Alisha came back to the compartment just as the train slowed down, Harry was shutting his trunk and shrunk it as she entered.
"Didn't the announcement just say to leave you trunks on the train?"
"I don't trust the staff to not search the trunks. In fact, I know for certain that Dumbledore has personally searched some of the trunks of junior Death Eaters." Harry sat back down and leaned back against his seat as the train rocked back slightly and came to a stop.
"What are you doing?" Alisha gaped at him, "We have to go to the castle."
"All in good time, there's going to be a scrum in the corridors for a good five minutes as kids try to get off, then another fifteen minute wait for all the carriages to be filled, there is no rush." Harry didn't even move as he spoke.
"So what are we going to do for twenty minutes?"
Harry remained still, eyes closed, "You, are going to go out there. We don't often have new students after second year, so I don't know the protocol. There should be someone out there to guide you though. Good luck with your sorting. I'll see you around, I'm sure."
Alisha turned, noting the obvious dismissal, before stopping and turning around,
"What house do you think they'll put me in?"
Harry turned to her,
"I don't know, I have only known you a few hours, and the sorting takes into account factors I cannot know or understand. Most people I could guess, but with you, because of your age, lack of bias, family legacies and just your character, I would say that there is no safe bet."
She nodded, not exactly reassured by his words, and walked off, wondering what exactly detailed the sorting.
Harry sat at the end of the Slytherin table, in the corner, where the lights from the torches and candles were at their weakest. From there he saw all without being seen by most. He watched, to the outside viewer as a polite, attentive student, clapping softly at each declaration from the sorting hat. He watched as the first years finished and Dumbledore rose. The students tittered, as McGonagall remained by the stool with the sorting hat within her grasp. Dumbledore raised a hand to quiet the contingent before beaming at them, his eyes twinkling.
"Welcome back all, I do hope you have enjoyed your holidays, and emptied your minds, ripe for filling! Before we eat however, we must perform one final sorting. In these grave times it is a rare occasion where we can celebrate another child of learning coming into these great halls, so I expect you all to treat her well and guide her as she learns these corridors." Dumbledore gazed around the hall before settling on the impassive Slytherin table.
He finally looked towards the door and waved, "So may I introduce Alisha Hillman, coming into 7th year."
Harry watched as Alisha walked forward, firstly looking lost, before striding forward confidently, her jaw set stubbornly as she walked towards the sorting hat. She sat down and McGonagall placed the hat upon her head, the brim blocking her face from view. A few minutes passed and Alisha squirmed slightly on the stool and nodded her head ever so slightly before opening it's mouth and declaring loudly
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Harry couldn't help feel a slight pang of disappointment when he saw all the Gryffindors welcome Alisha, his brother eying her like a piece of meat. Thomas looked over and a perverse smile lit up his face. Harry felt the anger rise up before calming himself down, years of having Snape telling the Slytherins to never show emotion during meals kept him in line. But he kept his eyes on Thomas, so intently that when someone sat down next to him he was surprised.
"Do you have something with the new girl already Potter?"
Harry relaxed as he recognised the silky voice of Blaise in his ear. He glanced over and saw Blaise smirking at his hand, where he held his steak knife clenched in an iron grip and pointing at Blaise's family jewels.
"Merlin, you're still strung tight. Even for a Slytherin, Potter, do you want me to announce myself with trumpets before I sit down?"
The boys shook hands and Blaise pulled up a plate and filled it while Harry continued eating. They didn't speak through mains and it was only as Harry reached past Blaise to reach some tart that Harry spoke softly, "Who from last year?"
Blaise gave a nervous look around, "Now Harry?"
Harry gave a condescending look, "Relax, no-one would suspect now, they'd think this would be discussed tonight, and Snape's Muffliato charm is around us."
Blaise didn't look reassured but spoke anyway, "Perkins, Belcher, Pritchard and Hanley joined the ranks this summer."
Harry looked over, a look of surprise and wonder on his face,
"Hanley? Niles Hanley? Didn't think he had it in him. What's the odds on him in Azkaban before Easter?"
Blaise leaned closer, obviously agitated,
"This isn't fucking funny Harry. I've only heard of those four, but I can guarantee there's more, and you know that even if most don't take the mark, then they support them anyway."
Harry leaned back and nonchalantly put his cutlery on his plate and pushed it away, "Come June, none of this will matter for either of us."
Blaise's eyes widened slightly, "You did it?"
Harry gave a small nod
"No loans?"
He shook his head
"All by yourself?"
Nod
"Where?"
Another shake
"Not even me?"
Harry didn't even bother shaking, instead just giving his companion a bored look. Blaise looked slightly put out but then recovered, schooling his features,
"Probably a good call."
Harry raised his finger to his lips then pointed delicately to the Head table, where Dumbledore rose.
"Now that you've all had your fill, I have a few messages. A warning, not just to our new students, but some returned as well", Dumbledore's gaze found the Gryffindor table, eyes twinkling, "That the Forbidden Forrest is, in fact, forbidden to students. Mr Filch has yet again asked me to inform you that he has updated his list of contraband, a list that can be found in his office. This year we shall have numerous Ministry of Magic aurors posted around the premises. Do not be alarmed, these are here for you safety. Do give them the courtesy and respect of the other staff, and try not to hinder them in their duties."
Dumbledore gazed sternly around the room before settling on the Slytherin table, to no-one's great surprise.
"Do you want to make it any more fucking obvious, Old Man?" Harry gave a slight smile at Blaise's words before removing it from his expression.
"Now, I'm sure you are all keen to be up bright and early for a full day of learning tomorrow, so I shan't keep you any longer. Off to bed you go!" Dumbledore finished with a wide smile on his face and turned to talk to his deputy.
"Bipolar, senile, old fart. This place has fallen since my mother came here." Harry didn't smile this time as they walked through the doors of the Great Hall, only checking his step so Blaise fell in line and whispered in his ear, "Merlin Blaise, you sound like Malfoy in our third year."
"Take that back Potter!"
He only received a wink before Harry turned a corner suddenly, away from the crowd of Slytherins heading to the dungeons. Blaise stopped next to the wall,
"Where are you going?"
Harry gave a grin,
"Special delivery. Got to pick it up now."
Blaise didn't look amused.
"Right now? You have to get it on our first night? Really Potter?"
Harry's grin only increased and he turned, throwing his last words over his shoulder at Blaise,
"No time like the present! Don't stay up for me."
"Give him my greetings"
Blaise continued to shake his head as he walked down to the Slytherin common room.
When Alisha came down to breakfast the next morning there the Great Hall looked quite empty. The staff table was full, but most of the staff were blocked from view by newspapers, there were small groups of Ravenclaws, a few Hufflepuffs, no fellow Gryffindors and about a dozen Slytherins. She saw Harry eating a bowl of porridge whilst reading a magazine and sidled over to sit across from him.
"Good morning Harry."
His eyes didn't shift from his magazine as he spoke,
"Congratulations, you are the only Gryffindor in student memory to arrive at breakfast before 7."
"Really? Why? It's not that early in the morning? The sun's up, what's the big deal."
"Gryffindors never get up early. The quidditch team complains about being on the pitch for 7. You almost never see one here before 8, and most don't arrive before 8:30, when there is a sudden rush of them. They try and shove as much food as they can down their throats in 25 minutes before rushing off to class for 9, where they subject us all to their complaints about how hungry they are."
She rocked back and raised an eyebrow, "Wow, you really don't like Gryffindors do you?"
He finally looked up, "I don't appreciate being forced to consider self-harm because those fools can't shut up. If they want to be idiots and sleep in then go ahead, but they can go be idiots quietly in a corner somewhere. Besides, inter-house friendships aren't that common."
"Is that what you mentioned on the train?"
"Yeah, you haven't seen it yet, because you're new. What you did when you sat down was both brave and ignorant."
"What?" Alisha was startled, her first morning and she had already broken an unwritten rule.
"Turn around and watch the door" She did as Harry said and watched as students came in twos and threes and sat down.
"What do you see?"
She looked but couldn't identify what she was supposed to be seeing
"I don't know."
"Look at the colours of their uniforms, where do they sit?"
She paid attention this time,
"They all sit in their tables, no-one mixes with any other table."
Harry nodded, "good, now do you see why you're getting looks from the kids up the table."
She hadn't but wasn't going to say that, glancing back at Harry she realised that he knew this and couldn't help feeling like she had failed a sort of test.
He got up and his bowl disappeared. She did too, right as a large group of students in green converged upon the table. He jerked his head and moved past her, and she followed as he led her to an alcove off the main hallway.
"I have nothing against you, but if you want to survive the month without acquainting yourself with the Hospital Wing, do not sit at the Slytherin table again."
"Why?" She caught his arm as he started to move away
"Slytherins value protocol and tradition, especially in public. You break the status quo when you sit with us, and Slytherins, particularly purebloods, value the social system they imbed themselves in. Besides that, you're a Gryffindor now, so you have to deal with my dearest brother, and you've already slighted him. And trust me when I say that he can hold a grudge. Don't make things harder for yourself with him by hanging around me. It's not worth it."
"I'll decide whether or not it's worth it, thank you very much."
She flushed as he raised an eyebrow but stared stubbornly back at him. After a very pregnant pause he sighed,
"If you're going to be a fool about this, then at least don't be a complete Gryffindor about it. Stay at your table. I'll see you in Charms after lunch. You might need to go back to the hall for your timetable. And your breakfast."
She flushed again as she realised that she hadn't eaten during that time and watched as he walked away. What kind of kid told someone they spent an entire day making friends with to stay away for their own good?
Harry walked down to the Great Hall for lunch in a bad mood, having been bored out of his mind during History of Magic, and then having McGonagall spend an entire lesson lecturing them on the importance of NEWTs and how much effort they required. While he appreciated the importance of NEWTs, he couldn't help but wonder why they didn't get the entire 7th year together for a single lecture, instead of the numerous times that Harry knew were coming in the next few days. As he sat in his normal seat Blaise sidled up next to him,
"I thought you might prefer some fresh air, you know, get out of the castle for a bit."
Harry tilted his head before nodding and standing, grabbing a pair of apples as he did so. He offering one to Blaise who refused. Crunching the fruit the pair walked through the sun towards a tree by the lake. Leaning against the trunk, Harry lobbed the core of his first apple into the water and turned to Blaise who was putting away his wand after placing some wards.
"What is so desperately important that I am skipping lunch?
Blaise, for once, didn't respond to Harry's humour, his expression only darkening,
"I've heard rumours and you won't like either of them."
Harry raised both eyebrows at this
"Montague's dead, apparently he greatly annoyed the Dark Lord."
Harry's face registered shock before he mulled over the new information.
"That in itself isn't bad. Montague was one of the main recruiters, with him dead Voldemort has less of a connection to graduates, plus maybe some kids will see how expendable they really are to his cause."
Blaise looked ready to pipe up before Harry spoke again, cutting him off,
"What's the other news?"
Blaise looked extremely nervous now, a rare display from the normally composed and stoic boy.
"There's chatter among some of the darker kids, those leaning towards family service. Apparently there is a marked man in Hogwarts. Seeing as everyone knows that the Dark Lord's biggest enemies are both at Hogwarts, in Dumbledore and your brother"
"He is not my brother" Harry growled
"I am assuming that this means marked in a more literal way than target. There is a Death Eater in this school, a student. Almost definitely within our house."
Harry paused and looked over the lake,
"How reliable is this?"
Blaise followed Harry's gaze, trying to pinpoint what captivated him,
"A third year, Moreland, was bragging to some of the 4th years about how he knew more about the inner workings of Slytherin than them. They challenged him, he brought it up. They obviously believed it, and those kids aren't fools."
"I want He or She found as soon as possible. Search for kids in 5th year and above, those with sleeves at all times, don't discount any of the houses, one of the best places to hide is in plain sight. But be careful, they'll have a small trusted network, possibly across houses and years groups to cover their arses, and they are bound to be paranoid. Don't dig yourself a hole you can't climb out of."
Harry finally looked back at Blaise before getting up, his second apple forgotten on the grass.
"If yo can't find them, then put out feelers telling them that we are neutral. All we have to do is survive the year, without pissing off one group, and its clear sailing."
Harry wondered off, leaving Blaise to ponder what sailing was.