Angels' Revenge: Ingel Parri (Marauders' Era HP FF)

Chapter II

II-

Both professors' expressions closed off. Where before there was warmth, now there was only cold judgement. Bethany shrugged it off. It didn't matter what the people there thought; she was there only for her mission.

"That will be all." Dumbledore dismissed her, turning to Jendrit.

Bethany set the hat back down on the desk and turned away. Her pride wouldn't allow her to ask for directions to the Slytherin common room, and neither one offered.

She wandered lower and lower, the staircases fairly vibrating under her feet.

Finally, mercifully, a Slytherin Prefect turned a corner and smashed into her. They both stumbled back.

"What are you doing out here?" the other girl asked angrily, brushing invisible dust off of her robes. "It's after curfew!"

Bethany frowned. "I wasn't aware of any curfew," she lied. "I was just Sorted into Slytherin, and our Headmaster neglected to give me directions to the common room."

The Prefect nodded, understanding perfectly. Her anger seemed to have dissipated. "So you're the Bethany Wilder that we heard about at the Feast," she stated. "I'll bet he wasn't expecting a Slytherin."

"If he'd known, I doubt he would have let me in." Bethany was being unfair, and she knew it, but she was annoyed and willing to be childish.

The girl led Bethany to the lowest part of the dungeons, then stopped in front of a blank expanse of wall. "The password is Odysseus," she said. The bare stone slid to the side. "Come on."

The inside reminded Bethany very much of her room back home. The chairs were fine and soft-looking, settled around an unlit fireplace. Green lanterns lined the walls. Two sets of stairs led even further under the castle.

But most impressive were the windows. One entire wall was transparent, and Bethany could see the water of the Black Lake through it, green and teeming with life. She glided over to the glass, splaying her hand against it. It was freezing cold.

"The girl's dorms are on the left," the Prefect announced. "I'm off to sleep."

Bethany nodded absently. "Thank you," she said.

~0~

"Ah, Ms. Wilder. How nice to finally meet you. Are you liking Hogwarts so far?" Slughorn was the Head of Slytherin, a wide, rotund man. His voice mirrored his figure, loud and exuberant.

"Yes, sir," Bethany said brightly. She wasn't completely lying- the castle itself was excellent. The people, however, and especially their prejudices, made her want to slit their throats.

"I'm glad. Are you ready to start brewing? It's a very advanced potion, you know." His tone was almost patronizing, and she wanted to hit him.

Besides that, she could brew a Dreamless Sleep Potion with her eyes closed.

"Yes, sir, I think I am," she replied instead, folding her hands on top of the desk.

Resolving never to come early to Potions ever again if she could help it, Bethany watched the Potions Master waddled back to the front of the room as more students came in. An unfamiliar Slytherin boy sat next to her.

"Good morning," Slughorn said jovially to the assortment of students.

Only a few answered back.

Slughorn's smile never faltered. "I have decided to begin your first OWL-level Potions class with a practical. You didn't get here just to take notes, now did you?"