Harry woke up very early the next day, eager for his first lessons.
He had Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology, and Potions. He noticed almost
right away that the others were still asleep, with definite satisfaction.
He quickly got dressed and headed into the common room. He was somewhat let
down to find that it wasn't empty. And it wasn't who he had wanted to see
in their, either. "Hey, you, Harry," said a burly looking fifth year boy,
"Been meaning to have a talk with you, me and the gang here," he tilted his
head to the side, indicating two other boys, bot built in the same way, as
though they could snap Harry in two, and wearing expressions that said they
would be only to happy to do so. "You see, we noticed that you didn't seem
to happy to be in Slytherin. And we just wanted to point out that it's not
all bad. I mean," he grinned terribly, "You got a few oddballs in here, but
we're not all like them. Basically what you get in Slytherin, Harry, are
the good wizards. The true wizards. Ones who know the importance of the
magical world, and the strength and power that magic gives to a purpose.
"But, most important of all, the ones who realizes that being magical, without a magical family, hardly counts at all," he looked at Harry again, watching his expression carefully, which was suddenly showing interest. "Yes, Harry. In Slytherin you find those of noble, ancient blood and lineage. None of those nasty little mudbloods mucking up our good name," the two sitting in the armchairs looked at Harry's lack of emotion and shared a look that suggested they were about to get something they badly wanted. "And, Harry, we know that you're only a half-blood, and we're very sorry about that, but we don't think that you should feel that you need to go around fraternizing with," he lowered his voice importantly, "blood traitors and Muggle-borns because of it. You're welcome here, Harry, and we invite you to join the true Slytherins. That prestigious position doesn't come around twice in a lifetime."
Harry could hardly believe that they were doing this to him. But he didn't show it, at first, he didn't want to tangle with people so much older and, let's face it, bigger than him. But the comment suggesting that he should be ashamed of his mother being Muggle-born, him saying that that didn't really count as magical, that had tweaked him. The rest of his 'invitation' just topped it off. "So you're saying," Harry began, fighting to keep his voice even, so bad was his anger, "that you think I am ashamed of having a Muggle-born mother? You think I should be ashamed of hanging around people who don't believe I should be? You think I should be ashamed of 'mucking up' Slytherin's good name for being a 'half-blood'? Well, let me tell you, I am ashamed," he pointed an accusing finger at them, his voice rising with his temper, "of being associated with people like you! With people who think that just because I'm in Slytherin," he paused for breath, "that I'm going to be ashamed of my mother, my blood, and my friends."
And Harry turned on his heel, and marched toward the doorway, before they had known what had happened. As he ran down the corridor, and up the stairs toward the Great Hall, Harry was thankful that Slytherins weren't selected for their wits, because if they had been, he was quite sure he would have been in the hospital wing by now.
He hurried to the great Hall, so that at least if they caught up with him, there would be witnesses around. He made for the Slytherin table, wondering briefly why they separated the houses during meal times, too. Nobody was at his table yet. He didn't feel like sitting alone, that would make him an easy target. So he looked around, and saw a pretty dark-haired girl sitting alone at the Ravenclaw table. He walked over to her, only vaguely aware of the Slytherin serpent patch sewn into his robes. "Hi, there," he said conversationally. She looked up at him. Her eyes first stopped on the snake, before drifting up to his face, and further to his forehead. She looked like she was about to tell him off, though he couldn't be sure, so he continued quickly. "Seeing as how we're basically the only two here, and I have an army of Slytherins out to have my head, I was wondering if I could sit over here for the time being. You know, until the Hall starts to fill up?"
The girl looked at him, unsure for a moment. Harry blushed slightly. She was pretty. He was taken aback by his own nerve to talk to her at all. But, at last, to Harry's great relief, she smiled. "Well, sure. If you've got Slytherins down your neck, then you're a friend. Harry Potter, right? I'm Cho Chang," she smiled, her teeth sparkling like perfectly even pearls, "You know, you gave the school quite a shock the other night. Being sorted into Slytherin. I mean," Harry felt embarrassed as her eyes looked him up and down, "you don't exactly seem like Slytherin material."
Harry smiled at her. "Well, I might be more than you think. I mean, look at me now? Talking to you, an older girl, on my second day here, with the nerve to come and sit at another House's table? That sounds like a pretty cocky Slytherin move to me."
She laughed softly. "Yeah, but most Slytherins wouldn't want to come to another table. And besides, you don't talk down to me. That's different than any Slytherin I've known." She smiled that astonishing smile again.
They both turned around suddenly, when they heard the doors to the Great Hall fly open. Students began pouring in. Harry spotted his Slytherin friends in the bunch. "You know," he said for what seemed like the billionth time, even if it has only been to himself before, "not all Slytherins are like that. Only the ones that people choose to notice."
And with a smile and a nod, he excused himself from the table, and ran and caught up with Patricia and the others, sitting down next to them. "Well, aren't we in a good mood today?" smiled Olga. Harry laughed. "Not what you would expect after what I went through earlier," a sudden shadow clouded his brow. He related the events in the Slytherin common room.
Afterwards, they all looked at him in a sort of stunned adoration. "Boy, I don't see why you aren't in Gryffindor, 'cause that took some courage," said Sean at last, with a low whistle.
Patricia nodded. "It explains why we saw you 'fraternizing with the enemy', at least," she added with definite sarcastic tones. "Ravenclaw might have been fine for you, too. Smart move, seeking out a witness. Those goons aren't brave enough to attack in front of people. And besides," she too smiled, conspiratorially, "I think you might have enjoyed the company more," she said, looking over Harry's shoulder.
Harry followed her gaze, and saw Cho quickly turn away. She had been watching him. Harry felt himself turn red. "Oh come on!" he said, in feigned disgust, "hardly! I hardly know her! She's only...it's just because...because I'm not what she expected."
Sean nodded seriously, "Indeed, mate. But that don't mean she doesn't like what she sees!"
Harry eyed them all. "You lot are disturbed, you know that?" He laughed happily.
"So, what's your schedule, Harry?" asked Olga interestedly.
Harry concentrated, trying to remember without looking. "Let's see. Before lunch..I've got
Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology, and..." he thought for a moment,
"Oh, right. Potions."
Harry watched them wince slightly, before putting on large false smiles. "What?" Harry asked, somewhat scared and annoyed. "Come on now, why'd you all do that? When I said Potions? What's wrong with that?"
They exchanged looks, before Patricia, who seemed to have drawn the short straw, answered. "Harry," she asked, "do you know who teaches Potions?"
Harry tried to remember. "Professor...Professor...Snape, isn't it?"
Patricia nodded. "Well, Harry, Snape is the head of Slytherin house. And he's not exactly a...good man. I mean, he's all right to us," she glanced around at the others who nodded weakly, "because we're Slytherins. Normally he saves the worst for the other students. But, you see, we saw Snape last night, when you couldn't, right when the hat had told you where to go, and when you were heading towards us. Harry, he didn't seem happy to see you at all. He sort of...glared at you the whole time. And then when you were put in Slytherin, he looked like he wanted to spit on you the whole time. He hardly stopped looking at you. Sorry, mate," she said, truly apologetically, "but you seemed to have crossed him already, and he's not a good man to get on your bad side."
Harry was appalled by this piece of information. He had noticed one of the staff looking at him, but thought nothing of it. A lot of people had been looking at him. He had been a greasy black haired, hooked nosed man. And he agreed. He definitely didn't look like the sort he wanted to cross. "Oh no," Harry moaned, putting his head down in his hands, and grabbing fistfuls of his hair.
"Harry," said Sean, "just don't do anything to upset him. Really. Be extra- attentive. Kiss his wrinkled old--" he appeared to catch himself "--feet-- if you have to. Take notes of everything he says. Be sure to do everything exactly the way he says. But do not," he looked pleadingly at Harry, "I repeat, do not volunteer any information. Be a super-suck-up when you have to, but otherwise, keep as low a profile as possible. But on the brighter side," Sean began, with a definite note of cheeriness in his voice, "your other classes are just fine! Flitwick and Sprout are great, and McGonnagal's rather strict, but if you keep in line, you'll get on fine. And, blimey, Harry! Don't let Snape get you down! It's your first true day at Hogwarts. Live it up."
And with a few more bites of marmalade and toast, the bell rang, sending them off to their classes. "And HARRY!" called Olga, as she was carried away by the crowd, "stay away from your Slytherins...!" Harry waved after her, and set off to find his classroom.
"But, most important of all, the ones who realizes that being magical, without a magical family, hardly counts at all," he looked at Harry again, watching his expression carefully, which was suddenly showing interest. "Yes, Harry. In Slytherin you find those of noble, ancient blood and lineage. None of those nasty little mudbloods mucking up our good name," the two sitting in the armchairs looked at Harry's lack of emotion and shared a look that suggested they were about to get something they badly wanted. "And, Harry, we know that you're only a half-blood, and we're very sorry about that, but we don't think that you should feel that you need to go around fraternizing with," he lowered his voice importantly, "blood traitors and Muggle-borns because of it. You're welcome here, Harry, and we invite you to join the true Slytherins. That prestigious position doesn't come around twice in a lifetime."
Harry could hardly believe that they were doing this to him. But he didn't show it, at first, he didn't want to tangle with people so much older and, let's face it, bigger than him. But the comment suggesting that he should be ashamed of his mother being Muggle-born, him saying that that didn't really count as magical, that had tweaked him. The rest of his 'invitation' just topped it off. "So you're saying," Harry began, fighting to keep his voice even, so bad was his anger, "that you think I am ashamed of having a Muggle-born mother? You think I should be ashamed of hanging around people who don't believe I should be? You think I should be ashamed of 'mucking up' Slytherin's good name for being a 'half-blood'? Well, let me tell you, I am ashamed," he pointed an accusing finger at them, his voice rising with his temper, "of being associated with people like you! With people who think that just because I'm in Slytherin," he paused for breath, "that I'm going to be ashamed of my mother, my blood, and my friends."
And Harry turned on his heel, and marched toward the doorway, before they had known what had happened. As he ran down the corridor, and up the stairs toward the Great Hall, Harry was thankful that Slytherins weren't selected for their wits, because if they had been, he was quite sure he would have been in the hospital wing by now.
He hurried to the great Hall, so that at least if they caught up with him, there would be witnesses around. He made for the Slytherin table, wondering briefly why they separated the houses during meal times, too. Nobody was at his table yet. He didn't feel like sitting alone, that would make him an easy target. So he looked around, and saw a pretty dark-haired girl sitting alone at the Ravenclaw table. He walked over to her, only vaguely aware of the Slytherin serpent patch sewn into his robes. "Hi, there," he said conversationally. She looked up at him. Her eyes first stopped on the snake, before drifting up to his face, and further to his forehead. She looked like she was about to tell him off, though he couldn't be sure, so he continued quickly. "Seeing as how we're basically the only two here, and I have an army of Slytherins out to have my head, I was wondering if I could sit over here for the time being. You know, until the Hall starts to fill up?"
The girl looked at him, unsure for a moment. Harry blushed slightly. She was pretty. He was taken aback by his own nerve to talk to her at all. But, at last, to Harry's great relief, she smiled. "Well, sure. If you've got Slytherins down your neck, then you're a friend. Harry Potter, right? I'm Cho Chang," she smiled, her teeth sparkling like perfectly even pearls, "You know, you gave the school quite a shock the other night. Being sorted into Slytherin. I mean," Harry felt embarrassed as her eyes looked him up and down, "you don't exactly seem like Slytherin material."
Harry smiled at her. "Well, I might be more than you think. I mean, look at me now? Talking to you, an older girl, on my second day here, with the nerve to come and sit at another House's table? That sounds like a pretty cocky Slytherin move to me."
She laughed softly. "Yeah, but most Slytherins wouldn't want to come to another table. And besides, you don't talk down to me. That's different than any Slytherin I've known." She smiled that astonishing smile again.
They both turned around suddenly, when they heard the doors to the Great Hall fly open. Students began pouring in. Harry spotted his Slytherin friends in the bunch. "You know," he said for what seemed like the billionth time, even if it has only been to himself before, "not all Slytherins are like that. Only the ones that people choose to notice."
And with a smile and a nod, he excused himself from the table, and ran and caught up with Patricia and the others, sitting down next to them. "Well, aren't we in a good mood today?" smiled Olga. Harry laughed. "Not what you would expect after what I went through earlier," a sudden shadow clouded his brow. He related the events in the Slytherin common room.
Afterwards, they all looked at him in a sort of stunned adoration. "Boy, I don't see why you aren't in Gryffindor, 'cause that took some courage," said Sean at last, with a low whistle.
Patricia nodded. "It explains why we saw you 'fraternizing with the enemy', at least," she added with definite sarcastic tones. "Ravenclaw might have been fine for you, too. Smart move, seeking out a witness. Those goons aren't brave enough to attack in front of people. And besides," she too smiled, conspiratorially, "I think you might have enjoyed the company more," she said, looking over Harry's shoulder.
Harry followed her gaze, and saw Cho quickly turn away. She had been watching him. Harry felt himself turn red. "Oh come on!" he said, in feigned disgust, "hardly! I hardly know her! She's only...it's just because...because I'm not what she expected."
Sean nodded seriously, "Indeed, mate. But that don't mean she doesn't like what she sees!"
Harry eyed them all. "You lot are disturbed, you know that?" He laughed happily.
"So, what's your schedule, Harry?" asked Olga interestedly.
Harry concentrated, trying to remember without looking. "Let's see. Before lunch..I've got
Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology, and..." he thought for a moment,
"Oh, right. Potions."
Harry watched them wince slightly, before putting on large false smiles. "What?" Harry asked, somewhat scared and annoyed. "Come on now, why'd you all do that? When I said Potions? What's wrong with that?"
They exchanged looks, before Patricia, who seemed to have drawn the short straw, answered. "Harry," she asked, "do you know who teaches Potions?"
Harry tried to remember. "Professor...Professor...Snape, isn't it?"
Patricia nodded. "Well, Harry, Snape is the head of Slytherin house. And he's not exactly a...good man. I mean, he's all right to us," she glanced around at the others who nodded weakly, "because we're Slytherins. Normally he saves the worst for the other students. But, you see, we saw Snape last night, when you couldn't, right when the hat had told you where to go, and when you were heading towards us. Harry, he didn't seem happy to see you at all. He sort of...glared at you the whole time. And then when you were put in Slytherin, he looked like he wanted to spit on you the whole time. He hardly stopped looking at you. Sorry, mate," she said, truly apologetically, "but you seemed to have crossed him already, and he's not a good man to get on your bad side."
Harry was appalled by this piece of information. He had noticed one of the staff looking at him, but thought nothing of it. A lot of people had been looking at him. He had been a greasy black haired, hooked nosed man. And he agreed. He definitely didn't look like the sort he wanted to cross. "Oh no," Harry moaned, putting his head down in his hands, and grabbing fistfuls of his hair.
"Harry," said Sean, "just don't do anything to upset him. Really. Be extra- attentive. Kiss his wrinkled old--" he appeared to catch himself "--feet-- if you have to. Take notes of everything he says. Be sure to do everything exactly the way he says. But do not," he looked pleadingly at Harry, "I repeat, do not volunteer any information. Be a super-suck-up when you have to, but otherwise, keep as low a profile as possible. But on the brighter side," Sean began, with a definite note of cheeriness in his voice, "your other classes are just fine! Flitwick and Sprout are great, and McGonnagal's rather strict, but if you keep in line, you'll get on fine. And, blimey, Harry! Don't let Snape get you down! It's your first true day at Hogwarts. Live it up."
And with a few more bites of marmalade and toast, the bell rang, sending them off to their classes. "And HARRY!" called Olga, as she was carried away by the crowd, "stay away from your Slytherins...!" Harry waved after her, and set off to find his classroom.