"Cool!" He throws his arms around Scott's shoulder. "It'll be fun! But now we need a Hufflepuff for our conspiracy!"

"I can make friends with the Hufflepuffs, I think I'll be better at that."

He examines the spread, trying to identify his options.

And Sadde starts eating.

"So, I'm familiar with MacDougall," he says, indicating Scott with his head, "but Woods escapes me. Are you by any chance related to the Blacks...?"

He looks up. "Hmm? Oh, no, I'm muggleborn."

Nomm.

...he doesn't seem to know what to say to this.

"Sadde is nice and smart! We met at Diagonal Alley. Have you talked to any paintings?" 

"M—" He looks at Scott. "Yes? Several, they're all over the castle, you can't really learn how to get around without asking them."

...and oh, look, ghosts!

Is there a ghost that's hanging near the Slytherin table or does he have to get up?

There in fact is! It is the Bloody Baron, dripping ectoplasmic blood here and there.

"Excuse me," he says, to the bloody ghost. 

"Hello, young man," says the Baron in his hollow ghost voice.

"How are you? Did you have a good summer?"

"Why, yes, thanks for asking, how about yourself?"

"It was nice," he lies.

"I'm Scott. I'm a first year, this is my friend Sadde." 

"My pleasure to meet you both, and be welcome to the great Slytherin House!"

"Hi! So are you really really dead?"

"Well, yes, that would be the thing that happens after you stop being alive."

"Do you ever get lonely?"

"Hmmm, can't say I do, no. Even when the students are out, this castle is quite lively."

"Do you have any friends?" 

"Hmm, a few, yes. Do you?"

"There's Sadde! And...hi, I should have said hi, that's not very polite." 

He directs that last at Nyle.

He half-smiles. "Hi, indeed."

"Well, that's good. You will need your friends to achieve your goals; cherish them. Now I must be going!"

He lets out a ghostly moan and moves on.