If Things Were Different: The Sorcerer's Stone
Chapter Ten: Cheating Is Legal, In Slytherin
Summary:What if Harry left the Dursley's behind? What if he grew up far from Privet Drive?What if he wasn't a Gryffindor? What if he had different friends? What if he wasn't the golden boy that they wanted him to be? AU first year. NOT slash. R/R
A/NWow, I haven't updated in forever. I'm sorry. Thanks to:
SlytherinDamian: You are my most faithful and devoted reviewer. Thank you. I hope my long delay hasn't sent you into withdrawls. lol.
Mystical Witch: Hope this chapter satisfies you. And no, they don't really need a seeker, but you'll see what happens
Demented Chook: Nice name. I'm glad you like how I portray Ron. Its how I think he would be if he wasn't in the same house as Harry, not that he isn't a prick in the real books anyway.
also thanks to: sabrina, BlackDiva, Layce74 for your reviews.
All reviews are appreciated greatly. They're kinda like a drug, I believe all you other authors out there know what I'm talking about. Keep R/R everyone. Please.
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Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, except a bit of the plot and/or new characters. Also, I may use some descriptions/quotes from the book. Don't sue.
*****
"Yes, Professor?" Harry asked, innocently looking up at Professor McGonagall as she towered over him in fury.
"I...You...Flying...Absolutley outrageous!" The professor screamed. "Follow me, Mr. Potter! How dare you! Could have died!" Harry's heart sank faster than the Titanic, he would surley get expelled.
"But Professor..." Pansy called out.
"It wasn't his fault!" Another Slytherin voiced.
"I'll have none of that, come on Potter." Harry figured he had better follow her to his doom, disobeying one professor's blatant orders in one day was enough.
When they entered the castle they turned left in the entrance hall, which confused Harry. They were surely going to the headmaster's office, yet this corridior led down to the dungeons.
When they finally came to a stop at a door near the potions classroom it dawned on Harry, she had led him to Snape's office. It made sense really, Harry thought, that his head of house would be the one to hand out his dreadful sentence. Professor McGonagall rapted sharply on the door several times until, with a great bang, it swung open to reveal Snape, an irritated snarl inmprinted on his face.
"What do you want?" He asked rudley, eyeing the two people standing in his doorway.
"May I have a quick word, Severus?" McGonagall responded in a demanding way, before pulling Snape aside. They stood just outside of Harry's hearing range for a moment and hastily whisperd back and forth. Finally, in a voice which Harry could hear, Snape told McGonagall she could leave, assuring her he would deal with Harry.
When she had left Snape beckoned Harry into his office and pointed at a seat. Harry sat down and observed the professor's office, taking note of all the weird...things... pickled in glass jars on a shelves around the room.
Snape took a seat behind his desk, across from Harry, and smirked at him.
"I see you are much more like your father than I had thought, Mr. Potter."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry questioned, preparing himself to defend his family.
"He also found that it was his right to show off his skill with handaling a broom, always finding it necessary to harass others with less talent."
Harry glared at his professor. Why did he have to be such an asshole sometimes. "I wasn't showing off... I was defending a helpless loser."
"If you say so Mr. Potter, however, it is besides the point. Thanks to Professor McGonagall, it has come to my attention that there is an incredibly talented flyer in my house, you.
"Now, I am going to give you a choice for your punishment. You may either serve one months worth of detentions, in which you will report to me twice a week for detention, or you may try out for, and make the Slytherin Quidditch team."
"And what if I don't make the team?"
"Three months of detentions."
Harry nodded and thought about it for a minute. Was it at all possible for him, a first year who had only flown a broomstick once, to make the quidditch team? Or was Snape just trying to trick him into three times as many detentions? Harry figured it was probably the second option, but it was worth the risk anyway.
"So... when are tryouts?" Harry asked innocently.
******
"So your telling me that you, a bloody first year, are getting a chance to play on the quidditch team!" Draco asked later, awestruck.
"Well, I still have to try out next week." Harry replied, a smirk across his face.
"That's just it! Try outs!" Blaise called tiumphantly, in an unsually loud voice, drawing looks from other students scatterd out around the common room.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Draco asked, sending dirty looks at some of the students staring at the group, they quickly looked away.
"Just think about, all try outs are next week right?" Harry nodded, wondering what his friend was getting at. "And the date for the tryouts can't be changed right, not even if someone gets hurt?." Harry nodded again.
Blaise then stared at Harry for a moment, as if waiting for him to speak. "Well, are you a Slytherin or not?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry was getting more confused by the minute.
"Look, there's only gonna be two people trying out for that seeker positon. You, and Terence Higgs, the current seeker. Now, what would happen if, by some odd twist of fate the day before tryouts Higgs has some 'freak' accident which prohibits him from flying?"
"Then he's shit outta luck and I become the new seeker." Harry replied, revealing an evil smirk as Blaise's idea sank it.
"Just wait till the Gryffindorks find out." Draco couldn't hold in his excitment as an actual smile broke across his face, "And imagine Weasley when he sees your not expelled."
********
"Potter!"
"It it true, then?"
"Your the new..."
"Slytherin seeker?"
It was just after dinner and Harry was presently being cornered by the Weasley Twins.
"Well... there's still tryouts." Harry replied, trying to hold back a smirk as he thought of his treacherous plan.
"Bloody hell! Your Harry Potter, of course you'll make it!"
"I can't wait till the first game, obviously." Fred smiled like a maniac, "Just think George, me and you playing in a friendly rivalry against the famous Harry Potter!"
"Wait unitl Mum finds out!"
"Wait until Ginny finds out!"
"Wait until Charlie finds out!"
"Uh.. guys?"
"Sorry bout that Harry, just getting caught up in the moment. We're kinda..."
"...Proud of you. We see great potential for a..."
"...Troublemaker in you."
"Uh, Greg, Forge.... Thanks, but I need to get going back to the common room about now." The twins once agiain looked elated at Harry's use of their nicknames, he was the only other person who ever rememberd to use said nicknames.
"No problem, you'll need to start resting up, tryouts are in three days." Harry laughed in amusment, they were idiots... in a good way.
Almost as soon as the twins had departed another Weasley showed up, this one far less welcome. He was flanked, as always, by Dean and Seamus. Almost instantly Draco and Blaise were by Harry's side, they must have spotted the trouble from accross the Great Hall, Crabbe and Goyle also arrived, flanking behind Malfoy.
"Well, well, Potter. I suppose you're be saying goodbyes. Tell me, does the train arrive in the morning to take you away?"
"Actually Ron, let me tell you a story, funny story really. It starts off like this, I didn't get expelled." Weasley's jaw dropped, almost to the floor.
"Let me continue the strory Harry." Draco cut it, "The story ends like this, Harry Potter is the soon-to-be Slytherin Seeker." That did it, Ron's jaw was now, officialy, on the floor.
After a moment he gatherd himself, "Well, Potter, I guess I was wrong. Your fame can buy you everything."
"You know Ron, " Harry smirked glancing over his shoulder at his friends, and The Dimmwits, "I'd think you'd watch your mouth when your this out numbered."
"You're right Potter, but I'll take you on anytime, one on one, tonight if you like. Wizards' duel. Wands, no contact. Ever heard of a wizards' duel before, Potter." Harry, who had read a bit about wizards' duels in one of the books he had purchased nodded.
"Tonight it is then, in the trophy room. Seamus is my second, who's yours?"
"Malfoy."
*******
"Ok, so here's how it goes. Ron's a Gryiffindor so he's probably not smart enough to rat on us, but he might, so we have to be careful... I'd say we rat on him, but this is your dignity at stake. As soon as Ron learns that you know a few good hexes, he'll probably play dirty. Expect at least Dean and Seamus to both jump in with him. I say we bring as many people as is safe. I say me, you, Blaise, and Audrey...."
It was eleven o'clock and Draco was running things over for the billionth time.
"Damn, Malfoy, we've talked about this. We already know all this crap. We play it safe, hide in the shadows until the Gryffindors show up. Blah, blah, blah. If its a trap we run, blah, blah, blah. Now give me another butterbeer."
"Do you want to be ready, or not?" Draco asked accusingly, "You're representing Slytherin here, so if you lose, we all lose."
"Whatever, man."
"Leave him alone for a while Malfoy, for Merlin's sake I think you're making him nervous." Audrey piped up for Harry.
"Im not nervous." Harry proclaimed in an annoyed voice. He then glanced around to make sure the common room was clear. When he was sure they were the only Slytherins still awake, he grabbed his wand and swept towards the exit. "Come on, lets do this."
Four students made their way out into the hallway and out of the dungeons, manuvering their way through the moonlite corridors. At every turn Harry half expected to run into Filch or McGonagall, but by some stroke of luck they weren't caught. They finally made their way up a staircase and cautiously tiptoed into the trophy room.
Harry and Malfoy slowly made their way to the center of the trophy room, while Blaise and Audrey sank back out of sight, in the shadows. The crystal trophy cases glittered in the moonlight and the cups, shields, and other various trophies and statues winked in the moonlight. It was surprisingly eeriy. The minutes swept by, and Harry drew his wand, half expecting the cowardly Gryffindors to have planned an ambush.
"He's late." Draco stated warily. "Mabye they ratted on us."
"No, their Gryffindors. They don't rat." This sentence had just ended when the Slytherins heard a noise from outside the room. It was Ron's voice.
"Come on guys, lets go get set up before the slime balls get here. Remember Dean, you stay hidden unless we start losing." Dean must have nodded, becasue Harry heard no answer. The door handle started to turn, slowly, then suddenly stopped.
"What if they ratted on us? It might be a set up." That was Seamus' voice.
"He won't rat. He's too big-headed for that." Ron replied, and then the door swung open. Ron walked in confidently. His eyes must not have been adjusted to the light, for it was a good minute until he saw Harry and Draco.
"Thought you were going to cheat did you, bringing an extra man?" Harry asked mockingly, giving not the slightest hint that he had two extra's hidden in the shadows.
"Potter!"
"Weasel. You're late." Harry could see Ron's face turn bright red, even in the poor light, as he realized that Harry had caught him attempting to cheat.
"You know Harry, I think we should puhish the cheater." Draco smirked and the two Slytherins pointed their wands at Dean Thomas. Just then they were interupted by yet another voice. This one even more unwelcome. It came from the door closest to the Gryffindors.
"Now, now, my sweet, sniff around. I think I heard some voices." It was Filch, speaking to his cat, Mrs. Norris.
Horror struck, all the students looked around in shock. Harry quickly motioned to his friends and all the Slytherins quickly exited through the opposite door. Ron must have caught sight of Blaise and Audrey as they slipped through the door, for he started charging at Harry and yelled out, in a very loud vocie, "YOU CHEATER!"
"Who's there? I'm gonna catch you!" It was Filch, Ron had alerted him. Harry, being the last Slytherin through the door, slammed it shut in Ron's face and cast a simple locking charm on it.
The Slytherins didn't stand around to hear what happened to the Gryffindors, who now were trapped between a locked door and the caretaker. Harry led the way as the sprinted down the corridor, sticking to the shadows as much as possible, and taking random turns down side corridors and up flights of steps.
"I think we lost him." Blaise piped, panting for breath as they came to a halt at a locked door.
"I don't think he followed us, too preoccupied with the Gryffindors, not like they won't tell him about us as well." Draco mumbled.
"Nevertheless, Alohomora!" Harry said quickly, pointing his wand at the locked door. The four Slytherins quickly entered the room and collapsed to the floor to catch their breath. "We need to get back to the common room, before they find out our beds are empty."
"Holy Merlin! We need to get outta here, before they find out dinner just burst through the door!" Draco exclaimed, pointing at a huge monstrous dog, with three heads. Which means three mouths to feed. Which means hundreds of sharp, yellow teeth.
The beast was standing quite still, staring at the intruders with surprise, saliva leaking out of its tremendous jaws... all three of them. Harry groped for the doorknob -- between Filch and coming out as dog crap tommorow, he'd take Filch.
Harry rushed out the door and slammed it behind him as he ran, nearly flew, back towards the Slytherin common room. They all collapsed, trembeling, into armchairs and sat around looking at eachother for quite some time, not sure what to say.
"What the HELL was that? Why does Dumbledore have a bloody monster in the school?" Draco finally voiced everyone's thoughts.
"You didn't see it then, did you?" Blaise spoke, in his spookily quite voice, "You didn't see what it was sitting on?"
"The bloody floor as far as I'm concerned! I was paying a wee bit more attention to its headsss, if you catch my drift." Audrey stated, her voice still quivering.
"It was standing on a trapdoor, you dunderheads." Blaise proclaimed, exasperated.
"Then it was guarding something... But what?" Harry asked, standing up and heading to bed, giving the others something to think about it. He had a suspiscion to what it was though, and it had to do with one vault 713 being emptied at Gringotts Wizard Bank.
With that in mind Harry couldn't get to sleep, so he ended up taking out his guitar and playing slow, calming tunes well into the night.... err.. morning.
*****
During Harry's first week at Hogwarts, he had discoverd that news and gossip travels faster than a Nimbus 2000 through the school's many corridors. Who's dating who, who's hating who, who's talking trash about who, and so on.
For this reason, Harry wasn't the least bit surprised to hear some of the wild rumors at breakfest the next morning, most of which had something to do with him. The news that three Gyffindor first years had been caught in the middle of the night in the trophy room, claiming that Harry Potter was also roaming about, had spread through the school faster than a California wildfire. Not too mention that the older Gryffindors were a bit pissed off at said three Gryffindors, who had lost nearly 100 points for their house.
Harry tried not to get too caught up in the wilder rumors, most of which seemed to have him sneaking out to meet with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named while "That Weasley Kid" chased after him in a heroic attempt to falter Harry's evil plans.
No, Harry was too busy scheming with his friends to pay attention to these rumors. Afterall, they had just less than 24 hours to come up with a real evil plan to demobolize Terence Higgs in a "freak accident."
As Harry and his freinds sat around the Slytherin common room suggesting ways in which Higgs could get temporairly disabled, Draco pointed something out.
"You guys do realize that there are over 350 staircases in Hogwarts?"
Oh yes, I do love being a Slytherin. Harry smirked, thinking to himself.
******
And so it was that later that evening Marcus Flint approached Harry in the Slytherin common room.
"Potter, can I have a word?" Harry glanced up from his Transfiguration essay.
"Yeah?"
"I just got back from the hospital wing. It seems Higgs fell down a flight of stairs earlier, he won't be able to fly for a good month or two." Flint gave Harry a look which quite clearly said that he had a pretty good idea that Harry was behind it.
"How dreadful." Harry stated in mock sympathy.
"Yes, and to think that tryouts are tommorow."
"Oh no, I had nearly forgot! And now Higgs can't fly?" Flint nodded, a knowing smirk plasterd across his face. "Its so terrible, how accidents seem to happen at the wrong time."
"Yes, Potter, accidents do happen. Which is why I'd be careful if I were you. Seekers have known to experience terrible accidents on the quidditch pitch."
"So I'm the new seeker?"
Flint nodded. "There are still tryouts tommorow, but they'll just be a formality."
Harry smirked, "Well I better head off to bed then, and rest up." Harry began to make his way towards the boy's dorms when Flint called after him.
"Potter!" Harry turned around. "You're shaping up to be a fine Slytherin." Harry nodded again and turned back around, a statisfied smirk making its way accross his face.