The start-of-term feast drew to a close in an almost carnival-like atmosphere. The last scraps of food vanished from the plates, and Headmaster Dippet rose once more to announce the new term's rules and reminders: the Forbidden Forest was off-limits, students were to watch for changes in the Moving Stairs, and they were to express their "gratitude" for Mr. Pringle's "valuable" work. Finally, led by their prefects, the students of each House filed out and returned to their respective Common Rooms.
The Slytherin first-years were gathered together by a seventh-year male prefect and a female prefect. The male prefect had a stern face, pale golden hair, and light blue eyes. He introduced himself as Casius Warrington. The female prefect wore a proud expression, her black hair pinned up with meticulous precision. Her name was Septima Victor.
"Follow me," Prefect Warrington said curtly, his voice carrying Slytherin's characteristic chill. "Watch your step, stay with the group, and don't look around like idiots and embarrass the House."
They left the noisy Great Hall and descended the stone steps, down and down and down. The temperature around them seemed to drop steadily. The torches on the walls became ghostly green magical flames, casting wavering shadows across the stone walls carved with coiling serpents. The air grew damp, carrying the faintly fishy moisture unique to the depths of the Black Lake.
[Environmental Monitoring: Host has entered the deep underground levels of Hogwarts. The magical field leans toward coldness and secrecy. It produces slight repulsion with the host's Symbiont of Light and Dark constitution, but the 'Eternal Cycle' wand has stabilized the energy field.]
Ares could feel the warm, soothing sensation emanating from the wand in his robes, dispelling that trace of discomfort. He looked at Tom beside him. There was nothing unusual on Tom's face; instead, he seemed perfectly at home in such a dark, secluded environment. His black eyes sharply observed every detail along the way, as though he were memorizing the path to this "nest."
At last, they stopped before an empty, damp stone wall. Apart from several enormous stone snakes entwined with one another, there was nothing on it.
"Remember the password." Prefect Victor turned to face the first-years, her voice clear. "'Pure-blood.' The password will be changed regularly, so watch for announcements."
She turned toward the stone wall and said clearly, "Pure-blood."
The stone snakes seemed to come alive. They slid apart without a sound, and the stone wall quietly opened, revealing an oval entrance.
A stronger scent rushed out, mingling old wood, damp stone, and faint spices. Beyond the door was Slytherin's Common Room.
It was a long, low-ceilinged chamber located beneath the Black Lake. Rough stone walls were illuminated by ghostly green lamps, giving off a hazy glow. The ceiling displayed a magical projection of the lakebed, where the shadows of giant squid and other strange creatures occasionally drifted past, casting shifting darkness across the room. In the center stood an exquisitely carved fireplace, burning with pale green flames that gave off warmth but could not dispel the inherent chill of the underground space. Before it sat many finely carved black and dark green leather armchairs and sofas.
The entire Common Room was steeped in an ancient, luxurious, and slightly oppressive atmosphere. Several older students sat in twos and threes around the room, conversing quietly. When they saw the first-years enter, they cast only brief, appraising glances before losing interest, displaying Slytherin's typical reserve and exclusivity.
"The boys' dormitories are down the left corridor, the girls' down the right. Your names are on the doors." Prefect Warrington pointed toward the two stone corridors stretching into darkness. "Your luggage has already been delivered. Remember to check your schedules tomorrow morning. Dismissed."
The first-years dispersed somewhat stiffly, searching for their dormitories. Tom and Ares headed down the left corridor and soon found brass nameplates bearing their names on two adjacent doors.
Their dormitory was a two-person room—clearly preferential treatment for certain "special" or Pure-blood students. It followed the same style as the Common Room: stone walls, a ceiling showing the bottom of the Black Lake, two four-poster beds with dark green curtains, carved black wooden desks, and wardrobes. It was a thousand times better than the orphanage, yet it still carried the underground cold.
Tom pushed open the door to his own room and entered. Rather than unpacking immediately, he walked straight to the window—though it was not a real window, only a magical projection of the lakebed. He watched the dark waters outside and the swaying shadows of aquatic plants. His face showed no expression, but Ares could sense the thoughts surging within him, as deep as the waters beyond the glass.
Ares entered his own room as well and set his trunk beside the bed. He ran a hand over the cold stone wall, feeling the faint vibrations rising from the depths of the Black Lake beneath his feet.
"It's... quiet here." Tom's voice suddenly came from the doorway. Leaning against the frame, he looked at Ares. "And... safe."
His meaning was obvious. This place was hidden enough, far from the eyes of professors and most students from the other Houses. It was the ideal place for "private research" and building influence.
Ares nodded. "We need to familiarize ourselves with the surroundings, and with... the people here." He meant the older students in the Common Room and fellow first-years like Abraxas.
A cold curve appeared on Tom's lips. "Of course." He paused, his gaze falling upon the Eternal Cycle wand Ares had not yet put away. "Your wand attracted a lot of attention today."
"So did yours," Ares replied calmly.
They exchanged a look, each understanding the other's meaning. They needed strength, but they also needed caution. In Slytherin, excessive brilliance and excessive mediocrity were equally dangerous.
At that moment, footsteps and voices sounded in the corridor. Abraxas was approaching with several other first-years who appeared to come from similarly distinguished backgrounds.
"Looks like we're staying close by, Riddell, Phoenix." Abraxas greeted them with a smile. His gaze swept between the two before settling on Tom. "See you in the Common Room? Perhaps we can talk."
It was a clear signal of recruitment.
Tom immediately put on that proper mask and smiled. "Of course, Malfoy. We'll be there shortly."
Abraxas nodded in satisfaction and left with the others.
Tom closed the door, and the smile vanished from his face at once. He walked over to Ares and lowered his voice. "The Malfoy family is one of the Twenty-Eight Sacred Families. They have considerable influence. Getting close to him will benefit us."
"But he's shrewd too," Ares reminded him. "What he values is your potential, not you yourself."
"I know." Tom's tone carried a trace of disdain. "We're merely using each other. But I need his resources and connections." He looked at Ares. "And you need to play your role well. A... mysterious assistant with unique power, but harmless."
Ares understood what Tom meant. Tom needed Ares's intelligence and that calming power as support and cover. Tom himself would focus on displaying strength, ambition, and leadership, attracting followers like Malfoy.
"I understand," Ares said. This had been their unspoken division of roles since the orphanage. Only now, the stage had grown larger.
The two of them quickly unpacked, changed into clean school robes, and returned to the Common Room together.
By the fireplace, Abraxas was already sitting with several older students. When he saw them approach, he waved. Tom walked over naturally and joined the conversation. His elegant manner of speaking and the occasional precise insight into magic soon drew the attention of the older students.
Ares instead chose an armchair farther away, near the "window," and took out the ancient A History of Magic scroll he had brought from the vault. He read quietly. His mismatched eyes seemed even deeper beneath the ghostly green light, while the Golden Chain Pattern beneath his left eye flickered in and out of view. He maintained a subtle distance from the prying, curious gazes around him.
He had no need to rush to fit in as Tom did. His very "difference" was both capital and shield.
In the Common Room, the green fire crackled while creatures beneath the lake drifted soundlessly past. Tom Riddle was taking the first step down the path he had chosen, while Ares Phoenix was like a gemstone sunk beneath the lake, concealing the secrets of light and darkness as he watched quietly and waited.
Their Slytherin lives had officially set sail in the dark depths beneath the lake. Beneath the calm surface, hidden currents were beginning to stir.
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