Disclaimer for all chapters: I do not own Harry Potter, or any related characters or places, unless I make them up.
Summary: The day Harry Potter was placed in Slytherin was a shocking day for the world, but it was only the start. Armed with nothing but his wand, Harry begins an adventure at Hogwarts that will change his life and personality forever in a way that none realise 'til its' too late.
Chapter 1 - Sorted a Different Way
The most shocking thing to ever happen in the wizarding world, happened to one Harry James Potter, which wasn't really surprising, as the child had survived the killing curse. However, what was shocking was something as simple and something that every single student that has ever and will ever attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has to go through - the sorting, and their house placement.
For, you see, the youngest, and possibly last ever member of the Potter clan was a first for his bloodline ever to be placed in this certain house. The Potter's, after all, usually went into one of three houses, but young Harry ended up in... well, why don't you just see for yourself? It will be far more interesting that way.
Upon entry to the Great Hall, on September first, nineteen ninety one Harry was amongst the many first years that were gaping around. The hall was truly amazing. There was a total of five tables, the four longer ones, side by side in the hall, were for the students, whilst a fifth smaller one stood near the far wall, where the teachers all sat.
Floating above the tables were thousands of candles floating, nothing holding them up, as far as he could tell. He glanced upward, for no reason other than to satisfy his curiosity as to what the ceiling would look like. Somehow he had imagined gracefully sloping arches, or maybe a steeple or something, but what he saw truly amazed him. The supporting arches were visible for a certain amount, but after that... it was like there was no ceiling at all. Vaguely he heard someone a little distance behind him whisper that it was bewitched to look like the sky above, but he wasn't too bothered, it was so amazing it was hard to believe the sky did not simply open up into the heavens.
Harry looked down after a few more moments of ceiling-gazing as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged in front of the line of first years. On top of the stool she placed a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was so patched, frayed and dirty that Harry doubted that Aunt Petunia would even let it on the front lawn, let alone into the house.
Random thoughts as to how they would be sorted started to pop into his head, some of them really ridiculous. One such thought was that they might have to pull a rabbit out of it, but he quickly dismissed it, as not only would this not tell them which house they belonged to, but anyway, pulling a rabbit out of a hat was a simple muggle magic trick that he actually knew how to do; like the four king's card trick.
He suddenly noticed that everyone in the hall was staring intently at the hat, he stared at it too, fully expecting for something amazing to happen. And, sure enough to his eleven year old mind, something amazing did. The hat burst into 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 that me.
You can keep you bowlers black,
Your top hat's sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden inside 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 Gryffindor apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet 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 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.'
The entire hall burst into applause at the end of the song, many of the first years looking relieved, if still slightly green, as the hat bowed to the five tables then became still again.
Harry heard some red-headed freckled idiot a little further down the line saying that he would kill 'Fred', who had, apparently, lead the first year to believe that they had to wrestle a troll. How could some people be so gullible as to believe that?
Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.
"When I call your name, you will put the hat on and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said, and started to call out a long list of names. Almost every eye in the Great Hall was watching each person as they put on the hat, though none of the first years seemed too bothered about it until after they were sorted.
Gradually the majority of the students had been sorted, and Harry was one of four that remained. Then, finally as he leg began to ache, McGonagall called out the name he had been waiting for.
"Potter, Harry."
Whispers filled the hall as he strode forwards. They all shared the same message: was Harry Potter really back in the wizarding world? Which was a stupid question, if they thought about it. He had survived the killing curse at about thirteen months old, so it would make sense that just under ten years later (and aged eleven) he would be back in the wizarding world, did it not?
When Harry placed the hat on his head it slipped down over his eyes as it had done with all of the other first years and he was faced with simple blackness.
"Hmm," said what Harry assumed to be the hat. It was a magical object, after all, so why shouldn't it talk? "Difficult, very difficult. Why, I don't believe I have had to sort one so tricky as you in fifty-five years. Now where shall I put you? Gryffindor does not seem too great an option for you - you want to break away from being considered a clone of your late parents. Very understandable. Hufflepuff would not work, either. You have far too many convictions against the world for them."
Harry snorted quietly to himself at that comment. It was certainly true.
"Now this is truly shocking. I do believe that you have been through the same types of things as that poor child I sorted over half a century ago. Ah yes, poor Mister Riddle. Since then he's done so much with his life, just as you wish to. You wish to show the world you are not simply a scar, but something much greater. Ambition is an admirable trait when used well. Remember that when you are in SLYTHERIN!"
The hat shouted the last word, and with that his house was announced. Slowly and shakily the young boy made his way over to the Slytherin table, all of whom were smirking in triumph for some near unknown reason.
And that was how it happened. That was how young Harry James became the first Potter in history to go to Slytherin. This shocked the hell out of the world at first, of course, but they soon recovered, and this is now the story of Harry's life after that event.
A/N: There, that's the first chapter complete, and for those that don't know, this is going to be very different to JKR's first book. Oh yes, the sorting is just where it begins.