Aelin Galathynius / Hogwarts - Mischief & Magic 🤍

Chapter Seven - Prejudiced?

Aelin's POV -

Lysandra,Elide and Aelin all followed the rest of the Slytherin first-years down towards the dungeons, Elide and Lysandra keeping Aelin between them and silently comforting her. Aelin didn't want to be seen crying; she had a feeling that her surrounding peers wouldn't necessarily be as supportive as she would like. It wasn't that she thought they were mean or cold-hearted, no she just knew they didn't understand the situation. Bringing up Aelin's parents was a low move and she was sure that Aedion knew that, but she couldn't help wondering if he was right. What if she was a disgrace to her family? Never mind, she knew that wasn't true, she was more worried about whether people would accept her in Slytherin. She was willing to do virtually anything to represent her house well, but she was not willing to become somebody different to do so. She had a sneaking suspicion that some of her fellow Slytherins would have a problem with that.

The girls continued to walk down to the dungeons, the other first years trudging along beside them, until the finally arrived. They stood outside the entrance to the Slytherin common rooms, only for a tall, muscular boy with dark hair and even darker eyes stepped forwards. Aelin recognised h as one of the boys that had tripped her up and instantly decided she despised him. From the glares on Elide and Lysandra's faces, she knew they'd made the connection as well.

"Listen!" The boy growled. The group instantly fell silent, looking up at the boy in front of them, fear shining in their eyes. "You're all about to enter the Slytherin common room. Before you do I'll make one thing clear. I don't care. I don't care where you wanted to be, or what you thought you were, you're a Slytherin now and you won't forget it easily. I don't care if you aren't interested in helping our house win both the  quidditch and house cup. You will participate. Slytherin is going to be the best house in Hogwarts and you will all aid that cause or so help me god you will not hear the end of it. Apart from that you're welcome here. You're first years so know your place and don't get in my way. My name is Lorcan, not that you need to know."

Silence filled the room. He really was serious then, it was do or die here. Aelin was already braced for impact, ready to fly in head-first, even though really she should be shaking with fear.

"Slytherin has not won the house cup for four years now and I will not tolerate that again. We will win, because we are superior, we take only the strongest and we thrive because of it. You're here because you're ambitious? Prove it. Fight for it. For all I care, claw your way to the top because we won't let the other houses come anywhere near us. There is a reason why the pure-blooded families bring about the strongest witches and wizards," a sneer in Aelin's direction at this, "and that is exactly what we want from you and what we want in our house."

Aelin could not believe what this guy was saying. She already knew that as a muggle from a strongly muggle family that she would not be fully welcomed by the rest of her house, but she did not expect her house to be so cold towards people that they believed didn't fit their standards. She was just as good as them and she was determined to prove it. She knew just as well  as anyone that the only reason why the other Slytherins were intolerant towards muggles was because they feared them and were upset that there were other people who could rival them for power without being from a strong muggle family. She was Abbott to reign down he'll and the *sshole in front of her was not going to know what had hit him.

"Now for the password. Although our password does get updated, it tends to flit between the same few words or phrases. If you are entering as a group, only one of you needs to say the password to be granted entry, but on your own, it is your responsibility to know and remember the password, so that you can enter our common room."

"What's the password right now?" Asked the tall seedy boy stood at the front asked.

Lorcan slowly turned round to face Aelin and she realised that whatever was about to come out of his mouth, she was not going to like it.

And then he said it, the one word that she hated more than anything, the one word that was going to haunt her for the rest of her life's the one reason for her parent's death.  She realised that she was going to have a right ride here, and that although she truly was a Slytherin and belonged here, there was a chance that she wouldn't make it to the end. And she realised that he knew this, as did he know the reason for her parent's death.

"Mudblood."