Title: Legacy
Author: Shutsumon
Pairings: None yet. We'll see in the sequels.
Summary: How would Harry's life have been different if Petunia had acted like a Human being, if Dudley had been a wizard too and if Lily had left a legacy for her beloved son? How would it have been the same? Just another AU of book 1.

A/N: Unbeta'd… I wanted to get it up because it's been so long. Oh, and I now have a forum on and a yahoo group you can join if you want to nag me between updates. In fact I'd be grateful if you did. I respond well to nagging. The forum can be found on my user page and the group is shutsumons-writings (the full URL can be found on the forum). Not the best chapter I've wriiten, sorry.

Disclaimer: Belongs to JKR not me.

LEGACY

Chapter Five

Sorted

The great doors opens immediately and Harry saw Professor McGonagall standing there in her emerald green robes and looking stern as always.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid said.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." Se replied and led them into the castle. As they walked through the entrance hall Harry heard Dudley's soft choke.

"Our whole house would fit in here!"

"And then some." He agreed under his breath. Everyone was looking around, trying to make out the distant ceiling, craning their necks to look into the main hall where the older students already were or staring up the marble staircase. The professor led them into a small side chamber and then made a short speech, which Harry listened to intently. about the houses and the sorting before telling them to wait there until she came to fetch them. After she left everyone started talking about the sorting and what sort of test it would be. His mother's diary hadn't been specific – though a magical hat was involved somehow. Apparently no one else even knew that much. He wondered briefly why was the test such a big secret.

"Well it can't be that hard." He said logically even though his stomach was churning. "I mean no one has ever got here and failed to be sorted have they?"

"Of course not!" It was Hermione Granger who answered. "I wonder what spell I'll need…" She broke off as several people, including Dudley, screamed because silvery ghosts ha begun streaming into the room. They seemed to be arguing about someone called Peeves who wasn't a 'real ghost' until they noticed the first years anyway – at which point they became the topic of discussion until Professor McGonagall returned and led them into the Great Hall.

Harry could feeling himself gawking again at the sight of a hall large enough to seat all of Hogwarts students and staff in comfort. Not wanting to look like an awestruck fool he carefully composed his expression and looked around again. There were several hundred students divided roughly equally between the four house tables with the silvery ghosts dotted among them. Noticing that several of his fellow students were staring upwards with what he could only describe as gob-smacked expressions he looked up and could not repress a gasp. It looked for all the world like the room was roofless. Instead of a ceiling there seemed to be just black, star filled sky but he knew that was impossible… there were rooms above the Great Hall. He had seen them from the outside.

"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History." Hermione whispered.

That small mystery satisfactorily explained Harry made a mental note to obtain a copy of that book as soon as possible and turned his attention back to Professor McGonagall as she silently placed a tatty hat that did not look at all like a powerful magical artefact on a stool. Then it started singing to them about the houses and how it would sort them by looking inside their heads and seeing where they fitted which rather dispelled that impression. As the hat finished singing Harry could hear a relieved Ron muttering about how Fred had told him that he would have to wrestle a troll.

Meanwhile Professor McGonagall unrolled a scroll and started reading out names in alphabetical order. The first two girls went to Hufflepuff and then 'Boot, Terry' and 'Brocklehurst, Mandy' both went to Ravenclaw, 'Brown, Lavender' was the first new Gryffindor and 'Bulstrode, Millicent' became a Slytherin. Draco Malfoy's friend Crabbe also went to Slytherin and then it was Dudley's turn. He looked very nervous as he approached the stool as if he expected the hat to bite. The hat only ruminated for a few moments before declaring "Gryffindor".

Harry suppressed a smirk. He had seen that coming – his cousin was no intellectual so Ravenclaw had been out, he was obviously no Slytherin and even though he had the pride down pat the teamwork orientated nature of Helga Hufflepuff's house would have killed him. His cousin only co-operated with people if it involved beating someone up. The hat was right Gryffindor was the only place for Dudley.

Hermione Granger went to Gryffindor and then it was Daphne's turn. She winked at Harry as she walked past him and was soon on her way to the Slytherin table. Neville Longbottom went to Gryffindor – though it took some time to decide with him. Harry suspected that the other boy did not believe himself and the delay was likely caused by him protesting that he wasn't brave enough for Godric's House. A few more people were called and then it was Harry's turn. He took a deep breath as Professor McGonagall called.

"Potter, Harry."

He walked to the stool with a confidence he did not feel and tried to ignore the outburst of whispers that his name had provoked. As the hat dropped over his eyes he could see everyone staring at him. Then everything went black.

"Hmm… difficult – very difficult. You have plenty of courage. You're intelligent and talented, very talented… and you want to prove yourself and…" There was a pause. "Now that's interesting!"

"What is?" Harry asked.

"Never mind." The Hat replied. "It's only tangential to sorting you… you'd fit anywhere except Hufflepuff with a minimum of fuss. So where shall I put you?"

Harry considered the question. "I'm really not bright enough for Ravenclaw." He said after a moment and was startled at the denigrating sound that the Hat made at that comment. "Now I would fit in Gryffindor" He conceded. "And it's certainly where people would expect me to be given my history. I'd certainly be safer there than in Slytherin but Dudley is in Gryffindor and my cousin and I have – um – issues. Anyway even though I don't like him I can see that that would not be fair on him. He's going have a hard enough time adapting to being known as the cousin of 'the boy who lived' without having to share a dorm with him. Anyway Gryffindor House has a good reputation that it only partly deserves." He paused again as the hat made an amused sound that sounded like a laugh.

"And Slytherin?" It prompted.

"Well by contrast Slytherin is a House with a bad reputation it only partly deserves . Given the amount of prejudice people would probably freak out and think I might be the next Voldemort since had the power to get rid of him as a baby. It might be dangerous for me as well since some of the kids will have parents who see me as an enemy for defeating their master. But forewarned is forearmed and being in Slytherin might give me a chance to steal at least some potential followers from under Voldemort's nose – I'm sure he's not dead and will be back at some point."

"That's an astute summation of the Situation. You should not sell your intelligence short so. I am very tempted to put you in Ravenclaw just to prove this to you but I doubt that you'd settle there quite as well as you would in Gryffindor or Slytherin. You would thrive in Gryffindor – never doubt it – but the history with Mr Dursley might cause both of you problems. And given that you've now proved that you are ambitious and cunning enough to consider the political moves you need to make to defeat your enemy I think that on the balance of things I'll put you in Slytherin." And the last word was shouted to the room at large. As he lifted his hands to remove the hat it added another comment for him alone. "Anyway you'll be as good for Slytherin as it will be for you."

Harry raised an eyebrow at that as he handed the hat to Professor McGonagall and turned to walk towards the table. He hazarded a glance at the Gryffindor table as he passed it – they were the people most likely to take his placement badly. Most of them seemed relatively unconcerned – disappointed and surprised but not horrified. Percy the prefect however did look horrified – with a good chunk of shock, anger and disgust mixed in. Harry had the feeling that he had just made an enemy there. Dudley, on the other hand, looked relieved.

The Slytherin table seemed surprised as well. They were clapping enthusiastically – most of them anyway – but quite a few looked shocked. He walked round the table and found a seat next to Daphne who grinned at him.

"Well done, Harry." She whispered as he turned his attention to the high table. The only two teachers that he recognised were Dumbledore and Quirrell – who had started wearing a huge turban for some reason. He turned his attention back to the sorting in time to see Ron sorted into Gryffindor. The red haired boy glanced across at him with a thoughtful frown as he walked over to join his housemates and sat down next to Dudley. Finally "Zabini, Blaise" became a Slytherin and took a seat next to Harry as Professor McGonagall took the hat away.

Professor Dumbledore got to his feet as Harry's stomach rumbled. He was beaming at the students and Harry could tell that it was a genuine smile. No wonder he was the headmaster – education delighted this man.

"Welcome!" He said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

Harry raised his eyebrows and applauded politely.

"Our headmaster is just a little crazy." One of the prefects said as he caught Harry's expression. Harry considered this.

"Crazy like the fox, you mean." He said after a moment. The fifth year gave him a questioning look. "Real crazy people don't act like that. He's very eccentric I'm sure but he knows what he's doing. He wants people to think he's crazy."

"Perceptive." The Prefect murmured and Harry got the feeling that he'd just passed some sort of test as the Prefect extended his hand. "Elias Merryweather." He paused and then added. "You were raised by your mother's muggle relatives weren't you?"

"By my mother's sister, yes." Harry agreed as he shook Elias's hand. The prefect nodded and turned to Daphne. "Your mother was Lily Evan's sponsor wasn't she?"

"She was."

"Well technically Harry doesn't need a sponsor because he's a half-blood but could you look after him since he won't know his way round wizarding culture? Make sure he doesn't make any major mistakes?"

"Of course I can." She nodded.

"Thanks!" Harry said.

"Not a problem." Elias said. "Potatoes?"

"Thanks!" Harry blinked at the feast that had appeared before them for a moment before he began piling food onto his plate. As he ate he glanced round the table and noticed that Draco Malfoy looked rather unhappy with the seating arrangements – probably because he was seated next to a rather nasty looking ghost.

"That's the Bloody Baron." Elias explained. "He's our house ghost. Each of the houses have one." He gestured to the Gryffindor table where a ghost had just swung his head off his shoulders revealing it was attached by only a little bit of flesh. "That's Nearly Headless Nick – he's their ghost. He's okay actually. Apparently death mellows them." Several students at the table laughed at that. "Anyway the Grey Lady is the Ravenclaw ghost and the Fat Friar the Hufflepuff one."

"I see." Harry turned his attention back to the food.

After they had eaten as much as they could of the main course an equally extravagant array of desserts appeared. By this time Harry was feeling warm and sleepy and wondering how soon they would be able to go to bed. He glanced up at the High Table again and his eyes were drawn to Professor Quirrell – mostly because of that stupid turban – who was talking to another teacher and did not look especially pleased to be in the conversation. Harry was about to ask Elias who the various teachers were when the teacher who was talking to Professor Quirrell suddenly looked over and met Harry's eyes. As he did a sharp ain shot through the scar on Harry's forehead.

"Ouch." Harry clapped a hand to his scar and began to rub it.

"Are you okay?" Daphne asked.

"I'm fine." He replied because the pain had subsided almost immediately but Daphne didn't seen convinced.

"Does it hurt often?" She asked in a low voice.

"What?" he replied equally quietly.

"Your scar does it hurt like that often?"

"No, not really." He frowned. "In fact I've never felt anything like that before. Why?"

"Hmmm… I suppose it could be reacting to the high concentration of magic a place like Hogwarts has. Curse scars are weird at the best of times and yours is unique. Goodness knows what to expect from it." She looked away thoughtfully.

"I see." Harry turned his attention back to his treacle tart.

A little later when the desserts gad vanished Dumbledore got to his feet and started giving out notices. Most of them were – once you allowed for the fact that this was a school for magic – quite mundane really but the last one caught his attention.

"And finally I must tell you that this year the third floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death."

Harry blinked and stared.

"So that's it? No explanation?" He muttered.

"It's a bit odd." Elias agreed. "He usually explains restrictions like that. It must be something he doesn't want anyone to know about." He paused then and a faint hint of malice entered his tone. "Weasley must be choking not to have been told what's going on." Harry thought that he might say more but he was interrupted by Dumbledore announcing the school song. The rest of the staff looked rather unenthusiastic at the prospect and once the cacophony was over Harry rather knew why.

Dumbledore dismissed them then and Elias led the Slytherin first years down into the castle dungeons that housed the Slytherin Common room and dorms apparently. The prefect paused in front a bare piece of wall. "Okay, the password is "whippoorwill"." He said and a hidden door slid open. He led them inside and on into the first year boys' dormitory. They descended another short flight of steps into a room with five four-poster beds with green velvet curtains. There was a trunk a the foot of each bed.

Harry found the bed with his trunk at the end between the beds claimed by Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott. He pulled out his pyjamas and began to get ready for bed when the sound of someone clearing his throat caught his attention. The teacher who had been talking to Quirrell stood in the doorway." He looking at Harry in an appraising manner as if he was not quite sure what to make of him. "Normally I would not feel the need to do this but the circumstances are unusual." He looked at Harry a moment longer and Harry realised that his being in Slytherin was the unusual circumstance. "Please don't do anything precipitous in the next week." His eyes swept round the room and they all nodded. Snape seemed satisfied with that and left."

"What the hell." Blaise burst out once he had left. "Does he really think that we're going to kill you before The Binding."

"It seems so." Harry nodded. He knew what the Binding was from his mother's diary. After that he should be safe and after Snape's warning he should be safe anyway. No one said anything else and they were all soon asleep.

He woke again a couple of hours later after a strange dream. He'd been wearing that stupid turban of Quirrell's and it was talking to him. It told him that he was quite right to choose Slytherin and that he should now fulfil the rest of his destiny by letting him in. Harry had decided that he neither liked nor trusted the turban. There was something familiar about the high, cold voice though he couldn't place it so he said no. The turban had stated to become heavier and the voice more insistent but Harry kept refusing. At this point the turban turned into a snake and began to try and throttle him. Harry struggled to pull it off and was just getting a grip when someone else was there and they reached out and helped him peel it away. Whoever it was he couldn't see them but he could feel their hands over his. Once they got the snake free of his neck Harry flung it away violently and looked around for the person who had helped him but they had gone. It was at this point he came awake.

He lay awake for a while musing over the dream and what it might mean before rolling over and falling back to sleep. When he woke again the dream was forgotten.

---

R&R and please nag me on the group or on the ff forum please. I need nagging to keep up momentum. Flames and death threats will be laughed at.