The Bonds that Bind.
Prologue: Sorting.
*Flashback*
"GRYFFINDOR!"
I watched my brother sit down at the Gryffindor table next to a redheaded boy I was unfamiliar with. As I rubbed my left forearm absentmindedly, I knew it was my turn to get sorted.
Thump.
Thump.
Ba-dum.
I could feel my heart slamming against my ribcage, threatening to break free.
"Potter, Reina." Professor McGonagall called out as soon as the happy cheers of the Gryffindors lessoned instantaneously.
Thump.
Thump.
Ba-dum.
I gulped as I could feel the stares of the millions of students' eyes on me. Trying to tune out the murmurs of; "So that's the Reina Potter." Along with a few; "It's amazing she was spared." I took a deep breath before my legs decided to start working for once.
I walked up to the wooden stool and tentatively sat down, facing my audience. Right before the hat was placed upon my head, I caught a glimpse of my brother giving me a thumbs up. I gave him a meek smile before I could see nothing but darkness.
Oh Merlin, this hat smells disgusting. One would assume that the Professors would have cast a charm on it so it would automatically smell fresh and clean before each kid got sorted. Who knows how many heads are unsanitary. Various children could end up infecting the entire student body with lice and no one would notice until it would be too late.
But no.
Oh no.
Trying to suffocate us are you with your horrendous odor are you, you stupid hat? Or is spreading disease part of your evil plan as well? Not today, oh no, not today. I will not succumb to your evil plans.
Snapping my head back to reality, I chose to focus on my breathing and try to slow down my uncontrollable thoughts. Scowling as I was evidently failing in doing so. Not surprisingly, that would be when the smelly hat decided to whisper to me.
"Hmmm, another Potter child." Of course, the tone of its voice has to match the smell it was radiating. "Despite your strong loyalty to your brother, you're definitely not a Hufflepuff given particularly rude you're being." I grimaced.
Get on with it, I'm nervous as it is. I thought desperately.
"Nor do you have the patience for it." The hat quipped back. I rolled my eyes before realizing that it was, in fact, pointless. As it is a hat, therefore, hats have no eyes to see the motion being done anyway.
"While you are most definitely the challenging type, there's something more…sneaky about your…approach to life's adversary. You could be outstanding in Gryffindor like your brother chose, but your methods and values lie elsewhere."
Chose? My brother chose the house of the brave and reckless? I didn't realize you could CHOOSE if you so desired. But if you could choose what house you wanted then, what's the point of the sorting in the first place?
"Hmm, your mind is a very intriguing type. A Potter not quite fit for Gryffindor or even Hufflepuff, but fit for Slytherin? Or Ravenclaw? You indeed have enough wit and the inclination for knowledge but…. Tsk tsk tsk, where to put you?" I groaned. It feels as if I've been up here for ten minutes. I can practically hear people snoring in the background. Okay, maybe that is an exaggeration considering the hat is big enough to cover my ears. "Alright. You give me no choice, it's all here in your mind." It paused before shouting; "SLYTHERIN!"
Ba-dum.
Drop.
I should have chosen myself.
"There's not one witch or wizard that went bad who wasn't in Slytherin."
Those words echoed throughout my head and I momentarily questioned if there was a higher power that has my fate set in stone. A fate that could quite possibly condemn me to be bad.
I then realized that I'm not one who tends to live up to other people's expectations.
I felt the hat lift off of my head as I took a few seconds to reorient myself while taking in the shock radiating off of my fellow students. I was surprised at how much disappointment was evident on the wide variety of people.
I slid off of the stool and walked at a quick enough pace towards the Slytherin table. These people actually seem happy I got sorted into their house. It was relieving to see. During my walk I could hear people from the table chanting; "WE GOT THE OTHER POTTER!" The closer I got to the table, I could see the only seat open was the one right next to the arrogant, platinum-haired boy that gave my brother a hard time earlier. My luck.
Right before I sat down, I took a quick glance towards the Gryffindor table, not happy with the sight in front of me. My brother was staring at me, our shared emerald green eyes wide, flickering with confusion. His red-headed buddies he befriended shared the same look of disappointment that the rest of the school –minus my housemates—held. I broke my brother's gaze and looked down at my empty plate, completely ignoring the ideal small chat the platinum-haired boy was attempting to make.
*End Flashback*
It was in that moment I knew the universe was testing the bonds that bind my brother and me together. My brother. Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived.
A/N: Hello fellow readers, I'm completely aware that the prologue is very short but do not worry, my chapters are much longer as I am a personal fan of long chapters. This fanfic has been a two year long ongoing project for me and I now have the courage and the time to post it!
I'm also aware that the 'Harry Potter twin in Slytherin' trope is fairly common, but I have some ideas that I haven't seen any other author do and I'm very excited to see people's responses.
So, to everyone that clicked, thank you for taking the time to read and please leave a review, follow, favorite, I LOVE feedback. I am open to ideas and criticism but I also feel that criticism should also have a compliment implemented as well.
As far as an uploading schedule...I'll upload within one to two weeks.
This author's note has been long enough so with that I'll take my leave and see y'all soon with chapter 1!
~Aquarius
