Chapter 9

At Hogwarts, before the sorting ceremony

Severus and Filius sat quietly talking half an hour before the train was due to arrive in Hogsmede station. They had been in the great hall having a staff briefing before the students came and once the meeting was disbanded they had begun chatting.

"What house do you recon Harry will be in?" Filius asked.

"Before I met him and had previous misconceptions about him I would have said he would be in Gryffindor, but now" Severus said trailing off.

"Now, now Severus don't put yourself down, who was to know that he was treated the way he was?" Filius said while patting Severus lightly on the back.

"I should have been there for him, at least met him, Lily's son, I shouldn't have been ruled by prejudice" Severus said more to himself than to Filius.

"Going back to our previous conversation, I think Harry will be in either Slytherin or Gryffindor house. He is unlikely to be in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff although he is clever and kind he has more of the other houses qualities don't you think?" Filius said uncomfortably, changing the subject.

"Yes Slytherin or Gryffindor are rather likely consequences however in some ways I would prefer a young lion as our ward because it could become awkward being his guardian and head of house." Severus replied.

"A blessing and a curse" Filius added.

After the sorting

Harry watched from his houses table across the hall to Hermione and Neville who were at the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. They both had grins stretching the length of their faces and were waving happily at him. He was returning the waves wholeheartedly.

Harry saw some other friends he had made and nodded and sometimes waved at them, Ron at the Gryffindor table, Fred and George also at the Gryffindor table and a few others whom he had met on the train.

Severus was having mixed feelings about the outcome of the sorting. Harry was a Slytherin so it would now be assumed that he would become the next dark lord and if Voldemort ever returned (and Severus was sure that he would) than Harry could be lured in to become his protégé. Harry, however seemed fine with his sorting and was positively beaming at every acquaintance he had ever made.

Filius also was having confused thoughts over the sorting, he was glad that Harry was okay with where he was but he felt like Severus might become Harry's favourite. This was silly, he knew Harry would never have favourites intentionally, but the thought still concerned him even though he wouldn't let the jealously show.

Harry had enjoyed his first day at Hogwarts very much, after finishing the feast in the great hall with a few words of warning from Professor Dumbledore about entering the 3rd floor corridor, Harry was led to the Slytherin common room – a cosy room in the dungeons filled with mesmerising green light from the lake. Harry and the other first years were showed to their dormitories, the boys dorm had 6 four poster beds with green hangings on them, silver lanterns hung from the ceiling and the Slytherin crest was on the dormitory door.

As all the first year boys crowded the entrance someone spoke up.

"To those of you who don't know me I'm Draco Malfoy, pleased to make your acquaintance." Said a boy with white blonde hair and a commanding voice.

All the other boys went to shake Draco's hand and introduce themselves, so Harry did as well.

"Hi Draco I'm Harry, Harry Potter" said Harry with a small smile, knowing the chaos this would cause.

An instant silence much like Harry had predicted, fell on the dorm.

"Are you really Harry Potter?" said a boy with a grunt like voice that Harry had just met, called Vincent Crabbe.

"Er yeah, here's my scar" Harry said, pushing his hair out of the way of it.

"Nice to meet you" said Theodore Nott as he shook Harry's hand and then he said "Any of you guys want this bed?" as he pointed at a bed nearest the ensuite bathroom. A muttering of 'no you take it's and 'have it's from the boys showed that Theodore had claimed that bed and soon the boys followed suite, anxious to get a good bed.

After 10 minutes of Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini arguing over a bed, Harry finally sat down on his newly claimed one – it was in-between Theodore and Blaise and Harry hadn't had to fight for it at all.

As he settled down to sleep half an hour later he recalled the interesting conversation he had been having with his new friend Theo about potions as the lapping of the lakes waters on his window caused him to fall asleep.

Thanks for reviews, follows and favourites. I'm very sorry about the passing of Alan Rickman an amazing actor, I offer my condolences to his family and friends. RIP.