Sanctuary in the Shadows
Chapter 3: Sanctuary in the Shadows
Harry ran.
His heart pounded against his ribs, his breath came in shallow gasps as he raced through the corridors of Hogwarts. His feet moved on their own, driven by instinct, pushing him further—away from their prying eyes, away from their questions.
The cold stone beneath his feet felt familiar, solid, but his mind was in turmoil. The Slytherins had seen him. His secret was no longer safe.
And worse—it was only a matter of time before Snape found out.
His wolf stirred, uneasy, restless. He needed shelter. A hiding place. A den.
Not the Slytherin common room.
He couldn't go back there.
Not now.
His pace slowed as he reached the second floor. It was quieter here. Most students were already asleep, and even the portraits were dozing in their frames.
Harry didn’t know this part of the castle well.
His fingers trailed along the cold stone walls as he moved cautiously forward.
And then… he saw it.
A door, half-hidden behind an old tapestry.
It was slightly crooked, as if no one had used it in a long time.
Harry’s heartbeat steadied slightly.
Carefully, he pushed the door open.
A small room.
Dust covered the floor, cobwebs clung to the corners. An old, abandoned storage room maybe? Or a forgotten classroom?
But it was perfect.
No one would look for him here.
He stepped inside, let the door fall shut behind him, and exhaled deeply.
His wolf settled, just a little.
Here, it was quiet.
No whispers. No stares. No questions.
Only him.
With a soft sigh, he drew his wand.
He cast a locking charm on the door—a simple barrier to keep others out. Then, he muttered a concealment spell, making the room invisible to those who might pass by.
No one would find him here.
Finally.
His body felt heavy. The exhaustion was relentless, dragging at his limbs.
He couldn’t keep going.
Slowly, he sank to the floor.
Then he felt it again—that pull, that instinctive need for safety.
His wolf wanted to curl up.
His wolf wanted… peace.
Harry closed his eyes and let the transformation happen.
His bones shifted, his form shrank, his mind adjusted.
And then he wasn’t human anymore.
A small, snow-white wolf, curled up in the darkness.
His breathing evened out.
His instincts whispered that he had finally found a good place.
And for the first night at Hogwarts…
He felt safe.
Chapter 6: Trapped Between Man and Wolf
The night was silent.
Harry lay curled in his hiding spot, his nose buried in his tail. His small, white wolf form rose and fell with steady breaths. The cold stone beneath him was uncomfortable, but he didn’t care.
Here, he was safe.
Here, he was alone.
Here, no one could see him.
But the peace was a lie.
___________________________________
His wolf slept—but Harry’s thoughts raced.
He was now officially a Slytherin.
His friends had abandoned him.
And now, the Slytherins knew he had changed.
How long until Snape found out?
How long until Malfoy tried to use it against him?
A soft growl rumbled in his chest, and his fur bristled slightly.
He didn’t want to think about it.
Not now.
He pressed himself deeper into his makeshift den.
His instincts told him to stay hidden.
To stay small and unseen.
But Harry Potter had never been good at staying unnoticed.
And he had the awful feeling that his secret wouldn't last much longer.
The first rays of sunlight filtered through the dusty windows of the small room as Harry slowly woke up.
His body felt stiff.
Carefully, he stretched his paws, yawned, and let the transformation take over.
His form shifted, his bones lengthened, his fur retracted.
And suddenly—he was human again.
A human with snow-white hair, barefoot on the cold stone floor, kneeling.
He braced himself on his arms and breathed deeply.
His body still felt strange.
But he didn’t have time to dwell on it.
He had to get back.
He had to face reality.
Harry tightened his cloak around himself and slowly stood.
Then, he muttered a quick vanishing spell to erase any signs of his presence before carefully cracking the door open and stepping into the empty corridor.
His heart pounded.
The night was over.
And his life as a Slytherin had begun.
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Harry knew he couldn’t hide forever.
But he would delay it for as long as possible.
His new routine was built around careful escape routes.
He arrived early at the Great Hall, grabbed some food, and vanished before the other Slytherins even arrived. If he was too late, he waited until breakfast was nearly over, grabbed a piece of bread or fruit, and rushed to his next class.
In lessons, he sat in the last row, as close to the door as possible—so he could slip out the second class ended.
He hadn’t returned to the Slytherin dormitory since the first night.
He knew it was suspicious.
He knew they were watching him.
He saw it in their quick glances, the hushed whispers, the way they fell silent when he walked by.
Malfoy, Zabini, Nott—they were waiting for him to slip up.
But it was Snape who reacted first.
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Severus Snape had been watching Potter for days.
His behavior was… unusual.
Snape had expected the boy to struggle in Slytherin. But this level of isolation was concerning—and irritating.
No Slytherin behaved this way.
He avoided his housemates.
He hid himself.
And then, there was the hood.
At first, Snape had dismissed it as defiance—Potter had never shown any respect for rules or authority.
But now?
Now, Snape wasn’t so sure.
Something wasn’t right.
Something had changed.
And he would find out what.
After the next Potions lesson, Snape had intended to confront Potter directly.
But the boy was faster than expected.
Before Snape could call him back—Potter was already out the door.
Snape’s lips pressed into a thin line.
If Potter wouldn’t give him answers…
He would find them elsewhere.
His gaze landed on Draco Malfoy, who was packing his things.
"Malfoy."
Draco straightened immediately. "Professor?"
Snape crossed his arms. "You’re going to tell me what’s going on with Potter."
Draco hesitated, curiosity flickering in his expression. "What exactly do you want to know?"
"Everything."
For a moment, Draco seemed to debate whether to speak.
Then he shrugged.
"He doesn’t talk to anyone. He doesn’t sleep in our dormitory. We only saw him there once—on the first night."
Snape’s eyes narrowed. "Really?"
"Yeah. And then…"
Draco hesitated.
"We confronted him."
Snape’s voice dropped. "And?"
Draco smirked slightly.
"Zabini pulled his hood down."
Snape felt a cold suspicion form.
"And what did you see?"
Draco leaned in slightly and lowered his voice.
"His hair," he murmured. "It’s white."
For one fraction of a second, Snape’s expression shifted.
White?
Potter?
That made no sense.
"White?" Snape repeated slowly.
Draco nodded. "I swear. And ever since then, he’s been avoiding us even more."
Snape’s gaze hardened.
Something wasn’t right.
Potter was hiding something.
And Snape was going to find out what.