Disclaimer's in the prologue.
The two prefects of Slytherin led them to the dungeons. They were stairs below the Great Hall when they stopped in front of a stone wall.
"Pureblood." The female prefect said and the stone wall opened to reveal the entrance to the common room.
"Gather round here." The arse faced prefect boy instructed them. "Welcome to the Slytherin Common Room."
"Its' a bit chilly in here so you might as well get used to it as we are deep in the Black Lake." The female prefect told the boy who closed his robes and crossed his arm shivering a little bit.
"I am Marcus Flint and she's Mary Hopkins." The arse faced prefect introduced. "We're the Slytherin prefects and I'm also the captain of our house's quiditch team."
"Our house is not the most liked within the school for their belief that we are dark." Tell me something I'm not aware of, thought Harry, bored. "They're wrong. We are sly, cunning and ambitious that's why we are in the noble house of Salazar Slytherin. We hold the Quiditch cup and the House Cup for the last seven years and we still expect to have it this year." How ridiculously trivial, he thought sourly.
"We expect you to do not just good but great in your studies and get as much points as you could possibly can to secure the House Cup, and also don't forget to check the bulletin board by the fireplace, the password might change." She added. "The girl's dorms are at the second floor and the boy's dorms are at the third floor." Harry yawned, unnoticed by the others, after the prefects' tirade.
"Well said Mr. Flint and Ms. Hopkins." The students glanced behind them to see a man who's wearing an all black robes walked towards them. In Harry's honest opinion, it wasn't really well said, not unless you call boring new students to death is the meaning of 'well said' in their dictionary.
"First years, this is our Head of House and Potions Professor, Professor Severus Snape."
"Good evening to you all." said Professor Snape. "I want nothing but the best from you and I don't want to hear any complaints from your other teachers...or else. Now lights out at 9 pm for 1st and 2nd years, 10 pm for 3rd and 4th years and 10:30 for 5th years and 11:00 for 5th to 7th years, this will be followed except Saturdays, you're free to do whatever you want during that day and lights out at 12 A.M. I don't want you wandering around the corridors at night besides your common room." The man continued to explain the rules, with his stern and baritone like voice. "Is that clear?" No answer.
"I said is that clear?" Professor Snape repeated in a very stern voice.
A chorus of "Yes Sir." came from the students.
"Very good, now you have an hour to fix your things and get to know each other, after that lights out." With that their head of house exited the common room with his black robes billowing behind him making him look like an overgrown bat.
"You are free to choose whichever room you like. There will be two students per room and try not to kill each other." Flint told them then the first years went upstairs to claim a room.
"Can we be roommates?" Nott asked him as they both walked upstairs.
Harry considered declining, but then again if not Nott, who would even ask to be roommates with him if the rest were all a lot of pureblood supremacist imbeciles?
"Sure, why not?"
They took the room near the stairs, a piece of parchment were hovering by the door. It was the password for the room 'Wormwood.' Nott was about to say it out loud when he said "Stop."
"What?" Nott asked.
He didn't reply to Nott then he hissed. "Open"
"I don't want to hear any mention of this again." He said in a low voice. He wasn't even sure why he did that in front of another person, let alone a son of a known deatheater.
"Does this mean you agree to be friends." Nott held out his hand and Harry took it.
"Yes, I guess it does." he said. "Harold Evandrus."
"Theodore Nott."
"Just a warning," he said with a low voice. "I don't want any mention of pureblood supremacy."
"I'm no supremacist." Theo said defensively. "I wouldn't be befriending you if I were."
Harry raised an eyebrow at Theo. "You would if it suits you." he stated bluntly.
Theo smirked and chuckled. "Touche."
"I'm bored." Theo declared, ending Harry's silence. They still have about half-an hour before lights out and he was just contentedly sitting on his bed after fixing his things. "Do you want to play a game?"
Harry raised his eyebrow at the question and asked "What game?"
"Twenty questions."
"Aren't you a pureblood?" he questioned curiously. "How ever do you know James Bond and that game twenty questions?"
"That's two questions already," Theo pointed out, but answered anyway. "I'm a pureblood yes. I know Bond and twenty questions because I'm British and my family does not like muggles. Alright, my turn."
Harry did nothing but nod, he thought himself to be delirious agreeing to play the game.
"Where were you and why did you come back just now?"
"Richmond, Virginia, I came back just now to go to Hogwarts." he replied very simply. "Why are you even talking to me?" Theo opened his mouth and he hastily added "Apart from you're bored."
Theo shrugged. "I don't like the others, you seem fine."
"Last resort, I see." He mused out loud. "Next question."
"Why did you leave?"
"I don't like my Father, I don't like living with him because he's an arrogant and self-centred prick who will always be the winner of the 'Most selfish, solipsistic, arrogant, pompous, haughty and supercilious bloke in the whole cosmos' award, if there ever is one. What my mother saw in him, I'll never know." He felt that he had said too much about that one question and shrugged sheepishly. Theo, on the other hand, was blinking at his excessive use of words.
They both jumped when the door suddenly opened and their Head of House's voice baritone like voice said "Lights out."
"That was terrifying," Theo blurted out when their Head of House exited their room. "Goodnight Harry."
"Goodnight." He replied.
Harry is used to waking up every single day before dawn. He fixed his things and read ahead of time to prepare for their lessons.
He went to the Great Hall with Theo, who seemed to be really serious in tagging along with him, for breakfast. He silently ate while the other Slytherin students were glaring at him, mostly from Macnair's group, probably because the knowledge that he, Harold Evandrus, is Lawrence Potter's elder twin.
"I guess they didn't like the fact you're Potter's brother." Theo said.
"No of course they didn't." Harry replied. He finished his meal then stood up and another question from Theo came.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to look for Professor McGonagall's classroom." He replied then walked away and was annoyed when Theo, again, followed him.
"Hey I think this is Professor McGonagall's classroom, see she's inside." Theo said when they stopped by a classroom facing the courtyard after a few minutes of walking.
They entered the classroom and noticed they were the first ones there and so was Granger who entered after them. The classroom itself is big, surrounded by high windows, has four rows of three desks, and still has enough room for several cages and bookshelves, two chalkboards, and a desk for Professor McGonagall. Several candle sticks stand lit behind McGonagall's desk. Slowly the classroom was filled in by Gryffindor and Slytherin students. Harry and Theo sat at the last row at the left side from the teacher's table. The last ones to arrive were Lars & Weasley.
"Can you imagine the look in McGonagall's face that we were late?" Harry heard Weasley whisper to Lars.
"Try a glaring face of a cat." was Lars' dry reply and just then the cat sitting at the teachers table jumped then transformed into a glaring Professor McGonagall.
"Five points from Gryffindor for your tardiness Potter and Weasley." McGonagall said austerely. Weasley was about to protest until McGonagall threatened him a week's detention for talking back to a teacher.
"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned." She looked at Lars and Weasley as she said her final statement.
Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. Most students, especially those who weren't raised up around magic, were very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time. After twist and turns regarding the subject, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle.
Many were having difficulty transfiguring the matchsticks to needles. Lars was the first one to transfigure his matchstick into a needle, having a head start over the years, a natural talent in transfiguration and guidance by his guardians he managed to transfigure it perfectly. Professor McGonagall awarded her own house five points for the successful transfiguration.
The next one to transfigure his matchstick was Harry. His was also a perfect needle and Professor McGonagall gave him five points for Slytherin.
The last third and last one who transfigured the match successfully was Hermione Granger, the bushy haired Gryffindor. McGonagall again awarded her house five points.
All of the students who weren't able to transfigure the matchstick into a needle were given an assignment, a three foot long essay about the theory in transfiguration, to be submitted on Monday, at the beginning of the class.
"Hey Harry." Lars, along with other Gryffindor students, approached them.
"Lawrence," He greeted back looking at the ones his brother's with.
"Guys this is my twin, Harry Potter...well formerly." Lars introduced. "Harry, this is Dean Thomas" he looked at the black Gryffindor "and Seamus Finnegan" then to a white Irish boy.
"You're Harry Potter?" Finnegan asked, surprised.
"Was Harry Potter." Harry clarified with a bored drawl. "It is Evandrus now and I prefer to be addressed that way."
"I'm Theodore-"
"Yeah we know who you are." Weasley said almost immediately, cutting off what Theodore to say.
Harry looked sharply at Weasley for interrupting Theo and said "Be that as it may Weasley, but it's only polite that you introduce yourself to those who aren't familiar with you." Harry looked at Weasley with scrutiny. "Though I doubt you know what the word 'polite' means."
"Lawrence Potter, I guess you already knew that, nice to meet you." Lars introduced loudly, taking Harry's attention from Weasley. Lars handed out his hand which Theo shook with a jovial look. Harry stormed off after a quick nod, not exactly wanting to be around idiots far more than necessary.
Defence Against the Dark Arts Class was a terrible joke. Professor Quirrell, the man who was wearing the purple turban was a terribly incompetent teacher, afraid of his own shadow and of his own subject, with also a terribly annoying stutter. His classroom is the worst classroom ever the smell of garlic filled the room because the stuttering fool was afraid that a vampire will go after him.
"What do you think is in Quirrell's turban?" asked Theo as they went out of the classroom.
"I wouldn't know." he said in annoyance. That room gave him a real sting in the head, whether it was the smell of the garlic or another factor, he won't bother to know. More likely though, it's the garlic. He always did abhor the smell of garlic.
Some time before their Potions Class, Harry got tired of waiting for his roommate to wake up so he did what he thought's best, waking up the said roommate with a sonorous charm. Theo was obviously annoyed at what he did but he couldn't care less.
"Well come on now, we're gonna be late in 10 minutes and we still have to go to his classroom." Theo said frantically to him. They wouldn't be in all this cramming if that idiot hadn't overslept.
Harry just stared blankly at his roommate before walking towards the mirror. "Open" He hissed and it opened. He need not tell the idiot to follow him through the passage way. He is not to leave the room without Theo because their Head of House does not like any student of his being late for any classes and unfortunately for Harry, since Theo is his roommate, he'll be in trouble also if Theo showed up late in class.
A few steps inside the passage, they stopped in front of three transparent walls; one in front, one at the right side and one at the left. The one in front seemed to be a staircase leading upwards. They could see a few other students coming down from their towers. The one on the left looked like a storage room or something like that and the one on the right looks like the outside of the Potions Master's classroom. They exited through the right after making sure that no one was there to see them by slowly opening the wall that has the transparency charm on it.
"Mate that was wicked" was Theo's awed comment when they exited. Harry just dismissed it and entered the classroom.
Most of the students were already there. Harry glanced at his pocket watch and saw that it was still a few more minutes before time. They took a seat across Neville and Granger and after a few minutes both Lars and Weasley came in then sat where there are many Gryffindors.
The atmosphere inside the potions classroom was as cold as the Slytherin common room, only made gloomier with the presence of the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.
Then the door slammed, Professor Snape entered the room with his cloak billowing magnificently behind him. Professor Snape started the class by taking the roll call, and the professor paused at Lars' name. Surprise, surprise.
"Ah, yes," the professor said softly, "Lawrence Potter. Our new — celebrity." Harry can see that his brother gulped as if the Professor is going to eat him.
Draco Malfoy and his cronies Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Professor Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were onyx black. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," Professor Snape began. The man spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word — like Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort.
"As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses. . . . I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper of death — if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."
More silence followed this little speech. Harry just was looking disinterestedl as always, Theo was smirking a little, Lars and Weasley were exchanging odd looks, Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat, looking desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead, Malfoy was looking as arrogant as ever, and some others looked like they wanted nothing more than for the class to end prematurely.
"Potter!" said Professor Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Harry instinctively raised his eyebrow at the question presented to his brother. That was an unfair question. Well not for him since he knows the subject well enough, but unfair for the majority knowing that it isn't even in the curriculum of first year students. To be specific, it is in the curriculum of sixth years.
Lars glanced around nervously before answering "The Draught of Living Death, Sir?" Harry might have smiled if he's the kind of person who smiles at the littlest of things such as a simple feat of his brother. Thank goodness his brother has enough sense to read in advance.
"Are you asking me or telling me?" The Potions Master said irritably.
Lars gulped. "Telling you Sir."
"Where would you find a bezoar?" The Potions Master shot another question, seemingly determined to have Lars answer a question incorrectly. Granger stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat. Harry had a half a mind of telling the Granger girl to shove it but relented, thinking that he probably wouldn't be able to dissuade her, the girl's part of the lion's den after all.
"Uh, the uh" Lars looked up before saying "In the stomach of a goat sir." Another correct answer, Harry thought. He should probably clap. He didn't though.
Granger nearly stood on her chair raising and waving her hand so that Professor Snape would let her answer, she met the cold glare of her professor and she put her hand down. What a pity, Harry thought dryly. That girl just couldn't take the hint that Professor Snape wants Lars, and most evidently not her, to answer the questions.
"Now, what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane, Potter?" Professor Snape asked his third question.
Lars immediately answered. "There is none sir, monkshood and wolfsbane are the same also goes by the name of aconite."
"Well why aren't you all writing that down?" Professor Snape snapped at the students.
Despite Lars being able to answer their Professor's questions, things were currently not going well for the lions, and Harry doubts that it will go well anytime soon. Professor Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. Harry was partnered with Neville, Theo was partnered with Granger and, Lars and Weasley were partnered with each other.
Harry and Neville made their potion with extreme caution but managed to create a fine one, mostly because of Harry as Neville is extremely nervous and clumsy that he nearly knocked the potion over and their Professor continually took points from Gryffindor house because of that. If things weren't going well, it most certainly didn't end well for the Gryffindors when Seamus Finnigan had somehow managed to melt their cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Finnegan, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.
"Idiot boy!" snarled the Potions Master, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"
Finnigan whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.
"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Dean Thomas. Then he rounded on Lars and Weasley, who had been working next to Finnigan.
"You — Potter — why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's a point you've lost for Gryffindor." The Potions Master was way too unfair with the Gryffindor house, that much Harry admits but nevertheless it was only house points anyway.
Weasley opened his mouth to argue about the unjust points taken away from his friend by Professor Snape before Lars stopped him to prevent Gryffindor house from losing points than it already lost.
The Slytherins were sniggering, specifically Malfoy's group. Harry noticed, from earlier, that Malfoy threw something in it thus causing the explosion, but he was too late to warn the Gryffindor boy.