[a/n]And as a pair of reviewers eloquently pointed out Kobe would've been 7 as Harry's primary teacher. Well that's ok, he also went to school 5 time zones away from Surrey. And LA is 8 time zones away.

[a/n1]Here, in response to magitech's comment, which has validity, that the other victims were forgotten Gianna Bryant, 13, was his daughter::Alyssa Altobelli was a friend and basketball teammate of Gianna::John Altobelli, 56, was Alyssa's father::Keri Altobelli was John's wife and Alyssa's mother::Christina Mauser was an assistant coach of the girls' basketball team::Ara Zobayan the helicopter's pilot::Sarah and Peyton Chester were a mother and daughter who lived in Orange County. This off 1st site I found that offered info about the other victims.

Harry Does Different CCXCIX

Slytherin Sorting

Harry walked up to the Sorting Stool and smiled around the entire 360 degrees of the Great Hall. After accidently setting a snake on Dudley in the zoo he'd found a dictionary which had the definition of Parseltongue in it. And come hell or high water and Ron Weasley notwithstanding only one House would satisfy Harry Potter's Hogwarts experience.

Perhaps Draco Malfoy's time under the Sorting Hat was briefer. A stopwatch would have been needed to settle the matter. Regardless, the magical object that went unquestioned through ten centuries of ceremonies bellowed SYLTHERIN! Of note, Blaise Zabini became a Gryffindor as a result. Be that as it may, Hogwarts didn't know how to react to the notion of a Potter in the House of the cunning.

Harry talked politely with any number of his new Housemates, not counting Draco Malfoy, different Years too. And a couple Ravenclaws who sat behind him.

"Barnaby Lee. I am Head Boy. Your Slytherin Prefects are Liz Tuttle, Richard Rosier, Marcus Flint, Delores Synde, Gemma Farley, Adrian Pucey and Paula Urquhart. The Head Girl is Nymphadora Tonks, a Hufflepuff, you are expected to only seek out another prefect as a LAST resort." The senior student cut himself off and flicked his eyebrows toward the HEAD office.

Professor Snape fixed each First Year with a personal eye "You will all learn from your seniors. But basically, keep your feuds in this room. Bad grades are not tolerated as they drag down the House average. No one is allowed to be bottom three weeks running. Potter? How did you land in my House?"

"Permission to ask a question, sir?" queried Harry with a neutral tone. A raised eyebrow and a hint of a nod led to a highly risky "No one identified Hogwarts' Houses as Gryffindor Hufflepuff Ravenclaw and Snape, sir?"

A deafening silence fell over the Common Room. The Head sneered "Are you challenging my authority, boy? Arrogant as your father!"

"James Potter? Haven't heard his voice in a decade. Any more than I have my Mother's." countered Harry "I believe most of this lot call her a Mudblood. And, no sir. Not today. No classes yet. Maybe in 95."

Tone almost deadly Snape whispered "Dorms. Now."

Abcij

"Pronouncing the spell, Sue, matters less than concentrating on the effect you're going for." Harry was helping his desk partner.

The redhead Hufflepuff's matchstick almost bounced off the desk. She frowned across the room at her usual partner. But the Transfiguration Professor had thrown everything into chaos by scrambling the whole class. Honestly! The misplaced Gryffindor no less! "You do it you're so clever!"

"Five points for talking in class Miss Bones." Professor McGonagall scolded "And, Mr. Potter, advising a fellow student when one has not achieved success oneself is not generally -" she was forced to stop talking as the young Slytherin had a pin twice the length of the original match, and just a bit decorative "Ten points to Slytherin Potter and Miss Bones, you would benefit from listening to Potter's suggestions."

Abcij

Everyone watched Neville Longbottom land - - - hard - - - Draco Malfoy particularly chortling at the sight, except he stopped to scoop up the red-clouded ball the Gryffindor was particularly fond of. Madam Hooch bustled the whimpering boy toward the castle "Oooh that wrist looks broken, boy. Come along, I'll get you to hospital. And if I see any of you in the air you'll be out of here faster than you can say Quidditch!"

"Maybe if he'd used this he'd've remembered to fall on his fat arse." The blonde Slytherin tossed the rememberall mockingly from hand to hand.

Harry challenged him "Give it here Malfoy!"

"I don't think so scarhead." Was the retort as he mounted his broom and circled away.

Ignoring the objections of assorted students, Harry pursued with ill-practiced effort "Give it up or I'll knock you off your broom!"

"Have it your way then. I'll leave it for Longbottom to find. How bout on the roof!" The blonde boy taunted, and heaved it with all his effort in the general direction of the battlements.

Harry tore off like a bat out of hell. It was scant feet before impacting with a window that the ball landed in his hand. Everyone, except Draco Malfoy and his cronies, cheered the aerial performance. He purposely landed among them.

"Hand it over, snake." Ron Weasley ordered.

Harry simply sidestepped him and offered it to the excessively rule-obsessed girl "Just two conditions Granger. Tell Longbottom EXACTLY what happened after Hooch took him away, and WHO got back his rememberall."

"Thank you, Potter." She replied curtly, little more than what you might expect between a Gryffindor and a Slytherin.

Abcij

The meeting among the House Heads and principle participants was most memorable. Draco proclaimed he was 'only curious' about Neville's rememberall; and had Greg and Vincent to support his claim. This did not simply jibe with the necessity of Harry having to fly almost the length of a Quidditch pitch to retrieve the Gryffindor's property. All other eyewitnesses admitted to the blonde Slytherin throwing the rememberall. Some, more like proclaiming it.

"Mr. Malfoy, stealing is completely unacceptable in this institution." The Headmaster declared upon conclusion of the case "To begin, you will apologize to Mr. Longbottom … publicly. You will further serve two weeks detention with Mr. Filch who will assure your hands do not again go where they do not belong. So that your House also understands the seriousness of the offense, I am deducting 50 points."

The newcomers had it figuratively beaten into them NO First Year had ever lost THAT many points in one go. And it was infinitely worse to have had Dumbledore himself inflict the punishment personally! Draco's eyes bulged as he exclaimed "FIFTY!"

"That will be another 25 for 75 total Mr. Malfoy." The Headmaster's tone was flat. Then he looked at Harry "As for you, Mr. Potter, I am deeply impressed. Standing up to one's housemates for another, even rival, something that BOTH your parents would have been proud of. Were you in ANOTHER House, or if we were discussing a separate incident …well… as it is, how about this, I award Slytherin 35 points for YOUR actions in this matter. And strongly suggest to Professor Snape that he take advantage of my overlooking a particular school rule regarding First Years on Quidditch Teams."

Abcij

Back in the dungeons, Draco complained "Wait til my Father hears of this outrage!"

"Lucius indeed will, Mr. Malfoy." Sneered Snape "You will sit a detention with me this evening during which you will compose a letter detailing your actions during this affair. For now, I am sure your time would be well spent at some homework activity. In a last bit of news, the Headmaster has seen fit to give Mr. Potter the opportunity to qualify for the Quidditch team. Mr. Flint, you will see to the arrangements."

The entire Common Room gasped at the departure from custom. But no one would dare question orders from the Head. At least, not openly. Terence Higgs was Seeker for the team and quite determined to step into the professional circuit. The Potter brat's catch of Longbottom's rememberall was by all accounts gameworthy. Worrisome coming from someone supposedly never on a broom before. He couldn't be bumped from the team in his Seventh Year, especially by a Firstie! He needed to know more about The-Boy-Who-Lived.

Abcij

What Harry kept secret since that fateful zoo visit was that he fully knew he could talk to snakes. And that one day shortly after his arrival at Hogwarts an eggling of one found his room in the dungeon. Not much more than four inches long and as a bonding, the snake bit him. Harry's trunk became Ssslar's home.

"Well well well Potter, didn't know you were one of those type." Draco held his hand limply and Crabbe, his only goon present, dutifully snorted.

Harry only gave a confused look, honestly not understanding the reference "What're you blabbering about Malfoy?" but he did notice most of a leg extruding from under his four-poster.

All his blonde roommate heard was hissing.

~~The oaf let in the cold and tossed about my nesting~~ Ssslar complained.

Harry sighed ~~I see. No sleep for me tonight. I assume he's not dead?~~

~~Maybe if I met him in three or four seasons.~~ lamented Ssslar.

After the commotion of taking the victim died down it was of course time to face the music, "Harry snakes are not allowed in Hogwarts as pets." The Headmaster scolded.

This Harry as a Slytherin was armed for "Begging pardon, sir, the introductory letter says and I quote may bring as they desire for example an owl a cat or a toad unquote. I do have Hedwig certainly and she is a wonderful owl as well. But the letter does not disallow snakes. Indeed, how could it? May I remind everyone, with no disrespect, of the symbol over this door."

"An adder, Harry, is a poisonous snake." Dumbledore pointed out.

The boy nodded "It's almost three weeks into the year, sir. This is the first incident involving Ssslar. He goes in and out of the dungeons all the time, hurting no one. Not witch or wizard." For the moment, he kept silent about knowing how to get into every other Houses' Common Rooms.

"This matter, Harry, will simply have to go before the Department of Magical Law Enforcement." Dumbledore concluded the meeting. "For now, I trust you'll find it acceptable for Mr. Hagrid to watch over your snake."

The student frowned, but nodded "I'll have my say in this matter. Higgs will be fine. Even if Ssslar was adult he wouldn'tve killed him. Because I told him not to."

"Explain to me, Potter" the Head of Slytherin started in the moment non-Slytherins were gone "why you never deigned to inform myself or any of your fellow students of either your second pet or your rare ability."

Harry spoke respectfully to his Head "Well sir, the ability isn't popular thanks to Voldemort- -"

"DON'T use the name" ordered Snape harshly.

To this, the student snorted "I know, everyone does the You-Know-Who. Yeah, very scary, Hitler killed a whole lot more people than Voldemort. So, no, sir, I will never obey that order. Deduct all the points you want. Nor will I do a minute detention over Vol-dddd-mort."

"Do not make an issue…publicly…Potter. And neither will I." he failed to repress a cringe "However, now the ability is known, you may expect a change in the House dynamic."

Harry's smile didn't touch his eyes "I expect it will, sir."

"A second point" the Head noted with a sneer "you have at least twice this week ALONE been noted breaking House ranks. That is a much more serious matter."

This brought a smile that was more genuine "In both cases I was rewarded handsomely, as was Slytherin as a whole, with House Points. As to WHOM I assisted...well...I had my reasons. You'll find me helpful in The Pit too. Night, sir."