I am so, so sorry for the long af delay in posting this chapter! Real life has been crazy and honestly I had forgotten about this story until I got a follow a week ago. Please review! They make my day and also motivate me to write faster!
I will NEVER have a minimum number of reviews for me to post another chapter, but it really means a lot to me that so many people care about this story. Brit8889, savemyunicornclarence, justthatweirdaussiegirl, Twiheart23teamjocab, Hck, and Luiz4200 thank you so much for the reviews. For the anonymous reviewer, I'm sorry that this story was not up to your expectations, but this is completely unbetaed.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this story, it belongs to the amazing J.K. Rowling.
The first thing Harry felt that next morning was cold and wet and dripping. He sat bolt upright. He must have overslept and the Dursleys would. . .
And then he remembered. No more Dursleys and hours of chores, for he was at Hogwarts! Harry wiped the water off of his face and fumbled for his glasses.
"Good morning, sleepyhead. About time you got up, unless you want to miss breakfast and the Slytherin house's famous first day meetings," said Draco from the side of his bed, an empty pail of water in his hand.
Harry pinched himself once, just to make sure it wasn't all a dream. It was all too good to be true, but he wasn't about to complain about that. Throwing on his school uniform, they went out to the common room. Most of the seats were already taken by the older students and, as Draco informed him, the first years were to sit on the floor or stand anyways. The room gave off a blue-green glow from the light coming in from the ceiling and one wall of the common room.
"Those windows look out onto the Black Lake," whispered Blaise, who had followed the pair out of the room. "Most of the other houses think it gives a creepy glow but us Slytherins learn to like it. Plus, we can occasionally see the mermaids or great squid. That's what one of the Prefects told me, at least."
Vincent, Greg, and Theo had followed them from the first year boys' dorms into the common room. As they walked in, the talking of the other students stopped and they turned to stare at the newcomers. Some whispered and pointed at Draco, but most at Harry.
Two students stood up – a boy and a girl. The boy gestured for quiet, and even the whispers stopped.
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. I'm Gemma Farley, one of your seventh-year prefects for the year. This is Terrence Higgs, my fellow seventh-year prefect. All of the other prefects out there, please stand up." She pointed them out one by one. "Peter Archer, a sixth-year prefect. Willow Lestrange, another sixth-year prefect. Emma Archer, a fifth-year prefect. And last but not least, Eric Qin, the other fifth year prefect. If anyone has a problem, please come talk to one of us. As the older students know, it's not easy being a Slytherin these days. Most of the time, it's us against all of the three other houses. Be on your guard at all times for jinxes and hexes thrown at you in the hallways. Firsties, every Friday after classes you will meet the sixth-year prefects in our common room to go over some defensive spells to protect yourselves in the hallways. Out there," she jestured towards the door, "We are one. If someone gets picked on, you defend them, no matter whether or not you are friends with them. Take your quarrels with each other in here. United we stand, divided we fall."
Terrence stood up. "I'd like to add a few words to what Gemma has so eloquently said. No matter the conditions of a house member's birth, you will stand by our side. Yes, as many of you noticed we have Harry Potter in our house this year. Many of you might have qualms with his role in the War, but we WILL NOT take that out on each other. This week's password is Unity, and if I don't see that from everyone I won't hesitate to take points off from our own house. Now unless my fellow prefects or students have anything to add, you may go to breakfast and get your schedules."
Everyone started walking out. Harry stopped and whispered to Draco, "What did he mean, some of the students would have trouble with my role in the Wizarding War? I was just a baby."
Draco sighed and motioned to the other first years. "You guys, go ahead without us to breakfast. We'll be there soon." They walked out, and Draco started to talk. "Harry, you're not going to like this answer, and I'm sorry. But during the War many of the Slytherin families followed the Dark Lord, not Dumbledore. Apparently a killing curse ricocheted off of you and hit the Dark Lord, killing him, and his fall landed many of the Slytherins' parents in Azkaban for life."
"Azkaban, the Wizarding prison, right? I see why they would be upset, but what did I do? I was just a baby," Harry replied.
"That's the thing, Harry, no one knows why you survived. You are the only person ever to survive the killing curse. That, and your role in the fall of the Dark Lord, has made you quite a celebrity and household name and I'm sure you've noticed already. Now, let's go get some breakfast."
Entering the Great Hall, Harry was just as awestruck as the night before. The ceiling was blue with a few scattered clouds. Candles hung above each of the large house tables. They walked to the Slytherin table as Harry took everything in – the High Table filled with teachers, all of the students, and the mountains of piping hot food. He sat between Theo and Draco, and began to dig in. All of a sudden, the flap of owls interrupted breakfast, dropping packages and letters and the newspaper to many students. Most of the first-years had received something, except for Harry. Theo elbowed him in the ribs.
"Harry, you might want to look at this before the rest of the school finishes it," handing over a copy of the Daily Prophet.
Harry groaned, seeing as his sorting was the top story.
A New Group of First Years at Hogwarts – With One Notable Surprise
By Rita Skeeter
Dear Readers, I am writing to inform you of the beginning of the Hogwarts school year. Usually, this isn't newsworthy, I know, but this year was special. Harry Potter, famed for defeating He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, is one of the forty students to enter this year. To see a full account of Harry's defeat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his role in the end of the War, go to page 16. Anyways, my dear readers, this is especially interesting because no one has known where he was for the past ten years. Was he moved out of the country? Was he put in a safe house by Dumbledore? These are only a few questions we have surrounding his childhood. What was even more surprising, though, was his sorting. Generations of Potters have been sorted into Gryffindor, like both of his parents and their close friends from school. It appears Harry has broken that trend as he is now a Slytherin. Will he, like so many others in that house, turn evil? Will he turn his new house around? We will just have to wait and see.
Pansy put the paper down. "Honestly, from Rita that could have been so much worse. Count your lucky stars she doesn't have some vendetta against you, Harry."
Harry knew that by now everyone would be staring at him, so he did his best to look at his plate and new friends and not meet anyone else's eyes. "How can I get a copy of the Daily Prophet? It looks like everyone knows how to get it besides me. There is so much I have to learn."
"You can send them a few galleons and that will cover a yearly subscription," replied Blaise.
"In fact, Harry, I will have my father send you a few books about Wizarding customs. They were mine when I was younger and being tutored, but I don't need them anymore," said Draco.
"I will have my mother send you books about Wizarding fashion," added Pansy.
"And I can have my parents send you books with the recent history including the War so you can understand it better," said a girl that Harry assumed was Tracy Davis, although he had yet to talk to her.
"My father can send you a book with some simple spells so you can practice and catch up with the rest of us," said Theo.
Harry had never experienced such kindness. "I'm so overwhelmed, thank you all so much."
For the first time in eleven years, Harry felt welcomed, wanted, and happy. He was going to make sure he never had to go to the Dursleys again.