The Slytherin common room was a large space, with engravings and pictures decorating the walls. A large fireplace filled the area with warmth and a golden glow that reflected off the polished wood on the furniture.

The first year students were sat down on a green carpet that was centered between three lounges. Many of the others walked away, talking quietly as they did, but a handful sat themselves down on the lounge.

The students sat and waited in silence for no more than five minutes before the main entrance opened and in walked a calm faced professor Snape.

"Good evening, students" He said in a voice that commanded attention, "My name is professor Snape, you shall address me as such, and I am your head of house. This house is prided on being the best, so I shall expect to see each and every one of you studying after class. Two hours shall be sufficient. I will be here every evening for an hour directly after dinner, shall you require assistance. The students behind you," He said pointing to the people on the lounge, "are our prefects and head students, you will get acquainted with them in your own time. For now, it is late. Three to a room, your items are already inside, your name is on the door. You will all be dressed and down at the hall for breakfast at 6:30 sharp." At that, the darkly clad man walked away, vanishing behind a dark door.

One of the older students stood and yarned loudly before she showed where the rooms were.

"Girls to the left, boys to the right" She slurred.

In front were two spiral staircases that continued into the wall, standing at opposite ends, each with a portrait next to it. As everyone went their respective ways, Harry stood and watched. The two portraits watched back with equal intensity, the female raising her black eyebrows.

"You're Merlin, and Morgan!" The boy eventually said.

The male burst out laughing in a manor that was rather unbefitting of such an important icon.

"Oh! Pack it in Merlin!" Morgan shouted in a thick Irish accent. Merlin closed his mouth and proceeded to giggle.

"You're the first to say that with such conviction!" The man said as he moved long strands of hair from his face, his laughing calm.

A loud bell rang from a clock on the mantelpiece, the sound bouncing off every picture.

"Alright, kid, we can talk more in the mornin'. But for now, its past ten and she'll have my hide if I keep ya'" Merlin said, gesturing to Morgan. Harry smiled but did as he was told and went in search of his room.

As the boy then discovered, the stairs lead to four platforms that housed the various years. 1st and 2nd year students were on the first floor. Harry's name was not hard to spot, as it was one of the first he came across, sitting under Zabini Blaize, and Nott Theodore. The boy grabbed the golden doorknob and froze. He could here no noise from inside, no talking, shifting or the patting of feet in wood.

Harry took a deep breath, straightened out his skirt, and opened the door.

Inside was a strange hexagonal room of wooden floor and stony walls. On the far side, opposite the door, was a large window that showed the waters of the lake. The glass held small golden runes along the boarder and out in the dark waters a small light turned black to dark green and allowed for the impressive kelp forests to become mildly visible.

To his left was another door, white and had a stream of golden light appear from its sides.

'A bathroom' Harry decided, and obviously where his two absent roommates were. Along the final three walls sat three poster beds and three matching desks in between.

In the center of the floor was a stone basin with hot coals simmering away inside, the odd flame rising in a lazy burst.

As the boy wondered further inside, he marveled at the sheer size of the room; as even in its full state there remained plenty of space for free movement. With a small breath of appreciation, Harry walked over to the bed behind his trunk.

A wave of tiredness washed over the boy and he wasted no time in changing into one of his warmest pairs of pajamas.

Now under the warm blankets with the thick, green curtains closed, Harry found himself smiling in sleepy appreciation. He was in the realm of the sandman when Theodore and Blaize emerged from the bathroom, washed and ready for bed themselves.

"Did you see who our roommate was?" Blaize asked as he looked out the window.

"Wasn't paying attention. Maybe we don't have one?"

"We'll check the door tomorrow, I couldn't be bothered now"

There was the sound of shuffling and curtains being opened and closed before silence reigned and the two boys joined Harry in slumber.