| Details for Regarding House Points |
| Summary: | A few Slytherin students pause in the Entry Hall to discuss the house standings. |
| Date: | Sunday, January 8th 1942 |
| Location: | Entry Hall, Hogwarts |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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Entry Hall Ground Floor
Sun Jan 08, 1942 ((Sun Jan 08 17:19:17 2017)) (Hogwarts Castle)
It is a winter night. The weather is cold and fair.
The marble base of the grand staircase stands directly opposite a massive pair of oaken doors and flagstone courtyard beyond. Though the movement of the walkways from one landing to another may be glimpsed above, the heavy gloom shrouding the uppermost floors obscures the true height of the space. Braziers burning upon the walls cast their thin golden illumination upon glinting suits of armor that flank almost every oddly-spaced portal— even a broom closet. The feature of greatest interest (at least to students) are the four enormous hourglasses housed in niches to either side of the courtyard doors.
Though often the scene of the greatest rush of students heading to meals, heading to class, the Entry Hall is all but deserted at this time of the evening, so close to curfew. Samira stands alone staring up at the hourglasses tracking the house points. It's been a good year for Ravenclaw, leading the houses at 100 points. Hufflepuff is dead last with a dismal 6 points. Slytherin is doing better at 34 points, but Gryffindor is intolerably ahead at 65 points.
Eugene comes downt he stairs into the hall, bag over his shoulder, and looks like he's about to make for the dungeons until he spots Samira taking stock of the house points. He diverts his course and sidles up next to her, letting out a quiet sigh as he looks at where the houses stand. "Disgusting," he says simply, shaking his head at how poorly their own house is doing.
Samira's lips quirk in a faint grin. "Mm. Abraxas has been in a dark mood. I've wondered if this is why. Have we simply been focused on other things? Or have we had trouble makers, perhaps… I haven't been keeping track."
A great burst of cold sweeps through the entry hall as John makes his way in from the ground, rather swiftly closing the door he came through to cut that cold off. The boy tugs off his scarf, murmuring under his breath to himself before looking about the hall. Spotting Samira, he makes his way over to join the older girl, his own eyes finding their way to the glasses indicating the current house standings. "Don't look at me, I've not lost us any points this year," he says, glacing to Samira with a smile.
Eugene offers a small shrug. "Your guess is as good as mine." He turns his back to the rush of cold air as John enters, turning back to face the hourglasses once the door is closed. Leaning forward to look around Samira, he offers John a small nod of greeting. "I suspect it's as you suggested, our focus has been… elsewhere."
Samira's lips quirk wider, peering up at John. "Have you /earned/ any points? I mean… I haven't. I've never tried to." As another housemate joins them, Samira smiles up at him with a light tilt of her head. "Yes. Looking ahead. I wonder how important the houses will seem to us once we've graduated. What do you think?" She glances from Eugene to John.
John looks back up at the large hour-glasses and replies, "I…can't say that I've earned us any points either," frowning now. "I suppose most of us are worrying about other things and not particularly standing out in classes." He pauses, then, loosening his cloak a bit before adding, "I don't think that it's less important to any of us than in past years. Still…it is disgusting that we are being outdone as badly as we are."
Eugene crosses his arms, pondering. "My own contributions have been… lacking, too," he admits, pursing his lips as his eyes more from the Slytherin hourglass to Ravenclaw and back. "I'm not sure how important the houses will seem afterwards. Our housemates will, I hope, still be relevant, but I think that's more because of our like-mindedness, not because we were all Slytherins." He pauses. "Though, I suppose we're in Slytherin because of that same like-mindedness." A shrug. "You know what I meant."
"The houses seemed so odd when I was first sorted," says Samira, glancing back up at the hourglasses. "Where I'm from, we're divided by blood. Between the houses, there were such far stronger differences. Different cultures. But… I suppose I've gotten attached to Slytherin. It'd be nice to see us earning a few more points. Maybe I'll go to the next Quidditch game and cheer in the stands."
"I'm certain the team would be glad to have more supporters in the stands," John says easily, "Maybe it'd be good for everyone to put a bit more effort into trying to stand out in lessons as well. Seems the easiest way for most of us to gain points for the house. As for after school is done…so much depends on knowing the right people. And I'm sure that more than a few of us are going to do well after leaving Hogwarts with some help from the people they've met as housemates." He shrugs, then, likely more than aware that that point is likely more than obvious.
"Glad to hear you've got used to us," Eugene says, turning to Samira with faint amusement in his voice. "I suppose it wouldn't kill me to drag myself out to a Quidditch match," he muses, half to himself. He gives John a nod of agreement before speaking again. "Certainly we've all met people that will prove to be useful contacts in the future, and being in Slytherin together helped us meet them. But if we had met the same people through other means, they'd be equally useful." A pause. "I suppose making more contacts with older, former Slytherins is likely to be useful, too. I revise my opinion from earlier, being in Slytherin will likely remain important even after our time here is done."
Samira rocks back on her heels, listening with thoughtful nods. "It does seem that those in the Slytherin house are most destined for greatness. Other houses have outstanding students, but it seems they're more rare. Ravenclaw has a few. I suppose of all the houses, it's good that they're in the lead. We could at least try and come in as a solid second. We'll see how our Quidditch matches go. " Glancing up from Eugene to John. "Are you heading to the Common Room yet?"
John nods his head in agreement with Samira, then. "I don't think overtaking Gryffindor should be too difficult…ah, I was going to head that way since it is so close to curfew," he says, glancing towards the passage to the dungeons. "Especially now, realizing how far behind we are. Don't want to get caught after hours and out of bounds and make our chances worse."
"I was on my way to the common room before I got distracted by people staring at house points," Eugene says with a faint smile. "And that's an excellent point, the last thing we need, to get ourselves further behind by getting caught out after hours." He adjusts his bag on his shoulder, giving the other two a look. "Shall we, then?" An arm is held out in a 'lead the way' gesture towards the dungeons.
With an impish giggle, Samira slinks out from between John and Eugene. "Right. I think Abraxas would deduct our points and then murder us all. And no one would ever find our bodies."
John allows a grin to spread on his lips as he turns to follow after Samira. "There's enough places that are good for hiding things around here that I don't doubt it," he states easily, snickering a little despite himself.
Eugene steps off behind the pair, chuckling. "You can't make an example with just missing students," he points out, tone dry as he follows them down to the
Slytherin common room.
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Slytherin Common Room Dungeons
Sun Jan 08, 1942 ((Sun Jan 08 18:51:13 2017)) (Hogwarts Castle)
It is a winter night. The weather is cold and flurrying.
The Slytherin commons room is a low-ceilinged, dungeon-like affair illuminated during the day by a multitude of greenish lamps and a roaring fire which also works to partially ward of the perpetual chill of the dungeons. The common room is filled with low-backed, black and dark green leather sofas and armchairs accented with buttons that create dimples deep in the upholstery. For the decorative carvings of the dark wood cupboards, the columns, the mantelpiece, and other architectural details of the room run strongly towards snakes and skulls motif. All these details combine to create a quite grand atmosphere with a touch of spooky and cold.
Day or night the enchanted windows are filled with an eerie green glow from the water on the other side. Occasionally the Giant Squid and other residents of the Black Lake will swim by the portals. Over all the common room has a sunken ship feel, though is oddly enough also gives a strange cozy sense as well.
John settles himself onto the couch nearest the fire, shifting enough so that he was able to keep an eye on Samira as she departed to the Girls Dormitory. After a few moments he drops his belongings on the floor at his feet and says, "Luckily the corridors are more or less deserted at this hour. Just barely made it back in time," a wry smile on his lips.
Eugene offers a silent wave to Samira as she heads off to bed, watching until she vanishes before claiming a chair next to John's couch. "Lucky," he agrees with a nod, letting his bag fall by his feet as he gets comfortable. A small yawn is covered by his hand before he looks over at John. "Weekends never last long enough," he muses.
"Never," John agrees, shifting about on the couch so that he is reclines on the couch, somewhat facing Eugene so that the older boy is in his sight. "Probably worse for you seventh years, what with your exams coming in a few months." He stretches briefly, then, propped up a bit by the arm of the couch.
ugene heaves a sigh. "I'm trying not to think about it," he laments, shaking his head, then looking despondently down at his bag. "I suppose I should study a bit if I'm going to be awake anyways." Leaning down, he produces his Transfiguration text. "Sixth year is like a miniature break, I'm jealous. Done with OWLs, NEWTs are still a distant concern." He makes no move to actually open his textbook yet.
John gives a bit of a laugh at that and replies, "I'm trying to enjoy it while it lasts. Probably doesn't hurt that I'm only taking a few NEWTS level courses anyway. Gives me time to focus on other things if I'd like, though I still end up with my nose in a book more often than I'd prefer." Hr looks towards the fire for a moment, then, and murmurs, "Besides, I'm sure that more than a few of you will be missed here next year when you're out in the world doing things."
"Some of us more than others," Eugene says with a grin, crossing his legs at the ankle, stretching them before him, textbook ignored. "What are you taking this year?" he asks with idle curiosity. "And yes, it isn't quite as relaxing as it looks at first, I suppose. NEWT courses are… intense," he says
John coughs rather conspicuously and smiles wryly at Eugene. "Well. Maybe some, yes." He seizes the opportunity for a change of subject and answers, "Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts. I did well enough in charms and Transfiguration but…thought I'd be more satisfied just with the two." He pushes himself upwards so that he is more properly seated and adds, "If we had something that offered a bit more…combative learning, I would likely have taken that as well."
Eugene chuckles once more at the response. "Yes, a shame that nothing like that is really taught," he laments, giving his text another look and shaking his head. "This has been lovely, but I think I'm going to turn in for the night. Monday morning will be here sooner than either of us would like." With a sigh, he slips the book back into his bag and rises, offering John a small nod before heading towards the dorms.
John nods his head at that, pushing up from the couch. "I likely should do the same. You have a good night, eh?" he murmurs, gathering his things and following after Eugene before too much more time has passed.