The Slytherin Table 2022-2023

The hat had called SLYTHERIN!!
Renée had barely had it on her head, but the verdict was loud and clear and the table cheered excitedly. Slipping down from the front of the hall, she had to fight the urge to skip over to the table, a bright smile on her face. She focused on not tripping over her own feet in her excitement, finally making it over to the table in one piece.

She took the first empty seat she could find, slipping into it and glancing around at her new peers. She would love to get to know them all, to make as many friends as possible. She wondered which of her fellow snakes would be her friend first... She figured she'd already made a friend in Valarie, the girl from the train, a fellow bookworm, but she wasn't sure how often they would get to hang out. At least the other slytherins would be around more often for her to hang out with.

"Hi... I'm Renée" Introducing herself despite her name having been called out just before she'd been sorted. She glanced up and down the table and grinned. She was going to love it here... Something about the people around her made her feel at home, and she'd only just arrived...

✦ the first day of a new year ✦
september 1st 2022 [the slytherin table] @larino arveli, @renée danvers

guinevere, to be honest, felt that sitting through a new sorting ceremony required more effort than going through the process standing up in the middle and waiting for the time the sorting hat would call her name, announcing the house she would be in for the next seven years. there was the anticipation and excitement urging her to keep standing, which there was none of when guinevere was slouching over at a place at the slytherin table, playing with a shiny fork over a plate of nothing. oh, how she wished they would just get on with it and let her eat already! she might have even dozed off for a while, and was woken by the sudden chatter of the sorting being finished.
she smoothed back her hair and tried her best to look dignified and realized she was sandwiched between two firsties, a girl and a boy. the boy leaned over and whispered, "is this a good house?"
"the best," she responded airily. "slytherin is the best house."
at that moment, the firstie girl looked up and down the slytherin table, announcing her name, which was supposedly renée.
"hi, renée," she said to her, adding a quick grin. "i'm guinevere, and welcome to slytherin!" guinevere was new to welcoming people, but she thought she would get used to it fine.

Ren smiled back at the girl she’d sat beside, though she noted that she’d previously seemed to be asleep. Not everyone was excited by the sorting, which made sense. After all, for the other years this was just a postponing of their dinner. They’d been through all this and now they were forced to sit and wait to eat.

”Guess this isn’t as fun when you’re not being sorted huh?” She said gently, leaning back towards the table and folding her arms in front of her. “Nice to meet you though” she added before leaning forward a little to add “-and you” to the boy on the other side of Guinevere.

At the front of the room, the head teacher had moved forward and was making some speech, explaining that there were places off limits to certain students, and some which were off limits to all students. Ren drummed her fingers absently as she listened, till he mentioned that they could begin their meal, at which point the tables filled around them with food of all varieties.
The blonde gazed at the food in delight, unsure what to try first. She hadn’t realised before, but she was incredibly hungry, and the sky outside was dark as evening turned to night. Candles above casting a warm light around the hall as everyone tucked into their food.

Larino Speaking (English)
Larino Speaking (Japanese)
Others Speaking

INTERACTING WITH: @Guinevere Russetwood and @Renée Danvers
DATE:1st September 2022
TIME: Evening
PLACE: Great Hall; (After) Sorting Ceremony

"Good." Larino replied, smirking, after giving himself a moment to think while the student spoke to the first year sat on the other side of her. She had introduced herself as Renée, and Larino started to watch the two girls next to him converse. He didn't know how old the girl next to him was, but he knew she wasn't a first year, seeing as though she was sat there before anyone had been sorted, previously being asleep. He completely understood why, seeing as though after he was sorted he was forced to sit and wait while the others were sorted. He'd have probably been asleep too, if he wasn't so stressed about the change in his life. He'd known about his father being a wizard for a few years now, and knew that he'd be going to Hogwarts since February, but it was still something that scared him. A lot.

The older girl introduced herself to Renée as Guinvere, and Larino decided that it was best to introduce himself, especially as Renée had begun to include him in the conversation. "I'm Larino." He said quietly to the other two, then sat there, still holding his pebble for security, trying to avoid eye contact.

• S U M M A R Y •

Reducio

Larino mostly just kept to himself, but still joined the conversation between Renée and Guinvere at times, having only just introduced himself to the two.

Post layout and graphics by Larino Arveli

✦ the first day of a new year ✦
september 1st 2022 [the slytherin table] @larino arveli, @renée danvers

great. already a slip in the mask, and it was barely a few minutes into the feast, and Guinevere hoped it would stay at only one.
"to be honest, yes, but i don't mean any offense to yall firsties," she said to Renée. she nodded. "yes, yes. nice you meet you too."
at that moment, the food chose to magically appear, filling the plates in front of their eyes with delicious foods that Guinevere had grown to love in the past year at hogwarts, though nothing could truly compare to her mother's cooking- that stuff was amazing. nonetheless, food was food and she started eating as gracefully as she could, since she was feeling a lot of stares, which could have been real or hallucinated.
she looked up as the boy spoke again. "hi, Larino!" she decided to try and push the conversation along further.
"so, what subjects do you two think you'll like? my faves are transfiguration and maybe astronomy. homework for all classes are kinda hard, but getting to learn a new spell at the end of some classes cancels it out, in my opinion. do you two have any siblings in hogwarts? i have an older brother. he's in year four. "

Larino Speaking (English)
Larino Speaking (Japanese)
Others Speaking

INTERACTING WITH: @Guinevere Russetwood and @Renée Danvers
DATE:1st September 2022
TIME: Evening
PLACE: Great Hall; (After) Sorting Ceremony

It took Larino a moment to come up with a reply to the questions asked, and he had begun to look down at the table. "My sister's in third year." He said quietly, not looking up. Then, he suddenly noticed that he had spoken in the wrong language! I seriously need to stop doing that. He thought, and spoke quickly, in English this time. "Oh shoot! I'm so sorry! I need to stop doing that!" He took a moment to breathe, then put his rock on the table. "What I meant to say was that my sister's in third year." He said, pointing up the table to her. She was talking to her friends, so he wouldn't dare interrupt. Not after she'd left him on the train earlier that day, and especially not after he'd just embarrassed himself like that.

"And I'm looking forward to potions. And charms, but I am a little scared for flying." He said, a small smirk forming on his face, hiding his inner trauma. If he spoke Japanese again, his life at Hogwarts was not going to be fun. Being bilingual was seeming to be more difficult when expected, especially when he was the only one who spoke his native language.

• S U M M A R Y •

Reducio

Larino accidentally replied to Guinvere in Japanese, making a fool of himself. He was already finding everything difficult, and having English as not his first language certainly wasn't going to help him. But plastering a small smirk on his face always seemed to mask his inner distress, so that's just what he did here.

Post layout and graphics by Larino Arveli

Now sitting at the Slytherin table, Olive could finally breath again.

Hey! That's the guy who just talked to me a minute ago. He is in Slytherin too! AND he seemed friendly enough. At least she had not picked up any "evil vibes" while talking to him. I should stop giving too much credit to what people say. People are who they choose to be, not what is chosen for them. Like the house they'll be in.

She waved at Theodor but wasn't sure if he had seen her. Those few seconds right after the hat shouts the name of the house you'll be in can be a bit overwhelming. But she would definitely be very happy if she had the chance to talk to him again and possibly have a friend in the same house.

He's got a cool name, I'll give him that. - she thought as she saw him moving towards the Slytherin table. Olive had always cared a bit too much about names. She liked hers and always thought that the way a name sounded had some influence on who the person was. Ultimately, everyone chooses their path to who they'll become. But the "name thing"... Was definitely the first push.

For instance, OLIVE sounded kind, sweet, and she was for sure a kind and sweet person. But then JONES is almost like a slap on the face! Funny but true. Had she been called BARBARA JONES, for example, the kindness and sweetness would have been replaced by a slightly arrogant attitude with more dignity and pride - keeping the slap on the face, of course. OLIVE WHITE, on the other hand would have made her more...diplomatic. She would have needed somebody else in her life to defend her against enemies had she been called OLIVE LINN, though. But no. Her name was OLIVE JONES. Maybe that's why she ended up in Slytherin. Maybe that was why Theodor Osborne had been placed there too. Or maybe it was just something silly she had made up in her mind. Either way, first impressions have always been pretty important no matter how old you are or where you are from. And names are, without question, part of the "first impression package"!

Let's see who else joins Slytherin. Maybe I'll have a hint of who will be around me as I hear their names being called...

Waiting in the magnificent entrance hall for a professor to fetch their herded, still unlabelled lot felt like a shameful limbo to Edgar and anxiety nibbled at his stomach. What if they suddenly found out that it was a mistake, that he didn't belong here? The mere thought of it was unbearable now that he'd seen Hogwarts and that he has pored through his new spell books. Life would never be the same again if they sent him back home. More than ever, he felt that he didn't belong to the Muggle world now; so, if he wasn't going to be Sorted, he would have nowhere left to go. His life would be over. Still, he clung to the possibility that there was still a chance that he would indeed be sorted - he did receive a letter after all - and so, like everyone else, nervously smoothed out his already impeccable, nondescript robes and adjusted his pointed hat. He was among the few who had opted to wear it despite not having been given instructions about it. He wanted so much to be a wizard, and wearing it helped him nurture that desire.

Just as those thoughts were turning into an inner monster, the double paneled doors flung open and the teacher asked them to form a line and to followed them in a solemn, albeit fidgety procession.

The great hall was overwhelming, intimidating. Beneath a perfect replica of the actual sky and countless candles floating in mid-air, five tables were aligned, each beneath its own colored banner. Edgar had caught something about the Houses in Hogwarts: a History; he remembered that there were four, and when he had pondered about the virtues each one favored, he couldn't figure out where he'd be. That thought only added to his present anxiety. The tables were lined with students of all ages, each with a few empty seats for the future sorted one. There were children like himself, teenagers, and near-adults; his heart pounded even faster at the thought that, if he was going to be acknowledged with the Sorting, Hogwarts would make him a whole new person, not only with magic, but with time: he'd be a man after his seventh year here. He had never imagined himself as a grown-up before today: it was exciting. He felt that, if only he was Sorted, the greatest opportunity would be given to him, and he'd be able to become a powerful wizard. And then, he'd show them... the Muggles. They'd regret not having recognized the brilliant leader in the outcast, rebellious boy he had been...

Edgar was abruptly pulled out of his daydreaming by the teacher who told them to form a line in front of the intimidating teachers' table, with their backs turned to it. A stool was then brought in, and a frayed old wizard's hat was placed on it. A hole in its brim moved, and before Edgar's mouth gaped open like it, the hat broke into song. Everything, in the most minute detail, was here to remind you that this was no ordinary school.

When the Professor unravelled a long roll of parchment and started calling names one by one: "Anderson, Sinclaire", he knew he'd have plenty of time to observe how the sorting was done; but his inner monster started fidgeting, too, as some of them were sorted in seconds, while others sat on the stool for what felt like endless minutes.

"MacKenzie, Isabel", called the teacher. A pretty blonde girl became a Ravenclaw in about twenty seconds. What if he'd end up sitting on the stool with that oversized hat on his head for so long that the teacher would eventually take the hat off him and escort him out, with everyone staring at the outcast he'd then be? The thought was unbearable.

"Reynolds, Tommy" then became a Hufflepuff. No, Edgar HAD to become a wizard, so he'd had the chance to prove that he could be the BEST!

When "Thisdale, Fanny" became a Gryffindor, Edgar's stomach churned as though he had swallowed a cup of molten lead. He stared at the Sorting Hat. and kept his eyes on it as he heard the now muffled voice call "Thorne, Edgar". He stepped forth toward the stool, unaware of his solemn demeanor as he inwardly commanded the Hat: "Don't leave me behind. I'll die if you do. This is my destiny, I know it!" He turned around, took off his own wizard's hat and set it down in his lap as he sat down on the stool. The Professor then lowered the Hat on his head and all became dark. There was no staring crowd anymore. It was all between the Hat and him. Edgar started when it started talking softly in its raspy, elderly voice:

"Aah, I see intelligence and a strong determination. Whatever it be, you hate when people think you are plain. I can see you have a knack for living by your own rules."

Edgar released a nervous laugh, and the Hat went on:

"One of your greatest desires is to stand out and prove yourself. You intend to do whatever it takes to be on top of the class and you are ready to make sacrifices to achieve your goals. There's nothing to worry about, lad, you're a crystal-clear one to figure out for this old bonnet who’s seen it all: SLYTHERIN!"

Edgar startled as the Sorting Hat announced his House. It worked! He was sorted! His shaking hands reached up for the Hat, but it withdrew itself from his touch as the Professor in charge of the ceremony pulled it off his head by its limp tip. Edgar lopsidedly stuffed his pointed hat back on and jumped off the stool and his heart swell as everyone at the Slytherin cheered. He tried - and failed - not to run at them. For the first time in his life, he was welcome got his arm and shoulders patted by several friendly hands... people smiled at him as he was steered toward a vacant seat like an important person. It was such a new, empowering emotion, that it took him a moment to notice his neighbours, a boy and a girl.

@Olive Jones @Theodor Osborne

Hi! I'm Olive, Olive Jones. Nice what the hat said about you up there! Edgar, right? - said Olive. She was now feeling a bit more confident, a bit more relaxed, enough to take a step forward into her new environment.

I like your name. - she continued looking at Edgar. Then, feeling like she was being rude not to talk to the boy next to him who she had already interacted with shortly before that, she turned to Theodor and said Yours too! Powerful names. I bet you two will be powerful wizards some day. Not that you are not powerful now...But you know what I mean.

She meant it. Olive was never the type to say something she didn't mean, let alone to do it to please people and get on their good side. That was just not her. She liked when she could make people good about themselves, happy, loved. Probably she herself had not had much of that so far. But it had to be sincere, it had to be true or she couldn't do it. She wondered if she would had had more friends had she been more like her mother, putting on a facade to the outsiders to have favor with the right people in case she ever needed them. But Olive loathed it. The lies, the pretending, the social game. The older she got, the more she understood about it. The more she understood, the more different she wanted to be.

She had thought about each name she heard called since she sat down at the Slytherin table. Before that she was too tense to think about names and after that she could use thinking about somebody else rather than herself. Edgar sounded somewhat friendly, with a hint of dignity and...something else...What was it...? Oh, yes! Intelligence! Somebody who wouldn't struggle with words. Not friendly in a talkative way or too warm, but polite and open enough for you to be approached without fear of being looked down on. That's probably why Olive felt like initiating conversation with him. He sounded safe enough. But Thorne... There was something about it... A hidden power...? Not sure... Maybe a hidden...threat. And just like the storm when she was in that boat reading to the castle, Olive's reaction wasn't fear, but familiarity. Whatever lied underneath, if her judgment was even correct, she liked it, she could relate to it in a strange way she couldn't explain.
Then Theodor sounded more like a diplomat, someone whose opinions are respected, who people have as a reference for conduct or something. Possibly a strong voice, something about the name Theodor made it stand out, have some impact. While Osborne felt like an invitation to a journey filled with adventure and mystery. Funny how their first names seemed to speak more clearly about them while their last names were like these intriguing doors barely open, just a tiny crack to peek through. The fact that she thought they could be friends did not mean they'd think the same about her. It wouldn't have been the first time she smiled at someone who looked down on her and walked away. She had to try though, or she'd quickly become someone she didn't want to be. And she still had it in her to try new things, to hope for something better, to take risks. So she did.

✦ the first day of a new year ✦
september 1st 2022 [the slytherin table] @larino arveli, @renée danvers

"No, that's okay. was that Japanese?" Guinevere was interested why Larino thought he should stop slipping up in what she presumed to he his native tounge. "I speak Korean. And accidentally speaking another language's fine, I think. Nothing to apologize for."
She wondered why the boy was embarrased to speak Japanese. To her, knowing multiple languages was a positive; it was, frankly, something she bragged about. She brushed the question away. No point in asking; that would just make it more awkward for them both.
"Flying's fine, I suppose, though it's tiring sometimes. I've heard that my first flying lesson this year will be broom maintainnance. neccecary but boring." then she remembered the flying classes from first year. "however, one of the flying lessons last year included flying through bad weather... that was sort of scary, sooo..." she trailed off, realizing she was probably making the first year even more nervous about flying and even the other classes. "it'll be fun, though," she added.
guinevere decided to continue eating. after a while, the plates in front of her magically cleared and desserts replaced the food that was there before. she took a sip of pumpkin juice and waited for them to respond.