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When Professor Dumbledore opened those oaken doors and he walked into the castle, Tom knew that he had found his home. While the other first years trembled as they were herded into the Great Hall, he could barely contain his joy. His face threatened to break out into a wide grin when his name was finally called and he took a seat in front of the entire hall. Just before the hat fell over his eyes, he let free a self-satisfied smirk. All eyes were on him - as they should be.

The hat rested on his head for a few minutes, chuckling quietly to itself. As Tom grew increasingly impatient, the chuckles turned into all out guffaws.

Eventually, he lost his cool. "What's so funny?!" he demanded.

If the hat had eyes to roll, it would have done so. Instead it replied (albeit mid-snort), "I've half a mind to put you in Gryffindor, just to see how you'd turn out. That would be an interesting social experiment." Tom frowned and crossed his arms. The stool was uncomfortable.

"Though I fear in Gryffindor, you'll turn positively murderous. It was and always will be, for you, my boy, SLYTHERIN!"

Tom hopped off his chair and gifted the politely clapping members of his house with a cool smile.

It wasn't until his first day of classes that Tom understood how truly infuriating his peers were, Gryffindors and Slytherins both. Surely the charm to make objects fly wasn't that difficult? But the way his classmates were performing, failing at the simple charm over and over and over, Tom was tempted to rip his hair out. Thankfully, his house was slightly (almost imperceptibly) more competent. The hat was right, of course. Gryffindors would have driven him barmy.

And, of course, the ridiculous Professor - a dottering woman called "Marchbanks" - kept harping on about "If at first you don't succeed, try try again" in an effort to raise the hopes of the imbeciles in his class.

When his idiotic partner managed to light their feather on fire yet again, Tom managed to smile calmly at the Slytherin boy - an Abracadabra (or something equally ridiculous) Malfoy - despite the tick in his eye and slowly explained to the boy - again - that it was "leviOsa" and not "levioSA".

Of course, Tom performed the spell perfectly on his very first try.

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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Competition - Charms - Write a story about a first year student in Charms class. It should be no more than 500 words., Difficult, A character must preform a spell incorrectly., If at first you don't succeed, try try again., First day of school

The Ten, Twenty, Thirty Chapters Challenge

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