House Pride
The Headmaster made a few announcements. "The Forbidden Forest is off-limits, first years are not allowed their own brooms, blah blah blah-" Finally he stood up and surveyed the Great Hall. "It is now time to go to bed after a long day, which I am sure will do much well. Prefects, Head Girl, Head Boy, bring your students to the dormitories. Goodnight."
Dominique stood up and called, "Follow me, firsties!"
"Why should we?" muttered a haughty-looking dark-skinned first year boy.
She gave him a look. "Unless you want to stay in the Great Hall past curfew and get given detention from Madam Foster, Zabini, I suggest you obey me."
None of the Weasley cousins really liked her, but Hugo didn't dislike her, as she had always been decent to him. He didn't know why.
Zabini shrugged and kicked at the ground, whispering something to the beefy boy beside him.
The firsties followed the Head Girl down into the dungeons, descending through many staircases and passing the Potions' classroom. They stopped their walk in front of a blank stone wall, where two torches were lit, opposite of it, projecting a greenish glow.
"This is the entrance to the Slytherin common room," said Dominique, waiting for everyone to be silent.
As she uttered those words, two twisting, hissing serpents like those on Hermes's caduceus appeared. They were green in colour, with silver stripes. Their eyes were blazing red – but not Gryffindor fire-red, more of a blood-red. Several firsties, mostly girls, jumped back and cried out.
"Don't be cowards," snickered Francis Zabini. "Just snakes, yeah?" He was looking towards Dominique. She gave a curt nod.
"Precisely, Zabini. These snakes will only appear to you the first time you come here, to let you know that they are here. Should an intruder appear, the snakes will become alive and literally emerge from the stone wall. Most of the time, though, they listen for the password you lot gift them with."
"The passwords change every week, and every time the Head of House feels the need, which means that you will need to behave, for you will punish all your Housemates for your troublemaking. Believe me, that won't make you very popular." Dominique smirked. "This week's password is Panthera Leo."
The stone wall made a cranking noise, and it slid to reveal the Slytherin common room.
The first word Hugo could think of to describe the common room was sinister. Yes, there wasn't any other word: the room was low-ceilinged, dungeon-like; there were dark green and black sofas scattered orderly around the room. The fire was cold; it was green, with silvery sparks flying occasionally from it. Cupboards had been built in the far corners, potholes beside them where Hugo could see underneath the lake. Greenish lamps whose handles were adorned with skulls lit the frigid atmosphere, but offered no real warmth.
Hugo could barely repress a shiver and felt slightly breathless.
Older students, who played chess on the floor, lounging on the sofas and in the armchairs, sneered and one waved flirtingly at Dominique as she passed; it was true she had inherited much Veela charm from her mother's family. She smiled back teasingly, showing perfect white teeth.
A tall silhouette emerged from the shadows, wearing dark robes. A woman with high cheekbones, dark eyes, and black hair surveyed them, and then smiled what looked more like a smirk. Hugo was surprised to see that Dominique nodded almost respectively to her. "Very well, Weasley; you may go."
"Thank you, ma'am," murmured Dominique, and she left from one of the staircases.
She surveyed them with shrouded dark eyes. "Welcome to Slytherin, first years. I am your Head of House, Professor Eclipse. I teach Defence Against the Dark Arts and Society."
"Now, you are no doubt wondering why I want to speak to you, why you are not right now settling into your dormitories."
Once again, the first years felt her piercing stare. A few nodded, hesitantly. Hugo stared at her, eyebrows raised.
"You are a snake," said Eclipse slowly. "The Sorting Hat put you here, not in Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Gryffindor. Many a time Slytherin House has been resented, treated with a Dark reputation, because of the Dark Lord. They are forgetting that the traitor, Pettigrew, came from Gryffindor... But no matter - I am pretty certain that many of you did not even want to end up in Slytherin House. But as Professor Despard said, your House will aid you to pave your way to greatness. Your journey in Slytherin will not be easy, but I am confident that each and every of you will come out a different person from today, after seven years."
She got up from the couch where she had been sitting and sighed. "You may go. Have a good first day of term."
Just when Hugo was about leave, behind the other first year boys, Eclipse called him. He turned and frowned.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Your name?"
"Hugo Weasley, Professor."
"Very well, then. Same salutations go to you, Weasley. Welcome to our ranks. No matter your Sorting, I expect from you no less House pride."
She smiled wryly at his look of confusion and exited the common room.
Now, Eclipse is one of my favourite OCs, and yeah, she's not really the nicest person. She places lots of importance in House pride as you can see, which is a central theme in this story. That and what it means to be a Slytherin.
How's everyone liking her? Rose? Lily? The Bloody Baron? Leah?
Feel free to reply, yeah, don't forget to read AND review.
