It felt like time had sped by. Chrys held the cage that contained Karnak close to him as his mother drove them toward King's Cross Station. He had been eagerly awaiting this day all summer, and now that it was finally here, he was feeling nothing but nerves and jitters during the whole car ride. Despite the early hour and lack of traffic, time seemed to crawl, and even now in the car, while the radio played tunes from a bygone era, it felt as if the world stood still and they were the only ones moving.

They came to a stop and loaded their trolley with Chrys' belongings for school. The family set off toward their designated station. Even at this early hour, there were many people bustling about, coming and going from trains. Alister went to get a trolley for Chrys, while he stayed with Eloise and their belongings. The two of them took a moment to people-watch before Alister returned. They loaded up their trolley and made their way through the station. Somewhere along the way, Chrys paused and saw a boy with a similar trolley asking a security guard for directions to a specific platform.

Taking a closer look, Chrys realized it couldn't be... Wait... Was that...

"H... Harry?" Chrys approached him, pushing his cart over to him.

Harry jumped a little and turned around once the security guard stepped away. His eyes widened upon seeing Chrys, and he stuttered, "Wait... Chrys?" He looked at Chrys' trolley and then back at him. "You're…"

"Going to Platform 9 ¾ as well? Yeah, I am," Chrys replied. He glanced at the group Harry was with, the Dursleys. Almost immediately, he tensed up like an agitated cat. "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley," he greeted stiffly.

"Chrys, wonderful to see you again," Petunia said, looking at him before turning to Eloise and Alister. "We were afraid we'd have to call you for help getting onto the platform."

Alister shook his head and smiled. "Well, why don't you come with us? We're all going the same way, after all."

The walk to the platform felt like an eternity. The silence between Chrys and Harry was deafening, and both of them felt the urge to say something, but what could they say? "Hey, I didn't know you were a wizard too?" That conversation would be short-lived, and they would be back to silence again. Alister led the group down the corridors of the train station, while the adults discussed the school and consulted the famous notebook they had been using since the previous month.

"It feels like listening to them trying to learn a new language," Dudley complained. "Couldn't your weirdo magic side have an easier-to-understand guide?"

Chrys looked at him with a slightly annoyed expression. "You do know that my mom wrote that, right? And my mom's a Muggle?"

"I know that! But come on, she could have written it in an easier-to-understand language!"

"Be glad she didn't start listing spells in that book," Harry pointed out. "I'm lucky to have mastered at least one spell before today."

"Yeah?" Chrys leaned on the trolley. "Which spell?"

There was a moment of hesitation before Harry finally answered, "Lumos." He looked at Chrys, who nodded and said it was a good one.

"Well, since you grew up with a wizard, I bet you know a lot of spells already," Dudley prodded Chrys's shoulder. "So, what spells do you know?"

"Just the important ones, or at least the ones important to me," Chrys replied casually. "Engorgio, Reducio, Lumos, and Levioso."

Harry thought for a moment. "The enlargement and shrinking charm, light charm, and levitation spell?" He watched as Chrys nodded. "Okay, I'll bite. Why are Engorgio and Reducio important to you?"

Chrys grinned like a cat that caught the canary. "Because, alongside my school stuff, I've packed my entire bedroom into my trunk thanks to Reducio!" he said proudly.

Before another word could be said, the group was distracted by the arrival of another wizarding family—the Weasleys. Chrys found himself looking over at Ron once again, happy to have found another familiar face. However, his smile faded when he saw one of Ron's brothers running through the wall between platforms 9 and 10 to reach the train for school. A wave of worry washed over Chrys as he looked up at his father, realizing that as a half-blood, there was a possibility that the barrier might reject him. He wondered if his mother would be able to go through with him to see him off.

Alister placed a comforting hand on Chrys's shoulder and gently nudged him forward, encouraging him to take a running start. "Well, go on, your mother and I will be right behind you."

"Dad... I can't," Chrys shook his head. "Isn't there another way?"

"Come now, you saw that boy go through just fine," Alister pointed out. "It'll be okay, just run across like your favorite hedgehog critter."

Chrys stepped back, putting some distance between himself and the wall. Just because it worked for one wizard—or even a set of twins—didn't mean there weren't exceptions to the rule. Even Harry seemed hesitant, and Chrys couldn't help but think that there must be another way to get to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. After all, his parents had driven to Hogsmeade before; couldn't they just drive to Hogwarts instead?

"Uh, Harry, you're famous, the Boy Who Lived and all…" Chrys gently nudged him forward. "After you."

"You're insane if you think I'm going to run across," Harry glared lightly at Chrys.

Alister knew there would be hesitance from both Chrys and Harry. He had experienced a similar situation with his own friends in the past, although their motivation had been a dare rather than a reward. Douglas had yelled, "The last person to run through the barrier has to do the group's homework for a month," and they had all dashed through like a stampede. But Chrys was not as wild as Douglas, and Alister understood that.

"Look, I'll pay you five galleons if you go ahead," Chrys offered Harry.

Harry stepped back, positioning himself behind his cousin. "I have enough galleons from my parents' vaults. I don't need any more. You go ahead first if you're so insistent."

As they pondered their next move, Mrs. Weasley, who was pushing the cart, interjected, "First years at Hogwarts, then? It's my Ron's first year as well."

Petunia looked at the barrier nervously. "Do they really have to run into it like that?"

Mrs. Weasley's expression softened with understanding. "Ah, I see. You're not the first ones to be nervous. Percy cried the first time we brought him through."

The oldest-looking boy blushed and exclaimed, "Mother!" Ron and his sister burst into giggles.

Eloise chuckled at the sight, sharing a knowing smile with Mrs. Weasley. "First-year jitters, they're the best," she remarked, glancing at Alister. "And then you have the husbands who just love making it worse with their own form of encouragement."

Alister feigned a hurt expression and placed a hand over his heart. "Oh, you wound me so," he replied playfully.

That statement alone got the wives to burst out laughing, once recovered enough; Mrs. Weasley moved over to her eldest and motioned her to stand alongside him, and softly telling him to go through with her.

Percy nodded and gave the younger boys a sympathetic look. "I promise it's not that bad." With that he took off running with his sister beside him.

Oh…Chrys knew this trick. Having someone younger than him go through and should he resist, his mother was going to say 'If that girl younger than you can go through the barrier with no problem, so can you.' He knew this line, and he still falls for it all the time. He's not sure what it was that made it work, but whatever it was, it did. He just looked at Harry in a silent conversation before rushing ahead, closing his eyes as he braced for the inevitable impact that would not only cause him flying head first, but also wounding his pride in front of another wizarding family.

It didn't come. He found himself moving from the wall and walking a few steps ahead to take everything in; it was still like King's Cross Station, the only difference were the bustling of families going over to a scarlet train with the words 'Hogwarts Express' on it; he was enamored by the sights that he had failed to notice his family coming up behind him and laying a hand on his shoulder to move him out of the flow of traffic. Everything was…amazing, his eyes were drawn to the red train that had workers moving the trollies to the luggage wagon as students started to fill the train.

Distracted, he failed to see his parents come through along with the rest of the Weasleys, Eloise and Petunia had moved closer to Mrs. Molly Weasley as they spoke about their family and kids, almost instantaneously becoming friends; Alister, Vernon, and Mr. Arthur Weasley, though in a similar boat, just carefully took Harry's and Chrys' belongings to a stationmaster to be loaded. Still, despite it all, the Dursleys, like with Chrys, Harry and his family were staring with their jaws to the ground. Almost immediately did Petunia take out a disposable camera and started taking pictures of the station, she even motioned Harry and Chrys to stand near the train, Eloise just gave a thumbs up and held up her own personal digital camera before doing the same.

"Did you know true muggle borns are rare?" Eloise asked. "Chances are if you're a 'supposed muggle born' you're actually from a squib family." She put her camera away.

Vernon just looked over, he sighed and took out the notebook before flipping the pages before reading from it. "Squib; person with magical blood but unable to perform magic." He nodded and closed it. "Why did you bring this up, El?"

"Call it intuition, but I have a feeling that your family may have another Hogwarts student."

"Oh no." Vernon shook his head. "Not happening." He saw the familiar 'stare' from the tailor shop when he and Petunia tried talking to her about the letters. "Ahem, what I mean is…not happening this year, it's far too late to change schools and Harry might not like it after the first year. We'll see how things go before we do any school swapping." He watched her hum and just backed off.

"I'll only go if Harry makes it exciting." Dudley said. "So you better not leave any details out."

Harry just nodded numbly, he was still taken in by everything that was going on. This was…unbelievable in every sense of the word. His daze was interrupted when Eloise and Molly took the three to the side, Eloise was holding a medium sized box in her hands and handing it to Chrys with a wink, inside the box were cornflowers that were encased in a clear resin and turned into pins. A flower symbolizing good luck. It was then, Harry noticed that the adults were wearing similar flowers.

"These." Eloise started off. "Are for any new friends you make."

Chrys took a few out, he went up to Harry and placed on on him before pausing at Dudley, there was light hesitation before he held it out to him. "Uh, this is a good luck charm…since you're going to an academy too, uh…good luck out there?"

Dudley nodded and took it. "Just make sure my cousin doesn't blow up a classroom."

"No promises." Chrys smiled lightly at him.

With everything loaded up, the two boys boarded the train with Chrys quietly asking if they should sit together. A few silent agreements, after all, they came through the barrier together so it only made sense that they would sit next to each other on the ride over to their new school. As before, there was a deafening silence upon sitting down and watching the other students climbing aboard and it wasn't long before the train was moving from the station. After enough deliberation, Harry decided to break the ice.

"So…Chrys?" he called, getting the brunet's attention. "…Is…is this why you never have anyone over at your house?"

Chrys just shook his head. "Harry, you and I have been going to the same muggle school for how long? You already know why I never had anyone over, I'm the quiet tailor 'freak' of the classroom with a father who is easily entranced with the latest muggle device. Why would anyone want to associate with me?"

"That sounds like my dad." Ron said as he walked into their cabin. "He loves muggles, he's obsessed with them and all their stuff."

"Then he'll definitely love my mother's shop; Lindsay's Tailoring, mom's always showcasing some of the antique sewing machines when she's making things." Chrys smiled at him. "By the way…I don't think either of us had been properly introduced…I know we've met in Diagon, Ron but…" he held his hand out. "My name is Chrys, Chrys Lindsay."

Ron's eyes lit up a little bit. "I know, you're the son of Alister Lindsay, the chaser for the Blood Orchids!" he shook his hand. "Ron Weasley, my father works in the ministry."

"It's nice to meet you two." Harry took their hands into his. "I'm Harry, Harry Potter."

"Whoa…" Now Ron's eyes were really shining from that. "So…do you have the…scar?"

"Oh my god." Chrys gently shoved Ron. "You can't just ask someone if they have a scar!"

Harry just lifted his hair back to show the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. Chrys had heard talk about Harry having some kind of scar on his forehead, the story behind it varied from person to person on the schoolyard since no-one really knew how it came to be – and as much as he wanted to approach him and ask about it, he found it to be a little rude. Even now, he found himself reaching out and gently touching it.

"Does…it still hurt?" Chrys asked softly

Harry blinked and shook his head, watching as Chrys lowered his hand. "No…unless someone mentions it, I barely notice that it's there. Out of sight and out of mind."

Ron nodded and looked over as Chrys handed him the cornflower pin, he just shrugged and put it on. "So uh, about that family you were with…new to magic?"

"For the longest time they've kept mentions of it out of the house." Harry explained. "Heavily against it, but…for some reason they're starting to open up to it."

Chrys raised his hand. "Guilty, my mother has a degree in psychology." He turned to Ron. "She studies the human mind. Anyway, she's known to play head games with people and knowing the right words to say to get someone to listen. She did that with your aunt and uncle, Harry. She probably hit them with a type of logic that couldn't be argued against and got them to open their minds to the world of magic."

Harry thought for a bit before nodding in agreement, that sounded right. "Well, if watching those Dr. Livesey programs is anything to go off of, I can see how your mom was successful." He smiled lightly.

"And since the ride's going to be a bit." Ron spoke up. "We'll catch you up to speed the best we can."

"And raid the trolley of goodies." Chrys added with a grin.

*
Draco Malfoy, he's prided himself in making sure the target of his interests never leaves his sight. Would he ever reveal how he knows where Chrysanthos was hiding? Probably not, but he didn't really have to track him down. He just had to make sure to get to the platform and wait for the boy to show up and then trail behind; and to make matters better, the boy was seated next to a Weasley and the Boy Who Lived! Of course, now that Draco had a better look at Harry, he was able to piece everything together – this was the boy Chrys was with at the zoo earlier! Oh, this was just too good to pass up.

"So, this is where you're hiding, Lindsay." A new voice came into the fray, the three looked over to see a boy with blond hair and piercing grey eyes, dressed in the finest robes and walking into the cabin and setting a bag above them, his gaze turned to Ron and Harry for a minute. "And you have friends with you, how charming. I hope you boys don't mind if I join you." He said, sitting beside Harry, he had to move his bag and carry it here and he wasn't going to do it again. "After all, we're all friends here, aren't we?"

Chrys just looked over at Draco, raising an eyebrow at him. "Draco, what is it you really want?"

"What makes you think I want anything, Chrysanthos?"

"I'm not stupid, I know when someone's following me." Chrys crossed his arms. "I only looked past Diagon Alley because of how huge the place is, but when you showed up at my mom's shop and followed me to the zoo…then it's another story."

Drco narrowed his eyes on him. "Well, aren't we perceptive!" He smirked at the Lindsay Heir and rested his head in his hand. "Then let me cut to the chase, Dear Lindsay; looking past…the other side of your heritage, you're of an elite family and it's only fitting you stay in similar company – you're already doing so well with the Weasley and the Potter Heir and of course, me." He leaned forward. "What I want, Chrysanthos, is an alliance; the four of us will be an unmatched set – well, I'd much prefer it if it's just you, Potter, and I, but I can accept a Weasley being as our confidant."

Ron had been death glaring at him the whole time. "Like I'd want to be friends with a snooty pure blood like you. My dad's told me all about your dad!"

"And my father told me about yours." Draco chuckled. "Oh, I'm sorry I thought we were stating the facts." His grin turned sharp. "I assure you, that I am nothing like my father."

"Remains to be seen." Ron muttered.

Draco waved his hand dismissively at that, Chrys still kept a hardened stare at the blond. "Draco." He called to get the blonde's attention. "You still haven't told me what you wanted from me, why you've followed me around."

"Must I spell it out?" Draco sighed. "Fine, you are merely an object of interest to me; you've stayed out of the Daily Prophet for years, I don't know what your parents did but you essentially became a rumor and nothing more in the wizarding world." He turned to Harry. "Of course, Potter, you're a mystery as well…you, the Boy Who Lived, vanished off the map of the wizarding world and only now showed up…to put it simply, I want to know every last bit about you two."

"They're not some fun new toys to buy!" Ron snapped. "You can't treat them like that!"

"Now you're just being cute, Weasley." Draco narrowed his eyes. "I'm not treating them as 'fun new toys' as you put it. We're going to be classmates, we may as well try to learn about each other as much as we can."

Harry shook his head. "Assuming we're all in the same dorm – which I doubt, what do you plan to do if we're in separate dorms?"

"In the short time I've spent watching Lindsay I've learned he has a dual wood wand, an owl named after some character in a muggle musical, embroiders, will inherit his muggle mother's shop, has the Blood Orchids Quidditch team as an extended family alongside other teams, plays the cello, and ah yes, he's started to study the draconic language hasn't he?" Draco narrowed his eyes. "Believe me when I say, I don't have to be around the person to learn about them, Potter. I never let my targets escape me, Weasley may call you my 'toys' until he's blue in the face, but believe me when I say you two are more than that and that will never change."

The harsh silence fell upon the four boys in the cabin, not one person dared to say another word and each daring the other to have said a thing. The silent standoff lasted until the Trolley Witch appeared, Draco and Harry bought one of everything and had an impromptu picnic of junk food in the cabin they were in. Something about sharing treats made things less tense than it was earlier between them, whatever the magic was they were willing to accept it and enjoy their time with it. Somewhere along the way the four were playing with the Bertie Botts' every flavored beans, having a roulette challenge to see who got what; Harry and Draco had it easy by getting sweet flavors, Ron was gagging when he got tripe, and Chrys was clapping when he got ghost pepper – that lasted for a few seconds before Chrys started screaming from the heat and crying from it.

Just as someone was about to get the Trolley Witch for a glass of milk, two girls had entered the cabin; one with really curly brown hair and one with long brown hair held back with a snake hairclip. The one with long hair hurried and gave Chrys a bag of glacial snowflakes, prompting him to eat the cold treat while curly haired girl had bolted and came back with the cold glass of milk for him, with their combined efforts they got the burning taken care off. Chrys took a few breaths and looked up at them before quietly thanking them.

"Are you alright?" The curly haired girl asked. "What on earth did you eat?"

"Ghost pepper flavored bean." Ron filled in for her. "He was enjoying it before heat got to him."

"Thank you for helping us." Harry said softly.

"Anytime!" The girl with the snake hairclip said with a light grin. "We were walking around trying to find a toad, some kid lost it."

"Hadn't seen one hop in here." Draco shook his head. "And…you two are?"

"I'm Rue Mitchell and this is…" she looked at the girl next to her. "Someone."

"Hermione." She reminded her, "We've literally introduced ourselves five minutes prior." She watched her shrug before shaking her head and turning to the boys before frowning at Harry. "Your glasses a bit bent." She took out her wand and flicked it. "Oculus Reparo."

Harry blinked in surprised as his glasses straightened up, he took them off and looked them over before looking back at Hermione. "Thank you."

"And now we'll leave you boys to your boys' club." Rue nudged Hermione. "We have a toad to find and…you might want to think about getting into your robes soon."

After the two girls left, Draco stood and grabbed his bag from the overhead compartment and opened it, grabbing his finest robe and putting it on before closing the case once more. He looked up at the three as if to silently tell them to do the same, when he got a collective stare of confusion, he just pointed out the window. Cloaked in the cover of night was Hogwarts itself, lit up with the various candle lights and torches; they were approaching the station and from there they would be led to the school to begin their new school year.

*
Flaring out his robes for the third time, Chrys had followed Harry, Ron, and the other students off the train. Through the hustle and bustle of everything, he was able to pick up some stray conversations; earlier that train ride, a boy had lost his pet toad and a girl was helping him out. The boy had found his toad thankfully, but that definitely sounded stressful to go through – a lot of students were whispering of their worries about their own pets and what they would've done if they suddenly got lost on the train.

Once off the train, the first-years were greeted by a giant, so far, only Harry knew this giant on a somewhat personal level – guardian figure, likely? Chrys smiled up at him and continued to follow the rest of his class to where a set of rowboats were; watching as everyone was being loaded into them so they could be taken to the school. Of course, Chrys would be lying if he said he wasn't jealous of the older students taking carriages to the school, why did they get the carriages while the first-years had to take a boat trip across the dark waters? Well, his answer came from two familiar girls behind him, Rue and Hermione. Hermione mentioned that she read about it being that the school wanted the first-years to be able to marvel at the entire school as they approached, hence the boats.

That was all grand and swell, but Chrys wasn't really too excited to get into a boat that could hold four at minimum and six at maximum – actually, he found himself sharing a boat with Harry, Ron, Hermione, Rue, and a boy with a toad in his hands (was that the same one who lost it earlier on the train?) but even with some familiar faces, Chrys was actually nervous being on the boat on the dark lake. It wasn't likely this would happen, but he was nervous that their rowboat was going to capsize and they would plunge into the possible cold waters, and after seeing something that looked like a giant squid swimming nearby under the water's surface his fear had amplified to a new height. Harry laid a hand on Chrys' shoulder and gave a small squeeze to settle him down. The boats were enchanted mostly, the school wouldn't let any of their students go overboard or go the way of death by giant squid.

"He's actually a sweetheart." Rue whispered.

Chrys looked over at the girl, then at the squid who was beside the boats. "Yeah…and how do you know this?"

"Because he told me so." Rue said proudly. "He's mentioned that there's been cases of students falling out of the boats and he'd just gently places them back on shore. Really just an oversized puppy dog."

"I see." Chrys just nodded, it was clear he still wasn't entirely convinced about the whole thing, but he wasn't going to start up an argument with someone about it.

Aside from the murmurs of the other students, the rest of the boat ride went by quietly and without any problems. Upon docking, the giant from before was helping the students out of their vessels along with some help from some of the older students. Some of the other first years stumbled a little bit, but most were able to get out without a hitch. Out of the frying pan and into the fire that was the school, but it didn't appear so bad – especially with the beauty that was the interior of the school; the entrance hall they stood in was what any interior of a castle would look like with stone walls and flooring with a marbled staircase standing before them, suits of armors, paintings of witches and wizards, and coat of arms detailing the four houses and the school crest.

Like with the snakes at the zoo, Chrys had found himself enamored by the coat of arms of Slytherin with its vibrant green badge with a silver snake posed to strike. There was something about it and snakes in general that kept drawing him over to it. And honestly, if the crest was any lower he would probably have touched it to trace the details of it. He would've actually liked to stay a little longer if the girl from the boat hadn't gently taken him by the robes and gently led him back to the group inside a reception hall of some kind. The group was before an elderly looking woman with black hair and dressed in emerald robes; she looked at everyone with a stern expression on her face as she welcomed everyone to the school and introduced herself as Professor McGonagall as well explaining how the school worked outside of being sorted into four houses; Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw.

A dorm that would essentially be your family while you were within the halls of the grand school. That sounded like it would be a recipe for disaster and possibly a setup for the next Lord of the Flies story. Chrys shuddered lightly as he tuned out the rest of the welcoming speech, even after the woman had left and everyone was left to their devices, the only thing in his mind was how the school worked. True, Chrys had his father's words to go off when it came to Hogwarts' values and whatnots, but learning from a parent can sometimes be different than that of learning from a teacher. What Alister told Chrys would completely be contradicted by one of the teachers here. Even now as students were being enamored by the ghosts, Chrys couldn't really stop himself from listening in on various conversations and picking up what he could if he were to ever have a prayer to survive here.

When Professor McGonagall returned and escorted the students to the Great Hall; thousands and thousands of candles floating high above the ceiling over four long tables were the rest of the students were seated at. At the tables were complete with glittering golden plates and goblets (wait, were they made with pure gold? Chrys was now eager to take one home to see if he could get one tested for gold purity and the likes). At the end of the room was another long table where the rest of the staff were seated at and sitting just a bit a ways was a stool and an old tattered hat. At first glance it didn't seem like much until it started to sing; everyone was taken aback by the sudden song that most of the lyrics were lost, but somewhere did the words resonated with others.

"You might belong in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart. Their daring, nerve and chivalry set Gryffindors apart." At that line, Chrys found himself looking to Ron, he knew the Weasley family were usually a guaranteed spot in the Gryffindor household – and honestly, Chrys was hoping to be in that house; it was where his father was before him so it would only make sense to be sorted there.

"You might belong in Hufflepuff, where they are just and loyal. Those patient Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid of turmoil." That time his gaze went to the boy beside Ron, the one who lost his toad (Neville, he had to keep reminding himself of that name. He's heard it in passing conversation on the train.) He did seem like the type who stood for what was right.

"Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind. Where those of wit and learning will always find their kind." He didn't have to look, but Chrys did, his gaze landed on the girl from before (He should really get her name some day.) She seemed like a know-it-all bookworm, it would make sense if she were in Ravenclaw.

"Or perhaps in Slytherin, you'll make your real friends. Those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends." Why did it feel like he was called out? Chrys took one small glance over at a familiar blond who made sure that Chrys would never leave his sight. Draco. He had his sinking feeling that Draco was going to be in Slytherin, that boy was too snakelike for his own good and honestly…Chrys had this other sinking feeling that he was going to be right alongside him.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard names being listed off and a house shortly after. Chrys looked up when he heard 'Granger, Hermione' be called. They were already on 'G's? He watched as the bookworm girl went up and had the hat put on her; she was a Ravenclaw, she had to be!

"Gryffindor!" The hat called out.

Color him surprised. He was not expecting that at all as he watched the girl move over to where the rest of the Gryffindors were, like everyone whenever they got a new student they would cheer and begin to welcome her with open arms. Chrys actually found the whole thing wonderful, it made his heart skip a beat with excitement even more as he thought about being welcomed at the Gryffindor table like that!

"Hanako Izanami."

A few hushed whispers from his fellow first years as another girl carefully made her way through the crowd. Ignoring her small stature, Chrys watched Izanami move through the other students and made her way to the stool. She was so quiet and on edge about everything he wanted to go up beside her and guard her if he could. Guard her from what? He didn't know. He just knew this girl definitely needed protection, was this what uncle Alex meant in his statement about watching over pups?

"Hufflepuff!"

Well, they seemed like nice bunches, maybe he'd check in on her every once in a while in between classes, his thoughts went back to wanting to walk with her and being her guard when he watched her hesitantly making her way over to the Hufflepuff table. They welcomed her, and the prefect there was quick to move her to a part of the table to help her relax, maybe he didn't need to watch over her? His attention returned to the now as his name was called.

"Lindsay, Chrysanthos."

Lindsay? As in…Alister Lindsay's boy? There's been rumors of the famous Quidditch player having a child, but because there wasn't anything in the Daily Prophet about it, he was nothing more than a mystery. Still, what everyone did know was that Alister was a Gryffindor, he was a chaser for the team Blood Orchids, he married a muggle, and his son was before everyone in the flesh. Even the teachers agreed that the boy looked almost like a young spitting image of Alister!

"How curious." The hat started out. "You're completely different than the Lindsay before you, unlike him you prefer the shadows rather than the spotlight, not at all like your Gryffindor counterpart. I can see you aim to take your goals to a new height…Yes, I know exactly where you should go…Slytherin!"

That did get some murmurs of confusion as Chrys left the stand and went over to where the Slytherins were seated at. Alright, so the son was of a different house, that didn't make him any less than a Lindsay Heir; and while the Slytherins weren't too keen on having a half-blood in their house, they could look it over this one time. He was still from an influential household after all, they would happily accept him with open arms.

"Malfoy, Draco."

Chrys froze as he watched Draco approach. Please, please, please don't be in…

"Slytherin!"

The hat barely touched his head! And Draco was coming over, his grey eyes honed in on Chrys as he sat beside him with a smug expression on his face. He made sure his voice was low and soft when he spoke to him; "I told you, you'll never escape me, Chrysanthos." This was going to be a very long year.

"Mitchell, Ruthen."

Oh! The girl from the train with Hermione! Chrys watched her bound over to the stool and straightened her hair out as the hat was placed on her head, she swayed her legs back and forth with a light hum as the hat made its decision.

"Slytherin!"

At least he had a friendly familiar face with him, he sighed in relief if only for lightly. She came over and sat next to some of the ladies of the table, Chrys watched them shake hands and started introducing each other, Rue must be a social butterfly.

"Potter, Harry."

Oh thank the stars, Chrys let out a sigh. He was already praying to every deity he could think of that Harry would be sorted into Slytherin with him. Mostly because he wanted to have someone he was on familiar terms with to be alongside him.

Of course, Harry was a strange case, there were immediate whispers in the Great Hall as he made his way over. Chrys was ready to get up and stand beside him, he could hear the surprised whispers clear as day 'The Harry Potter?' 'Boy Who Lived' everything under the sun, he understood why people were like that and the story was depressing to think about. Chrys took this chance to just look at some of the other students' reactions to him; Rue and the Slytherin girls were looking over with interests, curious even. Over at the Hufflepuff table, the shy girl carefully sat on her knees to get a better look at Harry, her nose twitched lightly and she was frowning a the other students, could she be upset about the gossip as well?

"Gryffindor!"

Oh did the fates enjoy teasing him greatly, Chrys turned to look at Draco and shook his head. It was fine, he could handle this. It was just for the school year and years to come, he wasn't going to have to worry about a thing! It wasn't like he was obligated to spend breaks with the Malfoy heir after all, he could suck it up and deal with having him as a dormmate.

"Tonks Cordelia"

That got Chrys to break his silent stare-off with Draco, he looked up to the sorting hat and saw the same girl from Diagon Alley! Cora, he was wondering when he would see her again after that day and here she was! Honestly, he didn't really have strong feelings about the strange girl, but he watched her put a lollipop in her mouth and cheerfully skip up to the hat. No matter the setting it seemed like that girl had boundless energy!

Of course, one look at Draco and Chrys couldn't help himself but to grin. Draco looked like he wanted to be anywhere else after hearing Cora's name be called. Wait…oh so Draco was the mysterious cousin that Cora was talking about. She was going to have a field day when she learned of their interactions.

"Hufflepuff!"

And there went any hopes of having this girl chase Draco off. Well, even if he couldn't have backup help he could handle this. He was only going to be seeing the Malfoy Heir during breakfast, dinner, classes and…in the dorm. Okay, that sounded like a nightmare in itself there was no way, this was going to get worse.

"Truemoon, Vera"

Skipping up the ways was a girl with braids that were held with colorful beads, she wore a brightly colored sweater under her Hogwarts robes, she sat on the stool with a bright smile on her face. Like with Draco, the hat barely touched her head before it called out her house.

"Hufflepuff!"

With the sorting ceremony coming to a close, the feast began. Every first-year's eyes started to widen at the sight of the large array of food that appeared before them on the golden plates, not even hesitating a second everyone started helping themselves to whatever they could get their hands on; Chrys especially got a good helping of the wild mushrooms lasagna, he had to give his compliments to the chefs for it. Even his golden goblet was now filled with pumpkin juice, another taste of heaven on the tongue!

"Someone's enjoying the menu." Rue teased lightly. "How's the lasagna?"

Chrys gave a thumbs up to her. "Delicious." He said with his mouth full.

"Well don't hog it all, slide some over here, Lindsay." She reached for the pan and helped herself to some. "Shame we didn't get that Potter kid in our house, he looks like he could be fun to hang out with."

"Please, it was a given he would be in Gryffindor." A girl next to her spoke up. "His parents were Gryffindors."

Rue looked at her then pointed to Chrys. "Uh Pansy, his father was a Gryffindor and he's sitting right here next to us." She laughed as Pansy just rolled her eyes.

Over at the Hufflepuff table, Cora was beside Izanami, she was being careful with the ribbon as she played with her hair and trying out new styles. Izanami was stiff despite the gentle touches on her hair her nose twitched a little bit as she looked up at Cora who was still running her fingers through her red hair.

"Don't mind me." Cora said with a smile. "I'm trying to think of what cute styles I can give you that would compliment your bow!"

"O-Oh…" Izanami lowered her head a little bit. "Y-You don't h-have to." She said softly. "Um…I-I actually would p-prefer it if you l-leave my bow alone. Please."

"Don't worry, I'll leave the bow alone." She moved her hands from her and gave her a quick pat on the head. "So are you excited to see the Hufflepuff dorm? I know I am, my family's been in Slytherin mostly except for my dad he was in Gryffindor and my auntie who's taking care of me was in Hufflepuff, she said that it's one of the best houses!"

Izanami just nodded as she slowly lifted the hood of her robe to hide in, this girl beside her was pretty excitable and it was beginning to be overwhelming for her. Cora noticed it and backed off some, the rest of the meal between them went on with everyone talking to fellow Hufflepuffs, talking about their families and their summer. The same excitement from the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins was radiating from the Gryffindor table. The Gryffindor table was alive with excitement as students vied for a glimpse of Harry, the Boy Who Lived. However, the Weasley brothers, Fred and George, stepped in as Harry's protectors, playfully brandishing spoons to keep the eager fans at bay.

"Back! Back, you rabid fans," Fred declared, his spoon serving as a makeshift weapon.

"Let the poor celebrity breathe," George chimed in, joining his brother in using a spoon for defense.

Percy, the more serious of the Weasley siblings, shook his head at his mischievous brothers and offered Harry a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Don't mind them, they're tricksters at heart," he said, flashing a smile. "How are you holding up?"

Harry glanced around at the bustling Great Hall, observing the students from other houses. While he was grateful to be surrounded by familiar faces in Gryffindor, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of longing for his Muggle classmate, Chrys, who had been sorted into Slytherin. Nevertheless, he remained optimistic about their friendship continuing beyond house boundaries.

"Well... I still have my limbs," Harry replied with a simple smile. "This is... completely insane."

Percy chuckled and shook his head. "That tends to be the first reaction every first year has."

Harry had a light smile as he looked around again, he turned his attention to where the teachers were seated at and his smile brightened as he saw the familiar Professor Quirrell from the Leaky Cauldron, the smile quickly faded when he felt a sharp throbbing pain in his forehead when he saw a teacher with dark hair look over his way.

"Harry?" Percy looked at him concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…" Harry assured him, he pointed to the teacher that looked like Death himself. "Could…you tell me who that is next to Professor Quirrell?"

Percy looked over and nodded. "That's Professor Snape, he's the potions master here at school and head of the Slytherin house."

Already Harry was feeling sorry for Chrys, his thoughts were interrupted when Ron tapped his shoulder to get his attention. "Hey, Harry, I've been meaning to ask…You know Chrys from when you went to a Muggle school, right?" he watched Harry nod to confirm it. "So, is it really true that his parents are half and half?"

"Well…I know about it now, yeah." Harry confirmed. "His mother is muggle while his father is a wizard."

"Sounds like me in a way." Seamus spoke up. "I'm also half and half, except my mom's a witch and dad's a muggle, didn't know about it until after marriage, nasty shock he was in."

"What about you, Neville?" Ron asked the boy next to Seamus.

Neville looked over and started to push his food around the plate nervously. "Oh, well…Gran raised me, um…thing is, for the longest time we thought I was a muggle and my great uncle would try these dangerous experiments to see if I have magic in me. He threw me off a pier one time and dropped me out of the window when my great aunt offered him lemon meringue pie. I've managed to bounce safely…"

That got horrified expressions, what could anyone say to that?! To avoid saying the wrong thing, the boys just hurried and shoved the nearest item of food into their mouths to keep themselves from talking. To everyone's delight, dessert came and went as everyone polished off whatever sweet they could their hands on, when dessert was over came the few announcements from the headmaster.

No going into the Forbidden Forest, magic uses in the corridors is not allowed, quidditch tryouts were next week, and to stay out of the forbidden corridor unless one wanted a fate worse than death. The only thought Harry had was 'what the hell kind of school is this?!'After the singing of the school's song, everyone was led to their dorms.

*
"Purity." Said the Slytherin prefect.

At the start, it looked like a regular wall, but the moment their prefect gave their password did something amazing happen; the snake that was inscribed into the floor slithered from the floor across the wall and revealing the door to the common room.

Through the door and past the mermaid statues, they were led down the stairs where to their right had various tapestries of ships on the ocean, to their left was a beautiful fountain. Chrys wasn't going to lie he did ran his fingers over the clear water as they went down into the common room. It was like an elegant aquarium with skeletal figures of kelpies and other water life.

The common room itself was illuminated by an array of enchanting green-glowing crystals, embedded in the walls and ceiling. The soft green light cast eerie shadows, giving the room an otherworldly ambiance. The air was cool and crisp, carrying a hint of the earthy scent of the surrounding underground chambers.

The walls of the common room were adorned with elegant tapestries depicting serpents intertwined with vines and various scenes of triumph, displaying the pride and heritage of Slytherin. Delicate silver sconces with flickering green flames provided additional lighting, creating a mysterious glow that danced across the room.

The central space was furnished with plush velvet couches and armchairs, their rich emerald hue perfectly complementing the house colors. Intricately designed coffee tables and side tables adorned with serpent motifs were strategically placed, offering a place for students to gather and engage in conversations or study sessions.

Looking up, Chrys could see they had a skylight! Well, no, the skylight wasn't the correct term as it looked into the Black Lake. With it being evening at the moment it was pitch black so they couldn't see anything swim by, but it was the thought of what it looked like in the day that made everyone's eyes glow. Of course, some eyes were glowing in the literal sense.

"Lindsay, your eyes." Draco's voice called out.

Chrys blinked as some students were honed in on him, one of the girls took out a compact mirror and held it to him to show what Draco was going on about. Chrys looked at his reflection, sure enough his hazel eyes had a bright glowing tint to them, the light in them swirled a little bit and gave the appearance of sunlight caught in his eyes.

"Oh…" Chrys shrugged. "Yeah, they do that sometimes depending on the lighting."

"Students." Snape's voice rang out, bringing their attention, everyone hurried over to where he was standing and gave their full attention. "Welcome to the Slytherin house, I'm Professor Severus Snape, your head of house and also your potions master. Slytherin represents ambition, cunning, and resourcefulness," Snape continued, his voice carrying a tinge of pride. "These are qualities that have fueled the success of countless witches and wizards throughout history. It is here, within these walls, that you will learn to harness those very qualities within yourselves."

He looked over at everyone before moving to a covered box, when he pulled the cover back there was a monocle cobra inside. "Now then, first years, there is a tradition that's been in the Slytherin House to see if there is a descendant of Salazar himself." He motioned to the snake. "As you know, Salazar can communicate with snakes, simply calm this snake down with nothing but your words."

That's a horrifying thought, even with a protective barrier between them, going up to a four foot venomous snake sounded like a bad idea. Everyone in the first-year group just looked at each other silently daring the other to make the first move and approach the snake, eventually Draco was the one to make the first move he barely got a single word out before the cobra hissed sharply at him causing him to back off.

"Professor, I don't think this is a good idea." Chrys finally spoke up. "This snake looks like he's three seconds from spitting at someone."

"He won't, Mr. Lindsay." Snape assured calmly. "As if I would put my students in harm's way, he's been trained to be docile for this year's test."

"He doesn't look docile." A student muttered close by Chrys.

"Mr. Lindsey why don't you go ahead and come up since you volunteered?" Snape waved him forward

All eyes were on Lindsay, Chrys hesitantly approached the case and flinched as the snake hissed at him, showing its fangs as if to threaten him. Threatening to bite? Threatening to spit? Even if there was the barrier to keep Chrys safe, he still felt his heart racing like no tomorrow.

Trying to calm down, and most likely failing, Chrys slowly leaned close to the barrier separating him and the snake, flinching a couple of times when it hissed at him. "H-Hey now, it's okay," he spoke softly, not hearing the startled gasps of the students behind him and the silent hitch in Snape's breath, focused only on the snake. "I'm not here to hurt you. None of us are, I promise. You're okay." Chrys blinked slowly, surprised to see the snake calming down little by little the more he spoke.

The hood started to flatten and the snake started to lower itself in a relaxed state, Chrys sighed in relief and continued. "Our teacher just wants us to talk to you, I promise that's all we're trying to do." The snake started to relax completely at that. "See? Everything is alright."

"Most impressive, Mr. Lindsay." Snape quietly praised, he turned to the others. "Anyone else wish to try?" no reply. "Very well, I suppose now it's time to send you to your rooms; ladies, your room will be up those stairs." He motioned to the stairs. "Gentlemen, yours is on the ground floor." He motioned to the halls. "Except you Lindsay, come with me."

Not wanting to argue with the teacher, Chrys followed him down the common room and up to the statue of Salazar Slytherin, they stopped before him and Snape turned to Chrys before motioning to the statue. "Before you is the entrance to an exclusive suite that Salazar had made for his descendants, last year we had another speaker but they had turned it down. It's up to you if you want it as your permanent residency while attending here at Hogwarts."

Chrys looked at the statue then at Snape in silent confusion. "Wait…I get a suite?"

Snape just nodded. "Salazar's painting told me the entrance to the suite is 'Through ambition's path, I claim my birthright.' In parseltongue, the snake language."

"But…I can't speak it!"

"You were talking to the snake just fine and it understood you, even if it didn't come out as a hiss you still spoke it." Snape nodded to the statue.

Quietly, Chrys looked back at the statue, he wasn't certain why Snape was certain that he would be able to speak it but…nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? He took a breath and started to speak, to his surprise he found himself hissing out the words like a snake.

"Through ambition's path, I claim my birthright"

The snakes on the hand rails of the stairs started to move and slither up to the statue of Salazar Slytherin, the stone statue began to move as the snakes locked into place and caused the statue to spin, rising up and revealing stairs in the process. Chrys felt his jaw drop as he made his way up the stairs into his new room; a house elf had popped in shortly after with Chrys' trunk and settled it by the bed before popping away.

The walls were draped in dark emerald tapestries, adorned with intricate patterns and subtle serpentine motifs. The ceiling, enchanted to resemble a starlit night sky, twinkled with a soft, ethereal glow, casting a spellbinding ambiance throughout the room. Illuminated sconces, crafted in the shape of serpents, provided warm and subtle lighting, casting dancing shadows that seemed to writhe with a life of their own.

The flooring, made of polished black marble veined with silver accents, gleamed underfoot. The centerpiece of the suite was a grand sitting area, featuring plush, deep green velvet sofas and armchairs arranged around a beautifully carved obsidian coffee table. The upholstery was adorned with subtle serpent patterns, adding an air of mystique and tying the space to the Slytherin heritage.

A bookshelf lined one of the walls, displaying a vast collection of leather-bound tomes, some ancient and weathered, others pristine and inviting. The titles ranged from historical accounts of renowned Slytherins to advanced magical texts and treatises on the subtle arts of persuasion and manipulation. It was a repository of knowledge that whispered of secrets waiting to be unraveled.

A study nook, tucked away in a corner, provided a quiet space for contemplation and research. The desk, crafted from dark mahogany, bore intricate engravings of twisting serpents along its edges. An ornate silver quill and inkwell sat atop the desk, ready to capture the thoughts and musings of the ambitious minds that would occupy the room.

The en-suite bathroom was a sanctuary of opulence and relaxation. Gleaming white marble adorned the floors and walls, while an oversized clawfoot bathtub stood as the centerpiece, inviting indulgent baths. Gilded fixtures and mirrors added an air of sophistication, and a plush set of emerald green towels awaited, ready to wrap one in luxurious comfort.

The sleeping area boasted a majestic four-poster bed, adorned with emerald silk curtains that cascaded down in graceful waves. The headboard was intricately carved with entwined serpents, their eyes glinting with subtle enchantments. The bedding, adorned with silver accents and soft textures, promised restful nights in an atmosphere of quiet elegance.

"My god…" Chrys breathed out as he walked around, running his hands over the bed.

"Please don't utter a Muggle's deity in here." Came a voice, Chrys turned to look over at the painting of a man staring down at him; a man with thinning grey hair and a long grey beard was before him, the plaque read 'Salazar Slytherin.'

"Sorry, sir." Chrys lowered his head to him. "I guess I'm just in shock…this room really is for me?"

"You speak the language of the snakes." Salazar pointed out, "Therefor, you must be one of mine."

Chrys gave a light shrug. "I'll take your word for it, my father and grandfather don't talk about their side of the family all that much so I don't really know who's in our family." He sat on the bed and kicked his shoes off.

"Well if not your father then your mother perhaps?" Salazar pressed, trying to figure out which side of the family this boy was from.

A light shake of the head. "My mother's a muggle, sir."

"Your mother is a muggle..." Salazar repeated, his voice tinged with a hint of disdain. "A challenging circumstance, indeed." He fell silent, deep in thought, before finally speaking again. "Chrysanthos Lindsay, I shall reserve my judgment until I have observed your actions and witnessed your commitment to the values of Slytherin." He waved his hand dismissively for a minute. "Now then, it is getting late, boy, you have classes tomorrow morning."

Chrys nodded. "Right, um…good night then, Salazar." He closed the bed curtains, he had more questions he wanted to ask but those could wait until tomorrow.

"Good night, Lindsay." Salazar nodded before turning in for the night as well.