Chapter 4: The Den of Snakes

Lily Potter watched her first sorting as a professor with great interest. She found it fascinating to be on the other side of the table for the first time and was surprised to hear many of the professors making small bets on which house a child would go to before they donned the hat. Of course, when it was her daughter's turn many of them turned to look at her, clearly asking her prediction.

"Oh, Pomona, this one is all yours" she said with a smile.

"Oh really, Lily? So sure of it are you?" professor Flitwick asked "I'll admit to some surprise when Rose joined my house, but after having met the girl, I must say that it turned out to be an excellent fit."

The herbology professor laughed before agreeing "Yes, Lily, don't you go and get an old lady's hopes up if you aren't sure! With you and James being the consummate Gryffindors and Rose fitting so well in Ravenclaw I find it hard to believe that you can be so sure that I'll be getting my own Potter tonight."

"Just you wait. Believe me, she's the most Hufflepuffish Hufflepuff I've ever met."

As she said this, her daughter had taken the stool and was putting the sorting cap on. Seconds later, the hat announced "Hufflepuff" loud for the hall to hear. The professors all watched Daisy as she set the hat down gently on the stool for the next student, patted it on its' top and whispered a quick thank you before bolting down to her new house table and immediately beginning to chat with another of the sorted first years.

Professors Flitwick and Sprout were quiet for a moment before the diminutive charms' professor began to chuckle and turned back towards Lily.

"I take it back, Lily. I have been here for many more of these than you and have seen many more students pass through these halls. While I have seen several students thank the hat, I have never seen one pet it!"

Pomona huffed at this and felt the need to defend her houses' newest member, even from the gentle needling. "Well, perhaps more of them should! It works hard to place them all where they should go and hardly anyone shows the appreciation it deserves." Here she paused, before smiling and adding "But, yes Lily, I do think you were correct and she will do just fine with my Badgers."

Lily just sat with a small smirk on her face, watching her daughter make fast friends with the other first years, and thought of how she was so going to tell James 'I told you so.'

Following Daisy's sorting there weren't too many other first years and the hall soon found itself being introduced to Algol Black, their newest fourth year.

Lily still wasn't entirely sure of what her feelings were towards the boy. She, as well as James and Rose apparently, seemed to feel that there was something about him that felt… off. She and James had spoken of it several times and neither were ever able to really put it into words. He had a sense of unyieldingness to him that felt almost dangerous. He seemed more self-assured than a boy his age should, especially if the little that they had learned of his past was true. Losing his parents so young and then being forced from wherever he was into the guardianship of Sirius. This would be enough to make any child his age self-conscious. But no, Algol seemed to carry himself almost like the rest of the Black family besides Sirius. She assumed that it was this, as well as the mystery of just where he came from, that was making James so wary of the boy. But there was something else as well, something she had yet to tell James. Lily couldn't shake the feeling that Algol was… familiar. She kept this feeling of familiarity to herself, not even sharing it with her husband. Not understanding where that feeling came from raised her curiosity and she had planned on watching the boy at Hogwarts whether or not James had asked her. The problem was, she wasn't sure just what she was watching for.

While Lily had been thinking about the mystery behind Algol and his origins the hall had been watching his sorting as it dragged longer and longer. She realized that it had been over seven minutes that the boy had been seated on the stool and as she watched it seemed as though he was arguing with the hat. Finally, his shoulders fell the smallest bit and the hat announced Slytherin for all to hear. Lily watched him remove the hat to place it on the stool before glancing over at the Gryffindor table briefly then making his way towards the Slytherin table.

Another interesting fact was that as she watched Algol pass a number of Slytherins he was sent several glares. Lily didn't know what could have caused this animosity so soon, though she had heard some stories of the Malfoy boy from Rose and didn't necessarily think he needed a reason to dislike someone. But then, as she saw Malfoy turn towards those around him to clearly disparage their newest member, she realized that it might be because of his role as heir and what it meant for the Malfoy boy. She could only hope that things weren't too tough for him in the dormitories. Lily knew that her and James both had worries about the air of danger about him, but they had yet to actually see him perform any magic so she couldn't be certain that the boy would be able to protect himself if his housemates were to perhaps try something. With that thought, Lily decided that she would talk to Severus before she retired for the night. He and Sirius had bad blood between them and probably always would but she wanted to make sure that he would watch out for Algol as the Slytherin head without worrying about just who the boy's guardian was.

Daisy Potter couldn't wait; it was finally her first night in Hogwarts and she'd soon be learning to use magic! She was stood in line with all of the other first years, watching them get sorted one by one, until it was finally her turn. She was still a little nervous about where she would go but made her way to the hat all the same, before pulling it down over her head. When she had put the hat on, it had chuckled and told her that she was 'exactly who Helga had in mind when the founders made the houses.' After taking the hat off, she placed it on the stool, patted its' top and whispered a small 'thank you, Mr. hat.' She'd then briefly glanced at her mother, her earlier reservations returning just a bit, only to see her mother's beaming smile and realize that they really didn't care. Happy with her sorting and excited to meet her new housemates she made her way to her new house.

She quickly found an open seat amongst some of the other first years and sat to watch the rest of the sorting while starting up a conversation with the girl next to her.

"Hi! I'm Daisy, which I'm sure you just heard. You're Astoria, right?"

Laughing at Daisy's exuberance, Astoria answered "yeah, but you can just call me Tori. That's what my sister always calls me. She's over there in Slytherin, she's a fourth year." She said, pointing towards where Daisy could see an older blonde girl talking with someone next to her.

"Oh, I have an older sister too! She's in Ravenclaw, its' her third year, she's the redhead sat there with the blonde, that's Luna. Here, wait a second. Rose! ROSE!" Daisy shouted and waved, trying to get her sister's attention.

Luna eventually noticed Daisy's animated waving and nudged Rose while pointing her out. Rose looked up, saw Daisy, and just let her face fall into her hand while giving a small wave back with the other.

"She doesn't look very happy to see you." Astoria observed.

"Well of course not, I'm embarrassing her!" Daisy exclaimed while laughing.

Astoria just had to laugh along at Daisy's antics, and before too long they found themselves listening to the headmaster introduce Algol Black to the hall and watching him sit on the stool to be sorted.

"Black? I wonder if he has any relation to Sirius Black?" Astoria mused quietly.

"He does, he's his heir." Daisy told her absently, while watching the boy's sorting that she'd met only a few times.

Astoria, stunned that Daisy who had seemed quite flighty up until now was apparently unsurprised by the boy's existence quickly asked "What? How do you know that? I didn't think Sirius Black was married or had any children!"

"Uncle Sirius comes over all the time for dinner, he's my dad's best friend. He brought Algol a couple times. Sirius isn't his dad, just his guardian I guess, but he did make him his heir." She explained.

"Really, that's very interesting." Was all Astoria said in response, turning her attention back to the sorting that was taking place.

When Algol was eventually sorted, Astoria watched him make his way over to the Slytherin table to a spot across from her sister and take a seat.

"Oh look, he's sitting with your sister! You aren't looking for a new big brother, are you?" Daisy asked in perhaps the least sly voice Astoria had ever heard, causing her to break out into giggles at the thought.

"Oh Merlin, I'm so going to ask her that when I get the chance!"

After the feast, Daisy Potter followed the Hufflepuff prefect with the other first years, excited to see where she would be staying for the next seven years. She and her older sister hadn't had many friends when growing up as their parents kept their family somewhat reclusive when they were younger. When Rose had started Hogwarts two years ago, she had made a number of friends and when the summer months came her parents realized that they could no longer shelter their girls like they had. Daisy had been excited to meet new girls their age when Rose would invite her new friends to Potter manor but they were still Rose's friends and two years older than her. Because of this, Daisy was perhaps most excited for her first year at Hogwarts to meet new other children and make friends of her own.

She felt she was well on her way to a friend of her own in Astoria. She found that they had a lot in common and while Astoria was perhaps a bit less outgoing than her, they meshed like they had known each other for years.

The group of Hufflepuffs reached the common room door where the prefect showed the new students how to open it and were then shown the dormitories. Daisy, Astoria and two other girls would be sharing their dormitory so they quickly introduced themselves to their new housemates.

Daisy quickly introduced the two and gave a small wave while she sat on her trunk that had been brought up from the train at some point since the sorting.

"Hi! I'm Daisy and this is Astoria."

"Hi, I'm Rachel and this is Katie" the shorter of the two introduced the two.

"Its nice to meet you, we look forward to getting to know you better this year. Did you two know each other before tonight?" Astoria asked.

"We met on the train, but when we were talking, we both thought that we'd be in Hufflepuff and were right!" the other girl, Katie, explained.

From there the girls chatted about basic things as they unpacked what they needed from their trunks for their first nights. Once the last of them was ready for the night the group quickly decided to pause their discussion, dim the lights for the night and go to sleep. All of them excited for their first day of classes and magic but exhausted from their long day of a train ride and the nerve-wracking sorting ceremony.

Rose walked with Luna back to Ravenclaw tower, deciding to take a somewhat circuitous route as she thought of what she'd just seen. She, like all of the hall, had watched Algol Black's sorting with great interest. Her father and her conversation on the platform that morning in the back of her mind. Like Daisy's sorting into Hufflepuff, Rose was unsurprised by Algol joining Slytherin. She knew that her parents thought that there was something strange about him, but she still didn't know just what it could be.

Rose had watched as Algol made his way to the Slytherin table and noticed that he didn't seem to receive the warmest of welcomes. That struck her as strange, she couldn't understand how the house could've already formed an opinion on him with how new he was. Could it be simply because of his connection to Sirius and his job as an auror? She knew that the Slytherins were no fan of hers and that she'd had to deal with some of their more outspoken blood purists but didn't think Algol would as a Black. It was from these musing of Algol and all the strangeness that surrounds him that Rose was pulled by her ever observant friend.

"Would you like to talk about him?" Luna asked.

Rose gave a sigh at just how little she could get past Luna. "I just don't know what to think about him. All of my family, except maybe Daisy, thinks that there is something off about him."

"I've always found Daisy to be an excellent judge of character."

Rose shot her friend a look "she may be, but she's still only eleven! I also don't know that she doesn't feel the same, I just haven't heard her say anything about him."

"Perhaps your reluctance to trust Algol does not come from the boy himself. Have you considered that it may come from Sirius instead?"

"I'm… not sure I follow, Luna."

The two girls found themselves approaching the entrance to the common room at last. As such, Luna pulled Rose to a stop before they reached the riddle demanding doorway to finish their conversation in relative privacy.

"Have you or your family thought about whether you don't trust Algol, or if you don't trust Sirius?" Seeing that Rose was about to protest, Luna continued. "Sirius vouched for Peter Pettigrew and your family lost more than many can imagine. Now Sirius vouches for Algol, and you are hesitant to trust. Perhaps deep down, you're all worried that letting this Algol in could lead to a loss again like that night."

Rose didn't know what to say to that. She knew that her family all trusted Sirius with their lives. The only person who held what happened that night against him was himself. Yet, Luna might have a point. Sirius hadn't ever been the same after that night, or so she'd heard her parents occasionally talk about late at night after a particularly hard anniversary, like the day when Harry would've turned eleven. He hadn't really ever brought anyone around that Rose could remember either so it very well could just be the oddity of seeing Sirius treating someone outside of the Tonks, Potters or uncle Mooney like family.

For several moments the girls stood there in silence while Rose thought about what Luna had said. When Rose looked back up at her friend, she found Luna with the far-off gaze that the girl would sometimes get where it seemed as though she was no longer on the same planet as everyone else.

"…Luna?" She asked, gently.

Seeming to shake herself out of her reverie, Luna seemed to come back to the present where a smile broke across her face before she said "I think your family is right and that there is more to Algol than meets the eye." Then she turned to face Rose directly and met her eye "but I also know that we often find that which we've lost when we no longer look for it."

With that, Luna turned and took the last steps to the common room door to answer the riddle. Bringing their conversation to a close and leaving a thoroughly confused Rose to follow behind her while contemplating just what her friend could mean and why she seemed to, in a way, endorse the boy whom she knew less about than even Rose or her family.

They made their way down the winding corridors towards the dungeons. Harry found himself having to pay closer attention than he had thought, realizing that his single trip to the Slytherin common room over a decade prior was not enough for it to have burned the path into his mind like many of the other parts of the castle. Because of this he was only partially aware of some of the muttering going up and down the sea of students in green who followed behind professor Snape. Though, even the ones he did hear he quickly dismissed, Slytherins muttering around him was nothing new.

When they finally made it to the dungeon common room Snape gave the predictably pretentious password of 'Honor, Purity, Glory' and the wall slid open to allow them entrance. Quick, but in an orderly fashion, the students made their way in and all of the first years followed the lead of the older Slytherins that seemed to line up against the wall around the large circular and did so as well. Harry found himself standing what he seemed to recall was one of the Slytherin chasers, though he could not remember his name, and one of the first years. Once the last student filed in and took a spot Snape strode into the middle of the room and seemed to survey the group before him before beginning what was clearly a well-practiced speech.

"Welcome. Welcome back to those who have been here before and welcome to Slytherin house to those who are joining us for the first time tonight. You have been deemed worthy to join the house that Salazar Slytherin himself designed, as such you will be held to a higher standard than many others in all aspects. I will not have you besmirch the name of our founder with an unkempt appearance, insufficient academic of extracurricular performances. We, here, are of all varying levels of skill, knowledge and power. What any one of us lacks in one of those aspects we will make up with our cunning and guile." The whole time he spoke, Snape had been pacing slowly around the room and Harry had struggled to keep a passive face, though he did succeed. "Because they recognize our house as the largest threat in all aspects here in the castle, we are often pitted against all three of the other houses. This means that Slytherins must show unity when outside of this room. Disagreements must be taken care of before exiting those doors." He absently gestured towards the door they had all just entered several minutes ago, "if an issue arises, I expect all avenues of conflict resolution to be exhausted before the matter is brought to me. I assure you, if something trivial is brought to me the offending parties will be incredibly sorry." Snape then paused for a moment as he again looked around at all the faces of the Slytherin students, of which a good number of the older male students and Malfoy were all looking his way with smirks on their face. It seemed as though Snape noticed their gazes as well and when he looked at who had drawn their attention, even he allowed a small smirk to flash across his face. Turning away from Harry, Snape finally wrapped up his 'welcome' speech with what Harry thought might be the world's most insincere call of "Are there any questions?" in such a tone that made it sound more like "If anyone opens their mouth, they will find a flobberworm taking residence in it."

Finally, allowing a small smirk of his own to form on his face, Harry stepped forward and gave a "Yes, sir. I would just like to ask for a bit of clarification if I may?"

Harry wasn't sure who's reaction he found funnier. Snape's immediate whirl to face him with such a rage that he would dare accept his offer. Malfoy and his goons' broadening smiles, clearly thinking that he was only digging himself an even deeper hole. The first years' nervous glances from him to Snape and back, clearly picking up that there was an undercurrent in the room of something but not knowing what. Or Daphne and Tracey's almost embarrassed gazes falling and hands rising to their brows as though to hide behind.

"Yes, Mr…. Black. Just what was too complicated for you to follow?" Snape practically spat at Harry.

Not expecting anything but vitriol from the man meant that Harry didn't care in the slightest and kept his smile on as though they were two friends catching up after years without contact.

"Well, you stressed the importance that we here in the house pursue all options of determining disagreements within the house."

"Yes, as it seems your ears work fine what is the part that is out of grasp for your apparent deficient brain?"

"Am I to understand that includes dueling, Professor?" Harry asked, his smile broadening if anything.

Severus Snape was angrier than he could remember being in years. Black's new boy had been sorted into his house, he would have to pretend to stand the boy or else it couldn't even be brushed aside as house bias.

He led his students from the great hall thinking of just how he might be able to convince the headmaster to force the boy to be resorted. Of course, the fact that Sirius was the first non-Slytherin Black in as long as anyone could remember made it a bit harder to sell. But the boy lived with him! He was sure that the 'Lord' Black would've taken the past months to ruin any possible Slytherin the boy might have had in him. And it was more than likely that the elder Black would've poisoned his new heir against Severus, putting lies and trash in his mind of how their history truly played out. Oh, if the boy so much as thought the word 'snivellus' he swore that he would have the boy out of the castle so fast that even Albus' blind desire to save the unworthy wouldn't be able to keep him.

They finally made it to the common room and he watched as the students filed in before following. He could always tell which of the first years wouldn't be worth the potion ingredients that they were sure to waste just by their ability to read the older student's actions and follow suit. This year seemed promising, besides the mutt's new lackey of course.

He gave his usual opening speech, wishing with all his soul that he didn't have to deal with the welps and could just brew his potions in peace. Not for the first time he cursed the merlin forsaken deal he had made with Albus all those years ago. Not only was he still paying for his actions from then, but the headmaster could hardly even be said to have held up his end of the bargain! The Dark Lord had gotten into Lily's home just fine and she very well might have been killed had she been home. And besides Lily dying, that night had gone about as bad as it could have. No, Severus held no love for the Potter children and had felt relatively little at the loss of the child in the face of what Harry had apparently accomplished in defeating the Dark Lord. But Lily, oh Lily had been distraught and it had pained him to see her so. Black proved himself useless yet again, not even able to flee with the child, and worse the Dark Lord had left him alive for some reason! No, even with Voldemort's defeat, that night had not been a good one.

Yet here he was, explaining the bare minimum expectations of those in his house that he was sure that a number of them wouldn't even be able to meet. Pathetic, were children always as dense as they were these days? He remembered his class had both him and Lily, both incredible potioneers and as much as he loathed to admit it Potter had been above average at transfiguration. Yet he couldn't remember the last student to pass through the school that was of note.

He returned from his internal musings as he approached the part of his speech where he threatened them. He always enjoyed comparing the looks of those who knew just how bad it would be to bother him to those that didn't and were only imagining the consequences. He took pride that those that had seen the consequences often looked more afraid than those who didn't. But as before he got to the actual threat, he noticed the look Malfoy and a number of the elder boys' faces. They all seemed to be smug about the idea of Slytherin house's internal conflict policy and were looking at someone. As he moved his gaze to that part of the circle, he saw just who had seemed to have already drawn their ire and he couldn't be happier. Algol Black seemed to have somehow already made himself quite unwelcome to a portion of the house. He must take after the mutt but not enough to end up in one of the other daft houses. Pity, well he would have to just wait and see how long it was until the Black heir needed to transfer out because of all the 'accidents' he was sure to have during his time here.

Finally, he ended his speech with the obligatory, but wholly ingenuine, offer to take questions. He was ready to retire to his chambers were a nice scotch awaited him before he drifted off in preparation of tomorrow's classes. He was just about to make his exit when he heard some imbecile speak up behind him to actually ask a question! Spinning around to see just who would dare and he found that he shouldn't be surprised. Black. Of course, he would want to make a spectacle of himself surely, an attention seeker like the mutt no doubt.

As a professor, he really couldn't refuse a question. Especially when he had just asked if there were any, even if he hadn't meant it. So, grudgingly, he took the boy's question that was apparently in regard to the exact policy that Severus was sure going to see a number of wands facing his direction sooner or later. But then, in an act so brazen than he couldn't believe that someone that the hat had JUST sorted into Slytherin rather than Gryffindor would be able to do it. The boy openly asked, without any ambiguity, if dueling was an allowed method of conflict resolution. This was not how it was done, a true Slytherin would've asked as to how to avoid and sought guidance on avoiding the confrontation or the ability to rectify a slight that they might see retribution for, and never in front of the whole house like this!

Then it hit him, all of a sudden Severus understood why the boy was standing there grinning like he didn't have a care in the world. The boy thought that by directly asking the head of house in front of everyone, Severus would have to say that dueling is not allowed as a school policy. Then, when he was inevitably attacked, he would be more likely to get the others in trouble by reporting it to the headmaster. Well, the boy clearly didn't know just how far Albus would go to give someone a second, third, hell fifteenth chance. He also clearly thought that Severus would quote the school policy, clearly forgetting that he was dealing with the head of Slytherin and not someone like Pomona or McGonagall. No, he would certainly leave enough room for there to be… creative, interpretations. Feigning ignorance would still be a tough sell, but he was certain a number of those he had seen shooting the Black heir looks earlier could manage it.

Fighting the corner of his mouth that was insistent on twitching upwards, Snape tried to give his best sneer while lazily answering "I cannot say that dueling is a suggested method of conflict resolution within the house here, Mr. Black. But I have always found that leaving the specifics of the minor details are better left to the students rather than me providing specific guidelines."

Yes, better that he makes it clear that he, their head of house, does not suggest dueling while not outright banning them from it. However, Severus then found himself taken aback by the boy's reaction to his answer. He had thought that his avoidance of a hard commitment would see the boy's grin fall quickly from his face as he realized that it was still entirely likely that he would find himself staring down a number of wands in the not-too-distant future. However, what he got was the boy's smile not falling but turning rather… feral? Almost like that had been the response he had been hoping for. Then the head of house watched as the boy asked yet another question, this one beginning to make Snape think that there may be something that he was not aware of.

"Excellent, sir. Lastly, in the case that the students do decide that a duel is the best way to resolve their differences. To just what extent are injuries allowed?"

Thinking that he now understood and that the boy had seen through his ambiguous answer but was attempting to simply limit the damage his peers would inflict upon him. Snape refused to give the disrespectful little welp too much of a concession, but he did have to set some boundaries here. After all, there were a good number of 'ex'-Death Eater children in the house and he very well could have a death on his hands if he didn't limit what they thought they could do and rely on him to back them up.

"Mr. Black, I believe that as long as no laws are broken, no one's life is in danger, or any permanent disfigurations, then valuable lessons can be found."

A simple "thank you, sir" was all the response Snape received before the boy stepped back into the line of students and actually looked at Malfoy before winking.

"Daphne! Look! Malfoys gotten almost all of the sixth and seventh-year boys with him." A worried Tracey hissed under her breath as they watched Snape walk in to begin his typical opening speech.

Sighing, Daphne dejectedly whispered back "yes Tracey, but what would we be able to do about it? Its' not like either of us would be much help against numbers like that, even if they weren't all older than us."

Glancing nervously back and forth between Algol and the boys who were looking at him as though he were the punchline to a particularly funny joke.

"Should we at least warn him? He doesn't even seem like he knows that he has all of them planning to come after him!"

Tacey's observation brought Daphne up short. She recalled their earlier conversation with the boy and she hadn't gotten the feeling that he was particularly dense, but how could he be unable to read the room and the looks he had being sent his way? She then took the time to really look at where Algol stood. She examined how he stood relaxed with his back leaning against the wall, how he held his arms crossed in a way that spoke more of boredom than anything else and the look on his face that seemed… amused? Her observations made her suddenly realize just why it seemed like he was paying no attention to the looks he was getting.

Quietly, in a stunned tone, Daphne answered Tracey's question of whether they should warn him or not.

"… he knows… he just doesn't care."

"What? What are you talking about Daphne?"

"Look Trace, really look. He isn't ignoring what's going on, he just doesn't care. Maybe he thinks that his status as an heir to a most noble and ancient house will protect him? Or he thinks that as they're all still just students they wouldn't really try anything? I don't know, but he certainly knows that he has a number of enemies within the house."

"Then it'll be even worse for him!" Tracey continued their whispering back and forth.

"Perhaps, but even if we could help looking at me makes me think he wouldn't even want it."

Daphne and Tracey both turned back towards where Snape was drawing his speech to a close, both trying to reconcile the well-spoken, if somewhat brazen, boy they had briefly met at the feast with the utterly apathetic one that now stood under the harsh gazes of many of those in the house that were years older than himself without a care.

"Daph, do you get an odd feeling about him? I don't know what it is, but there is just something about him that doesn't seem quite, right?"

As Tracey shared her unexplainable observation of the boy Snape offered his obligatory duty of answering questions before the room went silent for a moment. Just as Daphne opened her mouth to whisper her reply a loud, clear and unrepentant voice broke the silence and drew every eye in the common room.

Daphne and Tracey looked on with a horrified fascination before quickly hiding their faces as they both sought to contain what they were sure were looks of both shock and laughter that would be on their faces. This, this was more like the boy they had met in the great hall. And the two girls couldn't help but be entertained as Snape's ire clearly shot to heights that no one but perhaps the Weasley twins seemed to make it. Algol proceeded to ignore even the most basic tenants of propriety and ask Snape not one but several questions. By the end of his first the girls were surprised the potions professor wasn't frothing at the mouth. The eager looks on the faces of Malfoy and what Daphne was sure was his hired help showed that they all thought that Algol had effectively signed off on giving them free reign with whatever the group had planned to help the Black heir understand just how Slytherin house works.

Their brief, and very acrimonious, back and forth was drawing to a close. Listening to Algol's questions had Daphne pretty sure that the boy had thought he would somehow be able to draw a reassurance from the head of house that dueling wasn't allowed, in hopes of protecting himself. But then, his final question made any of her lingering amusement at the absurdity of the situation disappear.

"Excellent, sir. Lastly, in the case that the students do decide that a duel is the best way to resolve their differences. To just what extent are injuries allowed?"

That didn't sound like someone who was seeking to avoid a fight. To many it may have sounded like someone seeking an outline of just what they could expect from an inevitable altercation. But for some reason it didn't seem like either of those things to Daphne. No, it sounded more to her like Algol was looking for… permission?

Snape's response, hardly tempering any injuries that may come, didn't seem to worry the boy in the slightest. Then Daphne watched as he thanked Snape for his explanation, stepped back into line and then actually looked at Malfoy and winked! No, something was definitely going on and she found herself with far too many questions running through her mind. Not the least after his actions thus far being 'just how did the hat think that Slytherin was where Algol belonged?"

Harry watched as Snape gave him one last look before glancing around the room and making his exit. The prefects beginning to split the new students up into groups and explaining how the dormitories worked. Girls on the left, boys on the right. Everyone has their own single room with their name labeled on the door. Each year had its' own hallway branching off of the main and they were in descending order by the student's age year, with seventh years being the closest to the common room and first years the farthest. Keep all rooms neat and orderly, as Slytherins they were expected to maintain the highest level of decorum even in private. All simple enough Harry thought. Ignoring the rest of what he was sure would be a rather pointless list of rules that he had no plan to follow, Harry walked towards one of the plush armchairs near the fireplace and sat.

He knew that he would be getting read his own unreasonable list of expectations soon enough. The looks Malfoy and his cronies had been sending him all night had been less than subtle. Sometimes, he really had to question whether Slytherins really were cunning in anything but name.

Eventually, the first years were dismissed and told that they were expected to turn in for the night early in order to be ready for their first day of classes. Most of the second and third years seemed to get the message and decided for themselves that an early night would be for the best. Harry then watched as most of the fourth and fifth years, trying to look nonchalant, took up positions around the common room that would give them front row seats to what they were sure would be the coming confrontation. Then, in a far less nonchalant manner, most of the sixth and seventh-year boys formed a wide semi-circle around where Harry sat, clearly trying their hardest to seem intimidating.

Finally, Malfoy stepped forward to begin what Harry was sure would be a long winded and utterly pathetic speech himself. Harry, who hadn't let his smile waver throughout Snape's speech or thereafter, decided to open the discussion himself.

"Ah, Draco, cousin! Isn't it excellent that we will get to spend more time together now, sharing a house and all?"

His amicable greeting seemed to throw the Malfoy heir for a moment before he was able to ignore the friendly tone and begin his planned monologue.

"Black. I believe I warned you that if you found yourself sorted into Slytherin you could expect to learn your place. As such I thi-"

"No" Harry cut Malfoy off before he could even really get going.

"… what? What do you mean 'no'?" a now visibly flustered Malfoy asked, face becoming red as yet another interaction with the boy didn't go as he planned.

"I said 'no' because you never warned me of such a thing. You warned me that I could likely expect to have a number of accidents, though I was expecting the floor to be uneven or damp from the proximity to the lake. After seeing the facilities I'm afraid I'm not sure why you thought I might have a higher rate of accidents here than in another house, but I'm sure you'll enlighten me. As far as 'my place' you did explain that the more powerful were to be listened to by the less powerful. But then, when you and those two over there" he gestured towards where Crabbe and Goyle stood just outside of the line of upper years but clearly wanting to be seen as part of Malfoy's group "left my compartment with your tails between your legs, I thought we had agreed on where my place was, at least in regard to the two of us?" Harry finished, trying to put a genuine tone of puzzlement in his voice.

"… we agreed to no such thing!" Malfoy gritted out from between his teeth.

"Well, I suppose that's true, but if my understanding was correct that was the nature of how it worked. The more powerful simply decided the way things were to be and the less so didn't have to agree or not but would fall in line. So, I can't help but wonder what has changed your mind?"

The conversation not going at all the way he wanted and aware of just how unflattering it must look with Algol sitting there calmly while he, Draco, stood angrily, he unthinkingly fell back onto his usual threat."

"When my father hears of th-"

Waving him off and interrupting him, Harry condescendingly said "yes, yes. You're father, Lord Malfoy. Wealthy, though he still has some work to do before he reaches the level of my Lord, doesn't he? I don't think I was supposed to share this with you, cousin, but I think it may be for your benefit. I know that I've been heir Black for a shorter time than you were, but Sirius seemed relieved that his heir could now, and I quote, 'think and act for himself without having to rely on his father for every little thing.'"

Harry didn't think that he had ever seen someone so red as Malfoy was at that moment. Behind him, it was clear that Algol being heir Black and not just someone with the surname Black hadn't quite made its' way around yet. Some of the upper years even shifting and showing far less confidence with their backing of Malfoy now.

"I do act for myself. And I don't just use words and my name to try and avoid a fight like someone" Malfoy spat, obviously thinking that he had scored a point and that Algol was just trying to bluff his way out of a duel after Snape expressly didn't forbid them earlier.

"Oh? You don't just rely on your name? That's excellent to hear! Though it is not quite what I have heard across the castle, nasty rumors those must be."

Harry found himself having entirely too much fun. Of course, Sirius hadn't said anything of the sort but he thought that Sirius would've had it come up. And while everyone in the common room knew that Algol hadn't been there long enough to have heard any such rumors the fact that the castle did indeed think just used his name must've been what made Malfoy realize that he wasn't going to win a verbal confrontation at this point. Meaning it would be better to simply make his demands, issue his threats and end things.

Slowly pulling his wand from his sleeve, as those behind him followed his example, Malfoy then said in as firm a voice as he could muster, "Black. Cousins we may be, wealthier your father may be, but here in Slytherin house I make the rules. I have allies while you have nothing but your name. So, you will show me the respect I am due, you will get on your knees and apologize for your disrespect earlier on the train as well as just now and you will swear to mind your betters from now on."

Slapping his thighs before pushing himself up to stand before Malfoy, Harry gave a groan as though it was a chore even to rise and said "Gentlemen, those of you who seem to have decided that my cousin here deserves your loyalty, I would like to quickly recap just what is about to happen so that you can decide if you truly wish to continue down this path. It seems as though you intend to attack the heir of an ancient and noble house, a house whose lord is a highly ranking auror, on his first night in the castle, following the one who has the most to gain in the case of my incapacitation. I don't know what Draco here has told or promised you, but does I will let you decide if that is truly what you signed up for before we begin."

"Black! I do not care what you ha-"

Cutting him off yet again, Harry simply continued. "Yes, I think it best that people have as many of the facts before making a decision. It wouldn't be very cunning to engage someone who you know so little about as to not realize that an action today could very well lead to consequences tomorrow."

Malfoy, seething that someone dared imply he was being foolish, looked around to ensure that his followers were still with him. What he found was that all of the upper years who had seemed ready to back him had drifted into the surrounding crowd and he was left with only Crabbe and Goyle ready to engage Algol, should he continue.

Realizing that following through with his plan of direct confrontation tonight would do more harm than good, since he couldn't actually kill the boy, Malfoy lowered his wand and snarled through gritted teeth.

"This isn't over Black."

With that, Malfoy spun and shouldered his way through his two most loyal, and yet dullest, followers on his way to his dorm.

With her new teaching position, it had been decided that she would spend at least three nights a week in the castle. As well as notable nights such as this, the first night back before classes. So, Lily sat in front of her mirror, brushing her hair absently while she thought. Her youngest daughter just starting her time at Hogwarts, seeing Neville in the great hall at the Gryffindor table and what James was probably doing right now. She remembered her own first night in the castle, and was happy that her daughter would likely be having an easier time than she had. She didn't regret her muggleborn heritage but did remember how scared and alone she'd felt those first nights in a strange castle in a world she had little knowledge of. Her dormmates had been kind, but it had still taken some time for them to truly become friends. But those girls were still some of the greatest friends she had ever made, like Alice. Thinking of Alice hadn't gotten any easier over the years, the two of them had grown close while at school and then formed a bond that nobody else could understand when they went through their pregnancies together. They were so similarly timed and the women did everything together that they often joked that they could share a delivery room. One of her fondest memories was sitting together with her, each holding their new baby boy, beaming with happiness in those days just after giving birth.

Slowly, Lily put her hairbrush down and picked up her wand that had been lying on the table in front of her. "E-expecto patronum" she quietly choked out, holding that memory in her mind.

Out came the ghostly visage of her doe, it gave a canter around her room before stopping in front of her.

"Go to James, tell him that Daisy is a Hufflepuff… and you owe me that date night you bet." She said, giving a watery chuckle and continuing. "and I miss you. Our daughters are growing up James, where did the time go?" the thought making her sigh "but I'll be home tomorrow night. I'll tell you all about the sorting then. Don't stay up all night with Sirius trying to relive your bachelor days! Goodnight, James."

With that, the doe reared back before running through the wall on its way to James.

Thinking of Alice made her nostalgic and guilty at the same time. She would always think fondly to those days before… it, happened. But seeing Neville tonight, sat in his Gryffindor robes made her remember how she and James should've done better by him. Alice and Frank had made her and James his godparents when they had asked them to be Harry's, and while they hadn't been absent from Neville's life, they could have certainly been more present. Always there for his birthday and would see him on holidays but they hadn't ever made him feel like he was theirs. She knew Neville, and knew that he is a wonderful boy, but she also found it hard to watch him sometimes. It wasn't his fault that she would so often think of Harry when with him and Merlin knows that he had lost just as much as her from that monster and the despicable ones who followed him. But that still never made it any easier, and she suspected James and likely even Neville felt the same.

Harry, she never wanted to forget him but she sometimes wished that not as many things would make her think of him. Each year on his birthday her family would spend the day together and remember him. Even her daughters who had never had the privilege of meeting him would sit with her, James, Sirius and often Remus. That always helped, reaffirming that no one had forgotten him even with the years that had passed and how little time they'd had with him. But lately, she had found herself thinking of him more and more often. It had started with the first dinner that Sirius had brought Algol to. She remembered walking to get James and Remus in a daze, having just met the boy who was the same age as Harry would've been, and they had all insisted ever since that there was a strange sense from the boy. Was it just that he reminded them of what they'd lost so long ago that made them feel strange around him? Yes, she decided, that was likely all it was and they weren't giving the boy a chance. Making up her mind to give Algol a fair chance and get to know him more, Lily climbed into the four-poster bed and fell asleep.

For the first time, in as long as James could remember, he would be alone in his house for the night. When he had realized this as he prepared to return home from work that day, he had asked Sirius if he wanted to come over for a few drinks that night. Like the best mate he was, Sirius immediately accepted. Now, James found himself and Sirius sitting in his family's den, neither of them completely sober.

"So, first time having the house to yourself in a long time. Got any big plans?" Sirius asked him with a laugh.

All James gave was a subdued "No, can't say that I do."

Picking up on his friend's less than cheerful attitude, Sirius quietly commiserated "Yeah, I know the feeling."

"That's right, you just sent your own off for the first time. How'd that go? Missing him?"

"You know, I honestly didn't think I would as much as I do. He's somehow nothing like I expected while also being exactly what I thought he would be."

"Oh? I thought you had only met him for the first time recently?" James asked, picking up on this new piece of information.

"I knew him when he was very young. Only about a year old" Sirius said, now clearly lost in his memories.

James frowned at this, knowing that Algol was near the same age as Harry would have been and wondering why he was only hearing of him now if that was the case.

"Why didn't you ever mention him? He would've been Harry's age; they could've played together. Grown up together."

Shaking himself out of the memories he had gotten lost in, Sirius realized that he had said too much.

"Oh, its complicated. Honestly, its' such a long story that I haven't even heard most of it."

"Well, we've got the time mate. No one's going to be coming by any time soon." James prodded.

Knowing that his refusal to talk about 'Algol' and his past frustrated James, Sirius sighed before answering "I'm sorry James. I don't know most of the story and what I do know of it isn't my story to tell."

Aggravated that Sirius had seemed to be opening up but then shutting him out again, James sat back into the couch clearly frustrated.

"You know, best mates aren't supposed to keep anything from each other." Sirius flinched at this "I don't know what it could possibly be that you don't think you can share it with me. You know you can trust me!"

"I know, James! I know. Its' not that I don't trust you, its just…" here Sirius trailed off, not knowing how to explain it.

"Its' Algol that doesn't trust us, isn't it?" He demanded.

"What? No! I mean, not really, its' not that he doesn't trust you. Not really!" Sirius panicked thinking of how the last thing he needed was the Potters upset with Harry.

"Then I don't know what it could be, Sirius. You're the only two that seem to know what's going on and you don't seem to want to share. So, clearly one of you two don't trust us.!"

Accepting that their night had come to an end, Sirius stood to leave.

"Really, I am sorry James. I want to tell you, everything. And I will, as soon as I can. I'll… talk to Algol. But, don't take it personally James. I promise, Algol is… he is special. More special than I can explain. There's things going on in the world right now and we're working on it, but the last thing me or Algol want to do is to put your family in harm's way."

Standing himself, and even more exasperated by his friend's reply, James demanded "What are you talking about, Sirius?! What is 'going on' that you two ne ed to 'work on'? Why can't we, or at least I, help you?"

Opening the door and standing in the doorway, Sirius looked back at the man who he owed more than he could ever put into words and cursed Harry for making him keep James in the dark.

"I'm sorry, I know that you trusted me once before and I failed you in the worst way. But I need you to trust me once more, things may seem like they don't add up right now, and if I'm being honest, they'll probably get worse before they get better. But they will get better. And at the end of it, James, I swear to you that you'll have your whole family. I will not fail the Potters again."

With that, Sirius turned and left. Closing the door behind him and leaving an utterly torn James Potter to try to understand just what could be going on with his best friend and his mysterious new heir. Five minutes later, he still hadn't moved when he was brought out of his thoughts by the appearance of a spectral doe bounding through the wall and his wife's voice.

The next morning, Sirius made his way to Gringotts, determined that he would actually make some progress on gaining access to the Lestrange vault for Harry. Upon entering the bank, he made his way to the first teller he saw.

"Business?" was the gruff demand of the teller without looking up.

"I am here to visit the house of Black vault."

Finally looking, the goblin saw that he wasn't dealing with the average customer. He immediately hopped down from his desk and indicated for Sirius to follow him. Sirius followed the goblin to the tunnels where they took a cart to the lowest level of the bank's catacombs, past the dragon guarding the highest security vaults and to the large onyx door that held the vast fortune of his forefathers.

As the door opened and he made his way into the vault, Sirius stumbled as he was bombarded by memories of visits past.

*December 3rd, 1980*

The notice that his uncle Arcturus had died had not taken him by surprise, the notice that he had been made Lord Black however did. He didn't understand why his uncle hadn't disowned him, yet he found himself following the Black family's account goblin to the ancient and noble family's vault all the same.

He soon found himself standing in front of the vault door, watching it open. As the seemingly never-ending piles of gold and treasures came into view Sirius found himself musing to himself.

"So, this is the fortune of the House of Black?" he muttered to himself.

Leading his client into the vault for the first time, the goblin began to explain some of the more intricate features of the ancient and most noble houses' vault, before coming to what Sirius recognized as the magical family tapestry.

"Now, my Lord, as you have no son, the current heir apparent is the son of your cousin Narcissa. Young Draco Malfoy. However, you of course have the choice of declaring another. Is this something you wish to do?" the goblin asked.

Thinking of his cousin and her death eater husband, Sirius hardly had to think before smirking and responding.

"Yes, I declare Harry Potter my heir until the day I have son of my blood."

"Very well, it shall be so." The goblin replied, before making his way towards the tapestry and weaving several small ruins into it next to a dull looking gem which proceeded to begin shining brighter and brighter until Sirius couldn't stand to look at it directly.

Turning back to Sirius, the goblin explained "This is the heirstone" it said, gesturing to the now slowly pulsing gem. "It shall remain lit as long as your heir remains a viable choice to continue the house of Black. When he inherits the house, it shall dull until such time that he declares his own heir."

Still smiling, thinking of how upset this was sure to make his cousin, her husband and their Dark Lord, Sirius could only say "Excellent."

*Present day*

Sirius stumbled and only just caught himself, tears beginning to fall from his eyes, remembering how happy he had been and the look on James and Lily's faces when he told them that Harry was his heir. Then, he shut his eyes and let the next memory he knew would come take him.

*April 17, 1983*

Sirius followed the account goblin to his family's vault. He didn't remember the last time he had been to the vault. Then again, he tried not to remember much of anything these days. The only reason he wasn't halfway through a bottle of firewhiskey at the moment was because he had been expressly forbidden by James and Lily from missing Rose's first birthday.

He watched as the vault door slowly swung open before making his way in. He absently picked up some gold, planning to buy Rose something in Diagon Alley, when something caught his eye. Turning towards the tapestry he remembered seeing for the first time two years ago, he found his gaze dragged towards where he knew the heirstone lay embedded.

Even knowing what he would find didn't make it any easier. Seeing the darkened stone laying there, lifeless, hit him almost like a physical blow. He fell to his knees and for how long he stayed there just staring at the stone he didn't know. Eventually, he managed to drag himself from the vault and proceeded to rush towards the nearest bar. He did feel a moment of guilt hours later when he spent the last of the gold, he had taken out to spend on Rose's gift on another shot of something he couldn't remember the name of but knew helped dull the memory of his failure.

It was later that night when James Potter barged into Grimmauld Place, determined to find out why Sirius had missed his daughter's first birthday party. What he found however, was his best friend brokenly sobbing and drunkenly hiccupping.

This was not necessarily a new occurrence, ever since they'd lost Harry Sirius had been lost and used alcohol to numb himself. It was something both he and Lily worried about. Yet, this time seemed worse than normal.

Approaching his friend slowly, James spoke as though to a skittish animal.

"Sirius… Padfoot… what's going on? Why weren't you at Rose's party today?"

After a few more hiccups, Sirius choked out a stuttering answer.

"T-today I went to t-the vault." He explained.

"… you went to your vault?" James repeated, before a suspicion dawned on him. "Sirius, when was the last time you had visited the vault?" He asked, dreading the answer.

"… before." Was all Sirius said in response.

"Oh… I see." And James did. He could still remember his first visit to their vault after they had lost Harry. Seeing His heirstone darkened, cementing the fact that he was gone, was not easy. He remembered him and Lily and how they were much the same as Sirius was now, the only difference being that they relied on one another to get through their grief while Sirius used the bottle.

"Here, give me the bottle Padfoot. You know it won't help."

Giving the bottle over, Sirius slumped into James' shoulder and his tears continued to fall while he muttered over and over "I'm sorry James, I'm so sorry."

The two friends stayed like that until the distraught dog animagus finally slipped into unconsciousness.

*Present Day*

After the memories of those darker times that he'd truly lost himself passed, Sirius took a deep breath and opened his eyes. Set on completing the mission Harry had tasked him with.

He made his way through the vault until he came to the section where the family's records were kept and he began rifling through them, looking for the marriage contract for Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange. Figuring that it should be one of the most recent, he grabbed the top of the pile and began reading. As expected, the top record was Narcissa's and right underneath was Bellatrix. Focusing on Bellatrix's, Sirius began reading. He made it halfway through before a grin began to split his face and he packed up the records and went to leave the vault.

However, on his way out, Sirius found his eye drawn like before towards the family tapestry. His eyes raked over the family tree before suddenly locking onto the heirstone and making him freeze. There, right in front of him, the stone that had gone out when Harry had died was pulsing with life. It wasn't quite as bright as he remembered, but it was alight all the same.

The reminder that Harry had somehow, in a way, returned to them put a smile on his face. However, he had the strangest feeling that he was missing something, something important. Shrugging the feeling off, he finished gathering the papers he thought would be useful and made his way out of the bank with an extra bounce in his step.