Quick disclaimer: I own neither Diadem nor Harry Potter. I am earning no money writing this. This won't change over the course of the story, or ever, so this disclaimer spans all future chapters as well.
Soon after the final defeat of Voldemort, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had once again opened its doors to young witches and wizards. Prejudice between those of differing blood status was at an all time low; while it hadn't disappeared entirely, many a pureblood family had come to respect those descended from muggles who had fought valiantly against the Death Eaters, and they taught their children to do the same. In many cases, it was the children who taught their parents to respect others.
The same could not be said, however, of prejudice among the houses of Hogwarts. The reputation of the Slytherin house among the rest of the school was at an all-time low, thanks to certain occurrences prior to the Dark Lord's death.
For one Matthew Caruso (he preferred Score), this wasn't as much of an issue as it was for others. His old life as a scamming street rat in New York had taken a turn when his father had moved the two of them to Scotland to "lay low," but had been flipped on its head when their tiny rental had been flooded with previously-doubted letters admitting Score to Hogwarts. And now here he was, learning magic, something he could have sworn wasn't real just two months ago. The food was warm here and never ran out, he was away from his criminal father, and was even learning to defend himself. The wizarding world was a new one to him, and he could start his life anew. It was an exciting prospect for him, and if he had to deal with heckling and dirty looks to do so, then so be it. He was used to being seen as scum anyways. At least he had refuge in his dorm.
Now if only that blonde Gryffindor chick would stop sending him death glares in the middle of Charms.
A/N: It's a bit of a short start, but it's what was needed to kick off the story. At any rate, Diadem isn't getting enough fanfiction if you ask me, so I said 'heck it' and went for the Hogwarts AU. I'm a sucker for crossovers, and this sounded like it'd be fun to write. I wasn't wrong! Tell me what you think, if you've got the time!