The Slytherin Table 2022-2023

It wasn't long until Avery made it to the Slytherin table following his unnecessarily nerve-wracking sorting. He deftly avoided the eyes of his peers whenever he caught them in his journey back, to some he smiled but he was mostly uncomfortable with the attention. Some could probably tell by the way he tried to busy himself by putting his own pointed hat back on, gliding down the benches and looking for a seat to take up a perch whilst the rest of the ceremony went on.

He found himself nearing the part of the benches that the other first years had sat at, where he was forced to be seated given the tight-knit ranks of some of the elder students, who he'd have happily avoided anyway. That said, he'd have been happy to avoid everyone, as he felt their prying eyes.

When he got to a space he swiftly sat, making sure to not sit on his new wand; which was situated in a special wand-brace pocket that was situated on his left side. He found himself sat next to @Irina Sousa and opposite @Lucian Mornstern. He tugged at his robes to ensure the safety of his wand: "Sorry!" He gave to Irina, not wanting to seem intrusive, rather the opposite!

His steely eyes looked to the food then, peering between all the various platters, plates and dishes as he sucked a breath in over his teeth. "It looks like it doesn't end..." He said as he shot a look down the table.

Interacting with @Irina Sousa, @Lucian Mornstern, @Colin McCoire and anyone else who wants to!

Dialogue: X | Thoughts: X

The school year had just started and the Slytherin table was already full of events. Not even everyone had been selected to their houses and Niffler was already fighting for her honorable birth name, cheese had been fling through the table, throwing cupcakes, and a sudden act of...a performed play? From Loops and Colin that Irina thought amusing and scary at the same time, she wasn't really sure how to think about that...

Rina was picking at her food and taking small sips on her beverage when she felt someone getting closer to her side of the table, it was a boy with dark hair and pale skin, Irina had missed his name being called with so much that had been happening around her. To be honest she had missed a lot of the sorting ceremony thanks to the group of people with who she had been sitting at the Slytherin table. It was alright tho, she couldn't complain that she was bored and hadn't have any fun since she arrived Hogwarts!

The boy sat at her right, "Sorry!" He said to her. She got a little confused with that, why would he be already apologizing to her? For her experience already at that table, if someone starts a conversation with you by saying sorry, what would you expect next? Would he throw something at her too? Maybe not something as delicious as cheese and cupcakes? Instinctively but discretely, Rina brought her left hand to her wand on her pocket. With a kind smile playing in her lips she decided to show herself polite towards him, "You're welcome! Irina Sousa, nice to meet you!" She said reaching her hand out to him. He was looking at the table with an expression that reminded her of her own first impression seeing so many food and drinks...it was an exaggeration in her opinion! "It looks like it doesn't end..." He said giving words to her thoughts. "Doesn't it?" She joyfully asked giving a small amused chuckle then her hand relaxed on her wand and she took another sip at her pumpkin juice.

@Lucian Mornstern | @Avery Leveret

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The chalky skinned boy didn't notice her apprehension, or at least she didn't think he did, as he seemeed far too occupied on glimpsing the endless dishes and spotting the various sources of raucous cheers from the rest of the hall. His grey-blue eyes returned to her once he had taken his set and she had spoken: "You're welcome! Irina Sousa, nice to meet you!" to which, he removed his hand out from inside his perfectly fitted robe, and that too was pale and thinner than the rest of his frame, to shake hers quite formally. "Avery Leveret." He said, purposefully speaking his last name at a lower volume and hoping that it would be glossed over, given the vibrancy of the room and its goings on. He glanced the table again and spoke the line: "It looks like it doesn't end..."

"Doesn't it?" She laughed, perhaps she found it as extensive and lavish as he did, and he came from a manor. Perhaps the magic in the hat knew that he'd be among people of his class and calibre, that was a reassuring thought. He noticed he was being rude:
"Nice to meet you, Miss Irina. - You have nice name. He gave as an attempted compliment, smiling at her and shifting his eyes from her pumpkin juice and to the various dishes around them.

Irina noticed that as he looked around and thought about food, he idly shifted his silverware cutlery and plate to be perfectly aligned and straightened; even if it already was he seemed to do it for some kind of reassurance. "My mother will be happy I got put into the right house, at least. - What about you? Did you want to be in Slytherin?" He asked innocently, as he flicked his attention between her and the next student up; pondering whether or not they would be coming his way to sit on his other side. The boy seemed a curious boy, eager to watch and learn and eager to ask at the same time. It gave the impression that he wasn't really taking in the information all that much; but perhaps it was the sign of sharp intelligence.

@Lucian Mornstern | @Irina Sousa

Dialogue: X | Thoughts: X

After politely introducing herself, Rina got surprise by hearing the name that came out as a reply from the dark-haired boy sat next to her, "Avery Leveret." he said formally shaking back her small hand. Leveret...the name sounded familiar to her...but she wasn't able to remember from what or where. It was like it was just there, engraved in her memory but she just couldn't reach to its nature. The search for this answer made her slightly frown at her plate as she was lost in her thoughts. Maybe she had already meet him somewhere? She looked at him again, this time to look for something that would trigger an old memory, but she wasn't able to place his face in another context or situation. Maybe it was just a name that was similar to another more familiar word? Someone else's name? After a while she realized that she wouldn't be able to figure it out at that moment and so, she made a mental note to search in another more convenient occasion or ask her parents about it in her next owl.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Irina. - You have nice name." Avery then said to her with a smile while she was taking a sip on her juice. Putting down her cup on the table she smiled back at him, "Thank you?" She said looking at him with a funny questioning face. Was the first time anyone had said that about her name, "Uh...it means peace actually! Maybe to much of my mother's hope when she gave it to me!" She said with a small chuckle before picking a piece of cheese and gave it a small bite.

She looked with an amused small smirk while he was arranging his cutlery and plate so it would look more properly aligned. Rina thought it funny and it made her sympathize with him a little more because it reminded her of her grandfather. "My mother will be happy I got put into the right house, at least. - What about you? Did you want to be in Slytherin?" He finally asked. Irina wasn't sure he really wanted to hear her answer but it was also rude not to say anything right? "Your family had all study here?" Irina replied with another question, "My father was a Ravenclaw, my mother studied in Durmstrang...They really had no expectation about any particular house! Why do you say is the right house tho?" She asked nonchalantly, "I like green!" She pointed has a last statement with a shrug.

@Avery Leveret

German | English | Mother | Father | Grandad | Brother

I stopped chattin with the person next to me as another boy sat down, pale as hell. Is this this Casper I am hearing about? He apologised to a girl that introduced herself as @Irina Sousa and the lad said his name was @Avery Leverett. Ah. So not Casper the ghost. That’s sad.

I rolled my eyes secretly at his comment on her name but I agreed. It was beautiful. I lifted my head up and had a look at her face. I took a sip from my drink. “I’m- I’m Lucian. By- bye the way,” I interjected, glancing back at my plate. There were so many people here! I kept shifting a little whenever someone would elbow me accidentally. “Urm. Lucian Michael Mornstern,”

Avery then spoke about how his mother would be happy he was a Snake and if we also wanted to be here. I gulped, I have no idea how my mother was going to react! None of us had been a Slytherin before! Not that she had told me anyway. My father and his family had attended Durmstrang and mother and her side have been Gryffindork’s or Badger’s. “Well- well for me I- I wasn’t expecting it. I mean, mum- mum had been a B- Badger an’ me dad ‘ad gone to- to Durm. I… I dunno how she will react,” I stopped talking and gave a hesitant smile.

“Sorry for- for intruding on yeh- your convo by the- by the way,” I added, fiddling with my glasses.

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The pale boy curled a small smile as Irina pulled a peculiar face, he knew what it meant and simply smiled back at her; in a manner that could be mistaken for inviting a challenge. She explained the meaning of her name just as he reached for a plait of braided bread to add to his plate. How quaint, he thought. If her wild hair was any indicator, he could picture her mother disappointed…

Avery smiled at Lucian and nodded as he introduced himself. He seemed to be a bit preoccupied with the crowd around him and the food in front of him, but Avery didn't blame him. It was overwhelming, to say the least. "No need to apologise. - Nice to meet you, Lucian. Avery Leveret." He said, offering his hand for a quick shake before turning his attention between them both then, speaking: “A Badger and a Raven, with one parent in Durmstrang each?” He remarked. “Curious.”

He continued to place various foods onto his plate, confident in his pickings and making sure never to reach over anyone or knock any goblets or pitchers of pumpkin juice. Avery shrugged with his mouth at Irina’s question: “Well, it’s not the -right- house for everyone that’s for sure. My family have all been Slytherin alumni, I don’t think there’s been a single instance of another house now that I think about it.” He gave, shifting his gaze to the centre of the room where the Sorting Hat was still perched on the stool.

"But it's not just that, really. It's the ambition, the cunning, the drive to succeed. Those are traits that I value, and I believe that Slytherin is the best house to foster them." He continued, a sense of pride evident in his voice. “I am sure it is the right house for the three of us.” He gave with a mouthful of bread, seemingly at ease. Avery turned back to Lucian and noticed that he seemed a bit uncomfortable. "Is everything alright, Lucian? - She will react with pride, I am sure.” He asked, trying to make conversation and take the boy's mind off the chaos of the feast, or reassure him that things would be better than he probably expected.

Interacting with @Lucian Mornstern | @Irina Sousa but open to people on the table.

Open to interactions.
Word Count : 263

Continued from Sorting Ceremony...

Nora was still in jitters from the sorting as she approached her table. Not wanting to travel far to the end and make a scene of herself if there were no seats, she chose a spot near the edge, against the wall. This spot also allowed her to observe the four houses, as well as her own, without having to twist her neck around constantly. And as the rest of the first years got sorted, that's exactly what she did.

Slytherin wasn't a terrible house, she decided as she observed the other students, only misjudged. Cunning, resourcefulness and ambition were all fine qualities, and Nora was proud to have them. Sure, many dark wizards originated from the green-veiled group, especially those favouring pure-blooded ideals, but they weren't all bad. Wasn't Merlin a Slytherin, after all? And he was one of the greatest wizards to ever live. The point was, despite the slithery reputation of the house, Nora didn't think they were as bad as everyone made out.

Gryffindor, on the other hand, seemed to be vastly overrated. The way she looked at, it had lots of rash narcissists and jocks. They hogged the quidditch pitch, and most thought of Slytherins as either evil or incompetent. However, that's not to say that Nora thought badly of the individual Gryffindors themselves. To her, they seemed nice enough, but it was their house's reputation that got Nora's blood boiling. But Nora supposed that wasn't fair. After all, she was upset about the way people viewed Slytherin based solely on an outdated reputation. She guessed she would just have to wait and see.

Next was Hufflepuff, the house of all-around-goody-two-shoes. Well, that was unfair. They were better than Gryffindors, and often underrated when it comes to determination and grades. Ravenclaw might be the quote-on-quote "smart house" but Hufflepuffs were the hard workers. You ask for a match? They show up with a bucket of oil and ten cans of gas. Well, that might not be the best example, but you get the point; Hufflepuffs are all-in. They were also known for being good finders, and Nora sure as heck needed help in that department. The things she lost on a daily basis... the Hufflepuffs would scorn.

Last but not least, the prized ravens-- who were actually eagles. That's right, it's kind of weird. Ravenclaws, despite common belief of the opposite, do not have ravens as their mascots. Instead, it's eagles, which are known for being... courageous? Erm, wrong house, Rowena. Nevertheless, Nora still liked the Ravenclaw house. She thought she might have liked to be one, if she wasn't already in Slytherin. Ravenclaws valued knowledge and creativity above all else, and Nora had heard rumours of their amazing library. It might not be as good as the school one, but it would be nice to not have to travel far for a new read. After all, she preferred blue to green.

Nora was snapped out of her thoughts around the four houses when the food appeared. Row upon row of dishes were now before her, filled with sweet-smelling delicacies. Her heart fell for a second when she realised the chicken legs were already gone, but the bowl was quickly replenished. Grabbing one or five for herself, she wondered how they re-filled the bowls so instantly. Wasn't food one of the five exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration? Must be something else, then, but Nora didn't have any other ideas. She'd thought she'd read something about it in Hogwarts: A History, but she didn't quite remember. Oh well.

After she'd eaten a few bites, Nora began to chat with the other students. Not many first years sat near her, but the second year across from her was being rather quiet. Curious, she asked him why he was so gloomy, but was rather surprised by the answer. Apparently, both of his parents had been Gryffindors, and they were awfully upset when they found out he was a Slytherin last year. He was clearly still affected by it, and Nora softened to the poor boy.

Nora shared how her dad, too, was a Gryffindor, and about her worry that he might also be upset. The second bit was at first just a lie to make him feel better, but soon her concern grew. Would her dad be upset? No, no, Nora reasoned, quickly dismissing the thought, he'd probably just tease. Besides, not even her father's anger could take away from her first year at Hogwarts, school for witchcraft and wizardry.

Open to interactions.

Interacting with Mr @Avery Leveret but open to others!