A/N This story has a simple premises. Harry is sorted in Slytherin, where he make friends with students who pretty much embodies every good thing about the house.
And just for the information of some reading, J.K Rowling do say that there were some muggle born Slytherins, and not Slytherins were bed( some even fought or Hogwarts in the battle of Hogwarts in book seven, further explanation on this will be explored in later chapters.
Anyway, This may seem like an odysseys idea, but I have had trouble finding a good one like this, that reaches a good ending, so I'm tipping up one that I have been thinking about writing down for a while, please read, review, and enjoy.
So without further ado.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry potter
Chapter 1 A slightly different sorting, and a grand yet eerie common room.
"Hmm" said the sorting hat as it sat atop Harry's head. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes-and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting…. So where shall I put you?
Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought, not Slytherin, not Slytherin"
"Not Slytherin, eh?" said the hat in response. Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on your way to greatness, no doubt about that." The hat finished.
Harry paused, for a moment he had forgotten exactly way he wanted to avoid Slytherin in the first place at the hat's words of encouragement.
"Just as I thought," The hat said in a slightly smug voice, and then shouted, "Slytherin!"
And with that the hat was lifted off a shocked Harry's head, to the sound of applause coming from the table at the far end of the room, the Slytherin table. Simply mimicking the behavior of the other sorted first years, a dazed Harry walked, almost like a zombie, to his new house table. As he walked he began to remember all the bad things he had heard about Slytherin on his way to Hogwarts. "Not an witch or wizard who want bed, that wasn't from Slytherin." Hagrid had told him. But still he just walked on until he reached the table, and looked for a place to sit.
"Care to sit with us Potter?" Malfoy had gotten up, and offered Harry a place to site gesturing to and empty place near Crabbe and Goyle. And with that Harry remembers the main reason he wanted to avoid this house.
"Ah, no thank you Malfoy, I'll care to find me own seat." Harry said, once again snubbing Malfoy's hallow attempt at friendship, and walked on.
Malfoy's little gesture had drawn a bit of attention, which caused him some embarrassment; this was noticed by one girl in particular.
A first year girl, who was sorted into Slytherin just before Harry. She's about Harry's height, with blond shoulder length hair, far skin and icy blue eyes. As Harry walked past her she called out to him. "Hey Potter," She says getting his attention. "Anyone, who can talk down to Malfoy like, is OK with me." She says showing a small half smile, and moving over and motioning to the now vacant seat. Harry, figuring she was the laser of, however many other evils were sitting at this table, accepts her offer.
Sitting down Harry attempts to introduce himself, but as he extends his hand with a. "Hi I'm Harry Po…"
"Harry Potter, I know already." The girl interrupts him shaking his hand, and looking at his scare. "And I'm Anna Nightchild. Oh and congratulations on being one of the few wizards to be famous before you even started school." Anna said, still with her half smile.
"Nightchild?" Harry thought, "That sounds like a pretty good sire name for a Dark witch or wizard." But before Harry could think on this further he heard Malfoy again.
"Can you believe it this year? First Potter now this magic wannabe? Good graces, that hat must starting to wear out, or something. Let me tell you something, freak eyes. Just because you managed to fool a talking piece of garment, doesn't make you a real wizard, now move along."
Harry raised his head to see a boy walking away from Malfoy as Crabbe and Goyle pouted and laughed at him. The boy in question was little over Harry's height, maybe less than an inch taller, had dark brown, and seemed to have a slightly naturally tanned look to his skin.
As the boy walked on with his head hung low, Anna said. "Poor kid, that's what he gets for trying to buddy up to Malfoy like that, he's in for a rough stay."
And with that Harry had a though. "Hey, you," Said Harry getting the kid's attention. "Wanna sit with us?" And with that the now surprised looking first year excitedly took his seat at the house table, he seemed to be happy anyone offered him a sit at all, rather than making him sit on the floor.
After sitting down the boy turned to face Harry, and Harry noticed what Malfoy meant by 'freak eyes'. This boy had mismatched eye, left one blue, right one brown. Despite this Harry still introduced himself.
"Hi, I'm Harry Potter." Harry Said extending his hand.
"Hi, I'm Anthony Twist." The boy with mismatched eyes responded, taking Harry's hand.
Harry took a moment to take in his appearance, mismatched eyes, Hair slightly ensue (though not as quiet a messy as his own), all while wearing a cloak and with a name like 'Twist'. Harry thought Anthony to be the visual epitome of what uncle Vernon expected a young wizard to look like.
Before Harry could have more of a conversation with Anthony, Anna decided to weigh in.
"Hay…Twist right?" Anna said from the other side of Harry. Anthony looked at her. "By any chance, are your parents' muggles?"
This question seemed to greatly alarm Anthony. "W…why?" He nervously asked.
"Because, Malfoy and his cronies over there, have some…issues with muggleborns."
"Is that a problem?" Twist asked still sounding nervous.
"Not with me." Anna simply answered, to Anthony's great relief.
Harry couldn't help but notice that Twist seemed rather jumpy at the opinion of other students. But he decided to push off these thoughts for now and try to get to know his new house mates. But then he noticed a strange man staring at him from the staff table at the top of the great hall.
He was a teacher; he was in all black robes, had greasy looking black hair hanging over his pale face, and had deep black eyes. But Before Harry could ask anyone who he was, the sorting had ended, and professor Dumbledore was getting up to make a speech. Well not really a speak more of just a few choice words, and then, after a rousing rendition of the schools anthem, the feast began.
Harry was surprised when the many empty golden platters along the center of the four tables became filled with food that had appeared, seamlessly, out of thin air.
Harry saw he wasn't the only one surprised at this, he also saw that Twist's eyes were every prominent when he was surprised. Harry also noticed that other students like Anna, and Draco didn't find this very unusual.
As the feast got off (Anthony shoving large amounts of food into his mouth, seemingly to see if it was real), Harry turned to Anna.
"Hey Anna, who's that up there in the black cloak?" Anna noticed who Harry was taking about right away.
"Oh, that must be professor Snap. He's the head of our house, and the potions master.
"You've meet him?"
"No, but my brother has, he told me all about him, very strict, and very intimidating, but they say he goes easy on his own house, so long as you don't give him much of a reason to do otherwise. My brother says this might be the last year he takes his class though."
Harry looked back at Snap again and took what he'd just been told in. Snap did look like the stern disciplinarian type, and just as Harry was making a mental note to study heard in potions, he felt a pain on his forehead. Specifically, on his scare. Harry rubbed it in the pain and tried to push it away as he decided to focus on the feast instead.
The food was really quite good, and after the first course was finished, the scraps had vanished as seamlessly as they appeared, only to be replaced by a large assortment of desserts. Harry enjoyed a personnel joke of thinking how Dudley would have loved this, and thought about telling him of it once he returned to the Dursely's
After the feast has concluded, the students were to be lead to there house common rooms and dormitories by their house prefects.
"All Slytherin first years this way!" Shouted a boy, of about fifteen, with dark blond hair.
"Slytherin first years with us!" Yelled a girl of the same age with curly red hair.
Harry fallowed the rest of the Slytherins down a stair case just across the hall from the great hall. This brought them to the dungeons; Harry began to feel nervous again, it would not help his view of this house if they were mead to sleep live in the dungeons.
Soon the prefects had brought them to an indent in the wall. In seemed like there could be a door there, based on the way the bricks were lead out around it, and the candles on either side of it, but it was clearly just a brick wall there. Them the prefect with blonde hair stood in front of this indent, and said. "OK, listen up everyone, especially you first years. Here's the pass word!" He turned around and said "Green scale!" Loudly enough for everybody to hear, end the wall began to open up at his words. He and the other prefect lead the rest of them in, down another staircase.
Once inside Harry saw that the Slytherin Common room: It may have been dungeon like, but it was a pretty grand dungeon to him. The howl room had a greenish tinge to it, it had a fire place, lots of low backed button-tufted leather sofas, in black, and dark green. It was also decorated with dark wood cupboards, tapestries on the walls, and skulls. Harry didn't know too much about the skulls, but the house seal over the fire place was nice, and, if the widows were to be trusted, they seemed to be slightly underwater.
"Welcome, all first years to the Slytherin dungeons." Said the boy prefect.
"And welcome back to all second years and up." Said his female counter part.
"We are your new prefects, Asoharad Nightchild."
"And Gemma Farley, does anyone have any questions?"
Harry felt like we wanted to ask something but he didn't want to show any leak of knowledge of the wizarding world if he didn't have to. So it was Twist who raised his hand first.
"Yes… What's your name?"
"Anthony Twist… and is this room under water?"
Harry would have usually found this to be a stupid question, but given the appearance of the windows… Malfoy however seemed to find Twist's question worthy of a small laugh, or more of he found Twist himself funny for asking it, and was pointing this out to his friends.
"Actually yes, our common room is slightly submerged under the black lake, in fact sometimes you can see fish swimming by the windows," Asoharad said as
A small group of fish swam by a window, almost on cue. "In fact sometimes we'll get an even bigger visitor." And then, almost as if on cue again, the giant squid swam right by the largest window. Everyone, especially Twist, seemed to find this quit entertaining.
"We like to feel that our hangout has the aura of a mysterious, underwater shipwreck, now as it is late, it is time for bed, and so for those of you who don't know, the girl's dorms are to your right, just next to the stares we took coming down here." Said Gemma.
"And boy's, same on your left." Said Asoharad
Harry and the rest of the Slytherin boys made their way down the boy's stair. Once down another level they all headed for their years respective rooms, marked by signs on the doors. After Harry got into the first years dorm room along with the rest of his year, Crabbe, Goyle, Malfoy, Nott, Twist, And Zanbini, He saw that their luggage had already been brought to the foot of each of their beds.
As they were changing into her pajamas, Malfoy called out to Twist.
"Hey Muggleborn, nice question to ask back there, it really showed just how much you know about this school." Malfoy said to a fare amount of laughter from Crabbe and Goyle. Zanbini, and Nott didn't seem too impressed with this joke, but neither of them seemed like they wanted to help out Twist ether.
"Hogwarts, a History doesn't go into to much detail about each house common room, beyond how there supposed to be secret from the each other." Twist feebly defended.
"Oh yes, it's not like you were raised on stories about this place was it, I almost forgot." Malfoy snidely said to more laughter from Crabbe and Goyle, as he climbed into bed.
Harry looked at Twist, who looked like he just couldn't be taken down many more pegs, and felt that Twist and Malfoy would have a relationship like his own with Dudley. He wished there was something he could do for him but couldn't think of anything. So he just crawled into bed just like everyone else, even Twist after a few moments of wallowing in Malfoy's latest insult.
Harry found it heard to fall asleep for some reason, and after a while he thought he must be the only one left awake, when he heard someone get out of bed and almost silently walk out of the room.
Pushing aside the green curtains of his four poster bed, he saw that Twist's bed was empty and figured he was the one he had heard walked out.
Feeling curious at this, Harry decide to try and find him.
Harry made his way back up to the common room, were he saw Twist was sitting on one of the couches; his head bent low, and just staring at his hands, folded in his lap.
Harry walked up to the couch.
"Anthony?" Harry said getting a startled Twist's attention. Apparently he wasn't expecting to be disputed.
"Oh… Hello Potter, I didn't know you were up this late to." Twist said, sounding surprised and nervous again. "Are you having problems sleeping to?"
"Why, are you?"
Twist seemed taken aback by this question; apparently he didn't want to discuss his sleeping issues.
"Oh, nothing really, just first time sleeping away from home is all." Twist said, but it sounded forced, and rushed. Harry knew he was lying
Looking at Twist sitting here, looking as sad as he did, Harry thought about all the times he sulked in the capered under the stairs back at the Dursely's, and felt a connection with Twist, and felt like he should try and get to the bottom of his weird behavior.
"Why did Malfoy's insults bother you so much?" Harry asked abruptly, as he sat down next to Twist.
"What…what makes you think they bothered me at all?" Twist said sounding completely caught off guard. Harry relished that it wasn't going to be that easy, but seeing a chance to make a friend in a school house he once thought had no decent wizards at all in it, he decided to at least try.
"OK. I'll make a deal with you. If you why Malfoy bothers you so much, I'll tell you about how I learned I'm a Wizard."
"Didn't you know about that since you were born, I thought both your parents were wizards?"
"They were, but I was raised by my relatives, there muggles. So if you tell him what's with you and Malfoy, I'll tell you how I learned I'm a wizard, Deal?"
Harry's proposition had picked Twist's curiosity, and so Twist agreed.
"OK, if you want to know that badly, it's not really just Malfoy, so if you really want to understand I'll have to tell you about how I discovered my powers." Twist said and then he began his story.
"As you could probably guess, because of my eyes I always had a bit a trouble making friends, but it wasn't just that. When I was about seven, I just sort of found myself to have the ability to move things with my mind, at first it was just moving sticks and twigs around in the garden when my parents weren't looking, but as I did it more often I got better at it, and the it wasn't just moving thing either. I was able to make stains on clothes disappear to. My mom would see a spot a stain on my clothes, and when see would go to get a clean shirt, the spot would just go away, so when she came back she just thought she saw it wrong.
I could even move things at a distance: When I would be avoiding someone and they were about to walk in on my, I would make something make a noise some were else, so they would not find me, I used that do avoid these bullies back home some times.
But one day, I was sitting in the park and I was moving pebbles around to see if I could make some kind of a pattern with them, then this kid snicked up behind me and saw me doing it. It freaked him out and he asked me how I did it, but I couldn't tell him, I had never even called it magic back then, so when I couldn't explain it he got angry with me, his friends showed up and they all backed me up against a tree. I felt so afraid that I just closed my eyes, and wised something would happen. And then a branch broke off from the tree, and fell right on top of the first kids head, he fell to the ground and his scalp started bleeding. They all got scared, and ran off. But I felt horrible for it, I never wanted to hurt anyone, but after that everyone was talking about it, nobody would believe that I had any powers, but everyone still avoided my after that, even after the rumors died down, it was still impossible for me to make any friends.
After that I tried not using my powers at all, but whenever I went to long without doing anything, something would just happen on its own, things would break or fall, or just plan disappear. I couldn't stand any of it. but the howl time I had this hope that one day someone who knew how to use my powers, would show up and tell how to use them myself, but I never thought it would really happen.
But then, last February after I turned eleven, a witch came to my house with my Hogwarts acceptance latter, and she explained everything to me and my parents. They were a little reluctant to let me come here, but after the witch said my powers wouldn't go away, and I needed to learn to control them, and that there plenty of witches and wizards around the world, who lead perfectly normal lives, for wizards anyway, my parents came around..
So after I got all my school stuff from that Diagon Alley place in London, and was on my way here on the train, I thought everything was going to be great.
But on the Train, I meet Malfoy and tried to be friendly with him, but when he asked me which wizarding family I was related to, and I told him my family were all muggles, he said I didn't belong here, that I should just rid the train back where I came from. I felt horrible.
At the sorting, I was worried I wouldn't be put in any house because of what Malfoy said; when it put me in Slytherin I was so happy, and thought since we were in the same house now Malfoy might be nicer to me, but he still acted like I don't belong here, and I'm just worried that others might be the same way. What that Nightchild girl said earlier does make me feel better but still…"
Twist ended his story sounding very sad, and it made Harry think, he felt the same was as Twist did, even the part about worrying about not being sorted into any house at all, but Twist was so desperate to be accepted by wizards, he thought Malfoy would be a good friend, and didn't seem to care that Slytherin had a reputation a producing dark wizards. It all made Harry feel like an ingrate, worrying about Slytherin based on what one wizard told him, even if it was Hagrid the wizard who brought him his letter, and took him shopping for school supplies. Slytherin couldn't possibly be all bed if someone like Twist wanted to be part of it, and that meant that he, Harry, wasn't bed for being part of it either.
Feeling relived at this Harry decides he should try and cheer Twist up.
"You know something Anthony; I haven't met too many other students here yet, but I can tell already that Malfoy had got to be the biggest git in this place. I meet him in Diagon Alley, on the train and at the sorting, and all three times he was a complete prat, don't dwell on what he thinks of you, I sure if you work hard enough, you'll be an even better a wizard then him."Harry surprised himself with the enthusiasm he said this with. But it seemed to do the trick with Twist.
"You really think so?" Twist said like a child being offered a sweet.
Sure I do, how good at magic can Malfoy be if he needs those two gorillas around all the time right?"
Twist laughed; it also seemed that he and Harry shared the same opinion of Crabbe and Goyle. Harry felt like he made his first new friend in Slytherin.
"Yea, you're right; I don't know what I was doing letting one kid mess with me like that, I really got to work on that. Hay you know what, we should study together." Twist suggested happily.
This throws Harry off "Study together?"
"Yea, if we work together on it we could get some of the best grads in our year. I've already read the introductions to all of our text books and stared on the second chapter of the slandered book of spells grad 1.
This also throw Harry off, He hadn't even open any of his books yet.
"I mean I know I might have to work to keep up with Harry potter and all but still…"
"Why would you have to work to keep up with me, you sounded pretty well with magic in your story, and how do you already know about me, weren't you raised in the muggle world?"
"Yea, but I heard things on the way here, about how you were due at Hogwarts, and what happened with you and that 'you know who' guy when you were a baby. And my magic has been a little off since I got my wand, I can move thing with my mind OK, but more advanced spells are a little tricky, and they said I couldn't practices with my wand outside of school so I just had the train ride over to use my wand and I having some trouble. But that's beside the point, would you like to study with me, I think we could get a lot done together"
All this had Harry thinking again, He had be so wrapped up in being put in Slytherin, that he almost forgotten, all the other challenges a school of magic can present. In that moment he decided that Twist would be a great study partner, so he accepted his offer. "That sounds great Anthony."
This made Twist even happier, but Harry had a few more questions. "You said that you were having some trouble with your wand, what's the matter?" Harry asked thinking of how his wand seamed to react good to him ever since he first held, and thought he could offer some advice to his new friend.
"Oh, it's nothing really, now that I got some practice on the train in, I think I got the hang of it. It's just that when that Ollivander guy gave this my wand, it didn't seem that,… you know in tune with me, but he said that some wands are just like that, he said 'there masters just have to let themselves become more accustomed to the wand', or the wand become more accustomed to the wizard, I don't really remember, all I know is that he insisted that I got the right wand, so I just paid for it and left."
"That's weird, my wand worked just find for me when I got it, but Mr. Ollivander it was different for each wizard."
"Yea, he said the same thing to me, but I can show you how good I'm tomorrow... Oh, and speaking of tomorrow, we have potions tomorrow right?"
"Yea" Said Harry remembering his schedule, and thinking of Snap.
"Well, I saw that professor Snap starring at us first years in the great hall during the feast, and I got a wired feeling about him, so I think we should be extra careful in how we do in his class, they said he is our head of house, and he goes easy on us, but I don't want to take any chances, right?"
Harry agreed deciding not to mention to Twist, that Snap was only staring at him, or about his scar hurting.
"Good then." Twist happily said, but then let out a big yawn "You know I think we've been up a little too long, how about you tell me about how you discovered your powers in the morning?"
"That sounds good, Twist." Harry agreed feeling tired, and surprised that Twisted managed to remember the rest of their deal, were as he, Harry, had forgotten it during the rest of their conversation, not the he wanted to avoid it.
The two tired new friends made their way back to their dorm, and warm beds.
"Hay Potter, Do you think, that Nightchild girl and our prefect are related?" Twist asked
"Yea, she said she had a brother, and they look alike, and they have the same last name, so it should be obvious. And her first name is Anna, Anthony."
"OK, oh and you could just call me Twist, everyone else outside my family does."
"OK, Twist." Said Harry, concluding the last of their conversations for the night, as the two descended the boy's staircase.
Back in there dorms and their beds, Harry, and Twist slept soundly there problems resolved, at least for now.
Harry was in a deep sleep when he felt Quirrell turban on his head, and talking to him.
"Congratulation on getting into Slytherin, you have taken the first step to succeeding the Dark Lord that gave you your scare."
This terrified Harry and he said back in defense. "No, not all Slytherins have to be bad, me and Twist aren't bad!"
But the turban didn't listen and just laughed at Harry's response, as it grew heavier on his head. Then Harry saw Malfoy laughing at him, then Malfoy turned into Snap, who laughed at him in an increasingly high voice, then Harry was blinded by a bright green light.
Harry woke up, turned over in his bed, and fell back asleep, when he awoke the next day he could did not remember this dream at all.
A/N OK, so that's the beginning of this fic. I have a lot of ideas of what to do for the rest of year one and the rest of the years, but I might not be posting anything more until after the new year.
I probably will be doing the howl length of year one in only a few chapters.
Harry is still going to go after the sorcerers stone, and he still will have his confrontation with Quirrell.
But you will have to read to find out what else will be different because of Harry being in Slytherin. How will this affect Ron and Hermione? How With Snap react to Harry being in his house? How do Harry's new friend differ from Ron and Hermione, and how will they affect Harry over the years. It will all get more intersecting as the story progresses, so please keep reading.