ask me. The first month is customarily free, after that it will cost you every time, stupid questions cost more. Choose carefully you all your future depends on it"
Then a small silence and
"Dismissed."
He started to walk out of the room, and with a small flick of the wand the chairs, some of us were still sitting on, started to float back on their places.
The structure and partly sleepy and excited atmosphere dissolved almost immediately. Small conversations started then small quiet movements. Measured approaches to familiar faces.
I did not move at once I just sat on my chair as it slowly floated back on the corner where it came from.
Private room, a space that held because it was mine.
Across the room, Daphne glanced at me. I nodded at her in acknowledgement.
I rose when it felt appropriate to do so—not first, not last—and moved toward the dormitory entrance with a few others
The room didn't empty all at once.
Students drifted rather than dispersed, small clusters forming and dissolving again with quiet intent. Voices remained low.
I moved through the common room towards the boys dormitory and my waiting room. I did remember to take one of the waiting parchments on the pile from the side table.
The passage beyond was narrower, the ceiling lower. Torchlight gave way to softer illumination, green-tinted and dimmer.Beds lined the walls in orderly rows.
Identical four-posters beds
Students hesitated—not visibly, but in the small ways that mattered. A glance at one bed, then another. A step taken, reconsidered, redirected. No one wanted to choose incorrectly, though no one would have admitted there was a correct choice at all.
I stopped near one toward the middle.
No reason why,Or rather—no reason I could articulate cleanly. That was usually enough for me. Even more so since I get to know magic is real so I trusted my instincts more.
I set my hand lightly against the wood of the headboard.
It felt solid. I couldn't feel anything magical, not a tingle on my spine or rush in my ears.
For a moment, I wondered if the prefect had been lying for us for some reason. first year hazing perhaps..
Then—a faint shift.
Not in the wood itself but in my sense of it.
Recognition, perhaps. It felt like I thought homecoming would. warm and inviting
The panel moved.
Not quickly or dramatically.
It slid in and upward with a quiet, controlled motion, revealing darkness beyond.
No one commented or looked too closely.
I stepped through.
The space beyond was larger than my room in Leaky Cauldron had been. There was a huge four-poster bed in the middle of it. study table on the left side with a small shelf for a book next to it. and on the right side it was filled with empty bookshelves, and one cabinet for clothes between it and the other bookshelves was a small door I presumed would lead to a lavatory.
It was a sparse room. Probably deliberately so enough to live and study. Not enough to disappear into, I would have to participate in House politics I couldn't just hide in my room for the next seven years
The air was still and the room was soft.
"This is mine." I whispered and as soon as I said it
CRACK
A small being was there in front of me, holding my suitcase and beaming at me like I was its favorite grandson.
"Hi there sirsi I is Tweak, a Slytherin House elf. Welcome to the house of Slytherin and to be the first to truly claim your room, as a custom dictates I will be your reward for decisive action in the face of the unknown and will assist you with your endeavours this year as long as it doesn't involve breaking school rules..Too much, that is."
It began with a childish, squeaky voice and broken English—but as it looked at me, something changed.
Its tone steadied. Its pitch lowered.
The manic edge… settled.
As if it adjusted itself to match me.
I watched it for a few seconds, then took a breath and offered my hand.
"Hello Tweak was it? My name is Alexander Hawthorn. Slytherin first year and an orphaned student of unknown magical heritage making my placement here a bit perilous if I have judged the house correct. What might you be, and are you a male or a female so there will be no mistakes. Also I seemed to have been afflicted with the need to overshare nowadays "
I have no idea why I felt the need to tell it all that about myself. All I intended was to tell it my name and confirm its gender so I can have some peace of mind and properly label it in my own mind.
Tweak looked at me with a blank face that somehow seemed unnatural.
"Sir, your offer of a handshake would be a bond beyond this year, are you sure you wish to still extend it even knowing it. I didn't take it before because my magic could sense your ignorance." She said with a clearly smooth feminine voice. Holding my suitcase in front of her like a shield.
I didn't take my offered hand back and just simply nodded at her.
"I could use an assistance to navigate this new environment and life of mine perhaps you could help me with what my mind seems to be slipping out of its shape at times"
Her eyes widened a bit and moistened as if she was about to cry. She was just about to take my hand when suddenly she suppressed her tears and got a clever smirk on her face and spoke with haste.
"Ask other elves about the room that comes and goes, do it as soon as possible"
She said quickly, threw my suitcase to my bed and then took hold of my hand with an eager little squeal.
I could feel magic flowing from me to her and a small trickle of her magic flowing into me too.
I could feel a bond snapping in place between me and the Elf more clearly than any other magic before, I didn't mix it up with any other sensation like I have done before it was clearly just magic to me now like an extra sense just opened up to my use.
I could feel some powerful light on my eyelids but there nothing there. I don't remember closing them in the first place but I must have, since now I have to open them to see.
Tweak was beaming at me still holding my hand in hers looking happy as a beagle with a bone. The pillow case she was wearing as an outfit had lost the Hogwarts crest and she looked like she just won a lottery.
"Good morning master, took a good nap?" She asked smilingly
"W-what? Is it morning already?" I stammered confused.
Tweak nodded with a smirk" yes master it is, probably somewhere in China" She seemed very pleased to have managed to prank me and I could feel her happiness to be able to do so since she now had an actual master not just tied to the school, even one as magical as this one.
I let out a relieved chuckle " very funny, how long did it take?"
She smiled and let go of my hand "just a few minutes master, you were just too absorbed with your mage sense to note the time flow."
I looked at her questioningly " is that what it is? Is it an actual thing? I was just thinking I got more sensitive to magic so fast because I used it quite a bit in the last month and our bond kinda solidified it" I told her
She tilted her head from one side to the other as she looked at me
"master thinks a lot for such a small boy. Yes you're partly right but forgot one thing from the middle. You need to want to feel the magic. Not many care to do so, they just want magic to work and once it does they don't care to know why"
I nodded at her explanation pensively " So what was that last thing you mentioned about the room that comes and goes?"
She got that sneaky smirk on her face" well we elves can't tell our past masters secrets, and even though Hogwarts wouldn't mind, and would actually love us telling about all its sneaky corners to its residents, but we elves keep our promises" She said with an emphatic nod at the end.
"oh so you cant tell any of Hogwarts secrets to me anymore but you gave me a hint to something you felt I needed?" I was surprised and happy that she is such a sneaky elf.
"Tweak I believe you and I will be coming along just fine." I said with a clever smirk of my own
"Now I need to make this room my own, and unpack my trunk. So would you be so kind and wake me up tomorrow morning in good time for some exploration and a healthy breakfast?"
she gave a small courtesy" yes master I will wake you before six as your first class should start at eighth."
She said and disappeared with a small pop instead of the mighty cracks she appeared.
I did not move for a few moments, just trying to take in all the changes the magical world thrust upon me on this day alone. It was a lot.
Instead of unpacking my suitcase, I turned and looked at the wall behind me. A full length mirror hung where the doorway had been before. I could see myself standing there and on the upper corner a small square of space that showed me the dormitory room from my beds point of view in it.
I pulled my wand from its holster and poked at the small square and the scene reversed. My reflection was now on the small square and the dormitory was seen with more detail in the full length mirror.
"Amazing" I muttered, somehow more impressed with this piece of magic than the talking hat or a wall in Kings Cross.
I stepped towards it on a hunch alone and it let me through back to the dormitory.
The panel slid closed behind me without sound, but I could feel it doing so with the same magical sense I could feel Tweak somewhere below me and on the left feeling happy.
Strange that.
I glanced behind me and the end of the bed was seamless again. The only change was my initials carved on the wood.
If I hadn't known, I would not have found it.
Good, it seems I wasn't in that much of a hurry with my Bolt hole spell. I think I will still learn it though, it's an incredible spell.
Around me, others were beginning to test their own spaces.
A panel here pushed open to enter their room. Another there is a bedframe already carved to indicate the owner.
I sat on the edge of my decoy bed, resting one hand against the wood again—not to open it, but simply to feel the same… response.
It was still there. That feeling of warmth and home.
It was not just some mechanism, definitely not a spell in the usual sense either.
The prefect's words returned, uninvited.
"As long as you consider it yours"
I exhaled slowly.
That was—Elegant. A simply beautiful piece of magic. Was it done by the founder himself?
I looked around the dormitory seeing both boys and girls. Perhaps they would change it in later years but at least the first year had the same dormitory.
Perhaps it's not as big an issue when we are still young children, not to mention we all have private rooms with accompanied bathrooms.
Across the room, Malfoy had already opened his.
He stood half-turned toward the space beyond, speaking quietly to another boy—one I didn't recognize yet. His tone was controlled, but there was something beneath it. Satisfaction, perhaps. Or relief disguised as expectation fulfilled.
Tracy had managed hers as well.
She looked briefly toward Daphne—something shared there, quick and wordless—before stepping inside.
Daphne herself took longer. Not out of uncertainty but she seemed to be deliberating on factors only she was aware of.
Soon enough she placed her hand against the headboard firmly.
Waited then entered without comment or another glance around the dorm.
I remained where I was. Watching and Thinking.
The bolt-hole spell, its instability when used without runes,the strain of it. Most of all the similarity of my new room in the form of needing to claim the space.
Perhaps, the more I consider it mine the more mine it will be?
I stood again. This time, when I placed my hand against the wood, I did not simply touch it.
I considered it deliberately to be mine.
The response was immediate; the panel slid open smoother than before.
I stepped inside and let it close behind me.
The room felt… different now.
Not larger or brighter. Closer somehow like the room was claiming me the same way as I claimed it.
I let out a slow breath and sat on the bed next to my suitcase letting a small smile spread on my face.
If that principle could be replicated—Not copied or crudely imitated.
But understood—
Then the bolt-hole spell was not a matter of reinforcement, not primarily.
It would be a matter of definition making the space and the wizard acknowledge each other. making a home away from home.
I closed my eyes pondering at the spell and its runic components.
Runes of Ownership and Recognition. The runes came back to me almost immediately.
First the meaning and then the shape of the rune itself.
Always meaning first.
"Home or Othal"
" that rune would be vital
Not protection it would be perhaps later but it would have nothing to do with claiming the space part.
Something more specific: Ownership,not possession definitely not control through force that would probably work if I meant to make a prison.
Authority through acknowledgment would be more home.
Just for a moment,the structure of the spell shifted in my mind.
Not the outer shell or the shape but the core how I viewed it.
I opened my eyes again and leaned back on my bed feeling a bit dizzy.
Too much,too soon.
The exhaustion from the last attempt had not been imagined. Nor had it been accidental.
I allowed the thought to settle rather than chase it further.
There would be time,there always was.
If one chose not to break oneself chasing something too big to carry.
A faint movement in the mirror drew my attention.
The dormitory beyond.
Students settling.
Doors opening and Closing.
The quiet beginning of a shared life that would, over time, become something else entirely.
I watched for a moment.
Then stood and poked the mirror image of myself in the corner hoping that locked the door and I did indeed feel a soft click sound. as if the room itself telling me that" yes its safe now"
I moved my suitcase to the table and dig out my pyjamas, did my normal bevy of cleaning spells before, slid my wand back in my holster.
Enough for one night.
I lay back on the bed and stared up at the canopy above.
Stone beyond it. Water somewhere further still.
The castle settled around us students like a massive mama bear or dragon guarding its hatchlings .
For the first time since I left Leaky I forced my mind to halt by counting from ten,nine, eighth. I closed my eyes and sleep took me quickly.