Chapter 2
Connie of course, was the first of the four to be sorted.
She looks like a pureblood, realised Billy as his friend walked sedately up to the stool. Well, obviously she was a pureblood, but she looked like she was one of those who'd had grace, pride and dignity trained into her at a young age. Some of the Slytherins murmured with interest as the hat was placed on her head.
"RAVENCLAW!" announced the hat, and Connie glided down to her table, a smirk playing around the edges of her mouth. Billy could see Veronica at the Gryffindor table looking disappointed, and his own sisters laughing into their hands.
Next came a long list of names. Andrew fidgeted nervously next to him, whilst his twin was standing completely still. Billy really couldn't see Andrew as a Slytherin. He was too warm, too friendly. The boy had talked non-stop for most of the journey, and hadn't seemed bothered that no-one had wanted to reply. Fraser however, would probably fit right into Hufflepuff. Billy had hardly heard him speak five sentences, but he exuded a quiet kindness. Finally, McGonagall reached the 'M's.
"McLaren, Andrew!"
The decision was instantaneous.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Andrew seemed a little disappointed, but he smiled all the same as he went to join his housemates.
"McLaren, Fraser!"
The sorting hat took longer to decide with Fraser, and Billy began to grow anxious.
"SLYTHERIN!"
The green and silver table clapped, and Billy felt his jaw drop. Shy, quiet Fraser, a Slytherin? Andrew seemed equally surprised, but Billy quickly turned his attention back to the sorting as McGonagall got closer and closer to 'P'…
"Potter, William!"
Billy felt like his knees had turned to jelly as he sat down on the stool. The sorting hat fell over his eyes, and he stared into the black fabric. There was a pause…
Fascinating… said a quiet voice. Billy jumped. He knew what the hat could do, but hearing the thing inside his mind was a different experience altogether.
Fascinating, said the hat again. Let's see now… plenty of courage, an excellent mind… Gryffindor, like the rest? No, not reckless enough. Too devious for Hufflepuff. Slytherin and Ravenclaw… you could do well in Ravenclaw. What do you think?
Uh, you're asking me? thought Billy.
Yes, but mostly out of courtesy. You are very intelligent, young Potter.
I'd like to be in Ravenclaw with Connie.
Yes, but is that really where you belong? You have great potential, and I'm not sure you will reach it trapped in Ravenclaw house. You are not like your family, but I think you know that already. You observe before acting, and you never enter into a confrontation without an advantage. You will be great in…
"SLYTHERIN!"
Billy got slowly to his feet, and handed the hat to a shocked McGonagall. His sisters were looking thunderstruck, but the Slytherins were applauding him, and he slid into a seat next to Fraser, who was studying him speculatively.
"I thought you'd get into Slytherin," he said softly. "Well done."
"I didn't think you'd be here," admitted Billy, hiding his anxiety.
"Nor did I," admitted Fraser. "The hat did consider Hufflepuff, but it decided on Slytherin in the end."
Finally the last first year was sorted, and Dumbledore got to his feet.
"Good evening!" he said, smiling down at his students. "To our new faces, welcome! To everyone else, welcome back! There is a time for announcements later, but for now, tuck in!"
The plates filled with food, and Billy began to help himself. There was a lot of muttering as Dumbledore sat back down, and Billy knew why. The Prophet had been publishing a lot of storied about how Dumbledore was losing his grip.
"Hello!" said an older boy. Billy turned to face him, and noticed the green prefect's badge pinned onto his robes.
"Welcome to Slytherin!" the prefect continued. He had light brown hair, and aristocratic features. "My name is Damascus Lint, and this is my colleague, Ariana Hepburn."
The blonde girl looked up and nodded to the first years before turning back to talk to her friends.
"We're your fifth year prefects," said Damascus, unperturbed by Ariana's disinterest. If you have any problems or questions, come to us! Now, who have we here?"
"I'm Nancy Greengrass," said a girl. "And this is Grace Parkin, and Katarina Chaplet."
"Alexandra Turlough," said another girl.
"I'm Paolo Konechny," said a boy in an eastern European accent. "Nice to meet you. This is my cousin, Lyra Coutand."
The girl bowed her head serenely.
"Ah'm Joseph Davenport," said a boy who's mouth was full of food.
"Thomas Martin," muttered a sullen-looking boy. Fraser looked to Billy.
"This is Fraser McLaren," he said. "And I'm William Potter, but most people call me Billy."
"No," said Damascus bluntly. "No nicknames outside of the common room. Here you'll always be known as William. A Potter, eh? That's new."
"Not really," said Billy defensively. "My Grandmother was Dorea Black. She was a Slytherin."
Across the table, Nance nodded. "Good family, the Blacks. Some of them were a bit strange… but they have ancient roots."
"What about you?" asked Joseph, turning to Fraser. "The McLaren's are said to have been practicing magic in Scotland since the time of Merlin."
"Aye," confirmed Fraser quietly. "But our blood has been mixed with muggles' for hundreds of years, and we are proud of it."
Lint shrugged. "A bit of mixing is healthy for the bloodlines," he said. "Don't look so surprised, William. We're not all pureblood fanatics. There's not a witch or wizard who hasn't got a bit of muggle blood in one way or another."
Billy nodded, taking that it. His world was quickly being turned on its head. Everything his parents had said to him… his parents!
"I dunno what mum and dad are going to say," he said awkwardly. "You know, about me being a Slytherin. Mum will probably understand, but dad…"
"You're one of us now," said Damascus. "Slytherin takes care of their own."
"Quite right, Lint," said another voice. A pretty girl had come down the table, and was settling herself among the first years. A shiny badge was sparkling on her robes.
"I'm Amanda Montague," she said. "Head girl. It's so nice to meet you all."
"Likewise," said Lyra.
"Now, Professor Snape will give you a proper talk later, but for now, welcome to Slytherin. I hope you will all help us win the house cup! Gryffindor have won it for far too many years now, and they do so like to gloat."
At that moment, the food vanished from the plates, only to be replaced with puddings.
"At least we won back the Quidditch cup," continued Amanda. "They haven't been able to put a decent team together since Harry Potter left. Not there was a good-looking lad…"
"That's my brother," said Billy proudly. Amanda turned to appraise him with wary brown eyes, her cheeks a little red.
"So, you're the youngest Potter boy," she said. "A Slytherin, no less."
"That's me."
"It is a great thing, to be in Slytherin," she said sternly. "Let nobody tell you otherwise."
The puddings too vanished off the plates, and the chatter died down as Dumbledore got to his feet.
"Now that we have finished the excellent feast, I have a few announcements to make. Will the first years please note that that the forbidden forest is out of bounds to all students. Try-outs for the Quidditch will be held in the second week of term, and anybody interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. Now, may I introduce Professor Dolores Umbridge? She will be taking over the post of Defence against the Dark Arts teacher."
There was scattered applause, and a woman in a fluffy pink cardigan got to her feet. She looked like a toad with a bow on its head.
"He-hem," she said softly, and Dumbledore looked around, surprised. It seemed she intended to make a speech.
"I must say," she said in a high-pitched, girlish voice. "How lovely it is to be back at Hogwarts, and to see all you happy, smiling faces looking up at me!"
Billy scowled. She seemed to think they were five years old. She cleared her throat again, and continued, but now her words had a dull, business-like tone to them.
"The ministry of magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance…"
As Umbridge droned on, the students began breaking up into small groups, whispering to each other. Billy, however, was drinking in every word. He was not impressed.
"… Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected, and prune practices that ought to be prohibited."
"Thank you, Professor Umbridge," said Dumbledore. "That was most illuminating…"
"What a load of dragon's dung," said Billy quietly. The other first years turned to stare at him.
"The ministry's interfering at Hogwarts," he explained.
"Off to bed!" cried Dumbledore. "Pip pip!"
There was an enormous scraping sound as the entire student body got to their feet.
"Alright then, first years!" said Damascus. "Follow me!"
They flocked behind the prefect as he led them through the entrance hall, and down a narrow stone passageway.
"This is the most direct path to the dormitories," he said, leading them through the winding passageways. Billy soon lost track of which way they had come. At last, Damascus stopped in front of what appeared to be an ordinary stone wall.
"This is the entrance to the common room. The password for this fortnight is 'Aconite'."
The wall slid aside to let them through.
The Slytherin common room was dark like the rest of the dungeons, with a greenish glow coming through the windows. Billy could see fish swimming outside. They were under the lake. Despite the slightly gloomy atmosphere, it really was quite cosy.
"Welcome to Slytherin."
Professor Snape stepped out of the shadows, and surveyed his new students. His eyes lingered wistfully over Billy, before moving on.
"In a moment I will show you to your dormitories and you can sleep, but first I have a few notices."
He paused.
"You have been placed in Slytherin, the greatest of the Hogwarts houses. It is an honour and a privilege to be sorted here, but it does not come without a price. We face prejudice from the other three houses, and so we must be the strongest. Outside of this common room we present a united front, any disputes between your housemates must remain inside these walls, and be put aside when you leave the dungeons. Tomorrow, you will be paired up with a sixth year prefect, who will teach you the proper decorum of Slytherin house, and on Saturday you will have a one-on-one meeting with myself to discuss any problems you may be facing. But for now you must be tired. Come."
They followed Snape to the far end of the common room, where two passages led even deeper underground.
"The girl's dormitories are to the left, and the boys are to the right. Don't try and go into the wrong dormitory, you may get a nasty surprise. Please be dressed, and waiting in the common room by eight o'clock tomorrow morning, and one of the prefects will be here to guide you to breakfast. Now, off to bed. Goodnight."
He left swiftly, and the first years went into their dormitories, yawning and murmuring quietly with each other. Their trunks had already been brought in, and Billy rummaged through his, looking for a pair of pyjamas that weren't red and gold. Eventually, he found a pair that were nave blue, and fell onto the bed. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.