After a short wait the doors of the castle opened allowing a soft golden light to spill out onto the lawn. Silhouetted in the doorway was a stern looking with in emerald robes. Her black hair was pulled into a tight bun that seemed to stretch her face to the sides if the thinness of her lips was any indication.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said to the woman.
Based on appearances alone he had no intention of getting on this teacher's bad side. Although to be fair he wasn't planning to get on any of the teachers' bad sides if he could avoid it. He needed to use his time at the school wisely so that by the time he returned to the Hidden Leaf he would have knowledge and power other shinobi lacked.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here," she turned her back walking into the school expecting to be followed.
The first thing he took note of were the exits. There was the door they had come in, another set of large doors that he could hear the sounds of hundreds of voices coming from which likely led to the great hall, a large marble staircase going toward the next floor, in its shadow a smaller opening with stairs going down beneath the castle, a hallway going further into the castle, and two smaller closed doors. The Entrance hall itself was very large with high vaulted ceilings. The space was lit with dozens of merrily flickering torches. Along the walls there were several moving paintings which would have startled him had he not spent the summer in a wizarding home.
McGonagall led them across the flagstone floor to the nearest door. The door led into a small empty room with bare walls apart from a few flickering torches. The room itself would ordinarily have been fairly average in size however with so many students gathered into it the space seemed much smaller than it actually was. He found was having some difficulty maintaining his personal space. He crowded close to Gaara because if his space needed to be invaded then he would prefer it was invaded by a friend he found trustworthy. He grabbed Gaara's hand while they waited for everyone to quiet down so the Professor could speak.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall began, "The opening banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room."
He felt his eyes narrow at the last words. Why wouldn't he spend his free time with other houses? It almost sounded like they didn't provide any way for those who had family or friends in other houses to maintain their close relationships. With how large the castle appeared to be from the outside it should be simple to provide a common lounge space for the students from different houses to mingle. This made him suspicious. It may be a good thing if Gaara was sorted into another house. It would give him the necessary excuse he needed to remedy the situation. He refused to loose his opportunity to make connections across all the houses so that he could take advantage of their useful traits.
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose your house points. At the end of each year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting," McGonagall eyed them all sternly.
He watched as several other students shuffled nervously smoothing imaginary creases from their robes or flattening their hair. One girl had pulled out a small mirror which was quickly making its way around the girls in the room. He smirked deciding not to bother, there had never been anything that could help his hair and his robes were impeccable.
"I shall return when we are ready for you, please wait quietly," Professor McGonagall said as she left the room.
As soon as the door had closed whispers filled the waiting room. He and Gaara remained silent as they had been trained to do. They were not in the hidden villages anymore but they were still shinobi. He took note of the snatches of conversation he could hear and made a mental note of any information he might find useful which wasn't much.
He had never been more grateful for his training then when a group of transparent people, ghosts, floated into the chamber while speaking among themselves. His eyes widened as he tensed. He felt a chill travel down his spine as he shifted in discomfort. Ghosts made him uncomfortable ever since a villager had told him that his victims would haunt him. He didn't actually have any victims but he was pretty sure he wouldn't like being haunted no matter the reason. He had never seen a ghost before but he managed not to jump or scream like some of the other first years did. After a moment he relaxed back into a neutral alertness. It was unlikely the school would let ghosts wander if they were dangerous to the students. Even wizards couldn't be that illogical.
"I say, what are you all doing here?" an oddly dressed ghost in tights with a ruffle around his neck asked breaking off from the conversation he had been having with a fat balding ghost.
Nobody answered him not even the magically raised students like Draco or Ron who seemed to be just barely less shocked that the other students. It seemed ghosts were not overly common in the wizarding world which he felt very grateful for.
"New students!" said the fat ghost in a drab shapeless looking robe as he smiled around at them, "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"
A few people nodded mutely while others paled and tried to step back without appearing to be too rude.
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff," said the fat ghost. "My old house, you know."
"Move along now. The Sorting Ceremony's about to start," McGonagall said as she reentered the room.
She waved the ghosts out of the room. She then began fussing with the robes of the nearest first years while eyeing everyone else critically.
With a sigh as though giving up on everyone looking just so, she straightened to her full height, "Now, form a line and follow me."
They all moved to do as they were told. The ghosts floated through the wall toward the Great Hall as they all headed for the door. The room was too small for them all to line up in single file so they all crowded the door and slipped into single file as they exited the room. Gaara got into line directly behind him while he followed a short girl with red hair from the room. They walked a short way across the entrance hall and through the second set of double doors into the Great Hall.
Much like the rest of the wizarding world the entire space was lit by firelight. Thousands of candles floated above the house tables and the staff table at the far end which sat on a platform. The ceiling reflected the sky outside which he knew because he had read Hogwarts: A History. It was a clear night so the ceiling reflected millions of stars and a half moon. One wall was filled with windows which would allow plenty of natural light in during the day. The student tables were already filled by the older students with a small space at the ends nearest the staff table for the new students to sit. The plates and goblets were empty of food and drink reflecting the firelight from the candles so they almost appeared to be liquid gold at first glance.
They were led on to the platform where the staff table was located. They were arranged to stand facing out toward the older students. He did not feel comfortable being ogled by a bunch of curious older students. He felt his face slip into a blank mask to hide his growing annoyance. He made note of the small side door behind the staff table as a possible exit should he desire to flee. It was the only other exit from the hall apart from the main doors. Already on the platform in front of them was a small wooden stool with an ugly ancient looking hat that appeared as though it had never been cleaned. He had a sinking feeling they were going to make him wear it. A thousand years of nervous students sweat was on that hat, the very idea made him sick to his stomach.
The hat seemed to jolt slightly causing a tear in the brim to open. Then the ugly old hat began to sing them a song.
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
Once the hat had finished the older students and some of the first years applauded the Hat. It bent down in an approximation of a bow before going rigid like a proper hat should be. Professor McGonagall waited for the applause to die down before pulling a long roll of parchment from the sleeve of her robes.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she explained to them before calling the first name, "Abbott, Hannah!"
A little blonde girl rushed forward to put the hat on her head. After a few moments the girl, Hannah, became the first Hufflepuff. As the students were sorted he was able to identify where all the houses were sitting. The table on the right, next to the stone wall, were Hufflepuffs. The table second from the left belonged to the Ravenclaws. The Gryffindors' table was between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw which left Slytherin with the table next to the windows. It was the table that he felt had the best location. On sunny days the sunlight would warm their table and if they sat facing the windows they would have an excellent view of the grounds for breakfast and lunch.
Every time a student was sorted their table clapped for them. The clapping from Slytherin was far more muted and polite than the other houses but the whole house still clapped. In contrast the Griffyndors tended to yell as well as clap whenever they got a new student making them the loudest by far. There were thirty nine students in total but he only cared about one of them, apart from himself, of course.
"Potter, Harry!"
With his blank mask still firmly in place he made his way toward the stool. After reading about the houses he felt he could probably go to any house. Being a trained shinobi he was brave by default as it was a very dangerous career. A shinobi had to be cunning to be successful, becoming the Hokage was also a very ambitious goal. Training to be a shinobi, then staying in shape to continue completing missions took a lot of hard work. The only house he was unsure of was Ravenclaw but he supposed that his dedication to self study and all the books he had read since his arrival in Magical Britain would probably qualify him for a spot in the house if he wanted it.
As he walked to the stool he could hear the other students whispering things like "Potter, did she say?" or "The Harry Potter?". It was obvious that Sirius had not been lying when he said he was famous. He hoped it would work in his favour but it could just as easily ruin his chances to achieve his goals. It depended on how the public perceived him. Growing up hated like he did had taught him the importance of public opinion. It would be a shame if the same situation were to befall him while he was in school. He would have no escape for seven years.
He placed the Hat lightly on his head trying to avoid contact with it as much as possible. Then he waited for it to sort him into his house.
"Hmm," said a male voice directly into his mind.
He immediately felt himself tense. He did not like to have anyone in his mind but himself, Kurama had been the only exception but even he was long gone.
"I see you think you have everything figured out. Plots and connections to achieve grand ambitions, yes, better be SLYTHERIN!" the hat said the last word out loud and he couldn't help but think he had said it in a bit of a sleazy drawl.
The hall was completely silent aside from a few uneasy clappers at the Slytherin table. He knew they were wondering how heroic a Slytherin hero could possibly be. He felt no shame in his house because he was fully committed to making his plans come to fruition. He would show any who were doubting him just how heroic he could be. He would seek his connections among all the houses while Slytherin was the best house to help him achieve his aims.
He walked over to the table next to the windows. Draco was gesturing to the seat next to him as the girl who had previously been sitting next to him moved further down the bench. Not wanting to seem rude he took the offered seat. Draco had been one of the few to clap for him so he owed it to him. Once the whispers had died down McGonagall continued the sorting. He remained polite as the other students were sorted. He remained quiet until "Sabaku, Gaara" was called.
He lent forward with interest as he watched his friend make his way toward the stool. Gaara put on the hat with a slightly disgusted look slipping through his mask. He didn't think Gaara would make it to Slytherin as it took more than just being a psycho killer who was slightly insane in the past due to a chakra monster that wouldn't let you sleep. Who Gaara actually was as a person post insomnia induced madness was very different from pre insomnia induced madness Gaara and still growing and evolving into wizard Gaara. His goal was to make sure that wizard Gaara remained as his brother despite the differences in their personalities.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted.
He clapped for his friend smiling wider at him when their eyes met. Gaara was the most loyal person he knew, he worked hard to get the same amount of studying done in half the hours without shadow clones, he was always honest even when he was telling people he was planning to kill them before doing so, also given the first assassin sent to kill him had been his uncle who had spent his entire life lying to him about loving him he valued honesty more than anyone else he knew. Living with Sirius patience was a must and most of the prank wars had been settled by the compromises Gaara had negotiated. He had known as soon as he read Hogwarts: A History what the most likely outcome would be for Gaara. It was also to his benefit as now he had a connection with the house that he felt was most useful to him due to their loyalty and willingness to work hard. They could be trusted not to stab you in the back which would be helpful as he had a feeling his house mates prided themselves on their ability to stab others in the back when it was least expected.
Once the last student "Weasley, Ronald" had been sorted into Gryffindor just like the boy had wanted Professor McGonagall rolled the parchment back up then left through the side door with the stool and Sorting Hat, he assumed so she could put them away until next year. Once she had left, the Great Hall went quiet as the Headmaster got to his feet. He twinkled out at the students wearing the most obnoxious robes he had seen yet, mostly due to the pattern of little sparkling rainbow stars. Colour was something he had come to expect from the wizarding world but usually it was worn in a more tasteful way.
"Welcome," Dumbledore said opening his arms to encompass all the gathered students, "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"
With that said the Headmaster returned to his seat with a large smile while the other tables cheered and clapped. He felt glad knowing his own house wasn't willing to encourage his strange behaviour. Theirs was the only table that remained mostly silent. A few people made a small effort to clap the bare minimum thought would be considered polite, mostly the ones who were wearing shining silver badges on their robes.
"Are we sure he isn't perhaps a bit senile?" he asked Draco quietly.
"Oh, he is definitely insane," Draco sniffed, "My Father, who is on the board of governors, has been trying to get rid of him for years. Unfortunately, there are too many people on the board who are in his pocket. Father wanted to send me to Durmstrang, but Mother wouldn't hear of me going so far away."
"I see," he said hesitantly.
He hoped the rest of the teaching staff were more reliable than the Headmaster seemed to be. Looking across the head table he felt it was difficult to judge by the standards he had grown up with. A greasy haired teacher caught his eye sneering at him like he was personally offended by his existence. It was a look he was used to which made a heavy lump form in his gut. He looked away determined to ignore the man as much as he possibly could.
"Did it really matter if you went to a boarding school here or further away? Your mother will still only see you on holidays," he decided to move the conversation forward.
"Apparently, it's the principle," Draco pouted.
"I see," he thought that was likely the same argument his Father used before he lost.
"I should probably introduce you to the rest of our year. Most of us grew up together because our population is pretty small," Draco told him.
Once Draco made his announcement the rest of the first years stopped their own conversations to look at him and Draco. It was then he noticed that there was a rudimentary hierarchy to the way everyone was sitting. Now that he thought of it the girl on his left had been sitting beside Draco until Draco had waved her down to make room for him. He suspected being a half-blood would have had him at the very end of the table if he wasn't famous or if he hadn't already made a positive impression on Draco.
"You already met Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle on the train," Draco reintroduced his minions who merely grunted in greeting across the table, "On your left is Pansy Parkinson and her best friend Daphne Greengrass next to her. Across from Pansy is Theodore Nott, next to him is Millicent Bulstrode. And the two on the end are Tracy Davis and Lily Moon."
He said the last names dismissively making it clear that they were on the bottom of the hierarchy barely worth the introduction. He made note of everyone as they were introduced as well as the order they were introduced in. He nodded politely to each of them as a snub could be catastrophic in politics from what he had read in his etiquette books. For those who followed wizarding traditions it was important to make a good first impression as it would set the tone for all of your meetings after.
"Everyone, this is Hadrian Potter," Draco then introduced him to the others which would then allow them to make conversation with him.
"So, Hadrian, where have you been for the last eleven years?" Pansy asked with a gleam in her eyes.
"Abroad," he said simply.
"Anywhere we'd know?" Daphne asked.
"My people are very reclusive, I doubt you would have ever heard of them," unless they had read books older than seven hundred.
"A pity, what about how you survived your mother dying?" Pansy prodded.
"I'm afraid no one ever said," he told her growing annoyed by all the questions he couldn't or wouldn't answer, "I imagine the method is kept secret for a reason. It would be terrible if just anyone could go around stealing babies from the womb."
Her face paled a little as she nodded, "Agreed. Let's talk about something else."
While they were speaking the empty trays on the table had filled with food. All of the foods presented were healthy choices, meats and vegetables, there were only a couple of dishes that could be considered desserts. Knowing better than to just eat sweets he piled some roast chicken and carrots onto his plate. Filling his plate seemed to be enough to stop any of the others from questioning him themselves for now. Pansy instead turned her attention to Theodore.
"Theo, I was surprised that Blaise wasn't here," she fished.
"Oh, Didn't you hea r, his mother got married again, an American this time. Blaise is starting at Ilvermorny though once his mother has taken care of his new step father he'll probably transfer to Hogwarts," he recognized Theodore as the solemn boy who had shared his boat.
Pansy scowled at the boy, "I can hardly be expected to keep track of all his mother's husbands."
The rest of the feast passed in relative silence for him as the first years gossipped about mutual acquaintances in the different houses. They spoke quietly to one another as did the older students further down the table. He assumed it was because Slytherin was traditionally the home of witches and wizards who took their traditions and etiquette seriously. He expected it to be quite different when they were in there own common room.
He took the time to make more mental notes on the teachers seated at the front of the while he ate. He noticed a lot of them kept glancing at him with confused expressions like they weren't entirely sure what to make of him. Considering none of them had ever met him before he found it rather presumptuous of them to think they would know him or decide how his personality should be. The Headmaster looked particularly disappointed. Of all the teachers the one that stood out most was a professor with greasy black hair who was openly sneering at him with distaste. The teacher next to him kept glancing in his direction speculatively which made him worry that the mans irrationality might be catching. He didn't need to start the school year with all the teachers hating him again.
After about an hour the food disappeared from the table leaving the trays empty and gleaming as though they hadn't just had piles food on them. Dumbledore rose to his feet once again opening his arms in a gesture of welcome. Once everyone noticed him the Great Hall fell silent as they waited for him to speak.
Dumbledore cleared his throat, "Just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you," he paused to ensure they were all paying attention, "First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."
Dumbledore glanced in the direction of the Weasley twins who were doing their best to pretend innocence. He didn't think they were very convincing considering the wide smiles splitting their faces.
"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death," Dumbledore finished gravely.
"My Father will hear about this," Draco confided quietly, "Whatever is so dangerous about that floor was kept from the governors, Dumbledore as Headmaster needs to run all decisions regarding the running of the school by them before he can act on it. If there was structural damage the governors would be the ones who would need to hire someone for repairs."
He wondered if the third floor being off limits had anything to do with the stone he had liberated from Hagrid's pocket. If so he had to wonder why Dumbledore would pretend he still had it especially if it made parts of the school dangerous to the students. He glanced over at the hufflepuff table and caught Gaara's eye. He would need to find the time to speak to him soon. Gaara was still the only one who knew about the stone apart from him. He was also the only one he trusted with the secret of it.
"And now, bedtime. Off you trot!" Dumbledore finished.
With a large clatter all of the upper years began to file out of the Great Hall except for one in each house. A pretty brunette girl headed toward where the first years were sitting with a friendly smile.
"Hi, I'm Gemma Farley, your fifth year prefect. Follow me to the common room," she said cheerfully.
They followed her out of the great hall behind the first years from the other houses. Ravenclaw and Gryffindor took the staircase leading to the upper levels of the school. They headed toward the shadowed staircase next to it. He could see the Hufflepuffs ahead of them already making their way down the stairs. They followed the Hufflepuff first years down one floor but then they veered off toward their common room. The Slytherin first years were led down two more flights of stairs before they turned down a side corridor.
"The Slytherin common room is in the dungeons, make sure you pay attention because it can be like a maze down here if you don't know where you're going," Gemma advised them.
As they walked he noticed the there were small snake carvings a few inches above where the floor met the wall. He followed the snake carvings until Gemma stopped in front of a blank wall. He glanced beyond the group but couldn't see any more of the snake carvings continuing further into the dungeons. He concluded that they were there to help the Slytherins find their way to the common room without getting lost.
"The password is 'Boomslang Skin'," as Gemma spoke the password the wall slid open to reveal the way into the common room.
There was a short hallway that led to the main room. The common room was a long low room that looked like it had been carved from the rock of the mountain. There was a large window that started halfway up the far wall then curved up into the ceiling which due to the late hour showed nothing beyond an inky blackness. Plush carpets and finely carved green upholstered furniture made the otherwise cold room feel cozy along with the large carved fireplace that had a fire warming the room. Aside from the fire the only light came from lanterns hanging from the ceiling over a row of finely made wooden tables, likely there for homework, which all had green glass. Bookshelves lined the wall beside the tables so the students wouldn't need to run to the library constantly to complete their homework. They were all gathered in a small open space just in front of the hallway.
Gemma turned to all of them with a smile that seemed sharper than the one they received in the Great Hall, "Now, I know you are all tired but there are a few things we need to get out of the way before you go to bed."
She glanced around to make sure that she had their attention, "First, Slytherins present a united front to the rest of the school. Outside of the common room we all get along. We support each other if an argument breaks out between us and another house no matter who is in the right. If you have a problem with one of our house mates it stays in the common room. The rest of the school is against us, they will not come to our aide so we must stick together."
She glared at all of them until they all nodded their understanding. It was clear that they accepted their status in the school hierarchy. He intended to change that so he wouldn't have to watch his back constantly while around the other houses. He hoped that the other first years at least would be willing to work with him to change the perception the rest of the school had of Slytherin house.
"That being said, if you have an issue with a fellow Slytherin there is a duelling chamber through the door to my left. All duels must be declared in the common room and supervised by either a seventh year student, a prefect, or Professor Snape, who is our head of house. To the right is the notice board, check it daily for updates on things you need to know. The last two doors at the back lead to the boys' dormitory on the left and the girls' dormitory on the right. Each Year has their own rooms and shared bathroom. On the wall behind me there is a portrait of our founder Salazar Slytherin. He doesn't speak to students so don't bother him. Good-luck and welcome to Slytherin."
"I'm going to bed," Pansy announced barely holding back a yawn, before flouncing toward the girls dorms.
The other girls trailed after Pansy once they said their own good nights to the boys. He needed to decide if it was more important to have a wall at his back or quick access to the door. In the end he decided to try for a bed near the wall as he was confident he could fight his way out of the room if need be but anyone seeking to cause mischief would have to get past all the other boys before they could get to him.
He followed the other boys to the door on the left. A long hallway greeted them with seven doors spaced evenly along it. A silver plate on each of the doors noted the year group assigned to each room. The first years were the last door at the end of the hall farthest from the common room.
At the far end of the room was another window with thick velvet curtains to block out the morning sun. Beds lined either side of the room each with a bedside table, a wardrobe tall enough to fit wizard robes so they wouldn't crease, and a large chest at the bottom of their beds where extra blankets and pillows were stored. He imagined come winter he would be grateful to have extra close to hand. Only the two beds closest to the window and farthest from the door were available. He took the one next to Crabbe while Malfoy took the one next to Goyle.
Since they had already said their good nights in the common room he watched as everyone changed into their pyjamas before closing the curtains on their beds to sleep. He pulled out his own trunk from his pocket. With a tap of his wand he unshrunk the trunk and pulled out a pair of light blue pyjamas. He changed quickly putting his dirty clothes in the chute on the wall labelled laundry. He hung up his uniform robes in the wardrobe next to his bed. He relocked his trunk shrinking it so he could put it in the chest pocket of his pyjamas. Crawling into the bed he closed the curtains. He tucked his wand along with a few kunai under his pillow and laid on his stomach so no one could steal his trunk while he slept.