It's My Life
Draco knew Harry wasn't in trouble with Severus, but there was a lot of confusion bustling about on why Harry Potter would end up resorted after four full years as a Gryffindor. Draco only got the others to never mind anything and get along to prepare to settle into their homes for the next year of school; this didn't include when they would go home for Christmas, Easter, and of course, the summer time. Out in the hallway, Severus led Harry to another door closer to the staircase the Slytherin's went down to get to their common room and then he spelled the lock to allow the door to open a crack. Severus guided Harry inside and closed the door once more, activating the silencing charms.
"Calm yourself, Harry. You're not in any trouble; I did promise to show you where my office was at term's beginning. Such time would be now." Severus informed.
"Thank you, sir." Harry replied. "Though I'm sure I would have seen from the others who were going to show us tomorrow…Or later tonight before curfew." He added.
"Yes, but I assured you I would show you myself. I'm a man of my word, Harry." Severus told him. "You seem…Unsure of something. Is there anything you wish to tell me? Was it your muggle relatives…?" The man asked curiously, but a threatening tone was there.
"No one hurt me, sir," Harry promised. "I guess I'm just taking everything in, you know?" He shrugged. "When I came to school this year…I knew I was under your guardianship and working on a friendship with Draco, but being called out and resorted?"
"Are you unhappy with it? I know Dumbledore is losing his mind over things and trying to reason with the hat to put you back in Gryffindor." Severus stated calmly.
"I'm not unhappy. I'm shocked, but not mad or upset…I've always wondered if it's where I was meant to be, since first year and second year when it told me I could be great there." Harry informed. "Is he really losing his mind, cause I think that was lost a long time ago…" He laughed a little. "No, I'm fine being in Slytherin. Most of Draco's friends have already accepted me, and maybe the first years. Unsure about the rest…" He added.
"They'll come around. I'm sure it's going to take time to let it sink in that Harry Potter was a Gryffindor for four years, and now resorted to Slytherin and no one understands why…" Severus said. "We didn't hear what the hat said to you, Harry. Shed some light, if you would?"
"It just said that it sensed my energy was different from the moment I came into the room and it needed to mend a mistake from four years ago. That it only put me in Gryffindor because I protested Slytherin, but it realized that it should have just gone with what it felt from the beginning. I was the only student to ever argue about the house it chose for me…Though this time, it did ask me if I was against the idea of being resorted. I said no."
"Well, I admit fully that I was shocked. However, it makes keeping an eye on you much easier." Severus enlightened. "I know Draco can watch over you in the dorm, or come and get me if there's a problem. I want you to stick close to him, Harry."
"Yes, sir," Harry agreed.
"And yes, Dumbledore is furious with the decision of the hat to resort you. I assume his outward reasoning is that it doesn't make sense to resort you after four full years in Gryffindor. But the hidden," Severus paused.
"It's because he can't use anyone in Gryffindor to report to him about me, especially Ron and Hermione. He has no one to keep tabs on me; he knows none of the Slytherin's nor you would do that." Harry remarked.
"Correct." Severus nodded. "Slytherins are very loyal to one another, Harry. The hat was right that they'd lead you on the way to greatness, you just have to let them. And Slytherin's are also self-preserving…So try to remember that to keep yourself safe. Like I said, stick to Draco; he'll help you the most."
"I will, Severus," Harry nodded. "Dumbledore can't make the hat resort me back to Gryffindor, can he?"
"He's not that powerful, Harry." Severus assured. "That hat is enchanted from the magic of the four founders and it cannot be swayed. I think the hat sensed your change as becoming friends with Draco, and your Slytherin Lordship. We've agreed since coming together that you're a snake in a lion's body. The hat admitted you have both traits, but maybe you were denying your Slytherin side."
"Did you see how people reacted in second year when I was speaking snake, Sev?" Harry sighed. "Even you made a face at me. Everyone believed then I was Slytherin's heir…And now, I'm it's lord." He reminded.
"But that's just the point, Harry. You're coming into yourself, not hiding the things that make you…Well, you." Severus informed.
"I suppose so," Harry agreed. "Either way, I'm a snake now. I promise I won't do anything to risk Slytherin's reputation, but am I still allowed to see Ron and Hermione outside of classes or in Hogsmead?"
"They're your friends, Harry…I won't be upset if you maintain your relationships with them. Just no sneaking out to see them is all I ask." Severus stated.
"I don't see me being able to sneak past your office, sir." Harry admitted. "I won't do anything I'm not supposed to…I already promised that to Draco and his friends who warned me none of my Gryffindor tendencies."
"That's all I need to know that they'll keep you in line. Now…You remember the rules from last night?" Severus asked and Harry nodded.
"Good. I think we can expect great things from you this year, Harry. Just be warned that Dumbledore is going to stop at nothing to get you under his thumb…" Severus started.
"And to tell you right away if there's any kind of trouble. I know, sir. Don't worry…I've got a knack for knowing when something isn't right. In fact, I got one earlier today." Harry said.
"Really?" Severus questioned. "Whom with?"
"The pink nightmare as the hat labeled her." Harry informed. "She didn't do anything to me, but I've got a bad feeling about her…" He admitted.
"Just mind yourself. She works for the ministry and right under Fudge. There's rumor that the ministry is interfering at Hogwarts for whatever reason…I'm assuming the chaos over the years." Severus told him.
"Have to admit that all the stuff that happens here is pretty suspicious, sir," Harry reminded. "But I get it. I've got enough on my plate without drawing extra attention to myself."
"Good boy. I can see now how much more different you are from your father…I should have seen it before." Severus said.
"Don't worry about it, Professor. It's in the past now…" Harry smiled. "Did you need me for anything else? I think I'd like to get settled into the dorm and then sleep."
"No, not at all. I just wanted to show you my office, and you know where my classroom is. Go on to your dorm and rest…" Severus told him lightly.
"Thanks, sir. Good night," Harry waved and turned to leave the room.
"Good night, Harry," Severus said as Harry left the room.
Harry made it back to the common room easy, finding no one really there and assumed everyone was getting settled into their dorm rooms. Harry went up to the boy's and located the door labeled 5th Year, then he opened it up and walked in to find Draco, Blaise, Theodore, Vincent, and Gregory.
"There you are, Harry," Blaise said.
"What did Snape want from you?" Theodore asked.
"Just a firm warning not to behave the way I did in Gryffindor." Harry lied. Draco probably knew otherwise, but that didn't mean everyone had to know the situation.
"We figured," Vincent shrugged.
"Now, come on," Draco led Harry inside more and closed the door behind him. "We've all taken up our normal beds from years before. Obviously, you can find where yours is." Draco motioned to the bed where Harry's trunk was. "You happen to be between myself and Blaise. Don't mind the giant windows, or the fact we're basically underwater. It's safe,"
"It's cool, actually. I mean, I loved the view from the tower, but this is so much more awesome. I like the dark feel," Harry admitted.
"Definitely in the right house," Gregory chuckled.
"The giant squid may also come by at random, don't be alarmed." Blaise stated.
"After fighting dragons last year, I don't think there is much that scares me anymore." Harry shrugged.
"Good because we don't fear much ourselves." Draco said. "Now, why don't you get yourself unpacked and settled in. There's still time until lights out."
"Lights…Out?" Harry questioned.
"Snape has charmed the Slytherin dorms to black out all lights except from the outside windows at 10:00 pm, when curfew begins. It's to encourage everyone relax and sleep by 11 pm." Draco explained. "I should clarify that the main lights go out at 10 pm, but the green ones around our room will stay on until about 11 pm. Beyond that, everything will go out and we're expected to sleep."
"Was it not like that in Gryffindor?" Theodore asked.
"No. Lights stayed on all the time, even down in the common room. We had the power to turn off dorm ones when we were ready for bed. McGonagall didn't care as long we didn't bother anyone else. If we didn't sleep, that was our own problem and she wouldn't hear it if we were tired in classes." Harry replied as he made his way over to his new bed and popped open his trunk to start getting things out. Everything was shrunk down to fit properly and since he was at Hogwarts now; he could use magic freely.
"Wow. No, Snape makes us get enough sleep. When the lights go out, there's also a charm to ensure we don't flip anything on. Not even our wands. There's a dim lit sign for where the restroom is, but that is it. If we have trouble sleeping, he'll start leaving small vials of dreamless sleep or peaceful dreams draughts. He expects us to be at our best for classes, especially his." Draco said. "The lights come back on at 6:00 am, to give us time to wake up and get ready for breakfast. Also, with 6 am comes an alarm too…Just the heads up. Some of us shower during the morning, others at night. Sometimes it's at both. Like Theo and Blaise. I prefer mornings, so does Goyle. And Crabbe is a night person."
"When do you prefer yours?" Gregory inquired.
"Don't have a preference. Sometimes morning, sometimes nights. Really depends on my mood sometimes. I used to do two a day when I played quidditch, but since I'm no longer their seeker," Harry shrugged as he grabbed his wand from inside his robe and flicked it silently to start with unshrinking his clothes and getting them into his tall closet and hung up. Next were his regular clothes set into the drawer in an organized fashion. Harry liked the set up in here, much more fundamental to have everything all together.
"You can do non-verbal magic?" Draco asked.
"Not exceptionally, but for some things," Harry replied, next sending his books onto the desk's shelf.
"We're not set to learn that until sixth and seventh year…" Blaise mentioned.
"I'm an over-achiever sometimes. Blame that on Hermione Granger," Harry shrugged as he got out the rest of his desk stuff and put it away.
"Could you teach us?" Vincent questioned.
"I don't think I'm qualified to teach. Snape would kill me if I'm doing anything outside of your normal…" Harry remarked.
"He doesn't care what we do in the common room or our own dorms as long as we're not disrupting the peace that's down here." Draco reassured. "You don't gotta worry. So…Can you?"
"I mean, it takes a while to get the hang of. I still haven't mastered it, but I've got levitation down." Harry informed.
"Just…Give us the basic idea. We're good at taking little information and making it happen. I told you, high expectations down here. Come now, you're a Slytherin, Harry. Take pride in that and whatever you can do. It sets us apart from the rest. Be sure, be confident, just don't be bold and reckless." Blaise told him.
"Tell us. We have no secrets between us, Harry. We're family, you can trust us." Draco promised.
"The basic idea behind non-verbal spells is to envision the spell you want to perform. Knowing the wand movement, knowing what you want to happen." Harry said. "So all I'm doing is a silent Wingardium Leviosa." He flicked his wand to send a picture of him with Ron and Hermione onto the wall-mounted shelves on either side of his bed. "See?"
Theodore tried first and it failed. Next was Gregory, then Crabbe and they didn't get it either. Blaise and Draco were also unsuccessful. "Okay, yeah…This is harder." Blaise muttered.
"How'd you learn this without someone teaching you?" Gregory asked.
"Practice." Harry shrugged as he finished sending more of his books he grabbed from his library at home to one shelf for easy grabbing. Harry started working on pictures next and held the one of his parents dancing together by a fountain. Harry smiled a little, then finally set it on his nightstand along with the one of him with his parents while he was a baby and one more of him with Ron and Hermione. "There, done." Harry sent his trunk under his bed and finally sat down on his bed. Harry watched as Draco was still struggling to try and do the silent levitation; he fought back a laugh.
"Something funny, Potter?" Draco mumbled.
"Yeah, me being better at something than you for once." Harry teased.
"Oh, ha-ha," Draco rolled his eyes.
"So undignified, what would your mother say if she knew? Should I send her a letter?" Harry joked; he wouldn't actually do it.
"No!" Draco pleaded.
"I was kidding. Merlin's beard, Malfoy…Come on, you think I'm gonna go to your mother? She's a wonderful person, but I'm not gonna get you in trouble over a joke between us. It's called sarcasm, try it sometime and lighten up." Harry informed.
"We're not one for jokes," Gregory said.
"Was this something you did with the Gryffindors?" Theodore inquired.
"Every night." Harry nodded. "After a long day, we'd sit around by the windows and do whatever to have a laugh. Just something to bond and relax for the night before bed."
"What did you do for…Fun?" Blaise questioned.
"Why do you wanna know?" Harry wondered.
"Your life as a Gryffindor sounds interesting and we don't do that kind of thing here, but it sounds fun and we're willing to try. We don't want you feeling completely out of place here, so maybe a mix of the two?" Vincent mentioned.
Harry eyed them, but shrugged eventually. "Fine…" Harry agreed. "During…Third year, we gathered round mine and Ron's beds near the windows and were all eating candies that caused different reactions or sounds. Like Ron ate one that made him roar like a lion, Neville had one that made him sound like an elephant. Mine was smoke coming out of my ears. We laughed for hours at each other." He explained as an example. "Sometimes we play chess, others we played muggle games I taught them. Well…Dean and Seamus knew some due to their half-blood status like myself. But I grew up full muggle, so I knew more."
"We all thought that was a fake rumor." Blaise said. "You growing up a muggle." He clarified.
"Very much true. I grew up with my mother's sister, her husband and my cousin." Harry informed. "I would have preferred to stay with my godfather."
"Who is your godfather?" Theodore inquired.
"Sirius Black," Harry stated.
"You…Know he's a murderer, don't you? As in the reason your parents ended up dead because he sold them out to the dark lord and he killed someone else." Gregory remarked.
"That's a lie." Harry said. "Sirius wasn't the one who sold out my parents to Voldemort; it was Peter Pettigrew and he cut off his own finger and went into his rat animagus form to frame Sirius for murder." He enlightened. "Sirius is innocent and when I find out why he was sent to Azkaban without a fair trial to prove himself…I'm going to give that person a reason to be more afraid of me than Voldemort." He muttered.
"Dark much?" Draco asked.
"Didn't you and your father both think I was going to be the next dark lord?" Harry eyed him.
"Well, yes…But you said you weren't, so?..." Draco trailed off.
"Doesn't mean I don't have the ability to make my stance known." Harry informed.
"Fair point," Draco shrugged. "Just know you have us, Harry. We're only trying to get to know you better."
"I know." Harry nodded.
Before anyone could say anything else, there was a knock on the door and Draco went to open it. "Hey, Uncle Sev," He greeted. "What brings you to the dorms?"
"Call for Potter," Severus walked in as Harry got up, surprised.
"Call?" Harry asked.
"Someone made me promise to keep him updated while you were at school, and a two-way mirror was our solution…So here, and make it quick. He refuses to listen to reason until he sees and hears you," Severus got the mirror out of his robes.
"I heard that you greasy git! Just wait until we're in the same room again, I'll hex you to the afterlife and back! And only back because you have my boy in your guardianship until I'm allowed!"
Harry beamed as he knew that voice. Sirius.
"Good luck with that mutt." Severus gave Harry the mirror. "Please inform your godfather that you're safe and sound, that I haven't killed you yet so he'll shut up." He folded his arms now.
"Sirius!" Harry greeted.
"There's my pup!" Sirius smiled. "Now. How are you? Is that snake treating you well, because if not, I will come there and give him hell."
"Sirius, I'm perfectly fine. Please don't be mean to Professor Snape," Harry sighed.
"Why are you in the dungeons. I contacted Hermione and Ron in the tower and they said you were down there." Sirius said.
"I tried to explain, but he wanted to talk to you." Severus remarked.
"Explain what?" Sirius said. "What is he talking about, Harry?"
"Is that my cub?!" Remus's voice asked.
"Yes, Remus it is…And he's my pup." Sirius replied.
"You might be his godfather, but I'm an unofficial uncle, Sirius. Now, Harry…How are-," He paused. "Wait a minute…Are…You wearing the Slytherin colors, Harry?"
"I am." Harry admitted. "I'm in Slytherin now."
Remus and Sirius went dead silent. "WHAT?!" The two yelled in disbelief.
"I was resorted into Slytherin earlier," Harry informed. "And honestly…I gotta admit that I'm loving it so far."