I have a puppy! I have a puppy! I have a puppy! :D And that's what's taking me so long to update :P

Anyways, for those who've read my series "Redemption" and have a very good idea of how 'Theodore Nott' was in that series...well, he IS different in this one. You'll see. :D

Hope you enjoy :D

Hermione leaned over to look at Harry's paper and froze, eyes wide. He stared at her, waiting for an answer to whoever this "Theodore Nott" person was. His gut was tightening as certain feelings began to churn in his mind. McGonagall's warning and Hermione's apprehension made sparks fly into his chest. Had his worst fear really happened? Had he really been paired with...

"He's..." She hesitated, staring at him, her ears back against her head. "He's a...um...he's a...oh, Harry don't be mad."

Harry was mad though. He couldn't hide it. His ears were pinned to his head and his tail was lashing furiously. Of all the things that could have happened...

A girl gave a squeal and Harry turned to see Parvati with warmed cheeks and eyes wide as she stared at a brilliant red Percy. Harry spun around to see if Ronald had started laughing, but the redhead was staring with severe anxiety at a serious-looking girl with pursed lips and a scowl on her face as she glared back at him in a cat-like hiss. Ronald tried a weak smile, but she turned away with a huff.

Lavender was crying openly. Dean and Seamus were purposely not looking at each other. Neville seemed sad and bummed. All around at the other tables, everyone in their third year was moving around, greeting their new best friend. Harry looked back down at his piece of paper and then at Hermione.

"What's yours say?" He asked in a shallow voice.

"It says that whoever it is, probably attends Durmstrang." She explained weakly. "I figured as much...um...look, Harry..."

"He's in that House, isn't he?"

Harry couldn't keep the venom from his voice as he glanced over at the Slytherin table where everyone seemed excited. It didn't look like any of them had been paired with someone out of their House. He wondered who this Theodore was. He had never even heard of him...he thought. Perhaps he was an older student? Then he realized he had heard the name "Nott" in the Sorting, but he hadn't paid any attention to who had gotten sorted.

He stared down at the paper as Ronald finally leaned over towards his friends. Instinctively, Harry hid the name from the redhead.

"I can't believe it." Ronald hissed, but none of his hair bristled. "I'm with that Sally girl. She hates me!"

"With who?" Harry asked, staring at Ronald.

"Sally-Anne Perks." Ronald raised his eyebrow. "And I thought I was bad..."

"Shut up." Harry snapped and Ronald's brows shot up high.

"What's with the attitude? Who're you with?"

"No one." Harry replied quickly without even thinking.

"Well, you can't be a blank." Ron said, suddenly alarmed. "I mean, you have a name!"

"You're like me then." Neville interrupted, looking hopeful. "They're younger than you."

"Harry's with someone." Hermione corrected, making Harry seethe at her. "He just isn't happy with the result."

"Who're you with, mate?" Ron asked as Neville turned away, crestfallen.

"None of your business." Harry snarled, standing suddenly and aiming to leave the Great Hall. Hermione grabbed him and tugged him back in his seat. "Hermione!"

She wasn't looking at him though and he followed her gaze towards a tall thin boy who was making his way towards the Slytherin table. It seemed he hadn't been there to receive the note for the third years. Harry's gut was tightening as he stared at the boy, black hair falling into his blue eyes as he looked up at Snape, but didn't quite meet his eyes. Unlike most other people with their ears and tails still, the Slytherin's set were tri-colored. While one ear was solid black like his hair, his other had a golden tip and two small chocolate spots beneath the gold. His unusually long tail was also more gold than black and had chocolate mixed in with it. He was, from what Harry had learned, an abnormal "calico" type, which were said to typically be girls, making this boy incredibly rare. He took the piece of paper offered to him and unfolded it with his long spidery fingers. His eyes stared at the name for a long time before he looked up, straight at Harry.

It was the strangest feeling Harry had ever gotten the moment their eyes met. It was as if this boy could see right through him, understand him and exactly how he felt right now. There was the same disgust, the same dislike, the same disappointment that Harry felt, but at the exact same time there was a kind of click in Harry's brain. It was okay. It was all right that this person was his particep.

Then reality crashed down on him as Ronald said, "You weren't put with a Slytherin, were you?"

The whole hall quieted as Ronald had practically shouted the words. Harry gawked at him as Hermione gave the redhead a solid hit on the shoulder. Everyone was staring now. Everyone was looking at Harry. He felt his skin buzz with fear. He wanted to refute it, but there simply was no way to. He straightened, set his jaw, and tried to keep his voice from wavering.

"What if I was?"

The hall seemed to explode. Everyone was talking, gasping, someone had squealed. At the professor's table, the other teachers were conversing with each other quickly, while McGonagall, Snape, and Dumbledore tried to silence them. The Slytherins were shouting their disbelief and dislike and demanding who it was that had been paired with Harry. It seemed a very big deal. Harry looked towards Hermione, desperate for information.

She swallowed, staring at him in worry before relenting, "It's rare enough for Slytherins to ever be paired out of their House. Worse, though, a Slytherin has never ever been paired with a Gryffindor. It just doesn't happen."

Harry nodded, tried to pretend his best friend wasn't giving him a hurt and betrayed look and that Hermione wasn't showing him such pity and that the entire Gryffindor House wasn't in bewildered uproar. Harry stood very quickly. He couldn't take it. Before he knew it, he'd left the hall and hid in the first classroom he could find.

Fate, apparently, didn't like him.

Harry didn't leave the classroom until he knew breakfast was over. He would be late to his first class of the day, but he didn't care. At first, he was thankful that he had Care of Magical Creatures because it meant Hagrid wouldn't get mad at him for being late, but then he realized they were attending this class with Slytherins. His eyes immediately latched onto the Nott boy and then tore away. He went to Hermione and Ron instinctively, but regretted it instantly. Ron got up and walked away, leaving Harry with Hermione, who was fuming.

"You two fighting again?" Harry asked hopefully, even though he knew the truth.

Hermione had the kindness to lie for him. "Yes. He...er...he's blaming Scabbers' illness on Crookshanks."

Harry appreciated her lie and began to coax a flobberworm to eat some lettuce. After class, he started up towards the castle with Hermione, but was stopped by none other than the Nott boy.

"We need to talk." The boy said seriously and Harry felt a chill run up his spine at the icy tone. It was a tone he recognized: guarded, prepared, and full of poison. This boy was dangerous.

Harry didn't object to the idea of talking to the boy and just followed him away from everyone else, who were all whispering in excitement. As they started off down a corridor in the castle, Harry reflected on his Sorting and how the Hat wanted to put him in Slytherin. Had it known? If it had known, shouldn't it have just put him in Slytherin anyways, despite his insistence otherwise? It wasn't fair to put him through this!

Nott turned into an empty classroom and waited until Harry was inside before closing the door.

"We don't like this." The Slytherin stated instantly, his ears pinned back and his tail twitching. "Neither of us does. If we embrace it, we'll be picked on by both Houses. You know it."

Harry was glaring at the floor and didn't speak.

"There is a way to break a connection." The Slytherin continued and instantly Harry's heart began to speed up. "But it means you will never be able to connect with anyone ever. Your power as well will cut in half. Your wand may even stop working for you. It is a dangerous thing. Some people die from it. Personally, I think it is worth the risk."

"Been thinking about it since this morning, haven't you?" Harry asked, finally looking up at the cold blue eyes. They were even chillier than the Slytherin's voice. "You really hate being stuck with a Gryffindor that badly?"

Nott's eyes seemed to chill even more. "Don't act as if you're fine with this. Don't tell me this hasn't hurt your foolish Gryffindor pride."

"And what about your Slytherin arrogance?" Harry snapped instantly. "You already want to break this...this...this...c-connection and we haven't even tried!"

He froze as he realized what he had just said. It seemed his words stunned the Slytherin as well because he didn't instantly give a retort.

"You actually want to try out this connection?" Theodore's face briefly contorted and he gave a hiss. "Who says I'll let you?"

"If you want to risk dying, fine." Harry spat. "Look. I don't get it. I don't understand why this has happened. I also don't understand why when it is just us...I'm fine with the connection. I don't get it. I don't understand the connection stuff anyways. It's all weird and stupid in my opinion...well, okay, I didn't think it was stupid until this morning, but...whatever."

He was scowling at the floor again, confused and tail lashing furiously. What was happening? Why had he admitted all of that to this boy? They weren't friends! They never would be!

"If you want to try then I have no objections."

Harry's eyes lifted to stare at the other boy, but Nott wasn't looking at him anymore.

"I'm going to class."

Harry watched the Slytherin leave and then took a seat at a desk and rested his head. He didn't care about classes right now. All he wanted to do was sit here and feel sorry for himself. It sounded like a much better thing to do than waste away in Divination.

All right. So Sally-Anne Perks is a student at Hogwarts, but in the series, it's never told which House she was in. I put her in Gryffindor because I wanted Ron to be with a plain typical Gryffindor, who dislikes Harry. :P

Hope you're enjoying this. :) And wish me luck with my puppy! She's wearing me thin!