Harry, Theo and Neville enjoyed the rest of the train ride talking with each other about the classes they were looking forward to. Harry found out that Neville enjoyed plants, to the disappointment of his grandmother, and couldn't wait to start Herbology. Potions on the other hand made him nervous because of the damage he's seen when visiting his parents in the hospital. Neville explained to both boys what happened to his parents thanks to the Lastranges and Crouch Jr. Both Harry and Theo expressed their condolences to Neville before going back to the original discussion, to Neville's relief.
Theo on the other hand was looking towards Potions, Transfiguration and eventually Arithmancy. He enjoyed the structure of the classes and wished that he could start Arithmancy sooner than third year. Harry suggested that they look into the Hogwarts' Charter to see if someone could test into a class early. Theo nodded at that before asking Harry what classes he was looking forward to.
Harry admitted that he was looking towards Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, and Runes. Harry also told both of them that he was interested in Healing and hoped that a class would be added, or at least have a club for it. Harry was also hoping to test into Runes before third year came around, but if not then he was willing to wait. Neville was the first one the broke out of surprised stupor.
"Blimey, Harry. Are you trying to get the most Masteries or something." Harry couldn't help laughing at that.
"No, but I do find those things interesting. As for Masteries, I'm only planning to get ones in DADA, Runes and Healing. Anything else will be a bonus." Theo just shook his head while letting out a chuckle.
"If you don't end up in Ravenclaw then there is something really wrong with the sorting." All three boys laughed at that.
"At least I'll have a number of options. I've read that when we pick our extra classes during third year we have an option to pick three classes instead of the regular two if you're in the top 10% for your year."
"Theo's right. If you don't end up in Ravenclaw I'll be surprised." Harry shrugged his shoulders while the train slowed down.
"Well, we will see soon. It looks like we are pulling into the station." They all looked out of the window to see the station and the town behind it. They couldn't see Hogwarts from the vantage point they had, but they were all excited and nervous in equal measure. They could hear the other students getting ready to disembark while train slowed to a stop.
"I guess we better get going."
"Let's wait a minute so we don't get trampled. Theo is the only one here that isn't hard to see." Neville snickered while Theo huffed.
"It's not my fault that both of you are vertically challenged." Harry and Neville couldn't help laughing and Theo joined after a second. After getting control of themselves they decided to disembark the train. They could see that the older years were heading up a trial to the carriages that they could just see. Before they were about to head after them, they heard a voice boom over them.
"First Years over here! First Years to me please. Is this everyone? Come now, First Years this way!" They turned to the voice and saw a giant man with a wild beard and a lantern calling first years to him. Harry recognized Hagrid, but didn't say anything to his other two friends. It would be hard to explain to them how he knew Hagrid, but then have said man not recognize him. Harry did send a quick prayer up though that Hagrid didn't recognize him. He so didn't want all his and Tombs' planning to go to waste before the sorting. Even though it only meant a couple more minutes of waiting, it was still a couple more minutes of preparing himself for the stares and questions he was bound to get.
"All right everyone, follow me. We are going this way to this school. I'm sure that all of you are going to love this." Harry could tell that everyone was nervous around Hagrid and he couldn't really blame them. If he hadn't met the man himself, Harry was sure that he would be right with them. Harry heard Theo behind him talking to Neville.
"My grandfather says that's the ground keeper that Dumbledore kept around. He's a half-giant that use to be a student here but got expelled when there was a death in the school about 50 years ago. It's said that Hagrid had an acromantula, but grandfather doesn't think that's what killed the girl."
"W-why?" Harry could hear Neville's nerves, but Harry himself was intrigued by Theo's tale.
"Grandfather said that her death didn't match. There wasn't a mark on her, no curse residue, nothing at all. Acromantula don't kill that way. Their victims die by the venom they inject or by being eaten alive, even with the acromantula a couple of months old and small for its kind. It was recovering from some kind of injury and Hagrid swears that he kept the beast contained. That didn't matter to anyone though. He was taking care of a XXXXX beast without telling a professor. He was expelled from Hogwarts and his wand was snapped. If Dumbledore hadn't offered him to be trained for the groundskeeper position, Hagrid would be on the streets."
"So that means that he was framed to take the fall for whatever really killed the girl?"
"And to whoever was controlling it. Of course not many people care or can do anything for the matter."
"Why?"
"Well, those that believe that he's innocent can't really prove it, or are unwilling to since he's a half-giant that was taking care of something dangerous around students. Everyone else believes that he just lost control of the acromantula and is unwilling to admit it." Neville shivered at that and Harry was tempted to join him. Looking at Hagrid, Harry could tell that the man was no killer, a little intimidating and naïve, but not a killer. Theo and Neville's discussion was ended when they came to the boats.
"Four to a boat everyone. Four to a boat. Careful, don't want you falling in." Theo, Harry and Neville got into a boat and were joined by an Italian boy that was a couple of inches taller than Harry. It took a while before everyone was in a boat. Hagrid had a boat to himself and when he saw that everyone was in a boat took out a pink umbrella. "Forward." The boats moved slowly across the boat and small conversations brook out.
"Hey, Blaise, I thought that your mother was going to send you to a school in Italy?" Theo said looking at the boy across from him.
"She decided that she wanted me to go to the same school as my father. Who are you're friends?" Theo looked embarrassed that he forgot about his companions and quickly started to introduce them.
"Blaise, this is Neville Longbottom and Harry Pitch. Neville, Harry, this is Blaise Zabini. We've known each other since we were kids." Blaise nodded at both of them. Neville seemed even more nervous than meeting Theo and Harry was wondering about that. Blaise seemed to notice this and decided to let Harry in on the 'secret'.
"Longbottom is just nervous because of my mother. She's been married seven times and all but my father has died under suspicious circumstances. The fact that all of my mom's husbands were well off is what makes people so wary around her. Everyone calls her the Black Widow because she can't seem to keep a husband longer than a year." Harry arched his eyebrow at this.
"Interesting. And is there any validity to her nickname or is she just unlucky." Blaise smirked at this.
"I would say unlucky considering that husbands three, four, and six were old." Harry couldn't help but chuckle at him. Harry assumed that the other husbands, excluding Blaise's father, was the reason why Mrs. Zabini was called the Black Widow.
"Well, nice to meet you, Blaise Zabini." Blaise smirked at him before taking his hand.
"Nice to meet you as well, Harry Pitch." Theo snickered at this. Before they could say anything else, Hagrid's voice rang out.
"You should be getting your first look at the school soon." The boats came around a corner and many couldn't help but gasp at the view. An ancient castle came into view. In the darkness of the night, the castle stood out with most of it illuminated. Harry could appreciate them view the castle this way.
"Wicked." Everyone in Harry's boat nodded in agreement.
"Watch your heads! We're entering the school." Harry tore his eyes away from the view in time to see that they were heading towards a cave with some vines hanging in from of it. When they came close to it, Harry and everyone else ducked their heads. It seemed that someone in the other boats didn't follow Hagrid's warning because they all heard a splash and a cry of surprise. Harry turned around in time to see a tentacle drop the boy back into the boat.
"What was that?"
"I think that was the giant squid that lives in the lake. I thought that was a rumor though." Everyone in the boat remained silent at that until they came to the shore. Everyone carefully got out of the boat. The last boat showed that it was Ron Weasley that fell into the boat and Harry had to refrain himself from laughing at him. Theo seemed to be having the same issue if his smile was anything to go by.
"Alright everyone? Then follow me and watch your step. Don't need another one of you to be falling into the lake again. The squid doesn't come this far."
"And I'm not getting wet saving anyone." Theo muttered under his breath. Blaise snorted at this while Neville and Harry smiled. They all moved up the stairs to a big iron door. Hagrid nocked on the door and it swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harry's first thought was that she was not someone to cross.
"Any problem, Hagrid?"
"One of the first years fell into the lake but other than that everything went well, Professor McGongall." She nodded her head before turning her attention to the students.
"Come in please." McGongall moved aside and the students came past her. When she saw Ron she took out her wand and silently dried him. She nodded at her work before turning to Hagrid again. "You can go to the Great Hall now, Hagrid. The other students should be still settling in." Hagrid nodded at this before leaving.
"Please follow me students." McGongall lead them away from the doors Hagrid went though and instead lead them to a classroom across the hall. "Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be Sorted into your houses. The houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has their own unique history and honor. Please wait here until I return. I would suggest that some of you use that time to straighten yourselves out." With that she turned around and left the room. McGongall barely closed the door before a blond haired boy spoke up.
"It looks like Weasley already did that when he took a bath in the lake." Some of the students laughed while Ron seemed to get red in anger. "I guess he wanted to impress Harry Potter when he came to Hogwarts." There was a lot of murmuring at the mention of Harry's name and he had to refrain himself from reacting to it. Harry was unable to hide his surprise when Theo spoke up though.
"It seems that Potter wasn't on the train though. Weasley over there spent the entire train ride searching for him. Although I'm still not sure how hard he searched for him." Draco snorted at this before adopting a more haughty look.
"Not surprising considering he's been forced to be under the goblins' protection. I'm sure that he's already at the school to make sure he's safe. It's not like he can be among rift-raft like the rest of you lot." This time Ron wasn't the only one glaring angrily at Draco. Harry was the one to speak next.
"And who are you to be calling us rift-raft?"
"Pfft. I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy of the Most Ancient house of Malfoy. And what of you?" Before Harry could answer, there was a scream from the back of the room. Everyone turned around to see ghost coming through the wall discussing heatedly about someone by the name of Peeves. The ghost didn't seem to notice them until the one who seemed to be a monk noticed them.
"Oh, what are all of you doing here?" There was silence until a knight spoke up.
"They must be here for their Sorting, my dear Friar. I am Sir Nicolas de Mimsy-Porpington, the Gryffindor ghost. Hope to see some of you there."
"Well, I hope to see some of you in my old house Hufflepuff." He let out a laugh that seemed the shake his large stomach. Anything further was interrupted by McGongall returning to the room.
"That is enough of that. You can all move along to the Great Hall." McGongall shooed the ghost along, although they went through the wall instead of the door. She let out a huff before turning her attention back to the students. "It is now time for you to follow me into the Great Hall to be Sorted into your houses. Your houses will be like your family. You will live with them, study with them and experience each other's ups and downs. For good behavior and accomplishments you will be awarded points toward the House Cup. Any bad behavior will be a loss of points and further action if needed. Now we are ready for you, so please follow me." McGongall turned and lead the new students into the Great Hall. They came towards tall wooden doors the seemed hard to move, but when McGongall neared them, the doors opened into the Great Hall. The room lived up to its name in Harry's opinion. There were four tables representing the houses full of students with room to spare. On the other side of the entrance was a table on a raised platform that the teachers and other faculty sat at. But the most amazing thing to Harry was the ceiling. Thousands of candles floated in the air, but what got Harry was the charmed ceiling that showed the outside weather. Harry wasn't the only one looking at it and on later thought wondered how none of them tripped over each other.
"I so want to learn how to do that." Harry breathed out and some of his fellow year-mates agreed with him. They all stopped at the front of the room and noticed a stool with an old hat sitting on top of it. The hall quieted down and many of the first years were looking around in confusion while everyone else looked at the hat. Why was soon revealed when a seem in the hat opened up and began to sing.
Oh you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!
Everyone started clapping at the song. Harry was impressed and clapped along with everyone else. When the hall calmed down Professor McGongall stepped forward holding a scroll. McGongall picked up the hat once she got to it and turned to the waiting first years.
"When I call your name, please come sit to be Sorted. Abbott, Hannah!" A blonde girl with pig-tails walked up and sat on the stole. McGongall sat the hat on her head. Barely a second later had the hat shouted.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" The mentioned table erupted in cheers. McGongall took the hat off of her and Hannah went to the Hufflepuff table. On the way her robes got yellow and black trimming along with her tie. McGongall looked at her list again and read another name. Harry paid attention to the names and which house they went to but paid special attention to the sorting when it got near the 'L's.
"Longbottom, Neville!" Neville walked up to and sat down. He was nervous, but calmed down a little when he saw Harry smile at him before he saw the inside of a hat.
"Ahh, Neville Longbottom. An interesting Sort. I see bravery and daring lurking in you, but you aren't afraid to get the job done with hard work, but you are also loyal to those you consider your friend. So which house should I put you into? Hufflepuff or Gryffindor? Hmm, yes I can see which house will be best for you. One you will just blend in with, but the other will bring out your buried strength. So it better be GRYFFINDOR!" Neville was so excited to be in the same house as his parents that he forgot to wait until the Sorting Hat was taken off. He had to jog back and hand McGongall the hat back, though Neville would have sworn he saw her lips quirk into a smile. Neville smiled back before heading to the far left table that held the Gryffindor table. He heard some people laughing at his and took a quick glance at Harry and Theo who were actually one of the few still clapping for him, although he could tell that they were laughing good naturally instead of at like many other students. Taking a seat, Neville turned his attention back to the Sorting. Both Harry and Theo would be Sorted shortly after him and was wondering which house they would go to.
"Malfoy, Draco!" Draco walked up like he owned the place, but to other people it looked like he had an uncomfortable rash. McGongall lowered the Sorting Hat and it didn't even wait to be placed on Draco's head before making a decision.
"SLYTHERIN!" Draco smirked and walked to the far right table holding the Slytherins. Any other house was below the Malfoy name to him. Harry was seriously considering asking the Sorting Hat to be placed in any house that didn't include Draco. Harry could already tell that Draco would be a royal prat to anyone who stood up to him. Harry was brought out of his thoughts when he heard Theo's name being called.
"Ahh, Theo Nott. A great deal to prove to everyone. You are differently not like your grandfather and father. You will do great things because of that. The house that you will bring great honor to better be SLYTHERIN!" Theo had to remind himself not to smile at the Hat's words. It was good to have the reaffirmation that he could be better than his family. Theo sat at the table to see where Harry would end up. He may have joked about him going into Ravenclaw, but Theo really hoped that Harry was with him in Slytherin. Two other people were called up before McGongall got the 'P's. The name that she called first was a surprise to him, as well as who walked to the stool.
"Potter, Harry!" Harry took a breath and started forward. Hopefully, his new friends wouldn't be angry with him for not revealing himself sooner, but he hoped they would understand. By the time he got to the stairs before the platform, the last of the glamor fell away. The entire school let out a gasp of shock. The entire hall when completely silent and when he turned around, he saw the entire hall looking at him before his vision was covered by the Sorting Hat.
"Mr. Potter. Not even in the school and you are already making a splash."
"Sorry?" Harry heard a chuckle before the voice came back.
"Don't be sorry child. I never really liked what Dumbledore had in mind and that was when he was just the Deputy Head. That man had too much power over the last Headmaster, that helped to bring the quality of this school down. Thanks to you, Hogwarts might have a chance in the coming time. But we are not here to talk about that, we are here to see which house will be best for you. So let me see. Hmmm. You have a lot of bravery in you, but Gryffindor is a little too shallow for you at the moment. But there are those in that house that will stand by you no matter what, like Longbottom and the Weasley twins. I would watch those little devils if I were you though. They are snakes hiding in lion's clothing. Moving on, you have a good since of loyalty and hard work, but only to those who prove it to you, so Hufflepuff is out, but do get to know them please. Have them behind you now will go a long way in the future. Madam Bones was a Hufflepuff, so don't underestimate them like many do. Hmm, let's see. Oh, yes, a great thirst for knowledge you have. You would do very well in Ravenclaw, but you equally have the thirst to prove yourself and to rise above your upbringing. So where to place you? Where to place you indeed?"
"Where ever I would do best in."
"Then it better be SLYTHERIN! Good luck, you're going to need it in the snake pit. Good thing you can speak in their tongue." Harry heard the Sorting Hat chuckle while it was removed from his head. Harry blinked because of the sudden light before noticing that most of the student body had their mouths hanging open in shock. Harry was brought out of his stupor when he heard someone at the Slytherin table clapping. Harry turned his head and saw Theo clapping with a smirk on his face. Neville over at the Gryffindor table was the second one to clap, too much surprise of the other Gryffindors. Harry nodded to him in thanks before heading over to Theo. The rest of the hall started clapping, but it was clear by the whispering that many were surprised that Harry Potter was in the house of snakes. The rest of the sorting went on, ending with Blaise Zabini being sorted into Slytherin and sitting on the other side of Harry. McGongall took the Hat and stool to the side of the staff table before taking her seat as well. It was then that the new Headmistress stood up.
"Welcome all, old and new. As many of you know, the Board of Governors have appointed me as the new Headmistress of Hogwarts. My name is Doris Irlam and I have a muggle Masters in Childhood Education and wizarding Masters in Herbology and History of Magic. I am here to not only help the school become what it once was, but to also help you become the best that you can be. To that end, my door is open to you all. My open office hours are posted on each of your houses' notice boards. Any other time you can alert the gargoyle and it will notify me. If I am able to meet with you the gargoyle will move aside, but if not it will tell you how long you have to wait or you can leave a message with the gargoyle and it will give me the message as soon as I'm free." Doris paused for all of this to sink in, especially for the older years since the headmaster usually wasn't seen or open to them. They all went silent again when Doris started talking again.
"I am not the only new face that you'll see here. I would like for all of you to give a warm welcome to High Inquisitor Tiffany Bloomingham." Tiffany stood up to polite clapping. Many suspicious or curious faces looked up at her and she knew that she would have her work cut out for her and Doris. There were still a lot of families still behind Dumbledore, no matter what the Daily Profit has been reporting over the last week. She almost let out a sigh but held it in. The kids couldn't get the wrong impression of her now.
"Thank you Headmistress Irlam. I am glad to be meeting all of you as well. You will be seeing me in some of your classes to see how they are structured and if any change is needed. I will also be talking to some of you to see what you think about the school, your classes, professors and many other things to make your stay here at Hogwarts even better. If you are uncomfortable talking to me, there will be an anonymous suggestion box in all of your common rooms. Thank you all." With a nod to Doris, Tiffany took her seat.
"Thank you Inquisitor Bloomingham. The final announcements of the night is to remind everyone that the Forbidden Forest is just that, Forbidden. The only ones able to enter are fifth years and above with a staff member present. There are a lot of dangerous creatures in the forest that will attack and/or eat you, so please follow this rule above all others for your safety. Hogwarts' caregiver, Argus Filch, has a list of banned objects that will cost you ten points if found on you or in your belongings and twenty points if they are used. A list is posted in your common rooms and Filch had the list posted by his office. Also, during the next two weeks, Healers will be coming to Hogwarts to give you all physicals for the year. This is to insure that everyone has had the required shots and to reveal any health issues. This is a practice that has stopped thanks to our last two headmasters that is returning from now on. Amongst Healers, we will also be hosting Warders and Curse Breakers for a time being. They will be here reviewing and strengthening Hogwarts wards as best they can before the summer holidays. Now that's out of the way, please enjoy the welcoming feast." All the tables were covered with food that they strained under the weight. Doris took her seat to look over the students' amazement at the food and descend into excited talks while sneaking glances at the staff table. McGongall voice turned her attention back to the staff table.
"The Sorting was a little bit of a surprise." McGongall looked over at the Slytherin table before going to Snape.
"Not necessarily considering many of the abused kids comes to my house, although most aren't as well-known as Mr. Potter. I will have to keep an extra eye on him though. I have a feeling that some of the older years might give him problems depending on their family's standing during the war." Everyone nodded at that.
"That poor boy. I have no idea why Dumbledore left him with those people without making sure he was alright."
"I know, Poppy, but we won't know that until Dumbledore's trial this weekend. We should probably see which one of us is going to the trial and who is staying here to distract the students from the trial."
"I'll also be checking for when the Dursley's are going to trial. We might find out why they thought it was okay to abuse a child. Unfortunately the muggle court system is a little slower than ours at the best of the times." Snape's words caught the staff attention in surprise. Many didn't think about the Dursleys except to think of ways to do them bodily harm.
"Well, whatever punishment they get is not enough. To think that they abuse a child like that." Filius Flitwick reminded everyone of his goblin ancestry before getting control of his features. He didn't want to scare any of the students. "I'm just glad that we are getting the rest of the students looked at. This will be good to make sure that no one else slipped through the cracks and alert the Ministry."
"My thoughts exactly, Filius, not to mention that many muggleborns don't know about the shots that they are supposed to get before coming here. I'm also hoping to get Poppy some help in the Hospital Wing. One Healer for the amount of students we have is insane. Severus, I would also like to talk to you later tonight about getting you help with your potions for the school. Maybe some of your fifth thru seventh year students could help you with the more common potions that are used." Severus was surprised, not that you could tell, and nodded his head in agreement.
"I will come after talking to my house."
"Good. Now, let's enjoy the rest of the feast. I have a feeling that this week is going to be trying more than usual for everyone."
000000 Slytherin Table 000000
Theo turned to Harry the moment the hall filled with the other students' voices. He couldn't believe the boy he met on the train was the Boy-Who-Lived. Theo thought that out of everyone, Harry Potter would hate his guts because his father was a part of the Death Eaters. Theo hoped that he wasn't being plaid because he really thought he made a friend, besides Blaise and Neville. Before he could say anything, Blaise beat him to the punch.
"That is a great entry you made. I have a feeling that no one else knew that you were coming here in disguise?"
"No. It was a security feature until I got to the Sorting, but that doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy spending time with you guys."
"Really?" Theo couldn't help the insecurity leaking into his voice.
"Yeah, I wanted to make sure that the people I met really liked me for me and not because of my name. I hope you'll still be my friend?"
"I would like that, but my father…"
"Is your father, not you. You didn't want me or Neville to judge you because you're a Nott, well I don't want you to judge me because my last name changed from Pitch to Potter." Theo looked surprised before nodding. Harry smiled at that before turning back to Blaise. "How about you, Blaise?"
"Sure. It seems that you'll be entertaining at the least." Harry couldn't help but laugh at that before starting to load his plate. Theo and Blaise followed his lead as well. Theo felt a lot better now, and his earlier plan on safety was assured. Now he only had to watch those that agreed with Voldemort and some of the Light who thought he slipped Harry something.
Blaise on the other hand hoped that Harry was telling the truth about not judging someone because of their parents. He loved him mother, but her ability to have seven husbands in eleven years causes many to believe that she killed them all. Sure some of them died prematurely, but that didn't mean she was evil since most of them supported Voldemort financially during the war. But that didn't matter to people and many looked at him like he would kill them with a look. Some people didn't even accept a glass of water from him fearing that he was following in his mother's footsteps. Either way, hanging out with Potter will be an interesting experience.
Harry was happy that he was able to clear everything up with Theo, and to a lesser extent, Blaise. Now he just had to talk to Neville to see if they were still friends and he would be able to relax. For right now though, Harry was going to enjoy the feast and see if he could get to know some of his housemates. Before he could do that, Harry took out a small box that held the potions he needed to take twice a day. A number of his housemates noticed but didn't say anything, but it seemed Malfoy wanted to get back at Harry for standing up to him. It didn't matter to him that his parents said to be nice to him, no one embarrassed him like that.
"What's wrong, Potter, the food not good enough for you?" Everyone near Draco turned to him in disbelief. Everyone knew that his relatives starved him. It wasn't that hard to figure out that he had to take some potions to correct what they did to him. It seemed that Draco wasn't paying any attention to them though. If he did then he would have realized that his chances of becoming Slytherin Prince, and eventually King, were going down the drain.
"No, Malfoy, although I'm guessing that you live under a rock since it seems that everyone else expected me to be taking potions to correct what my 'loving' family did to me. From the way you were trying to saunter around the room, I thought that wasn't the case, unless reading those big words in the newspaper is too hard for you?" Harry arched his eyebrow at him while many of the other students were either snickering at Draco or outright laughing at him. Draco's cheeks pinked in embarrassment and ducked him head. He made the smartest move and kept silent for the rest of the meal. Harry smirked before chugging his potions. He knew that they were to help him, but it didn't take away from the fact that they tasted like used socks.
00000 Neville at Gryffindor Table 00000
Neville sat at the Gryffindor table being bombarded by his new housemates. He was feeling a little overwhelmed and he understood why Harry decided to hide his identity. If people were acting this bad now, Neville couldn't imagine having to deal with it on the train. Not to mention the looks Harry shot to him after their Sortings. Neville was going to talk to Harry either tonight or in the morning before breakfast. But first, he had to deal with his nosy housemates.
Little did Neville know, this was the first step in bringing out his inner courage and bravery.
000000 Slytherin Common Room 000000
The fifth year Perfects led the first years into the Slytherin Common Room. They made sure to point out all of the markers that led to the hidden entrance. The Perfects stopped in front of an alcove that had a snake eating its tail in the corner.
"This is the entrance to the Slytherin common room. Every month there is a new password. Make sure that you remember it, because there are those who would love to get into our common room to prank us."
"Also, under no circumstances is there to be a non-Slytherin in our common room. It doesn't matter if the person is your sibling, cousin, whatever, they are not allowed in here. Anyone breaking this rule will be dealing with our Head of House Professor Snape, and let me tell you, he is not one to be trifled with. Now, to our common room. Dittany."
The bricks sunk back into the wall before sliding to the right. The first years couldn't help but to be awed by the common room. The furniture was in dark woods covered in either black leather or different shades of dark green cloth. There were silver pillows on the chairs and coaches to lighten the room up. One of the walls was glass showing the Black Lake they came across earlier. Harry swore he actually saw a part of the squad glide by the window. Even though the room was dark, it had a comfortable feel about it, especially with the burning fireplaces around the room and the chandeliers giving a soft glow. The Perfects lined the first years in front of the main fireplace were the other years were already waiting. When everyone was situated, the Perfects went to their spots.
"Welcome to the Slytherin house." Severus Snape walked out from the hidden entrance when he was sure everyone was situated. He had to reframe from smirking by the jumpy students. It was his few amusements when dealing with hormonal teenagers. "This is the house of the cunning and ambitious, meaning that I insure none of you fail any of your classes. It also means that many of those in the other houses will hate us automatically because you were sorted here. That means that outside these walls we are a united front. Any arguments or disagreements are kept within the common room and we stick together and help each other. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir." Severus gave a sharp nod.
"Breakfast starts at 7am and stops at 9:30am. You will be there by 8:30am at the latest on weekdays and 9:00am on weekends. I will not see any of you rushing and scarfing your food like a bunch of rabid dogs. For the first years, the perfects will then show you to your classes for the first week. After that, you are responsible in getting to your classes on time. You all will get your class schedule tomorrow at breakfast. If you have any questions that you don't feel comfortable with asking a Perfect, then you can come to my office that is connected to my classroom. I will be having meetings with every one of you, no matter year, at least once a month. Potter, Morgan, and LeShawn stay behind. The rest of you go to your rooms. It's been a long day and classes start tomorrow." Everyone soon cleared out with the Perfects showing the first years where their dorms were at.
"Potter, you first." Severus led Harry over to a corner of the room away from the other two students in the room. Severus made sure to put up a privacy ward before talking to Harry. "Mr. Potter, I am not sure if you know this, but I am the school's Potions Master. Since that is the case, I have been made aware that you will need some potions brewed to counteract you previous living arrangements. If you plan to be supplied by the school, please inform me sometime this week, along with your potion list, so I can have the right amount set up for you."
"Thank you, sir. I have enough for the next two weeks, so I will let you know either way."
"Good. There is something else I need to speak to you about before you are able to retire. I am sure that someone has already informed you about Death Eaters?" At Harry's nod, Severus continued with his speech. "Then I am sure that you realize that some of their children go here as well. I am not warning against all of them, but there will be those that follow their parent's views. Since a majority of them are the upper years, I want you to come to me or another professor if they bother you. For you, Mr. Potter this is a double edge sword. Those in the house will not bother you outside of the common room, but that will not be the case while you are here. You will have to be careful for those that are willing to try anything against you."
"I understand, Professor. Tombs, the wizard the goblins assigned me, taught me some basic spells and wards for when I came here. They are really good and he said most wouldn't know how to fight against them since they are from other countries." Severus couldn't help arching an eyebrow at Harry's excitement and had to stop himself from laughing. He may not be as toxic as before, but he couldn't lose his hard reputation completely.
"That is good to hear. I will let you go to bed then. Go up the stairs and turn left. The girl's rooms are on the other side but there is a charm on the stairs that prevent boys from going up there. The same can be said for the boy's room to prevent girls doing the same. You will be rooming with the rest of the first years. The fifth year Perfects should still be settling the rest of your year-mates, so I suggest getting up there."
"Thank you, sir. And I will make sure to inform you about my potion supplies." Harry headed towards the stairs before remembering about his weekend plans. "Professor, I have an appointment with the goblins this Saturday and there is a possibility that I will be required for Dumbledore's trial on Sunday." Severus nodded at him before sending Harry off. Severus watched him go before turning to the other students left behind. Unfortunately, Harry wasn't the only student he would be possibly be brewing for, not to mention the meeting with the Headmistress he had after this. Adding to whatever issues they found out in the coming weeks, this was one of those times when Severus wondered how Dumbledore talked him into being a Head of House.
00000 Severus, Great Hall, Breakfast 00000
Severus watched as the first years were brought in by the Perfects. He paid special attention to Harry and a number of other students. It seems that everything was alright, but that didn't ease his worries. The next two weeks were going to be the most turbulent time in Slytherin. He couldn't announce it on the first day, but during the second weekend of the month, there was a tournament to determine the ranking of the House.
The top Slytherin in each year is named 'Prince' and controls their respective year and those below them without question. That didn't mean that there weren't challenges, but even then, there were only so many challenges to a Prince's rule a month to prevent them from being overwhelmed. But still, all seven Princes would come together to manage the Slytherin house and set the tone for the year. The only time that this wasn't the case was when a 'King' was appointed. The Slytherin King had to be a current Prince for at least three months, a feet at times, and had to be voted in by at least four other Princes and at least three-fourths of the Slytherin house. The last time that happened it was when Tom Riddle was a student. Severus almost shuddered at the thought. He always wondered how someone so demented could fool the house of the cunning and ambitious, even if we was those amongst those fooled at first. Severus shook himself out of the past a focused on the following weeks.
Severus was going to announce the tournament the next Friday. The upper years would already be preparing for it, first years were the ones that Severus was slightly worried for. Most of them didn't know that many spells, but for those that did… well there was always the possibility that they were taught something they had no business being taught, Dark family or not. There was two in first year that worried him the most though.
Severus' gaze slid over to his godson. Draco seemed a little down, but Severus chalked that up to finally meeting someone who would stand up to him. Draco had the making of a true Slytherin, but he had to get over the arrogance and overconfidence that Lucius installed in him. If Draco got rid of those traits and actually thought through everything, and learned some useful spells, Severus was sure that Draco could become a Prince by second or third year. If not, the minute Lucius lost any standing, Draco would be on his own without the threat his father had on other families. The only good thing is that both the Goyle and Crabbe families owed the Malfoy family several life debts. They would protect Draco until the family was able to pay back the debts, which would take time considering the amount of debts owed.
Severus moved his gazed over to Harry Potter. He was happily chatting with Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini. Severus was surprised at the matchup, as well as the friendship with Longbottom. Severus caught the tail end of their conversation earlier today. Harry reassured Longbottom that all four of them would remain friends, no matter what house they were in. Hopefully they would have better luck than what he and Lily had. But for now, the more pressing issue was the tournament. He doubted that Harry was going to make himself a Prince, but if he didn't align himself with one of the possible 'Princes' within the next two weeks, Severus would have a harder time protecting him. Severus held in his sigh before getting up to pass out the schedules since the kids had classes today.
Slytherin First Year Schedule
Breakfast is from 7:00am-9:30am & Dinner is from 6:00pm-8pm every day. Both meals are mandatory.
Monday
9:45am-10:45am History of Magic
11:00am-12:00pm Defense Against the Dark Arts
12:00pm-1:00pm Lunch
1:15pm-2:15pm Transfiguration
2:30pm-3:30pm Charms
Tuesday
9:45am-10:45am Herbology
11:am-12:00pm Potions
12:00pm-1:00pm Lunch
1:15pm-3:30pm Transfiguration
Wednesday
9:45am-10:45am History of Magic
11:00am-12:00pm Defense Against the Dark Arts
12:00pm-1:00pm Lunch
1:15pm-3:30pm Charms
12:00am-1:00am Astronomy
Thursday
9:45am-12:00pm Defense Against the Dark Arts
12:00pm-1:00pm Lunch
1:15pm-3:15pm Herbology
3:30pm-4:00pm Flying
Friday
9:45am-12pm Potions
Happy Mother's Day.
