"SLYTHERINE"
The word echoed across the Great Hall. Praise came from some, laughter from others. Some outright thought the Sorting Hat was making a joke. But Harry Potter, the boy who lived stood and walked across to the Slytherine table.
The boy he had met on the train, Ron Weasly looked shocked, wondering how someone as nice as Harry, famed for resisting the Dark Lords curse, could be put into the house ran by snakes. Hermione Granger, the girl who had fixed the glasses of the boy with emerald eyes, was a bit at odds with her thoughts, genuinely contemplating if the sorting hat had made a mistake. Alas, Harry Potter still took his place at the Slytherin table, right next to the arian...
"Draco Malfoy, at your service."
Harry shook the boys hand, attempting a small smile to return the boy's act of kindness. But the smile on Draco's face was not one of kindness, nor malice. Mischief creeped all over his face in that one moment.
"Harry Potter..." was the meek reply that came from the boy who lived. He leaned in and whispered, "Is Slytherin as bad as people say?"
Draco initially seemed surprised before feigning mock offence. "Who told you such blasphemy?! Of course we're not!"
After laughing amongst themselves for a spell and regaining their composure, Malfoy proceeded to add, "Depends on the person."
The Slytherin common room was what people would expect from Hogwarts if they had prior knowledge of it. Harry did not have that knowledge.
The grandiose fireplace, the several stylish tables, not to mention the luxurious couches. Harry felt like he was in a palace... inside a castle. Malfoy on the other hand, felt right at home. "My father ordered us in couches like these" he boasted as he threw himself onto the green couch, "right comfey they are."
Harry nervously sat down next to the boy, until he felt the comfort of the couch. He let it take him in as fast as possible then. "It's comfier than my bed at home!" was the gleeful response to the couches comforts.
Draco was very perplexed about this. The boy who lived, his bed wasn't as comfy as a couch? The couch was very comfy, he'd never say it wasn't, but a legend of the wizarding world surely had a household of grandeur and fame?
He didn't mention it though, as he simply began to talk to Harry about Hogwarts, the common room and their house in general. He was rather abrupt, and rude at times, but he had no ill intent against Harry. None at all.
The Gryffindor common room was abuzz with excitement all around. The Weasly twins were lecturing their brother about the school and the mischief that they could get up to, Neville Longbottom was attempting to socialise (to varrying degrees of success) and Miss Granger was taking the opportunity to explore their new living space for a spell. After which she put away all her clothes so that when night came, she would have a head start over the rest of her first year sisters.
She put her hair in a ponytail and changed into her night clothes, getting a further head start, before returning to the common room adorned with red and gold, and proceeding to put herself down on seat closest to the fire place and brush up on some Hogwarts history before school started properly the next day. Well that was the plan had she not overheard Ron, the ginger boy from the bus, make an interesting remark.
"I thought he was a bloody nice guy, but he got put in Slytherin, of all the houses!"
Instead of heading to her designated reading spot, she decided to sit at the table in the middle of the room and listen in for a little bit. Not out of any ill will, but just to double check...
"The boy who lived? In Slytherin? That's too many Bertie-Bots for you Ron!" One of twins (Presumed to be George) giggled furiously.
Suspicions confirmed.
"Whats the problem with Slytherin might I ask?" Hermione asked rather bluntly.
The two twins looked at her perplexed, whilst Ron buried his face in his hands, clearly remembering the train ride. "It's the house where the liars go, the ones who cause all the trouble, the ones..."
"Who become... the DARK WIZARDS!"
"..."
"..."
If the twins were a comedy duo, the joke didn't wuite land with either Ron or Hermione.
Regardless, Ron decided to clear the air, in case the witch didn't quite understand. "All the stuck up people and prats get put in Slytherin, bloody mental lot they are. Whats worse, I saw Harry talking to Malfoy, so 'e's lost anyway."
The name Malfoy was practically spat. "The blonde boy? Whats wrong with him?"
Ron got himself comfy in his seat whilst his elder twins walked away awkwardly, presumably taking their antics elsewhere.
"Well, you see."
It would be a lie to say that the next few weeks were perfect for Harry, that would be quite the stretch, but it wasn't incorrect either. Living a life far superior than that with the Dursleys, properly fed, school that interested him academically, not to mention friends. It seemed as though life had gone entirely up for Harry since starting at Hogwarts.
Despite his house.
Most of his house he didn't get along with. At all. Many of them were arrogant and presumed superiority, not to mention they tried to bully many of the other students. He stepped in where he could but, that wasn't always the best option. Repping his house colours didn't do wonders for him, almost earning him the scorn of every other house in the school and sideways glances from even some of the staff. His house was obnoxious and, despite his apparant fame and general well meaning demeanour, was looked down upon by most of the school.
Not everyone was unavoidable. Though he acted a prat in class, Malfoy had a respect for Harry that could almost be classed as friendship... though perhaps it was a curiosity in the boy who lived. Neville Longbottom from Gryffindor seemed to struggle with socialising as well, so they found some solace in the others friendship. Ron, the boy from the train, didn't object to speaking with him, but didn't go out of his way to be his friend. Complete 180 of his character on the train.
The girl who fixed his glasses didn't speak to him unless spoken to either. Perhaps that was just the way she is. Perhaps it was the Slytherin prejudice, or maybe she realised that her somewhat petty nature on the train wasn't the best way to make friends. Not that he could complain, he got his glasses fixed for free.
Snape was the oddest thing in the school at the moment. As the head of Slytherin, he made it quite clear that he had a bias towards his own house. Yet he seemed to despise the young Potter with all his heart. Why? Who knows.
He was making his way from potions to defence against the dark arts with Professor Quirrel when he happened upon a common sight. Slytherin students picking on someone, a Ravenclaw it was today, throwing her textbooks and bags to the ground. she didn't unable to handle the situation, but she wasn't rising to the taunts and jeers. To be expected of course, Ravenclaw's were known for wisdom, and the wisest thing to do here was to let them make a fool of themselves.
Harry wasn't a Ravenclaw for a reason though.
Looking back perhaps his modus operandi was not the most well though out. He strode over to his housemates, year 2's from the looks of it, and demanded they stop. Harry was fully expecting a joke spell cast his way. He failed to remember that, as year twos, they were stronger than him in more than magic.
And so, the boy who lived was strung out across the floor, the Ravenclaw performing some kind of healing magic on him to stop the pain in his gut. So again, Harry lived through adversity.
When she had stopped healing he started to sit up, to which he got a "There were better ways to go about that you know," in the most sarcastic voice he had heard since the train ride with the Granger girl.
"Well, I'm not Ravenclaw for a reason," was the repsonse he managed to wheeze out.
"You won't live long enough to be a Slytherin at this rate."
Harry couldn't argue at this. Not even a little bit.
"Thanks for trying to help though, despite the outcome."
"Trying is quite literally the only thing I'm good at."
"There were not only better ways to phrase that sentence, but you're wrong. You're good at being humble."
Harry almost couldn't believe he had tried to help this girl. Almost, but he was still a good person at heart. "Do you have to have a smart answer for everything?"
"Kind of my house's fault to be honest," was the dry response he initially got, before she smiled and visibly relaxed, "but it's not entirely me you know? Don't associate with Slytherins much so I had to check you were a decent person."
Given the knowledge he currently had regarding his house, it was a fair concern to have. They were mostly prats.
"Earth to wizard, do you copy?" Harry hadn't realised he had to zone out for that thought. "I'm Cho Chang, and you," she said rather enthusiastically, "must be Harry Potter."
Harry was surprised she knew him until she pointed at his lightning scar. Ah yes, the part of him that marked him as a celebrity amongst these people. Of course she recognised him. Harry was just getting to his feet to continue the conversation when Neville called to him. "Harry! You're going to be late!"
Bringing his timetable back to the forefront of his mind Harry dusted himself down rapidly. "Sorry, I have to go to class," he said, genuinely apologetic as Cho's textbooks were still lying on the floor, " but, uh, I might, um..."
"See you around is the phrase you're looking for."
Even when Ravenclaw's were being nice, they were very smart about it. "Yep! Um, bye."
Harry dashed to catch up to Neville before they were late for Defence, whilst Cho took her time picking up her books as she had a free period.
Quickly following behind Harry and Neville was the girl who was never late to class, but let her curiosity got the better of her when she decided to watch Harry confront his elders. And given what she had found out Slytherin from her peers, Hermione knew that Harry's actions were very non Slytherin.
Helping another house? Most definitely not an action of a Slytherin.