Chapter Two
The sorting of the remaining students passed in a blur for Harry. He had noticed the numbers of people staring at him and pointing, whispering as they did so. The attention was (although grudgingly for most students) drawn to Dumbledore, who had stood and was awaiting everyone's attention.
"Welcome," he said, "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"
The hall burst into applause, as though he had stated something deeply profound and meaningful. Harry looked beside him at Draco, who too, was applauding, although in a more reserved manner. He caught Harry's eyes and rolled his own.
"Is he a bit mad?" queried Harry
"He'd like us all to think so I think." Replied Draco
"Why?"
"Well, he's perhaps the greatest wizard alive, and doesn't want to show it, so he acts mad. Endears himself to the people." He said (again, in Harry's opinion reciting off a memorised statement).
Harry began to respond only for Draco to wave his hand towards the food, and wordlessly began to pile up food on his own plate. Harry didn't waste much time joining him, after all, the Dursleys may have fed him, but it couldn't be said that they fed him well.
Draco suddenly stiffened beside Harry, a result of a horrible, blank-eyed, gaunt faced and bloodied ghost appearing from nowhere beside him. Harry, intrigued as he was by this ghost who looked far less happy and approachable than what seemed to be the norm with the other ghosts.
The ghost turned his head suddenly towards Harry, looking across Draco and simply stared back.
"Welcome to Slytherin house Mr. Potter…" He said in a haggard and pained voice, "and Mr. Malfoy."
With that, he floated away towards the older years, who appeared far more comfortable with his presence.
"The Bloody Baron," said Draco, "bloody creepy, he is."
Harry only nodded, as he started to become acutely aware of the deadly silence between the Slytherin first years. Looking across at the other house tables, he noticed, that the first years were in conversation, although perhaps reserved. Taking notice of this, Harry only began to feel the silence more and more.
"Time for introductions, I believe." Said Draco assertively, leading Harry to silently thank him for breaking the awkward silence which had for some reason taken hold of the Slytherin first years.
"I'm Draco Malfoy…obviously." He stated proudly, placing his cutlery down and crossing his arms which sent the boy across from him into a bout of laughter
"Something funny, Nott?"
"Yes…you. Anyway, I'm Theodore Nott…clearly." And he too crossed his arms, albeit far more theatrically, (Draco was quick to uncross his own).
"Those two are Crabbe and Goyle." Said Draco, nodding his head to the two larger boys, who looked up from their heavily packed plates for just seconds as recognition before turning back to their plates and returning to their food. Nott scoffed, and shook his head.
The boy beside Theodore Nott introduced merely introduced himself as 'Zabini' before proceeding to act as though the other first year Slytherins didn't exist. This time Nott rolled his eyes.
"Real fun lot we've got. Two walking, talking, eating machines, and a mute…Lovely." He drawled, "I suppose it is only fair, we've got Potter, dark lord vanquisher, wizard extraordinaire!" he said nodding at Harry.
The girls, who had previously looked quite shy, perked up and introduced themselves as: Pansy Parkinson, Daphne Greengrass, Millicent Bullstrode and Tracey Davis (who received a questioning look from Draco).
"Tell us Harry, what happened that night?" asked an awestruck Pansy, but before Harry could explain that he was in fact one year old when he had defeated he-who-must-not-be-named, Theodore jumped in.
"Let me tell it please Harry, I've always wanted to tell the story. And with you here! It's an opportunity I simply cannot pass up. Allow me the honour!" he said, winking at Harry and Draco, who were both about to question what he thought he was doing.
"…urm, well feel free Theodore." Said Harry, deciding to let him make whatever joke he was going to make.
"Theo, it's Theo, Harry, please." He said, as he placed his palms on the table and took a deep breath.
"It all began that fateful night. The Dark Lord…he-who-must-not-be-named had deemed Harry here…worthy of DEATH!" he said raising his voice at the end, receiving a slight shriek from Tracey Davis, which prompted Draco to choke on a Yorkshire pudding he was chewing.
"Yes, Tracey, terrifying indeed. The Dark Lord, strong as he was made his way past both Harry's parents, valiant fighters in their own right, yet not strong enough to best the most powerful wizard alive at the time…save for Dumbledore of course."
"And so, the Dark Lord, did make his way to Harry's bedroom where Harry stood in his cot, innocent…and alone." Tracey and Parkinson's rapid breathing could now be audibly heard, and Draco yet again began to choke on some food in his mouth. With a glare at the two girls, he threw his cutlery on the table and decided not to eat until Theodore finished his story.
"A one year old child, stood in his cot did that night, look upon the Dark Lord. And let me reiterate, this man was perhaps event the most powerful wizard alive at the time. Any man would not have been wrong to place their money on Harry Potter dying that night. It was not to be however, for this was no ordinary boy…"
Theodore paused for dramatic effect.
"No! This was Harry Potter…and so, as the Dark Lord raised his wand to the boy and the killing curse was on his lips, Harry sparked into action! He leapt from his cot onto the floor, and not one second too soon, for the cot he stood in just moments before, was obliterated!"
"Merlins' beard!" said Pansy
"Indeed Pansy. It's not over yet though! Harry, wandless and defenceless had evoked the Dark Lords' anger, and killing curse after killing curse flew at Harry, who was not able to stand still for a second."
Another pause.
"Harry then saw and logically reasoned that he was at a disadvantage, he would not be able to hold up much longer at all!"
Yet another pause. Harry took this moment to realise not only had Crabbe and Goyle begun to listen, but most second years and some third years. Harry could've sworn that Dumbledore was looking towards them, enraptured in Theodores' story.
"A moment spent for logical thinking was however a moment lost for moving, and before he knew it, a sickly green killing curse was hurtling towards him faster than he could move from its path!"
"NO!" screamed a second year, whom Draco looked at with venomous anger and made to laugh, before Harry clasped a hand to his mouth, not wanting to ruin Nott's story.
"Yes! Yes, it did happen so…sadly it is true." He looked into the distance for a moment, "Fear not though friends, like you can see, Harry sits with us here. Let me tell you how it is so…You see, Harry, precious one year old Harry, realised there would be no escape and so he did all that could be done."
Numerous 'whats?' could be heard before Nott shushed them with a finger to his lips.
"I'll tell you. Harry raised his hand in front of the curse, and in his innocent, one year old voice he screamed 'STOP THERE KILLING CURSE!'…but it did not! It did not stop, but made its way towards his forehead! This was it, Harry would die! Again Harry screamed at the curse but it did not stop…now before I continue fellow Slytherins, I must explain. You might be doubting how this could happen, how could Harry have time to scream this twice before the killing curse struck him? Well it is because, of course, this was all happening in slow-motion."
'Wow!', 'Astounding!', 'Fascinating!' and 'Wicked!', could all be heard.
"And so we return to Harry, who had just failed for the second time to stop the curse with his voice, when it suddenly came to him, just as the curse brushed his forehead. How could he have forgotten? It was obvious! And so Harry, for the third time repeated himself, with one small difference…attached to the end of his demand…was a please! And lo and behold, it did stop, and not only that, but it turned on it's caster, and that night, that night, Harry Potter and the magical power of manners and politeness vanquished the Dark Lord!"
Nott looked down sombrely to indicate the end of the story, and was awarded with applause from the first year girls, Crabbe, Goyle and a number of second and third years. Thanking them, he looked at Draco and Harry, merely raising an eyebrow.
"Slytherin house, they say! The greatest house at Hogwarts! Look at these gullible idiots around us." Muttered Draco, as the desserts appeared and the students of Hogwarts dug in.
Throughout dessert Draco continued to mutter away, only enraged further by the fact that the girls had asked for a repeat of the story from Nott, who had happily obliged. Harry merely sat back with a smile, enjoying the scenes unfolding around him, until finally, the desserts disappeared and the headmaster got to his feet again.
"Aherm – just a few more words now that we're all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you…First years should note that the forbidden forest is actually forbidden to all pupils, as the name would suggest…a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." He said as his gaze turned to two ginger twins who looked up at him proudly.
"I also have a few notices from members of staff. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to remind you all that there is to be no magic used between classes in the corridor. And Madam Hooch has asked me to inform you all that Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term, and to ask her for more information or if you're interested."
"Finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bound to everyone who does not wish to die a most horrible and painful death."
Harry laughed, but was one of the few who did, and noticing that, he promptly shut up.
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed, and one professor (particularly vampire-looking), was actively frowning.
Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.
"Everyone pick their favourite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!". And the signing began:
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot."
Everyone finished at different times but the ginger haired twins from Gryffindor were last to finish, singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand for them.
"Ah music," he said, wiping his eyes.
"Now then, I hope you all enjoyed the feast! I certainly heard a few enjoyable stories! Now off to bed!" he said as his twinkling eyes stared down at the Slytherin first year contingent.
A/N: Thanks for reading. I apologise about the anticlimactic end to Theo's story, I just started writing it with no idea where I was going but I've decided to leave it in. And to address the reactions of the Slytherins who don't seem to be opposed to Voldmort and almost on Harry's side:
They are 13 and younger.
They grew up in a generation without Voldemort and although their parents may have supported him, support for a widely regarded dead wizard is useless and I would suggest they don't teach their kids to love Voldemort.
Most still have the ideals of blood purity, but Theo's story had nothing to do with that.