"Get up!"
As he did every morning, Harry woke up to his aunt knocking the cupboard door frantically and screeching at him. He couldn't complain, at least she didn't hit him, she only shouted.
He blearily opened the door and walked to the cooker, trying to block out Dudley's incessant rambling about how hungry he was. Part of him wanted to sneak some of the food and keep it for himself, but he knew better than to do that.
When he heard Vernon trudging down the stairs, he flicked the kettle on and rushed to make him a cup of tea. He'd forgotten to make him a drink, he hadn't done it in time. If it wasn't for his aunt watching his every move and listening to every sound he makes, he would've said every curse under the sun.
"What is this?" He winced as the voice grew closer towards him. Harry had just finished pouring the water into the cup when he felt a hand grab his shoulder.
"It's a cup of tea, sir."
He regretted talking back when Vernon spun Harry around to make the boy face him.
"Are you trying to poison me?"
Harry tried to pull away from the firm hand clamped on his shoulder, "No sir."
"Well, what is this then?"
"Tea, sir."
He finally pulled away from his grasp, sighing in relief.
"I don't like your attitude,"
Harry didn't realise what had happened until he felt the burning on his chest and saw the empty cup in Vernon's hand.
"Go to your room."
Not needing to be asked twice, he ran towards his room and dived into the cupboard, peeling the shirt off of his skin as carefully as he could. It was horrid, he had to bite down on his lip until it bled to stop himself from screaming in pain. He-
Harry awoke suddenly, sitting up and gasping for air. He'd been crying, he could feel the wetness on his cheeks. It was okay. He wasn't with the Dursley's. He was on the Hogwarts Express. Everything was okay. Usually, he would sit with Ron and Hermione but he was tired and fed up of everything, so he told them he didn't feel well and went to a different compartment to sleep in; they didn't question it.
As much as he feared being around the Dursley's, a part of him would rather remain at Privet Drive than go to Hogwarts. He didn't feel safe there. Dumbledore tried to interfere with every aspect of his life, making him partake in things he didn't want to do, risking his life. He felt unsafe, to say the least. At least he had Ron and Hermione at Hogwarts, when with the Dursley's, he had nobody.
He stared out of the window of the train, looking at the hills and the grass, resting his head against the cold glass. A fresh tear slipped down his cheek before he could wipe it away from his eye. He just wanted to be happy. He wanted to be loved. He wanted it to stop.
The first years had been sorted and Gryffindor had gained a fair amount of new students, though none that Harry recognised. Dumbledore droned on and on and on about nothing in particular before being interrupted by one of the worst people in existence.
"Hem hem,"
"Oh yes, it almost slipped my mind, Prof-"
"I wish to introduce myself, thank you. I am Professor Umbridge. I will be teaching you Defence Against the Dark Arts this year and I will explain my expectations if and when I teach you," She giggled annoyingly, Harry wanted to punch her, "However, there is a more pressing matter that I must inform you of,"
Whispers spread across the Great Hall, wondering what the "pressing matter" could be. A smile spread across Umbridge's face as she prepared to break the news.
"It has been brought to the Ministry's attention that the Sorting Hat takes student's opinions into consideration when sorting. Today, the new first years were the first children to be sorted by the new Sorting Hat!"
People didn't understand the severity of the issue until she continued.
"Now, I thought it would be quite unfair to make the rest of you remain in your incorrect houses. To resolve this issue, there will be a resorting!"
Outrage broke out, people were shouting and saying every single swear they knew, people were angry.
Harry just sat there, panicking. He knew he'd be put in Slytherin. The Hat had taken his opinion. He'd begged not to be sorted into Slytherin the first time around, so if he couldn't convince the hat this time, he had no chance.
Ron looked over at Harry and saw the anxiety on his face, "It'll be alright, mate, even if we get put in other places I'll still be your best mate,"
Harry couldn't help but grin at the stupid smile on Ron's face.
"Even if I go in Slytherin?" His voice faltered at the end of the sentence. He didn't want Ron to hate him, he didn't want to disappoint him. Ron's face contorted with disgust for a split second before he stopped himself and grinned at Harry.
"I don't care where you go, I've not stuck with you through all your crazy shit for nothing, I'm not gonna give it up because you get put with the snakes."
Harry smiled, glad he wouldn't lose his best friend. Hermione, however, just sat calmly, staring straight ahead and ignoring everyone. She was worried, but Harry knew best to leave her.
It was only a matter of minutes before people were being summoned by Professor McGonagall and they had to sit in front of the whole school. Harry only listened to what was being said when he heard names he knew.
"Granger, Hermione!"
The Hat remained on her head for quite a while, like it was struggling to place her correctly. Harry could see her getting more embarrassed every second, so he just put his thumb up and smiled, and he was glad when she seemed ever so slightly calmer.
"RAVENCLAW!"
She didn't seem too bothered. Harry thought she already knew, like how he knew he would be put into Slytherin.
"Longbottom, Neville!"
He apprehensively sat down and had the hat placed on his head. It only remained there for a few seconds before yelling out "GRYFFINDOR!"
He sighed in relief, smiling as he walked back to his table. If Neville got into Gryffindor, Harry should, right? That's the only thing Harry could think to stop himself from having a breakdown.
Other students got called up to the front of the hall but Harry didn't bother listening.
"Lovegood, Luna!"
She skipped up to the hat and smiled confidently. After exactly 5 seconds, it yelled out "RAVENCLAW!"
Harry told himself he was going to be okay, most people hadn't even changed houses, only a few. Malfoy remained in Slytherin, as did Parkinson, making Harry dread going there even more than before.
"Potter, Harry!"
Just like the first time he ever got sorted, whispers spread across the room, questioning where Harry would go. When the Hat was placed on his head he realised it was nothing like before. It didn't talk to him, it remained silent, not telling Harry anything, and that worried him.
"SLYTHERIN!"
He expected it, so he wasn't too angry, just scared that he was going to get beaten up or hexed. Originally, he planned to sit as far away from everyone as possible, but the only spaces left were next to Malfoy, Parkinson, some weird seventh year kid, and Zabini. Great.
Harry silently sat down next to Malfoy, aware of the glare Parkinson was shooting towards him. He wanted to get up and leave but he didn't want to make a scene. He could still hear loud and frantic whispers about "the golden boy in the evil house!", he tried to block them out to the best of his ability.
He stared at the table and didn't say anything. He didn't want to irritate any of his new housemates.
"Weasley, Ronald!"
"Oh Merlin, he looks like he's gonna shit himself." Harry didn't know who said it but he couldn't help but giggle slightly before shutting himself up again.
It took a while. The Hat sat quietly, perched on his head, and it was rather boring. Fred and George were the only people that could be heard, laughing at their brother and telling him he was going to Slytherin.
After 5 painful minutes, "HUFFLEPUFF" rang out across the hall, silencing the twin's laughs. Hufflepuff wasn't that bad, it just wasn't a Weasley house, Gryffindor was where the Weasley's belonged, or so everyone thought.
The rest of the sorting was boring. All of the surprises were mostly out of the way, Zabini got sorted into Slytherin, all of the Slytherins ended back where they stared (apart from a few who ran away crying), but there was a surprise when it came to a certain pair of Gryffindor twins.
They approached the Sorting Hat together and - much to McGonagall's dismay - refused to be Sorted separately; they compromised by making George (or Fred) get sorted and the other twin was allowed to follow.
Nobody expected them to be put in Slytherin.
"Alright, Harry!" They ran over, grinning like lunatics.
This was going to be a long year.
Snape was talking but Harry didn't really listen to what he was saying, if it was important Snape would shout at him and tell him again. It probably wasn't interesting, Harry could hear snippets of what he was saying, something about Slytherin pride and saying he was going to come in some nights to talk to students, nothing important.
"Potter, pay attention."
No shouting? No taking house points? No asking questions he didn't know the answer to? Harry felt blessed.
"Sorry sir." He spoke quietly, not wanting to anger the man.
"As I was saying, to all of the first year Slytherins, and to the resorted Slytherins," Harry shrunk into himself as the professor stared at him, "This is your family and we all need to stick together. To be blunt, other people will despise you for being in this house, because of preconceived ideas of what we are like. You will be treated unfairly. But we are the only house that looks out for each other. You will be safe with us."
After that, Snape dismissed everyone to do whatever they wanted to do but he remained there just to talk to any students who needed help. Harry had never seen him like this. It was nice.