A Brace of Snakes [ALL]

Selwyn was not easily intimidated.  He was, however, deeply aware of how little difference there was between seventeen and twenty-one.  He was effectively the contemporary of the seventh years and that may not have intimidated him but it was definitely unnerving.

One of the seventh years, Belladonna Nott, was a prefect this year.  She was not someone Selwyn would have chosen for the role, not that anybody had asked him.  There was a type of girl who it seemed to Selwyn his house attracted; they put him in mind of a diamond.  All hard edges and cold hearts wrapped up in a pretty package.  As a student he'd always avoided them but now that choice had been taken away.

As he mused on Belladonna's appointment it came to him that the haze of politics hung heavy in the Slytherin Common Room this year.  It could be no coincidence that someone as liberal as himself had been promoted to Head of House at the same time as someone with the Nott girl's pureblood credentials had become prefect.  He wondered which side of the Wizarding World's eternal, pointless feud was making concessions this time.

But for now, the students had finally managed to assemble themselves into some kind of order.  Showtime.

"So, welcome to the Slytherin Common Room," he began.  "I'm Professor Selwyn Thorfinn.  I'm the Care of Magical Creatures professor and obviously, also your Head of House."

"I am aware that some of you are used to having things a certain way.  Perhaps your parents gave you all you ever wanted.  Perhaps you have servants who simply have no choice than to bow to your whims.  No matter what your home life is like, now you are at Hogwarts, we have rules and you will follow them. Slytherin has a bad enough reputation without you lot making it worse."

"Although," Selwyn's voice took on a more thoughtful tone, "since you are Slytherins, I suppose if you were cunning enough to break school rules that nobody ever found out, I would have nothing to complain about."

Calixta had enjoyed the Welcoming Feast.  Naturally, she'd been sorted into Slytherin, and then spent the evening getting to know her housemates.

The food provided had been delicious, but that was only to be expected from Hogwarts.  Calixta had heard they had an entire community of House Elves at their disposal.  Though, she had also heard the school paid those elves.  What an absolute waste of her school fees.

When the time came, she'd been careful to follow the prefects down to the dungeons, memorising the route as they went.  She didn't fancy getting lost in the darkness.

The Slytherin Common Room came as a surprise. She had to admit the darkened windows were a little more spooky than she'd expected.  However, Calixta wasn't given long to look around before their Head of House began talking.

The first thing she noticed was how much younger he was than she'd expected him to be.  Than she'd expect any teacher to be, really. The second thing was how boring he was. Telling them to follow school rules, really?

She looked around, trying to find someone willing to sympathise with her.

"Is he going to be like this all year?" she whispered, elbowing a nearby student in the ribs.