Welcome to the Jungle

Karma sat at the Slytherin table, the welcome feast clanging all around her. The Firsties had been sorted, and the feast had already begun. Sadly, almost, she looked down at the food, wishing she could at least be able to take a bite of it. Now, with her stomach out of whack, she couldn't even pretend to be normal.

Pretending to take a sip of the pumpkin juice before her, she turned her eyes upward, looking at the ceiling of the Great Hall. It was nice, a starry sky. Making a mental note to go stargazing later, she returned her eyes to the table, being uncharacteristicly quiet. Her prefect badge gleamed on the front of her borrowed Slytherin Robes, and she fiddled with it unconciously. She had to get used to it being there.

With a small grin, she looked around. She had a feeling taking points would become her new favorite game. Idly, she wondered who her fellow prefect was, as Arsen hadn't said anything about being one.

Certh had a long time to think about what it would be like at Hogwarts: From his boat ride, to how the castle would look, and the teachers. He appeared to be lost in thought, or amazement as he had entered the castle prepared to be sorted. His new robe appeared to be dragging across the rugged-looking floor of the ancient castle soon making his way up the staircase toward the great hall.

He soon glanced down to the other first years that surrounded him, awaiting to be dragged into where the sorting hat lay upon a stool. There were a few students that were shooting gazes toward him, knowing who his parents had been there was no surprise why: They were dark, practitioners of the dark arts and prided themselves upon their pure-blood heritage. Certh gave a slight snarl toward them, causing the students to break their absent-minded stare they had upon the dark-haired boy.

Withholding his wand within his robes, they were then escorted into the Hall to begin sorting. Certh was the first to go, could have been luck. He was rather glad, not wanting to be around their stares any longer, he was liable to send a hex their way. The hat soon was placed upon his black, neatly combed hair; almost instantly shouting. "Slytherin House".

He was rather happy at the news, glancing back at the students and gave off a slight gaze, before walking over to sit at the table. It was rather empty at the front, not a lot of people. He slowly sat there until sorting had concluded before looking around for anyone that he thought looked 'interesting' and lonely, soon spotting a girl, looked to be about 15 or so sitting by herself sipping away at the pumpkin juice.

Soon, walking up to her he glanced at her untouched plate of food. "Mind if I sit?"

Karma glanced up at the first year, a small little smirk forming on her lips. "Not at all, firstie." She said, glancing around herself. She was alone? Where had her friends all gone? With a noncommital shrug she returned her attention to the boy. "My names Karma. I'm the girl prefect for Slytherin." She winked at him. "Welcome to the best of the best. Five points to you for being awesome enough to get in." She picked up her goblet and pretended to take another sip, placing the glass back down.

For the first time, she looked the boy up and down, evaluating him with her eyes. He was... promising. She took a deep breath through her nose, a naughty grin stealing over her features. "How would you like to be my newest Firstie?" She asked, her light brown eyes sparkling. "Every year I pick one first year to make my protege." She winked again. "I'll show you all my Hogwarts Secrets, shortcuts to class, certain things that only a Slytherin would know." She smiled dazzlingly. "What do you say?"

The girl that he had asked a question to seemed awfully... giddy for someone who had looked quite depressed only a few moments before he had spoken. Almost regretting speaking at first, however he proceeded to sit down, moving his robes away from his feet so he would not trip as he plunked his butt down on the bench. Soon turning his attention to her, his hair kept out of his eyes by the spray he used. "Er... thanks?" He was rather at a loss for words at the girl sitting beside him, Certh was not used to people being that.. hyper around him.

He noticed her glances from his feet to his head, curious to why she would be checking out an eleven year old. "Oh doesn't that just sound like the cherry on top" He said back to her, in a obvious sarcastic tone. He did not believe that guidance was needed there for him, rather that it would open itself up for him at the school. "but you can still show me them." He paused slightly "your.. secrets." Her winks began making Certh rather... uncomfortable as he sat beside her, not having touched any of the food yet.

Karma yawned, rolling her eyes. "If you don't want my offer, just say no. You don't get secrets without it." She said, returning her attention to the boy. She was already bored with him. Maybe she should find a different firstie. A girl this time. She rested her chin on her hand and studied him for a moment before returning her gaze to her empty plate. Right. Food.

She picked a roll off the tray and placed it on her plate. Next, she pretended to take another sip of juice. Maybe she should just call it a night and head in.

Karma appeared to pull away after Certh had refused her 'offer' to become a puppet. He did not come to Hogwarts to become somebody's dog chew toy - no - he came because he wanted to learn magic, and become like his parents in the dark arts. It had been a dream of his, his parents telling him stories about Voldemort and what he had done so long ago.

He noticed more students appeared to be giving him stares from the table over, whether it was Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, he did not care. He looked back to the table, grabbing a piece of bread before munching it down. "You know," He paused slightly. Perhaps this would be a good time for him to... 'get to know' the other students. "I would quite enjoy to take you up on that offer of yours" Certh did hope that it was still good, allowing him to make 'friends' was what was going to help him through his years there, at Hogwarts.

Jessica stumbled nervously into the Great Hall. The rest of her family had all been sorted into Ravenclaw, but she didn't see herself fit in there. She wasn't open-minded enough, she didn't consider herself smart enough, and she certainly didn't consider herself sociable enough to suit any of the other houses. Her initial thought was "What if I don't get sorted? What is they don't know where to put me? What am I going to do?!"

After what seemed like forever, her name was called. She tripped up the steps, stumbling slightly, but regained her balance and sat down on the stool. The hat was placed on her head, and she couldn't see anything for a while. The old, tatty hat whispered in her ear, and eventually called out "SLYTHERIN!"

She ran down to the Slytherin table, and sat down in an empty spot near the end. She didn't talk to anyone, as per usual, and she hoped no-one would try to talk to her.

Karma raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what's changed your mind, firstie?" She asked the boy, ignoring anything and everything else. "What's your name, anyway?" She took another sip of pumpkin juice, careful not to drink any. She didn't think firsties would react nicely to her puking her guts all over the floor.

With another yawn, she turned her eyes to the middle of the table, looking for Arsen. Where had Demonboy gotten to? Iva? Well, perhaps the little one was at the hufflepuff table with Ian.... with a mental shrug she returned her eyes to her newest firstie.

Certh could feel some stares began to reach the back of his head again, as he steered it around to face them: but when he looked, nobody was watching. He guessed they just had fast reflexes, not bothering to believe he was imaging them; he turned back to face Karma, who appeared to be sipping at her pumpkin juice again; although her throat did not move. "Just that I could learn things from you." He said, pausing slightly, a smirk began to show itself under his nose but he attempted to hide it. "Ah yes. Certh... Certh Salamar" He introduced himself to the Slytherin girl beside him, who appeared to be looking for somebody.

He seemed to be enjoying the feast so far, only eating a few rolls and a piece of chicken; it was a lot better then he had thought: a lot more food, the starry night sky, even the flags that hung above their heads all added to the mysteriousness of the experience.

Karma nodded, looking around them once more before leaning toward him and lowering her voice. "Okay. So, in case you've noticed, we're being stared at." She shrugged, a conspiring smirk gracing her features. "And in case your confused, they aren't looking at you." Her smirk widened. "They're looking at me." She leaned back, smiling, taking another sip of her pumpkin juice, careful to move her throat this time.

"I'm Karma Black." She said, straightening her spine and meeting each and every gaze directed at her. They all shrunk away, acting as though they had never been watching. "The sole owner of the Most Noble House of Black, and the last living descendant of Regulaus Black." She grinned. "And also, I tried to kill a girl on the train ride here, attempted to kill another girl when she tried to stop me, and took fifty five points from the girl who yelled at me for trying to kill both of them." She smiled angelically. "I'm the most infamous person at Hogwarts right now!"

Alucard listened to Karma his previous assignment he didn't want to be near her but seeing he was the other Slytherin Prefect he would probably be spending more time with her than he wanted. He ignored the food he wasn't interested in it at all though he did drink the pumpkin juice.

After Karma had finished speaking he smiled at the new Slytherins slightly. "My name is Alucard Ergo and I am your other Prefect." He was not sure how Karma would take the news but all he knew was he wanted to be as far away from Hogwarts as he could get instead he was stuck in there as a student.

Evangeline slipped into the hall late, frowning as she realised that the sorting had already started. She ran to a seat, without registering who else was there. When she finally looked up she frowned seeing Karma, Alucard, and a bunch of firsties. She just turned to watch the sorting acting like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

Jessica sat and poked at her food with a fork, not trying to start a conversation with anyone else. She even avoided eye-contact, and just sat there, staring at the table. Normally, she would be happy, bouncing off the walls-type-happy. But there was something about Hogwarts that was changing her. What is was, she couldn't quite put her finger on, but there was something.

After a few minutes of sheer boredom, she looked up and watched another first-year chatting with a prefect.
"How can people make friends so easily these days?!" she muttered to herself, looking back down at the table. "I'll just stay to myself for a while..."

Karma, never taking her eyes off of Certh, nodded at Ali and completely ignored Evie. She would die, in time.

Seemingly out of nowhere, she plucked a roll off the tray in front of her and chucked it at the first year girl's head. "Oy! You!" She said. "If you're going to complain to yourself about not having any friends, at least tell your random other Slyths about it, or shut up." She looked away from the girl, yawning.

"Congrats, on the badge, Ali." She said, smiling at the boy next to her. "Glad to see that the people in charge aren't completely bonkers."

Evangeline looked to the girl Karma threw something at. She felt sorry for the girl, but she knew that she wouldn't have done anything if it was anybody else. "Are you alright?" she asked trying to put on a smile, even though it was harder than it seemed. "Whats your name?"

Jessica didn't dare look up to Karma, worried that she might get shouted at again. Instead, she turned away, just staring blankly at a wall. She nearly jumped a foot in the air when Evangeline started talking to her.
"Oh, uh... Hi. Yeah, yeah I'm fine... My name's Jessica. Jessica Lupin. Yours?" Jessica said, snapping out of her daydream and looking up into Evangeline's face, feeling small again.

Certh seemed to be rather enjoying himself in the great hall, sitting next to Karma had it's.. advantages, shall we say. Although he was not into girls, much, at his age, he still believed her to be rather beautiful: well, for 16 anyway. He looked around soon-after her remark about them staring at her, and noticed they seemed to die away more so when she looked around, then he had. Once he learned the reason why, it made a little more sense to him; word must have traveled fast in Hogwarts for everybody to know about it already.

So, Gryffindor had already lost 50 points, that was good for them: Slytherin, less competition for the cup. "Well, it is a pleasure, Karma. House of black? My parents have told me some great stories about them" Certh soon replied back, before the other Slytherin prefect made his way over to introduce himself. Made him jump a little when Karma threw a roll at a first year. 'glad I'm not her..' He thought to himself, casually, as Karma's attention was on the prefect.