Chapter nine

Saturday morning came far too quickly for Harry. Despite having gotten several dream aid potions from Madame Pomfrey, he had not even tried to sleep and so when the sun finally rose he was feeling extremely nauseous from both lack of sleep and anxiety.

When Ron called out from the other side of his secured curtains that he was going to the hall for breakfast, Harry had to swallow deeply to avoid bringing up the small amount of his stomach's contents.

"No thanks, Ron," he managed to call out and he heard his friend mutter to himself or someone else, then Ron responded that he would see Harry later and seconds later the room was quiet.

Harry took advantage of the room being empty to make his way to the showers and stand under the spray until he was a little more awake and his stomach had stopped churning so wickedly. He didn't know why he was so nervous, it's not like Snape hadn't been almost tolerable so far this year, and most of Slytherin were just happy to be out from under the thumb of Voldemort.

He was in no more danger there, than he was anywhere else in the school. In fact he'd probably be safer there, 'cause he'd have most of Slytherin watching to make sure he wasn't murdered in his sleep, thus giving the rest of the school the excuse to murder all of Slytherin.

Making extra sure his glamours were in place, harry dressed carefully and made his way down to the common room. He'd been in the shower long enough, that Ron was back from breakfast and he and Hermione were talking with each other quietly in a corner of the room. Hermione saw him first and with a smile, gestured for him to join them.

"Morning, Harry, how are you feeling this morning ?" she asked and Harry shrugged his shoulders.

"Professor Dumbledore wanted us to tell you he would like you to go to his office this morning some time and that the password was sugar quills." Hermione told him when it became obvious that he wasn't going to be saying anything.

"Thanks," Harry mumbled and with a small wave, headed out of the common room and towards the headmaster's office. Might as well get this over and done with as soon as possible, then maybe he could find somewhere to hole up quietly for the rest of the day.

"Sugar quills," he told the suit of armour one he arrived and it stepped aside. When he knocked on the outer door of Dumbledore's office, the headmaster invited him in.

"Harry my boy, I didn't see you at breakfast this morning, have you been?" The headmaster asked, offering his dish of lemon drops silently, to which Harry shook his head.

"I'm not really hungry this morning," he replied and tried to ignore the small frown that flickered across Dumbledore's face for a second.

"Well, then I guess we had better get started, and hope your appetite improves." he answered Harry and waved a hand at the comfy chairs opposite his desk. Harry perched uncomfortably on the edge of one and waited.

"I suppose you're wondering why you did not have the usual meeting with the exchangees last night, and why you were assigned Slytherin without having a re-sort." Dumbledore commented and Harry smirked at the old man and shook his head.

"I'm guessing 'cause the hat wanted to put me in Slytherin and that you knew that," Harry told him and the headmaster smiled and leaned back in his chair.

"Very good, Harry. You are correct. There was no need for a re-sort when the hat reliably informed me that had you not protested so vehemently , you would have spent the last few years as a Snake, rather than a Lion." Since Dumbledore didn't seem too upset over this revelation, Harry remained quiet to see if he would continue his revelation.

"I understand of course, why you would have initially shunned the idea of being in Slytherin, coming into the knowledge of your inheritance as it were, and the little negative experiences you had, but it is this knowledge that had us, that is your professors and I, discussing a change in the contracts you sign."

Harry looked at Dumbledore and frowned, "I don't understand, Sir, how will my situation be any different to anyone else doing this whole exchange experiment?" he asked.

"It is believed that since you were supposed to be in Slytherin, that you have not flourished the way you may have flourished were you placed into the correct house to begin with. We believe, I believe, that if after the end of this week you appear to be doing better in Slytherin that you be able to actually be re-sorted there."

Harry stood up abruptly and stumbled back away from the desk. "You're going to take me away from the tower?" He almost shouted, clenching his fists to refrain from further outburst, Harry stared defiantly at the headmaster.

"No," my boy, he responded calmly, "merely give you the chance to decide. It is clear to all that there is a separation forming now, between you and your friends, and we all simply wish for you to finally be free of all burdens and enjoy the years of school you have left ahead of you."

Harry shook his head so rapidly his vision tunneled and he felt himself wobble.

"No!" he exclaimed. "I will do this stupid exchange, if only for the good of the rest of this school. To continue proving my point that we should not be divided. But I will be moving back into the tower this time next week." he vehemently stated, fists still clenched and breath a little rapid.

"Very well, Harry," Dumbledore replied, clearly trying to placate him.

"In that case, Harry, you will simply need to sign these contracts and you may go, although you will be expected in the great hall at dinner time to take your place at the Slytherin table."

"Whats in the contracts?" Harry asked, reluctantly stepping back toward the desk to accept the papers Dumbledore held out to him. He quickly scanned them as Dumbledore explained they were basically a contract stating that he would behave himself whilst in the new house. Harry signed them quickly, and without another word, strode toward the door.

"I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the differences between Slytherin and Gryffindor, as well as the similarities." Dumbledore told him as he turned the handle and opened the door.

"Yes, professor," he said simply and left the office.

He spent the remainder of the day cuddled up in a window seat in one of the rarer used corridors. A privacy and locking charm on the curtain and he remained hidden and uninterrupted. He ignored his stomachs rumbles as it approached, then passed, lunchtime and only moved when he could hear students making their way noisily to the great hall for dinner.

There were already several students lined up at the front of the hall, including Hermione, and Harry went to stand next to her as his heart beat rapidly in his chest and the nausea he had experienced this morning returned with a vengeance.

"Where have you been all day, Harry?" Hermione asked and shot him a worried look, "Ron wanted to spend some time with both of us before we left him alone for the week." she explained and Harry frowned.

"It's not like we're going to Durmstrang," he told her, "he'll still see one of us in most of his classes, and I'm sure you were enough of a distraction." Hermione blushed and didn't answer. They stood silently after that and waited for Dumbledore to introduce them as the newest group of exchangees before they were invited to head over to their new house tables.

Hermione gave him a small smile as she moved across the room to take a seat at the Ravenclaw table and immediately start talking with several sixth years animatedly. Harry smirked to himself at the sight and then after hesitating a second, moved toward the Slytherin side of the room.

"Over here, Harry," he heard Blaise call and was unable to hide the smile that showed on his face when he saw Blaise standing and waving him over to the empty seat beside him. Harry took the seat and gave Blaise a small smile.

"Welcome to Slytherin, Harry," Blaise told him, and to Harry's surprise, several of the students around him echoed the sentiment.

"You remember Crabbe and Goyle," Blaise indicated the two boys on the other side of him and Harry nodded.

"It's nice to see you without that blonde haired leech attached," Harry told them and to his surprise they both barked out a short burst of laughter and Goyle leaned around Blaise to pat Harry roughly on the back.

"We're glad to be free of him too," he confessed and Harry shared a small smile with him before turning his attention back to a widely grinning Blaise.

"You wont be feeling too friendly when their snores keep you awake tonight," Blaise told him and was then promptly smacked on the back of the head.

"That's what silencing charms are for, you squib," Goyle told him and Harry laughed outright causing Blaise's smile to widen even further, though he chose to ignore the friendly insult choosing instead to indicate Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis.

"And of course, you've also met my very best friends."

"Oh stop, Blaise, you savage," Daphne told him. Blaise just smiled and introduced Harry to a few of the Slytherins around them. Harry was becoming a little overwhelmed, but after people had been introduced and politely greeted him, they went back to their food.

Harry placed some food on his plate, but simply stirred the contents around in circles and didn't eat anything. If Blaise noticed he didn't comment, and for that Harry was grateful. Soon though, dinner and dessert were done and he found himself standing to follow the rest of Slytherin down to the dungeons. He walked confidently besides Blaise, and when they stopped in front of the right part of the passage and Blaise informed Harry the common room was beyond the wall, Harry responded with "I know."

Blaise looked at him startled for a minute and then smiled. "I hear a long and interesting story in there somewhere, Harry, and I expect you to share it later." Harry shrugged and grinned in return then waited patiently for the password.

"Salazar," Blaise said and the wall shifted to reveal the silver and green common room. Harry moved in after Blaise and looked around. He had to admit, the green and silver was a lot more soothing than the red and gold on tired eyes and the large window looking out into the lake was pretty amazing.

The chairs were uniform in design but looked comfortable enough, and although there wasn't as many people as would be crowded in the Gryffindor common room, there were enough people dotted around that the place didn't seem empty or imposing.

Blaise let him look his fill, then indicated for Harry to follow him to the dorms, where he pointed out the bed Harry would be sleeping in.

"We didn't actually have anyone taken out from the other sixth years, since we had space for two spare beds." Blaise informed him and Harry nodded and wondered if he was taking Malfoy's bed or Nott's, and whether or not he should be grossed out by the thought or not.

He saw that his trunk was already at the end of the bed, and resisted the urge to see if everything was still within it. Blaise might take offense at that, and there was no need to offend anyone minutes after arriving. His invisibility cloak and album were at the very bottom and looked pretty boring to the untrained eye, and of course his blade was in his pocket where it always was.

Besides the five beds that took up the room, there was a large table with five chairs surrounding it and a doorway that Harry assumed led to the bathroom.

"As you can see, we have a study table in our dorms, as well as several down in the common room. It makes it easier to find somewhere quiet and uninterrupted to work if we need it and keeps the common room a little clearer." Blaise told him and Harry nodded.

"You won't find people drinking and playing loud games either, we might not be 'death eaters in training' anymore," Blasie made quotes with his fingers and Harry grimaced at the knowledge that they had heard this nickname, "but we are mostly made up of pure bloods here. Decorum is a big thing, drilled into our tiny brains from birth." Blaise smiled at him and Harry forced a smile back.

"Its fine, I think I'll enjoy a week of peace and quiet and people too busy being socially polite to stick their nose where it's not wanted."

Blaise laughed and moved back toward the door out. "Snape will be here in about twenty minutes, he normally sticks his head into the common room every night, but Saturday night he comes in and makes sure that no one needs anything, and catches up with anyone who might have slipping grades or gotten a detention or something."

Harry gawked at Blaise for a minute, "he actually does that?" He finally asked and Blaise nodded then frowned.

"It's what a head of house is supposed to do," he said and Harry opened his mouth to defend McGonagal, but Blaise spoke over him.

"I know, I know, Professor Mcgonagal is a wonderful head of house, but you have to admit, with her being deputy headmistress, she really should have assigned her head of house duties to someone else. She's too busy."

Harry frowned and looked like he was going to continue arguing, but then visibly deflated.

"Yeah, you're right, guess I can put up with a nosy head of house for a week," he told Blaise and finally followed him out of the dorm and back down to the common room. The room was more full now, as students took any empty seat available and turned it to face a section of the room.

"Over here," he heard someone call and was grateful to see that Blaise's friends had saved them both a seat a little more towards the back of the room. Harry moved after Blaise and they both sank down into their chairs. Several minutes later the conversations around them quietened as Professor Snape stepped into the room and walked up the stand in front of the students sitting in the chairs and on the floor.

"Good evening," he told them and Harry heard a few of the students around him return the greeting but quickly fall silent again. It was almost eerie the way they seemed to respect Snape and Harry found himself sitting a little straighter and listening a little better.

"To begin with, I would like to welcome Mr Potter to Slytherin and remind you all that temporary or not, he is currently a member of this house and will be treated as such." Snape looked out over the students and when his eyes fell on him, Harry had to force himself not to look away from the gaze. A second later, Snape was continuing his perusal of the students.

"I am happy to say that this week has resulted in a minimum of house points lost, and several gained." He smiled out at them and Harry's eyebrows almost touched his hairline at the affection he could see in the professor's eyes.

"That being said, I will remind you that my office is always open for those who may need me." He then listed off several names of students he would like to speak to,including Harry, telling them to simply remain in the common room and he would seek them out.

He appeared to be finished as several groups of students broke away from the clump of chairs, returning theirs from where they had grabbed it from and either sitting in smaller groups or heading to their dorm rooms.

Harry slid down into his chair and resisted placing his face into his hands. "He does that every week?!" he asked Blaise and when the boy nodded Harry tried to respond and found himself speechless for a moment.

"But he smiled!" he exclaimed, "and there were no insults and he was NICE!" Blaise laughed out loud and patted Harry on the leg, who had to then viciously fight back the blush that threatened to stain his cheeks.

"Harry, Professor Snape likes us, for he most part." Harry opened and shut his mouth several times.

"You have to remember, with the dark lord traipsing around causing all the havoc he caused, we were a house who was ostracized and belittled and discriminated, and we needed someone to hold us together. Without him, there would be so many more people missing from this common room right now, and we are all thankful for him."

Harry, still speechless, was only able to nod before the man himself appeared by the chairs.

Snape sat in the chair that Daphne vacated earlier and smiled at Blaise before turning back to Harry.

"Welcome to Slytherin house, Mr Potter," he said politely, although Harry noticed he did not get a smile.

"Although I am sure Mr Zabini will apprise you of a our rules and regulations, I would just like to share a few of the more important ones." Harry nodded, his eyes widening a little and he bit the side of his cheek gently.

"The first rule is that we treat this house like a family. There is no infighting to occur, either within these walls, or outside them. If you take issue with someone you find a mediator or myself to help with the issue, you do not take it upon yourself to deal with it." He waited for Harry to nod again in acknowledgment, then continued.

"You are expected to attend all meals, classes, any meetings I arrange, and follow curfew. Any drastic amount of points lost or detentions given and you will find yourself in my office explaining your behavior." Snape curled his lip at that, like he fully expected Harry to be in his office tomorrow afternoon with a number of detentions to his name and Harry bit down harder on his cheek so he couldn't say something he might regret later.

"That is all," Snape finished and stood up to approach a first year sitting by herself in front of the lit fireplace.

"Well, that was intense," Harry finally said and exhaled loudly, before standing, "I think I might go to bed."

Blaise stood and nodded. "Yeah, I think I'll come up too." Both boys headed to their dorm where Goyle was lying on his bed with a book in his hand and the sound of a shower could be heard running in the bathroom.

"Okay, so I think I've been patient enough," Blaise turned to look at Harry and Harry looked back quizzically. "How did you know where our common room was?" he asked and Harry felt his cheeks heat before he glanced over at Goyle.

"We knew what you were doing," the Slytherin told him and Harry paled quickly, his jaw dropping as he was once again made speechless. Blaise looked between the two boys and frowned.

"Ok, you better spill it right now," he demanded and Harry got the impression that he was seconds away from stamping his foot and he had to bite down on his tongue to suppress a sudden burst of hysterical laughter. When it became obvious that he wouldn't be answering any time soon, Blaise moved over and hit the bottom of Goyle's foot, hard.

"You, spill!"

"Potter and those ridiculous friends of his were certain that Malfoy was the heir of Slytherin back in second year and plotted to take polyjuice potion and sneak in here to question him." Goyle's explanation only made Blaise frown harder and Harry choked back another burst of hysterical laughter.

"They spelled cupcakes with a sleeping draught and once Crabbe and I had eaten, stole some hair, and our shoes and then snuck down here."

Blaise looked at Harry, certain his friend was pulling a prank on him, but Harry's expression said it all, and instead he burst into laughter.

Harry looked affronted for a minute, "we thought it was a brilliant idea, and do you have any idea how hard it was to brew that blasted potion?" he finally blurted out, only making Blaise laugh even harder.

Harry turned toward Goyle and pointed his finger at him. "And you knew?" he asked, "then why the hell did you eat the cupcake?!"

"'Cause we thought maybe you were onto something, and figured it couldn't hurt to find out and still remain innocent under veritaserum." Crabbe explained as he moved into the room dressed in his pajamas but still toweling at his wet hair.

"We're not stupid you know," and Harry blushed since that's exactly what he and his friends all thought, "but we're also both half-bloods and in order to stay safe we needed to pretend we were." Harry nodded but didn't really know what to say so remained silent.

"They were bloody good cupcakes though!" Goyle stated and finally Harry couldn't control himself any longer and he burst into laughter, followed by the rest of the rooms occupants.

It was a good many minutes later when they had all gotten back into some semblance of control, although Blaise kept whispering to himself then chuckling madly.

Harry smiled at Crabbe and Goyle, frowned in Blaise's direction which only caused him to chuckle again, and moved over to grab his towel, toiletries and some pajamas from his trunk.

Moving into the bathroom, he was glad to see it was set much like the one in Gryffindor tower, with a couple of toilet cubicles and separate curtained shower stalls. He stepped into one and after pulling the curtain closed and taking out his wand to cast a locking charm on them, he undressed and stepped into the shower.

After washing, he picked up his wand and re-cast his glamour without removing the existing one and dressed before moving over to the sinks to brush his teeth. From the mirror he could see Blaise enter the bathroom and step into his own shower stall and Harry fought back the butterflies he felt at the idea of the Blaise naked only a few feet away.

He quickly finished his teeth and moved back into the bedroom, climbing into the unfamiliar bed and pulling the curtains around him after a mumbled goodnight to the room in the general.

He really wished he had some dreamless sleep, but after several more scans on his head, madame Pomfrey had declared that it was unsafe for him to take it at all for several weeks, and he hadn't wanted to argue with the medi-witch lest she start scanning other areas of him.

Instead, he pulled out the vial of pink dream aid potion and gulped it down, already knowing it was going to be pretty useless.