Yume: I am doing well with this story thing.
Yuki: Well, you haven't updated.
Yume: But two oneshots! Two! It's not the best I've written but I'm pretty happy with it.
Yuki: Yeah, yeah. So, let's get this story started!
The greatest thing that has ever happened to Harry was receiving his Hogwarts letter. Of course, it took him a while to get it. His whale of an uncle wouldn't allow him to go somewhere as freakish as Hogwarts. But going head-to-head with a half giant tends to make people a bit more pliable.
Going to Diagon Alley and entering the magical world for the first time was an experience like no other. Wizards and witches dressed up in robes as they went shopping for potion supplies, mothers using tracking spells on their children before letting them go off and check out the Quidditch shop, and going to Ollivander's to get his own wand. There was truly nothing like it.
Harry was sure that nothing could ever ruin how he felt about this world.
Until now…
"Better be SLYTHERIN!"
Harry's heart froze as many students gasped quite audibly. A moment of silence passed before the whispering started.
"Harry Potter? A Slytherin? What is this?!"
"How can he be in Slytherin?! He beat You-Know-Who!"
"Snape must have hoodwinked the Sorting Hat or something. This can't be right!"
The Gryffindors were truly not known for their subtlety after all.
"Mr. Potter. Please go to the S-Slytherin table," Professor McGonagall managed to say despite her shock. She was sure that the Boy-Who-Lived would be going to her house; after all, his father and mother did as well.
'Why? Why me? I-I asked. No, I begged. Why?' was running through Harry's mind as he ignored Professor McGonagall and remained frozen on the seat with the old hat still listening to his thoughts.
'This can't be right,' Harry thought to the Sorting Hat. 'You must have made a mistake…'
"Don't question my choice, Mr. Potter," the Hat snapped back in Harry's head, making Harry cringe. "I have never made a mistake. Never have, never will."
'But… everyone says that Slytherin is for dark wizards. There's no way I can be…' he trailed off.
"Don't listen to the petty remarks of other houses. You will do well in Slytherin, Mr. Potter. Trust me. They'll take care of you."
The Hat was pulled off Harry's head carefully and he looked up at the witch staring at him with shock. "To your house, Mr. Potter."
Harry nodded slowly, as he got off the seat and made his way to the Slytherin table. No applause was given. No words were said out loud. Everyone just stared as the Boy-Who-Lived got closer and closer to the snake pit, his tie's colors magically changing from black to green and silver.
Harry sat at the far end of the table, trying to stay away from all the students that were still staring at him. The sorting continued but Harry couldn't focus on anything. All he could think about was how he was now in the house of the man that killed his parents.
The feast seemed to go on for hours as Harry stared at his empty plate, his appetite completely gone despite being starved for a majority of the summer.
There was no way he could survive with the Slytherins. Hagrid had told him all about how every dark witch and wizard came from Slytherin. After the encounter with Malfoy on the train, Ron told him all about how Slytherins look down on anyone who wasn't a pure-blood. Harry, being a half-blood, would be right to fear.
Worst of all, Harry wasn't sure if Ron would continue being his friend now that he was a Slytherin. It was clear that the Slytherins were hated by the other houses for their blood purity obsession and dark reputation. Harry looked to the Gryffindor table and saw Ron sitting there, laughing and eating, not once glancing at him.
'Of course no one likes me… The only reason why anyone bothered with me was because I was the Boy-Who-Lived… But now that I'm in Slytherin, I'm just another freak…'
Harry's thoughts of self-hatred were not new to him. As he was raised by the Dursley's, he was constantly called a freak by his magic-hating relatives. They had tried on many occasions to beat it out of him, without any luck. Harry thought that he would be able to get away from all that hatred at Hogwarts, but being a Slytherin meant he would be facing the hatred of the whole school.
He continued to wallow in his darkest thoughts for the rest of the feast. The Slytherin table was quieter than usual, as they truly did not know how to react to the Boy-Who-Lived being one of them. At the end of the feast, the prefects quietly rounded up the first years and brought them down to the dungeons, explaining how to get to their common room and telling them the password, Cauda Draconis.
Once all the Slytherins entered the common room, the atmosphere changed. Gone were the cold, unfeeling tones of the prefects as they explained the dorm system. They were now caring, as if worried about their little first year brothers and sisters getting lost. Warm smiles lit their faces as they spoke more about what the new students will be experiencing.
"As you all know, we are all members of Hogwarts's finest house, Slytherin," one of the prefects said proudly. "However, no one outside of this house will agree. If anything, they will do anything to prove that you are evil and get you in trouble, or worse."
A dark look was briefly shared between the two prefects before one continued.
"Be sure to watch your back and do not to anything to disgrace the name of Salazar Slytherin."
A tense moment passed as the first years realized that everyone in the school would now be against them. The two prefects understood their quiet responses to the news, as they had reacted the same way. They allowed the first years to absorb the information before continuing.
"To your left is the girl's dorms. No more than four to a room, and boys, I suggest you don't try sneaking in as the punishments can be quite painful," a prefect joked in an attempt to put the first years at ease.
All the first years began to pile into the dorms, trying to pick the best bed and make friends with their new roommates. All but one.
Harry remained in the common room, trying to take everything in. It was dark in the dungeons, like a cave, but not unwelcoming. All the furniture was a deep emerald green with silver lining. Everything was green, even the flames in the fireplace. It wasn't unpleasant, but Harry couldn't help but think of how dangerous it was to be in the snake pit.
A hand on his shoulder caused him to jump forward and fall to the floor. The owner of the hand looked at him in worry. "You alright there, Potter?" she asked.
"I-I'm fine," Harry responded, quickly standing up and regaining his composure. "Why are you still here? It's getting late."
The prefect smiled. "I can't go to sleep knowing a first year is troubled. The name's Gemma, by the way. Gemma Farley."
"Harry Potter," he introduced himself quietly while looking at his shoes.
"I think we all know who you are, Potter," Gemma commented. "After all, you nearly gave everyone a heart attack when you were sorted."
Harry froze as he waited for her to yell at him, or hit him, or do something that would show her hate for him. But she just smiled at him.
"Well, you should be getting to bed soon, Potter. It wouldn't do well for Slytherin's reputation if you pass out on your first day of school. No need to give everyone a reason to hate us even more," she finished darkly.
Harry stayed quiet, thinking about how Ron and Hagrid probably hate him now. Gemma stared at him. "Are you alright, Harry?" she asked quietly.
"Fine," he responded.
Gemma sighed and put a hand on his shoulder, not moving it even when he flinched back. "You don't have to hide from us, you know."
"W-what?" Harry asked, not understanding what she meant.
She looked into the emerald flames. "Us snakes, I mean. You can trust us."
Harry looked at her in bewilderment. Trust the snakes?
"Well, maybe not with your deepest, darkest secrets. But you can trust us to keep you safe. Especially the older students."
"You mean the prefects, right?" Harry asked. Clearly, they have to be trustworthy since they're responsible for the younger years.
She shook her head. "All of us. We'll keep you, and every other Slytherin, safe."
"But why?"
Her gaze went from the emerald flames to Harry's emerald eyes. He could see emotions swirling in Gemma's blue eyes. There was compassion, worry, and pain. "We always take care of Slytherins. We look after our own."
With that, she pushed him in the direction of the staircase to the boy's dorms. Harry began to walk up, feeling a bit better after his talk with Gemma. He looked back at the prefect who was still standing at the bottom of the staircase, staring into the fire.
As he ascended to his dorm, he heard her voice trail up the stairs.
"After all, if we didn't, who would?"
Yume: And that concludes the story!
Yuki: Those poor Slytherins…
Yume: It's really not fair to them… People complain that they're prejudiced against Muggles, but everyone's against them as well.
Yuki: Freaking hypocrites with their petty prejudices.
Yume: Mhm! We hope you enjoyed the story. All reviews are appreciated, even flames!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor will I ever. I make no money from writing these stories. I own nothing but the plot and a few OCs. Peace out! ^^