The new Slytherins stare and whisper to one another. I try to ignore them as I wipe my mouth. I take a sip of juice. A few  laugh as I drop my fork. I reach down to pick it up as Jeffery glares at the other hogwarts attendants. 

     " Jeff. Calm down. It's not like they have a choice." 

I say. 

" What? Of course they have a choice! They have the choice of sitting here or there! The choice of being tortured or ignored! They chose ignored, we chose torture!" 

He exclaims.

I slam my goblet onto the table and silence falls as my voice raises. 

" WHAT?" 

His look of certainty falters and he motions for me to sit back down. 

"No! Dude! We chose to stay Gryffindor! That's a good choice! We chose to stay on the good side! We chose to be the ones that don't WANT the dark mark brandished upon our wrists!" 

I pause to inhale and Jeff looks at me, his brow furrowed. 

" No." He says slowly. " No, we don't. You might. " 

Then he gets up and makes his way to the Slytherin table. He wedges himself onto the bench next to two red haired boys. 

I stare in astonishment as they all walk out in a straight line, and file down to the dungeons.