Slytherin Table

Slytherin Table

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The Slytherin table is situated on the far left of the room when entering the Great Hall, with Ravenclaw on the right.

Another year, another feast.

Rae dragged her feet on the walk over to the Slytherin table, somewhat freshly woken from a nap. Her curly mane of hair that had been so carefully brushed for her trip back to Hogwarts now frayed at the edges, loose curls sticking up in all directions from the careless way she'd slept on the train. Where some preferred to run around looking for their friends to pass the time with chatting or playing games, the girl tended to find a quieter compartment to sleep through most of the dull affair returning to school tended to be.

There had never been a point, not even back in her first year, when she'd ever eagerly boarded the train full of excitement and wonder--unless the return trip to London counted. Ruth Anaya was always happy to go home. It hadn't necessarily been because of what awaited her there but simply a desire to be away from the place that had often felt like a prison.

Mercifully, the old stone walls no longer felt that way, feeling almost like home now. That familiarity came with the mildest form of contemplt, specifically for these feasts. Once you'd sat through enough sorting ceremonies, all the magic of watching pitch black robes transform with colour and cheering for the newest members of your 'school family' began to feel like slow torture.

Were it not for her grumbling stomach that had begun to gnaw away at her insides, Rae would've made a beeline for the dungeons, or struck out onto the grounds. She didn't want to listen to the hat sing its song for the millionth time, nor did she want to sit through a speech.

But she did want to eat.

The fourth-year flopped down into an open spot along the bench, somewhere near the middle of the table. "I don't know if I'll make it, Ren," she said to her friend as she slumped forward onto the table.

Empty.

As it always was.

"Should've gotten more from the trolley lady when I had the chance. I'll be dead before Hallow--wait, he's gone--I'll be dead before whoever the hell we've got in charge utters their first word." As if to prove her point, her stomach suddenly grumbled, loud and demanding.

"We should've sat with the Gryffindors. Tilly's always got snacks."

“Hello, everyone, and welcome to the 1920 school year at Hogwarts. I’m sure you notice all of the new faces up here,” Ruby said, motioning at the staff table. “I am your new Headmistress, Ruby Haswell. Gideon Blackwood is the new Deputy Head Master. He is also the new Head of Hufflepuff. For the other houses, we have Charms Professor Roufas Bourne who is also the Head of Gryffindor. Potions Professor Emil Roan is also the new Slytherin Head of House. And your Transfiguration Professor and Ravenclaw Head of House is Etain Battersea. Dark Arts is now being taught by Librarian Julia Laurence. And the Care of Magical Creatures Professor and the Groundskeeper is Maddox Barlowe.”

She motioned towards each person when she mentioned them, encouraging them to wave at the students. Turning back to the students, Ruby cleared her throat. “Due to the events of last term, I am sad to inform you all that Quidditch and Duelling have been cancelled this year.” Groans of disappointment erupted from the tables before her and Ruby nodded in agreement. “Yes, I know, it is quite disappointing indeed. However, I have been told that we are introducing a Spellcaster’s Society, led by Professor Barlowe, and The Wandering Wands – a survival club – led by Professor Bourne. There is also an opportunity to help in the library as Library Assistants, led by Professor Laurence. Please see them for more information. Also, do not be discouraged by the smaller number of house mates… I am sure as the term goes on, more and more will return to us.”

Ruby grinned, almost completely done with the announcements. However, there was just one more thing she needed to say: “Before we can fill our tummies with delicious food, I do have a word of caution. We have noticed that some things around Hogwarts are not quite… as they should be. Some of the things we have seen include the Grand Staircase – we have seen them stuck in the same position for days on end, and one day they were gone altogether. For a couple of days, some of the doors in the castle transported those who went through them to random rooms. There was also some time when the Gryffindor Common Room was unlocked. But all of these things have – we believe – been fixed. So my caution is to please be aware of where you are and what you are doing, be careful, and always have your wand ready. And please report any strangeness to an adult as soon as possible. Oh, and… the Forbidden Forest has that name for a reason. It is forbidden, and you will receive detention if you are caught wandering around there.”

The Headmistress cleared her throat. “And now, for your Prefects and Head Boy and Head Girl! For Gryffindor, we have Matilda Nordstrom and Rosalie Laurence. Hufflepuff is Benji Laurence and Alice Ravenstone. Ravenclaw is Cassian McCormick and Kaitlyn Dwyer. And Slytherin is Ruth Elliot and Ren Al-Sayeed. Our Head Boy and Head Girl this year is Dylan McMurtry and Angela Howard! Congratulations, everyone.”

The last thing Ruby had to do was introduce the food. Her stomach growled. She was quite famished herself. “And now, let us dine on some amazing food!” she said and lifted her hands out to her sides, her palms up, as if welcoming the food into the room.

But nothing happened.

Ruby glanced over at Gideon, and then jumped when a house elf appeared at her side. She bent down to allow Fluppy, the Head Elf from the kitchen, whisper in her ear. “Oh dear…” she commented after a moment, as she stood up and looked out at the students before her. They were all excited for an amazing meal, and yet – they (as well as the adults) were to be sorely disappointed.

“Unfortunately, I have just received word that there is an issue with the kitchens. Because of that, we will be dining on sandwiches and fruit for dinner. I promise that once the issue is resolved, we will ensure everyone gets the meal they were hoping for.”

At that moment, the doors to the Great Hall opened and in came an unnumbered quantity of platters and bowls, charmed to float, along with the rest of the house elves from all over the castle who immediately began depositing the platters on the tables. Pitchers of various types of juice, an assortment of sandwiches, bowls of apples and bananas took place on each table. A moment later, in came another round of platters, these with heaping mounds of cauldron cakes among other sweets.

One by one, they were joined at their table by the new sorts. The girl knew she wasn't much in stature but Rae found herself wondering if she'd ever been as small as some of the new faces that approached the table.

Maybe.

Maybe even smaller. It wasn't as if she'd done much growing anyhow. At 5"1, the young Slytherin was engaged in a slow crawl toward a more acceptable height, forever annoyed by the way her friends who she'd started on the same level with now towered over her so that she had to look up. Benji was the worst offender.The boy thought it was okay to spring up to 5"7, as if she didn't have enough trouble catching up already!

Rae continued to watch the sort with detached interest, brown eyes listlessly moving from first year to first year as they stepped up to the stool for their turn at being placed. Occasionally, she gave a clap.

Finally, as the last of them joined their table and the man she assumed to be the new deputy took his seat by...the headmistress...maybe(?), Rae pulled herself back into a sitting position. It was finally time for the speech. More importantly, it would soon be time for the food. The girl was ravenous and about a half second from chewing on her friend's arm. Hopefully the new woman wouldn't have too much to say. The torture had gone on long enough.

New professors. Yes, yes, she could see that.

Some of them were the same, having not abandoned the castle but there were definitel--

“Due to the events of last term, I am sad to inform you all that Quidditch and Duelling have been cancelled this year.

"Booooo!!!" Rae joined the others in protest, gobsmacked that two of the only extrcurriculars that mattered could be cancelled. And for what? Because Halloway fucked with the charms? That wasn't their fault. "Boooo!" she cried again. "Let us die; give us duelling and quidditch back, booo!"

Eventually they were forced to settle and Rae was once again slumped forward onto the table, not at all pleased with what she'd heard. She knew she should've begged harder when she heard some of her other friends wouldn't be returning. The girl barely listened as Haswell went into the spiel on the disaster the castle was. There had already been a few issues from the previous years. Hell, they were learning how to be full fledged muggles at some point, it was nothing new.

Bring. On. The. Food.

And now, for your Prefects and Head Boy and Head Girl!"

Uuugghhhhh, it never ended.

Rae's head plopped softly against the table, her forehead pressed into the wooden surface while she listened to Haswell prattle off names. What did it matter who was in charge of Slytherin? Ethan was gone now and fuck him. There had never been a more insufferable pre--

"And Slytherin is Ruth Elliot...”

Excuse her?

Rae's eyes shot up to Ren's before she straightened to cast her gaze toward the Hufflepuff table. Had Benji heard that? Had she fallen into some strange starvation induced fever dream? This...was a joke...right? Her? Prefect? On purpose? Damn, Haswell really was new. Shrugging it off for now--she'd process it all while she wandered later--Rae turned her attention back to the empty plate set before her. The woman had called for food and the girl braced to be amazed by what Toddles and the others had managed to drum up this time. Roast? Shepherd's pie?--Those mashed potatoes with the gravy that just melted her insides and made her want to repent?

“Oh dear…

...Oh dear...what?

And where was the food?? She spared another look around the great hall, wondering if they were all being pranked. There was no start of term feast without the feast. Sandwiches? FRUIT? Rae felt her soul begin to wither, disappointment and anguish sitting high on her chest. No quidditch. No duelling. No food. She may very well cry after she was done raising hell.

The bench was hard against Corbin's legs. Even with the roaring fireplaces, the storm's chill found ways into the hall. He'd chosen his seat carefully - close enough to see the staff table, far enough from the loud groups. He never knew what to say around the more exciteable students.

The Great Hall felt wrong. Too many empty spaces where familiar faces should be, voices echoing strangely off the vaulted ceiling when half the seats sat vacant. Thunder rolled overhead through the enchanted ceiling as first years were sorted. No one familiar.

Corbin kept his hands folded in his lap, spine straight despite his aching shoulders. Around him, voices rose and fell, chairs scraped and someone knocked the table hard enough to rattle plates.

The red-haired headmistress began her announcements. Haswell. He recognized that name - pureblood family. Her voice carried easily across the half-empty hall. More familiar ones followed: Blackwood, Battersea. As she continued through the staff introductions, something caught his attention: Dark Arts was to be taught by Professor Laurence.

It seemed that actually useful magic would be taught for once, instead of the usual boring stuff.

Then the bad news. No Quidditch, no duelling. Corbin's jaw tightened. All those July mornings practicing before the heat became unbearable, wasted. His shoulders wanted to slump but he kept them square as protests erupted around the hall.

Kitchen problems came next - sandwiches instead of a proper feast. When the platters appeared with cheese, ham, and vegetable sandwiches, the complaints started immediately. Elliot's voice rose above the others, growing sharper and more demanding by the second, her new prefect badge glinting as she gestured.

Professor Laurence raised her wand, the polished wood catching the light from the floating candles overhead. Elliot's mouth kept moving but no sound came out.

Corbin's hands clenched into fists against the table. Professor Roan stood, raised his own wand, and Elliot's voice returned.

Interesting start for the new prefect. Apparently, she couldn't even make it through the welcoming feast without making a scene.

Corbin selected a cheese sandwich and took small bites. The bread was fresh, at least. Voices rose again - complaints about food, cancelled activities, everything falling apart.

He watched the professors, taking mental notes. The new headmistress had the right name, Dark Arts would actually be taught, and the castle was broken but maybe these people could fix it. It seemed silencing loud students was back on the table too.

This was going to be an interesting year.