It was a hat stall.
Students and professors alike looked around anxiously. Soon the students began to whisper. And then it was all anyone could hear. It was deafening.
Slytherin, darling.
But I'm not cunning. Harry argued.
Yes, you are. You can outwit that gastly cousin of yours.
He's stupid to begin with.
"Difficult, very difficult." The hat whispered into his ear. "Where to put you? You could be great, you know."
This bloody hat isn't helping. Harry wanted to take it off.
"Oh? Well decide where you want to go."
Slytherin. Tom was adamant.
Fine. Whatever. Harry gave in. Anything to get out of this hat stall.
"SLYTHERIN!"
Silence.
Tentatively Harry took off the hat to see the whole school was in shock. And with as much grace an eleven year old could possess, Harry handed the hat back to Professor McGonagall before making his way to the Slytherin table. He found himself a seat next to a boy with pale blond hair.
He could see Hermione at the Gryffindor table. She was staring at him confused. And that was when it finally clicked in Harry's head that something was wrong.
What did I just agree to, Tom?
The best House for your future, darling.
Harry didn't have time to ask further when Professor McGonagall recovered herself and continued on down the list. Soon the feast was to start and everyone that Harry had traveled on the train with were all sorted into Gryffindor.
Harry was too impressed with the food to concern himself about his possible friends. So he happily dug in. Although at one point he noticed the stares. Most of them were from the Gryffindor table. The Slytherins were watching him, too, but they at least made an attempt to talking amongst themselves.
"What you looking at, Weasley?" The boy next to him challenged when Ron wouldn't stop staring.
Ron's ears flushed red as his hair and he finally turned to his food. Soon the rest of the Gryffindors followed suit. Harry turned to the boy next to him for the first time.
"I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." The pale boy introduced.
His father was a Death Eater.
Again, how do you know all this?
I lived in that time period, darling. This was the first time Tom admitted this.
"Harry." He composed himself best he could.
"So how does it feel to be in Slytherin?"
"Why is that important? I had to argue with the hat. It didn't know where to put me." Harry wondered with genuine interest.
"Well, I mean, didn't you know?"
"Know what?" Harry didn't like to play mind games.
"Your parents were Gryffindor."
Suddenly his scar hurt. Harry winced, but he couldn't help but raise his hand to it. Weird. The scar never gave him pains before. He realized the people in the immediate vicinity of him took notice and stared. Some in concern, others curious.
"You all right?" Malfoy asked.
"Yeah. I'm fine." Harry brushed it off.
For the rest of the feast it was small talk. Harry learned very quickly that Malfoy was snobbish, and very proud of his family. To Harry it was a turn off. A few times he would catch the green on his robes and wonder if he really did have the right choice.
xXx
Despite Tom's confidence, Harry had a hard time adjusting in Slytherin House. He had an even harder time with classes. Not because he was horrible. No, he was gifted in just about every subject that came to magic. At one point he found himself in competition against Hermione, even though he didn't want everything to be a competition.
Then came potions.
Professor Snape quizzed him on the first day. Having already studied enough to prepare him for the subject, Harry answered all of them correctly. When he was done he stared up in wonder what this was all about.
Tom, why would he single me out?
There was Hermione, who proved herself to know everything. She was raising her hand high as she could with every question. And yet Snape still chose Harry.
I am just as puzzled as you are, darling.
"Ten points to Slytherin. Well, why aren't you all writing this down?" Snape eyed the class.
The students were quick to gather up their notebooks and quills and hurriedly began scribbling. From here on Harry had even harder time finding his clique of friends.
He was too picky to pick a group as his friends, so he was quickly an outcast. Then things took a turn when he started hanging out with other first years outside of Slytherin House. The first was Hermione, when she was made an outcast too.
"You're trying too hard." Harry pointed out to her one day.
"And you're not trying hard enough." She countered, but blushed all the same.
"I know what I want and no one has yet to fit those requirements." Harry shrugged.
"Which are?" Hermione asked, and behind her Malfoy listened. He just happened to be passing by when he caught part of the conversation.
"Nothing special. Just forget where you come from and be real with yourself. It doesn't matter to me if anyone is pureblood or muggleborn." Harry said, knowing full well that Malfoy was listening.
And so Hermione was among the first to spend time with Harry. Following her insistence was Neville, who shyly accepted the invitation since he didn't have any group friends either. Slowly and surely Malfoy came around, although it was a little difficult for him to hold back the comments.
Harry was quick to put a stop to them. He pointed out that they were all first years, therefore there was nothing special about any of them yet.
"That says a lot, coming from you." Malfoy comments.
"That was a long time ago and I don't remember the event." Harry brushed it off.
Eventually Malfoy dropped his old friend group and completely turned around for Harry's. This happened around just before Halloween, therefore the rest of Slytherin grew cold towards Malfoy, too. But Harry assured him that they're just being jealous.
"You really think so?" Malfoy confided to him one day. "That they're just jealous."
"Of course. I think they all wanted to be in my immediate circle. It's the way politics works, right?" Harry shrugged, finally seeing the other boy come around.
So the four of them were the start of an all House study group. Hermione found out that they could create a club with a professor's signature and present to the headmaster for permission.
"But what do we call ourselves?" Malfoy asked.
"Well, we're not going to be restricted by houses." Harry was reading over the rules to making a club. "Oh, but we need an older student to supervise us since we're all first years. Any of you got any ideas?"
"I can ask the Gryffindor Prefect." Hermione suggested.
"A Weasley?" Malfoy frowned, knowing who it was.
"Will he be open minded to all of this?" Harry wondered.
"Maybe. He's a bit strict, however." Hermione now wasn't so sure.
"Ask him anyway. I doubt the prefects of Slytherin will be of any help." It couldn't hurt.
"What will we be about actually?" Neville asked.
"Teaching each other."
"About what?"
"Anything. Since we're partly a study group, we can focus on our weaknesses and pair up with someone who excels in that subject, and we teach each other." Harry suggested.
"You're good at everything." Malfoy frowned.
"Which means he's perfect at being the president." Hermione added casually.
"Who will be vice president?"
"I was thinking Neville will be the president." Harry surprised them all.
"M-Me?" Neville blushed deeply.
"Well, Hermione can be head of treasury. She never misses any details. Malfoy can be be our voice. He's good at drawing attention."
"But - but I'm horrible!" Neville complained. "What if I mess up? I can barely cast a spell!"
"It's all in your head, Neville. You were placed in Gryffindor for a reason. Besides, if everyone sees that I'm president, they will think this is all Slytherin based and no one will want join us." Harry pointed out.
"Okay, but what do we call ourselves?" Although Malfoy didn't like this, he knew Harry was right.
"How about the Hogwarts Culture Club?"
So it was settled. Hermione filled out the form with her perfect handwriting. She presented it to Percy Weasley, who was more than excited to being the one to supervise the club. Malfoy presented a copy to his godfather, Professor Snape. He declined to sign the petition, refusing to represent the club.
Deflated, the group wondered who to present the petition to. They all argued beteen which of the professors would be accepting towards their idea. Until finally, one late October weekend, Harry had enough and brought them all to Professor McGonagall.
"What is this, Potter?" She accepted the parchment.
"A petition, professor. For us to start a club."
"What kind of club?"
"An all house study club. Neville will be president, I will be vice president. And Hermione will be treasurer. Percy Weasley is more than happy to supervise the club during our meetings." Harry explained in great detail.
"Is he now?" She studied the names. And there was Percy's signature. She eyed them all curiously. This must be an odd sight, two Slytherins and two Gryffindors working together to create a club.
"Well, I am impressed. Very well, I will sign this."