Year Three at Hogwarts
Chapter 4: Slytherin's Map
When all the students got to the front of the castle, they left the carriages and made their way to the Great Hall. They passed by the doors and just in time too because it had started to pour rain.
"Good thing we all got in so quickly. I would not fancy to be like a drenched rag," Tyler said thankfully.
"Tyler, didn't you try the hair gel I sent?"
"Well, I didn't know how to use it Reggie. You didn't give instructions."
"It's very simple. Just put some in your hands and use it to shape your hair so it will be the way you want."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"Wow, I thought it was completely complicated."
"Come on Tyler," Brad said holding back a laugh. "You've got to give muggles more credit than that."
"Maybe I should," Tyler said to himself more to them.
When they arrived at the Great Hall, the four seekers separated to their respective house tables. Tyler picked a random seat away from anyone at the moment and was waiting for his slytherin buds. He waited for about a minute when Matt and Morgan came through the doors. They both were wet but only a little. They went over and sat near Tyler with Matt going across him and Morgan sitting at his left.
"Tyler, hey."
"Great to see you Tyler. We missed you."
"Matt, Morgan, It's great to see you two in the flesh again."
Matt went to shake his hand while Morgan went and hugged Tyler...hard. Tyler hugged her back but realized that she was cutting off his air.
"Morgan...I'm glad you're happy to see me...but let me breathe."
"Oh sorry," she said turning a light shade of red.
"Oh, is Morgan blushing?" Matt said in a teasing child's voice.
"Shut up Carroway," she spited back.
"Eh, touched a soft spot didn't I?"
"Where's Regulus?" Tyler asked hoping to stop a duel from breaking out with a change to a neutral topic.
"Oh, he came over with his fellow 6th years. He didn't seem too happy though. I thought that he would be great especially since he got such good OWL results."
"Yeah, he owled me on my birthday, said that he had something to tell us Matt."
"Yeah, I got a letter saying that too."
"Speaking of your birthday Tyler...did you like my gift?" Morgan was tense but only Tyler could tell because he was right next to her.
"Oh...yeah. Thanks for the picture Morgan, I hung it up on my wall with my other pictures."
"I'm glad you liked it. As I said, we're friends now and you keep pictures of your friends so I sent you the best one that I could get of myself for you."
"That was real nice of you."
"Sent him a picture of you did you? And he hung on the wall for you. Awe."
"Not again Matt," Tyler pleaded shutting him up before he could make Morgan mad and embarrassed again.
"Not again Matt what?" asked a new voice which Tyler recognized as his 16 year old friend Regulus.
"Never mind that Regulus. So I see you look...great."
Tyler didn't know what else to say. Regulus had grown a few inches taller from the last time he'd seen him. He seemed more mature looking and his hair was nicely groomed with the air of elegance that it did with rich people. But Regulus didn't have a cheery look in his eyes, he seemed...distracted by something.
"Yeah," Regulus said with annoyance. "I feel as good as I look."
"What's wrong with you?" asked Matt.
"Hello, Morgan is here. I'm not going to discuss this when she is here. It's private between us."
Tyler felt his stomach go numb. If this was about the Death Eaters then Tyler did not know if he could take this again.
Morgan spoke up. "Come on, what can't you say that I can't hear?"
"It's a topic between men. Having a girl around will only make it worse and you'll just laugh at me anyway."
"I won't laugh. Come on Regulus. Don't you trust me?" Morgan gave Regulus pleading eyes and pouted her bottom lip, which made Regulus tense and then give off a breath in surrender.
"Oh alright. Just don't laugh, or decide to spread it all over the girls' dormitory or I'll hex your lips into oblivion with a spell that you won't hope to counteract."
"Promise."
Tyler felt a little happier all of a sudden. If Regulus did have something related to the Death Eaters that he wanted to share then he wouldn't have agreed to let Morgan listen in especially since he thought that she would laugh at him. He did say that it was a guy thing. Tyler almost laughed himself at how he jumped to conclusions and worried over nothing.
The hall doors opened and in walked Hagrid. He looked a little soaked at the top but that was to be expected when it was raining hard outside. He walked over and sat down at his usual spot on the staff table. Tyler saw that where Hagrid was, sat a young man probably in his late 30's there. He had curly brown hair, and had his face with a blank expression. Professor McGonagall, the transfiguration teacher and head of Gryffindor House, came in followed by the new herd of first years. They all were looking around the room with wonder and Tyler remembered that he had done similar things when he had walked into Hogwarts for the first time.
Professor McGonagall led them to the front of the room and asked them to make a group while she went to put a stool in front of them with the sorting hat. Tyler remembered how the sorting hat sorted people by what their character and their needs. He also recalled that it sang a different song every year about the houses and how important it was to be united. The first song that was song had actually talked about Tyler in a sense. It said that he was to be the hope of the world and bring unity and joy, as well as erase instant doubt. He didn't fully get what that meant but he didn't care. He just wanted to forget the song and the family prophecy and be himself.
The hat opened up a rip and began to sing in a much better but still off-key voice than before.
"It has been said again and over,
that I'm a sorting hat.
Godric Gryffindor took me off his head,
and charmed me to do just that.
Godric Gryffindor loved those of bravery,
Rowena Ravenclaw loved the students of learning call,
Salazar Slytherin loved ones of trickery,
Helga Hufflepuff absolutely loved them all.
I've been sorting for about a thousand years,
placing youngsters where they belong.
New students I will sort you,
but I have more in my song.
Outside our walls lurks a dark menace,
that is out for power and wrong.
Unless you unite with ourselves,
then Hogwarts will not last long.
You let yourselves fight within the school,
thinking everyone outside your house is sore.
Remember, we are like a square,
which must have four.
Even though you are in a house,
you must discover everyone is unique.
Please learn of this lesson well,
especially from the four that seek.
I have given you my deepest wish,
and I will say no more.
It's time to talk about the houses,
starting with Gryffindor.
Home of the ones with courage,
you'll are the image of a knight.
These fellows don't run from fear,
instead laugh in the face of fright.
Meet the people in Slytherin,
they are the clever lot.
Priding themselves on their trickiness,
huge bag of confidence they've got.
Ravenclaw has the intellectual sort,
they brace everything in logic.
Knowledge is their way of life,
it increases like magic.
Loyals go in Hufflepuff,
where they value fair play.
If you are loving and work hard,
then welcomed there you may.
All four of these houses are special,
but there is still something to tell.
You could only be placed in one,
so be advised, choose well.
Don't worry for I'll point the way,
question me if you may.
Choose the place where you'll stay,
But remember that house outsiders are still okay.
Now Youngsters, put me on,
Let The Sorting Begin!!"
The school broke into clapping at the end of the sorting hat's song. However, there were four people in the mass of students that weren't noticed for their lack of claps. Neither of the seekers were clapping for they were shocked at what the sorting hat had said. The sorting hat had vaguely mentioned the name of their group, The Seekers, in it's song with the phrase "the four that seek" meaning them. All four of them had similar thoughts on their minds. Why would the sorting hat talk about them and more importantly, how did it know about them? Could Professor Dumbledore possibly know about them or did the sorting hat just come on to their secret alone?
Professor McGonagall began the roll call for the sorting.
"When your name is called, please come forward for the sorting hat to place you into your houses." She went to the scroll in her hand and read the first name. "Bruce Baker!"
A steady boy went to the stool and put the hat on. "Slytherin!" There was clapping from the student body but most of it from the slytherin table.
"Janice Brinker!" continued McGonagall.
"Ravenclaw!"
"Gabriella Clowers!"
"Hufflepuff!"
"Jack Cromwell!"
"Gryffindor!"
"Marsha Dermin!"
"Hufflepuff!"
Eventually, Tyler lost interest in the paying full attention and was wishing that the sorting could end so that Regulus could say on his mind.
"Regulus, when are you going to tell us what you have to tell us?" he asked quietly as Amy Lewis was sorted into Gryffindor.
"Right after the sorting Tyler. It'll get noisy enough so no one else would hear. Look, we got another slytherin," he said indicating a boy named Skye McKnight.
"Yeah, because you're keeping us in suspense," said Matt.
"Alden Rushmore"
"Hufflepuff!"
"Yeah, and I'm want to know what you have to say that makes you so sure that a girl will laugh at you," Morgan turning her head from the sorting to Regulus.
"Oxford Switzer!"
"Gryffindor!"
The sorting continued on for a few more minutes until the last person, Sora Vican, was sorted into Gryffindor. When she sat down, the headmaster Professor Dumbledore stood up to give the usual announcements. They all listened to staying away from the Forbidden Forest, the list of forbidden items on Filch's office door, the rule against using magic in the corridor between classes, how the school should be a place to relax during the dark times and so on. Tyler just wanted the speeches to end so that the feast could begin.
"Lastly, I would like introduce our new defense against the dark arts teacher. Sadly, Professor Kenrick Arnold has not been found but to fill in the post is Mr. Timothy Squall." He pointed over to the man that Tyler noticed earlier and saw that he had a cheery smile on now and bowed his head at the introduction Dumbledore gave him. "Now," rebegan Dumbledore. "Let us begin the welcome feast and rekindle ourselves."
Food appeared on the tables and everyone started to grab food immediately. After about a minute of eating, Regulus called for Matt, Morgan and Tyler's attention.
"All right, what I'm about to tell you is a little embarrassing so no laughing, especially from you," he said pointing his eyes at Morgan.
"Yeah, yeah, what is it now?"
"Well...I heard from my parents that they've arranged something for me."
"What?" Tyler asked. He was already annoyed that Regulus had something that was driving him crazy and seemed to drive himself crazy too from the look on his face.
"Well...you see...they've...arranged for me to marry a girl of their choosing."
"What?" said Matt and Tyler with opened mouths and shocked eyes. Morgan just had a blank face at the news.
"Yeah, they've picked a girl to be my wife and I haven't even met her or even seen her picture."
"Do you at least know her name?"
"No Matt, they didn't even tell me that. They just said that she has their blessing and her parents have my blessing and that's all there is to it. They said that we are to wed after I leave Hogwarts and closed the matter with Tojours Pur."
"Tojours Pur?" said Morgan clearly as confused as Tyler was feeling.
"Yeah, that's the saying of the Black family. It means "remain pure"."
"Your parents are downright nuts Regulus," Tyler said speaking his mind. "You have a choice on who you want to date let alone marry."
"Yeah, makes me think my brother might have been smarter than I thought."
"Well, I wouldn't go that far," Tyler said countering Regulus' latest statement on Sirius Black. "But still, isn't there someway out?"
"Not that I know of."
Then Morgan began chuckling.
"See? This is why I didn't want to say anything in front of her?"
"What are you talking about?" Morgan asked innocently.
"You're laughing. I knew that a girl wouldn't understand."
"Understand? It sounds kind of sweet, like a fairy tale."
"Morgan, you just don't get it from a guy's point of view," Tyler said helping Regulus. "You girls think stuff like that is romantic."
"Yeah, to be told of a girl that you'll have to marry without choice is downright humiliating," joined in Matt. "You don't know if you're marrying a hag, bore, or troll for that matter. And you call that romantic?"
"Well...I never thought of it that way. And I wasn't laughing at him. I was laughing at how you're reacting to this news Black. Relax. I think I already found a way to get you out of it."
"Don't bother Stellers," Regulus said clearly annoyed at Morgan. "I thought and thought of how to get out of this and the only way that I can think of is if I die, my soon to be fiancé dies, or my parents die because other than that I'm stuck."
"Alright fine, be that way," Morgan snapped back.
Neither one of them said or looked at the other for the entire meal and instead talked to either Matt or himself being careful to not be forced to speak to each other.
The end of the feast arrived and soon everyone started to get up from his or her spot and walk out of the Great Hall. Tyler was up and heading out when a foot stepped on one of his own. He turned and saw that he had bumped into 3 younger slytherin boys. Two of them, he recognized from the sorting.
"Oh sorry," one of the new little ones said.
"It's okay. Tyler Solemn," he said moving his hand to shake hello.
They all shook his hands and the two 1st years introduced themselves first.
"Lutz Napier." He seemed excited.
"Bruce Baker." He was a little shaken but okay, probably since he thought Tyler was going to scream at him since he was the one who stepped on him.
"Great, Welcome to Slytherin House. And you?" he said to the last one. "I've seen you but I don't quite remember your name."
"Oh, hardly anyone does. Samuel Baddock, second year."
"Nice to meet you. Well, I guess you better be off."
They left the Great Hall and Tyler left the room too. He kept going but didn't head straight for the dungeons. He went into an unused classroom close to them and saw his fellow seekers there.
"We've got a problem," Reggie said immediately.
"I figured that," Tyler said.
"Told you he would," Jacke said with triumph to Reggie.
"Okay okay, anyway, if the sorting hat knows about our group then you could bet Dumbledore might know."
"That I'm not too sure on."
"Why?" said Brad.
"Well...I guess it won't matter since you already know about me but when we got sorted two years ago, the sorting hat saw right through me and knew who I really was."
"It knew?"
"Yeah Brad, I pleaded for him or it or whatever to not say anything and it gave me it's word that it wouldn't say anything. It told me that it's not it's place to reveal anything personal about any student. I think it might be connected or something to the school."
"So...you're saying our group's existence is safe?" asked Reggie.
"Yeah, I'm confident it is so there's no need to worry."
"Good," said Jacke relieved. "Reggie here was going mad with fright until you got here worrying about the headmaster knowing that we had something to do with Arnold last year."
"Hey, if he did then we could've been facing expulsion from Hogwarts."
"But we're not are we?"
"Alright Jacke, I think he gets the point," Brad jumped in. "Let's just leave it at that and leave. I don't know about you guys but I'm tired and I could use a good sleep. Let's go Reggie."
"Yeah, I'm with you. We may not have classes until the day after tomorrow but we still get our schedules for Monday. Goodnight Tyler, Jacke."
"Night," they both said to their friends who walked out leaving them alone.
"I caught a little something going on with Regulus at your table. He seemed worried, not at all like his calm self."
"Yeah, well he had a stressful summer thanks to his parents. He told us what's wrong and it's nothing for you worry about. There's little that can be done to fix it and he's been stressed out by it."
"What?"
"It's a little private. It's not my business, it's his."
"Okay, I can respect that. I was just curious and a little worried about him."
"You were?"
"Yeah, don't act surprised Tyler. Regulus is a friend in my mind. You met him the same time I did remember?"
"Oh right."
"Well, I better head over to Gryffindor Tower. I got to catch a prefect because I don't know the password, bye."
He ran out heading to his common room but Tyler took his time to his. Regulus gave him the password to the common room that he was told by the prefect in his year. He'd been hanging a lot with them lately.
He got to the disappearing wall and said, "Amorite." It disappeared to the side and revealed the doorway into the Slytherin common room.
He headed for the 3rd year dorms and saw his other dorm mates Alex Nott, younger brother of the 6th year prefect Theodore Nott, and Zack Moore unpacking. Matt was straightening his bed out so Tyler didn't disturb him. He headed for his trunk and started to put his stuff away. When the others weren't looking, he took Chaos and put him under his bed to access an entrance into the miniature tunnel network and one happened to be under his bed. Tyler had a lot to unload and soon became the only one still awake unpacking. Tyler saw one more thing in his trunk to pack and pulled the last of his robes out and saw a box fall out. He recognized it as the one he took out from the "Deep Level" which had the wands in it. He opened it to find the parchment he also took out but he hadn't had time to look at it. He closed his bed hangings and lit his wand. He unfolded the parchment and saw on the top in bold letters said "Slytherin's Map"
It seemed to be of the second floor right here at Hogwarts. But there was something wrong of what it told, for it told of an office where he knew was a classroom. That room was labeled "My office."
'Wait a gnome picking minute,' Tyler thought. 'This...this has got to be a map written by my ancestor, Salazar Slytherin.'
Tyler examined the map and saw that there seemed to be an indicating X on a point at the second floor. Tyler recognized it as a bathroom since he'd passed it, he didn't know how many times, ever since he first started school. There was also a list of instructions to do when you were at that spot.
'Hmm, these instructions, they're written in parselform. Let's see, go to the entrance, then say Open and climb down the pipe to private chamber. Hmm...a chamber? What chamber could that be? Maybe I should investigate.'
Tyler let out a yawn after he had made up his mind and decided to hold off any planning or adventure for later. It had been a long day and he just wanted to sleep...for now anyway.
End of Chapter 4Nightlit: Great to see you've found my third story. I do have one question about something you said, "What on earth is Mary-Sue anyway? I've always heard that but never understood what that meant. Anyway, to your other concern, no, the main characters aren't any more powerful with the wands. Jacke, Reggie, Brad, and Tyler's powers didn't increase when they got the founders' wands. They are like normal wands to them. The only difference is how they feel which will be important later but I don't want to spoil anything.
Tigercub15: So you do like the new story.
Author Notes:
Bad luck for Regulus huh? I got the idea for an arranged marriage from what Sirius told Harry in OOTP. He said that being a Black practically made you royalty. And royals had arranged marriages. Do you think that was a clever move? Oh well. Tyler found a map of Salazar Slytherin's. I'm thinking that you all shouldn't have to guess where the marker on the map leads to. But for those who are hopeless, it leads to the Chamber of Secrets. Next chapter: Tyler, along with Chaos, goes down to that chamber and find many wonders including the "monster of slytherin."