Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns all characters and the world of Harry Potter. I'm just here to have some fun and may through in some OCs here and there. I hope you like it.

Plot: Harry dies in the final battle and is taken to Valhalla, where he is told of betrayal and lies that have been committed against him. He will learn of a soul bond and how these betrayals have affected both their lives for the worst.

Dumble-bash/Weasley and Granger-bash

Pairing: HP/DG.

Being a Snake

Harry and Daphne awoke in the same condition as they had the previous morning. Daphne was wrapped around him as if he was a giant teddy bear. She had one leg draped over his, and her arm was draped over his chest, holding him tight. Just like the previous night, it had been the best night's sleep he had ever had. He couldn't describe how waking up next to her felt, but it was terrific.

They slowly got dressed and ready for the day. Today would be the first day that he was a Slytherin, and he was a bit apprehensive about having Snape as his Head of house. He knew the man didn't like him. To say he hated him was more to the truth. Harry was pondering this new turn of events as they walked hand in hand to the great hall.

As they entered, all eyes seemed to turn to them. They moved to the snake pit as they spotted Tracy and Blaise waving them over. Malfoy was giving him a death glare. Not only had Harry stolen the witch he truly desired, but he had humiliated him in front of the entire great hall. Harry could see that he hated him even more now than he did before. He would have to keep an eye on him.

They took their seats across from their two friends and were facing the rest of the hall, backs against the far wall. They had a good view of the Gryffindor table from there. The lion's den looked terrible. The table was filled with looks of melancholy. Some looked as though they had even been crying. Two people, however, were staring at the couple with eyes of hate and loathing. Ron and Hermione, it would seem, blamed him for the events of a few days prior.

"So, does it feel weird to be sitting over here at the snake pit?" Asked Blaise as he speared some egg. A few of the older years seemed to perk up at this. It would seem they were wondering if he would say something wrong about being a snake.

"No, the lions didn't exactly make me feel welcome this year. No, I think this will be a nice change. I can't wait to see the common room. I'm just hoping it's not all just one color. Gryffindor is pretty much nothing but bright red. Kind of gives you a headache after ten months of it." A few of the Slytherins chuckled while more still grimaced at the thought of all that red.

"You think you'll miss them?" Harry could see what Blaise was doing. While it would appear to be just a friendly conversation, it was really to allow the rest of the house to get to know his thoughts on them.

"No, I don't think I will to tell you the truth. I have things I need to get done, and rushing into them just isn't how to do it. Plus, the parties were just way too crazy." He had to smirk at this. It had always been the twins that would set them up, so he imagined how the puffs would handle them now.

"Well, it will be interesting to see what you plan, then won't it?" Said one of the fifth years, Harry couldn't remember his name. That was something he would have to rectify. If he wanted to make it in this house, he would need to make allies.

It was strange in a way; he had never really cared in the past on who was on his side. He had just expected it. He would say Moldyshorts was back and wished them all to believe it. But as he thought about this, he could see why most didn't. It wasn't the Prophet that did him in; no, it was the lack of people that knew him. The adults saw him through their children's eyes, or in the ally the few times he went. Only being around Ron and Hermione made it were most didn't get to know him. Having others get his things from the ally would seem him being 'too good' to do it himself. He needed to network.

Addressing the table, he said, "I know most of you know at least my name, but unfortunately, I am not as familiar with all of you. Well, that is unless you were on the quidditch team last year." A few grimaced at the thought of him beating them every year. "I would like to rectify that if you would allow. Perhaps if some of you are available tonight after dinner, we can get more acquainted in the common room." Daphne gave his hand a slight squeeze under the table to let him know that this was the correct move to make.

Before breakfast was finished, Snape came gliding down from the head table. As he reached Harry, he was surprised when the Professor only gave a slight nod rather than his patented sneer. "Potter, this is your new schedule. Do try not to lose it. Also, I expect you in my office after classes let out." With that and hand after handing him, his schedule Snape just walked off.

Harry and his friends were soon to follow as they had Transfiguration first off. "Well, that was unexpected."

"What the fact that Snape was relatively polite or that he didn't sneer at you?" Tracy asked.

"Both, I know he's been better this year so far, but still." Snape had been better. Not picking him out of the crowd nearly as much, and when he did, and Harry would get an answer right, he would just give the nod.

"Well, maybe it's because of how you've changed," Daphne pondered, "I mean you have improved over the year. Particularly in potions, so maybe he's just taking a wait and see approach."

"True." As they entered the classroom, the day once again just took on a monotonous theme. That's not to say that it wasn't fun to watch Malfoy giving him death glares whenever he would talk to another snake.

Finally, it was the end of the day. Harry made his way to the dungeons for his meeting with Snape. He nervously knocked on the door, preparing himself for the verbal lashing he just knew he would get.

"Enter." Came the silky voice of the dungeon bat.

Harry pushed the heavy wood door, and tentatively entered the office. Harry hadn't ever actually been in Snape's office and was a bit taken aback. It wasn't all flowery or anything, but neither was it full of potion ingredients and dark furniture. It was done in a rather taste full rendition of what Harry remembered from the Slytherin common room, but on a smaller scale. Snape sat behind a large ebony desk in a stiff high back chair. He watched as Harry entered the room.

"Sit." He indicated a similar chair in front of him. He regarded Harry for a time. He knew the older man wasn't attempting to enter his mind, but he still felt exposed under his cold gaze. "Mr. Potter, while I make no effort in hiding my… displeasure with Gryffindors, it is still a shame that this has happened to you. I know that in the past I have been… unpleasant to you… I will not beg your forgiveness, but I do apologize. Your father and I… did not see eye to eye. As such, when I first laid eyes upon you, I only saw him. However, over this year, you have shown a different side of you. You have more of your mother in you then I had originally wanted to see."

Harry was gobsmacked. 'Was this even the same man?' Sure, he didn't ask forgiveness, and Harry never expected him to. But he also never expected him to apologize at all.

"You have also shown a more… Slytherin side of you than I would have ever expected to see from a Potter. As such, I have a mild hope that you may do… fine… in my house. I wish to make clear to you the rules of this house. I understand that this may be new to you as most others don't hold to such things. In this house, you are to handle any conflict with others of the house internally. Slytherin is to hold itself to a higher standard. This means that you are expected to be able to pass with at least an acceptable." Snape then pushed a small book to him. "This is a book that most pure-bloods receive when they are old enough to read. It is a book on customs and etiquette of high society. I ask all my students to do their best to follow these, and I expect you to. You are now a Slytherin to the rest of this school. If you thought you had it hard with the lions, I will not lie and tell you it will be easier in the snake pit. But we do our best to look after our own, and as much as it pains me to admit, you are now one of us. Am I clear, Mr. Potter?"

Harry was in a bit of a daze but listened to everything Snape had said. None of it was unreasonable. It made sense to strive to be better than the rest. After all, if you appear to be better than others, it would help you get better positions in life. Positions one could use to better or worsen society as a whole. Harry didn't wholly agree with it, of course, but he could see the benefits of practicing it to an extent. "Yes, Professor, I understand."

"Good… If you have any concerns within the house, you may bring them to me or address them yourself within the common room. If any confrontations happen outside my office or the common room and you do not report them to me, I will find out. You will not like what will happen if I find out from anyone other than yourself." Snape had a bit of an evil glint in his eye that made Harry shiver a bit.

"Yes, sir," Harry said, sitting up just a little taller. For some reason, he didn't want to let the man down. It was a weird feeling not to want to disappoint a man that made his school years a nightmare.

"Very well, unless you have any questions, you may go off to dinner." With that, Snape looked down at the papers on his desk. It was a blatant dismissal that Harry took.

He flipped through the book he had been given on his way to the great hall. It had some interesting points, and he only hoped that Daphne and the others would be willing to help him learn. He did feel a bit uncomfortable to have to use last names to address others. But it was supposed to be a sign of respect. That Malfoy and a few others used it as a form of disdain was disgraceful in itself. It was a perversion to the customs. One was supposed to use these forms until you had established a first-name relationship with the other party.

Harry put the book in his bag as he entered the great hall. What he saw stunned him for a moment. Every member of the Gryffindor table, save the first and second years, had sheep heads. There was a loud baying from all of them as they screamed for help… or tried to anyway. It was a strange sight as professors ran around, trying to undo the charms. Professor McGonagall was softly talking to the twins as it was assumed, they must have done it.

Harry made his way to the Slytherin table as he spotted Daphne looking at him with concern. As he got closer, he could even feel it. Their bond had been strengthening as the days had gone by. At first, they had to be touching to feel the other emotions, but now it was within twenty feet of the other. Before sitting, he gave her a small kiss on the temple. The houses that hadn't been turned were either looking on in joy or disgust at the goings-on at the lion den. Mainly discussed as a red-furred sheep was shoveling food as fast as it could. Harry only assumed it was Ron.

"So, I take it I missed quite the show, huh?" He asked, putting a lamb chop on his plate.

"You have no idea, mate." Blaise eyed the chop on Harrys' plate with amusement. "Everything was normal until a bright flash of red came from them. Next thing we know, they're looking like that. I think Brown and Patil have been screaming for the last ten minutes. None of the professors seem capable of figuring it out either. The most they know is that it will wear off by tomorrow morning."

"You should have seen Granger! She was in the middle of telling Weasley off for his eating when it happened. She had gone on for a good minute before realizing she was bleating." Tracy was almost falling out of her seat from laughing.

Harry looked over again but noticed Moony making a halfhearted attempt at fixing who he figured to be Hermione. As he watched the witch move on to a different professor, Moony looked over and caught his eye. The old prankster gave him a small wink before moving on himself. Harry died when he realized that this whole mess was the marauders doing. They had taken his being booted from their old house a bit more personally than he had thought.

"How was your meeting, Harry?" Daphne asked as she cut a piece of chicken.

"It was fine. He just wanted to go over the rules of the house. He also gave me the book on etiquette. I was hoping that your lot would help me learn it." He savored the taste of his lamb chop much to the amusement of his new housemates.

"Of course, we will." Was heard from his three friends.

The rest of the dinner was spent in light conversation. They talked about what they thought might have been the cause of the Gryffs situation, how their classes had gone. They also discussed some of the finer points of how to eat at high-class functions or restaurants. This was something Harry was going to need to work on. Hell, growing up, he barely was even allowed to use a fork! All in all, it had been a good day so far, now though it was time to go into the common room and meet the rest of the house.