"It means the Ministry's interfering at Hogwarts." I ran my hand through my long red hair, the Ministry's involvement at the school could not be a good sign.
"And that would be bad because?" I wanted to explain the Order of the Phoenix and everything that had happened this summer, but students were leaving their seats and I had to collect the first years.
"I'll explain later I promise!" I told Emily before standing up on the bench next to her. "Oy, First year Slytherins! Over here." I began waving them in my direction. Nearly right away ten or fifteen students were by my side, the others slowly trickled over, followed by a very grumpy looking Draco Malfoy. "Right, er is that everyone?" I asked Draco uncertainly.
"Just about." He nodded after taking a headcount.
"Excellent. First years, follow us, we'll explain everything you need to know once we're in the common room." I jumped down from the bench and started walking away. The sounds of nearly forty pairs of footsteps followed slowly after Draco and I. I turned around, walking backwards across the Entrance Hall. "The Slytherin Dorms and common room are located in the dungeons. The Dungeons are across the Entrance Hall, down the stairs, and through narrow walkways. Should you get lost, have no fear we Slytherins are a cunning bunch. But, for tonight, stay close and you should do just fine." I faced forward again as I led the groups down the stairs.
"You know it makes sense that they chose you..."
"Shove it Malfoy." I interrupted what was sure to be some speech about how I probably feel entitled because I was raised by the Slytherin Head of House.
"No I mean it, you're a natural."
"Let's just hope they think that." I sighed, stopping before the stone wall that would turn into the common room entrance. "First years, this may seem like just a dead end in the middle of the Dungeons , but it's actually the entrance to the Common Room and Dormitories. Now to get inside all you've got to do is say the Slytherin password. The password changes every term, so this one will be good until sometime in January. If you ever forget the password, you can come to any of the prefects. The password for the term will be..." Oh crud.
"Don't worry, I talked with Professor Snape before the feast." Draco whispered by my side. "The password for this term will be Parseltounge. PARSELTOUNGE." Draco repeated, both for the first years to hear, and for access to the Common Room. As always happened when the password was given, I giant wooden door appeared. Draco and I walked into the common room followed closely by the first years. I wasn't surprised to see the common room was void of almost all of the older students. They Slytherins weren't much of the 'hang in the common room' type to begin with. As a whole the house tended to keep to themselves or cluster in small groups at one dorm. Draco and I stood in front of the fireplace, like we'd seen the prefects before us do.
"So, er Welcome to Slytherin!"Draco looked around the room at the forty younger faces. He seemed to be struggling with what to say. It was almost like Draco was taking this prefect thing seriously. "This is our common room, which..ah..which Alice will tell you more about."
"The common room, is well it's basically a common space for everyone in Slytherin. Now I'm sure you've heard some terrible things about us Slytherins, but I want you to know that being is Slytherin isn't all about Dark Magic and curses."
"Yeah! Sometimes it's about fighting Dragons and Killing Hufflepuffs right?" One of the first years called out.
"What? What did you say?" A tall dark haired boy pushed his way to the front of the crowd.
"I said, sometimes it's about fighting Dragons and killing hufflepuffs. That's how you spent your Fourth Year at Hogwarts is it?" many of the students around him began to laugh.
"Why you little..." I wasn't normally one to go around hexing first years, well maybe I was, the situation had never really come up before. I reached for my wand without thinking. Draco jumped in front of me, addressing the little whelp.
"You, last name?" Draco snapped, he sounded angry, genuinely angry.
"Flint." The boy answered sticking his chin out proudly.
"Your brother'd be Marcus then? He graduated Hogwarts last year. I knew Marcus quite well, sure he'd love to hear what a fine lad you've shaped up to be. Detention for two weeks." Draco turned back to the rest of the first years. "Let that be a lesson to you lot. Professor Snape, our head of house, will let you get away with a lot of things but fighting among the snakes is not one of them. Get to bed all of you." Draco commanded pointing in the direction of the dorms. Sensing what was good for them, the first years marched themselves to the dormitories without another word.
"Well that was a complete and total disaster." I sank to the floor when the last footsteps faded away.
"It could have gone worse." Draco said crouching down to my level. "You alright?" In all honestly I was an absolute disaster, but I was determined not to run to Draco with every little problem I had.
"I'll be alright." I said glaring at the emerald carpet. "Actually, I'm going to take a walk do you think you could..."
"I don't think any of first years will be giving me trouble tonight, you go ahead. Tell Professor Snape I said hi."
"Thank you, for always looking out for me." I smiled as I rose to my feet.