Disclaimer: Anything you recognise from any of the books belongs to J. K. Rowling, not me. Pity.

Thoughts, Letters and emphasised words

Normal speech

Chapter 3

When the doors to the Great Hall opened, Harry tensed up before letting out a sigh of relief when he realised that it was only the teachers entering. He was sat at the very end of the Gryffindor table with his back to the wall so he could keep an eye on everyone as they entered. As he heard the first of the carriages pull up, he pushed his shields up to full and wished that he could return to the routine of the holidays. He'd gotten into the habit of having breakfast in his rooms before going to the lab to help Severus prepare potions for the hospital wing. After this he would go flying or reading for the rest of the day before eating dinner in the Great Hall.

Realising that he wouldn't get his wish, Harry pulled himself back to the present just as the students began pouring into the room. One of the first people to notice him was Ginny, who made her way over to him and sat next to him, forming a human barrier and in a way protecting him for the other students. He smiled slightly in thanks, glad he had told her at least a little bit of what had happened over the summer. She would understand his unwillingness to be around the others as much, and any strange reactions he might have.

"Hey," she greeted him happily as Ron and Hermione sat down opposite them. "It's so good to see you."

"And you," Harry replied, relaxing slightly in her presence. "Thanks for being there for me this summer, and for the letters. They helped a lot. It was nice to have some contact with somebody my own age."

"I'm just glad you decided to write back to me. At the start of the summer, when you weren't writing back, I was hurt, but I carried on because you needed somebody. And then you started writing back, and you explained at least some of what you were going through. Thank you for trusting me with something so personal. It means a lot to me."

"Well, you were the only one to write to me all summer, except for my birthday, and the only one who seemed to understand that I would need somebody after the events of last year. Those letters helped me survive, knowing there was somebody out there who cared about me." Feeling eyes on him, Harry looked up and let a fake smile cross his face, whilst underneath he was a whirlwind of emotions. The pair smiled back, not noticing that Harry's smile was faked. "Hi guys," he said happily. Before Ron and Hermione could respond, the doors opened and Professor McGonagall entered, leading the first years to the front of the room. The hall fell silent as the sorting hat opened its mouth.

"There's been more than a thousand years
Since I was first created,
Though at the time, the choice to split
Was not really debated.
Over the years this choice has shown,
Cleverness is not wisdom,
As through the task of dividing,
We've caused a massive problem.
Slytherin holds the ambitious,
And those of cunning nature,
Gryffindor takes the brave of heart,
And those who dare face danger,
Ravenclaw holds the quick of mind,
And those who search for answers,
Hufflepuff takes the loyal ones,
And those who are hard workers.
And though I split you year by year,
I really think its wrong to,
For this will cause great rivalry
When unity should bind you."

All across the hall, older students were sharing confused looks. This was the second time in as many years that the hat had warned the school that working together was the way forward. Half listening to the sorting, and applauding whenever a student was sorted into Gryffindor, Harry turned most of his attention to contemplating the sorting song and studying various students around the hall, noting things for later consideration. Towards the end of the sorting, his eyes scanned along the head table. Eyes stopping on the empty seat where the defence professor should have been sat, Harry idly wondered who was supposed to be sat there, and who the two other unfamiliar faces were.

"I have one more person to sort." The Sorting Hat exclaimed loudly when the last of the first years had sat down. Once again confusion swept around the hall, people studying those they were sat by for any clue as to who this mystery person could be. "This person was meant to go into a different house to begin with, and its time a mistake was rectified." Harry tensed slightly, though his face remained neutral, and just waited for the bomb to drop. "Harry Potter." Every eye in the hall swivelled to watch Harry as he got up calmly and made his way towards the front of the room, ignoring the shocked and hurt looks he was receiving, and the whispers that had sprung up around the room.

He made eye contact with the Potions master just before sitting down and knew the man could see the tension and panic hidden underneath his neutral façade. Closing his eyes as he felt the hat being placed on his head, he held back a shudder and forcefully prevented himself form pushing his shields up fully when he felt the hats magic enter his mind.

"Very interesting," the hat murmured in his ear. "This must be your ancestry showing. But anyway, onto the sorting." Unbeknownst to Harry, the hat began to talk to the whole hall. "You have the cunning and ambition of a Slytherin, which is what you would have been if I'd have had my own way years ago. However, you also have the strength and courage of a Gryffindor, the intelligence and curiosity of a Ravenclaw and the loyalty and work ethic of a Hufflepuff." Whispered conversations sprung up around the hall as the hat fell silent, contemplating the conundrum that was Harry Potter.

"I cannot sort you." The hat announced, shocking everyone into silence. "To put you in any specific house would be to ignore the other aspects of your personality, and as all your traits are equal in strength, I cannot decide between them in this way. Therefore, I declare you independent of all the houses." He finished by speaking only to Harry. "I hope you can bring the unity that is so needed in these dark times."

Harry kept his eyes closed as he felt the hat being taken from his head, sighing deeply as he stood up and opened his eyes. Mentally preparing himself, Harry scanned the hall for the reactions to this revelation. More or less all of the faces were sporting shocked looks, some of which were quickly turning to disgusted glares, though not as many as he had expected. Amongst these, the strongest were on the faces of Ron and Hermione. Hiding the tiniest bit of hurt he felt, Harry turned to face the head table.

HPHPHP

Severus listened in well concealed shock to the hats announcement. As Harry stood up, he scanned the hall for reactions, mentally cataloguing all those that were sending disgusted glares at the ex- Gryffindor, specifically those from the Gryffindor table. Noticing Harry's two best friends amongst the few who were glaring, he turned his attention to the young man in question. He was pleasantly surprised to find that Harry's mask of calm was still in place, though he could see that underneath Harry was panicking slightly. Scanning the hall again, he noticed that only a couple of the older students had realised that this was merely a façade, though he was sure they had no idea what was being hidden.

"Professor, do you have any suggestions as to where I should sit?" Harry asked the Headmaster, his eyes flicking briefly to Severus to include him in the conversation.

"I have one that will be put into place by tomorrow. As for tonight, I have only two suggestions. You can either take Miss Tonks' seat at the head table, or you can eat in the kitchens."

"Very well, I will eat in the kitchens then go to my rooms. I assume I will be staying where I stayed over the summer?" he asked, looking at the Headmaster but really asking the potions master, who imperceptibly nudged the Headmaster, who in turn nodded. "Where there any important notices you were going to make?"

"Aside from the usual, there will be a Yule ball again this year. And I was going to introduce the new members of staff. Professor Finn will be teaching you History of Magic." Of the two new witches, the brunette smiled. "And Professor Keane will be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts. Professor Tonks, who will be arriving tomorrow, will be teaching Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts and, with your permission, helping you to continue the DA as a school endorsed club open to all students third year and above." Harry nodded his acceptance to this plan and was just about to turn around to leave the hall when the Headmaster spoke again. "One more thing before you leave." Pulling out his wand he muttered a charm.

Severus watched as Harry took in the changes to his uniform- black and white replacing red and gold, the lining of his robes now a silvery grey and his house badge replaced by the Hogwarts crest- before he spun on his heels and strode from the hall. Worried slightly as to how Harry would take this, Severus turned his attention to Albus, who stood to start the feast.

HPHPHP

Sat at their house table, two students were talking quietly as they ate. As with everybody else in the hall, their topic of conversation was Harry Potter, though not in the same way as everybody else.

"That's a good mask he's wearing," the blonde muttered. The brunette also involved in the conversation turned with an incredulous look.

"But you can tell that he's hiding his real feelings! I wouldn't have expected that praise from you."

"If you've ever worn a mask for an extended amount of time, you will find it easier to see others who are doing the same. But it's a good mask because you can't tell what he is really feeling underneath the façade he is displaying, even if you know it is a façade."

"Oh, I didn't know that, but it makes sense I suppose. So how long until he realises that we aren't all that we seem?"

"Not long at all. He's a lot more intelligent than he has previously let on, and he was nearly a Slytherin. Probably after our first lesson together at the latest. But we shall see what happens."

HPHPHP

Harry was early to breakfast the next morning, and as he walked slowly into the hall, he took in his surroundings. The first thing to attract his attention was a new table that could seat at least 4 people, located where the sorting hat usually waited during the opening feast, directly in front of the Headmaster at the head table. The next thing to come to his attention was the witch with electric blue hair waving enthusiastically from the head table.

Smiling genuinely, Harry made his way through the hall to greet the metamorphmagus. Ignoring the stares he was receiving from the few students present at this time, he moved to stand in front of the head table.

"Wotcher Harry," the auror greeted him.

"Good morning Professor Tonks." Harry replied seriously, but with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"Harry, outside lessons and the DA please don't call me Professor. I feel old enough as it is. But anyway, the reason I wanted to speak to you is we need to sort out what will be happening with the DA. What sort of things did you teach last year?" Harry told her, starting with the disarming charm and ending with the patronus. "Merlin Harry, you taught them a lot. No wonder last years Defence OWL's and NEWT's had the highest scores in decades. But how are you going to follow on from what you taught last year?"

"Well, for the last couple of weeks I've been researching some spells I think could be useful. There are a couple of shielding charms that would be good for them to know, and maybe incarcerous, and some non-lethal but effective jinxes and hexes, such as the bat- bogey hex that can be used to distract an opponent allowing you to stun or disarm them. Maybe some basic healing spells that aren't too difficult as well."

"I can see you've put a lot of thought into this. But why would they need to know that sort of thing?"

"I know exactly what the world is like out there at the moment, and I'm sure as an auror you have an even better idea than me. Death Eaters and Voldemort will attack anybody who is not on their side, and that includes children. I would rather they know some simple spells that can give them a chance, and I just have this gut feeling that sometime in the future, Voldemort will attack Hogwarts and I want everybody to have the best chance possible at surviving."

"I understand Harry, even though I think you are the person that understands the most exactly what evil we are facing. But I agree that everybody needs to be ready to face that threat. Shall we meet again later, after dinner, to organise everything, and formalise what we have discussed this morning?" Harry nodded. "Very well, go and have some breakfast and I'll see you later Harry."

Whilst they had been talking, the hall had gradually filled up. Harry turned round and walked slowly towards what was obviously his new table, ignoring the stares he was receiving with practiced ease. Just as he sat down and started filling his plate for breakfast, Ginny entered and scanned the hall before heading over with a smile on her face. Harry poured himself some juice as she settled herself opposite him.

"Morning Ginny," Harry greeted her before taking a sip of his juice.

"Hey Harry," the redhead replied. "Hope you don't mind if I join you. Dumbledore announced yesterday that aside from feasts, we are free to sit at any table we want for meals."

"Not at all, it's good to have some company. And I think you are the best person at the moment. I think you understand me more than Ron or Hermione ever did." Ginny pulled a face at the mention of the other gryffindors. "What have they been up to now?"

"They were trying to poison the other Gryffindors against you, focussing mainly on the first years, as they haven't been exposed to you before. Luckily, most of them had been encountered Dean and Seamus on the train, and had heard all about you from them, and again at the feast. And at the feast, most of the others backed the two of them up, so most of them just ignored the lies being spread about you."

"I'm going to have to keep a close eye on them this year, don't you think. But I would like to know why they are acting like this now, and why they ignored me over the summer as well. I mean, they were supposedly my best friends, and I received one letter from them all summer, and that was barely even worth the parchment it was written on."

"I don't know about the summer, but I was listening to them last night, and they think that you have been lying to them for all these years. Just because you didn't tell them about nearly being sorted into Slytherin, which I completely understand you not telling them about. But now they are wondering if there is anything else you are keeping from them." Ginny explained with a furious glint in her eyes. "And they don't see you as the same Harry anymore, even though you haven't changed at all. Because, though you never told us, I have seen your Slytherin traits before this year."

"Have they always been like this but I haven't noticed, or is this a new attitude on their part, I wonder. But I always knew at least Ron would act this way to the Slytherin thing, so that's why I never mentioned it. There are another couple of things as well, which I didn't or wouldn't tell them, mainly because I knew what their reactions would be and didn't want that. I will tell you though, later in private, because I know that you won't react too badly to the news."

Before Ginny could reply to this, Professor McGonagall had approached the table and handed each of them a piece of parchment. "Congratulations on your OWL results, Mr Potter. They were amongst the top in the school. It's just a shame that you are no longer in my house. But just remember, my door is always open to you if you need anything, even if it is just a chat."

"Thank you Professor." Harry replied, smiling genuinely up at her. The head of Gryffindor nodded before walking off to hand out the last of the timetables she still held. Looking down at the sheet of parchment in his hand, Harry scanned it before letting out a sigh of relief. "Its not as bad as I thought it would be."

"Mine is," Ginny complained as she began loading breakfast on to her plate. Harry took a quick look at her timetable and just shook his head. Ginny ignored him, instead starting to eat her breakfast before asking, "So, where are your rooms?"

"Down in the dungeons. I'm in the rooms I stayed in over the summer, so it feels like home now."

"When can I see them?" Ginny mock pouted.

"After classes, meet me in the entrance hall and I'll show you then." Harry answered with a smile before he continued on with his breakfast.

HPHPHP

Harry slowly walked out of the History of Magic Classroom, deep in thought. The new professor was very good. Not only did she really know her stuff, and not just about the goblin rebellions, but she made her lessons interesting enough that all the students wanted to learn what she was teaching. Ignoring all the students around him, Harry walked at a steady pace to the Hospital wing for his next class. Entering, he noticed a large semicircular table where there was usually some free space. Harry was the last to arrive and there were already 8 students sat around the curved edge of the table. Sighing slightly, Harry sat in the last remaining seat and glanced around to see who else had decided to take the healing class.

Ignoring the glares from Hermione opposite him, Harry nodded a greeting to Neville, the three Ravenclaws, the lone Hufflepuff and the two Slytherins sat next to him. Hermione's glare intensified at this, whilst the other students returned the greeting. At that moment, before Hermione could say or do anything, Madame Pomfrey bustled over to them carrying a tray of potions and a stack of parchments.

"Good morning and welcome to healing," she announced, standing in the centre of the flat side of the table, placing the items she was carrying down in front of herself. "Unfortunately, today will be nothing exciting, and not very educational to yourselves, it is merely a little test for me to see how much each of you knows about healing. Now take a parchment and pass the rest along," she said, handing the pile to Harry. He took the top one and passed the rest to the Slytherin sat to his right.

"Now, for this test you will be identifying healing potions and spells, and giving information on them. The first section is based on these ten potions which you will have to identify." Madame Pomfrey muttered a spell and the potions on the tray in front of her separated and moved to rest in front of the students, each numbered between one and ten. "I would like you to name the potions, what they are used to treat, any strengths and weaknesses presented by the potion and any other information you feel would help if using them to heal somebody. The second section is based on healing spells and from the incantations I would like to know the name of the spell, what it is used to treat, its strengths and weaknesses and any other relevant information. Now, any questions before we start?" Looking around, Madame Pomfrey spotted Hermione's hand in the air. "Miss Granger?"

"Having read the course description for this course, I had assumed that we would be learning this information during the course. Having read the set text, I am sure that I will know all the answers, so what is the point of this test?"

"Yes, you will be learning the spells and potions on this course, mainly how to administer or cast the healing techniques, but not everything about healing can be learned from a book. Some things have to be learned through experience, and by seeing the results in person. This test is for me to see what level each of you is at, and who to group you with for the group projects. Any more questions?" Looking round and seeing no more raised hands, Madame Pomfrey continued, "Very well, you may begin. Let me know once you are done and I will check your work." As one, the entire group turned to their test papers.

Scanning the questions, Harry pulled the potions vials closer and lined them up in numerical order. On at a time, he picked up each vial and checked the colour, transparency, thickness and texture by moving the vial, before opening each and sniffing the contents. After identifying each potion, he wrote its name next to the relevant number on the test paper before filling in all the other details Madame Pomfrey had asked for, as well as a few other personal observations.

After completing the potions, Harry moved onto the spells, again filling in all the details he'd learnt about each of them from the textbook, and all of his personal observations of the effects of the spells. Finishing, and rereading his answers to check he hadn't missed anything, Harry put his quill down and sat back to watch the others around the table. Next to him, the two Slytherins we just finishing up and a few minutes later, they too laid their quills in the table. On the other hand, opposite him Hermione seemed to be struggling, her brow furrowed in thought.

Noticing the inactivity on their end of the table, Madame Pomfrey bustled over and quickly read through their tests. Pulling out a quill of her own, she wrote something on the bottom of each of their tests before handing them back.

"Very good you three. It seems the three of you will be working together for at least the next term. Homework for today is for you to get to know each other a bit better before the next class. As you are finished, feel free to leave a bit early."

The three got up and left quickly. Stopping just outside the door, Harry studied his two companions. Showing no reaction to the fact that the Slytherins also seemed to have similar masks to his own, Harry smiled an almost genuine smile.

"Hi, I'm Harry Potter, pleased to meet you," he said, holding his hand out. The two Slytherins answered in turn, shaking his hand as they introduced themselves.

"Blaise Zabini."

"Draco Malfoy, and the pleasure is all mine."

Hope you all enjoy this one. Sorry for the delay in updating, but real life grabbed a hold of me and refused to let go.