"Boyle, Alice."

Alice gulped. This was it. The big moment. She'd heard about all of the houses, what traits they valued, and still had no clue which she would be in. And now, the choice would be taken out of her hands. Slowly, she began the ascent up the stairs. Sat down on the wooden stool. Heard a small voice, murmuring to itself- "hmm… interesting mix. Yes? No, no… Er… Best in… yes."

The voice expanded from her ears to the hall, and she realized with a start it had been the hat. Did it know she could hear it? Too late to ask, Slytherin had been called, and she was bouncing down the steps with a grin on her face to meet her fellow housemates. Alice knew that this house was very keen about purebloods, but she was sure her muggle-born status wouldn't matter when she had made a few friends.

"Boyle? Never heard of that name before"

"I wonder which family she's from."

"She is a pureblood, right?"

"I should think so. She's in Slytherin"

Alice wasn't so confident now. But there must be some in her new house that weren't prejudice against her birth status. She sat at the end of the bench, and watched the rest of the Sorting, trying to ignore the whispered conversation behind her.

…

"So, Boyle, was it?"

Alice whirled around. In the greenish light of the Slytherin common room, it was difficult to make out her face. She thought she saw her at the Sorting, though, a Tracy someone.

"Alice Boyle, yes."

"And what family are you from?"

"Sorry?"

"Well, you got sorted into this house, which pureblood family are you from?"

"Oh. I'm muggle-born."

Tracy looked at her with a strange smile.

"Yeah. Right."

…

None of the girls in her dorm had talked to her. They talked about her, but never to her. There was Tracy, a small Asian girl she thought was called Lee, and Charlotte. They seemed to be making fast friends, and Alice felt a knot of envy in her stomach as she rolled over again, trying to get some sleep before her first day of classes. Hogwarts was huge, even after the destruction of the Battle of Hogwarts she had read about, and she didn't want to get lost because she was too tired to figure out which floating staircase went where. Maybe she'd make some friends in her class tomorrow. The idea made her feel slightly less homesick, and slowly she drifted into her dreams.

…

Nobody sat next to her in Charms. She sat, lonely, listening to Professor Flitwick as he described what the class was about, then flew somebody's pet rat around the room. He then partnered them up, putting Alice with a Ravenclaw girl who completely ignored her, and when Alice tried to be friendly, hissed at her and told her that she would never be friends with a Slytherin. Taken aback and blinking back tears, Alice practiced her "swish and flick" motion that the Professor said would be important later on. At the end of the lesson, the Ravenclaw was given a chocolate frog for the best pronunciation of "Wingardium Leviosa" Flitwick had heard in years. Thinking Alice was upset due to jealousy, Flitwick frowned and told her to try harder if she wanted one too. She thought she heard a muttered "Slytherin" as he waddled away, but packed up in silence and waited at the door for the bell.

Whereas in History of Magic, Professor Binns didn't seem to care if they were listening or not. Binns ('a ghost! A real ghost! Teaching us!') merely stated what class they were in, which subject they would be covering, and started the first lesson in a monotonous drone that sent half the class asleep within the first ten minutes. Alice, however, was wide awake- she had heard of the Ministry of Magic, but only once or twice. This was entirely new to her, and, to her surprise, she found herself enjoying it. She interrupted Binns several times in the hour, asking questions that he answered and elaborated on, to the astonishment of those students that had been told about Binns feelings towards disruptions by older siblings. At the end of the class, Binns asked what house she was in

"Slytherin"

"Really? I was sure you would be a Ravenclaw. Ah well, class dismissed!"

Alice was puzzled. Why would he think that?

…

Potions was alright, if boring. They did theory the entire time and the Gryffindor beside her wouldn't even look at her, let alone respond to tentative greetings. Alice sighed as she copied down where a bezoar could be found. It was going to be a slow term if nobody would be friends with her because she was in Slytherin, and the Slytherins wouldn't make friends with her because she was muggle-born. She thought briefly about talking to Professor Binns at lunch, for some company, but figured he wouldn't want to waste his free hour on an annoying first year. Maybe she would go to library and get out the book Professor Flitwick said they would need to write the essay on "The Importance of Pronouncing Spell Incantations Correctly". Alice smiled. Perhaps she could find some friends there?

…

"What are you doing here?"

Alice looked up at the librarian, Madam Pince.

"I need a book called-"

"I'll bet you do. You're a Slytherin. When does your lot ever do their homework?"

"I- I don't know."

"Hmm, that's what I thought. You can leave this library, until your motives are honest, you little rat."

Bewildered. Alice wondered down a corridor at random. Why was the librarian so hostile? The one at home was a friendly as friendly could be, and was always recommending new books for her. Wait… something Madam Pince had said…

"You're a Slytherin."

…

Standing outside the Professor McGonagall's office after a Herbology lesson- that hadn't gone terribly well in Alice's opinion, as she had lost a house-point for dropping a watering can when Professor Sprout had a headache- waiting for her appointment, Alice planned what she would say. She would point out prejudice against Slytherin house, and make demands for-

"What do you think you are doing, Boyle?"

"I-uh-I wanted to talk to you, Professor."

The tall Head-Mistress looked down at her.

"You'd need an appointment. Even Slytherins have to wait to see me, you know."

Alice's jaw dropped. Even the Head Mistress was against her house. Before she could argue, however, McGonagall had begun to talk again.

"Let's see… Two days from now, afternoon, after all classes. Goodbye, Boyle."

The professor then turned and walked into the opening that had just appeared behind the gargoyle, and the stairs rotated upwards until she was no longer in sight.

…

Yesterday had passed slowly, with no History of Magic on Tuesdays. More homework that required the use of a library had been set, but Alice hadn't dared go back after her treatment from Madam Pince. She didn't know what would happen when she couldn't hand any of it in, but she wasn't looking forward to it. With dread growing in her stomach, she walked into Charms.

"Everyone's homework on their desks please! Come on, hurry now. Ready, yes? Accio!"

The class sat chatting and laughing, excluding Alice as usual, as Professor Flitwick counted up the essays. His squeaking voice soon cut over the babble.

"Boyle! Where is your homework! You did, I trust, get out the book?"

Trying to shrink into the ground as everybody turned to stare, Alice whispered:"No, sir."

"Speak up, Boyle!"

"No sir!"

A few titters

"Why not? Do you think yourself better than the rest of the class, then, do you think that homework is below you?"

"No sir!"

"That's what it looks like to me, Boyle. Detention, after classes, this afternoon."

"But-"

"No buts. Now, class…"

Alice sat there miserable, some still laughing at her, asking herself what she should do- Professor McGonagall's appointment, or Professor Flitwick's detention? Surely the unfairness of Madam Pince, and the fact that she wasn't able to get the book, would cancel out her detention? Not taking in a whit of the Charms lesson, she was eager to pack up when she realized she had History of Magic left. Maybe Professor Binns would know why everyone hated Slytherins so much. It would only take about five minutes, she wouldn't be late for potions. She resolved to do this, and almost ran out of Charms.

…

As the class trailed out of Binn's classroom, Alice nervously approached his desk.

"Sir?"

"Hmm? Ah, Boyle. What can I do for you?"

"I was wondered why nobody seemed to like Slytherins very much."

"Hmm… well, traditionally, Slytherins are not very nice people, who would save their own skins above anyone else's. Not to mention that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was in that house. Most have a distrust and therefore dislike of Slytherins, and usually for good reason."

"But that's not fair! One dark wizard and we get a bad reputation forever?"

"Not just one, my dear. Almost all of the dark wizards or witches in our history came from Slytherin. Its bad reputation came from the fact that almost a third of Slytherin students end up in Azkaban for some reason or another."

"Oh. But surely…"

Their conversation was jerked out of focus when the bell rang. With horror, Alice realized that in their talking, covering many more topics than just the Slytherin problem, they had talked all throughout her potions lesson. Professor Slughorn would be furious, and she would probably end up with another detention. She ran out of the room in panic, Binns yelling at her to wait, and sprinted to the dungeons to arrive at the classroom door as Slughorn was leaving.

"Ah. Just the young girl I was looking for. And now, pray, would you explain where you were and why you missed my lesson? It was a good one."

His smile shocked her, until she remembered that he was her Head of House and wouldn't attribute her lateness to her house.

"I was… talking to Professor… Binns, Sir."

"You sound a bit out of breath, Boyle. You may go to lunch, but I will have to tell Professor McGonagall about this, I'm afraid."

"Alice's heart sank. Her high hopes of Hogwarts were being shot down, one by one.

…

"She's waitin' for yeh."

"Oh. Um. Thank you. May I go past?"

"Sure."

Stepping onto the stairs, she thought, 'well, that'll be something to tell the parents. I've now conversed with a ghost and a gargoyle.'

"Enter."

The Head Mistress's office was massive, with many portraits on the walls of old wizards and witches, most of them sleeping- or pretending to.

"What's this I hear of skipping Potions?"

"Please, Professor, I swear I didn't mean anything by it, I was talking to Professor Binns and we lost track of time and the bell rang and I sprinted to-"

"Calm down girl! I smiled, I'm sure of it. Professor Binns has already told me what happened. I'm not worried about you missing Potions this one time, just don't make a habit of it. However, Charms is a different story. I understand you refused to do your homework, and didn't get a copy of the book? The other Slytherins all managed to."

"thelibrarianwouldn'tletmein."

"I'm sorry?"

"The other Slytherins got their books sent to them from home, and the librarian wouldn't let me in."

"Why ever not?"

"I don't know. She said something about Slytherins being no good, and told me to go away."

That was putting it nicely.

McGonagall did not look happy.

"I'm sure I've talked to her about this. I'll talk to her before the day is out and tell her to let you- and the rest of your housemates- into the library."

Alice cleared her throat.

"Um, also… could you tell the rest of the teachers- um, Professors- not to be mean to Slytherins?"

McGonagall leaned in. "How do you mean?"

"Well... in most of my lessons, all the Professors seemed to dislike us, and punish us more then the other students. I'm sick of being in Slytherin if this is what we get! Why was I even put in this stupid house, I'm not going to go evil!"

"The hat, as I understand, had a difficult time placing you. You are hardworking, a Hufflepuff trait, courageous when defending your friends- something valued in Gryffindor- you have a thirst for knowledge, a characteristic that could have placed you in Ravenclaw, and a drive to succeed, and complete your ambitions, the reason you are in Slytherin."

"But if I have all of those things, why am I in Slytherin?"

"The hat tends to do what it thinks best for the school. Maybe it knew that somebody like you would not tolerate the unfairness towards your house, and talk to me about it."

"Oh."

"Is that all? Yes? Goodbye, than. If you wish to talk to me again, go to the staffroom, and ask a Professor to escort you here. Professor Binns, I am sure, would love to."

…

"Hey. Alice."

It was Tracy, along with Charlotte and Lee.

"I hear it was you that got McGonagall to tell Pince to let us in."

"Yeah."

"Well, thanks. Charlotte here isn't from the richest of families and shared mine, so she'll appreciate being able to get her own."

"Oh. Okay, then."

"Hey, sit next to me in class?"

"Sure!"

"Cool. See you around, Alice."

"Bye."

Charlotte hung behind.

"Hey… Can we be friends? I get the feeling Tracy and Lee don't like having me around. You know, 'cos I'm poor and whatnot."

"Okay. But, I thought you didn't like me."

"What, because you aren't pureblood? At least half of us in here are half-bloods, it's just a muggle-born is unusual in this house."

"Oh. Alright."

"Yeah, they'll get used to it before the end of the month. Hey, wanna play wizard chess?"

"Okay!"

Fin