Disclaimer: Don't own it! If I did, I would be making money. /opens wallet and moths fly out/ No money. No ownie.
Chapter 4: And So It Begins…
On September 1st the Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogsmeade station. The first years stumbled out of the train and were herded away by the groundskeeper Hagrid. Chatting amiably, the older years ambled up the path to the horseless carriages and were carried up to the castle.
The Weasley twins, Fred and George, were one of the first to reach the castle and bound inside. As they went through the entrance hall, they saw a first year standing by the base of the marble staircase. Curious, they wandered towards him, seeing once they got up close that he looked more like an eight-year-old than a boy of eleven. But he was wearing the school robes, so was therefore a first year and not just some straying child.
"Hey," said George, "shouldn't you be with Hagrid?"
The first year shook his dark head and replied, "They know I'm here."
"Who?" asked Fred, nudging his twin aside to peer at the boy.
"The Headmaster. Professor McGonagall. Professor Snape. A few others."
"Snape?"
The emerald eyes that shone from underneath the shock of dark hair hardened suddenly and the first year snarled, "If you have a problem with Severus, take it up with me now."
The twins looked at each other and unanimously decided not to push this first year. Especially not one who knew the most hated Hogwarts professor by his first name.
"No problem," said George hurriedly. He then held out his hand and added, "I'm George Weasley."
Fred bumped his twin aside with a grin and held out his hand.
"Fred Weasley."
The first year smiled slightly and took both their hands, shaking them vigorously.
"Pleasure. I'm Harry Potter."
Fred and George's jaws dropped two feet.
"Cor blimey."
"Your shite'n us."
Harry shook his head slowly.
"Blimey," breathed Fred. "Well, its nice to meet you, Harry. Hope to see you in Gryffindor."
"Yeah," echoed George as the twins began to walk towards the Great Hall. Harry waved at them then sighed and smiled. He liked the twins.
But he doubted that he'd be in Gryffindor.
All of a sudden, the other first years came in and Harry was caught up in their swarming mass. He bustled up against a boy with slicked back blonde hair and caused them both to stumble slightly.
"Sorry…"
"Watch where you're going!" snapped the boy. He sneered and added in a voice that Harry wasn't supposed to hear, "Mudblood scum."
The hairs on the back of Harry's neck bristled and he said, "You must be a Pureblood."
The boy looked down his nose at him.
"What's it to you?"
"Oh, nothing. I was just wondering how far your head was up your arse. Can you see your lungs yet?"
Laughter erupted around them as the blonde boy turned pink and someone clapped Harry on the shoulder.
"Good show!"
"Got him good!"
"Yo ho!"
A girl with bushy brown hair rolled her eyes at them and shook her head in a sad sort of way. Harry smiled slightly at her and she blinked before returning it. When Professor McGonagall came out to escort them into the Hall, she inched forward and walked beside him.
"The ceiling's bewitched," she whispered to him as they walked between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables.
"I know," replied Harry. "I've been here since August."
"Really? I'm jealous. I couldn't wait to get here!"
Harry smiled at her and asked, "Muggleborn?"
The girl frowned suddenly and snapped, "If you're going to make a comment like that Malfoy did…"
"No, no, no! I was raised by Muggles. I know how you feel."
"Oh. Sorry."
"S'alright. I'm Harry, by the way."
The girl smiled and said, "Hermione. Nice to meet you, Harry."
"You too. Shh, it's starting…"
The Sorting Hat sprang to life and sang its song, causing Hermione to squeal joyfully. Harry gave her an amused look and applauded lightly as the song finished and McGonagall began to call out the names of the first years. As he was further down the list, he scanned the faces at the Head Table.
All of the teachers were there…even Severus, which surprised the eleven-year-old. For his entire stay at Hogwarts, neither he nor Severus had ever dined with the other staff. He'd thought that Severus always ate alone. Apparently that was not so…
"Granger, Hermione!"
Hermione squeaked and clutched at Harry's arm before she bounded forward. McGonagall plopped the Hat on her head and a moment later it bellowed out its decision.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
A grinning Hermione raced over to the scarlet table…but turned back to wave at Harry. The dark-haired boy smiled at the realization that he had made another friend.
About twenty names later, Harry's name was called.
And the Hall exploded in whispers.
Harry ignored them as he strode forward, confidently taking his seat on the school. He saw the staring faces of the students before the Hat covered his eyes.
"Sidhe!" exclaimed the Hat. "I thought all the Halflings were dead…"
"I think I'm the last," said Harry. "Please don't tell anyone. No one can know."
"No one shall get it from me, lad. Now let's see…you're cunning. Very cunning. And ambitious."
"That's Severus' fault."
"Oh no," said the Hat with a smile in its voice. "This is all you. You are very brave too. Gryffindor COULD be a suitable House but I think…or perhaps…no, no, it must be…yes, yes."
"SLYTHERIN!"
Harry swept the Hat from his head and handed it to a very dumbstruck McGonagall. Smiling slightly at her, he walked towards his new House. As he sat down, he saw Hermione's sad expression and decided to have a talk with her after the Feast.
Not all Slytherin's were bad, after all. Severus was one and he wasn't horrid – at least not to Harry, he wasn't.
"So," said a sneering voice, "you're the mighty Harry Potter. A defender of the Mudblood's."
Harry turned slowly to face the cold gray eyes of the blonde boy from earlier. He'd learned that the boy was Draco Malfoy – a family name that Severus had told him to beware of. They were horribly loyal to Voldemort and wouldn't think twice of turning him over should the Dark Lord ever return to power.
"That'd be me," replied Harry coolly, not rising to Draco's bait. "And you're Draco Malfoy."
Draco's nose wrinkled.
"So you know me…"
"I know your surname. You're not important."
Draco colored and Harry smirked. Severus had been right. The Malfoy's had a Dark creature in their bloodline – he could sense it. Veela and vampire, whispered a part of his mind.
Ooo, that was an interesting combination. And no wonder that hair was so blonde…
Dumbledore stood suddenly as McGonagall took the Hat away and Harry turned his attention towards the old wizard. As it did every time, his senses screamed that there was something wrong about the old wizard.
It just couldn't figure out what it was.
"Hey, Hermione!"
Hermione turned and blinked as she saw Harry shoving his way past a group of Ravenclaw second years. She hissed, "What are you doing? You won't be able to get to your common room!"
Harry just shrugged and said, "I can go bug Sev for the password. I'll get it out of him eventually. I wanted to talk to you."
"About…"
"About this House thing. I bet you read a lot before you can here."
Hermione nodded and Harry grinned at being right.
"So you read about the – er, differences – between Slytherin and Gryffindor?"
Hermione nodded again and said, "Yes."
"Well," said Harry, "I want you to know that that's a load of bollocks. I mean, are we really supposed to carry on a grudge that's been lasting for over a thousand years? It's bonkers."
"I know. So…"
"Friends?" asked Harry extending his hand. "No matter what?"
Hermione grinned and grabbed his offered hand, chirping, "Friends no matter what!"
"Oi!" yelled the Gryffindor Prefect who had a crop of bright red hair that reminded Harry of the Weasley twins. "You, Granger! Let's go!"
"I'll talk to you later," said Harry as he caught the Slytherin Prefect leading the first years down into the dungeons out of the corner of his eye.
"Okay," said Hermione, grinning at him before she ran off to join her classmates.
Harry smiled slightly then turned and walked after the Slytherins. When he caught up with them, Draco looked down his nose at him.
"Slumming, Potter?"
"Sod off, Malfoy," snapped a dark-haired girl with fierce brown eyes. She smiled at Harry and said, "I'm Blaise. Blaise Zabini."
"Harry Potter."
"I know," said Blaise, winking at him. When Draco rolled his eyes, she slapped his shoulder.
"Oo, Blaise, I didn't know you felt that way…"
"Back off, Malfoy, or lose a body part."
Harry chuckled then laughed even harder when the Prefect gave the 'password' to the blank wall that hid the entrance to the halls of Slytherin. Severus had apparently not changed the password on the door to match the one he'd given the Prefect. So the old one must still hold…
"Dead men tell no tales," said Harry in a loud but slightly ominous voice. He chuckled mentally as he remembered Severus choosing that password because of the pirate novel he had been reading at the time.
When the door slid open, the Prefect turned on Harry and pulled him out of the group.
"How'd you know it?" the older boy demanded.
"I've been here since August," replied Harry.
The Prefect frowned and Harry used his confusion as an opportunity to escape. He found his way into the first year dorms and saw that all of the things he'd had in his rooms in the dungeons was there. All except for his Nimbus 2000.
"Stupid rules," he muttered before he flopped down on the bed. Hedwig hooted and flapped down to perch on his chest, her head swiveling around towards Draco as the other boy entered.
"Who?"
Draco jumped, causing Harry to laugh. He stroked the feathers on the owl's back and said, "Draco Malfoy, Hed. You remember the Malfoy's, don't you?"
Hedwig hissed and rustled her feathers, shifting her taloned feet. Draco glared at her then at Harry.
"Talking to an owl, Potter? How immature."
"Less immature than a boy who thinks he's a man," said Harry in response. "I know what I am, Draco. It'd be best if you learned what you are."
Draco bristled and started to say something but was cut off as Harry sat up and pulled the curtains around his bed shut. The dark-haired teen smiled and rolled onto his side as Hedwig hopped back up to her perch on the headboard.
"Night, Hed," he murmured.
"T'who."
Harry smiled, eyes closing as his left arm lifted up into the air. He traced a circle in the air with one finger, blackness flowing in its wake. When the circle was whole he whispered something in a long dead language before breaking the circle with one clean sweep of his finger. The darkness writhed then flowed out to cover the inner side of the curtains in a shimmering curtain of darkness. Lights like stars twinkled in its depths and Harry's eyes opened once to look at it before sleep took him.