OK, a warning before reading this... Harry won't be Obliviated in THIS chapter. Nor does the explanation as to how Obliviate works appear. That's NEXT chapter. This is the transition chapter, while Harry's getting to Hogwarts. As for if Harry does lose his memory, I refuse to say, but I've already written the chapter. Let me just describe Quetzalcoatl's placement in Harry's mind.
Harry compressed his memories and then separated that part of his mind from the part that Quetzalcoatl resides. His Occlumency shields are around his entire mind, so Quetz is inside the barriers. Quetzalcoatl can indeed detect Legilimency attempts, but he's the last line of defense, in a sense.
Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, I sure as hell wouldn't be posting this online, and be more concerned with spending the loads of money I'd have.
Chapter 5: Welcome to Hogwarts… Obliviate!
Harry sighed upon his return to the Leaky Cauldron. Looking back, he'd revealed abilities he really shouldn't have shown. Thankfully, Snape hadn't mentioned Harry's name in the fight, so maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't be spread. After all, Harry reasoned, I don't exactly look like the Harry Potter people are expecting, do I? Maybe they'll just think that I'm some random adult who Snape just happened to piss off?... I'm doomed. Not even junctioning something to my luck'll help there.
:It can't hurt,: Quetzalcoatl argued.
Good point. Go ahead.
:Done. Your Tornado is now junctioned to your luck stat.:
Thanks. He ran a hand through his long hair. "No use crying over spilled milk, I suppose," Harry muttered before pulling out one of his books. "Happy fucking birthday, Harry."
"Were you expecting presents or anything?" Seth asked.
"I suppose not," Harry replied after a moment. "I mean, no one here actually knows me."
"Then don't worry; you'll surely make some friends at this school. And we can return to Terra for Christmas if necessary."
Harry nodded and now focused on his reading. What was that shield that Snape used? That could come in useful.
:Indeed.:
Harry spent all of August reading and learning from his books. By far the best spell he'd mastered by September first was the Summoning Charm. It held great potential for offensive, defensive and non-combat purposes. He could summon something to block a curse, or he could summon an enemy's wand or limb. It was also conveniently only three syllables, which was on the shorter side of incantation length.
Directly after the Summoning Charm in usefulness was the Disarming Charm. It was one of the weaker dueling spells, but it would surely come in handy when Harry didn't want to reveal his true strength. Few people his age would have read that far, but it wasn't so terribly advanced as to reveal his strength.
Aside from studying, Harry learned more and more about the subtle art of pranks. He had one planned out for the first day of school. That's going to be a memorable day if it all goes well, Harry thought with a mischievous grin.
Finally, September first arrived. Harry had received an owl from Dumbledore with his ticket from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at the London Train Station. Harry asked Tom how to get there, and Tom suggested that Harry take a Muggle taxi to the train station.
Harry exchanged some of his money for British pounds, and then left into Muggle London. Remembering Tom's advice, he raised one hand over the street. "Taxi!" Luckily for Harry, one was passing just at that moment and pulled over for Harry, who quickly got in, putting Hedwig and her cage in the back. Harry had shrunk his trunk containing all his books and clothes and placed it in his Item Bag. His wand, he always carried with him. After all, Harry didn't want to take the chance that he'd burn himself out by trying to do protective magic wandlessly.
"The train station!" Harry ordered.
"Yes sir," the driver agreed and drove off, shaking off the feeling he got from looking into Harry's eyes; those eyes were old and dangerous.
After ten minutes, the driver pulled over next to the train station. Harry paid him, took out Hedwig, and grabbed a cart. Pulling it over to the shadows so he wouldn't be seen, Harry pulled out his shrunken trunk from his Item Bag. "Engorgio," he muttered until the trunk was its proper size again. Then he placed it on the cart, and placed Hedwig's cage on top of that.
Now to find Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, Harry thought to himself. There's Platform Nine… and there's Ten… so logically, Nine and Three-Quarters should be between them. Question is, how do I get to it? Harry checked the clock. It was ten-thirty. Half an hour till the train leaves.
Harry made his way to Platform Nine and sat down at a bench to think of his next plan of action. This place was full of Muggles, Harry could tell; this meant he couldn't use magic to find the Platform, according to the British Ministry of Magic's laws. Tom had told him the basic rules about magic in public so Harry wouldn't get in trouble.
It's got to be something simple, Harry continued, something that even eleven-year-olds can do without casting magic. After all, Muggleborns have to get through as well. It's also got to be inconspicuous, so as not to alert the Muggles. That means that it has to resemble what the crowd's doing at any given time so as to create an illusion of normalcy.
With that in mind, Harry looked around, but he couldn't see much; everyone was just shuffling about, making their way to their platforms. Quetzalcoatl decided to speak up. :That's it, you know. Something you'd overlook normally. Everyone's walking to their platforms.Quetzalcoatl emphasized the last part.
Harry's eyes widened in recognition. You're right! Walking, walking… to keep Muggles out, it's got to be walking through something… but what?
Thankfully for Harry, his sharp ears overheard a few words that a redheaded plump woman was telling to her equally-redheaded children. "… packed with Muggles of course. Now what's the platform number again?"
"Nine and Three-Quarters!" the small girl piped up. "Mom, can't I go…"
Harry smiled in relief. He began walking over to the redhead family.
"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet," the mother replied. "All right, Percy, you go first."
The oldest and tallest boy there nodded and marched towards the dividing barrier between platforms nine and ten. Harry watched intently, trying to watch Percy the entire time, just in case he needed to do something. But apparently Fate was out to equalize Harry's luck, because a large number of tourists blocked Harry's sight just as Percy reached the barrier.
Cursing softly, Harry watched as the twins – Fred and George, Harry gathered from Fred's playing with their mother – went next. But Harry still wasn't sure. With magic, anything was possible. For all Harry knew, he needed to be told before the magic would let him through.
"Um, ma'am?" he asked politely.
"Yes dear? First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new too." She indicated a thin, lanky redhead, tall for his age, with loads of freckles and large hands and feet. He'll be a clumsy one, for sure, Harry thought to himself.
"I was just wondering, how do I get onto the platform?" Harry asked.
"Not to worry. All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron."
Interesting, Harry thought to himself. The barrier depends on belief. It's simple, yet perfect for keeping out Muggles! Ingenious! He knew magic existed, and fully believed he could do it, so he took it at a jog. He had to admit, the barrier looked completely solid, and if he hadn't been told, he never would have guessed it was just an illusion. He sped up slightly, focusing his thoughts on how he knew he'd get through it. And if all else failed, he'd just use a portal or something.
He closed his eyes as he reached the barrier, only to open them a second later as he and the cart went through it. In front of him was an old-style train, with many people wearing robes. People were getting onto the train. Above him there was a sign that read Hogwarts Express, eleven o'clock.
Harry's ears were assaulted by sound. Owls were hooting to each other in a disgruntled fashion, the crowd was chattering, trunks were being scraped. Harry winced for a few seconds until he got used to it. He made his way to one of the empty compartments at the end of the train, and carried Hedwig in one hand and his trunk in the other as he entered the compartment.
Following him with mouths agape were the redheaded twins from before; they couldn't believe their eyes. Either the raven-haired kid already knew how to make his trunk feather-light, or he was so strong as to carry it in one hand normally. Fred and George glanced at each other, nodded, and ran after him, entering the compartment.
Harry raised an eyebrow at them. "Fred, George," he said companionably.
"How'd you know?" they chorused.
"Overheard Fred here tricking your mum."
"Ah," one of the twins – Harry's couldn't tell which – answered. "Why's your hair all long?"
"Like it that way," Harry replied. "When I keep it short, it's so messy that even a comb plus hot water doesn't make it neat."
The twins sniggered. "Hey, what's that?" Fred – or was it George? – asked suddenly, pointing at Harry's forehead.
"Blimey," said George – or was it Fred? "Are you -?"
"He is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?"
Harry was confused. He had the sinking feeling that the twins would be doing this to him all the time. "What?"
"Harry Potter," the twins insisted.
"Ah," Harry said slowly in understanding. "Yeah, that's me." The twins gawked at him for a few moments. Harry sighed. "Listen, I'm not going to demand any special attention or anything. I know that I'm the Boy-Who-Lived and all that, but please just treat me like I'm anybody else, ok? Don't judge me before you get to know me."
Before the twins could answer, a voice came floating in through the train's open door. "Fred? George? Are you there?"
"Coming, Mom." With a last look at Harry, the twins hopped off the train.
Harry leaned back into his seat, running a hand through his hair as he looked out the window. The redheaded family had met outside and the mother had just taken out her handkerchief. "Ron, you've got something on your nose." The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.
"Mom!" he whined. "Geroff!" He wriggled free.
"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said one of the twins – Harry still couldn't tell which.
"Shut up," said Ron.
"Where's Percy?" asked the mother.
"He's coming now."
The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Harry noticed a shiny silver badge on his chest with the letter P on it.
"Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves –"
"Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."
"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other. "Once…"
"Or twice…"
"A minute…"
"All summer…"
"Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect.
Harry sniggered; Percy seemed like the type to hold rules above all else, and was proud of it. He sat back against his chair for another minute or so until he heard one of the twins raise his voice. "Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"
Harry sighed, waiting for the inevitable.
"You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?"
"Who?"
"Harry Potter!"
Harry slapped one hand against his forehead in exasperation. He hadn't even made it to Hogwarts, and he was already being talked about by the students.
"Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see him, Mom, oh please…" the little girl's voice pleaded.
"You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo." Harry felt a rush of gratitude towards the friendly mother. "Is he really, Fred? How do you know?"
"Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there – like lightning."
Harry rolled his eyes. He didn't have any other scars, thanks to his Metamorphmagus abilities combined with his Curaga abilities. He'd tried healing that scar, getting rid of it permanently on his natural form, but even when he Metamorphed it away, he could sense the link anyway.
"Poor dear – no wonder he was alone, I wondered. He was ever so polite when he asked how to get onto the platform."
"Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"
Harry thought back to his age-old dreams of screaming a flashing green light that encompassed his entire vision. He remembered something more this time, however; a cold, high-pitched laugh that chilled his bones, and sent a shiver up his spine. Was that Voldemort?
"I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school."
"All right, keep your hair on."
A whistle sounded. "Hurry up!" their mother said, and the three boys clambered back onto the train.
Harry sat back against his seat, wondering if he'd make any real friends anytime soon. He wasn't certain, with his scar mucking up people's perceptions of him. With a lurch, the train began to move forward. Looking out the window, he saw Ginny half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she fell back and waved.
The train turned a cornet, and houses flashed by the window. Harry watched idly until he heard the door of the compartment slide open. Turning to look, he saw Ron, the youngest redhead, come in. "Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry. "Everywhere else is full."
Harry shook his head and waved Ron to sit down, who did so. Ron glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Harry suppressed a snort; he was SeeD! Of course he'd seen it.
The twins stepped in. "Hey, Ron. Listen, we're going down the middle of the train – Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."
"Right," mumbled Ron.
"Harry," said the other twin. "Did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then."
"Bye," said Harry and Ron. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them. Harry and Ron looked at each other in silence, and Ron was obviously dying to say something.
:3…2… 1…: Quetzalcoatl chanted.
"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted, right on cue.
Harry had to struggle not to burst out laughing, so he merely nodded.
"Oh – well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," explained Ron. "And have you really got – you know…" He answered his own question when he saw the scar for himself; Harry's hair was pulled back in a ponytail, so the scar was out in the open. "So that's where You-Know-Who…"
"Yes," Harry answered with a sigh. "But I'd rather not think about it. I'm more than my scar."
:Much more,: Quetzalcoatl agreed.
"Oh," Ron said, slightly taken aback. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out the window again.
"Are all your family wizards and witches?" asked Harry.
"Er – yes, I think so," Ron said. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."
"So you must know loads of magic already," Harry concluded.
"I heard you went and disappeared for a few years after living with some Muggles," said Ron. "What happened?"
Now it was Harry's turn to look away. "I ran away from the Muggles when I was five," he whispered. "My family was horrible. Not all Muggles are, I'm certain, just them. And then… I'd rather not talk about what happened afterwards. It's hard to be a five-year-old on the streets. That's all I'm going to say." Not exactly a lie, but not the truth either. He decided to change the subject. "So, just how many brothers do you have?"
"Five," said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left – Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat.
"Rat? Did someone say rat?" Seth hissed from the tattoo on Harry's arm.
"What was that?" Ron asked slowly.
"What?" Harry asked, feigning confusion.
"Never mind," Ron said, shaking his head as he pulled out his rat. It was fat, gray and asleep. "His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff – I mean I got Scabbers instead." Ron's ears went pink, and he went back to staring out the window.
"Don't worry about it, Ron," Harry said simply. "There's nothing wrong with not having as much money as others."
"Something's strange about that rat," Seth told Harry from his place on Harry's arm. "The rat's smell is strange, human and rat."
Harry frowned, but he couldn't reply to Seth without giving away his talent. One of his talks with Tom had been subtle queries about his powers without telling him that Harry possessed them. Apparently Parselmouths were exceedingly rare, and they were considered evil because Voldemort was one. How stupid, Harry thought to himself. Why judge a person by their abilities? Metamorphmagi were not as rare, but still very uncommon. Animagi were rare as well, but mostly because of the difficulty of becoming one, in addition to the necessity of registering once one's achieved it.
However, Ron had heard the hissing again. "There's a snake in here!" he said in a panic-stricken voice, putting Scabbers back in his pocket and standing on his chair.
"You're right, there is," Harry agreed. "Come on out, Seth." Harry released the Metamorphic power holding Seth as a tattoo, and Seth slithered out of Harry's shirt, coiling around Harry's arm. "Don't worry, Ron. He won't attack except on my order."
"What are you doing with a snake?" Ron demanded, almost hysterical.
"Seth is a friend of mine. He's helped me survive over the years," Harry said gently, trying to coax Ron into calming down. "Don't worry, he won't attack you or Scabbers." He looked pointedly at Seth, who nodded his scaly head. "See?"
Ron hesitantly sat back down, staring at Seth. Everyone was quiet for a time, and Seth fell asleep on Harry's warm arm.
Around half past noon, there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door. "Anything off the cart, dears?"
Harry smiled and nodded, but Ron's ears went pink again as he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Harry had some difficulty getting Seth off him, but he finally managed it, and went out into the corridor and examined the sweets. Deciding that he deserved a bit of sweets and some fun in his life, he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven Sickles and seven Knuts. Harry brought it all back into the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat as Ron stared.
"Hungry, are you?"
"Yeah," Harry agreed right before taking a large bite out of a Pumpkin Pasty.
Ron made a face as he unwrapped a lumpy package that was apparently his lunch; there were four corned beef sandwiches. "She always forgets I don't like corned beef."
Harry took pity on Ron; it wasn't his fault that his family was poor. "Swap you for one of these," Harry offered, holding up a pasty.
"You don't want this, it's all dry," Ron said. "She hasn't got much time, you know, with five of us."
"Go on, have a pasty," Harry insisted. A few minutes later, Harry was smiling as he and Ron ate their way through all Harry's food.
Harry blinked as he held up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "What are these? Are they really frogs?"
"Nah," Ron denied. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa."
"What?" Harry asked, confused. What did this Chocolate Frog have to do with cards?
"Oh, of course, you wouldn't know – Chocolate Frogs have cards inside them, you know, to collect – famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."
Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It was a man he recognized: Dumbledore. He looked at the back and read: Currently Headmaster of Hogwarts. Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.
Harry turned the card back over and saw to his astonishment that Dumbledore's face had disappeared. "He's gone!"
"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," Ron said simply. "He'll be back." He unwrapped another Chocolate Frog. "No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her… do you want it? You can start collecting."
"Sure, why not?" Harry accepted the card and put it in his Item Bag along with the Dumbledore card. After several minutes of eating the Chocolate Frogs and collecting the various cards, Harry opened a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.
"You want to be careful with those," Ron warned. "When they say every flavor, they mean every flavor. You get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint, but you also get the spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he got a booger-flavored one once." Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner. "Urgh… see? Sprouts."
Harry quite enjoyed the beans and their mystery flavors, but soon enough he and Ron were full, and there were still some candies left. There was a knock on the door of their compartment and a round-faced boy came in, looking tearful.
"Sorry, but have you seen a toad at all?" When Harry and Ron shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"
Harry stood up. "I've got an idea. What's your toad's name?"
"Trevor."
Harry raised his left hand, holding his wand. "Accio Trevor!"
A moment later, a toad flew through the air and into Harry's spare hand. "Here you go," he told the boy, handing him his toad. "Why don't you sit down with us? We've got plenty of food here," he said, indicating the spare seat with some candies still left.
"OK," he agreed hesitantly, sitting down and taking one of the Cauldron Cakes. "Thanks."
"No problem. What's your name?"
"Neville Longbottom."
"Ron Weasley, nice to meet you."
"Harry Potter, same here."
"You're Harry Potter?" Neville whispered.
"Oh, not again," Harry moaned. "Listen, I'm just a normal guy, ok? Ignore the fame; I hate it and would do anything to get rid of it."
The compartment door slid open again. This time it was a bushy-haired girl dressed in her new Hogwarts robes. She spotted Neville with his toad. "Ah, Neville, you found it!"
"Yeah, it was Harry here who got it for me."
Hermione saw Ron take out his wand to inspect it. "Oh, are you doing magic?"
"No," Ron said hurriedly. "Haven't learned any yet."
"Is that so? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard – I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough – I'm Hermione Granger by the way, who are you?" She said all this very fast.
"Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.
"Harry Potter."
"Are you really?" Hermione took a deep breath, obviously about to get going again, but Harry decided to cut her off.
"Yes, I am. And please don't mention any books that I'm in; I wasn't interviewed for any of them, and I rather doubt that any of the authors were actually there when Voldemort killed my parents, so they couldn't know much. It's just speculation."
Hermione looked very disgruntled at that. "What house will you be in?"
"Dunno," Harry replied.
"I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad… Anyway, you two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."
"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron.
Harry frowned. "What's wrong with her?" he demanded.
"She's a know-it-all," Ron said as if that explained everything.
"There's nothing wrong with that," Harry argued. "I'll have you know that I'm a know-it-all too! I must've spent a third of my life in a library!"
"Don't tell me you want to be in the same house as her!" Ron exclaimed.
"I wouldn't mind it one bit!" Harry shot back. "But I'm getting the feeling that you and I won't get along even if we are sorted in the same house! I won't stand for your discriminations!"
"I'm getting the same feeling!" Ron yelled. "I should have known when you showed your snake! You're going to be a slimy Slytherin!"
Neville was watching as the two yelled at each other. He shifted over into the corner, hoping to avoid being drawn in.
"There's nothing wrong with Slytherin! They're cunning and intelligent!" Harry said coldly.
"Slytherins are evil! Look how many served You-Know-Who!"
"And just how much was that influenced by the other houses bullying them into it?" Harry demanded. "They took the only opportunity available to them to be equal to everyone else!"
"Why should Slytherins be equal to everyone else?" Ron countered. "They're evil, slimy gits who get around the rules and blackmail people!"
Harry was getting nowhere with Ron, and he knew it. It wasn't worth it to keep arguing; Ron had apparently been indoctrinated to believe that Slytherins were inherently evil. Only first-hand experience and glaringly obvious facts might change his mind. "Well, in that case, until you learn to be more tolerant of those different from you, you don't have the right to call me by my first name, Weasley."
"Why should I know you by your first name, Potter?" Ron sneered. "After all, you're a sickeningly slimy Slytherin!"
Harry replied. "But since we have to peacefully coexist for the moment, how about we both just ignore the other for the remainder of the trip?"
"What?" Ron asked, confused.
"Just shut up and I'll do the same," Harry said with a sigh.
Neville almost sighed in relief, but stayed close to the corner. He had to admit, Harry had a few good points, but Neville was afraid of getting involved. About a minute later, Neville was grateful for his decision to stay out of the way as the compartment door slid open yet again, this time showing three students.
"Draco Malfoy," Harry greeted. "Think much about what we were talking about in Madame Malkin's? And who're your companions?"
Draco shrugged. "This is Vincent Crabbe, and this is Gregory Goyle. I will admit you had me going for a bit, but a talk with father helped set me straight. I will be a Slytherin, mark my words!"
"You've already talked with Malfoy!" Ron yelled. "I knew it! I knew you were a Slytherin from the start!"
Draco raised an eyebrow at Harry. "Indeed? Then at least I will have some intelligent conversation. Crabbe and Goyle here are good for the leg work, but they don't have much in the brains department, I'm afraid."
"If I end up in Slytherin, I think I'll take you up on that," Harry said slowly.
"You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Harry Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."
Any form of respect Harry had for the young Malfoy evaporated in an instant. "You know, you're sounding exactly like Weasley did a few minutes ago. Thought he was better than you and all Slytherins, just because he's certain he won't be one."
Draco and Ron looked at each other in shock and disbelief. "I sound nothing like him!" they yelled together, then looked at each other again with jaws dropped.
"See what I mean?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow. "Discriminatory bastards, the both of you. I want nothing to do with either of you."
Draco didn't go as red as Ron did then, but a pink tinge did appear in his pale cheeks. "I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents."
"Is that a threat?" Harry asked with a dangerous glint in his eyes, standing up. "Trust me, you don't want me as your enemy. I can and will make your life hell."
"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.
"Only if you make me," Harry warned, pulling out his wand. "But if you start it, I sure as hell will finish it. And there won't be enough left of you to cremate when I'm through. So back off, or face the consequences."
"What can you do?" Malfoy said condescendingly.
Harry's eyes narrowed. "Expelliarmus!" he spat, throwing his considerable power and will into the simple Disarming Charm.
The spell slammed into Malfoy with the force of a two-ton hammer, who went flying backwards into Crabbe and Goyle, and the three of them slammed into the corridor wall, Malfoy's wand flying through the air until Harry caught it in his right hand.
That spell is not supposed to be that powerful, Harry thought in wonder, looking at his wand.
:I told you that you're more powerful than most.:
"Give me my wand!" Malfoy demanded.
Harry glanced at Malfoy's wand, which he still held in his right hand. He tossed it back at Malfoy's feet. "That was only a taste of my power. Do not tempt me." Malfoy snatched up his wand, and seconds later he, Crabbe and Goyle disappeared down the corridor.
Harry sat back down, and Ron inched away from him, afraid of his raw power. A few seconds later, Hermione Granger came in. She glanced at Harry's mask of calm and Ron's genuine face of barely suppressed fear and jealousy. "What has been going on?"
Harry and Ron glanced at each other, one piercingly, the other fearfully. Ron swallowed hard and licked his lips. "Nothing," he said in a slightly higher tone than normal.
Hermione was a very observant witch, however, and saw the exchange. "Don't lie to me. What's going on?"
Harry looked at Hermione. "Oh, not much. Weasley here merely showed me how much discrimination he has, and I broke off any semblance of friendship we had. Draco Malfoy showed up and proved that he, too, has too much bigotry for my taste, so I refused his friendship and used the Disarming Charm on him when he threatened me. I hope that after the Sorting's over you and I can become friends."
Hermione turned to Neville, who was hiding in the corner as best he could. "That true, Neville?" she asked kindly.
Neville looked between Harry and Ron before nodding slowly. "Is Expelliarmus the Disarming Charm?" he asked Harry timidly.
Harry nodded. "Pretty simple spell, but when you overcharge it, you get results like what happened to Malfoy. Normally it's just supposed to knock them back a little and make their wand fly through the air. Not send them flying."
Hermione gasped. "You're going to get in trouble before school even starts!"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Don't worry about it. We're probably not going to be in the same house anyway, and trust me, Malfoy's not about to go telling anyone of his defeat. Now, would you mind stepping out so we can change into our robes?"
"Fine," Hermione huffed, and left the compartment.
Ron and Harry looked at each other and silently agreed to a cease-fire until they reached Hogwarts. Neville silently sighed in relief. Five minutes later, all three were dressed in their Hogwarts robes. The train stopped not long later, and they got off the train.
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" an absolute giant of a man called out. He was at least seven feet tall, with broad shoulders and a crossbow on his arm. Scan! Harry mentally commanded.
Rubeus Hagrid – Half-giant, half-man
Keeper of the Keys of Hogwarts
Height: 7 feet, 4 inches
Weight: 480 pounds
Weapon of Choice: Crossbow
Preferring to be called by his last name, Hagrid attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a child, but was expelled in his third year for reasons unknown. His wand was snapped, but the pieces remain in his umbrella, which Hagrid uses discretely in his duties as gamekeeper.
Hagrid is familiar with many of the creatures in the Forbidden Forest, the forest near Hogwarts, including the Acromantula and centaur populations. Fiercely loyal to those who earn his trust, Hagrid is, despite his giant heritage, harmless to all unless his temper is ignited.
Consequences of Giant Blood:
Highly resistant to offensive magic
Affinity for dangerous animals (magical and nonmagical)
Threat Level: 27
Interesting, Harry thought with a raised eyebrow as he walked over to Hagrid, who gathered everyone to follow him down a steep, narrow, dark path. Seems like a decent guy, and a good ally to have. Harry watched silently as the rest of the students clambered into carriages pulled by a strange breed of horses with wings, except these horses were highly emaciated, looking almost like the undead. Then, noticing that if he didn't follow now, he'd be left behind, Harry hurried after the other first years.
There was little talking as they followed the half-giant through the trees. "Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid said as they turned the bend.
There was a loud murmuring of "Ooooooh!" Even Harry was impressed; on top of a high mountain on the other side of a large black lake, Hogwarts was a magnificent castle, its windows sparkling in its many turrets and towers. What was even more impressive was the sense that Harry got of the immense amount of magic Hogwarts had at its disposal.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called out. Harry got into one of the last boats, and was joined a few moments later by Hermione, Neville, and someone he didn't recognize. Ron had apparently chosen to sit with a few other people.
"Righ' then," Hagrid said after they were all in. "FORWARD!" The little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was seemingly as smooth as glass. No one spoke; everyone, even Harry, was entranced by the sight of Hogwarts as they approached.
"Heads down!" Hagrid yelled as the first boats reached the cliff. Everyone ducked dutifully, and the boats took them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff. Going down a long dark tunnel, the boats eventually reached a kind of underground harbor, where everyone got out.
"Neville!" Harry called to him as he noticed that Neville had forgotten his toad. "You forgot Trevor."
Neville's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Harry," he said quietly as he took the toad. Hagrid checked the boats, and then led them up a passageway in the rock until the students came out onto grass right in the shadows of Hogwarts. Hagrid knocked on the castle door three times, and it swung open at once, revealing a tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes wearing a very stern face.
Harry raised an eyebrow; she gave off an impression that she was not to be crossed or else dire punishments would then ensue. To most students that would be more than enough reason not to break the rules, but to Harry, it merely meant a challenge. But, Harry reasoned, it might be wise to Scan her first. Scan!
Minerva McGonagall
Head of Gryffindor House at Hogwarts
Transfiguration Professor
Strict but fair is the code by which McGonagall teaches. Striving to maintain the balance of rooting for her house in the inter-house rivalries while not being completely biased against the other houses, McGonagall's presence demands respect. A master of transfiguration, McGonagall's loyalty resides predominantly in Headmaster Dumbledore.
McGonagall, while she maintains a strict exterior, hides a more sensitive side that she rarely lets out. Caring deeply for her students, she acts as a surrogate mother to anyone in Gryffindor House, and even some outside of it. She is always willing to provide a second opinion, and is respected by all the teachers, even the Head of Slytherin House, Severus Snape.
Special Abilities/Talents:
Expert Cat Animagus – has fully incorporated the cat within, resulting in better hearing, sight and balance, as well as some additional catlike tendencies.
Threat Level: 32
Harry blinked in astonishment. Thirty-two was a high level for anyone not trained by SeeD. She would be a dangerous foe, and, according the magic theory that he'd read, she'd be gaining magical strength as she grew older. Harry judged McGonagall to be approximately fifty years old, perhaps a decade or two older if the magic had slowed her aging. Wizards and witches commonly lived about a century and half, which meant that she was going to be very impressive.
In his musings, Harry had completely missed the short exchange between Hagrid and McGonagall. He came to his senses as she opened the door wide and led the first years into the entrance hall, which was itself quite impressive. She showed them into a small, empty chamber off the hall near a doorway on the right through which hundreds of voices could be heard.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," began McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into you houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room." She went on to describe the point system at Hogwarts, and then suggested that everyone smarten themselves up as best they could before the Sorting. "I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly."
Harry was the absolute picture of quiet confidence, and the people crowded near him felt themselves calming down. Even Hermione, who was jabbering quietly about all the spells she learned, fell silent and her nervousness slowly abated.
Then, right as everyone was quiet, waiting for their turn, over a dozen ghosts streamed out through a side wall, and a few people screamed. Harry clenched and unclenched his fists, ready for a battle… though what he would be able to do against the slightly transparent, pearly-white ghosts, he hadn't a clue. Glad I have some Holy spells right about now.
Thankfully for Harry's nerves, the ghosts seemed to be arguing amongst themselves, not even looking at the first years. A stout monk was speaking when they went through. "Forgive and forget, I say. We ought to give him a second chance…"
"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost – I say, what are you all doing here?"
A ghost wearing a ruff, tights, and a spectral sword by his side, had suddenly noticed the first years. Feeling particularly brave at the moment, Harry spoke up. "We're the first years waiting for the Sorting."
"Ah, then welcome to Hogwarts!" the Friar said in a jolly tone. "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! I'm the Hufflepuff House Ghost."
McGonagall walked in and noticed the ghosts. "Move along now. The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." The ghosts floated away through another wall. "Now, form a line, and follow me."
Harry somehow ended up in the lead; the other students almost seemed to view him as their leader, with the exception of a certain redhead and blond who quietly got in line under McGonagall's gaze. Then she led the new students out of the chamber and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.
Harry looked around with the other first years, but his gaze wasn't solely focused on the extraordinary. There were four parallel tables of children of various ages, obviously the ones who had already been Sorted into their houses. A brief glance at a few of the visible badges allowed Harry to discern which table meant which house. At the opposite end of the giant hall, another table was filled with the teachers, Hagrid included. Above them all, hundreds of candles floated below a ceiling, which had been enchanted to appear as the sky.
Harry's attention snapped onto McGonagall as she silently placed a stool in front of the first years, and then put an old, dirty, frayed, pointed wizard's hat on it. A quick glance around the hall proved to Harry that everyone was staring at the hat.
Suddenly, the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide, almost resembling a mouth, and the hat began to – of all things – sing. When it was done with the song, Harry's jaw was hanging slack before he realized what he was doing and snapped it shut. OK, I've seen a great many strange things in my life, but I think this tops it all.
:I concur.:
The hall slowly stopped clapping, and Harry heard Ron mutter, "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."
Professor McGonagall stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted. Abbot, Hannah!"
A pink-faced girl with blond pigtails slowly got out of line, put on the hat and sat down. After a moment, the hat shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
The Hufflepuff table cheered and clapped as Hannah joined them, and did so again as "Bones, Susan" was also sorted into Hufflepuff. Harry watched carefully, making sure he got their names. Hermione went to Gryffindor after a few seconds under the hat. Neville took almost a full minute for the hat to decide, but became a Gryffindor. Draco Malfoy was Sorted into Slytherin less than a second after the hat touched his head.
Finally, it was Harry's turn. "Potter, Harry!"
Harry walked forward gracefully, sat on the stool and put on the hat. The instant he had, he felt a pressure on his Occlumency shields. Harry, suspicious as ever, reinforced them immediately. "You have to lower your Occlumency for me to sort you," a small voice in his ear murmured. "How am I supposed to sort you by personality if I cannot see it?"
Harry forced one thought through for the hat to see: If I ever find that you tell what you discover in my head, trust me, you will be nothing more than ashes on the wind.
"Of course, I was sworn to secrecy by Godric Gryffindor himself."
Hesitantly, Harry allowed his shields to fall. "You've led quite an interesting life, Harry. But, on with the Sorting." The hat dug deeper. "Difficult, very difficult. You've got plenty of courage, and what's this? A deep thirst for knowledge. Oh goodness, the loyalty you have for your friends! And you have a strong ambition to be the strongest to protect them. Never in my long life have I had a more difficult person to sort. You're quite well-rounded. You would do well in any house. Good grief, you have the spirit of Hufflepuff, the heart of Gryffindor, the brains of Ravenclaw, and the mind of Slytherin! What to do with you…"
More than a minute had passed as the hat tried to decide. "You dislike the bigotry on both sides of the Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry, and want to change it by ending the hostilities between them. A noble goal to be sure, but unlike the Gryffindors, you see magic as neither Light nor Dark, only Neutral." A few more seconds. "I cannot decide. You must choose between Slytherin and Gryffindor."
A voice from the outside interrupted. "Perhaps he doesn't have enough magic?" Malfoy's voice proposed.
The hat stiffened angrily. "I'll have you know, Draco Malfoy, that this one would have had the Four Founders themselves squabbling over who would get him! You would do well to learn a few things from Mr. Potter here!"
A few murmurs, but Harry ignored them. Harry tossed each idea over in his head. Well, with Slytherin's gift, Parseltongue, and my natural sneakiness with Metamorph powers, my talents seem to indicate a need for Slytherin. But then again, as a Slytherin, how am I supposed to make my ideas heard amongst everyone? The prejudice against Slytherin is enormous. Harry's eyes widened, not that anyone could see, as the hat still covered them. Which would make it all the more effective when I finally do get through to the idiots that Slytherin does not mean evil. Fine, hat, I choose Slytherin!
"May the Founders forgive me for putting Gryffindor's heart in Slytherin… SLYTHERIN!"
Absolute silence reigned as Harry took off the hat. All eyes followed Harry as he marched resolutely down to the Slytherin table. Harry observed the reactions. The Gryffindors looked completely betrayed. The Hufflepuffs looked scared, the Ravenclaws looked curious, but the Slytherins appeared of mixed reactions. Some looked pleased – mostly the older years – while others looked absolutely murderous.
Harry sat down and glanced at the teachers. McGonagall had a slightly slack jaw. Hagrid looked dumbfounded, Dumbledore was in shock, a short man that Harry didn't know the name to looked on with a raised eyebrow, a plump stout woman who Harry guessed was Hufflepuff's Head of House looked visibly nervous, while Snape looked as if he'd eaten raw meat of a T-rexaur with Tabasco sauce applied liberally. In short, he looked angry enough to breathe fire like a dragon.
After a few seconds, McGonagall recovered enough to continue the list. "Thomas, Dean!"
Harry ignored the other Sortings for the moment in order to properly assess his new housemates. Most of the Slytherins in his year appeared to be glaring at him, as did some of older students. Wish I knew some good wards about now… probably going to need them tonight.
:Sounds like a trip to the library is in order.:
The feast soon finished, and Dumbledore stood once more. The hall fell silent. "Ahem – just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered" – Harry snorted; What does he think we are, plants? – "I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all people, hence the name Forbidden Forest. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that was well." Dumbledore's twinkling eyes fell on the Weasley twins. "I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And Finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."
Harry raised an eyebrow. What's he guarding in there? And why not simply ward it so no one can get in? What are you planning, Dumbledore?
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore.
Harry's eyes bugged. "Sing? I don't sing," he muttered.
Dumbledore flicked his wand, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself into words. "Everyone pick their favorite tune, and off we go!"
Harry barely resisted the urge to cover his ears as the cacophony of sound assaulted his poor eardrums. Quetzalcoatl was wailing in his head, begging for the torture to stop. Harry, personally, agreed with him.
"Ah, music," Dumbledore said as the Weasley Twins finished their funeral-march-style singing. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"
Harry and the other first years were led to the Slytherin Common Room in the dungeons by Flint. The Common Room was apparently hidden behind a stretch of bare, damp stone wall. "I'm only gonna tell you the password once: it's Parseltongue."
Harry's sharp eyes noticed a small snake carving directly in the center of the wall that opened. He stored it for future reference, just in case he needed the knowledge. The common room itself was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls. The ceiling, also rough, provided round, greenish lamps hanging on chains. There was an elaborate mantelpiece that served as the fireplace. "This is our common room," Flint said simply, marching the first year boys through it past some wooden doors that had green and silver names on them. Soon, they reached the door that simply said "First Years."
Flint opened it. "This is your dorm. Do not wake up any of the older years, or they will come and it will not be pleasant. If you must stay awake and fight, do so quietly, or learn the Silencing Charm first. Here's the first rule of Slytherin: even if we have internal conflicts here, on the outside, we stick together. It's us against everyone else, and we only have Professor Snape rooting for us. I don't care if you're pureblood, halfblood or, Salazar save us, mudblood, we show no weakness outside of the common room. The other houses will take advantage if they see any weakness to exploit, so do not hesitate to do the same to them. Got it?" Everyone nodded. "Good. Second rule of Slytherin: the one in power makes the rules. Magical power, political power, it don't matter. Power equals respect. Third rule of Slytherin: be on your guard with the Headmaster. If you don't know Occlumency, don't look him in the eye. He can read your thoughts, but he has to look you in the eye first. Do not eat, drink or even touch anything that he offers you. It is most likely laced with one potion or another, especially those lemon drops of his. As long as you remember these three rules, you should be fine." Flint turned to leave, but then looked over his shoulder. "One more thing. Betrayal of the house will be punished by all of the Slytherins. Period." He left.
Harry looked around. He, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini were the six Slytherin boys this year. The girls, he remembered, were Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode, and Daphne Greengrass.
Malfoy decided he would assert himself in the leadership position by stepping to the bed closest to the door and declaring, "This is my bed. Crabbe, Goyle, you get those beds over there" – he pointed at the one across from him, and one next to his; Harry could easily see why; he was relying on them to be his bodyguards – "Zabini, you get that one, Nott, your bed's over there, and Potter, you've got the one farthest from the door."
Malfoy looked at Zabini and Nott, who shrugged, and then the two of them looked at Harry to see if he would challenge the arrangements. Harry considered arguing with Malfoy for a couple of tense moments, but decided to choose his battles; he would wait until he could be reasonably protected at night before angering the pureblood. "Whatever."
Malfoy smirked, apparently satisfied that he had effectively established who was top dog. "Now, let's get some sleep; we'll need it tomorrow morning for classes." Harry and Blaise dragged their trunks – they were in the middle of the dorm – to their appropriate beds, while Crabbe and Goyle not only did theirs, but Malfoy's as well.
Harry closed his curtains and undressed, bringing Seth out from his tattoo state. Casting a quiet Silencio on the curtains to block out sound, he turned to face his serpent companion. "Seth, my friend, I have a very important favor to ask. While I sleep, I need you to guard me and my belongings. I cannot trust anyone but you here."
Seth looked at Harry curiously. "Can you not sleep anywhere else?"
"I'm afraid I must sleep here, Seth. To do otherwise would draw attention. I know I hold power over you as a snake-speaker, but I will not force this upon you if you do not want it," Harry told his beloved snake.
"I understand, Harry. I shall guard you while you sleep."
"Thank you."
With that, Harry allowed himself to sleep, setting his mental clock to wake him at five o'clock; after all, he needed to do his exercise, and he rather doubted that any of the purebloods would be awake so early. He'd seen how the wealthy lived, and they were rather lazy.
Like clockwork, at five o'clock Harry awoke with a clear head, alert and ready for almost anything. Throwing his sixth sense out to verify that all was well, Harry got up and quickly dressed in his Gravija-enchanted clothes. "Seth, go ahead and sleep now."
Seth gratefully wrapped around the arm Harry offered. "Please use your ability to make me part of your skin; it is so much warmer and I rest easy that way."
Harry acquiesced and Metamorphed Seth into the usual snake tattoo. With that, Harry quietly crept past the loudly-snoring pair of Crabbe and Goyle, past the peaceful-looking Malfoy, and into the common room. To his mild surprise, there were a couple of people at the fireplace, merely watching it without talking.
Ignoring them, Harry exited the common room and walked confidently through the castle until he reached the door to the outside, which he opened as quietly as he could and slipped through.
"Ah," Harry sighed as he relaxed, feeling the cool mountain air caressing him. Quetzalcoatl, take off all junctions, please.
:Done.:
Harry stretched for a few minutes, making sure he wouldn't cramp up – that was really painful, Harry knew from experience. Then he took off and started running around the lake. It was very large, so it took Harry a few minutes to complete a circuit. He ran around the lake five times as a warm up, but threw himself to the ground and began his pushups. "Slow!" Harry cast on himself, which made this much harder; his movements were much slower, but the strain on his muscles to move faster helped him grow stronger and faster. When his arms couldn't take it anymore, he flipped onto his back and did his sit-ups. By then, the Slow spell had worn off, so Harry practiced his tumbles, and then he drew his gunblade and began an advanced kata to keep himself familiar in its use.
When Harry was done, he glanced at his watch; it was almost six-thirty. Breakfast began at seven-thirty, so Harry stripped off his shirt and wand holster and gracefully dove into the lake. It was refreshingly cold, and Harry grinned as he swam in the lake to cool down from his exercise. After ten minutes, Harry returned to the shore. The sun had risen during his morning exercise, and Harry's muscular body gleamed as the water dripped off it. Taking his wand, Harry muttered a Drying Charm on himself. Then he pulled his shirt back on and pulled on two scrunchies for his long hair, pulling it into his standard ponytail. With that, Harry jogged back to the castle.
Little did he know that he had had an audience during his exercises. Several Gryffindors were rushing through their homework – they had forgotten to do it over the holidays – and some Ravenclaws were adding finishing touches to them. As it so happened, both common rooms had a great view of the lake and Forbidden Forest, so they had seen a boy with long, black hair go running around the lake and exercise. They couldn't make out the boy's features, but the exercise had looked quite impressive, especially when he took out what looked like a sword. When he started walking in, the girls and guys, their homework forgotten, snatched up their homework and ran as quickly as they could to the Great Hall for breakfast.
Harry got a strange, ominous feeling that he had felt before in Balamb Garden. Trying to pin what exactly it meant, his eyes widened. No… it can't be… I only just showed up! Don't let it be… Harry took a quick peek from one of the Great Hall doors and saw dozens of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws rushing down. …fangirls!
:RUN!: Quetzalcoatl urged. :RUN FOR YOUR LIFE AND DIGNITY!:
I have a better idea! They don't like Slytherin, right? Let me just sit at Slytherin table.
:If you're sure…: Quetzalcoatl said hesitantly.
Harry rushed over to the Slytherin table, and with a frown of concentration changed his workout clothes into the Hogwarts uniform. The girls – and a few guys, Harry noticed with a shiver – came in eagerly and looked around. Then, they realized to their horror that the only long dark-haired person there was in the hall was Harry Potter, the subject of the Slytherin scandal.
One Ravenclaw, an Asian by the looks of it, spoke up. "That can't be him; the guy on the grounds had a sword, and was dressed differently. Potter's in his school uniform."
"Yeah," the girls agreed instantly. "We may as well eat while we're here."
Harry gave a quiet sigh of relief, and began eating. At eight o'clock, Severus Snape entered the Great Hall, his robes billowing out behind him as usual. By then, all the Slytherins had shown up, so he passed out their schedules. He almost skipped Harry entirely on purpose, but Harry stopped him from succeeding by asking him directly for his schedule. Insolent brat! Snape practically shoved the schedule on him. "Potter, the Headmaster requests your presence."
Harry was sorely tempted to put the greasy git's hair on fire, to see how long the oily hair would keep lit, but fought down the urge. Instead, he nodded and looked at his schedule, quickly memorizing it; he didn't trust his housemates not to burn the schedule and accuse him of losing it. Then he got up and followed Snape out of the Great Hall, ignoring the sudden whispers in his direction.
Snape led Harry to a gargoyle. "Sugar Imps." The gargoyle jumped aside and the wall behind it rotated, revealing a large winding staircase. Harry went up with Snape, who was steadfastly ignoring him. Snape knocked on the door.
"Come in, Severus, Harry."
Snape practically dragged Harry inside. Seated at his desk was Dumbledore. "Please, Harry, have a seat."
Harry approached the seat and thought hard on the magic he wanted. Dispell! He sat on the chair and was relieved to not feel anything change. It was a comfy chair, though.
Dumbledore lifted up a basket of lemon drops. "Lemon drop?"
"No, thank you," Harry said politely. "May I ask the reason of this visit?"
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at him. "It has come to my attention that you and Professor Snape do not coexist well, given the fight you had when he came to help you pick up your supplies."
Harry blinked slowly, waiting for Dumbledore to get to the point.
After a pause, Dumbledore continued. "Given the hostilities between the two of you, I offer a solution. How would you like to join Gryffindor House?"
Harry was surprised at the offer. "Do you make this offer often?"
"No, but you have special circumstances. You are the Boy-Who-Lived, and several of Voldemort's supporters reside in Slytherin, while none, to the best of my knowledge, are in Gryffindor at the moment. In Slytherin, you will likely suffer assassination attempts, while in Gryffindor, you can make many friends and avoid the discrimination of Slytherin. Do you want to switch?"
If I was really eleven years old, that would convince me, Harry had to admit to himself. But I have a goal: to bring Slytherin back to its former glory! To quit now would be selfish, which is completely against Gryffindor ways. "No."
"Are you sure? Here, have a lemon drop while you decide. I insist."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "I don't need to think about it any longer than I already have. I choose to stay in Slytherin."
Dumbledore frowned. "Then at least take a lemon drop as you go to class."
Harry's trust in the Headmaster was sinking like a stone. "No, thank you. I already had breakfast."
Dumbledore gave a forced smile. "Very well. Go on to class."
Harry nodded and turned to leave. Suddenly his sixth sense screamed at him, joined by Quetzalcoatl. There was imminent danger right beside him! Harry tried to jump back, but the spell was already on its way. Then, he knew nothing.
Dumbledore stood over the boy that his loyal Potions Master had Stunned. "Thank you, Severus. Now, leave me with the boy; I have some memories to modify."
Snape smirked, nodded, and left. I may not be able to transfer houses without willing participation, Dumbledore thought in frustration, but at least I can erase his years away, and make him believe that the Dursleys took care of him for all those years. "Obliviate!"
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Before you all kill me, I point back up to the top of the chapter. You'll see the results of the Obliviation next chapter. Aside from that, hope you enjoyed it. Read and Review, please! Oh, and I'm NOT going to update again until I get a decent amount of reviews. Reason why I'm doing this is because I have to focus on my studies for the moment. Sorry, but if I get a few dozen reviews, I'll post again. Until then!