"So," said Seline carelessly, sitting back in the common room armchairs facing a blazing fire, "another Mudblood attack?"
Her tongue rolled over the syllables, like she was savoring a piece of chocolate. Her voice was just barely edged in malicious glee - being a prefect, she had to keep up appearances of being concerned about the school.
"Dennis Navers, that snot-nosed, whiny first year," Tom said. "Pomfrey's talking about expanding the hospital wing."
Seline laughed, a high, cold sound.
"Well, this Heir of Slytherin has got a good head on his shoulders, that's for sure," she said, glancing up at the portrait of the House's founder above the mantel. "All the better for us real students to get that slime out. What good headmaster would let filth like that learn magic?"
"If it weren't for Dumbledore, we'd have a lot less," Tom said, tossing little balls of parchment into the flames. "Dippet's a smart guy, but when Dumbledore digs his heels in..."
"That stupid, Muggle-loving, pompous prat!" spat Seline as she picked up her unfinished Transfiguration homework.
"Careful," Tom warned. "The walls have ears, you know..."
"Ha ha ha," said Seline. "Anyway, speaking of Dumbledore, we've still got to finish that Transfiguration essay... hello, what's this?"
It was a small gray kitten, wandering around the common room.
"Probably some first year's stupid pet," Tom said. "I despise furred animals."
"Animals...you think Hagrid has something to do with the attacks?"
Tom laughed.
"That oaf! Him, Slytherin's heir?"
"True, true," mused Seline, scooping the purring kitten onto her lap and scratching behind its ears. "Just a passing thought..."
Her eyes glittered with malice, and Tom felt a small smile curl the tips of his mouth.
Just as he was about to turn back to his Transfiguration, there was a flash of green light from Seline's wand and the kitten keeled over, dead.
The clock beside Slytherin's portrait chimed nine.
"Time for patrol duty."
They pushed their things aside and left the dungeon common room. As they rounded the corner, they saw a Hufflepuff second year on the verge of tears.
"Have you seen my cat, Fluffles? He's small, and gray..."
"Get back to your common room. Ten points from Hufflepuff."
Seline snickered as the Hufflepuff raced out of sight. They could hear sobs of "Fluffles? Fluffles? Where are you?"
"Fluffles must have been that cat we saw in the common room." A malicious grin spread over Tom's face when he realized what had happened.