HEY THERE PEOPLE! So anyway I'm still around and working on this off and on but I come to you today with this, a bright shiny new chapter! I did say in one of, if not the first authors note that posting would be sporadic, and that hasn't changed. Honestly it has probably gotten worse as my ability to write was based off of my time spent at work and I have a new job working nights so I might only have the weekends. That being said I may develop a rhythm at work that potentially give me an hour of free time. If that were to become the case you can be sure that I will have my computer with me and updates may actually speed up.
Thanks for the review Toraach. I too have grown tired of the manipulating Dumbledore story. There are good ones, but a good one to every thirty copy and paste versions is annoying. I'm going to try and write Dumbledore as a man who is getting on in years but is afraid to pass the torch to the next generation because he fears they aren't ready, he's not ready and ultimately he doesn't want to be finished yet. Don't know if I can keep that straight but I'll try. Older Harry tics are out there and some inspiration came from them but they are generally in the Harry is WBWL and is neglected/ignored by his family. As for what the events of the prologue mean, I'LL NEVER TELL!(till we get to that point of the story)
Alright people timeline. Harry's first year will hopefully only take two chapters. After that we will skip to his fourth, Ellie's first. It may be a Harry Potter story but Harry is not the Boy-Who-Lived and weird things won't happen to him as often. His fourth year will hopefully only take one or two chapters, depends on my mood. Year five, or Chamber of Secrets, will be the same length. With Sirius not in Azkaban to break out, year six may only have a brief mention, it was nice to have a quiet year again, something like that. Then we get to seven and the triwizard tourney where this will start kicking off. I will have some common tropes, for instance I plan to have Harry meet Fleur at the world cup but not in the Harry has to save her from being raped way because she is suddenly useless way everyone seems to like writing.
Well once again we have an authors note that I've taken too much of your time on. Now go, go on to the non-bolder text! Oh and I suppose I don't own the characters or locations blah, blah, blah. Are these really necessary? I mean, we all know going in don't we?
Chapter 2:
Harry gazed disdainfully out of the window of the Hogwarts Express at the gathered families milling about. By the way that everyone kept shooting glances at the barrier, he knew that they were hoping to catch a glimpse of The-Girl-Who-Lived, Ellie Potter, his younger sister. Harry scoffed at the fools on the platform. It was for that exact reason that Harry had asked Sirius to bring him to the platform early.
The clock chimed eleven and with a lurch, the Express began to roll out of the station. Harry knew why the gathered idiots were hoping to see 'their savior.' He was, after all, able to remember that Halloween night. The screams of terror, the bright green light that made his mother fall to the ground dead, the pale face with burning red eyes saying that he'd kill all of the family before finishing Harry. A wand, as white as the face pointing at him, then a short flight into the ceiling before he knew no more.
The compartment door sliding open startled Harry out of his memories. A small girl, he would guess a fellow first year, with dark skin and long chestnut hair was standing in the doorway. Her blue eyes met his and from the way she blanched at his gaze, he knew that his eyes must have looked dark and haunted. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. I was just wondering if it would be alright if I sat down, but I can find somewhere else."
"No, that's fine. I was merely lost in some unpleasant memories is all." Harry said after a moments pause. The girl looked relieved and proceeded to drag her trunk into the compartment. Harry helped her place it in the racks and after making sure it was secure, she flopped down on the bench.
"Thanks, this was the first semi-empty compartment that I've seen so far. My name's Adelaide Zabini," she said sticking out her hand, "pleasure to meet you."
"Harry Potter, and the pleasure is all mine, I assure you." Harry said, taking her hand and brushing a light kiss against the back of it.
Adelaide giggled at his antics and took her hand back. "Harry Potter, huh? You're not quite what I was expecting."
"I aim to impress, Miss Zabini. What were you expecting of Harry Potter?"
"Well, I don't know, exactly. Everyone knows that you were sent to live with your Godfather and that he was a Gryffindor to the core, not to mention he was the, er, black sheep of his family. I guess I wasn't expecting you to act like a pureblood."
Harry quirked an eyebrow and held it until Adelaide shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "And just what are your views on blood-purity then?"
"I don't particularly care; the muggleborns do annoy me though."
"I see, and to answer the question I know you wanted to ask, I am the last son of the Potter family. Sirius may have tried to run from his heritage, but he had a brother that could have helmed the Black family had he not died. I don't have that option so I asked Sirius to teach me how to be the head of an Ancient and Noble Family. He wasn't able to teach me what I needed to know so he called in a favor."
"Who did you have teach you then?"
"Now, now Miss Zabini, that would be telling. I need to have a few aces up my sleeves to survive the sorting."
"What do you mean by that," she asked.
"Let's just say I have a feeling that it will shock everyone."
"No hints?" Adelaide said with a soft chuckle.
"Nope sorry, do you mind if we drop the pureblood acts? I find it to be exhausting when I'm with pleasant company." Adelaide giggled again and nodded. Harry and Adelaide spent the next thirty minutes talking about their hopes and fears for Hogwarts and had started into a game of exploding snap when the compartment door opened.
A boy with dirty blond hair and soft brown eyes was standing in the doorway. "Hey, do ya two mind if I sit with ya? Some upper year students kicked me out of me last compartment." He said in a strong Scottish accent. Harry and Adelaide looked at each other before Harry spoke.
"Yeah that's fine, do you need a hand with your luggage?"
"Yeah, thanks." Harry helped the boy lift his trunk into the overhead racks and the two flopped back down onto their bench. "Thanks, me name's Ian, Ian McKellan."
"No problem, I'm Harry Potter and this is Adelaide Zabini. Pleasure to meet you."
"Harry Potter eh? I'd heard that your sister and you up and did a runner with that Godfather of yours."
"Oh? Where did you here that?"
"Oh just my family's circles. These things are fraught with rumor and lie you know."
"And on some level you're wondering if there's any truth in the rumors?"
"Ah, I see that you know how the game is played."
"I do, I was taught well. Adelaide and I have agreed to act our age though, would you like to join us?"
"Sounds like a much more enjoyable train ride. Say, did you hear that Quidditch match between Transylvania and Luxembourg?"
The train ride passed quickly for the three and they soon found themselves exiting the train at the Hogsmead Platform. "Where exactly are we supposed to go?" Adelaide asked as she looked around the platform curiously. Ian opened his mouth to respond but before he could a loud voice was heard over the platform, "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"
"Well, that answers that then," Ian said pointing to where a lantern was waving over the crowd. "Come on then, no sense in clogging the platform." Ian and Adelaide had begun to weave through the crowd when Adelaide realized that Harry wasn't following them. She turned around and saw him starring at the carriages, transfixed.
"Harry, you coming?"
"Huh?"
"You coming? They're calling all the first years over to the edge of the platform."
"Look at the front of the carriages."
"What," she said casting a quick glance at the carriages that the older students were climbing into. "Oh, they pull themselves. That's neat but I bet there's a lot of neat magic at the school. Now, come on, we don't want to miss whatever they're doing with the other first years."
"Oh, ok," said Harry turning and walking with Adelaide to where the other first years were standing next to the towering form of Hagrid. "Everyone here? Good! Follow me to the boats!" Hagrid said turning and trundling down a path that led away from the platform. The first years all turned and followed Hagrid with Harry casting one last look at the skeletal horses that no one else could see. Harry was lost in thought for most of the trail but was broken out of his musings when he heard Hagrid say, "Yeh'll get yer firs' look o' Hogwarts in a sec."
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of the Black Lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers. All the first years oohed and awed at the sight of the majestic castle. "No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called and Harry noticed the small fleet of boats on the shore of the lake for the first time. Harry, Ian, and Adelaide claimed a boat of their own and were followed by a girl with blond hair that reached the middle of her back.
The boat ride passed in awkward silence as the girl did not introduce herself and the three didn't bother to try and start a conversation with her. Harry was gazing at the lake trying to catch a glimpse of the giant squid when he heard Hagrid call for all the first years to duck their heads. Harry looked up and saw that the fleet of boats was approaching a cave with a curtain of ivy hanging over it. Just inside the cave the boats ran up on a small gravel beach and the first years climbed out.
"Right, we still have everyone then? None of ya fell in the lake? Good, follow me!" Hagrid said leading the way up a flight of stairs that appeared to have been carved straight out of the stone. Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.
The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. Her stern face was giving off the air that she wasn't someone to cross but Harry knew that from Sirius' stories that as long as you were respectful to her, she would be fair. "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."
She pulled the door wide and led the first years across the flagged stone floor to a small, empty chamber off the main hall. They crowded in, most standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering around nervously.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "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 Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting," said Professor McGonagall casting a look around the room. "I shall return when we are ready for you, please wait quietly." She left the room and Harry looked around at his fellow classmates. The pure-blood students and the half-bloods were standing around looking bored or impressed with the castle. The muggle born students were trying to look small and many appeared scared.
Harry looked at Adelaide who had the bored, haughty pure-blood mask on. When she noticed him watching Adelaide raised one of her eyebrows but didn't say anything. Harry smirked and turned to join in Ian's conversation with a muggle born about how they were chosen. They were currently trying to convince the kid that you had to wrestle a troll when someone behind them screamed.
A dozen or so ghosts had drifted through the wall and scared one of the other first years. "I say, new first years! Welcome to Hogwarts new students!" said a rather portly ghost wearing what looked like a monk's vestments said to the first years. "I'm the Fat Friar, the resident ghost for Hufflepuff. Hope to see you there after the Sorting!"
"Move along now," a sharp voice rang out. "The Sorting Ceremony is about to start."
Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.
"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me." Harry got in line behind Ian and followed the rest of his classmates out into the Great Hall. For the first time that night, Harry felt a small pang of anxiety. His sorting was going to upset many people in and out of Hogwarts. Harry was so zoned out that he didn't even hear the Hat's song. Harry only came back to awareness when he heard Ian's name called.
Harry watched as his friend made his way to the stool at the front of the Hall. His pale face was the only indication of how nervous he was. McGonagall placed the hat on his head and after a few moments, the rip near the brim opened and shouted, "Slytherin!" The table on the far right began to applaud and Ian made his way over to them. There weren't many people left now.
"Norington"…."Orrington"…."Oscley"…."Parkins, Samantha," was called and the girl that had rode in the boat with Harry made her way to the stool. Then, "Potter, Harry!"
As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.
"Potter, did she say?"
"I didn't know the Girl-Who-Lived had a brother."
The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. Next second he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.
"Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of intelligence, willingness to do what you have to to accomplish your goals. There is a Gryffindor buried in here, too deep to go to that house though…. So, where shall I put you?"
Harry sat relaxed on the stool and thought, Slytherin, and be quick about it.
"No need to be rude. Slytherin, eh? You could be great there, most defiantly, but why do you wish to go to that house? You would not fit in, at least at first. It will make life, difficult, for you."
Slytherin is the house that will cause the most trouble for my sister when she arrives in three years, I can curb that. It will also allow me to make the connections that I need for re-building the Potter name and fortune. I will take no other house.
"Very well, if you're sure – better be SLYTHERIN!"
Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took the hat off and calmly placed it on the stool, then made his way to the Slytherin table in the absolute silence that had descended on the hall. It wasn't until Harry had taken his seat the Professor McGonagall broke out of her shock and read the next name on the list. Adrian Pucey joined them at the Slytherin table, making sure to sit well away from Harry. Adelaide was the last first year called, and when the hat placed her in Slytherin, Harry clapped for his friend, but he was one of the few that did. Most of the hall was still staring at Harry in shock. The Slytherins were staring at him because he was a known Half-Blood from a traditionally light-sided family, and the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were staring for the same reason. Most of the Gryffindors were looking at him with something close to betrayal on their faces.
"Well Harry, you were right about your Sorting shocking everyone." Adelaide said once the headmaster had said his speech and the food appeared. "They're still staring at you."
"Yeah, and it's starting to get awfully rude," Harry said as he buttered a roll. "I was taught my position as the last Potter by Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy." he said, fully aware that the older students around him were eavesdropping. "Sirius is a good guardian, but he can wear you down after a bit. And after he painted our house in Gryffindor red and gold I swore I wouldn't live in that tower for seven years." Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw some of the eavesdropping students smirk and turn to their neighbors. Harry knew that by the time they made it to the dormitory, every Slytherin would know that he was friendly with the Malfoy's.
Once everyone had eaten their fill the food disappeared and Dumbledore stood back up. "Now that we are all fed, I have a few start of term notices. First years will please be aware that the dark forest on the edge of the grounds is forbidden to all students. Also, please help me welcome Professor Kyle MacDermit, who will be taking over Defense Against the Dark Arts classes this year." A man in his mid-thirties stood and acknowledged the applause he was receiving with a wave of his hand and sat down. "Now," Dumbledore continued, "the first did fall on a Friday so you all have two days to learn the layout of the castle before classes begin on Monday, now off to bed with you, pip, pip!"
"First years, first years over here," Harry heard a voice from down the table. Harry followed the other first years to where two older students were standing. "I'm Michael Keeling and this is Kelsie Travers. We're your fifth year Prefects and if you'll follow us, we'll show you to the Slytherin dormitories. Make sure that you pay attention to the route, the dungeons are constructed like a maze and there are no indicators that will lead you to the dormitory. Don't expect any of the upper years to help you either."
"You are lucky that the semester starts on a weekend," Kelsie said. "Outside the common room, Slytherin presents a unified front. Inside the common room however, politics and alliances run rampant and if any of you end up lost in the castle, you will quickly ostracize yourself."
"Slytherin is a great house. You will make friends and connections that will greatly benefit you in your future. Most of you," Michael said glancing back at Harry, "are here because you deserve to be." Harry rolled his eyes at the obvious jab. A minute of walking later the Prefects stopped in a seemingly random spot in the corridor. "The entrance to our common room is hidden in the wall here, the password is 'grandeur," at his word, a section of the wall slid open to reveal a chamber behind. The Slytherin common room was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains. A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them, and several Slytherins were silhouetted around it in high-backed chairs.
"In Slytherin, we expect the best. Slytherin has a bad reputation among the other students, but we don't particularly care what their opinions of us are. To the teachers, you will be the perfect students. Slytherin has won the house cup for the last three years in a row and we plan to continue that. The dormitories are at the far side of the common room. The First Year dorm is on the bottom level of the staircase. Boys rooms are on the right and girls are on the left. You are expected to be respectful of the opposite sex, besides being expected, the punishment for any boy caught in a girls room will be handled personally by Professor Snape, it's not a very pleasant experience for all those who are caught. It's two to a room and I suggest that you go and pick your rooms now, you will be expected to know where your classes are by Monday." Michael said before he left to join a group of older students playing chess in a corner.
Harry followed his classmates down the stairs to a spacious corridor with five sets of doors leading away from it. The girls immediately paired up and took rooms leaving just the four boys at the bottom of the staircase. "I'm not rooming with the half-blood," a boy with a resemblance to a sloth whose name was Warrington, Harry thought, said. "Even if he is a Potter," the boy finished with a sneer. He grabbed Pucey's arm and dragged him into the room closest to the stairs.
"What do you say Ian? Do you mind rooming with a half-blood?"
"I've got no problem with it, although I imagine you'll be bugging me to help you navigate the pureblood circles. It might get tiring after a while but I'll manage," Ian said in a joking manner. Harry chuckled a bit and Ian continued. "You mind if we take the last room on the row? I didn't quite like the look Warrington had about him and I don't want to have to be watching my back every morning."
"No, that's fine with me," Harry said leading the way to the last room. Inside the room, they saw two, king sized four poster beds with green silk hangings trimmed in silver. There were also two dressers, two desks, and a bookcase.
"So… how do we get our things?" Ian said before two small pops came from behind them. The boys turned to see their trunks on the stone floor. "Well, I guess that answers that then."
"I guess," Harry said, dragging his trunk to the bed on the right of the room. "You know, my godfather told me that in Gryffindor, and at least Ravenclaw, you don't get to choose your room or bed. Your trunks are placed at the foot of a bed and that's the one you get."
"That's weird, but we are Slytherins. Most of the kids would throw fits if they couldn't choose their own beds."
"Yeah I guess," Harry said as he was digging through his trunk.
"Hey, I'm fair knackered Harry. I'm going to go ahead and call it for the night so I can get an early start on explorin' the castle. You in?"
"Yeah, there's something that I need to find in the castle first so I might not join you till after lunch."
"Oh, what is it you're looking for?"
"At this time? Nothing more than rumor and myth. For all I know it could have been destroyed by now. I don't want to get you excited for nothing but if I find it, you'll be the first person I show it too."
"Ah, well, alright then. I'm off to sleep then, you?"
"Nah, not yet. I need to make sure that I know potions forward and back before Monday."
"Why? We're in Slytherin. Snape favors us above all other students!"
"Yeah, but I guess that my dad and Snape were enemies at school and hated each other, and there was no love between him and my godfather either. I look like my dad so Snape'll probably hate me, at first at least."
"Well, sucks to be you then. Night Harry!" Ian said as he drew the hangings closed around his bed and extinguished his light. Harry sighed and settled down to read, Magical Drafts and Potions open in front of him.
Harry was sitting at the Slytherin table eating bacon when his friends walked into the Great Hall the next morning. "Harry!" Adelaide whisper yelled down the length of the table. "We waited for you in the common room but you never showed! I mean, obviously you were here, but why weren't you there?"
"Calm down Addy, I woke up and decided to start looking for something."
"Addy?"
"You don't like it?"
"No, no it's not that. I've just never had a nickname before. It's kind of nice," she said with a slight blush. "Why didn't you just leave a note for Ian then or something instead of making us waste time?"
"Slipped my mind," Harry said as Adelaide and Ian sat down and began to pull breakfast foods toward them. "I won't disappear on you too often, promise."
"Somehow, I'm not sure I believe that," Ian said from behind a glass of orange juice. "Did you find what you were looking for then?"
"Not yet, I'm close though. I've been using the point me spell and it's giving me directions, so it still exists at least."
"Well that's good then. Ian and I were going to go and explore the castle. Do you want to join us?"
"I will after a bit. I really want to find this thing."
"What is this thing anyway?" Ian asked. "I mean, we've barely known you and you seem to be obsessing over this thing."
"I'm still not telling particulars in case the magic has died. It was something my dad made when he was in school though."
His friends instantly sobered, realizing the gravity of what Harry had said. "Do you, do you want any help? I mean, three heads are better than one after all."
"Thanks, but no. This is something that I have to do on my own." Twenty minutes later Harry waved goodbye to his friends as they headed up the staircase. Harry turned towards the dungeons and plunged back into the labyrinthine expanse.
"Point me Marauder's Map," Harry said a few minutes later. His wand spun and pointed straight to a door across the hall from him. Harry frowned in annoyance, the placard with the name 'Argus Filch' was the source of his irritation. I need enough time to search Filch's office. And to get enough time, I need help. Harry thought, an evil smile forming on his face.
"PEEVES!" Harry was yelling a few minutes later as he wandered alone on the third floor. "PEEVES, I want to talk to you!" A suit of armor rattled on his left and promptly fell over, nearly crushing him. A small man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared with a pop in the space that the suit used to occupy.
"It's not smart for ickle firsties to wander around alone, you know. The castle is a dangerous place after all." He said and burst out in raucous laughter.
"Hello Peeves," Harry said in a calm voice that seemed to confuse Peeves. "I have a proposition for you."
"Oh, you do?" he said, flipping upside and scratching his head. "And why should I care what a firstie wants?"
"Do you remember the Marauders Peeves?" a truly maniacal grin appeared on the face of the poltergeist. "Well my father was one of them, and I was raised by a second. I think it is time to bring the second marauder era to Hogwarts, would you like to help?"
"Of course I will help the son of a marauder, even if he is an ickle firstie. What did you have in mind?"
"Oh, just some gifts I got from my godfather. I'll get them and meet you back here in ten minutes."
Harry was waiting outside Filches office, out of sight in an alcove. He was mentally counting the seconds, hoping that Peeves would come through for him. The seconds ticked by, then more and more. Harry was just about to abandon his hiding spot when he heard an enormous BOOM that rattled the castle, even in the dungeons around Harry. Barely a second had passed before a loud roar sounded from the office. "PEEVES! I'll have you thrown out." The caretaker raced out of his office followed closely by his cat, not even bothering to close the door in his haste to catch Peeves. Harry smirked; the enhanced dungbombs that Sirius had given him should keep Filch fully occupied for ten minutes minimum.
Harry raced into the office, muttering a quick point-me as he did, and ran to the filing cabinet behind Filches desk. Opening the third drawer down that was marked confiscated and highly dangerous; Harry quickly began rifling through the parchment and other various items in the drawer. Spying a yellowing square of parchment, Harry let loose a quick shout of excitement and pulled it from the drawer. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," Harry said with his wand tip touching the parchment. He watched with satisfaction as lines of ink stated to spread from his wand point.
Soon a map of Hogwarts was on the parchment with labeled dots of the people in the school moving around it. Harry smirked when he saw the dot labeled Argus Filch pacing in front of a corridor on the seventh floor. "Thanks dad," Harry said quietly before he pocketed the map and raced out of the caretaker's office.
Harry found his friends wandering around on the fourth floor. "Admit it Ian, you're lost," Adelaide said. "I am not lost, Addy. I'm explorin', there's a big difference."
"I don't know, you two look lost to me," Harry said and chuckled as his friends jumped.
"Blimey Harry! Do you make it a habit to scare the daylights out of people?" Adelaide said holding a hand over her heart.
"Not very Slytherin of you to show emotions like that Addy. What would the other students say?" Harry said.
"Oh, shut up Harry. How did you find us? We weren't expecting to see you until lunch, if we even made it back to the Great Hall that is," she said with a pointed look towards Ian.
"I'm tellin' you; I'm not lost, I'm explorin'. I'm just explorin' the castle good and proper is all. So Harry, I'm guessing that you found whatever it was that you were lookin' for."
"I sure did, with a little help from Peeves of all people. Allow me to present, The Marauders Map." Harry said, extracting the map with a flourish. His friends stared blankly at him and the map.
"A spare bit of parchment? Are you havin' us on mate?" Ian said after a moment.
"It's not a spare bit of parchment, it's just de-activated right now. Give me a second," Harry said as he pulled out his wand. "Here, watch. I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Harry grinned at the looks of astonishment that appeared on his friends faces as the map blossomed into view. "So what do you say? You want to explore the castle or go and grab a butterbeer down at the Three Broomsticks?"
Monday found Ian and Harry falling asleep in their bacon. "What in Merlin's name is wrong with the two of you?" Adelaide asked as she helped herself to scrambled eggs. "You can't possibly be this tired, we all went to sleep at ten last night."
"Well, Harry and meself, may have, possibly, decided to sneak out to Hogsmead last night using that tunnel on the sixth floor that goes directly to the Three Broomsticks cellar." Ian said before he groaned and clutched his temples.
"You idiots! What in the hell were you thinking!" Adelaide screeched, "We have our first classes today and if you two make me look bad, I swear I'll…"
"Addy, stop, please. You're not helping my headache." Harry said as he nursed a cup of tea. "Besides, we only had butterbeer."
Adelaide huffed and frowned at him, "You two deserve to be yelled at if you ask me." Harry and Ian merely nodded at her and went back to their breakfasts. Harry and Ian stayed blissfully ignorant to the morning post and only glanced up when Snape passed out schedules. "Well this doesn't look too bad, Transfiguration, Charms, and Herbology, sounds like an easy day."
"It'll just be introductions Addy, I bet we don't even get to do any spells yet." Ian said, looking a bit more aware of the world.
"At least I'll get to sleep a bit then," Harry said grinning.
"Oh Potter, I hope that this attitude of yours doesn't persist through the whole year or I don't know if I'll be able to stay friends with you!" Harry just grinned which made Adelaide swell like a balloon. Before she could start a new tirade, the screech of an owl cut her off.
"Bit late for post."
"Yeah, well whoever it's going to is getting themselves a howler." Ian remarked.
"Oh, this is going to be all kinds of fun." Harry said dryly.
"Harry, do you recognize that owl?" Adelaide asked.
"Oh yeah, he belongs to my godfather." The owl flew over and dropped the already smoking red envelope in front of Harry and then it sped towards the nearest window. "Well, damn." Was all Harry said before the letter tore itself open and the magically enhanced voice of his godfather began to yell at him.
"HARRY JAMES POTTER, HOW DARE YOU LET THAT STUPID HAT PLACE YOU IN SLYTHERIN! I RAISED YOU AS A NOBLE LION, NOT SOME SLIMEY SNAKE! JUST WHAT WOULD YOUR PARENTS SAY? I SHOULD HAVE NEVER LET YOU LEARN FROM NARCISSA AND LUCIUS; THAT WAS A MISTAKE THAT TURNED YOU INTO A GOOD FOR NOTHING, SLIMY, SNAKE! YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HOME FOR THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS AND I HOPE THAT YOU GET ON WELL WITH MY COUSIN BECAUSE AS IT STANDS NOW, YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HOME FOR THE SUMMER EITHER!"
The letter tore itself to pieces that flew at Harry. Harry was hanging his head either in embarrassment or shame. Students all around the hall were looking at Harry with sympathy, Slytherins included. Adelaide looked at her friend with concern, but she frowned when she saw the smirk that was playing across his face. "Students, please proceed to your first lessons for the day," Dumbledore's voice rang out through the silent hall. "Mr. Potter, if you would please accompany me to my office." Harry frowned but stood up none the less.
"I'll see you guys later," he said lowly and headed out the doors of the great hall after Dumbledore. Harry followed behind Dumbledore as they walked briskly through the hallways until he stopped at a stone gargoyle in front of an alcove. Dumbledore faced the gargoyle and said, "Redvines." Harry assumed that it was a password because the gargoyle unfroze and moved away from the alcove which revealed a spiral stone staircase. The Headmaster led the way up to his office and offered Harry a chair which he gladly accepted and proceeded to gaze around the office in wonder.
After five minutes of silence, Harry spoke, "Professor," only to have Dumbledore stop him with a raised hand. "My apologies Harry, our other guests shall be arriving momentarily and it would be rude to start without them."
"Oh, erm- right Professor."
"I am sorry Harry. I sometimes forget that the patience of age is not with many of the students here. Would you care for a lemon drop as we wait?"
"A what? Sir?"
"A lemon drop. They're a type of muggle sweet that I am rather fond of." He said, pulling a small bowl of round yellow candies out from behind his desk. Harry shrugged and took one of the candies. He popped it in his mouth and promptly spat it back out, surprised at the intense tart taste. "Ah yes, they do take some getting used to but I assure you they are quite good."
"I'm sure they are sir." Harry said and slid the bowl of sweets away from him. Dumbledore chuckled but was unable to do anything else as his office door opened to reveal a stern-faced witch with square glasses and a pale man with rather greasy hair and a large hooked nose.
"The nerve of that boy!" the witch said venomously before the door had even closed. "The next time I see Sirius Black I have half a mind to punch him!"
"Ah yes. Harry I'm sure that you remember Professor McGonagall? And behind her is your new head of house, Professor Snape."
"And that's another thing! If this is how he is going to be treated by his own Godfather for being in Slytherin, I can only imagine how the rest of the school is going to treat him. The son of Lily and James in the house of the man who killed them? He'll be a pariah, I demand that he is re-sorted. And give me your floo powder, I need a word with Sirius about this."
"Minerva, stop. You have not even stopped to consider Harry's feelings on the matter yet-"
"Well I'd imagine that he feels embarrassed at the least."
"Why don't we ask Mr. Potter then how he would like to proceed?" Professor Snape's soft voice cut in. Harry was mildly impressed that he had even made himself heard over Professor McGonagall's shouting when the man had barely spoken above a whisper.
Three sets of eyes were now focused on Harry and he gently cleared his throat. "I think, that Sirius made a very convincing angry ex-Gryffindor." There was absolute silence in the office as the three teachers looked at him. Snape was standing with his usual disinterested look, Dumbledore was still wearing that damned smile he always wore, and McGonagall was standing with her mouth agape.
"I - I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you mean Mr. Potter." She finally said.
"I didn't think you would. You see, it was my idea to have Sirius send me a hollower, and it took most of Sunday to do it. He was surprisingly supportive of my sorting."
"I still don't see where you are going with this, Mr. Potter?"
"I needed a clean slate, so to speak," at this Snape gave a soft 'oh.' "You see, I asked the hat to put me in Slytherin, but I am a well-known half-blood, or a first generation pureblood, and knew that I would experience resistance from my house mates."
"So why did you ask to be placed in Slytherin if you knew it would be tough for you?"
"I did it for when my sister arrives in three years. If I can raise to a position of power within Slytherin, I can make her life a little easier and maybe curb some hatred between the houses. However to do that I need people to see me, as me, and not as a Potter. So I did the one thing that all pureblood children are afraid of. I pissed off my guardian and was threatened with the loss of my name."
McGonagall looked stunned at his reasoning and Harry saw, for the briefest of moments, a small smile on Snape's face. "When did you come up with that plan, Mr. Potter?"
"On Sunday. I spent quite a lot of time with my head in the fire convincing Sirius to send that howler, but I think it will be worth it. After all if the other Slytherins still can't accept me, Sirius can just decide to 'forgive me' for being a Slytherin and it will all work out."
"Give me your floo powder anyway, Albus. I'm still fond of the idea of yelling at Mr. Black. Regardless of the fact that this situation was not his idea."
"Now Minerva, that won't be necessary. And I believe that we've held Harry here back from his lessons long enough."
"Yeah, that should be more than enough time for rumors to start."
"Splendid," Dumbledore said, clapping his hands together. "Well then Harry I believe you have Transfiguration first so perhaps you can follow Minerva to class. Severus if you're able to, I would enjoy your company for a few more minutes. Harry and Professor McGonagall left the office and walked to the Transfiguration classroom in silence. When they arrived, Harry quickly found a chair next to Ian while Professor McGonagall made her way to the front of the class.
"Thank you for waiting so patiently class. I assure you that this is the last time that I will be late for class and also the last time that I will allow tardiness of any kind from anyone in this class. Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic that you will learn at Hogwarts. I will not tolerate any horseplay in my classroom. If I see you misbehaving or acting unsafe, you will be asked to leave and you might not be invited back. Do I make myself clear?" The first years quickly nodded to show that yes, they understood, then McGonagall pulled out her wand and transfigured her desk into a flying pig and back into her desk. Needless to say, the first years were all impressed. "Very good, now, take out your books, turn to chapter one and start reading."
It wasn't until lunch that Ian and Adelaide were able to find a quiet spot to interrogate Harry. "Harry, what's going on? After the Headmaster took you out of the entrance hall, everyone started to say that you were going to be re-sorted."
"Oh really? What house am I in?"
"Well, the most popular guess is Gryffindor-"
"Yeah, and Hufflepuff." Ian cut in, "the people here are a bunch o' duffers."
"So Harry, what really happened?"
"Nothing. I'm staying in Slytherin of course. I'll tell you more about the meeting later, when there aren't as many prying ears." Harry said, several people hastily turned their heads when they realized they had been caught.
"Alright, before dinner then. We'll find an empty classroom and then you'll tell us what happened."
"What if I don' really care?" Ian asked suddenly. He shifted uneasily under the glare Adelaide sent his way.
"Harry is your friend! How can you say you don't care?"
"It's his business so if he wants to tell us he will, and he's obviously not leaving Slytherin so I don' feel the need to pressure him into it." It was Adelaide's turn to shift in her seat when she realized that Ian was right and she had forced the issue. In the end though, her pride won out.
"I want to know what happened though, so Harry will be telling me at least before dinner. You're welcome to be there if you want.
The afternoon seemed to fly bye for Harry, it didn't help that they were only getting their introductions to classes and Harry was immensely bored by them all. Soon enough Adelaide was leading Harry and Ian in to an empty corridor off the third floor while the rest of the students headed back to their dormitories or to an early dinner. "Alright Harry, I want to know what's happening?"
"The truth is actually quite simple Adelaide. The only thing I had going for me in Slytherin was the fact that I allegedly know the Malfoy's. I am of course quite friendly with them but there is no proof of that yet. Unlike our dorm mates that come from prominent families, I am unable to use the Potter name to my advantage due to my family's recent history, so I decided to disassociate myself from my name, get people to look at Harry, not at Harry Potter."
"So, that howler, that was planned?"
"It was, took me a long time to convince my Godfather to send it too."
"But, why? I mean, what's there to gain?"
"Respect, and power. I have three years to make a name for myself at this school. People need to see that I am not someone that can be messed with. That way, when my sister starts at Hogwarts I will be able to provide some protection. Obviously, Slytherin is going to cause her the most trouble. I don't want to sound too big-headed, but I am quite knowledgeable, more than most of the first years and maybe the second years. Growing up with access to the Black and Malfoy libraries, as well as Mr. Malfoy's teaching habits, I am very likely to get the top spot this year for our class.
If I can establish myself as smart with a wide range of knowledge, as well as gain Slytherin points towards the house cup, I will start to gain the respect I need to have enough control of the house that when Ellie comes in our fourth year I will be able to curb some of the bullying that will happen."
"How can you be sure it will happen?"
"She is the girl who lived. And She'll be a Gryffindor. There will be plenty of people in Slytherin who won't like her."
"You could have at least told us your plan Potter."
"I could have, but that wouldn't have been nearly as much fun for me! Anyway, dinner? And then I'm going to go study for Potions before Friday."