The revelation of who his parents really were, the knowledge of the Dark wizard who killed them, his fortune locked within the bowels of Gringotts, and the revealing of his being a wizard - all of these things had hit Harry James Potter like a bullet.
The eleven year old was grateful to have had Hagrid helping before his term started, and Hermione at his side during Potions. Snape's predilection for Slytherins was more than apparent, and Harry knew that Snape's nastiness towards him was more acidic than any amount he sent towards the other Gryffindors. But he wasn't exactly foreign to the cold treatment of adults...
Harry and Ron's conversation echoed down the corridors amid their walk back to the Gryffindor common room.
Ron snorted. "My brothers were a couple of gits long before they donned their Slytherin robes. Like I said before, nearly everyone in our family has been in Gryffindor, our parents and other siblings included. Mum and dad aren't really bothered with them belonging to Slytherin, not when there is so much worse to their personalities than that!"
"I take it you don't get along well with them?" Harry rhetorically asked with a smirk.
"I just can't put my finger on what they're up to and why they want Granger involved?"
Harry could see no reason to view Hermione associating with Fred and George strange; the three of them were in the same House, after all.
A week ago during study hall, Hermione had introduced Harry and Ron to the triplets she shared a dorm with. Midway into their conversation as they sat at the wooden table with books and papers scattered atop it, the girls explained to Harry the meaning of the word Mudblood.
"That's horrible," Harry had hissed.
"It shouldn't really be taken to heart, though," Lucie said. "Malfoy isn't fond of us either."
This took Hermione by surprise, as the sisters were Purebloods themselves. "Why is that?"
"We're what Malfoy and his gang of pretentious swots call Blood Traitors," Lizzie replied. "There aren't many Purebloods left, and those who don't agree with blood purity are labeled that by the wizards that do."
"We're proud to be Purebloods, but no one in our family gives a Centaur's hind leg about persecuting Muggle-borns or preserving purity. We neither endorse nor discriminate them," Laurie said with a shrug.
"Well I know not all Slytherins are bad," Harry said when he and Ron reached the Fat Lady's portrait. "I met a few more of them days ago."
Harry and Ron entered the common room. Ron was about to challenge Harry to a game of Wizard's Chess when the two of them noticed a cat sitting near the fireplace.
"Mrs. Norris?" Harry gasped. The cat turned and looked at the two boys with her yellow, lamp-like eyes. Harry walked over and gently scooped up the feline in his arms. "How'd you get in here?"
Scabbers rushed out from under one of the chairs to the safety of Ron's pant leg. His owner hastily picked him up. "Chasing after Scabbers again, eh? You wretched little throw rug! Hope you slip should you decide to chase an owl to the top of Ravenclaw's tower!"
Harry knew that understanding Ron's words was impossible for the cat, but clearly her senses were able to discern the hostility they were tinged with. Thus, she sent him a hiss and wriggled in Harry's arms.
"Stop egging her on, Ron!" Harry barked, fighting to restrain Mrs. Norris. "Go up to our dorm and hide Scabbers. I'll take Mrs. Norris back to Filch."
"Safe trip, then," Ron stiffly replied. He kept a firm grip around Scabbers's body and a watchful eye on Mrs. Norris before scuttling off to the boys' dormitories.