"Well that sucks," Draco voiced his complaint to the Grindelwald siblings. "Hermione is in Gryffindor for an odd reason, so is Harry."

"Nermaius is in Ravenclaw," Historia pointed out.

"And the three of us are in Slytherin." Gerrod said, finishing their combined thought. "And here I thought we'd all be together. What's worse is that Harry has to deal with that red haired boy you punched."

"Weasel," Draco said with disdain. "You have to admit it was funny watching him het sorted with blood all over himself and his robes." He smiled, remembering back to his Sorting.

"Zabini, Blaise." One of Draco's friends, and the last First year had been called. The two had been friends ever since his Lady Mother had moved from Italy when he was just seven. Their were rumors, though many of the Nobles knew it was true, that Lady Zabini killed her husbands and stole their money. Seconds after the Sorting Hat had been placed onto his head, it shouted out its result.

"SLYTHERIN!" The Slytherin table cheer for the dark-skinned student as he walked over to its table, a piece of parchment in his hands. Draco and Gerrod made room for him, with the former patting his friend on the back. Draco looked to the Gryffindor table to see Harry being bombarded with over eccentric fans. Harry caught his friend staring and gave a look which, from what Draco could tell, was a plea for help. Draco also noticed Hermione was awkwardly looking the other way, literally, not paying the slightest bit of attention to Harry, which he found amusing.

The new Prince of Slytherin's fun was cut short as the Headmaster stood up and walked to the very expensive looking podium. "To all returning students," he said, the Sonorous Charm in full affect, raising his voice's intensity several fold. "Welcome back. And to all of you who are First Years, I graciously welcome you to Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Draco didn't know why, but he felt as if the welcome was more for Harry than the rest of the students, mainly because he saw that the Headmaster was staring directly at him. "Some rules and announcements before we begin eating. Firstly, the Forbidden Forest is forbidden, to all those under the Fourth Year. This is due to the inexperience of you youngsters and lack of knowledge, once you've past three years of schooling only then are you permitted to explore it. Second, usage of the Black Lake is only for daytime use only. Students caught amuck near or in the Black Lake at night shall be punished with loss of privileges, homework, or even in some severe cases, expulsion." Some students nodded; others wondered how severe it had to be before getting expelled. "Thirdly, and last, while Magical usage is encouraged. Immature usage of ones Magic to hurt other students, Magical creatures, or in other cases, just immature usage of it to cause destruction and mayhem, will result in immediate expelling of the culprit. Our Schoolkeeper, Argus Filch, has let me know that any student he catches doing Magic which results in messes, he will see to it that you are punished for his grievances. Now that this has been all said and done, let us eat."

And with those three words, the tables Magically appeared with platters of food. So much food in fact it was impossible to eat it all, though that didn't stop a certain boy from trying. Harry himself hadn't ever seen so much food in his life, his first thought was to eat as much as he could but decided against it, instead eating enough to fill himself but not too much. As soon as he finished, he waited for Hermione to finish her food and began a conversation with her, sipping on pumpkin juice as they talked.

"So why didn't you get sorted in Slytherin?" Harry asked. No one was paying them much attention, some eyed them every once in a while, but couldn't make out what they were saying. "I was sure you'd want to be with your Brother."

"I did." Hermione said. "I'm assuming the Sorting Hat showed you our conversation?" Harry nodded in confirmation. Though it didn't show anything about Hermione giving a reason for joining or choosing Gryffindor just the Sorting Hat giving implications on where she would do better in. "Well, I was thinking you'd probably would have been sorted in Gryffindor, so I wanted to keep you company."

"Really?" Harry asked, surprised by the gesture.

"Really." Hermione said, smiling back.

Harry laughed a little, Hermione frowned wondering what was so funny. "Its just that I was planning on joining Slytherin." Harry told her to which he received a gaped look.

"No." Hermione exclaimed.

"Yes," Harry said insisting it was the truth. the two laughed and continued their talk all the way up until the food disappeared and desert was Magically served. There dinner and desert finished quickly, and the Headmaster guided them upstairs where the Head Boys and Girls of each of the Four Houses were waiting with their Prefects to guide the First Years. Of course, all of that came after the horrible singing of Hogwarts theme, which only Gryffindor, save for Harry and Hermione, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff sung.

The song finally, after several long, excruciating minutes, ended. Many of the students couldn't believe they had to sing the same wretched song on opening night twice for the next six years. Lining up with the other First Year Slytherins, Draco, Gerrod, and Historia waited. "Listen up!" The Head Boy said, Thomas Bastille was his name. "The password to Slytherin's dorm rooms is Pureblood. Remember it because we won't repeat it. If you forget it, sucks to be you, or ask a fellow Slytherin. Our Head of House will be giving you guys the run down, rules and know how once you enter, pay attention, listen, and be quiet. Understood?" All the First Years nodded, save for Draco and the Grindelwald siblings, they just quietly waited.

As they entered the dungeon, it turned from a damp looking cellar, to an underground masterpiece. A lair fit for an Heir of a Noble and Most Ancient House. With the closing sound of the hidden wall to the dormitories, Head of House Slytherin, Professor Severus Snape walked down the stairs, behind him were several students he had been talking to.

"Greeting to all," he drawled in his low and unimpressed voice. "For those of you idiots who don't know who I am, I am your Head of House and Potions Master, Professor Severus Snape. Let us begin with our official rules, shall we?

"Rule 1. You are Slytherin through and through. You are a Slytherin until the day you die.

"Rule 2. Slytherins stick together, in here, I do not care, but out there, it is us against everyone. Understood? Good.

''Rule 3. I expect you grades in classes to be no less than As. If you fall behind, you shall be tutored by either me or your seniors. We have study sessions for these things, I expect my House to maintain its yearly total averaging of Es. Your study groups will be held by your seniors, First Years are with the Seventh Years, Second with Sixth, Third with Fifth, and Fourth with each other. These study groups are mandatory if your grades are subpar. If I see that my House's average has dropped, I will not be happy. Our House has the highest average, and I very much enjoy rubbing that fact in the noses of the other professors. Ruin that for me, and I will ruin you, is that clear?

"Rule 4. If you plan on doing something remotely dangerous or stupid as I can guess from some of you dunderheads. Please come to me so I know and can judge whether or not I need to put a stop to it, I may be able to save you from getting in trouble, but not from your own idiocy. If I have to bail you out on something you've been caught red-handed in I will personally make you my slave for the week.

"Rules 5. There is no such thing, outside of these dorms as Slytherin who don't get along. Any problem you have with a fellow student stays in the dorms. I don't care if he or she broke your arm when you were younger or stole something from you last night. Slytherins stick together. Especially against those idiotic Gryffindors. Dismissed, unless you wish to stay for the explanation of the unofficial rules." With that, the broody Professor left the Slytherin Dorms.

"Well you heard Professor Snape, let's talk about the unofficial rules." Thomas Bastille said, he emerged from the small group of Prefects, the head Girl was also with him as well. "But first, introductions, I'm Thomas Bastille, you'll know me as this year's Head Boy. Next to me is Asina Harpe, our Head Girl."

"Nice to meet you all." She said. Thomas was a freckled boy, being in his Final year, he had grown quite a bit, tall, brown black hair, grey eyes, and a strong jaw. He was born a lean child, but the years of being on the Quidditch team had built muscle on his body, filling him out. Asina was a decent height, light gold hard, she still had some growing, but her current form was pleasing, amber colored eyes, and a smooth heart shaped head. She was what many boys considered, beautiful. "Lets begin shall we?"

Gryffindor's Common Room was... alright. It was comfortable, but nothing really nice could be found. The rules that had been explained were ridiculous. Have fun and show the House Pride? What nonsense. What made it worse was that one rule was pester those 'slimy git Slytherins,' Hermione had never felt more insulted in her entire life. Harry was himself was in the same boat as her. Gryffindor, for all it was cracked up to be, they were quite the hypocrites. Preaching tolerance when they themselves did not tolerate another group. The only useful thing they, well Harry had learned, Hermione already knew, was that the piece of paper they Magically received after Sorting was actually a thing called the Trace, a system meant to track underage Wizards and Witches. Bound to their Magic by the Sorting Hat. Meaning, it could be destroyed unless a Wizard or Witch found a way to destroy their Magic without destroying themselves.

"I wish we were in Slytherin." Hermione said to Harry in a desperate whisper. She was sitting on Harry's bed.

"Me too." Harry said with an equal hint of despair. Then something clicked in his mind. "Hermione, you said that the Sorting Hat places its wearer where they're needed most, right?"

"Yes?" She answered hesitantly, she was trying to remember when she had said that. "Oh, now I remember, that's right, why do you ask?"

"What if, hear me out," Harry began excitedly before looking over his shoulder, the two were talking in Harry's room, he'd gotten one to himself because of the lack of students joining Gryffindor. "What if we were Sorted into Gryffindor to change it?"

"As in?" Hermione asked, not expecting anything he had said, nor believing what he had just said. Her face was a look of contained laughter.

"The ideals of Gryffindors themselves," Harry said excitedly. "What if we can change them to actually uphold their ideals and beliefs. Make them less hypocritical?"

"I don't know Harry, you think that Weasley could change his views?" Hermione asks, the hesitance still evident in her voice.

"Some if not most of them then?" Harry offered, changing his goal slightly. "Cause, yeah, you're right, if tried to change Runal, whatever his name is and his view, it'd take a miracle for him to even understand what we're saying."

"That guy, is certainly not the brightest." Hermione said. "Well, goodnight Harry, see you down at Breakfast?"

"Yeah." Harry answered. Hermione slipped of Harry's bed and exited the room, as the Boy-Who-Lived got ready for bed, falling into a dreamless stupor. Morning came in the form of Hermione waking Harry up, she was lightly shaking, whispering his name as to not wake up any of the other sleeping students. The two greeted each other and Harry got dressed with Hermione waiting outside leaning on the wall to the side of his room's door.

They walked down stairs and through the hallways, using their wands as a compass through the 'Point Me' Spell. "You go on ahead, I'll be right there, I need to talk to my Godfather." Hermione said, walking into a classroom. "I'll see you at Breakfast, be just a couple minute Harry."

"Don't take too long." Harry said, waving his hand in goodbye as he made his way to the Great Hall. Harry saw the rest of his friend gathered at the Slytherin table. Walking over, he was greeted by them. Nermaius was the first to spot him walking over, waving a hand of acknowledgement then resuming listening to the morning chatter.

"Harry! How ya doin'?" Draco said, once he realized the Boy-Who-Lived had joined their table, he handed Harry a plate so he could get himself some Breakfast, there weren't many students awake yet so, the group was able to talk freely. "Hey, Gerrod, what classes we have?"

"Double Potions with the Griffs followed by Transfiguration with the Puffs, Lunch Break and a some free time. Flying with Griffs again, finishing the day with Charms with the Ravens." Gerrod said in a monotone voice, Draco frowned at the information.

"Two bloody classes with Griffs, on the first day as well, great." Draco complained bitterly.

"Least you're not in Gryffindor," Harry muttered under his breath, which Draco heard and quietly chuckled.

"Sucker." He whispered under his breath. Draco grabbed some toast and spread jam over it. "Where's Hermione?" He asked, swallowing what was in his mouth first, unlike somebody, and took a drink of juice.

"Something about her Godfather?" Harry said, a little unsure. "Apparently she wanted to ask him something, said she'll be at Breakfast in a couple minutes."

"Hey guys." Hermione said, walking up, having the indecency to steal Gerrod's half eaten jammed toast. Gerrod, a look of confusion hit him and his face, was frozen, blinking confusingly at his hand that was suppose to be holding his breakfast. Looking up, he saw the culprit with his now almost finished piece of strawberry flavored, jammed toast. A look of annoyance fell on his face, scrunching his lips and squinting his eyes, he flicked his wand which began to made him another one. "What?" Hermione asked, all the boys, including, Historia, Pansy, and Daphne were staring at her, mouths agape.

"I tried doing that," Pansy said, "and Gerrod threatened to Curse me." Severely offended that Hermione got away with something she didn't. She turned to face Gerrod angrily. "How come you didn't Curse her?"

"Believe me, I'm going to," Gerrod said. "I just need to finish my food." Taking bite out of his newly made jammed toast.

"You're serious aren't you?" Historia asked.

"Of course I am." He answered almost immediately, taking another bite and a drink of milk. Harry was eating sausages and watching the entire scene unravel with bemusement. Hermione began to profusely apologize once Gerrod had made it known he was serious. Draco tried to bribe him in letting the slight go, Pansy and Daphne were laughing. Historia was trying to reason with her Brother, all the while he was calmly and stoically eating, Nermaius stood idly by with Harry, smirking alongside him as the two watched the chaos unfold.

"Five Galleons says that Gerrod actually goes through with it." He told Harry.

"Ten says he forgives or doesn't." Harry whispered back. Nermaius nodded and the two continued smirking while pretending they didn't exist.

The Potions Room was a dry cellar, probably to keep all the ingredients from going bad. The students waited for their Potions Master to appear. With incredible flourish and dramatic effects, the door slammed opened and the cape of the ominous Potions Master fluttered in the air.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of Potion making." He walked to his desk and turned around. "As there is little foolish wand waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is Magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes," he drawled on, "the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses. . . I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper... in death." He said with a dramatic pause. Draco was loving every second of his speech, the power and authority that came from his voice compelled the room to listen. "That is - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." Some students laughed and Snape eyed them with a look of contempt.

The darkly dressed Potions master surveyed the room, Draco was looking at him with admiration, Hermione was smiling at his antics, Gerrod was stone-faced, Historia had an interested face, and Harry was... slightly confused. "Ah yes," Snape said with in a low hum. "Harry Potter," he muttered with disdain. Hermione laughed, snickered loudly but Snape ignored her. "Our newest - celebrity." Now both Draco and Hermione were laughing, Historia was cracking a wide smile, and Gerrod was smirking at Harry's unfortunate predicament.

Harry gulped before being asked a question. "Mr. Potter." Snape said with, many didn't know how, an even more drawled voice. "What would one get if they were to, say, add Powered Asphodel Root to a Wormwood Infusion?"

"That would be a Draught of Living Death, right, sir?" Harry asked. He and Hemione had read this together when they were on the train.

"Correct." Snape said, satisfied. "Now, where does one find a bezoar?" He asked firmly.

"A goat's stomach, sir." Harry replied.

"Correct again." Snape said lowly. "And finally, what... is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane"

"They're the same thing, aren't they Professor?" Harry answered. "Although each has a different usage, Monkshood being the flowers used as an herb for things like tea while Wolfsbane for any medicinal or Potion herbs, at least that's what me and Hermione read in Abrax Fowler's Magical Index of Potion Herbs and Plants, and Its One Thousand Variations."

"A word for word answer from you First Year side-textbook for Potions, I'm actually impressed, well done. Perhaps you group of First Years aren't going to become an utter disappointment, afterall.'" Snape said, actually impressed, surprising to both himself and Draco and Hermione. "Weasley." He suddenly turned on the red-haired boy who flinched with fear, his ears turning red with embarrassment. "Where does one find a Bloodcap Mushroom?" He asked firmly.

"I-I don't know." Ron said shrinking in fear. Hermione and Harry looked at each other and muttered the words, 'A goat's stomach.'

"A point from Gryffindor for lack of preparation." Snape answered to Ron's answer. "Can anyone answer this question?" He looked around.

Harry raised his hand but Hermione was faster, she stuck her tongue at him in triumph when Snape acknowledged her. "Usually in dark caves in the mountains where an animal had been killed in, Professor."

"A point to," Snape says as he turned to see who answered before awarding points, "to Gryffindor." His mouth was curled with disgust at the thought of Gryffindor earning points, but the answer was from Hermione, which made him feel a little better. His mouth went back to unnoticeable smirking, just the tiniest, as he turned to face Ron once again. "Now, let's see if you can redeem yourself, hmm? What is the difference between a Tonic and a Infusion?"

"I don't know." Ron said, embarrassed even more. Snape sighed, to the students it looked like he was breathing.

Harry raised his hand to answer, Snape gave him a curt nod as Hermione and the others watched intently. "Tonics are finished Potions that are usually used to make a Wizard or Witch feel better and Infusions are used to strengthen a Potion which if a Brewer is trying to make a stronger batch." Harry finished saying confidently.

"Correct." Snape told Harry. "I will take a point from Gryffindor for Mr. Weasley's incompetence, but I award five points to you, Mr. Potter, for you answering my questions with such knowledge, and an extra point for a perfect answer to my last question. And now all of you idiots who don't know this, write this down!" All of the students scrambled to remember all that was said, Mr. Weasley, wrote two lines, and stopped out of boredom. Snape rolled his cloak in the air as he moved towards the blackboard in his classroom and began to speak once again.

"We will be making a Curing Potion for boils today, why for those who want to ask? Because Madam Pomfrey's stock has run out." Snape said menacingly to the idiots who raised their hands and then put them down. Snape flicked his hand to the blackboards and pieces of chalk began writing names. "On the board are your names, with another. Pair up and brew the Potion. The instructions, should you decide to follow them are on page 6 of your textbook, Potions for Beginners. You have one hour, waste my ingredients with multiple attempts, and I will see to it that you have detention cleaning every cauldron by hand. Begin."

Harry studied the board and found himself paired with Pansy Parkinson. He looked around the classroom and the two's eyes met. Harry indicated to ask whether she wants to come over or that he should move to hers. Pansy shrugged, not caring, so Harry walked over and the two began to brew. With the threat of cleaning every cauldron by hand in place, every student made sure to double check the instructions. The very first instruction was to fill one's cauldron with Enchanted Water, which was lake water purified by Fairys.

Harry began by crushing 6 Snake Fangs and adding them to the clear, now boiling mixture, turning it into a mortar-like color and consistency.

Hermione stirred as Draco separately dropped 4 measures, that is, teaspoons, of the Pixie Dust in the boiling liquid.

Gerrod and Millicent Bulstrode counted to 10 before adding 4 Horned Slugs to the mix.

Historia and Daphne took the cauldron off the fire and let if sit before adding exactly 2 Porcupine Quills at the size of 6 inches into the pot. Stirring clockwise exactly 5 times in an even motion before waving their wands in a circle, following the rim, to imbue Magic into it, fermenting it so it doesn't spoil anytime soon. Grabbing a small, finger length vial, they filled it, corked it, and labeled their names on it, completing the entire assignment in just under forty-five minutes.

Of the students making the Cure Potion, only Harry and Pansy, Draco and Hermione, Gerrod and Millicent, and Historia and Daphne, along with one other pair were able to perfectly make theirs. Neville Longbottom and his partner Seamus Finnigan almost completed theirs until Finnigan added the Quills before taking the cauldron off the fire, resulting in their brew to overboil and cover the both of them in boils.

Another one who failed was Ronald Weasley with his partner Dean Thomas. The Patil Sisters completed their work but did not wave their wave to imbue their Magic to preserve their brew, so it began to spoil. But theirs was adequate for a passing grade. Lavender Brown and Vincent Goyle's attempt literally melted their cauldron so they were stuck watching the others. Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott actually perfected theirs. The rest failed from simple mistakes, like Finnigan, to nearly burning the classroom down.

"For those who perfectly brewed the Curing Potion, five points to each person and their respective House." Snape announced. "To you who failed, miserably," he looked at the mess. "You will all be washing cauldrons on the weekend and writing me a ten-inch essay on what went wrong and how you could have done better. Since my classroom is botched by the idiots who failed, you will stay here until it looks presentable, then you may go."

"But we'll be late for classes." Ron brashly said.

"I wonder who's fault that is." Snape commented, looking at him with displeasure. "Those who brewed their Cure Potion perfectly, you know who you are, may leave. Class dismissed."

To be continued...

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[Hard Edit 05/20/2021]