Prologue

I ran as fast as I could through the woods. Wind whipped at my badger fur and soon I heard the soft sound of rushing water. I stopped at the river and saw someone. He had short chestnut brown hair and, clearly visible, pointed ears. It was an elf.

Whenever we saw someone or something on our territory, we were supposed to kill it. I was only ten and barely an apprentice, but I knew the law. Penalty for not following the law was death or banishment. I stood up on my hind legs and smelled the air all around me. No one else was there. I quickly changed back into my human form and stared at the elf. "I'd leave if I were you." I told him calmly.

Although I had made no move towards him or was planning to, he turned around and darted away. As a badger, I rushed out of sight, but I wasn't going back to camp. A few days ago I had made up my mind to never go back. My home was evil, though it didn't used to be that way. Scratch that. It wasn't my home. It never was. My home was somewhere I did not know yet. It was my prison.

For a moment I stopped and looked at my human arm. Burned into my skin was the symbol. The symbol for the Outsiders. It was wrapped around my arm and hand. I was in more pain than can be described when I got it. It wasn't just physical pain. I remembered that day could replay it in my head clearly. Too clearly. With great effort, I ran off into the clear morning sunrise.

Blackness was all around me for a few seconds until I left the wall and saw the huge Hogwarts Express. I gazed at it for a long time while people walked and ran this way and that. Families were saying goodbye while students hurried to climb aboard the train.

The train whistle broke my thoughts. It was loud and signaled that the train would be leaving soon. I hurried onto the train with a last glance at families waving to their children. I wondered what it was like to have a loving family who would give their lives for each other. Before I found a compartment, the train started to move. I couldn't find any empty ones, so I went in the next one I found that had what looked like, first years.

There were two boys sitting across from each other nearest to the door, and a girl and boy sitting across from each other by the window. When I asked if I could join them, they nodded. I sat in between two of the boys. The boy to my left by the window who had long, black greasy hair and black eyes was talking to the girl across from him. She had dark red hair and green eyes. I could tell that she had been crying.

I took out some parchment and began to write. From their different conversations and my visions, I learned their names. The greasy haired boy to my left was Severus Snape, and the girl was Lily Evans. The boy to my right, who had black hair and glasses, was James Potter, and the shaggy haired boy, across from him, was Sirius Black. James quietly asked what my name was before talking to Sirius. I told him it was Jaythen Whiting.

"You'd better be in Slytherin." The boy to my left, Severus, told Lily.

"Who wants to be in Slytherin?" James, who looked like he was better cared for than Severus, asked. Neither he nor Sirius had been paying attention to the two by the window until now. "I think I'd leave if I was put there, wouldn't you?" He asked Sirius.

I didn't pay much attention after that; I didn't like the House Rivalry I had heard about. From what I had read, I liked the Slytherin House. For a while, I learned Sirius didn't want to be a Slytherin either, even though his whole family were. James wanted to be in Gryffindor, 'where dwell the brave at heart!' like his dad. Severus didn't think Gryffindor was great. He'd rather be brainy than brawny.

"Where will you go, seeing as you're neither?" Sirius asked him, causing James to roar with laughter.

I rolled my eyes. "Sure, make enemies before you're even sorted. Just lay off of him," I added, glaring at them. They ignored me.

Just then Lily stood up and looked at the two boys with much dislike. "Come on Severus, let's find a different compartment," she said as she headed for the door.

James tried to trip Severus but I kicked his legs to stop him before he could. Severus looked back at me in wonder, but he quickly looked away and headed out the door.

"See ya, Snivellus!" James called after him and Sirius roared with laughter.

I rolled my eyes again before continuing to write. I tried to ignore them for the rest of the ride, but they kept bringing me into the conversation, obviously trying to see if we'd be enemies after tonight.

"You're alright, Whiting," James told me while Sirius nodded. I had told them I had run away from a bad neighborhood and now lived in an orphanage, which was partially true. I couldn't tell someone everything about me.

"I doubt I'll be Slytherin," I said when they insisted that I tell them which house I thought I would or wanted to be in.

James shook his head, smiling. "Of course you won't! You should be in Gryffindor."

I grimaced and shook my head. I didn't want to be in Gryffindor. I wasn't even fit for it. I had read and heard that Gryffindors and Slytherins are natural rivals. There's more fighting between them than the other houses. It was too much. The other two houses seemed to be not that hostile with the other houses. "I was thinking more of Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff."

James and Sirius stared at me with confused expressions as if they never thought someone who didn't like Slytherin would choose a different house over Gryffindor. But the truth was I did like Slytherin. I just didn't think I fit the characteristics of the house. I didn't think of Slytherins as cruel, evil, and power hungry. No. I just didn't think I fit the other characteristics that I thought was more common in Slytherins. Most of the reason that I wouldn't be a Slytherin was because I'm muggleborn.

"Whiting, Jaythen!" The teacher called out after a small nervous boy was put in Ravenclaw. I had watched the others get sorted while the group became smaller and smaller. There weren't many of us left because my last name was at the end of the alphabet. I walked up the stairs and sat down on the stool where the sorting hat was placed on my head. I looked down at the ground as I felt every eye in the Great Hall staring at me, waiting to find out what house I'd be in…if I was their enemy or not. There was silence.

"Let's see now," The hat whispered in my ear, "You have a lot of courage I see…a very good memory too. Ravenclaw perhaps? Wait…you are a very loyal and trustworthy friend. If you're friends with someone, that bond becomes stronger over time, but ah! You are also cunning, sneaky, and have much ambition but not like Slytherins. Yes…you are very difficult to place. Which house do you belong in?"

It seemed to want my opinion so I said under my breath, barely moving my lips, "Whichever needs my help." I don't know why I said it. The words had escaped my lips before I knew what I had said.

"Hmm…alright then. You'd better be in…SLYTHERIN!" The hat bellowed the name and applause followed it.

Shock appeared on my face as my head snapped up. I never thought…The hat was taken off my head as I stood up. Before I moved, I glanced at the Gryffindor table and saw James and Sirius looking at me suspiciously. Lily glared at them for their expressions before clapping with the rest of the students. I watched them carefully before walking over to the Slytherin table, still shocked.

I looked across the table and saw the greasy haired boy from the train. Severus Snape. He raised his eyebrows at me, clearly wondering why I was so shocked.