Ch3 The Slytherins

“Your names Willow”.

Willow inclined her head, not bothering to reply to the obvious. They were traversing a moving stairway that seemed to connect to various levels at its own whim, surreal it may be, but Willow did not even bat an eyelid. Escorting her were two witches from Slytherin named Pansy and Eve, who were currently giving her a tour of Hogwarts under the Professor’s instructions. Trailing behind them was a white haired student called Draco who strangely reminded her of Spike.

The boy tried again huffing in obvious irritation at her non verbal responses, his fists momentarily clenching. “From America yes,…. well Slytherin is the best house in the school”, he announced with complete arrogance and pride. “We tend to stick together. I imagine Professor Snape has filled you in on all the other houses?”

Willow shrugged, not rising to his blatant fishing.

Draco sighed in exasperation, then switched tack, “….Merlins beard, look about that weaslette comment, I was just winding the golden trio up, I presume as you are a Slytherin - that there is no connection and well I didn’t know you and Professor Snape were acquainted.”

“No and No”.

“Excuse me?”

“I am not related and I am not acquainted with Snape”.

“He gave me detention?”, he snarled, his eyes narrowed in disbelief. He had thought the detention must be because Willow or her parents were acquaintances of Snape’s, thus his godfathers very public punishment.

Willow shrugged in indifference, infuriating Draco even further.

“I’ll see you back at the common room”, he growled out to Pansy, swinging around, his robes billowing behind him as he stomped off.

“You shouldn’t piss off Draco, he has a viscous temper and a mean streak to those he calls his enemies. You would do well to cultivate his friendship”, Pansy offered.

Willow looked at Pansy full in the face, before stepping around her, “I don’t do friends”.

Two hours later, her gear dumped in a dusty room she was hustled into the Slytherin common room by several of the Slytherin, where Draco awaited her like a king among his subjects.

She glanced around the room rich in emerald and black ebony. Carved snakes and serpents adorned chairs and pillars. With the fireplace resembling a giants snakes mouth, fangs framing it. Sinister and certainly atmospheric it suited the Slytherin reputation.

“Snape has informed me of some interesting things regarding our new class mate” Draco announced to the room, his eyes alight with glee. Lapping up the attention as he held court.

Willow calmly surveyed the other witches, stroking her bracelet, her eyes carefully blank.

“It seems our new Witch may not be as pure as she makes out”. There were gasps at this, loud murmurings and excited chatter. Stopping instantly as Draco held up his hand.

“So Willlooow”, he drew her name out mockingly, “is it true you are just a filthy MUDBLOOD”.

Willow shrugged in complete apathy, oblivious to the rapt cruel attention of her housemates. Her attention drawn despite herself to the flames roaring in the fireplace. Watching as the fire swayed and danced to its own rhythm, as it licked its way over the newly placed logs, devouring it consuming it.

Draco pursed his lips in irritation, “Sooo…… you admit it then……… how in the name of Salsazar did you end up getting sorted into Slytherin”, he snapped at her.

Willow turned and smiled sweetly at him “Just lucky I guess”. She turned, ignoring him completely as she walked away.

Later, as she sneaked under the heavy coverlets, she wondered what a mud blood was. Nothing good if she went by the Slytherin’s expression. Perhaps they found out she was Jewish, prejudice was obviously rampant in Hogwarts. But this is what she wanted to be punished, to be hated, no mollycoddling for her, no softness. She needed to be punished, she couldn’t be allowed to enjoy herself whilst she had failed her friends and most importantly her Tara so very very badly. How could she be at peace when her beautiful sweet Tara was stone cold dead, her body already succumbing to maggots and worms. No she needed to be punished, she needed something to make her feel pain again. Anything but this dreadful emptiness that started at her belly, and overflowed out of her.

She closed her eyes, her mind drifting over the days events. Before stopping at the sorting as she recalled what had lead her to the Slytherin household.

The hat, soft and warm had slid easily over her head. She had felt momentarily stupid as she sat there, in the darkness, the muffled sounds from the dining room hardly penetrating through the hat.

“Well, well well… and what have we here”.

“you can talk”, Willow asked despite herself.

“Of course I could hardly sort you without being able to communicate, but the problem is I cant read you properly, I can sense your name is Willow, and traits common to many of the houses here, Ravenclaw oh yes you are an amazingly clever witch, .Gryfindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, yes it is all there. But not enough to sort you correctly and that will never do.”

“Then don’t sort me, I don’t care”.

“You are wearing some sort of clouding device, please remove it”.

“NO”, Willow almost shouted, her hand automatically clutching her bracelet protectively. It was the only thing keeping her sane and others safe.

The hat huffed in annoyance and inflated self importance, “and just how am I meant to sort you Willow Rosenberg, choosing the right house for each student is critical. It allows the student to flourish in the right environment that suits their own individuality. The right house for each student is paramount if you are to rise to your full potential”.

“and if I don’t want to rise”, replied Willow darkly.

The hat seemed to pause in consideration, “then what do you want Willow Rosenberg?”

Willow closed her eyes, what she truly truly wanted was forever denied to her. “I want to feel pain, to be punished , to take away this empty feeling…. I want to die”, she softly confessed.

The hat was silent. Willow waited.

“SLYTHERIN“, the hat boomed its announcement through the hall. Willow blinked and started to wiggle out from the hat, but it was not finished with her yet, as it whispered softly, sweetly, darkly in her ear. “…. and Willow when you remember the correct question, come and see me”.

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Chapter 4 - Classes, Potions… oh dear

(PS has anybody see Sweeney Todd - it has half the evil cast of Harry Potter - Snape, Bellatrix, Pettigrew)