The trip to Hogwarts was nothing special this year. Any excitement that Severus had about returning to the castle he called home for ten months of the year had faded immediately at seeing Lily talking amicably with James Potter of all people as everyone started loading onto the platform. Was she really picking Potter over him? Well, he shouldn't be surprised. He did call her that, and hadn't she smiled during the trousers incident when Potter was flirting with her?

Damn it all. He didn't think he could stomach having to see those two being all friendly for the next two years.

"Snape! Earth to Snape!"

"What?" he hissed to the boy trying to get his attention.

"You've not been paying attention at all the train ride," Mulciber said. "What's got your wand in a knot?"

"Drop it, Mulciber."

"Fine."

"Grouch," he heard Avery grumble.

"I hope you're not just realising this," he said with a snort. "Have you ever known me to suffer dunderheads lightly?"

"OI!"

"Did I mention names?" he deadpanned with a quirked eyebrow.

Mulciber snickered. "There's the Snape we've come to know."

He rolled his eyes.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I am going to throw on my school robes," Avery said. "We should be arriving soon."

He glanced outside, taking in the Scottish countryside through the train window. "Agreed. Not long now."

The other two boys quickly through on their school uniforms, Severus having taken, as usual, the first opportunity to do so. He hated his muggle clothes, and once on the train, it was one of the first things he did. Every single time.

Sure enough, it didn't take more than ten minutes before they all arrived at Hogsmeade station.

After getting off the express they all took the same carriage up to the castle, and before they knew it they were sitting down and the Start-of-term Feast starting.

The Great Hall looked like its usual splendid self. Decorated for the start-of-term feast, Golden plates and goblets gleamed by the light of hundreds and hundreds of candles, floating over the tables in mid-air. The four long house tables were packed with chattering students; at the top of the Hall, the staff sat along one side of a fifth table, facing their pupils.

Having finally taken a seat at the centre of the Slytherin table, Severus watched as the doors of the Great Hall opened, and silence fell over the chatter of the Hall. Professor McGonagall was leading a long line of first-years up to the top of the hall. All of them were shaking from nerves as they filed along the staff table and came to a halt in a queue facing the rest of the school.

Profession McGonagall now placed a three-legged stool on the ground before the first-years and, on top of it, an extremely old, dirty, patched wizard's hat. The first-years stared at it, as did everyone else. For a moment, there was silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing:

'A thousand years or more ago

When I was newly sewn,

There lived four wizards of renown,

Whose names are still well known:

Godric Gryffindor the courageous,

Rowena Ravenclaw the clever,

Salazar Slytherin the cunning,

Helga Hufflepuff who's ever loyal,

The founders four were united,

Yes, they had a common goal,

They made this school of ours,

To pass on magical knowledge,

Though, they prized different things,

In those they sought to teach,

But how to sort you when they were gone?

Gryffindor had quite the solution,

He took me right off his head,

And brought me here to life,

Now I am bound to sort you,

But I fear the end that this may bring,

The Falcon, the snake, the badger, the lion,

These make the Hogwarts houses four,

Before I sort you, I must tell you,

Houses, you must unit, please don't fight,

Alas, now, it's time to sort you all,

As I must do year after year,

Try me on, I've never yet been wrong,

And I'll show you just where you belong!'

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song, although it was punctured for the first time in Severus's memory. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

The Sorting Hat usually confined itself to describing the different qualities looked for by each of the four Hogwarts houses and its own role in sorting them. Severus could not remember it ever trying to give the school advice before.

Whispers broke out over the warning the hat had given, and Professor McGonagall, who was waiting to read out the list of first-years' names, was giving the whispering students the sort of look that scorches. The muttering came to an abrupt end, and with a last frowning look that swept the four house tables, Professor McGonagall lowered her eyes to her long piece of parchment and called out the first name.

"Adams, Bentley."

A terrified-looking boy stumbled forwards and put the Hat on his head; it was only prevented from falling right down to his shoulders by his very prominent ears. The Hat considered for a moment, then the rip near the brim opened again and shouted: "Gryffindor!"

The Gryffindor table clapped loudly as Bentley Adams staggered to their table and sat down, looking as though he would like very much to sink through the floor and never be looked at again.

"The hat must have coughed," Rosier said with a snicker.

"Cowardly little thing," Mulciber said with a laugh.

"Well, what do you expect?" Avery sneered. "That's not a wizarding last name."

"Certainly not," agreed Rosier.

"Most likely a mudblood," Mulciber said.

"Or a half-blood," he said with a note of disdain.

"Only marginally better," Rosier said. "Although, those with enough talent can be forgiven."

"Much obliged," said Severus with an eye roll.

Slowly the long line of first-years thinned, and Severus's stomach was rumbling loudly. Finally, 'Zeller, Kelly" was sorted into Hufflepuff, and Professor McGonagall picked up the Hat and stool and marched them away as Professor Dumbledore rose to his feet.

"To our newcomers," said Dumbledore in a ringing voice, his arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on his lips, "welcome! To our old hands – welcome back! I have only two words to say to you; tuck in!"

"Hear, hear," Severus heard Crabbe and Goyle, two giant oafs, cry from the other side of the table.

"Dunderheads," he quipped.

"True that," said Rosier with a light chuckle. "That wasn't exactly classy."

Not seconds later, and the empty dishes filled magically before their eyes.

Severus loaded his plate, giving himself a rather generous serving of mashed potatoes.

Once everyone had their fill, the remains of the first course vanished and were replaced instantly with puddings.

"Yes, they have Treacle Tart!"

"You're going to make yourself sick, Mulciber!" he said, shaking his head. "Do you wish for a repeat of first year?"

"What are you, my mother?" Mulciber said, placing another helping on his plate with a smirk. "I'll be fine."

"To each their own," he said with a shrug. He then helped himself to a small portion of custard tart.

When the puddings, too, had been demolished, and the last crumbs had faded off the plates, leaving them sparkling clean, Albus Dumbledore got to his feet again. The buzz of chatter filling the Hall ceased almost at once.

"So!" said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. "Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices.

"Mr Pringle, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-six items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr Pringle's office, if anybody would like to check it."

Now the corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched.

"As ever, I would like to remind you all that the Forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all those bellow third year," continued Dumbledore.

At this Severus smirked to himself. He'd snuck out there once or twice to pick some of the plants that were useful for potions. Not very often, though, and he never went too far in. That conversation with Slughorn had been amusing, however. His Head of House had been torn between an odd pride that someone cared so much about potions and his having to scold the aforementioned student for the very same passion.

That was one of the rare times Severus actually felt treated fairly, however. Although, McGonagall typically did a really good job of it. Flitwick as well.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore.

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 snake-like into words.

"Everyone, pick their favourite tune," encouraged Dumbledore. "And off we go!"

And the school bellowed.

'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.'

Everybody finished the song at different times, and when they finished, Dumbledore was one of those who clapped loudest.

"Ah, music," said Dumbledore. "A magic beyond all we do here. Now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!"

Quickly the chattering crowds began to make their way out of the Great Hall, and Dumbledore sat down again and turned to talk to Hagrid.

Having had enough to eat and not having the desire to socialise much more, Severus was rather happy to follow the first-years as they were escorted down to the dungeons.

A perfect, Andromeda Black, then told them the password and they all made their way into the dorms.

"Oh look, they changed the curtains."

"About time the house elves did that," Avery said with a snort. "When did you set fire to those?"

"About two weeks before the end of school."

"Such an accomplishment," he drawled.

"Why thank you," Stebbins said with a grin.

Severus just shook his head. His dormmates were complete idiots most of the time.

Most of his dorm mates tried to stay awake, chatting some, but eventually, they drifted off, leaving Severus the only one still awake, but groggy.

When he woke up the next morning he didn't even remember falling asleep.