Sorry for the delay, thank you for you kind words. It's 4am here and I'm awake so I thought I'd post. Not sure if you'll get another post before June. I'm going into hospital to deal with my PTSD for a bit.

Hugs to you all

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It was an exhausted Harry that dragged himself out of the castle to help Hagrid on his rounds that morning after far too few hours sleep. But Hagrid was not waiting at the edge of the forest like normal but was digging enthusiastically in the earth in front of his cabin.

"Morning Arry," Hagrid greeted far too cheerfully in Harry's opinion. Harry waved half-heartedly, and tried not to trip over his own feet.

Harry wondered briefly what Hagrid had been was doing; it looked as though he were making a new vegetable patch. But Hagrid would have mentioned that he thought with a yawn as he tried to keep his eyes open.

Hagrid just took one look at Harry and instead of getting to work in the forest he shoved Harry into his hut. Harry squeaked in surprise but aloud it as he was pushed into a large comfortable armchair. He was then covered with an enormous, soft blanket, with a "get some more sleep, 'Arry."

Harry was asleep again before he could even argue.

Hagrid woke him just in time to share a quick breakfast of sausages, eggs and tea with the him, before dashing up to the castle in time for class.

He saw Madame Maxime emerged from the Beauxbatons carriage and walked over to Hagrid's hut to knock on the door. Harry paused briefly to watch in curiosity, but Hagrid did not seem keen to talk and she returned to the carriage shortly afterwards.

Harry spared her little mind. He hoped his friends had made it to class on time. They'd still been asleep when Harry had crawled out from under their pile of blankets in the room of requirement.

.

After Herbology, they crossed the grounds and joined Hagrid standing in front of his hut. He had a fresh supply of open crates at his feet. Harry's first horrified thought was that they were more skrewts. But when he got near enough to see inside, he found himself looking at a number of flurry black creatures with long snouts. Their front paws were curiously flat, like spades, and they were blinking up at the class, looking politely puzzled at all the attention. Harry grinned, nifflers. He liked nifflers. He'd helped Hagrid care for some before but didn't know very much about them.

"These're nifflers," said Hagrid, when the class had gathered around. "Yeh find 'em down mines mostly. They like sparkly stuff... There yeh go, look."

One of the nifflers had leapt up and attempted to bite Pansy's watch off her wrist. She shrieked and jumped backward.

"Useful little treasure detectors," said Hagrid happily. "Thought we'd have some fun with 'em today. See over there?" He pointed at the large patch of freshly turned earth Harry had seen him digging. "I've buried some gold coins. I've got a prize for whoever picks the niffler that digs up the most. Jus' take off all yer valuables, an' choose a niffler, and get ready ter set 'em loose."

Harry took off his watch and tucked it into his bag, and then reluctantly took of his bear necklace and his key. He felt rather uncomfortable taking them off, but with them tucked safely in his bag, which was blood warded, it should be okay. He'd have to talk to the goblin about some kind of spell or ward that would keep it from sight, or at least stop a nifflers getting it so he wouldn't have to take it off again.

Then he picked up a niffler. It put its long snout in Harry's ear and sniffed enthusiastically. It was really quite cuddly. Harry couldn't help but smile at it, trying to stroke it's back. It shivered in pleasure and wriggled over so Harry could scratch it's belly.

It was easily one of the most fun classes they had. It was a nice playful break from all the stressing they'd been doing. The nifflers dived in and out of the patch of earth as though it were water, each scurrying back to the student who had released it and spitting gold into their hands.

As the nifflers worked, Hagrid told them all about them. What they ate, where they came from and where they liked to live and sleep. He talked about their behaviour, and how, while useful, they could also be a pain.

"They wreck houses, nifflers," said Hagrid, grinning. "Now let's see how yeh've done. I reckon they've nearly got the lot, now," he added, pacing around the patch of earth while the nifflers continued to dive. "I on'y buried a hundred coins. Count yer coins! An' there's no point tryin' ter steal any, Goyle," he added, his beetle-black eyes narrowed. "It's leprechaun gold. Vanishes after a few hours."

Goyle emptied his pockets, looking extremely sulky. And Harry grinned as the Slytherins elbowed and ribbed Goyle.

It turned out that Weasley's niffler had been most successful, so Hagrid gave him an enormous slab of Honeydukes chocolate for a prize. The bell rang across the grounds for lunch; the rest of the class set off back to the castle, but Harry, Neville and Hermione stayed behind to help Hagrid put the nifflers back in their boxes. Harry noticed Madame Maxime watching them out of the carriage window. He wondered what that was about. What was she up to?

"Did you get hate mail Hagrid?" Hermione asked as she placed the last nifflers in the box.

"I got some o' those letters an all, after Rita Skeeter wrote about me mum. 'You're a monster an yeh should be put down.' 'Yer mother killed innocent people an if you had any decency you'd jump in a lake.'"

"No!" Neville and Hermione said, looking shocked. Harry just gave Hagrid a quick hug. He could believe people would do that, he just didn't like it. He was glad his friend had stopped listening to the letters.

"Yeah they do," said Hagrid, patting Harry on the back fondly, and then heaving the niffler crates over by his cabin wall, "you getting them after that article everyone's talking' about?"

Hermione nodded and told him about the hate mail she had received.

"Aaah, don't worry," said Hagrid gently, looking down at her. "They're jus' nutters, Hermione. Don' open 'em if yeh get any more. Chuck 'em straight' in the fire."

"Yes, we've started doing that. We've been holding competitions to see who can vanish the most, the fastest. But we have to check them first, sometimes their nasty. We got a cursed one this morning. I took it to Professor Flitwick, and he got rid of it for me. He gave me 20 points for smart thinking and good spell work." Hermione said.

"It's good revision really," Neville said.

"Good on you," Hagrid said, "now unless you lot want some of my stoats head stew for lunch you'd best be running up to the castle before you miss lunch."

.

Lunch in the castle was also a hearty stew with thick slabs of crusty freshly baked bread. Thankfully it was without the stoats heads. Harry, Hermione, Neville and the Twins got a chance to check out the Daily Prophet and read the new edition of the Quibbler that had been released that morning.

Luna's new article was indeed published in it and detailed what actually happened to each of them, and why it was unjust. They predicted gaining some sympathy or at least people being less outwardly hostile now they had the full story.

The Daily Prophet had indeed published her original article about the un-housing. There were several other opinion pieces about it and several other letters to the editor. Opinions seemed to range from scornful, to supportive, to derisive of the old system as well as a few who were staunchly in support of keeping the old traditions going and that Harry must have deserved it. Harry just rolled his eyes.

For sheer curiosity's sake, on the way to their afternoon classes, they did not take the secret passageways but cut through the entrance hall and the main corridors on their way down to class.

Everyone was indeed talking about Luna's articles. Before they'd been making snide comments about Harry and trying to hex him. Now it seemed they were rather sympathetic all of a sudden; everyone other than the Gryffindors that is. It was an odd turnaround.

But a few of the Gryffindors had started to look a little guilty and sorry looking. The school was even giving the disgraced house the cold shoulder. It that alone filled harry with an angry, vicious glee. They deserved every bit of their guilt, and when he was emancipated, he'd make sure every single one of them knew that they had un-housed Gryffindor's heir unjustly.

.

Afternoon divination was nothing to write home about. They'd moved on to scrying now, and Harry was having marginally more luck with it than with Crystal balls. But the incense Trelawney used was even more eye-watering than usual. She did, however, made an odd prediction about a cat being ill. It wasn't one of her prophecy predictions, but like many of the nonsense, vague predictions she made all the time. Harry didn't think much of it, as she also kept predicting his death in that same way. But he didn't laugh the way a lot of his classmates did. He may not approve of her or how she worked, but he respected the art of divination and magic too much to laugh at her. Even if he did privately think she was a bit of a fraud.

He met up with Hermione and his friends after class in the Room of Requirement. Only to have the Slytherins gatecrash and kidnap him to his friend's amusement.

The Slytherins took him to the common room again, after assuring him that no, Snape wasn't in there. They seemed amused by his desire to make sure Snape didn't see him or notice him. They seemed to make it a bit of a game, and the rest of the house seemed to humour the fourth years.

It was odd doing homework in a common room out in the open again, and even odder doing it without Hermione studying next to him. But it was nice in a way too; being in the common room, being around people that don't all seem to have it in for him.

They were sitting by one of the windows when Malfoy entered the Common room flanked by Crab and Goyle. He strutted right up to Harry and said, "I don't care what the council says Potter, you'll never belong here."

Despite himself, Harry found that the dig stung. He clenched his jaw a little, but said calmly, "oh piss off Malfoy. I've got better things to do than listen to your pathetic attempts at insults."

Malfoy sneered, "I'd be careful if I were you, Potter, my father isn't rotting in the ground like yours."

"He should be, though," Harry muttered under his breath turning back to his essay.

"Your just jealous that I have a real family!" Malfoy spat with a triumphant grin, "your's doesn't want you."

"Not really," Harry said, not rising to the bate, "I have no desire to have the name Malfoy" he goes on, deliberately misunderstanding. Causing his friends to snicker. Even Crab and Goyle did, causing Malfoy to go scarlet and glare at them.

"At least, my family isn't named after peasants work!" Malfoy spat.

Harry snorted, "nothing wrong with hard work, Malfoy. And really?" He asked "you're having a go at my name? Say's the boy who's name literally means bad faith," harry said sardonically, "and it's not even good french. The proper phrase is mauvaise foi, not mal foi, but that's just even better. And you might want to check your facts. While pottery is a fine trade, we're not named after that. We are named after our ancestor Linfred, The Potterer. He was a Potioneer and Healer. Because of this, he was called the Potterer. If you're going to try and be insulting at least get it right."

Malfoy's mouth tightened into a thin line, before he said, "well at least I don't look like a girl! Long hair doesn't suit you, even that rats nest was better."

Harry snorted, "your insults are just getting weaker."

Or maybe Harry was just caring less. The kid was annoying, and Malfoy was a kid. They may have been the same age, but everything about Malfoy screamed spoiled, bigoted snob that was all bravado and naive immaturity. He seemed so young suddenly to Harry. Young and stupid, thinking he could take on the world and make it fit his whims.

"That's a weak one even for you," Harry continued after just staring at the boy, watching him go red as his jibe failed to make a hit, "especially since your father's hair is longer and prettier than mine."

"Don't you dare insult my father, Potty. He's more a man than you'll ever be."

Harry gave him a look that clearly said you're an idiot and then stated in clear, concise words, "I didn't insult him, you did. Really Malfoy you must be slipping, I could have sworn you were smarter than this."

Malfoy face went scarlet, and he hissed, "You'll regret messing with me Potty, just you wait."

"Well, considering that you also said that I'd only last 10 minutes into the first task, and I'm still here, I'll take that with a pinch of salt," Harry said dryly, not willing to give the ferret an inch.

That didn't mean he wasn't going to be cautious, however. At the moment the boy was all talk, but with Riddle on the rise and the boy getting more and more ticked off just by Harry's mere existence, who knew when that could change. Still, Harry outwardly shrugged off the annoying pest and went back to his essay. But the idiot just kept going.

"You think you're so cool, don't you Potter." Malfoy spat.

"Oh give it a rest," Harry said exasperated, "I'm not interested in trading insults. I have a rather riveting essay on the history of Scrying for Trelawny, and I'll learn more from it than any of her lectures. So kindly bother someone else. Unlike you I do actually want to study and learn something."

"You make me sick," Malfoy spat, "you in your second-hand robes and second-hand shoes! Girls shoes if I'm not mistaken that are at least 10 years out of date. You're trying to fit in with the cool kids, the purebloods, with your betters. But really you're nothing, no better than your stupid mudblood mother."

That pissed Harry off, he put his quill down, cast a quick anti-tampering spell on his work, and stood stepping right into Malfoy space, so they were nose to nose. And despite Harry being shorter than the other boy, Malfoy still gulped and took a step back, especially when Essie stuck her head out of Harry's collar to see what all the fuss was about.

"That's rich," Harry said in a smoothly icy tone, "coming from the kid who stands behind his father's coattails always mentioning his father and how great he is. Not very original, is it? But then one of the first thing you said to me was all about your father's opinions. Not very big of you having to resort to insulting the dead because that's the best you can do. I can see why you'd think that though, you poor ignorant little shit head, too stupid to be open-minded. My mum may have been a Mudblood, but she was cleverer than you'll ever be, and so is Hermione." Harry spat.

"And you know the really funny thing?" Harry continued conversationally, despite the anger smouldering inside him, "You go masquerading around boasting of being the Black heir, when you're not. You act like you're someone. Like you're important and have the right to treat everyone like their beneath you because of your parents and your birth. But my mum? My mudblood mum?" he sneered using Malfoy's words against him, "she was an heir to an ancient pureblood line. My muggle-born mother was the heir of the Most Noble and Most Ancient House of Slytherin. Of course, she was a girl so she couldn't inherit, but as her firstborn son, I can, and will. My mudblood mother was more a Slytherin than you'll ever be. You snivelling little coward of a bully."

It was a huge risk revealing that. If it got out and got back to Dumbledore somehow, Harry had no idea what the man would do with the information or to harry. Harry had no idea if the man could take the ancient house away from him, or what obscure archaic laws he'd try and bully Harry with. But it was worth it at that moment. And Harry was sick of hiding, sick of having to hide who he was and letting others walk all over him because people bigger and scarier than him had power over him.

He couldn't do much about any of that. But he could stand up to Malfoy and show him that Harry would not bow to him.

"House secret!" Daphne said, standing up suddenly, "I partition for Evens-Potter status as Slytherin's Heir and a member of The Most Noble and most Ancient house of Slytherin to be made a house secret!"

"Seconded," chorus Blaise and Theo, causing Malfoy to scowl.

Harry looked around a bit, confused. He could vaguely remember that in the charter but not enough to remember what it was.

Prefects were standing now, gesturing and several students one from each year was stepping forward into a ring around the prefects.

"Council what say you?" Called a 7th year.

There was a flurry of whispers then several wands went in the air and were lit.

"Motion approved!" The 7th year said, "Evens-Potter's status as the heir of Slytherin in now a house secret!"

"Which means," called a 5th-year prefect, "for those that have forgotten, no-one is to breathe a word of it to anyone in any capacity outside of this common room or to anyone not currently in our house. no-one can talk about it without going up in front of the prefect council, or you risk being outcast and un-housed for breaking house law."

There was a murmuring, but slowly everyone went back to what they were doing.

Harry sat down, a bit dazed, wondering what had just happened.

"We protect our own," Daphne said, "Snape will be told. He's told of all the council meetings, and house secrets. He's our Head, he can't keep us safe if he doesn't know things. That was a council motion. The prefects head the council, and there is a representative from each year. Malfoy is ours, but he was overruled when the three of us partitioned originally. Usually, the year's rep makes those partitions. But if a non-council member wants to put something forth, it needs to be backed up by another year mate." Daphne explained.

"It then needs to be approved by the council. Majority rules."

They went back to finishing their homework after that. It took harry longer than he cared to admit, even to himself, how long it took his heart to stop racing and his hands to stop shaking.

They were just finishing up their essays when a second-year ran in.

"Snape's coming."

Harry flinched despite himself, shoving his things into his bag and would have made for the door, but Theo just grabbed him by the elbow and dragged him into the dorm.

"It's almost dinner, Professor Snape is probably just coming to give us a message, just wait out here. We won't rat you out," Theo said with a grin, Harry couldn't quite read. As if they were all humouring, Harry's need to hide from their Head.

Harry waited until Theo had gone before pulling out the cloak and map. He was pretty sure he can sneak past Snape out of the common room but until the door is open he won't be able to get out undetected, same with the snake passage into the common room.

But he thought he saw another snake passageway in the 6th year's boys dorm. He may be able to use that to get out. He activated the map with the tap of his wand and a thought, and sure enough, there was another snake passageway. Harry smirked, slipping out of the common room and finishing up down near the kitchen without anyone in Slytherin being the wiser.

He loved Hogwarts.

.

Severus entered the common room only to pause. Something was up. Nothing was obviously out of place, but there was a strange energy in the air as if they were playing some grand game. He narrowed his eyes. They were hiding something from him, but he didn't think it was anything bad...

He'd wait them out. One of them would spill, they always did. None of his snakes could keep secrets from him. He'd work it out.

And it probably had something to do with the house vote they'd had the other weekend and tried to hide from him. In fact, he was pretty sure it had something to do with Harry. The snake-that-is-not-a-snake. That's what the bloody Barron had called him. There was a rumour that Harry was meant to be a Slytherin. That must he why he was called snake-that-is-not-a-snake. And his snakes had decided to adopt the boy.

A few months ago, he would have scoffed at the idea of Harry Potter being a snake, but now, Severus had no doubt that that was exactly what the boy was. He was very cunning and sneaky, even if he was a bit foolhardy and brash. He'd have to tell the Barron the boy was now an adopted snake.

Severus raised a sardonic eyebrow at them all. The older prefects grinned at him, not at all apologetic at their secrecy (he expected nothing less) but didn't say a word.

He offered them a smirk and let the matter lie, for the time being. Let them have their game and let Harry have somewhere to go. And if they humoured Harry in trying to keep it from him, then who was Snape to disabuse the boy of the notion?

He approached the prefect and crossed his arms and said, "so the council ruled in favour of the boy then?"

The prefect grinned, "yes, sir. And proved his place quite nicely. Not that I've seen him." The prefect added with a wicked smirk.

Snape just snorted, yes he'd heard whispers about the snake incident, and the Malfoy spawn's dressing down. He smirked slightly.

He wondered what Potter had done with the snake.

.

After Snape had left Theo went back into the dorms to let Harry know the coast was clear only to frown. Harry wasn't there. In fact, there was no sign of him.

Theo shook his head in puzzlement, how did the guy disappear like that all the time?