Renee POV
I stood behind Sandra as Stacy led us to the common rooms. I had to remember my way to the Great Hall, so I watched carefully. It still wasn't easy with all the moving staircases and talking portraits. I decided to ask Sandra to go with me after all.
Stacy led us to a portrait of a man holding a snake. My first thought was that it was Hermes with Martha and George, a picture I'd seen around camp many times. But a closer look made me realize that it was Merlin, who the hat had told me was a Slytherin.
"Password?" Merlin asked
Stacy turned to us. "Now remember this. You'll be notified when there's a change. But the current password is 'serpens domum.'"
I knew that meant "snake house" in Latin, but I wasn't sure how. I knew Greek, not Latin.
We entered the common room. Because we were in the dungeons, the lake gave the light a greenish tinge. "You can pull back that curtain and see the depths of the lake. In the summer term, they sometimes let you go swimming after exams." There were green plush armchairs and decorations of snakes. "Girls' dormitories are on the left, boys on the right. Now, get to bed, we have a big day tomorrow." I would pretend, of course. I still had to meet Clara later.
A girl cornered me. She looked like another first year, although she was much bigger than me. "You're planning to sneak out. And we won't let you." Two other girls appeared behind her. Sandra was talking to Gill, so she didn't see any of this.
"Oh, lay off her, it's only her first day," the tallest girl said, mimicking Sophia. "Well, no, I don't think so."
I groaned. Maybe I would just stay at Hufflepuff every night, that would be better than being tortured by these three. "You must be Morgana, Ariana, and Kaylee. How nice to meet you." I was glad Chiron had let Clara and I bring our weapons, although now was not the time for threatening. Forgetting I didn't know my way to the Hufflepuff common room, I ran out the portrait and away from Slytherin. I really didn't want to go back. Classes that I didn't have with Clara or Ginny were going to be torture, and it was only the first night. I planned to go back after breakfast when nobody would be there so I could get my stuff, but otherwise I would stay with Clara.
I got a little lost, but I didn't pass anyone, and soon, I made it to a still life. I tickled the pear, as Clara had told me to do.
"Hello, miss! Looking for a midnight snack?" The creature had a squeaky voice and was a little shorter than a goblin. Someone grabbed my arm and I turned to face Clara and Ginny. Clara gave me a hug, as if she hadn't seen me in forever.
Ginny had a tray loaded with appetizers. She carried it down the corridor to the Hufflepuff common room.
"Okay, don't tell anyone this, but if you ever want to come, you have to tap out 'Helga Hufflepuff,' on this barrell, two from the bottom and middle of the second row. Like this." Clara demonstrated.
"So, wait. We don't need a password?" Giny and I asked at the same time, then laughed. "Well, I guell I know how to get into your room then," I added.
"Not without the password, you don't! Oh, Ron and the twins are going to resent me so much for being friends with you."
Clara pushed the barrells aside and made her way into a cheerful, yellow and black room. I grinned; the room had a much better feeling about it than my own common room did.
Clara led us to an area that looked like a closet. "Trust me, it's much bigger on the inside. I went in here with Kat and Rebecca earlier." My face fell. Clara was outgrowing me, and I couldn't do a thing about it.
"I thought this was just for guests?"
"No, but when we have guests, it repels anyone who doesn't have the password. Yep, you can set up a password. I bet you can guess what ours is."
"Are you serious, Clara? You can't use 'Andromeda Jeanne' for everything!"
"Why not?"
"Well, it's not a very secure password, is it?" But I rolled my eyes and nodded all the same. Andromeda Jeanne had become more than just a boat we had the misfortune to be on. It had become our code word for both "danger," and for our friendship. I smiled.
"You know I'd never ditch you for the other Hufflepuffs, right Renee? If you ever need something, you come first. Now, how's the Slytherin common room?"
"It's not much….well…." I couldn't talk, and Clara sensed I was having trouble.
"What is it, Wren?"
"I'm scared to be in Slytherin. The girls are mean, everyone's a pureblood, and I've already been threatened." At this, both Ginny and Clara raised their eyebrows.
"Was it Kaylee? Ron knows her sister, Pansy. They're bad news, don't let them get to you," Ginny consoled.
"What about your friend, Sandra?" Clara asked.
"She hasn't stood up for me, not once."
"Seriously?"
I nodded. "Clara, can I live here? Please?"
"I'm sorry, Renee. You were sorted into Slytherin. And what about Gill and Tomasz? They seem nice."
"Clara, they're boys! And I'm, well, you know.
"So? Show them that you're more than that. Now, show us something, Ginny, and then we will tell you our secrets."
I looked at her, affronted. "You never told me we were telling her anything," I whispered, but Clara just shook her head.
"You'll never believe me"-fat chance, I thought, we go to a magical wizarding school and I'm the daughter of Aphrodite, so I'll believe anything-"but my mum gave me a magical diary. And it writes back!"
"That's so cool!" Clara exclaimed, but I wasn't so sure.
"Are you sure that's safe, Ginny? I mean, show us. Please."
"Okay." Ginny opened a little green book. "Ron will be in so much trouble when Mum finds out what he and Harry did. I hope they don't blame me." She spoke as she wrote, outlining the name "Harry" in little hearts. I laughed, and Clara smacked me. She must've noticed the hearts too.
Thankfully, Ginny didn't seem to notice. She was too busy looking at the diary, where the words had disappeared. They were being replaced by the diary's own words. "Your parents won't blame you, Ginny. Now, tell me more about that heartthrob, Harry Potter."
Ginny turned beet red. "See? It writes back!"
Clara laughed, but I still wasn't sure. "What did Harry and Ron do?" I asked, to diffuse the attention from her diary.
"They flew my dad's enchanted car here when they missed-or, were locked out from, depending on who you listen to-the train. They were spotted by Muggles, and Hermione's not even talking to them."
"Who's Hermione?"
"That bushy-haired girl who asked me if I had seen them when we got off the train."
I nodded, hoping I could meet Hermione, Harry, and Ron sometime soon. "So, they're second-years?"
"Yep. They defeated You-Know-Who again and saved the Sorcerer's Stone last year."
"Who's You-Know-Who?"
Ginny gasped. "Are you serious? You don't know? You two are hopeless!"
Clara looked at her, confused.
"Well, the wizard world is not safe. Once, there was a wizard who went….bad. As bad as they come. His name…." she shuddered. "His name was Voldemort. Wizards still do not speak it. When Harry Potter was a baby, You-Know-Who tried to kill him. When he wants to kill you, he will do it, and nothing will stop him. But when he attacked the Potters, when he tried to kill Harry….he supposedly died. However, Dumbledore doesn't believe he's really gone, and neither do we. He tried to come back again at the end of last year by means of the Sorcerer's Stone, an object that grants immortality and endless wealth. I think Ron said it was through another's body. Harry defeated him again, along with help from Ron and Hermione."
"Wow, that sounds as dark as-" I elbowed Clara before she gave away anything. "As dark as night," she finished, but Ginny looked at us oddly.
I looked at a large clock. "Guys, it's nearly two, we should go back."
"I'll walk you guys back," said Clara, but we shook our heads. "Just in case anyone is still up, I don't want you to be seen with me right now. They'll give you some trouble if they see us together. I want to wait it out a little bit. Maybe Kaylee and Morgana and Ariana will get better."
Clara looked doubtful, but Ginny and I nodded. "We'll be fine, Clara."
A/N: so that's that. Renee and Clara will start classes in the next chapter. Do you think Renee will ever let them tell Ginny about being demigods? Some of those Slytherin girls seem so mean! Well, classes in the next chapter, can't wait to see what that brings!
Shout out to chocolate-writing-perfection and B00kfan for always reviewing for almost every chapter. I love you guys and all my readers! Please review!
