Authors Note: Wanted to do some clarification before continuing with the story.

Firstly, this story is inspired by SCB, I strongly recommend going and watching their series as it's a great story! I just wanted to put my own spin on it.

Secondly, when the last chapter started you can assume that everything in the philosophers stone that happened up to Harry and Hagrid leaving Gringotts is exactly the same as in the book. I just didn't want to rewrite word for word, what was in the original text.

Similarly, there are sections where I mention Harry doing something or going somewhere and then move on. An example of this is Olivander's shop. In these cases, its safe to assume that the interactions that happened are also the same as the book, though I expect these to be less frequent as we go on.

Currently in the story, Harry has been living with the Dursley's. He knows that Voldemort killed his parents, but obviously doesn't know why yet. However he has not yet met Malfoy, and has had a much less biased summary of the 4 Hogwarts houses. He also is not aware that Voldemort was in Slytherin.

I hope you enjoy the rest of the story, The events on the train are going to be almost identical to the book so I'm rolling it into the same chapter as the sorting :)

Harry woke up at five o'clock on the first of September.

Four and a half hours later he was watching the three Dursleys walking away from platforms nine and ten, laughing at Vernon's joke. One annoyed guard later, Harry managed to overhear Mrs Weasley and get onto the platform with the scarlet steam engine. Fred and George help him with his trunk, and he settles into an empty compartment.

Ron has something on his nose, but eventually joins Harry, they again talk about Hogwarts houses and Ron expresses his concern of being the only Weasley not in Gryffindor.

Harry mentions that he isn't really sure where he wants to end up, and Ron understands. "Well no-one really knows until they get there."

Harry happily shares an incredibly unhealthy lunch with Ron, finds a chocolate frog card of Albus Dumbledore, and informs Neville that they haven't seen his toad.

The compartment door slid open again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy or Hermione Granger this time.

Three boys entered. A pale boy with platinum blond hair flanked by two others. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing either side of the pale boy like bodyguards.

"Is it true?" the pale boy said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment."

Harry was taken aback by the boldness of the boy and after a moment stood up. "erm yeah, thats me." He reached out a hand and the pale boy smiled smugly at it, before shaking it with his own.

"This is Crabbe and this is Goyle" the pale boy said carelessly. "And I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him quickly jerking back his hand.

"Think my name's funny, to you? no need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles and more children than they can afford."

Harry frowned. He was starting to find Draco Malfoy to be a petulant boy who reminded him far too much of Dudley.

"You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong Sort. I can help you there."

He held out his hand to shake Harry's again, but this time Harry didn't take it.

"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.

Draco shrugged and him and his two goons left without any further issue.

A short boat ride later Harry found himself walking, with Ron behind him, between the 4 tables of the great hall towards the head table.

Professor McGonagall placed a patched and frayed sorting hat on a stool and it sang a song, explaining many of the things Harry had learned from Mr Fortescue.

And so the sorting began with 'Abbot, Hannah', becoming a Hufflepuff. Harry watched nervously, starting to feel sick. He began to panic about what would happen if the hat simply didn't sort him.

"Potter, Harry!"

As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

"Potter, did she say?"

"TheHarry Potter?"

the last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the Hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. Next second he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.

"Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, i see! not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh my goodness yes - and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting... So where shall I put you?"

Harry gripped the edge of the stool. He wasn't sure about courage or talent, but he agreed with that hat about wanting to prove himself. He swore to himself that no matter what house he was in, he would prove that he belonged in this world. He would not be sent back to the Dursleys.

"Well, if you're sure - better be SLYTHERIN!"

Harry heard the hat shout the last word as all the whispering stopped and the hall was silent. He lifted the hat of his head and offered it to Professor McGonagall. The stern looking woman looked slightly paler as she paused to glance up at the head table where in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledores's long silver hair shone as brightly as the ghosts as he observed Harry in the silence. He seemed to be pondering a difficult puzzle, but after a second he raised his hands and began to applaud politely.

As if a spell was broken the room filled with the buzz of conversation again as McGonagall took the hat, and Harry walked shakily towards the Slytherin table. He saw many of the Slytherins were cheering now. Harry wasn't sure what he had done wrong as he found a space on the bench and sat down to look up at the head table.

Harry spotted a few of the teachers glancing nervously at him, including Professor Quirrell, who was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban.

Harry was one of the few students at his table who clapped as Ron was sorted into Gryffindor, but as 'Zabini, Blaise' made his way over to the Slytherin Table, Albus Dumbledore got to his feet. He was beaming at all the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! I'm sure you new first years will be made to feel welcome by us all! Especially those within your new houses" As Dumbledore said this his gaze went over all the students but seemed to end and linger on the Slytherin table.

"Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

Thankyou"

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Harry just stared blankly up at the table, unsure whether he was missing something that everyone else understood.

"Don't worry about it."

Harry looked over to see an older girl settling herself into a seat opposite Harry. She was wearing one of the silver prefect badges he had seen Percy Weasley wearing on the platform.

"He's off his rocker. Potatoes?"
Harry's mouth fell open. The dishes were now piled with food. He had neve seen so many things he liked to eat on one table. The girl smirked then pulled his attention back to her as she began putting a lamb chop onto her plate.

"My name is Gemma Farley. Figured I would come and say hi after you gave us all that shock Potter. I don't think anyone was expecting you to end up over here considering your history. We were all convinced you'd end up in Gryffindor."

Harry quickly began loading up his plate too. "Sorry I don't understand, why wouldn't I be in Slytherin?"

Gemma frowned a little before replacing it with another smile. "Well He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was one of us. And after you defeated him, we figured you'd be in Gryffindor. Slytherin's and Gryffindor's are constant enemies"

Harry felt as if he had swallowed some ice. He had been sorted into the same house as the man who had killed his parents. He didn't have much time to worry though as other Slytherin's saw Gemma introducing herself began moving closer, and introducing themselves. Harry was a little intimidated as many of them seemed to be older students. The students seemed to be trying to make up for the hesitant welcome.

Gemma continued to introduce people as the came to sit nearby. She also pointed to the head table, and that is our head of house, Professor Snape. You'll meet him in potions." Harry looked up at the table as the teacher indicated who was talking to Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban. He had greasy black hair, a hooked nose and sallow skin. As Quirrell turned to respond to something the teacher on his other side said, Snape's eyes went to the Slytherin table. He looked straight into Harry's eyes - and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead.

"Are you ok, Potter?" asked Gemma.

"Fine. It's - it's nothing."

The only student at the table who didn't seemed pleased, was Draco Malfoy. He kept trying to introduce himself to the people at the table who were sitting nearby to catch a conversation with Harry, but people didn't seem too impressed with who his father was when compared to the boy who lived. By the time dinner was over Draco had decided that he would have to make sure Potter knew his place.

At last, the puddings disappeared. Professor Dumbledore stood again to warn them that the forest and the third floor corridor were out of bounds, and then sent them off to bed.

Harry and the other first year were gathered by Gemma and along with a large number of other upper year students who seemed to want to stay nearby (Harry assumed Gemma was quite popular) led the way to the dungeons. She stopped by an apparently blank wall.

Gemma turned to the waiting crowd. "Well then snakelets. This is the entrance to our common room. It is secret and protected by a password so none from a lesser house can get in. Anyone found to be sharing the location or password will be punished." She paused looking at each of the first years to make sure she got her point across.

"This terms password is Bitter Root"

The common room was a dungeon-like room with greenish lamps and chairs. This dungeon extended partway under the lake, giving the light in the room a green tinge. The common room had lots of low backed black and dark green button-tufted, leather sofas; skulls; and dark wood cupboards. One of the wooden tables had a Wizard's Chess set on it. It was decorated with tapestries featuring the adventures of what looked like medieval wizards. It had quite a grand atmosphere, Harry and the other first year boys were directed to their dormitory, where Harry found his trunk, at the foot of a large 4 poster bed. He fell asleep almost at once.