Madame Pomfrey checked in on Eric in the morning. "Professor Dumbledore wishes to see you. Go down the main corridor and wait in front of the gargoyle."

Eric straightened himself up and headed off, stopping by the main hall to grab a cinnamon roll. There was no reason to face expulsion hungry. The trek to the gargoyle was quiet enough, and soon he was facing the grimacing statue, who only waited a moment before the great figure moved aside, revealing the moving staircase to the Headmaster's office.

Entering the vast room, Eric found himself feeling very small. Every portrait was, amazingly enough, awake; and all of them were staring at Eric as he crossed the room. Dumbledore was behind his desk, waiting for him. "All recovered, I see? Excellent – we can now discuss what you've learned over the last several months."

Eric was extremely confused. "What I've learned? With no disrespect, all I've learned is that I can get pushed into a house where I'm not wanted, judged for where I am far more than who I am, and beaten for doing things that most folks would consider noble."

Dumbledore beamed a great smile. "Ah, I see you've learned a great deal. Excellent. Now, let us retrace your steps to discover how you came by this fate. At what point did your circumstances no longer meet with your approval?"

Realizing that the professor was entirely serious about this, Eric found a chair to settle into. His eyes searched the room and quickly siezed upon the object of his disapproval. "When that hat of yours chucked me into Slytherin."

"Yes, the hat does the sorting, and it placed you into Slytherin. However, it only did so because it determined that Slytherin would be the house you would be most suited for. I seem to recall that when it happened, I felt that either the hat had misjudged you or I had. Considering the outcome, I believe we can determine which of us it was. All that remains now is to determine why, so think hard; what were you thinking about that night – why would the hat consider you to be a Slytherin cannidate, when the outcome clearly illustrates what a mistake that has been?"

Eric was extremely befuddled. "I can't imagine, sir."

"Well, let's try this – what house did you want to enter?"

"I didn't have one in mind."

"Ah, so what did you have in mind?"

There was something about how Dumbledore asked his questions that made Eric want to answer. "I just wanted to be the best. To show that I was as good as anyone. I've been around magic for years and I wanted to prove myself."

"Prove yourself to whom?"

Eric paused, and then thought – who did he have to prove himself to? No one ever made an issue about how good a wizard he would be. Nobody ever cared until he entered Slytherin house, at which point he was never good enough.

Dumbledore smiled again. "I see that you're onto it. You thought you'd be happy once everyone knew how great you were, only it didn't work. My boy, it never does. Happiness doesn't come from being the best, or from having the most, or any other pursuit to define your own self-worth. Happiness comes when you leave the matter of your own worth behind you, focusing instead on appreciating the value of others. This frees you from the trap of constantly having to prove yourself, and allows you to spend time enjoying activities simply for what they are, rather than for what you can accomplish.

"Slytherins are driven folk. They aren't all as malicious as the ones you've encountered – we'd be hard pressed to justify the continued existence of the house if they were. They are, however, primarily driven by an inward hunger for accomplishment before everything else. This disregard for other considerations tends to result in students that can't function in other environments. They are most comfortable surrounded by others like themselves, even though the competition in such an environment is often as taxing as any other."

Dumbledore got up from his chair. "I've given you quite a bit to think about. Now, I have to meet with some of the faculty over this whole affair, and I would appreciate it if you went to the back of the office until I call for you."

Eric dutifully went as he was bid, finding a comfortable chair and settling in. Dumbledore's library was immense, and since he didn't forbid Eric to look, he picked out a rather extensive tome on enchantments, seeking to bury himself in new things until he was called. Unfortunately, curiousity got the best of him, and he was just dying to know what was happening.

Quietly maneuvering himself, Eric could make out the meeting in the front office. Before Dumbledore were the four heads of Hogwart's student houses and their prefects. All of them held an expression of concern, though Professor Snape's seemed to be a bit more anxious than the others.

Dumbledore addressed the group. "We have a dreadful situation before us. His time in Slytherin house has resulted in an alienation from the other houses typical of Slytherin students, yet his nature has kept him from making alliances with other Slytherin students. He has only a scant few friends he can turn to for support and companionship, none of whom have been able to help him. Now Eric has been assaulted by those whom he was supposed to be able to turn to for help."

Professor Snape sneered at this. "Headmaster, there was no evidence that could be found indicating that any Slytherin student was involved."

"On the contrary, Severus. While your charges are very clever and indeed there is no evidence that can be traced to any one student, one thing remains. The fact that Eric's books, materials, clothes, and the trunk they were held in ended up at the base of the stairs clearly indicates that someone removed them from the Slytherin dormatory. Now, do you wish to suggest that one or more students from another house managed to breach Slytherin's defenses and make off with his property intending to destroy them? If so, I will hear you out as soon as you can provide a motive."

Snape fell silent. While he despised the accusation against his house, it would've meant humiliation to suggest that Slytherin Tower had a flaw in it's defenses.

Taking Snape's silence as permission, Dumbledore continued on. "None of us can argue that Eric is an exceptional student, and we do not wish to lose him. However, no student has ever attended this school without joining one of the houses, and I'm not about to break with that tradition."

Again, Snape quickly took up against the Headmaster's implication. "Sir, I know the matter is unfortunate, but I see no reason to consider a request for transfer this early in the year. Give the boy time to adjust to the way Slytherin handles it's affairs, and I'm sure things will settle out."

"No request has been made, Severus. However, I cannot help but consider the boy's well being in this matter, and it is clear that his best interests have not been served to date. However, if everyone is willing to co-operate, I believe we can have this matter settled quickly and finally." Dumbledore turned to the back of the office. "Now that you've inevitably begun eavesdropping, Eric, you may come and join us."

As Eric stepped among the gathered assembly, Dumbledore continued. "As you might imagine, we find ourselves in a difficult position. It would seem that you are having trouble with the house you were sorted into. Therefore, another means of finding you a place to stay must be considered. Before you is a bag, and in that bag are four tokens – one for each of the houses. Now: I want you to think hard about what we've talked about, then reach in and remove a token."

Eric stood motionless for quite a while while he thought: how to find a house in which he could simply enjoy studying magic? There really was only one that excelled better than the others, one in which he could simply be himself. He straightened up, took a deep breath, and reached in the bag, removing the first token his fingers felt. The blue crest of Ravenclaw glimmered brightly in the candlelight.

Dumbledore straightened up. "So, the decision is now made. However, before we proceed, there is a matter that must be addressed. Eric, I have found out you have been out of your dorm after curfew. Normally, this would lose your house fifty points. However, you have also been exemplary in assisting your fellow students at every occasion you have found, made more noteworthy as they weren't of your own house, and thus you had nothing to gain for it. Since there have been three occasions in particular brought to my attention, I will grant you twenty points each, giving you ten points to take with you to your new house.

He then turned to the others in the room. "As I am already discussing a matter of points, we cannot overlook what has brought us all here. As violent behavior is wholely unacceptable, and since the accusation can reach far enough to identify a house, one hundred points will be taken from Slytherin as a result of their actions. In addition, a similar one hundred points will be given to Gryffindor; ten points for each student who assisted a Slytherin boy in a time of need."

With Dumbledore finished, Professor Flitwick was joyously beside himself, introducing Ravenclaw's prefect and explaining the rather straightforward expectations of Ravenclaws and how they were to behave. Professor Snape took to disputing the Headmaster's decisions, but was eventually convinced to accept them. Professors McGonagall and Sprout simply nodded and excused themselves.

Through all this, Eric simply stood, stunned at the outcome. Ravenclaw was where he wanted to be. They were the house of dedicated students, where his focus on his studies would be accepted and he could finally relax. The fact that he managed to pick it out of the four was unlikely at best, until he remembered Dumbledore's exact words. He clenched the token in his hands and closed his eyes, focusing on one thought with all his might.

When he opened his eyes again, the token in his hand brought a skip to his heart. Gathering what little he brought into the office, he walked up to the Headmaster and handed him the token. "Thank you sir – I won't disappoint you."

Dumbledore watched Eric leave his office then looked down at the token. The face of the gargoyle downstairs sneered back at him, it's eyes shut tight while sticking out it's tongue. The headmaster chuckled with merriment as he drew out the other tokens, each taking on the same image as they sat in his palms.