NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6 – First Day (1)
With the feast finished, we were led by the prefect, a lanky, tall boy with black hair, down the many stairs, heading towards the dungeon. It… wasn't exactly what I would call promising. Looking at Quincy's face and a bit of nervousness creeping back onto it, I had a guess she thought we were being taken to some kind of cells or something for interrogation. Luckily, no torture chamber awaited us but instead, a windowless floor and a blank stone wall.
"Purest Form." The prefect said, and a stone snake slithered out from the ground, forming an archway and revealing a door for us that was there a moment ago. "The passwords are always posted on the common room's notice board. It changes every fortnight, so don't forget to check it. If you bring ANYONE who is not part of our house to the common rooms, you will wish you were expelled." He said in a sadistic undertone, looking at us with a grin.
"Who would want to mingle with others when our House has the best?" A voice I recognized belonging to Draco interjected, making the prefect smile even more widely.
"There are exceptions." He said, glancing at Quincy but only lingering on her for a brief moment.
Going through the door, looking around the rough stone walls, the round lamps hanging from the ceiling, burning with greenish flames… it was anything but cozy, making me sigh a little. This is not what I expected. The only positive feature I could say I liked was the panoramic window at the other end of the common room, letting us see into the huge lake. I knew we walked many steps going downstairs, but now I knew we were underground, under the lake's surface surrounding the castle. The tapestries on the walls were describing the adventures of famous, medieval Slytherins, but to be honest, I was not really interested in it. My expectations of mine were maybe too big, but this common room was anything but fancy… anything that I would like. It was dark, cold, and oozing with uncomfortable feelings. Oh well, it isn't the end of the world.
At least that is what I thought until I was led to my room which I had to share with three others…, and those were Draco and his two henchmen, who I assume he recruited on the train ride. I was wholly uninterested in their names, so when Draco introduced them, I only registered them as Henchman#1 and Henchman#2. I was not about to strain my brain with remembering unnecessary information when I had to keep it ready to learn all the spells we come across starting tomorrow.
"Are you listening to me?" Draco asked while I was looking at them blankly.
"Yes." I lied, of course, walking to the bed at one end of the room, opening my trunk, and starting to organize my stuff around my own space.
"I do hope so, or you can leave my room."
"Okay," I replied, without turning towards him. I wish I could change places… well, no matter. If he wants to make me leave, I would be happy to take up the gloves. Until then, it is best to let him to his own devices.
When I was done, I simply closed the curtains around my space, giving me a little bit of privacy. The green-silver separators seemed to be enchanted because as soon as I pulled them close, all outside noise ceased to invade my little 'room.'
"Good. At least I can sleep like this!" I chuckled, changing into my pajamas. Finally, I can start learning and call myself a real wizard soon enough.
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I met Quincy in the common room the next morning. I was surprised because I was the first to wake up in our room. Some older students were already up, sitting around the common room, of course, occupying the most comfortable chairs.
"'Morning!" I greeted her with a smile but then raised one of my eyebrows, seeing the forming bags under her eyes. "Couldn't sleep?"
"Kinda…" She answered, trying to avoid the topic, standing before the bulletin board. "I'll get used to it. I was checking our first timetable."
"Hm," I followed her gaze, looking at it and taking a copy down for myself. "We start with the history of magic class? Doesn't sound that interesting!"
"Depends on the teacher." She replied, but her voice wasn't really filled with much optimism.
"True. Then double potions. Much better."
"You know alchemy?" She looked at me, tilting her head to the sides.
"Nope, nothing. But it sounds practical, so… I am looking forward to that!" I answered with a wide grin. "Then we are going to have charms in the afternoon. Not bad day if I say so myself."
"On paper."
"Are you always this pessimistic?" I sighed, pocketing the timetable and fixing my bag on my shoulder.
"Sorry…" She whispered, lowering her head which made me feel a bit ashamed.
"Nah, no worries!" I nudged her, heading out of the common room, "Come, let's see if we can have breakfast already or not!"
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At least the breakfast was plentiful and made me forget who I managed to get as roommates. Sitting down in the classroom where our first-ever lesson was going to be held, I was still filled with expectations and ready to study. Yet when our teacher, surprisingly, a ghost floated in, I soon realized this was going to be anything but fun. If there is an image of boredom next to the word in the dictionary, I assume it would be an image of our classroom right now. Is our teacher, Professor Binns, determined to kill us with boredom? Or what? Father made me study many things back home to prepare me for attending Hogwarts, but he could make history or even math enjoyable. This was pure torture… maybe this is a new form of the Cruciatus curse? And we are being experimented on? I should learn the Imperius curse to mind-control myself to listen to his monotone, literally dead voice.
"How can you listen to this?" I whispered, leaning towards Quincy, but then she just flinched, looking at me confused.
"Sorry, what?"
"Nothing…" I smirked. Well, it seemed I was not alone. She is a pretty good pretender to feign that type of concentration. I thought she was drinking in every word the Ghost of Boredom was gurgling out. Good job, Quincy!
"..." She now seemed a bit flustered and was blinking her eyes rapidly, forcing back a yawn.
"Next time, I will eat less before having a class with Binsy here."
"Binsy?" She asked, looking around, needing a few moments before she realized who I meant.
"Yeah… I get sleepy when I am full, and with this boring nonsense, I feel it tenfold! Haaaah… at least it isn't a double-length lesson."
"It is your fault that you ate that much."
"It looked great."
"Let me concentrate…" She added, getting annoyed and started ignoring me, slowly managing to fall back into her little trance, looking as if she was paying attention, but her eyes were almost empty.
"Tsk…" I clicked my tongue, impressed by her feat, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. Leaning back and looking over my shoulder, I saw it was one of Draco's bedwarmers… what was his name? Crab? Crap? Crabbe… Crabbe, it should be. Eh, Henchmen#1. He was giving me a small piece of parchment that I took reluctantly, reading it slowly;
"Keep friendly with that misbegotten, and you will be labeled as such!"
Huh. I never knew he knew such archaic words. This would have shown some class if the rest of the sentences were similar. Well, at least he did not call her mongrel. As far as I know, Quincy is just as pure-blooded as me or him. Is he threatening me? I couldn't help but look back toward them, seeing him form a slight smirk. Then I looked at Quincy, who was surprisingly looking at me, which surprised me, I'm not going to lie.
"..." She remained silent, just glanced at the piece of parchment that she could not read but could guess what was on it. Turning away from me, she looked forward again, returning to her 'trance' or it seemed to me.
"..." Now it was my turn to remain silent as I thought about it. It would be good not to get into trouble so early. To go through my initial years with leisure until I topple my O.W.L. Haaah… Father, I think I am not so good at remaining calm and indifferent as you! Sorry!
I crumpled it up, put it into my pocket, and continued ignoring them behind us. When problems that I can't really deal with arrive, I can ignore them, at least until I come up with something that lets me deal with them once and for all. I would rather make friends with one who I can talk to as equals than play the role of a yes man. If it truly gets out of hand, Father did say I should trust the Headmaster… maybe they have something going I don't know about? If all hell breaks loose, I can go and ask for help… maybe? We'll see… For now, my main goal is going to survive this torturous lesson!
