Chapter Three: Secrets
Chaos. The only way to describe it was chaos. Seeing as the teachers were too busy talking among themselves, one of the Ravenclaw prefects stood up.
"Everyone, be quiet!" She shouted over all the noise. Nobody paid any attention whatsoever.
"It won't work." Lilith said. "Even though they know shouting won't help they do it anyway."
"So what do you propose I do?" She snapped irritably. "This is your fault, all of it. If you hadn't murdered Professor Dumbledore none of this would have happened."
"Well someone had to do it."
"Oh, just shut up and tell me what to do."
"Why should I?"
"Shut up you stupid little bitch, and help me fix your fuck up!"
"Tell the prefects to take anyone who will listen up the their respective houses. The rest will follow."
"How would you know that, mudblood?"
"Just fucking do it."
The prefect ran off to deliver the orders. Lilith returned to her friends.
"We need to go to the common room." She said grabbing her bag. "Before things get violent."
The group left the Great Hall towards the dungeons. Ginevra was the first to speak.
"What did you mean, 'Welcome to the game'?"
"Patience, Ginevra." Draco answered simply.
There was a boy waiting to greet them at the entrance to Slytherin House.
"You," He said, addressing Lilith personally, "Are an absolute idiot. A beautiful, clever, stunning, idiot."
She pushed him away coldly. "There's a time and a place Theo."
"Aww, come on, you love me really."
"As true as that is, annoying me still has the possibility of you having your head displayed on my mantelpiece."
They entered to common room to find all the furniture pushed against the walls, and students sat on chairs, sofas, coffee tables, desks, and some even on the floor. They were met with loud cheering from everyone. Lilith raised her hand to call for silence. It amazed her how much power she had over these people.
"Thank you. Now before we begin with the festivities tonight, I know you all expect me to give a speech. But before even then, we must welcome our new housemates. It would have been nice to see a few more new faces, but we have two students, both male and female, which is more than any than any other house can claim. And so, Jaylen Harper and Ginevra Weasley welcome to Slytherin House! It only seems fit that you learn more about us, can anybody tell me the traits we value?"
"Ambition!" Shouted one boy.
"Resourcefulness!" Came from a third-year girl.
"Cunning!" Called Theo from the back of the room.
Lilith smiled. "Yes Theodore, a trait you unfortunately lack." Laughter erupted in the room and continued for several minutes until Lilith called for silence once more.
"But you see, not every Slytherin has all of these traits. However, every single house has at least one secret trait that we all have. For Hufflepuff, it is selfishness. When faced with a decision between selfish and selfless a Hufflepuff will always choose selfish.
For Gryffindor, it is stupidity. When making a decision under pressure a Gryffindor will always make a stupid one.
For Ravenclaw, it is hospitality. A Ravenclaw will always be hospitable to others even if it goes against their better judgement.
For us, we have two. The first is traditionalism. Even in the generation of the new a Slytherin will value and follow the ways of the old. The second is selflessness. When faced with the option of their own or a friend's death a Slytherin will always choose their own.
I think in this time, we need to add another. Freewill. A Slytherin will always make their own decisions and never blindly follow. Because I don't know about you, but in this great game of politics, of life, I don't want to be a pawn, I want to be a player. And I want to show them, I will not just be another piece they can manipulate to win! They want to play? Then let's play! Player not pawn! Tomorrow, we fight, and we take down this unknown enemy. But tonight, tonight we live life, and we be free!" The crowd cheered. Somebody started a chant.
"Player not pawn! Player not pawn! Player not pawn!"
"Only you," Stated Daphne, "Could turn children into an army against who knows what."
Lilith grinned. "A fact that I am proud of."
Ginevra slowly stood up. "I feel as though we have a lot to discuss and that we would be better off doing so in our rooms."
Lilith nodded. "Very well." She motioned to Harry, Draco, and Theo who were sat nearby to follow them. The five followed her down a corridor that looked as if it hadn't been used in a hundred years, it probably hadn't. She slipped silently behind the curtain of an alcove and down a spiral staircase. She stopped in front of a heavy, iron door. She strode over to a carving of a dragon on the wall.
"Open." She hissed at the dragon.
"Answer my riddle then." It replied simply. "The answer I give is yes, but what I mean is no. What is the question?"
"Easy, 'Do you mind?'"
"You may enter, intelligent speaker, and take you friends with you."
Lilith nodded and set of down another corridor as the door opened. They could hear the waves lapping on the lake, slightly louder than in the common room, but adding to that they could also hear a gentle thumping on the walls.
"Are we... u-under the Black Lake?" Draco asked in half awe, half horror.
"Yes." Said Lilith not bothering to turn around.
After a few more minutes they reached a door, newly cleaned and painted. Lilith led her five friends into a large room with a long, elegant, table and grand looking chairs, the chair at the head of the table looking more like a throne. Instead of sitting down she led them through to a rather large study area and library and then through another door into a sitting room. She lit the fireplace with her wand, yet the room still felt cold. She took a few steps around the room, then abruptly stopped in front of the far corner of the room.
"Out." She commanded in cold tone. A chilling laugh echoed around the room as a ghost appeared where Lilith was glaring. "Leave us." She said once again, turning and sitting in an elegant, black armchair. When the ghost refused to leave, she stood and pointed her wand at him.
"Do not test my patience today Merlin. If you do, no one will prevent the consequences."
The ghost disappeared through a wall creating loud bangs and crashes as he passed through.
"Preferably without destroying the kitchen." She muttered to herself.
"That, was Merlin?" Asked Theo in amazement, leaning on the back of a sofa.
"Yeah," Laughed Daphne, "Bit of a prick to be honest." This was met by the sound of shattering from the adjoining kitchen.
"You two knew about this place and didn't think to tell us?" Harry asked, outraged.
"At least you got out of redecorating!" Snapped both Lilith and Daphne, quite creepily at the same time.
"So how big is this place?" Cut in Ginevra to avoid starting a fight.
"Well, there's the conference room, the study and the sitting room, which you've already seen, but then we have the kitchen, the library, two bathrooms, two bedrooms, the dining room and the garden."
"And the swimming pool." Added Daphne.
"Where are we exactly?" Theo questioned.
"This," Grinned Lilith dramatically, "Is Salazar Slytherin's personal quarters, in the Chamber of Secrets."
"Where the hell have you been?" Severus addressed his children and their friends.
"We were discussing things."
"Your fathers point, Lilith," Said Narcissa gently, "Is that you didn't tell anyone where you were going."
"We were only late because we had to tidy the kitchen."
Tom sighed, "Where actually were you though?" The young man raked his hand through his hair and slouched down in his seat.
"You know I can't tell you that, dad. You would only cut off access for us."
"What do I do with you, insolent child?"
"Give me no punishment?"
"Get out of my sight you bunch of vile children." He said fondly. "Theodore, stay."
After all five of them had gone, the three adults turned to Theo.
"Your actions towards my daughter are obvious." Began Tom.
Severus continued, "And if you ever hurt her,"
"We will find you, and we will kill you." Finished Narcissa, helping herself to a cup of tea.
Theo gulped and nodded. Just as he reached the door he paused and turned.
"Shouldn't Lilith be four years older than us though?" He asked, confused.
Tom nodded, "Yes, and technically she is, but biologically she is twelve like the rest of you, thanks to the de-aging ritual we found."
Theo stood still for a moment, processing the information. "Thank you sir. Goodnight, sir, ma'am, Professor."
Once the door had shut behind him Narcissa turned to her friends.
"I like him, he will be useful. Unfortunately his father is a traitor. Kill him."