Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone: Take Two

by MysticSong1978

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot switch and any original characters I may add in as I deem necessary. Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling. Should any other literary references be used, they will be so noted at that point.

Dialogue is in double quotes ("") and Thoughts are in single quotes ('').

Author's Note

This chapter picks up immediately after Harry has been sorted into Slytherin and is from Ron's point of view. Also, if you didn't already guess, the Slytherin password 'Purus Corpus' is Latin for Pure Body'.

MysticSong1978

Chapter Thirteen:

Ron groaned. Harry . . . a Slytherin? How did that happen? He just couldn't fathom it. He was friends with a Slytherin?! He looked up at Professor McGonagall. He knew from his brothers that she was the Head of Gryffindor. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, her face set. Evidently he wasn't the only one that had expected the kind boy to be in Gryffindor, or, well, any place but Slytherin.

Ron shook his head slowly, as if to clear his mind. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he nearly missed his own sorting. Not that Harry's placement made him any less nervous. In fact, he now wondered about his own situation. What would his family think if he wasn't in Gryffindor?

His name was finally called, and, resigning himself to his fate, trudged forward and placed the Sorting Hat on his head.

"Aha," said the hat's tinny voice, "Another Weasley is it? Well there's no doubt where you belong! It's got to be GRYFFINDOR!"

Ron grinned as he took the hat off, placed it on the stool, and raced to join his brothers. In his relief, he gave no further thought to Harry. At least for the time being.

Percy, in his ever pompous way, patted his shoulder, congratulating him for his Sorting into Gryffindor. Ron smiled, a bit uneasily at Percy. One could never be sure what sort of response he'd make about something, and turned to meet his housemates. He didn't notice Harry's enthusiastic applause for his sorting into Gryffindor, or Harry's checking up on Ron later in the meal.

They were all talking about Harry.

"Can you believe it?" exclaimed Dean. I bet his parents are rolling! Everyone knows the Potters were always Gryffindors! What did those Muggles do to him do you suppose?"

"Is it really all that bad that he's in Slytherin?" asked Hermione? You heard Professor McGonagall say that all the houses have a noble histo—"

"All that bad?" exclaimed Ron. "Cor! . . are you nutters? Of course it's bad! Noble history my . . . dark and evil history is more like it!"

Hermione sniffed. "Obviously you've never read Hogwarts, A History. Many fine wizards came out of all the houses. Slytherin just has always gotten a bad wrap because it's symbolized with a snake. But snakes aren't really evil creatures. They actually symbolize fertility and –"

"Give it a rest, will you?" asked Percy. "Really, fighting already on your first night here. So undignified. Percy shook his head at the first years in his overbearing manner.

Ron sighed. "Really, though, do you think something happened when You-Know-Who tried to curse him as a baby?"

Gryffindor table was full of rumors and whisperings. Hermione looked as if she felt that this bit of information should be obvious, and that maybe Ron couldn't that much of a prat because he at least had the right idea in mind, but she kept her thoughts to herself.

Percy suddenly shushed them when the Headmaster got up to make his start-of-year speech.

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

"Welcome!" he said. "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!"

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Neville didn't know whether to laugh or not. His reaction very similar to Harry's.

"Is he – a bit mad?" he wondered aloud, a bit uncertainly.

"Mad?" said Percy. "Of course he's mad! The greatest wizard you'll ever meet, but a bit mad, yes."

The first years started in surprise as the plates in front of them filled with food. More food than most of them had seen in one place before. Ron's eyes twinkled with as much glee as the Headmaster's had when Harry was sorted. He filled up his plate with nearly everything that was offered and began to pack it in.

Hermione sniffed. What dreadful table manners. At least his brother seems more refined, if a bit stiff.

The conversation turned to their families.

"I'm half-n'-half," said Seamus. "Me Dad's a Muggle. Mam's a witch. Didn't tell him until after they were married. Bit o' a nasty shock for him!"

"Sort of like Bewitched?" said Hermione, drawing blank looks from much of the table. "Muggle television show from the US," she said as if that would clear things up.

Seamus laughed. "Ne'er thought of it like that, Hermione, but you could say that. Without the nasty mother-in-law though!"

'Fellyvision?' wondered Ron.

"What about you, Hermione?"

"All Muggle-born," she told him. "My parents are dentists. I was ever so surprised when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased. Hogwarts is the best school of –"

Ron sighed. Not that again. He tuned out the bossy, bushy-haired girl and found a ghost next to him, watching him eat with a plaintive expression on his face. "That looks delicious," the ghost sighed.

"Can't you eat?" asked Neville, who was watching the ghost as well.

"No, nigh on 400 years now. But I can remember. . ."

"Who are you?" asked Neville.

"I am Sir Nicho—"

"I know who you are," exclaimed Ron suddenly, drawing Hermione and Seamus's attention. "You're Nearly Headless Nick!"

The ghost huffed. "I prefer to be called Sir Nicholas d—"

"Nearly Headless? How can anyone be Nearly Headless?" questioned Seamus.

The ghost sighed. This was not going the way he wanted it to. "Like this!" he said in exasperation, pulling his head to the side to show where someone hadn't quite finished the job of decapitating him.

"Bleaaargh!" came from much of the table. As Ron turned to go back to his dinner, he caught sight of Harry watching Nick with a bit of a smile on his face. Ron noticed that the Slytherin ghost wasn't nearly as welcoming looking. He gave Harry a small wave and turned back to finish his meal.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Ron was ecstatic and helped himself to an éclair. "How can you possibly have room for any more food?" exclaimed Hermione.

Ron shrugged. "It's a guy thing," said Dean, swallowing his second doughnut.

Hermione just shook her head.

Ron looked around the Great Hall to see what was going on at the other tables. In his second sweep of the room, he noticed Snape glancing between Harry and Quirrell and wondered what was going on. In his opinion, Snape looked positively evil. He shook his head and turned back to his dessert. Poor Harry. Stuck with that git for his Head of House. Ron didn't bother to wonder why first he was upset about Harry's sorting, sure there was something wrong with his new friend, then worried about him because his Head of House had such an awful reputation.

At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.

After the announcements, and the school song, which Hermione found a bit ridiculous, the Headmaster sent them all off to bed.


The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, and out of the Great Hall. "Excuse me!" Percy called, "First years coming through!" They exited the hall and climbed up the colossal marble staircase they had noticed when they first entered the castle. About halfway to the top, trouble began.

A bundle of walking sticks was floating in the air above them. One of them flew over the heads of the students, the taller ones ducking frantically. "Peeves!" bellowed Percy, "show yourself!"

A mischievous looking spirit came into view. "Peeves is a poltergeist and loves to cause trouble," Percy informed the first years. "Only the Slytherin ghost can control him." He turned to face Peeves, "Kindly remove yourself and leave the students alone, Peeves – or do you want me to call The Bloody Baron?"

Peeves swooped around the students, blew a raspberry at Percy and dove through a wall, dropping the remaining sticks on the floor. They followed Percy up several more staircases until they were outside of Gryffindor Tower. A portrait of an enormous woman guarded the entrance.

"Password?" asked the Fat Lady.

"Caput Draconis," said Percy. The portrait slowly swung forward to reveal a round hole which they all scrambled through. Neville needed a hand to get in, not being quite tall enough to make it on his own.

The common room was decorated in lovely shades of red or burgundy, and gold. A crackling fire gently warmed the circular room, and lights twinkled from the walls. Soft couches and chairs sat around the room in a manner that invited groups to sit together cozily and chat the night away. Plush rugs helped keep away the chill from the stone floor. Two doors led out to the dormitories which were separated by gender and then broken down by year.

At the top of the boys' staircase, Ron, Neville, Seamus, and Dean found themselves in a wide hallway lit by sconces near the ceiling. The first year's room was large and airy, each boy's trunk at the foot of their bed, and curtains around each of their areas. Thick red blankets and gold quilts layered each bed to help ward off the chills that inevitably came when one lived in a stone castle. Like Harry down in the dungeons, they were too tired to talk much. They too pulled on their pyjamas and fell gratefully into bed.


Updated 8 January 2017

Originally this chapter repeated a great deal of text from the previous one, but from Ron's point of view.

Due to (1) a number of review requests and (2) the fact that I'm older and more confident about

my fan fiction writing, I have removed as much of that as I can, and added new material.

I hope you enjoy the changes!