Cassiopeia and the other first years stood together, following the group of students down to the Slytherin Common room.

It was curious, Cassiopeia noticed, the first years were herded near the center of the circle. The second and third years caging them in on the sides. The fourth years stood directly in front of them, almost in a knightly formation. There was a tall raven haired boy that stood directly in the middle of the circle, flanked by two other boys who were then flanked by another boy and girl respectively. Peering up curiously, she observed the near mimic of formation by the upper years.

The path was silent and brisk for the most part and Cassiopeia took advantage of the almost serene atmosphere. She twisted every which way, trying to see as much of the castle as she could despite the fact that she surely was the shortest of the lot and couldn't see much over the others' heads.

Rounding another corner, they came to a stop.

"Pride," a velvety voice broke the silence.

Slowly everyone began to disappear into the passage, Cassiopeia holding tightly onto Astoria's hand as they inched their way forward.

Facing them was an intricate wall with spidery black branches crawling up it. In the torch light the branches gleamed an emerald green, smooth and polished. In the middle, framed by more of the rod-like branches in a lace work was an opened portrait.

Two prefects stood on either end, watching appraisingly as the first years approached. Glancing back, Cassiopeia met Theo's eyes who gave her a small smile. Cassiopeia minutely relaxed, offering a smile in return before looking forward again. She hadn't realized she needed the assurance but she was glad Theo had provided it. If only I could've seen Rian.

Cassiopeia shook her head, she couldn't think of that now. She had a task at hand. She had to make it through the night. Thinking of Harry now would only make her want to cry as her heart ached. No, she'd cry in the comfort of her bed, with the curtains pulled. Right now, she had a first impression to make on her housemates.

Lysandra entered the portrait first, smiling politely in thanks as one of the prefects gave her a hand as she crossed over the border. The boys, Cassiopeia noticed, had already gone through. Astoria was next, squeezing her hand once before she too went into the common room.

Walking closer, Cassiopeia realized the ledge was far higher than she previously thought, the castle bricks coming high, up to her knees. There's no way I'm making it up there . Cassiopeia observed the opening wide-eyed. Unlike the other girls, a polite hand to stabilize her as she crossed wouldn't be enough.

A violent flinch thrummed through her body as a pair of hands lifted her up by her waist. A small yelp escaped Cassiopeia's lips as she turned to look at who carried her over the border. It was a brown haired prefect; Cassiopeia could briefly make out the light brown highlights in the torch light. He was tanned, with light brown eyes and high cheekbones. Cassiopeia briefly remembered him sitting next to Marcus Flint at the table.

He placed her gently onto her feet before moving back to his stance near the portrait. Cassiopeia blinked, smiling gratefully at him, though she felt the rush of blood coming to her cheeks, and quickly turned on her heel to find the others.

The first years stood together opposite of a large seating area that held a fireplace in the middle.

"Are you alright?" Astoria's voice was soft, low as Cassiopeia came to stand beside her.

Said girl gave a nod, "I'm fine, although entering the common room won't be as easy."

"You are tiny," Lysandra noted, running a keen eye over Cassiopeia who scowled at her.

"I'm not tiny!" Cassiopeia huffed, eyes narrowed.

Astoria and Lysandra shared an amused look. "Peia," Astoria said consolingly, "you're the shortest person in this room."

Cassiopeia scowled, turning her back as the two began to giggle. "Woah," the air left her lungs, as her crossed arms fell to her sides. Turning in a slow circle, Cassiopeia took in the details of the room around her.

The Common room was two levels, with a bookcase stretching along both floors on the far left wall. There was a spiral staircase opposite of it, brushed marble with a sleekly polished railing that twisted to the upper floor. Holding the deck up were spiral columns twisting snake-like from the ground floor. The columns were thin and espresso colored, giving an archaic feel amongst the room. At an angle, the torch light refracted and glowed a deep green. Single pendant lights hung down from the deck, a soft white light glowing upon a plush seating arrangement.

Near the stone fireplace, fire roaring brightly and casting an orange glow against the green and silver gems embedded into the stones in the middle that created the Slytherin mascot, was a series of couches and armchairs. Some were forest green, others a mahogany brown color, but it was tasteful and matched the elegance the room oozed. Under them laid a silvery furred rug that Cassiopeia itched to run her hands over.

Near the back wall were two long tables, a charred oak stained black and polished to give a refined appearance. There were benches on either side of each table and a silver plush rug lay beneath it.

Both the upper and lower levels were bathed in an iridescent green glow with huge window panels stretched across the ceiling and peaking through the walls. Moving closer, Cassiopeia could see a slight shift in the light, there was steady movement, and she stumbled back as a dark silhouette glided past the window.

The room was drenched in magic. Cassiopeia didn't know how she knew it, but she could taste the magic in the room. It was more than a feeling, though that was there as well. A whirling storm of aura's, light and dark, slowly canvasing the room and violently swirling and pulsing from other areas. Cassiopeia could taste the power, the electricity of the varieties of magic intermingling and residing in the common room, a residual magic overlaid by decades of new students joining the House. It was mesmerizing.

"Alright Everyone," a cheery voice broke through the murmuring of the Slytherins, drawing everyone's attention to the cluster of students near the fireplace as they clapped.

Cassiopeia watched with rampant attention as a quartet of students filed down the spiral staircase. She couldn't see much of the second floor, only the shadows of furniture made from the glowing green light that flickers slightly with the appearance and disappearance of the dark silhouettes.

A blonde haired teen, the sides cut to a fade and the front gelled slightly back, as if he had spent the entire day wearing a backwards cap, made his way to the center, standing directly in front of the roaring flames. He was strong, Cassiopeia noted immediately. The way he held himself was confident, despite the slim appearance. He was assured of his own strength, face set determinant but his eyes, she saw, his blue eyes were warm. They weren't frigid and cold like the icy blues of Matron Lisbeth, no, they were light and inviting, not entirely expressive, but they were open and fierce.

And then Cassiopeia felt it. The surge of magic being allowed to escape, to roam through the room in a quick windswept fashion before being contained again. It was powerful, seductive in its soothing aura. Cassiopeia wanted her magic to be just as inviting, just as strong.

"Welcome, firsties, and Welcome back everyone," his voice was the velvety tone Cassiopeia had heard say the common room password.

I want him.

So maybe Cassiopeia had a bad habit of wanting to collect people, they were not pets, Peia! Harry scolded, but she pushed that thought away. She didn't want pets, she wanted friends, a family. One made of people strong enough to never be taken away from her.

She'd never be alone again.

"We are Slytherin's, you've been sorted here because you are ambitious, cunning, and resourceful. It is an achievement to be one of Salazar Slytherin's own. Here, we are a family, helping each other. If one of us succeeds, we all do."

He didn't yell or scream. He captivated the entire room and drew their attention just with the self-assurance in his voice and obvious respect he had garnered from the other students. I really want him.

Again, the notion of a family, building her own, drew Cassiopeia in. For the next seven years she'd be amongst her classmates. She wanted to build her own family, one that would accept both her and Harry.

"In Slytherin, we unfortunately have the reputation of being the House of Dark wizards and witches. Many people tend to forget that Merlin was a Slytherin. Just as the Dark Wizard Barnabas Deverill, in the 1700s, was a Hufflepuff. Each house had their own set of deatheaters as well, and make note," the atmosphere grew tense. "Your parent's status in the War holds no value here. Deatheater or not, supporter or not, it is nonexistent in these walls."

What's a deatheater? Cassiopeia huffed irritated. She had no idea what the term meant and here it was spoken of again. What did it mean? Why was it so important? How did people become a deatheater? Could you even eat death?

"Slytherins get enough hate from the student body simply for being Slytherins. If any of you," he nodded to the first years who stood in front of him, "have made friends with students in other houses on the train, it is the unfortunate reality that come tomorrow they will likely scorn and ignore you."

Cassiopeia immediately thought of Ginny and Luna. They wouldn't abandon her, right? They seemed supportive enough at the feast. No. They're still my friends Cassiopeia reassured herself, biting her bottom lip softly.

His tone gentled, voice turning soft. "The other houses forget that our first years are eleven, just as theirs, our second years only twelve. We immediately become their picture of a dark witch or wizard.

Slytherin's remain united outside of this room. Any troubles with a housemate does not leave these walls. You may have your differences here, but outside, we are already attacked by the color of our ties. We will not air each other's weaknesses or show fractures in our house."

Cassiopeia forgot how to breathe, inhaling deeply as his speech died down. It was everything and more than she had thought Slytherin to be. She had no idea how many thoughts were soaring through her mind, but she knew that she had questions. If only she could remember how her brain functioned to ask them.

"We," another girl, younger than the first teen, spoke up, stepping in front of the first years and gesturing to the boy who had helped Cassiopeia into the common room, "are your fifth year prefects. Emelia Carrow and Adrian Pucey. We'll be your first line of support should you run into any trouble."

"If you have any questions, feel free to seek us out," the brown haired teen, Adrian, continued. "If we cannot help you we'll direct you to the other prefects."

"That would be us," a cheerfully red haired teen stepped forward, her heels clicking against the black stoned floors. "I'm Adelaide Murton, your sixth year prefect." She was the one who had garnered everyone's initial attention.

"I'm Jasper Rowle," a raven haired boy nodded to them. "We'll be the ones you should likely approach when O.W.L and N.E.W.T preparations begin."

Owl and newt preparations? Was that a potions assignment? Cassiopeia tilted her head, bewildered by the suggestive statement.

The four fell back, allowing the first teen to be shown again. This time, a girl fell in line besides him, her black hair falling in graceful curls to her shoulders. "I am Victoria Wilson, the seventh year prefect."

"And I'm Terence Higgs, your seventh year prefect and King," his magic washed over the room. Cassiopeia didn't know how, but she soon found herself sitting on the rug she had initially admired, Astoria and Lysandra beside her with the boys at their back. Glancing around, Cassiopeia noticed everyone had been seated, staring at the teen. "As prefects, we strive to help you in any way we can. Whether you're homesick, have trouble with other students, or need help with homework, you only need to ask.

As you've noticed, the Slytherin rooms are in the dungeons of the castle, we're below the Black Lake. You'll sometimes find the giant squid or merpeople swimming along the windows."

Cassiopeia's brain short-circuited. Giant Squid?! And did he really say merpeople, as in mermaids?!? No way! If mermaids are real, what else is? Vampires? Werewolves? Cassiopeia needed books on magical creatures. Now.

"Because of this, the dorms and common room are usually cold. The fireplace stays lit until the final curfew and you'll find there are many warming charms enchanted on the furniture.

As Slytherins we all have the responsibility to do well. This comes with a set of rules."

Victoria stepped forward, flicking her wand to illuminate the notice board pinned on the wall near the two tables. "On the notice board you'll find information such as the Common Room password - which changes every two weeks, club notices, and other such information. We also have our rules displayed, should any one of you feign forgetting them." She shared an amused look with Terence and her fellow sixth year prefects, sharing what seemed to be an inside joke.

"Rule One. No Slytherin walks alone. This is especially important for you first years. The other houses will not care that you're eleven and know only basic spells, they will attack you for the color of your tie. You do not walk by yourselves in the corridors."

"Rule Two." Adelaide began. "Your House is your family. Family stands together. It doesn't matter if you dislike someone in here, that is your problem, but outside the common room you will have each other's backs. Slytherins look out for their own, because no one else will."

"Rule Three. NO ONE is allowed to skip House meetings. These are mandatory and are always scheduled ahead of time and pinned to the notice board." Jasper continued.

"Dorm inspections occur monthly. These are not scheduled." Emelia smirked at the boys.

Shoving her playfully, Adrian continued, "Rule five. What happens in the common room stays in the common room. Amongst Slytherins our secrets stay. We are loyal to each other, what we do, individually and as a group, is of no concern to the other Houses."

"Rule Six. Bedtimes are to be followed. Do not ignore them. First Years - 9 pm. Second through Fourth Years - 10 pm. Fifth through Sixth Years - 11 pm. And Seventh Years - Midnight." Victoria concluded.

"These are our House Rules. Do not forget them," Terence picked up. "And never forget the Secret of Slytherin:

Plan in ways a Ravenclaw finds sound

Blend like a Hufflepuff into the background

As for the Gryffindors, learn from their mistakes

And be ready to react, Slytherin, swift as a snake

Now," he clapped and Cassiopeia watched as the other prefects sat down, and another boy, the fourth year Cassiopeia saw flanked while walking to the common room, stand and move to his side. "The Court. Each Hogwarts House had a court system in place, over the years they were slowly dismantled. Slytherin is the only House to continue and uphold the tradition."

"I am Alexander Selwyn, fourth year, and Prince of Slytherin. As such, I take responsibility for first through fourth years. I will be your line of defense should there be any problems outside of what the prefects can do within the Hogwarts charter. Should I not be immediately available, one of my court will be more than happy to assist you." His initially warm tone turned dark, Irish accent deepening as his magic flared slightly and Cassiopeia's eyes widened. "However, I am not only your protector. Should you break the rules, you will answer to me, and let us hope your answer is sufficient."

Terence clasped his hands in front of him, "As I've said, I am your King. My word will be final for any ruling I decree. If you happen to break any rules the punishment will stand, or if I feel it is not enough, changed to my discretion.

Now, as it is nearing eight o'clock, firsties, you are dismissed. You'll find the boys dormitories on the left and the girls on the right. Freshen up for bed. Should there be any changes in the courts, you will be notified in the morning. Please be up by seven so the prefects can escort you to breakfast. For the first week, the prefects will take turns escorting you to your classes."

Cassiopeia followed Lysandra and Astoria up the stairs having said goodnight to the others. They paused on the second floor, finding their names engraved in a cursive script onto a mahogany door. Entering, Cassiopeia stopped, rooted in her steps near the door.

There were three poster beds framed in ebony wood, each lined against the far wall with an ethereal, transparent covering encasing the bed. Each post had careful etchings in them, grooves smooth and clean twisting their way from top to bottom. The walls were a light green and paired with the smooth dark elder wood of the floor made the room appear larger than it actually was. One bed was closest to the door, another near the arching window which allowed a green glow to bathe the room. Opposite the beds was a closet and chest of drawers, adjacent to them were three school desks, each with a lamp and plush chairs. There was a vanity mirror of a size Cassiopeia didn't even think existed, showcasing her entire body, near the closet.

"This one's yours, Peia," Astoria called out, pausing in her rummaging of her trunk to stare confusedly at her new friend. "Peia?"

Lysandra glanced up from her spot on her new bed, frowning at the frozen girl. "Cassiopeia?"

It's huge. Cassiopeia remained in her stupor. Her bedroom at the orphanage was barely even a sixth the size of the dorm.

Cassiopeia flinched, stumbling back as her arms rose to protect her. Opening her eyes, heart thudding, despair rose as Astoria stood in front of her, hand stretched out, staring at her with wide eyes.

How do I play this off? "S-s-so, S-sorry," Cassiopeia breathed, arms dropping to her sides uselessly. "You ju-just s-s-startled m-me."

"Are you alright?" Lysandra moved closer to the duo cautiously, allowing Cassiopeia to track her movements.

Cassiopeia nodded, before moving to the bed near the window, recognizing her trunk at the foot of it. She had done well for most of the trip, keeping an eye on any movement near her person and controlling the unfettered fear when someone moved too quickly. It was one of the reasons she initiated contact first, to avoid being surprised. Being as touch-starved as she was, Cassiopeia craved affection and she knew it. She just had to be the one to seek it out and initiate it.

"Wh-why do you think we were s-sent to bed?" Not the most subtle of conversation changes, but Cassiopeia refused to stare at the two girls, focusing instead on unpacking her trunk.

Lysandra and Astoria exchanged glances, Astoria fixing a determined gaze as she walked back to her own trunk and kneeled beside it. Her blue eyes swimming with determination. I don't know who hurt you, but Slytherin's stick together. The two allowed the change in an attempt to rid of the tense air that hung in the room.

"It's for the Court," Astoria answered, having an idea of what was happening.

"What do you mean?" Cassiopeia paused in her ministrations to stare at the blonde.