Hadrian Romanoff and the Beginning

Chapter-11

Hadrian followed quietly behind the the fifth year prefect who was leading the first years to the Slytherin dorms. As they made their way through the winding corridors the prefect, Lathaniel Mire, pointed out different routes that would lead them to different parts of the castle, most of which led out to the classrooms.

Hadrian was almost certain that the other first years were memorizing the short cuts being shown to them and if he was wrong, he was certain that the ones who did would take the help with a grain of salt. Hazing the new guys was a tradition that crossed all gender, race, age, and species.

Hadrian stood at the the back of the group, behind Tracey and Daphne, who kept glancing back at him for some reason. Draco, and his bodyguards who looked too big to be eleven year olds Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe along with Pansy, were at the front of the charge, the blond talking about something his father did or said and completely ignoring what Lathaniel was saying. Theo was walking with Blaise and Lily just behind Draco, leaving Millicent to stand off to the side by herself.

Too busy focusing on the routes being pointed out to him, Hadrian almost missed when the group stopped and was close to bumping into the back of Daphne.

"You will go inside and wait for our Head of House to welcome you into the Snake Pit. Be sure to show him the proper respect a man of his station deserves." Lathaniel lectured. "The password is 'Snake Eyes' and though the password changes every two weeks, you should be sure not to forget. Not everyone will be willing to remind you."

The prefect turned to hiss the password to the snake statue wrapped around the entrance door. "Inside, the lot of you. Remember what I said."

The first years dutifully marched into the common room of the Slytherin dorms, congregating in the middle of the room in full view of everyone. Hadrian briefly wondered how they all got there before them.

Hadrian looked around the room, mentally comparing it to the Gryffindor common room he had seen in pictures his uncles shown him. In contrast to the loud red and gold, overstuffed furniture, and general vacation cabin in the woods feel, the Slytherin common room was done in forest green and silver accents, snake carvings on every wall alongside paintings of former Slytherins who had gone on to infamy, and practical leather couches and chairs and dark wood tables. A floor to ceiling bookcase stood against the back wall with snake bookends on every shelf. Lanterns lined the walls giving the whole room a soft glow.

It reminded Hadrian of his mom.

A sudden overwhelming presence caught Hadrian's attention and he turned back to the entrance to see their Head of House standing there, looking down at the group of first years like they were a waste of his time, a sneer threatening to break across his severe face.

Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin, Potions Master, former Slytherin, and most important of all, Lily Evans' former best friend.

"If you do not already know," Snape started, prepared to eviscerate any one who did not know. "I am Professor Severus Snape, your Head of House and potions professor."

The man didn't raise his voice, but his words still rang through the whole room. Hadrian had no doubt that even the older years were focused on the professor and his command of authority.

"When you walk these halls, you are not only representing yourself, your family, and your house, you are representing me," Snape paused to allow even more emphasis on the last word. "And I do not care to be represented by brain dead, ignorant fools who believe themselves above the rules. Hence why I am not the Head of Gryffindor."

A few students laughed nervously at that, looking anxious when they realized they were only bringing focus to themselves.

Snape silenced them all with a look. "In addition to the rules of this school, you will be operating under my own Golden Three. One, you are not to walk anywhere without someone by your side. The other houses look down at us and will surely take the opportunity to make their displeasure known."