I woke to a wet, ticklish sensation on my cheeks.
I groaned and turned my head—only to be met with silver-black scales and a flickering tongue.
Chromis.
She was perched on my pillow, tail loosely coiled, eyes bright with unmistakable satisfaction as she continued licking my face with single-minded determination.
"Alright, alright," I muttered, half-asleep. "I'm up."
Her tongue flicked again, smug.
I sighed and spoke without thinking—my thoughts sliding naturally into the language that no longer felt foreign to me.
$Ah, so you remember me.$
$After enjoying your whole day terrifying rats in the castle.$
Chromis froze for half a heartbeat—then lifted her head proudly and slithered closer, pressing against my cheek in something that could only be described as a cuddle.
$I was just checking our new territory,$ she replied, her voice warm and pleased as it echoed directly in my mind.
I let out a soft huff of laughter and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. "Of course you were."
She settled contentedly around my wrist, her body warm, familiar. The ease of it—the way my thoughts slipped into Parseltongue without effort—still caught me off guard sometimes.
Yes.
I was a Parselmouth.
That realization had hit me harder than almost anything else since entering the wizarding world.
It had shocked me too.
I hadn't known. Not growing up. Not until Chromis hatched.
The moment she'd looked at me, truly looked at me—and spoken—I'd understood. By then, it was too late to check Salvius family records, too late to quietly unravel where it came from.
Hogwarts had already called.
And I had answered.
I pushed myself up from bed and stretched, Chromis shifting easily with me, never once losing her balance. After freshening up, changing into my robes, and making myself presentable, I stepped out of my dormitory.
The Slytherin common room was still quiet.
Morning light filtered faintly through the lake-facing windows, casting soft green-blue reflections across the stone walls. A few students would be stirring soon—but for now, the room belonged to stillness.
I crossed the room and took a seat near one of the long tables.
Chromis lifted her head, watching everything with quiet interest.
I tapped the tabletop twice and spoke a single word.
"Coffee."
Within seconds, a mug appeared before me—dark, steaming, rich with the familiar scent that cut cleanly through the last traces of sleep.
I wrapped my fingers around it and took a slow sip.
Perfect.
Chromis flicked her tongue appreciatively.
$This place listens to you,$ she observed.
I smiled faintly. "It listens to everyone. Most people just don't realize it."
The castle hummed softly around us—ancient, awake, patient.
A new day at Hogwarts had begun.
Just as I lifted the mug again, intending to take another sip, a shadow fell across the table.
I looked up.
Head Boy Fawley had taken the chair opposite me, his posture relaxed but deliberate. Seventh year calm. Gray-faction composure. The kind that didn't waste words.
Chromis lifted her head slightly, eyes narrowing, then settled again—watchful.
Fawley studied me for a moment before speaking.
"Where were you and the first years yesterday?" he asked.
"We were training," I replied simply, not breaking eye contact.
"I heard that much," he said. His tone shifted—subtly colder. "I was asking about the location."
I took a slow sip of coffee before answering.
"Didn't the others tell you?" I asked.
His jaw tightened just a fraction. "They said I should ask you."
I set the mug down.
"Good," I said evenly. "Then they understand allegiance."
That seemed to catch him off guard.
I continued, voice calm, unhurried. "It's not a secret. Professor Snape offered the place to all Slytherin students."
His eyes flicked up sharply. "Snape did?"
"Yes," I said. "You're welcome to join us after lunch."
The tension eased almost immediately.
Fawley leaned back slightly, the edge leaving his expression. He nodded once—approval, or at least acceptance.
"Fair enough," he said. "I'll stop by."
He stood without another word and returned to whatever he'd been doing before, conversation clearly concluded.
I picked up my coffee again, steam curling upward.
The common room slowly began to stir around us as morning crept forward, but for a few moments longer, the table remained quiet—order restored, lines clarified, and expectations set.
Adrian Pucey and Lucian Bole were the first to come down, both looking far more awake than most first years had any right to be. Adrian gave me a brief nod of greeting; Lucian simply took a seat nearby, already scanning the room as if committing routines and faces to memory.
Terrance Higgs followed not long after, still fighting off the remnants of sleep.
Montague was noticeably absent.
The girls arrived together—Selene, Lyanna, Celia, and Nyx—moving as a group, voices low but animated. Whatever hierarchy or hesitation had existed between them yesterday seemed to have softened. Training had a way of doing that.
Once everyone present had gathered their things, we left for breakfast together.
No one said it out loud, but we all noticed who wasn't there.
By the time we reached the Great Hall, the armor near its entrance had already drawn a crowd.
The boar's head sat proudly atop its helm, grotesque and magnificent in equal measure, while students from every house gathered around it laughing and speculating about who had managed such a feat. The twins walked past with remarkable composure, though the light in their eyes betrayed them.
The spectacle lasted only a few minutes longer.
Filch appeared, lantern swinging and Mrs. Norris prowling at his heels, and the laughter faded into poorly disguised innocence as he tore the boar's head down and stalked away muttering threats of consequences.
Only then did we enter.
The Great Hall was busier now than earlier, the long tables steadily filling as students drifted in. We took our places at the Slytherin table and began eating—conversation light, casual, almost normal. For a brief while, we were just classmates sharing a meal, not heirs or representatives or pieces on someone else's board.
Halfway through breakfast, a voice cut in.
"Why didn't you guys wait for me?"
Montague.
I didn't look up from my plate.
No one answered immediately.
Instead, a few of the others glanced instinctively toward the Great Hall entrance.
Warrington had just walked in.
He moved alone.
Shoulders stiff. Expression tight. The space around him felt… empty, despite the number of students present. No one called out to him. No one shifted to make room.
Montague followed their gazes.
Understanding dawned slowly on his face.
He said nothing more.
Quietly, he took an empty seat and began eating, eyes fixed on his plate. Whatever conflict was playing out behind his expression, he kept it to himself.
Breakfast ended without incident.
"Before you scatter," I said, loud enough for all of them to hear without raising my voice.
That was enough.
Adrian paused mid-step. Nyx turned immediately. Even Montague stopped, hand tightening slightly around his goblet.
"Training begins after lunch," I continued evenly. "From then until dinner, we'll be practicing in one of the Potions classrooms."
A few brows lifted at that.
"After dinner," I added, "we switch back to the dueling hall."
I let that sink in before finishing.
"Two hours are mandatory," I said calmly. "You can come in any time beyond that—but I won't waste time repeating explanations."
No complaints. Just attention.
"If you miss something," I went on, "you study it on your own. Use your free periods. Ask the appropriate professors. That's part of training too."
Nyx nodded once. Lucian's expression sharpened with interest. Terrance swallowed and straightened.
"This isn't schoolwork," I finished. "This is preparation."
I pushed my chair back and stood.
"I'll see you all after lunch."
One by one, they nodded.
As we stood and began to disperse, plans for the day forming in low voices, my own thoughts were already elsewhere—drawn toward the place I had anticipated most when I first thought of Hogwarts.
The next destination was obvious.
The library.
I rose from the table, already planning the route, the shelves I wanted to start with—and the quiet I'd been craving since arriving at Hogwarts.
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