On The Outside Looking In
Cody sat, idly watching the forests of Hogwarts quickly fly by. He felt as if he were in a trance, staring at the swirl of colors from his compartment window.
Oh how he wished that he could be out there! Meeting and discovering all of the many magical creatures in the forest. It was his first year and he didn't want to leave. Here, he could practice his magic whenever he wanted. At home, he was prohibited from even the simplest of spells.
He had already mastered the levitation charm, being one of the only ones in his class that could actually float the feather off of his desk. He caught a quick glimpse of a bright red-haired boy with freckles blowing out of the corner of his mouth while Professor Flitwick was grading him. A wiry-haired girl was sitting beside him eyeing the boy in absolute disgust. She was one of the few that actually achieved levitation with her feather.
The only other person in the compartment with him was his best friend, Draco Malfoy. Cody had expected the sorting to be wonderful, ending with him and Draco being put in Slytherin. He was a little disappointed. He didn't have anything against the other houses; he just wanted to be in the same house with his buddy. So if Slytherin was what Draco wanted to be in, that was what Cody wanted to be in also. It ended with Draco in Slytherin and Cody being sorted into Gryffindor.
This didn't exactly go over well with his father. As a matter of fact, when he told him, his father spun around so quick that he knocked his cauldron into the floor. Rotten smelling green liquid spilled onto the hard stone floor. Severus Snape's face grew so red that it resembled an overcooked beet.
" No kind of raggedy old wizard hat could see the potential that Cody would have in Slytherin!" Snape shouted.
The Sorting Hat retorted, saying that he would rather be an old, raggedy hat than a big-nosed, greasy-haired hothead.
Dumbledore calmed the fighting, saying "actually Severus, I am very glad that your son has been placed in Gryffindor. There are a few people that I would like him to meet."
"You aren't talking about Potter and his cronies, are you?" Snape asked.
"Maybe, Severus." Said Dumbledore coolly""Cody could learn a few things from Harry, Ronald and Hermione. With his intelligence and magical skills, I would hate for him to spend too much time with Draco and lose such a bright, promising young wizard to the wrong side, if you know what I mean, Severus."
"Yes, but sir, surely-
"Young Cody will remain in Gryffindor whether you like it or not. Sorry for shouting. You just don't get it, do you, Severus. You always want to jump in and change things around." Dumbledore sighed, regaining his composure."Cody gets that from you. Severus, please promise me something."
"Anything, sir, just name it" Snape murmured."
"Please try to just sit back and watch things. Like a parade, if you will. Every now and then, you just need to step out, and make yourself be on the outside, looking in."