The Eastern Empire

Chapter9: First Shenanigans

The meal was followed by joy and good humor. The four boys pretended to ignore the heavy glances of underdog or interrogators they were experiencing. Alexander was focusing on his friend so he would not get lost in his thoughts as Draco tried to make him smile. Blaise and Theodore were actively involved for one and more timidly for the other, talking. The meals at Hogwarts were far from what the two boys had known. An infernal hubbub surrounded them, created by the cries, exclamations, and laughter of the school's hundreds of students. Alexander would have given everything for a little calm: did not these English people know how to stand?

The dessert swallowed, they followed their prefect who loudly called the first years to guide them in the maze of corridors of Hogwarts. The girl watched them hurry around her with weary eyes. Brown and pretty, she must have been fifteen years, maybe a little more. His brown eyes sweated with impatience.

- Hello, I'm Gemma Farley, fifth grade. The tradition is that this is the new prefects who guide the new members of Slytherin and as my dear colleague has suddenly disappeared, I find myself alone with you. Follow me and be attentive, I do not want to spend my night looking for a student lost in the whole castle.

The tone was dry, the speech effective. Alexander smiled, pleasantly surprised by the temper of this girl. If all the Slytherins were of his level, he might find his place here. However, not everyone seemed to like the words of their eldest: Draco was grinning, outraged that he was speaking to him in these terms and he was not the only one.

- Well, if you want to eat tomorrow morning, you better keep the path.

And the first ten years followed wisely and carefully Gemma. Order and discipline reigned in their ranks, blatantly contrasting with certain other houses, such as Gryffindor, where a redhead with glasses seemed to run after his comrades in the hope of gathering them together.

Out of the great hall, they took the stairs, descending visibly to the dungeons.

- Our common room is underground, more precisely under Hogwarts Lake. You must not reveal its location, let alone the password to access it. You will understand very quickly that we Slytherins live apart from other students. We do not mix very much with those who do not belong to Salazar. It is furthermore inadvisable to walk alone, at least at the beginning of your schooling. Many students are jealous of us and would be happy to be able to let off steam on an isolated Slytherin, even if it is only a first year. Stay in a group. Avoid the scribblers, they only get us into trouble by pushing us to a duel. They do not risk anything, Dumbledore favors them outrageously. Here, the war seems far away, but you will soon discover that it just takes another form between the walls of Hogwarts.

She guided them through the corridors, dark and dry, bathed in restful silence and littered with armor and portraits. Soon they arrived at a cul de sac. She stopped, pointing to a corridor he had just passed.

- This corridor leads to the dungeons, where you will have your Potions classes. Professor Snape is also the director of our house, but I suspect that some people already know that you have to be careful with him.

Some nodded, others looked away. With the exception of muggleborns, everyone knew he had betrayed Voldemort. This reminder was merely a matter of evidence, the Slytherin house was teeming with Death Eater children, for those whose parents were not, the fear of finding themselves embroiled in a war that was not theirs, at eleven years, was born.

Alexander sighed. Of course, he had to find the man who had sacrificed his blanket for his aunt and that his mother had thanked by denouncing it. Happy meeting in perspective. He had helped the Blacks and the latter had rewarded him by sacrificing him. It was the only way to protect one of them, but this professor did not have to appreciate it ... He caught a weary look from his cousin, who had to follow his thoughts. Decidedly, this return was announced eventful.