Slytherin Table

Slytherin Table

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The Slytherin table is situated on the far left of the room when entering the Great Hall, with Ravenclaw on the right.

Galen sat silently at the center of the staff table, his blue eyes skimming the students. He paid close attention to the new faces, attempting to gauge who may cause problems this term. He hoped none would.

This was his first Opening Feast as Headmaster, as last term he came in once term was underway. The staff felt tighter this time around – though that was perhaps because he fully trusted each and every one of them. Last term, it had been his predecessor that had hired them. It had been up to him to remove anyone he didn’t see fit for their roles, or who wasn’t trustworthy.

Gideon took his seat on the other side of Byrne – Blackwood, really, but it was too confusing with too many professors having the same surnames. Just as Laurence would always be Laurence.

Once the Deputy was sitting, Galen cleared his throat and rose to his feet, drawing the attention of the room to himself with his militaristic presence. “Good evening. For those of you who are new, welcome to Hogwarts. You will find that it is an exceptional institution that will ask more of you than you think you are capable of giving. For those of you who are returning, you already know what is expected of you. I trust you have not forgotten over the summer.”

A beat. Some announcements. “We still have some auror presence on the grounds, so get used to seeing them around. Also, Prefects are no longer to patrol outside; their patrols have been moved indoors for security reasons.”

Would any of them argue? It didn’t matter.

“Regarding duelling club and quidditch. Both activities remain suspended. We are working toward a resolution, however I will not speculate on a timeline at this point.”

Galen truly hated the speech at the beginning of each term as a student because it was highly inefficient. The more administrative updates could be pinned on the bulletin boards in the common rooms instead of highlighted here.

“Enjoy your feast,” Galen said and took his seat. He lifted his glass, and the tables were immediately covered in food.

New year, new life. This is what Gareth expected on the Hogwarts Express, seeing all his classmates again, or even later on the carriages pulled by invisible skeletal horses —or so his mother said— or even sitting with the other snakes at their table.
And yet the atmosphere didn't seem any different, and in fact, the headmaster's speech only confirmed that old habits died hard.

"This is so unfair." he blurted out in response to the headmaster's words, joining his annoyed voice to that of the other neighbors at both the green-silver and black-blue tables.
Why were duels still banned? They had a group of armed magical guards, the best at dueling, present at the school, yet they couldn't fight each other with wands. They could threaten each other with one of the many knives on the table in Muggle fashion, but not with their trusty woods in their holsters and pockets. They could poison themselves with botched potions, but they couldn't make their opponents vomit slugs. It was all so absurd.

From there to the conspiracy theory was not a short step, it was immediate. The idea that they wanted them incapable of defending themselves so as to be easier prey for Halloway's followers was increasingly likely. But it also meant having to organize clandestine tournaments in forgotten rooms, far from the eyes of the entire school staff, with the thrill of being discovered at any moment, with the ready excuse of having to defend themselves from Peeves or being a very particular group of tutors.

Gareth nodded for those who were complaining about yet another Quidditch ban, if not for the sport itself, which he didn't care about, but for the lack of ways to let off steam. If only they could throw a bludger at the headmaster! In fact, since the importation of those damned magical creatures was still permitted, why not fill the teachers' rooms with Fire Crabs? Sooner or later someone had to do something about this, he couldn't stand another year without extra courses!