I feel like stories that are more than 5k words get looked at more so here you go. Another chapter. Please enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Regarding Albus

Chapter 3: House of Snakes

Albus gulped and looked down at his plate.

He knew James would be angry, or at least annoyed that Albus wasn't in Gryffindor. But he didn't think his brother would be so angry to look at him like THAT.

Albus glanced up once more at the Gryffindor table but found James had looked away. His brother was talking to his friends now, but there was no smile on his face.

The eight Slytherin first years were sat at the very front of the Slytherin table.

Just as Albus felt a bone-crushing loneliness pressing down on his chest, someone hugged him from behind.

"I can't believe you got into Slytherin!" It was Dominique.

Dominique was his Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur's middle child. Victoire was her older sister, and Louis was her fraternal twin brother, who she was older then by just a few minutes. Out of the three of them, only Dominique had inherited the fiery-orange Weasley hair. Her face was devoid of freckles though, and unlike most Weasley's Dominique had, according to Albus's mother Ginny, been born with a nasty attitude.

And it was true, at every family gathering Dominique had been the odd one out, refusing to play with the others and only associating with her brother and sister. The family had been shocked when she became the first Weasley sorted into Slytherin, but at the same time it had been almost expected. Of course sour old Dom would end up in the house of snakes. However this didn't stop the family from making fun of her for it, annoying her to no end.

James and their cousin Fred were especially bad about it, often causing Dominique to lash out, out of anger.

But now Dominique's pretty blue eyes were sparkling, and Albus truly couldn't remember ever seeing his cousin this happy.

For while her veela blood has insured her beauty, Dominique usually walked around with a scowl permanently imprinted on her face.

Next to Dominique was another girl, who had short black hair that fell just past her chin, and gray eyes.

"I wasn't exactly expecting it, but yeah, I guess I was." Albus responded with a small smile on his face. Dominique smiled again before pointing to her companion.

"This is Ursula Flint. She is the 5th year prefect for Slytherin. She was coming to talk to you guys and I just tagged along." Ursula smiled at Albus.

Ursula turned to look at all the first years, who had their attention focused on Albus and the small scene taking place around him.

"I just came to tell you guys that as fifth year prefect it will be me that leads you to our dormitory. Well me and Isaiah Pucey, but he is…preoccupied at the moment."

Ursula pointed to a rather large boy sitting closer to the back of the table, who was busy shoveling food down his mouth. When he noticed them staring he gave a wave, causing the Albus and the others to laugh and Ursula to roll her eyes.

"He's alright. Anyway when the feast is over Isaiah and I will be waiting for you guys at the double doors so just meet us there, and we will take you down to the Slytherin common room."

Albus and the others nodded in understanding, and a few let out quiet words of thanks, obviously nervous talking to students so much older than themselves.

"Well that's it so…enjoy the feast. And by the way Eden, congrats on joining Slytherin." Ursula winked at Eden, the girl with the thick brown hair.

Eden smiled "Did you doubt me?"

Ursula laughed "Not at all. Jaclyn is happy too, she is just too lazy to get out of her seat. But you'll see her later I'm sure."

Eden nodded and with that Ursula walked away. Dominique gave Albus one more friendly pat on the back before following after her friend.

"So…"

It was Daniel who attempted to breach the awkward silence. The boy had a mop of brown hair on his head, with brown eyes to match.

"Are you guys happy to be here…in Slytherin?" He spoke with a slight accent, though it wasn't very noticeable.

"Well, my family has been in Ravenclaw for years so it's a bit surprising" Brandon Fawcett spoke up, being the only was brave enough to help start the conversation apparently "But I don't mind. I was sorted here for a reason."

Daniel smiled and nodded at the other boy.

"Well," Sarah Solomon began "My family has ALWAYS been in Slytherin. It's really the only…proper house to be in. At least in my opinion." Sarah had a coy smile on her face as she it. Albus already disliked her.

Victoria Avery shrugged, "My family has mostly been in Slytherin as well. But sometimes we go to other houses. It depends on the person." Sarah hummed in a non-committed way at the other girl, though she still had that sly smile on her face.

"My older brother is in this house. And my dad was. My mom was a Hufflepuff though." Elizabeth Grant offered, as she cut up some chicken on her plate. "By the way, call me Lizzie. I hate Elizabeth."

Lizzie had wavy dark-blonde hair with hazel eyes to match.

"Alright." Daniel said, smiling, obviously pleased with the way things were going.

"Well uh…I'm Scorpius. Scorpius Malfoy."

"We know." Lizzie responded dryly, but Scorpius just smiled lightly at the girl.

"Awesome." He responded, before hurriedly returning to his food, probably feeling slightly awkward.

"Well you guys just saw my cousin." Eden began "And my sister Jaclyn is in this house too. She is a sixth year. I'm happy to be here, everyone said I would be." Eden looked a little nervous but she smiled.

"And then there's Potter." Sarah said in a slightly mocking voice.

Albus took a long gulp of his pumpkin juice, stalling his answer. Well if one wanted to be in Slytherin one had to act like one. He put down his goblet and turned to face the girl,

"I'm just as happy to be here as you are. Like Brandon said. I'm here for a reason."

"…right" Sarah muttered, before turning to her food. Daniel had a big grin on his face,

"Well I'm glad we've all been introduced. It's exciting to be here, my family is non-magic so it was a huge surprise. What do you call them…Muggles! Yeah." Daniel began eating again, not noticing the way everyone was staring at him.

"Huh…" Scorpius began "a muggle-born?"

Albus glared at the pale boy, and before he had a moment to think about what he was saying, opened his mouth in defense of the other student,

"Have a problem with it Malfoy?" Scorpius looked shocked at the hostile tone.

"Not at all." Scorpius replied rather meekly, but Albus just got angrier

"Sure you don't. I know all about you Malfoy, and of course you had to comment on it. You'd better leave him alone." Albus knew he was being slightly irrational but it was MALFOY.

Albus had heard of course, about the war. He knew what the Malfoy's had done, who they had supported. Rose had told him, in confidence, how her mother had woken up screaming one night. When Uncle Ron had soothed her, and begged his wife to tell him what had her so frightened, Aunt Hermione had only said two words.

Malfoy Manor.

Rose hadn't been sure what that meant, but it cemented what they heard of the Malfoy's. That they were bad people. Rose and her brother Hugo had ended up spending the next few nights with the Potter's.

Now Malfoy glared at him, "I wasn't- you know what never mind." Malfoy glowered down at his food, before beginning to eat, now ignoring the others. The other first years began silently eating as well, obviously none of them wished to comment. Daniel just looked surprised.

After that they ate in an uncomfortable silence.

At least Albus and Malfoy did.

Solomon and Victoria were quietly talking about the latest Witch Weekly as though nothing had happened, and the job of answering some of Daniel's slightly awkward questions seemed to have fallen to Brandon. Eden and Lizzie were lightly chatting, though they seemed silent for the most part as well.

What a great first day, Albus thought as he stabbed at his food.

He stood in a horrible mood the rest of the evening, and not even when the desserts appeared on the table did his mood lighten.

He was angry. How could he belong here in Slytherin, when he was expected to interact with pricks like Malfoy and Solomon?

How could THIS be where he belonged?


Albus trailed behind the other new first years as they made their way down into the dungeons.

They kept walking until they reached a dead end. There was some fancy green drapery framing…a blank cobblestone wall.

Ursula smiled at them

"Okay little snakes, I know this doesn't look like much, but this is the entrance to the Slytherin common room. Now, we usually have a simple password the first month so you guys can get used to it but it will be changed to something harder in a month. So be ready for it. Now the password is… Salazar." And just like that the cobblestone wall began to move, reminding Harry very much of the bricks at the entrance to Diagon Alley. The bricks moved until a tiny entrance way was revealed. A large door was now in front of them. Isaiah Pucey reached forward and opened the door, revealing the Slytherin common room within.

Albus couldn't help but be awed by what he saw.

It was a huge dungeon-like room, awash in green light from the enchanted lamps hanging from the ceiling. The windows glowed green-blue, from the Black Lake beyond them. There was a large grand fireplace, covered in intricate carvings of serpents. In front of the fireplace was a large black couch with a green throw, and two plush green arm chairs on either side of it. There was a huge round table with many chairs for homework, as well as other smaller desks and chairs scattered around the common room. Large paintings of who Albus assumed were famous Slytherin's were scattered along the walls.

While Ursula led the four girls to the right, Isaiah led Albus, Malfoy, Daniel and Brandon to an archway on the left side of the common room. There was a spiral staircase that went both up and down.

"First, Second and Third year dorms are downstairs. Fourth year and older are upstairs. You guys head down, your dorm is the one on far left. Your trunks will be by your beds already so don't worry about that. You guys should get some sleep; tomorrow you get your schedules and start class."

Albus nodded in understanding, the other boys nodding as well.

"Well, goodnight. Welcome to Slytherin!" And with that Isaiah went up the stairs, leaving the four first years behind.

Brandon turned to the others, taking the lead.

"Shall we?"

They followed Brandon down the stairs, and to the large wooden door that led to their dormitory. Brandon reached forward and opened the door.

Their dormitory featured four, four-posted beds, each made of black wood with shaggy green curtains surrounding them. In the middle of the room was a large heater, and the beds formed a semi-circle around this centerpiece. The bed on the far right had Albus's trunk in front of it. Malfoy's was in front of the one next to it, then Daniel's, and then Brandon had the bed on the left end.

With a sigh, Malfoy walked over to his bed and easily threw himself onto it.

Albus approached his bed slower, stopping at this trunk to pull out his pajamas. Albus quickly changed, too exhausted to bother with a shower, and especially since Brandon seemed to have already commandeered the bathroom.

Albus got under the thick green sheets, and stared up at the top of his bed.

How was this going to work?

Albus glanced at over at Malfoy's bed, but found the boy had already closed the curtains of his four poster. Daniel sat across the room, writing in bed.

"You're writing to your parents?" Albus asked, feeling he should at least attempt to be friendly after his earlier blow up.

Daniel smiled and nodded.

"Like I said they aren't magic so…they'll be worried about me. I promised I'd write as soon as I could."

Albus nodded back at the boy "I will need to write to mine too…soon."

Daniel didn't respond, focused on his letter.

What would his parents think? If his own brother could be so angry with him for being sorted into Slytherin, who's to say the rest of his family couldn't as well?