All Creatures Are Created Equal

John sat on the ground of his cell in the dungeon of Hogwarts. No one knew he was down here. No one except for Severus Snape. John sneered a little at the name. If only there was someone who would wander down here... John could use his song, tai advantage of the unlucky soul and escape. But know one ventured into his part of the dungeon. Even if they had no idea that a merman resided in one of the cells. He hadn't been in water for so long. He missed it. He looked down at his legs. He missed his tail. He sighed, putting his hand on one of the cell bars, hoping some unlucky wizard would wander down here.

Silinia wasn't use to teaching at Hogwarts just yet. It seemed as if she had just graduated. Well, in all actuality, she had only been graduated for two years. Last year Dumbledore had written to her and told her that she could have the job of her dreams: Defense Against The Dark arts teacher. Then Dumbledore had died. Now Severus Snape was headmaster and several Death Eaters littered the teaching staff. She didn't like it one bit but she was determined to do whatever it took.

It was her turn to patrol the corridors looking for students who were out of bed. She wasn't as harsh as the Death Eaters who caught students, she didn't torture them. In fact, last week when she had caught Neville Longbottom sneaking into the library restricted section, she had allowed it. She knew that he was trying to help Harry take down Voldemort and thus earn equal rights for the students. That's what mattered most to her.

Making her way into the dungeon, she patrolled the hall way. She knew they were empty but it didn't hurt to patrol them.

John stood in an instant when he heard footsteps coming his way. He leaned against the bars,s milling when a young woman with a lantern came into his view. "Little missy... what are you doing down here all by yourself?" He asked in his smooth, slightly sultry voice that always melted people like butter.

Silinia almost jumped out of her skin, she hadn't known anyone was down here. This man wasn't a student, that much she had assessed. And if he was a student she hadn't seen him around the castle before. She straightened up, not sure if he was going to hurt her or not. His voice was very sultry, something that almost effected Silinia. And it would work too, if she hadn't grown up around the Malfoy's her entire life. "I'm Professor Malfoy. It's my turn for patrolling the castle."

John nodded slowly. "I see. But... your a little young to be a professor." He chuckled lightly, the sound almost costly, eerie. "Sweetheart, come closer." He whispered. He didn't wear a shirt, his jeans were ripped and rode low on his hips. This girl was his oly chance to get out of this hell.

Silinia took a deep breath, "I'm the youngest professor in Hogwarts history. That doesn't mean anything." she didn't know if she should get closer to him. There was something that wasn't quite right about him. Some eerie quality that he possessed. Despite that, however, she walked a bit closer. "What?"

John looked into her eyes. "Get me out..." He breathed, resting his warm hand on her cheek. He didn't want to have to force her. But he would if it meant he would get out. "Get me out..." His ice green eyes became pleading and soft.

"Tell me why you're in here first," was Silinia's reply. Sure, she felt like she needed to help this young man. She felt like he wasn't here because he did something wrong.

John let out a breath. "Severus Snape. You see I'm a merman. Its in my nature to take those... unlucky souls who drift on the seven seas. To take them under. It's in my nature. Snape captured me. He tortured me for days before he threw me in here. I... I could have escaped but he put a gag on my mouth." He sighed. The way to make sure a mermaid/man didn't control you was to make sure they don't sing. Or cover your ears.

Silinia stepped back. "A merman, huh? Then I've got a few questions. One, if you were gagged then how did you get the gag out of your mouth? Two, I know Snape. He's not as evil as everyone thinks he is. He doesn't do things without a due reason. Why did he lock you up?"

John sighed. "I've been in here for a while. The gag got old and fell off. He locked me up because of my nature., like I said." he said, leaning against the cell bars. "He tortured me. I do not lie." He breathed.

Silinia took a deep breath, "Fine then, fine. But if I let you out and you're lying to me..." she took a deep breath. She took her wand out, smiling. "Alohamora." the lock came unlocked and she opened the door.

John smiled and walked. "Thank you. But I can not awl through the school. People will know something is... off. And there is a guard at the entrance, right?" He asked. He'd have to take care of the man.

"I know some of the secret passage ways in this school," Silinia said softly. "I'll get you to my office and let you change into a pair of class robes. You'll pass for a student."

John nodded. "If you say so. But i can take care of the guard." He said with an eerie smile before starting towards the entrance, knowing Silinia would follow. He looked over at her. "Cover your ears." He whispered when they were close to the guard.

Silinia nodded, noticing the guard as Augustus Rookwod. She took a deep breath and covered her ears.

John smiled and stepped towards the guard, reaching up and putting a hand on his cheek. "My heart is pierced by cupid... I disdain all glitter and gold... there is nothing can console me, but my jolly sailor bold..." He sang, his voice eerie and ghost like, whispered as it sent shovers up the guard's spine with his song. He kept singing and gently kissed the man. The man broke the kiss when he fell cold on the floor. John smiled and motioned for Silinia to come. It would have been worse if John had been in water.

Though she was terrified, she was even more terrified of what would happen if she didn't follow what this young man said. "Wh....what was that?"

"A mermaid or merman's song is the deadliest thing you could hear. You hear it, it controls you. I control you. I can kill you. I can feed on you. Once you see our mouths open, you want to do everything you can to block it out." John said as he walked. "But I feed in the water."

Silinia felt sick to her stomach, "You eat human meat...don't you?"

John cocked his to the side. "It's more of... absorbing everything they have. You've seen how the Dementors suck the life out of a person? It's sort of like that. We take everything until there are just bones left." He said.

Silinia nodded, "Well if we're getting out of here, then lets get goign."

John nodded. "Okay. Where's your office?" He asked when they were out of the dungeon.

"Third floor," Silinia nodded. "It's gonna take a while to get there as long as we're hiding from people."

John sighed and nodded. "Is there anywhere you can take me where there's...water?" He asked, fidgeting slightly. He needed water. "Isn't there a place called the prefects bathroom or whatever? Just get me in water..."