Into the Viper's Nest (Slytherin)

[G]

Open to all Slytherins.

---

Wednesday, September 1st, 2117.
The Great Hall - evening.

"Slytherin first years! Slytherin first years, with me, thankyou!"

Ella's crisp, commanding voice rang out, the tip of her wand pressed against the girls' throat to magically amplify her voice amongst the chatter of students leaving the Great Hall. She made a pretty, if rather cold picture - her alabaster skin unblemished, and made to look paler; framed as it was by straight, long locks of dark hair. Her round eyes looked smaller than their size, slightly narrowed as they were, and her expression was cool as she looked over the gaggle of students, the first years easy to pick out; they were the ones who milled at the entrance, unsure of which direction their commonrooms were in.

"Slytherin first years!" she repeated, her free hand rising to pick a piece of imaginary lint from her perfectly spotless uniform, her prefects' badge clean and shining on the front of her robes.

When they had assembled before her, she took a moment to look over them, scrutinizing each one with her gaze before moving on; her eyes revealing nothing of her opinion.

"Hmm." She made a non-committal noise, murmuring the counter-spell to the voice-amplification before lowering her wand. "Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Elladonna Archer, Slytherin 5th year and one of your two prefects. I expect you will do well by your house, but if you do not - " she made a gesture toward the doors of the Great Hall, "you would have seen the hourglasses. They represent each houses points. Do well, and you will be rewarded; disobey the rules, and you will lose points. I intend to see Slytherin win the House Cup this year, so needless to say I hope you will all contribute to that end. If you have any questions, you may ask them as we walk - but please refrain from idiotic queries. Now, if you'll follow me."

She turned, walking purposefully down the hall to a double set of wide staircases and descending that on the left, leading down toward the dungeons that housed the Slytherin commonroom.

[Death of Korzan]

Damara laughed and smiled in tandem her new acquaintances. Michael's African magic pulled her developing venomously green eyes to fall on him often. His ways were an oddity that was giving her interest and made her insecure simultaneously. He seemed powerful and he didn't have to have all the flashy things she did to be as interesting.

The Greecian girl laughed in a fair way: putting a hand over her lips time and time again. Tamara warmed her heart with new possibility. She never had a girl as a friend, and now as a girl it was something she deeply wanted. Damara had gone as far as to move from Cary's side and switch places with Michael as to sit next to her. The proximity was something which made her giddy, anxious. Two girls, skirts, and blouses, across from the boys and their trousers. Damara felt shamefully wholesome. Happy and timid.

There was the occasional moment when her green intensity would be swallowed and overcome with Caryxander's. His look was consuming and much about him piqued her interest in ways different from Michael. He wasn't as exotic to her, but the Veela features weren't the only thing drawing her to him. Her flats rubbed together, the soft fabrics of her socks touched in hidden body language under the table.

Damara put her hand on Tamara's, watching her darker skin make contact with the light skin. The rush was rewarding, kinship and alluding future girlhood shared. Damara knew Tamara would be meaningful in her need to fit among the other Slythern girls.

It was time to move forward. The feast was closing and the students were rising to vacate the great hall. Damara in passing wondered if she could have truly trusted that Mud Blood teacher to ensure Konstanitos was safe. There was no window of time for her to get to him now, and having faith in the teacher, the house of Hufflepuff was only an action to despise. Damara stood up at the summons, meeting the group actions of her peers. She walked close with Tamara and smiled, nervously pulling hair behind her ear and patting it down. The Liakos stole a glance at the boys -
who were spending their time laughing like old friends at some terrible joke told by Douglas -
while she and her were further than an ear shot's distance.

"I would like to be your friend very much" she told her tenderly, a glint in her eyes suggested hope for reciprocity. As Damara spoke, Tamara looked up at her and grinned at her words. There was a nigh-on amusement to the features,as Damara's tender words brushed upon Tamara's ears, the pure-blood being finding friendly amusement in the formality of the request.

"You seem nice enough, so I don't see why not." Tamara winked at Damara before giggling like the young schoolgirl she was. "Of course we can be friends!" The girl's grin turned into a wider smile as she began to list off all the things that they could do together. "We'll share Dorm rooms and we can watch the boys play Quidditch and we can be partners in potions class and study together..." The girl kept going on, and soon it was clear that she had certainly looked into Hogwarts' facilities countless times. And it brought a deep confidence within Damara that the friendship she braved to start would be a wonderful one. "You know, we'll have to do secret santa as well - I'm sure the boys would be up for that too,
right guys?" Tamara reached forwards and tapped upon the boys shoulders before broaching the question to them.

"Secret Santa?" Cary asked, a lax tone to his voice. "I don't see why not, it could be fun." Damara kept quiet and played with an earring uncomfortably.

"I like Secret Santa, one time my cousin got me a pack of jellybeans that make ya' burp and fart at the same time!" Douglas said with a large cheesy smile painted across his lips. "Cracking good fun that was! My Aunt Edna was going spare!"

"I wouldn't mind Secret Santa, just keep me out of 'Gassy Jellybeans' - not really into that sort of thing." Michael muttered, looking across at Douglas - who was laughing at the memory of said Christmas - before looking towards Cary, who had been doing the same. Both of them smiled and looked back at the girls, nodding before turning around to carry on walking - having been taking tentative steps backwards to avoid getting left behind.

Turning to Damara, Tamara giggled once more. "So it's settled then, we'll all do secret Santa together - we'll be able to help each other with wrapping as well in our Dorms! Mother always said I was useless at it."

"He..heh..." Damara didn't have time to fit in more conversation because that was when the Pure-Bloods had met up with the Perfect's summoning.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Elladonna Archer, Slytherin 5th year and one of your two prefects. I expect you will do well by your house, but if you do not - " she made a gesture toward the doors of the Great Hall, "you would have seen the hourglasses. They represent each houses points. Do well, and you will be rewarded; disobey the rules, and you will lose points. I intend to see Slytherin win the House Cup this year, so needless to say I hope you will all contribute to that end. If you have any questions, you may ask them as we walk - but please refrain from idiotic queries. Now, if you'll follow me."

Damara had nodded while she listened. She was never really competitive, but, the idea of her friends who shared her house winning made her smile eagerly. It was dimmed by the perhaps idiotic inquiry she had to make with Tamara, only now realizing their name was shared by the exception of one letter. Giggling loudly to herself with the epiphany she grabbed Tamara's arm gently.

"We share the same name spare a letter, did you realize that?" The darker skinned girl asked the lighter. "We were of course to be friends, we have great names"

Tamara grinned as the girl mentioned this, before pretend to stroke an imaginary beard. "Yes yes, of course Miss Liakos. Ten points to Slytherin." The girl withdrew her hands and laughed playfully. "I think we'd make great friends even if our names were rubbish, like Cary's."

The dark-haired boy turned around to look at Tamara and Damara, eyes raised in questioning as he had heard his name. As neither responded, the boy returned his blisteringly green eyes back to his two male compatriots, discussing the coming term.

While they continued to follow Elladonna, Damara leaned closer to her friend.

"What is Secret Santa?" She whispered, afraid to be seen as ignorant by anyone else who may overhear - everyone knew except her. It must have been a northern European thing.

"Well," Tamara exclaimed, taking in a deep breath of air. "It's a muggle festival where apparently they give each other small gifts, but the catch is the other people don't know who gave them - my father says that most muggle holidays are rubbish, but if we're going to celebrate christmas we might as well give each other some presents! This way seems an awfully fun way to snag some extra gifts." The girl nodded in approval of her own words, before returning her smile to Damara.

[HaelKatrin]

Katrin had quietly eaten the meal. Keeping to herself. She had no doubt that most of those at this table would not want anything to do with her. Part of her was regretting the choice she had made. Hufflepuff would have been a lot less lonely. . .

Still, the food was quite good. And, the whole room had caught her attention more than once. The floating candles, and the enchanted celling. It was much better than where she had grown up.

Soon, the meal drew to an end. She transfered back into her chair, letting K-9 settle on to her lap before moving with the group.

She stayed toward the side of the group, in the back. Quiet as the others chatted excitedly.

She turns her attention to Ella as the girl began to speak. Her gaze turning to the curious hourglasses. So, a competition. Could be interesting. she thought to herself. She was, after all, rather competitive. Yes. Perhaps this would be the right house for her. Besides, this is what she wanted, right? A house that would make her strong? You didn't need friends for that. Hufflepuff may have not been lonely, but, this would be better.

Having made up her mind, she smiles a bit to herself.

[G]

Elladonna had continued purposefully down the hall with the little notice to the first years behind her, leading them along steadily dimming corridors, down into the schools underbelly. Stone walls were interspersed with flickering torches, shadows bouncing from the grey slabs in an eery manner. The portraits here seemed darker too - foreboding figures that watched them with appraising expressions, as though they, too were laying their judgements on the new Slytherins.

Finally, the fifth year stopped, turning to face the students once again and gesturing before her at what looked like a dead end in the stone-walled passageway. The smooth wall showed no sign of an entry; no paintings or curtains or any other adornement. "The location of the Slytherin commonroom is known only to our house - think carefully before you bring any other students here... they might find the experience rather unpleasant," she smirked in a rather cruel fashion. "The password is changed regularly - it will be posted on the noticeboard inside when it does. It is your responsibility to keep up to date with it, or you may find yourself spending the night in the hall. Right now, it is Pudicita Virtus."

As Ella spoke, there was a scraping echo of stone sliding over stone, and before the children's eyes the wall began to shudder; pieces folding into each other to reveal a dark, arched passage. Ella stood, allowing the effect to complete before she stepped through into the commonroom beyond.

A large, richly furnished room revealed itself beyond; it's centerpiece a crackling fire above which a curling, ornate serpent was carved into the stone. Green and silver tapestries decorated the walls between wide glass windows. Beyond the glass, rather than sky was water - the view was that of the depths of the lake. Comfortable, luxurious armchairs were scattered around the fire, a few already occupied by older Slytherins, a couple of whom nodded to Ella when they glanced up; appraising the first years momentarily before turning back to their books or conversation. To the left and right were staircases that curled upward and out of sight; Ella explained that these were the boys and girls dormitories, a level above.

"Girls to the left, boys to the right. You will find your belongings at the base of your beds," she informed them, then stepped away, toward another fifth year who sat beside the fire; her duty complete.

[HaelKatrin]

Half way to the Common Room, K-9 had decided to take off, heading down another hallway. Katrin silently followed, letting the others walk past her.

[Minkasha]

Elladonna had continued purposefully down the hall with the little notice to the first years behind her, leading them along steadily dimming corridors, down into the schools underbelly. Stone walls were interspersed with flickering torches, shadows bouncing from the grey slabs in an eery manner. The portraits here seemed darker too - foreboding figures that watched them with appraising expressions, as though they, too were laying their judgments on the new Slytherins. Damara was swooned by Tamara's attitude about the strange muggle holiday. She too was enchanted by the idea of receiving many generous things from her new friends. Yet that was all hushed while they walked further in direction of House Slytherin. The eyes that fell on them caused the Greecian to press her lips together. It felt too familiar to the gaze beloved Erastos labored upon her through transition. They reminded her of shame. Shame she ought to have.

Outwardly the wall flower socialite's appearance paled and the girl shook her head lightly, wiping a hand at her face. 'Ignore the eyes Damara'

Cary walked with the other Slytherins slowly, his cold eyes taking note and measure of his surroundings at all times, silently scanning over the architecture and planning of the building. The paintings stared back at him, some of them moving to whisper to other painted companions. Whether they were taking note of Cary or discussing the First Years in general, the Mordushku boy could not tell, nor did he care all too much to know.

Finally, the fifth year stopped, turning to face the students once again and gesturing before her at what looked like a dead end in the stone-walled passageway. Cary gave all of his attention to the Fifth year as she went over the password for the Dormitories, even ignoring Douglas as he asked - from behind the Mordushku - what the Fifth year had said, having missed the important information. Both helping the boy and himself, Cary - as the group of First years stood in awe of the hidden stone door that was now opening - began to recite Pudicita Vertis under his breath to himself, just loud enough so that Douglas could catch it.
Michael caught on and began to do so as well, grinning at Douglas he was now peering over both boys' shoulders, squinting his eyes in difficulty as he strained to hair what they were saying over the scraping stone.

A large, richly furnished room revealed itself beyond; it's centerpiece a crackling fire above which a curling, ornate serpent was carved into the stone. Green and silver tapestries decorated the walls between wide glass windows. Beyond the glass, rather than sky was water - the view was that of the depths of the lake. Comfortable, luxurious armchairs were scattered around the fire, a few already occupied by older Slytherins, a couple of whom nodded to Ella when they glanced up; appraising the first years momentarily before turning back to their books or conversation. To the left and right were staircases that curled upward and out of sight; Ella explained that these were the boys and girls dormitories, a level above.

"Girls to the left, boys to the right. You will find your belongings at the base of your beds," she informed them, then stepped away, toward another fifth year who sat beside the fire; her duty complete. And everything began as the older girl ended. The pause after before the first gendered steps took place.

Where was she to go? Damara brushed her palms against the black, rough fabric of her coat. Her emerald eyes fell to the water beyond the windows. Choking. Drowning. The intention of suicide. She had never been in any place deemed only for girls. She was creating, a liar, guilty of something.

"Here we are, together" the Grecian put on her prettiest mask, chuckling with airy charms. Her body turned to Tamara, her lower lip quivering. The girl spoke in a soft whisper, "I'm a little nervous, can we hold hands?" She knew the other girl wouldn't understand, but this was a barrier she has never crossed before - entering a designated area just for girls.

Tamara frowned with confusion for a moment, smiling all the while as she reached her hand out to meet Damara's own. "Of course we can - there's no need to be nervous."
Tamara's smile returned to a grin as the young girl awaited the fifth year's directions once more.

Douglas watched the two from the other side of the room - where the boys had lined up - with slight confusion, turning to Michael and holding out his hand to be held. The young African boy glanced at Douglas' hand before batting it away lightly and laughing. After a brief explanation of how it wasn't mandatory to hold hands, the boy blushed and shyly stepped away from Michael, hands tucked firmly within his pockets.

[G]

No one was paying much attention to the first years, now. Ella had slipped into one of the cushy green armchairs and was leaning back, one leg crossed over the other as she chatted with a blonde girl with sharp, pointed features. It didn't seem as though they were going to receive any more guidance from her.

It didn't look as though they would need it, either; all seemed well, as Damara and Tamara began their ascent of the left-hand staircase. They had almost reached the curve that would take them out of sight of the main room; glimpses beyond of comfortable, four-poster beds bedecked with green curtains, when it happened.

An almost imperceptible shudder ran through the staircase, like a shiver. It passed as quickly as it had occurred, and with no sign of any further issue, Damara took another step. The moment her foot touched the surface of the next stair, there was a grinding of stone on stone and both girls found themselves tumbling backward; the sturdy steps beneath their feet vanishing, replaced with a steep stone slide. It was not the graceful entrance either girl might have hoped for; both their bodies bouncing painfully against the rock - no doubt they would both wear bruises tomorrow. As though it could get any worse, when they finally landed in a heap at the bottom of the stairwell, another body was flying down toward them. Eloise Halliway crashed into the girls at speed, her outstretched hands striking them first before the weight of her mercifully slender frame.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" she spat, her blue eyes narrowed with fury as she extricated herself from the heap of bodies, not caring if she trod on feet or fingers as she did so. If the scene had not drawn everyone's attention yet, this indignant shriek finished the job, and the first year girl's could feel the eyes of every person in the corridor burning curiously into them. Ella and her friend were among the watchers, the formers' eyebrow raised in an expression of both curiosity and amusement.

"Well, well, Arna. What do you suppose happened there?" By the tone of her voice, she knew very well the cause of the accident. The blonde girl gave the girls' a cruel smirk.

"If I didn't know better, Ella, I'd think a boy had tried to enter the girls' dormitory." Eloise's hands flew to her hips, the second year staring from Damara to Tamara, and back.

"Which one of you is the boy?" she asked, loudly enough for the rest of the viewers to hear, and there were a few chuckles around the room. Muttering began in several corners of the room, all eyes still fixed on the two first years.

[Death of Korzan]

An almost imperceptible shudder ran through the staircase, like a shiver. It passed as quickly as it had occurred, and with no sign of any further issue, Damara took another step. The moment her foot touched the surface of the next stair, there was a grinding of stone on stone and both girls found themselves tumbling backward; the sturdy steps beneath their feet vanishing, replaced with a steep stone slide. It was not the graceful entrance either girl might have hoped for; both their bodies bouncing painfully against the rock - no doubt they would both wear bruises tomorrow. As though it could get any worse, when they finally landed in a heap at the bottom of the stairwell, another body was flying down toward them. Eloise Halliway crashed into the girls at speed, her outstretched hands striking them first before the weight of her mercifully slender frame.

The boys - who were in the middle of climbing the staircase stopped for a moment to turn around and see what was going on. Cary, Michael and Douglas - who had stayed behind everyone else to get a good look of their older peers - mused quietly to themselves as the three girls tumbled down the staircase (which had now, of course, turned into a strange stone slope downwards). Douglas took a step forwards, intent on helping the two girls, but before he could move any closer Cary held his hand out before him. The Mordushku boy looked deep in thought as he regarded both Tamara and Damara with curiosity and suspicion. 'What are you hiding?' The boy turned his eyes from both of the girls as the Second Year who had fallen on top of them began speaking aggressively towards the two of them.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" she spat, her blue eyes narrowed with fury as she extricated herself from the heap of bodies, not caring if she trod on feet or fingers as she did so. If the scene had not drawn everyone's attention yet, this indignant streak finished the job, and the first year girl's could feel the eyes of every person in the corridor burning curiously into them. Ella and her friend were among the watchers, the formers' eyebrow raised in an expression of both curiosity and amusement.

Cary watched the Fifth Year's reaction to what had happened out of the corner of his eye, and it quickly became clear to him that they knew exactly what was going on here. It was almost as though they were hiding some sort of joke from the First Years. Cary was not amused.

"Well, well, Arna. What do you suppose happened there?" By the tone of her voice, she knew very well the cause of the accident. The blonde girl gave the girls' a cruel smirk.

"If I didn't know better, Ella, I'd think a boy had tried to enter the girls' dormitory." Eloise's hands flew to her hips, the second year staring from Damara to Tamara, and back.

"Which one of you is the boy?" she asked, loudly enough for the rest of the viewers to hear, and there were a few chuckles around the room. Muttering began in several corners of the room, all eyes still fixed on the two first years.

Cary remained silent, but as he looked over both of the girls, he had already decided who exactly was keeping this from him. The boasting at the table, the exotic background, the proud family name. 'Damara.' The boy thought to himself, locking his blisteringly green eyes upon the Greek girl. 'There you are.'

Cary held his eyes upon Damara, ignoring Michael and Douglas as they tried to whisper to him about the situation. He held them hard upon his Greek companion, until her eyes met his. Once they did, the boys face gave off a wry smile. A smile that said 'Got you'. The smile of someone who had solved a great mystery.

The smile of a Snake, finally finding its prey amidst the thick brush.

Cary turned at this moment, moving through Michael and Douglas and returning back up the stairs, his hard-soled shoes clicking as they delicately tapped against the stone floor. Many of the other First Year boys shifted out of his way as the Mordushku prodigy made his way up the stairs and towards the Boys Dormitory. The room was still and silent as the students looked on at Damara and Tamara, all save for Cary's footsteps.

[Minkasha]

First there was the rejection. The dissonance which picked apart her bruising and throbbing pains with her fantasies. She was still walking up the stairs. Damara wasn’t in a pitiable pile of bodily rejects. Dramara wasn’t fighting the very castle itself for validation. She groaned, looking around defensively at the Slythern around her, gaining awareness of the bitter truth of her situation.

The eyes. The snickering. And then. His eyes.

The emerald gaze couldn’t hold pride against the cursed green. His eyes gripped so much power, his lips made her pause and heart drop when the smirk game upon them. Damara looked down, submitting to his coy, wordless game. Rejection, this wasn’t as things were to be at Hogwarts. Keeping quiet Damara worked her way to her feet, adjusting her robes and the uniform underneath.

Peigi, the pudgy second year who tagged along to watch the interesting first years accentuated the situation through the silence. It was her gasps and whispery laughs which set the tone of the room. She crept over to the Slythern Prefect with giddy.

“There was something wrong from the start. There are more Slytherin girls this year than boys. Maybe there wasn’t a mistake, maybe someone is confused which is left and right, ha!” Damara’s cheeks grew hot at the fat mud-blood’s remarks.

The rejection fell back and anger waved over. The fight was second.

“Your stupid stairs are wretched! They’re broken! Or is this some sort of prank you pull on first years!?” Damara slashed her hand through the air, rebuking everything. Standing in the snake pit, one corner was to herself and the vipers were slithering to her. “I am a Liakos! I am a princess! A dirty blood like you shouldn’t be talking to me or any pureblood like that!” She was entirely unaware she had just outed herself in her fit.

There was a delay, but the room began to break into boisterous laughter.

[HaelKatrin]

With the help of Professor Hael, Katrin finally made her way back in to the common room. Right as two of the girls were forced down the stairs. Katrin's eyes were wide as she took in the scene. She was silent, sitting behind everyone. Not yet noticed. She didn't know whether they had even noticed her absence or not. At that moment, no one was looking her way.

She watched in sadness as one of the girls was accused of being a boy. She watched the pain in her eyes. Perhaps it was something most would miss. But, not Katrin. She'd seen that look in her own eyes.

She nods slightly at the girl. As if to say I understand. It hurts. But you're strong. Ignore them. there was no pity in the nod. No sorrow or shame in her glance. Nor was it even to seek friendship. No. Simply a reassurance that some one in this mess of Snakes did understand. That, if she desired, she would have an ally.

Then, finally, she made a decision. She pushes her way up the the front, her wand out. "back away everyone! Leave her be. Now." Though she was small, and rather frail looking, her voice held power. Her glare held threat. The girl may have not needed her protection, but she still gave it.

She then turns sharply to the girl. Pure confidence in her voice. "follow me. Prove to them. You are a girl. Whether they believe or not. The castle knows. It will believe if you do."

She didn't actually know if it would. But, she showed no trace of doubt. If she could make the room believe, perhaps the castle would too.

With confidence, she slowly moves forward. Not even casting a glance at the others, not at the stairway as it once more helped her forward. One step at a time. If the strange girl followed or not, was up to her.