Every step down into the dungeons carried with it a pebble of fear.

Each one of them rested on Harry's heart, until he thought they would all fall down.

His life was in danger - active, real danger. Worse-than-Voldemort danger.

Everyone sleeps sometime - and the best shot he had at protection was Draco Malfoy.

... and Draco Malfoy was a coward.

... wasn't he?

Harry had to believe that it took at least a little courage to take the Dark Mark, right?

It was a frail and perfectly stupid hope.

But he was going to need hope, to live in a House with Death Eaters.

Could Snape protect him? Harry wondered, consciously steering away from Would Snape protect him, because the answer was obviously not.

More important, than the fear, was the guilt.

He'd come back to fix things, to make things better.

How in Hades was he going to do that in Slytherin House?

He'd fucked the timeline up down and through the arse.

He needed Draco Malfoy, Harry regretfully had to conclude, at least for now.

And Draco Malfoy and Ron Weasley went together like oil and water. There was no way he could have both in his life, as they were true enemies. Harry felt the edges of despair nip at him, hitting him harder than Dementors, as he knew this was real, this was his real feeling.

They arrived, following Gretchen, and she smiled, saying, "This is the entrance to our common room. You hiss the password at the snake." Then she started to hiss, an elongated form that sounded more like Morse Code.

And it said Welcome.

Thank you Gretchen, Harry thought, with a belated grin as he passed her. I do have more than just my wits about me, don't I? Perhaps I wouldn't need to be a Dark Lord, but it's nice to know that I can terrify even Slytherins. Maybe they'd worship me?

These are just crazy fantasies, of course, don't I know it! Harry thought.

On Gretchen's instruction, they lined up in two rows, boys and girls together. The second through seventh years filed in, standing in an organized near-circle around the firsties, looking at the Common Room door. Harry felt one of the older students nudge him, and heard a whispered, "Watch yourself." He couldn't have told you, even if he'd seen the face, whether that was a warning, a threat, or a caution.

Snape always liked to make a dramatic entrance, so it didn't surprise Harry when Snape materialized seemingly out of thin air, not at the entrance, but from a nearby shadowy corner.

"Welcome to Slytherin House, the house of the Cunning and the Ambitious. Soon we shall see if you are either, or both. If you are not, I suggest you find a patron, and cling to their boots, in the hope they might lift you up. In that, you should take care to choose wisely.

Outside of this room, outside of your dormitories, you will behave as if you are all of one body. Support and aid to each other is essential. No feud, no plan, no scheme is more important than this.

Snape flourished a stick out of his robes, looked at the first years, and gave it to Goyle - Greg. "Break it," Snape said.

Greg did, just by bending his hands.

Snape pulled twenty sticks out from his other sleeve (which must have been rather full of them), and tapped his wand, tying them together. "Break that."

Greg tried, even using his leg. "I can not."

"Anyone else care to give a go?" Snape sneered.

Harry knew better than to try - it was an obvious trap.

"Remember this. Our unity is our safeguard." Snape said. "You will behave in such a way to bring honor and respect to our house. This comes above any petty schemes that you might devise. Your prefects will instruct you should you be behaving in an unworthy manner."

Snape sighed, "There is yet one more rule." He gestured to the older students.

They repeated in unison, "Don't Get Caught."

Snape dropped his stern, professorial mien - displaying something markedly... more civil, if no less abrupt and dispassionate. "I hardly think I need to say this, but you may settle all disputes within the confines of the common room. You will, however, bring shame upon yourselves if I catch three seventh years fighting with a first year." Snape smirked, "And there will be consequences." Snape smirked, and left.

Now, Harry thought, hiding his own smirk, that was interesting... He didn't need to say that. Impartial partiality - how like the bastard!

[a/n: Leave a review? Snape's always a treat to write. He is not going to be openly in Harry's court here, but... neither is he exactly displeased to see Potter in his house. Better than a foolhardy Gryffindor, which he'd been dreading.]