Harry the Resourceful
Harry was always a small, skinny child.
It wasn't difficult for the other children to find something to make fun of him for.
They all wore nice clothes, and were all so much bigger than he.
The other children were cruel, and followed Harry's cousin Dudley's lead.
Needless to say, Harry wasn't happy at school.
In fact, he hated it.
The best part of his day was on the walk home from school, from one prison to another.
He got home and cooked dinner, but accidentally said something that upset his uncle.
Vernon Dursley backhanded his nephew, and locked him in the cupboard under the stairs.
Tears came unwillingly to Harry's eyes as a result of the pain.
He tried to keep the tears from falling, but gave up in a moment of hopelessness.
Crying alone in his cupboard, Harry decided he wouldn't be picked on anymore.
It was too late for his current school, but after that, he'd find a way to avoid the teasing.
Someday, people would look up to him, wish they could be friends with him.
The little boy thought, unaware of how near his goal was.
He wanted to be normal, and to not be noticed, but he also desired to be loved, adored.
He had attempted to fit in, and his nine year old mind decided it didn't work because he didn't try hard enough.
But he could fix that- next time, he'd try even harder.
And not even two years later, Harry got his chance.
He was whisked off to a magical land where everyone knew his name.
He had such a big reputation to live up to.
He didn't want to let anyone down.
There were all these people who loved him and praised him, and all he had to do was act like they wanted him to be.
For such a lonely child, it was an easy choice.
And it wasn't difficult being the person they wanted.
He was to become a Gryffindor, like his parents.
It also wasn't hard to want to be like his parents.
Harry was much too naïve to realize that such an important decision should be made by himself, not others.
He befriended the first boy who he met on the train, and what luck!
Ron also wanted to be a Gryffindor.
Surely,
Harry decided,
This was the right choice, if such nice people were there.
And the others he met only reinforced his decision.
The girl, Hermione, although annoying, did seem to think the best wizards came from Gryffindor.
And she was smart, so he trusted that her statistics were not made up.
And the other boy...
Draco Malfoy...
Ron had hated him so, and Malfoy had gone into Slytherin.
So when the hat suggested the snake's house, Harry freaked out.
He had barely entered the school, and already could see the way the others looked at Slytherin.
He wouldn't be picked on again, he wouldn't!
He chanted in his mind,
Not Slytherin, Not Slytherin!
The hat tried to suggest that Harry would do well to be raised along with such ambition, but Harry was adamant.
So the hat called "Gryffindor!", and Harry ran off to the cheering red and gold table.
He was filled with hope and delight.
Finally, there were people here who could love him, and accept him.
It was like heaven to the little neglected boy.
And so despite the fact that resourcefulness was a very Slytherin trait, in Harry it would lead him away and to their rival, the house of the brave.
And he never looked back.