14. Slyhetin 2

Dante had just reached for the plates on the Slytherin table when the candlelight in the Great Hall flickered slightly. At that moment, Professor Dumbledore, seated in the center of the large teacher's desk, slowly stood up. His long beard fell across the golden tablets in front of him. His bright blue eyes sparkled behind his crescent-shaped glasses. At that moment, the entire room fell silent.

"Welcome, students," Dumbledore said, spreading his hands wide. "I am delighted that we will be spending another year together at Hogwarts. It is time to meet old friends and make new ones!"

There was a slight murmur in the room, especially from the first years, who were still a little nervous. Dumbledore continued with a slight smile:

"Some announcements... As you know, it is strictly forbidden to enter the Dark Forest, one of our school's most precious possessions. Other than that, there are no other restrictions. However, I can guarantee that you will find plenty of opportunities for adventure within the walls of Hogwarts."

Some of the upperclassmen laughed at this. Dante thought Dumbledore was hinting at something when he said, "I can guarantee that even within the walls of Hogwarts you will find ample opportunity for adventure.

Professor Dumbledore coughed and continued:

"Also, our Defense Against the Dark Arts class has a new professor this year. Please welcome Professor Magnus Grimshaw."

In an instant, the eyes of all the students turned to the new man sitting at the teacher's desk.

Professor Grimshaw was a tall, stern looking man. He wore a dark gray waistcoat over his black robes. His close-cropped black hair and lightly bearded face gave him a stern expression. But the most striking feature was a thin scar that ran just above his left eyebrow.

Grimshaw bowed his head slightly at Dumbledore's words. But his eyes seemed to be scanning the students in the hall.

Dumbledore smiled again. "I hope you all have a wonderful term and that you learn a great deal. Now... enjoy your meal!"

In an instant, the plates on the tables were filled with magic, and the smell of food filled the Great Hall. As Dante picked up his fork and reached for the fried chicken in front of him, his eyes involuntarily returned to the Teacher's table.

It was then that he realized Dumbledore was looking at him.

As his clear blue eyes met Dante's, the professor tilted his head slightly, raised one eyebrow, and winked at him vaguely.

Dante had a strange feeling. Why had Dumbledore winked, did it mean something? Or was it just a friendly gesture?

Dante looked away uncomfortably and looked at the other professors.

Professor McGonagall sat up straight. She looked as disciplined as ever, with her sharp features and tight bun. Next to her, Professor Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff, was happily eating his lunch. The head of Ravenclaw, Professor Flitwick, smiled slightly as he raised an oversized goblet.

And then Dante's eyes met Professor Snape's.

Professor Severus Snape.

His long black hair fell over his shoulders. He was as still as a statue, with a pale face and dark, unseeing eyes. He looked directly at Dante. There was no interest or friendliness in his eyes - just a sharp, piercing stare.

Dante froze for a moment under that gaze.

Snape tilted his head slightly to the side, studying him as if he were a test specimen. Then, slowly, he looked away and resumed his meal.

Dante swallowed, turned his eyes back to the table and gripped his fork tightly. He didn't know what Professor Snape was thinking right now, but he felt he had a preconceived notion about him.

At the Slytherin table, Cassius turned to him with a grin. "Snape seems to like you. Congratulations, Rosier."

Daphne chuckled slightly. "Snape doesn't like everyone, especially idiots."

Balthazar looked at Grimshaw and shook his head. "But what I'm more curious about, Grimshaw, is that the man is clearly a warrior."

Theodore Burke put down his fork and spoke. "You know, people who know him say he studied cursed tombs in Egypt. He must truly know the dark arts."

Cassius raised his eyebrows. "But does he know how to teach it?"

Dante continued to eat without saying anything. But his mind was still on Dumbledore's gaze and Snape's blank face.

Being here would not be as easy as being an ordinary student.

______________

As Dante took his last bite, he noticed the food slowly disappearing from the plates. All the students in the Great Hall were now full and tired. The candles on the tables were still flickering. It was getting late, and after a long journey and an exciting day, everyone was eager to retire to their rooms.

It was then that Professor Dumbledore rose from his desk. He walked carefully in his long robes to the front of the teacher's desk and clapped his hands together to get the attention of the room.

"Ah, dear students," he said in a warm voice. "I can see the food has satisfied you, but we all know that the first night at Hogwarts is not complete without this tradition!"

There was a moment of silence. Students who had been to Hogwarts knew immediately what he meant. A few upperclassmen's faces fell, while the first years looked at each other curiously.

"Yes!" Dumbledore went on, his eyes sparkling. "We're all going to sing the Hogwarts Anthem together!"

There was a small murmur in the hall. Some Gryffindors smiled, while the displeasure on the faces of the Slytherins was obvious. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs could only sigh.

Dumbledore raised his wand and waved it in the air. In an instant, the words of the Hogwarts Anthem floated across the hall in golden letters.

"When you're ready, everyone can sing to their own rhythm!" he said cheerfully.

Dante involuntarily rolled his eyes. "At your own pace?" he muttered. "It's silly, we do it every year," Cassius whispered, shaking his head.

At Dumbledore's signal, all the students reluctantly began to sing the song:

"From the wizards of old, our school is the best, let us always learn, wisdom, courage!"

The song was sung by different students in different rhythms, creating a strange and complex chaos of sound. Some Gryffindor students in particular shouted loudly, making the Slytherins at the Slytherin table grimace.

When the song finally ended, the Slytherin table breathed a sigh of relief. Cassius sighed deeply. "I don't know why we keep doing this," he muttered.

"Because Dumbledore likes it," Balthazar said dryly. Indeed, Dumbledore had watched with great amusement as the students finished the song, and now he sat back down, nodding slightly.

"All right," Professor McGonagall said, "you should all go to your dormitories now. Your prefects will be there to help you."

Dante and the other Slytherin students got up from the table and began to move as a group. A tall student walked ahead, leading the group. It was Lucian Travers, the Head Prefect of Slytherin. His black robes were perfectly straightened, his expression stern and authoritative.

"All of you will follow me," he said in a stern voice. "I will introduce you to Hogwarts, and if you fall behind, you will be on your own."

All the first years huddled together and followed Travers.

Exploring Hogwarts

As they walked down the wide stone corridors, Travers began to speak.

"This is the main corridor outside the Great Hall. Most of your classes are upstairs. But our building... it's in a slightly different location."

Dante looked around as he walked. The paintings on the walls watched the students with curious eyes. Some murmured, others whispered softly. As he passed a large suit of armor, it suddenly moved, stomping noisily on the ground. Several first years jumped and stepped back.

Travers smiled slightly and shook his head from side to side. "You'll get used to it."

When they reached the escalators along the way, Travers stopped and spoke with a serious expression on his face:

"These stairs are one of the most dangerous things in Hogwarts. They are constantly moving. If you don't know which floor you're going to, you could find yourself in an unfamiliar corner of the school."

Dante watched as the stairs moved slowly overhead, sliding in different directions. "It's like a trap," he muttered.

"It certainly is," Travers said. "We're not using these stairs to get to Slytherin. Our path is different."

Eventually they crossed the stone floors and came to a large wall. There were no signs or markings on it. But Travers stopped and turned.

"This is our entrance," he said. "But you need a password to get in."

Everyone paid attention. Travers bowed slightly and said in a low voice:

"Serpentis Noctis."

Suddenly, the middle section of the stone wall began to move. Cracks appeared, the stones retreated for a moment, and then a large, arched passageway appeared.

Travers turned back to face the students. "The password changes every week. To find out the new password, you must check the board in the common room. If you forget to check, you will be locked out."

A few students nodded worriedly. Travers smiled. "Don't worry. Once you get used to it, everything will be easy."

Slytherin Common Room

Dante paused in surprise as the students entered through the corridor.

The Slytherin Common Room was a large room surrounded by cold stone walls. A greenish light filtered just above the ceiling, creating a dim atmosphere. Large, carved leather chairs were arranged around the fireplace. The walls were covered with the symbols of the House of Slytherin - silver and green, serpent motifs and dark paintings.

But the most impressive thing was that the room was built under the lake.

The glass panels pointed directly under the lake.

The water rippled slowly in the darkness, and sometimes the shadow of a large creature could be seen. A few students stood in front of the glass and looked out in awe.

Cassius turned to Dante with a grin. "Isn't it beautiful? This is the best common room in Hogwarts."

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