Dumbledore finished his opening speech, and then the Start of Term Feast began. The tabled filled up with delicious food of all sorts. Hermione and Ron were seated beside Harry at the Griffindor table in the great hall, like they always had been. Neville was sitting across from Harry, chatting about the summer holidays with Seamus. Harry stared beyond Seamus, and over at the Slytherin table. Serenity was seated there, and by the looks of it she wasn't too thrilled. She sat at the end of the table, to the right and was poking at the food on her plate, moving it around and occasionally taking a bite. She took no notice of Harry staring upon her, but Hermione and Ron took notice of Harry's oggling.
"Why do you keep on looking at that new Slytherin girl?" Hermione asked, grabbing Harry's chin and bringing his attention over to her. Harry was contemplating on whether he should tell them that he had heard someone speaking parsletongue in the compartment, or that when Serenity had looked at his scar, he got a sort of shock. But he thought better of it, knowing all the trouble telling such things had gotten them into over the years. They all knew that Voldemort was around, and that he was planning to do anything necessary to restore himself to power once again. But he didn't want them to jump to conclusions, thus turning on Serenity. There was something about her, something that he couldn't explain. "She doesn't seem like she's enjoying her house placement," Harry said. "Does she?"
"She doesn't seem like she's enjoying being outside her coffin either," Pavratti sniggered. Harry glared at her, which ended the insults for a long time. Dumbledore stood up to give the closing speach for the evening. For the first time in six years, Harry wasn't listening to the speech. He was too busy looking at Serenity again. She looked so lonely, like an outsider. She was like him, she was different. Her eyes met his, making his scar sting slightly like it had on the train. Then, he heard the hissing again.
it's too bright in here. i don't like it. i don't like it at all.
Harry looked around for something, anything, but he saw no source of the hissing. No snake. No nothing. He looked back at Serenity, but she was not looking at him anymore. Her eyes were on the table. She appeared to be rather bored, or perhaps just tired in general. But he knew very well that she was not enjoying her placement like the other Slytherins were, judging by how she wasn't associating herself with any of them. Dumbledore closed his speach and then slowly the great hall started to empty. Serenity filed in amongst the others, nearly disappearing within the crowd if not for her pale skin. Harry got up as well and followed Ron up to the boys' dorm. "You sat with the new student on the train?" Ron asked, as he changed for bed.
"Yes," Harry replied, buttoning up the front of his pajama shirt. "Why is this such a big deal?"
"Well she does look rather odd."
"And your point would be?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't have a point really." Ron said, his cheeks pink with embarrassment. The conversation ended rather quickly and Ron crawled into bed and fell asleep. Harry did the same, but falling asleep was nearly an impossibility. He couldn't shake off the feeling that something just wasn't right about Serenity. As soon as she arrived, he started hearing the language of parseltongue being spoken by something unseen. Perhaps another basilisk snuck onto the train and followed him to school. No way. Security in Hogwarts would have prevented such a thing from happening. Besides, wouldn't Hagrid notice if there was a huge snake in the castle? Exhaustion began to take over and Harry finally fell asleep. His dreams were empty at first, then they began to take form. He was in a bed next to a woman. She was naked, with her back to him. His fingers, which were long and white stroked the woman's side. Then he sat up and emerged from the bed. He found a robe on the floor and put it on, covering up his naked, skeletal white body. He then made his way across the dark bedroom and looked in a mirror----- It was then that Harry awoke, drenched in sweat, his breath coming out in huffs. Another nightmare. But this one was worse than any other that he had had before. He dreamed that he was Voldemort.
"Why do you keep on looking at that new Slytherin girl?" Hermione asked, grabbing Harry's chin and bringing his attention over to her. Harry was contemplating on whether he should tell them that he had heard someone speaking parsletongue in the compartment, or that when Serenity had looked at his scar, he got a sort of shock. But he thought better of it, knowing all the trouble telling such things had gotten them into over the years. They all knew that Voldemort was around, and that he was planning to do anything necessary to restore himself to power once again. But he didn't want them to jump to conclusions, thus turning on Serenity. There was something about her, something that he couldn't explain. "She doesn't seem like she's enjoying her house placement," Harry said. "Does she?"
"She doesn't seem like she's enjoying being outside her coffin either," Pavratti sniggered. Harry glared at her, which ended the insults for a long time. Dumbledore stood up to give the closing speach for the evening. For the first time in six years, Harry wasn't listening to the speech. He was too busy looking at Serenity again. She looked so lonely, like an outsider. She was like him, she was different. Her eyes met his, making his scar sting slightly like it had on the train. Then, he heard the hissing again.
it's too bright in here. i don't like it. i don't like it at all.
Harry looked around for something, anything, but he saw no source of the hissing. No snake. No nothing. He looked back at Serenity, but she was not looking at him anymore. Her eyes were on the table. She appeared to be rather bored, or perhaps just tired in general. But he knew very well that she was not enjoying her placement like the other Slytherins were, judging by how she wasn't associating herself with any of them. Dumbledore closed his speach and then slowly the great hall started to empty. Serenity filed in amongst the others, nearly disappearing within the crowd if not for her pale skin. Harry got up as well and followed Ron up to the boys' dorm. "You sat with the new student on the train?" Ron asked, as he changed for bed.
"Yes," Harry replied, buttoning up the front of his pajama shirt. "Why is this such a big deal?"
"Well she does look rather odd."
"And your point would be?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't have a point really." Ron said, his cheeks pink with embarrassment. The conversation ended rather quickly and Ron crawled into bed and fell asleep. Harry did the same, but falling asleep was nearly an impossibility. He couldn't shake off the feeling that something just wasn't right about Serenity. As soon as she arrived, he started hearing the language of parseltongue being spoken by something unseen. Perhaps another basilisk snuck onto the train and followed him to school. No way. Security in Hogwarts would have prevented such a thing from happening. Besides, wouldn't Hagrid notice if there was a huge snake in the castle? Exhaustion began to take over and Harry finally fell asleep. His dreams were empty at first, then they began to take form. He was in a bed next to a woman. She was naked, with her back to him. His fingers, which were long and white stroked the woman's side. Then he sat up and emerged from the bed. He found a robe on the floor and put it on, covering up his naked, skeletal white body. He then made his way across the dark bedroom and looked in a mirror----- It was then that Harry awoke, drenched in sweat, his breath coming out in huffs. Another nightmare. But this one was worse than any other that he had had before. He dreamed that he was Voldemort.
