Adjusting To New Surroundings

The next few weeks were, well, odder. In Harry's perspective anyway, however, Snape merely shook his head whenever Harry pointed anything out. Which made Harry feel slightly insane for a short period if he tried to think about it in any way. So he stopped thinking about it. Well, to the best of his ability, until he started getting things by appearing in his room when he wasn’t there or while in the middle of a meal from one of the house elves.

Harry thought that this tactic was being used so he couldn’t stammer out that he didn’t need them. All he got from his accusation was an upturn of Snape’s lips and a wrinkle of the corners of the man's eyes or an amused look from Borage and Basil. All three of them were conspiring against him!

The first thing that happened was the sudden appearance of a snake enclosure bigger than Harry's bed in the corner of his room. He found it there after eating his dinner. The glass walls were filled with various spaces for Jinx to curl up and nap, and there was a shallow pool of water for her to soak in. Harry guessed that that was the thing Snape was buying while he was choosing Jinx.

Speaking of Jinx, she absolutely refused to be separated from Harry. The only exclusion was when she allowed him to read in his room within her sight from her new enclosure. But the second he would move towards the door, she would start hissing and slither towards him, wrapping herself around his leg before coiling herself around his shoulders and nuzzling into his neck. It was as if she had developed a strong bond with Harry and couldn't bear to be apart from him for even a moment. Harry found it both endearing and slightly unsettling, but he couldn't deny the peculiar connection they shared. What they had was just so nice.

The second thing that happened was the literal mountain of clothes currently inside the massive wardrobe along the wall across from the bed.

All the clothes were obviously bought after Snape realised that Harry couldn't keep wearing his old ones. The man had mentioned it during dinner one evening a week after Harry had begun staying with him, asking what colours Harry liked and if he would prefer a specific type or style of clothing.

Harry had replied warily, and then an absolutely huge owl arrived within a few hours with weirdly shaped bags. Snape walked over to the owl, took the bags, and gave the owl a small treat that appeared out of nowhere, but Harry was starting to become immune to the man's random talent of pulling objects from thin air—and then sent the owl off on its merry way.

The next morning, the wardrobe in Harry's room was filled to the brim with clothes that fit him and some that were a size or two bigger. To say he was thrilled would be putting it too lightly. He kind of blocked out the tiny voice in the back of his head that kept saying that the man hadn't asked for Harry's size. He couldn't help but roll his eyes at the absurdity of it all. But hey, free wardrobe upgrade, right? Who needs measurements when you've got magic? Ah, wait, Snape probably had his measurements from when they went to get Harry's robes for school. Duh.

Ignoring the overall strangeness of Snape, Basil, and Borage, everything started to actually dawn on Harry. Like, hey, brain: Things are different? Look! No terrible relatives to be seen for miles!! Ta-da! Jazz hands.

Harry had a bed now. He had honest-to-Merlin clothes that fit him! He had a whole room! A snake that he could talk to all the time! A mini-library to purge to his heart's content! And he learnt that he's a bloody wizard. Like, a wand-holding, spell-casting, potion-making wizard.  When was he going to wake up from this too-good-a-dream?

He actually had three parents! Sure, two are sort of, uh, very dead. But! He had a second dad! Said second dad was highly spoken of by Snape. Regulus Black. It turned out he wasn’t as much of a "mystery" as Snape first let on. He used to be the Seeker for the Slytherin Quidditch—a worldwide wizarding sport with flying brooms that had two vicious balls that actively tried to hospitalise players throughout games played multiple stories above the ground with no safety measures in place, no net, no cushioning charms, nothing, just mud and promises of a hospital trip with everyone's name on it—Harry can’t wait to try it—team during his schooling years.

He was friends with a small group of people—Barty Crouch Jr. (He was in Ravenclaw), Evan Rosier, Pandora Lovegood (née Rosier; she had a daughter a year younger than Harry called Luna Lovegood), and Icarus Nott (he, apparently, has a son the same age as Harry). Those were the ones who Snape was aware of anyway—and he had a habit of sneaking out after curfew in school; he was rarely caught, but the habit was known by most Slytherins during that time period.

Snape must've connected some sort of dots because he made a pained face when he told Harry this. The man, Regulus, Dad, or whatever, was probably related to the man listed as Harry's godfather, Sirius Black III, too; maybe they're brothers? Snape confirmed Harry's idea with a weak nod. Odd…

Snape later began teaching Harry about Hogwarts, including different subjects like potion making, transfiguration, and defence against the dark arts.

Harry decided after observing Snape make a batch of "Wolfsbane Potion" that he should be fine with potions; it’s basically cooking, just with a pot only. He can just imagine making a very bizarre stew or soup. A soup that was purple, or hairy, or one that needed specific animals blood to tie the other ingredients together. Wicked.

Transfiguration seemed interesting, if a bit odd, Harry found after watching Snape demonstrate how he turned a mouse into a teapot. The poor thing shrieked as its tail turned into a porcelain handle. The head of the Gryffindor house taught the subject.

Defence against the Dark Arts looked to be a favourite of Snape's, since the man spoke about it much longer than any of the other subjects, almost as long as he did for potions, and Harry presumed he'll like it too. The theory was interesting; the practical side was even more so. Bizarrely enough, any teacher who had taught the subject within the last fifty years had been unable to last more than a single year teaching the subject in the school. It had happened so many times now that both students and professors had begun placing bets on how or why an unfortunate soul would quit or leave the job. Snape’s mouth stretched into a smirk when he admitted that he had the highest score out of all of the school's staff for ‘guessing’ correctly.

(Harry doesn’t believe the man; he was far too smug while saying he had a winning streak lasting eleven years straight.)

Taught by the Head of Hufflepuff house, Herbology was essentially gardening; Harry figured he would be alright in that subject. He did pride himself on all of the flowers he grew back at the Dursleys. It's too bad that he couldn't bring those away with him; Aunt Petunia has probably gutted them all by now. That thought has Harry moping all through his lunch. Those flowers were like children to him, darn it!

Charms seemed cool; apparently his mum was one of the best in the subject in school. The Head of Ravenclaw taught it, who was half goblin and was much friendlier than the goblins in Gringotts. Which Harry was thankful for, he didn’t think he would be able to cope with a teacher as intense as any of the Gringotts goblins he was after meeting already.

He's looking forward to astronomy. Harry never really got to see the clear night sky in Little Whinging, let alone from inside his cupboard. He's excited to learn about the stars and constellations. There would be a few classes during the day, and then there would be a night class, usually on a Wednesday night, that involved all four houses.

Snape also explained the house system, where students are sorted into Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin based on their qualities, overall goals, and traits.

Sure, the man himself was a tad biassed towards his own house, but he gave plenty of insight on the others for Harry to gain a solid enough opinion of them all.

Slytherin dorms were located in the dungeons, similarly to the Hufflepuff dorms, whereas the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw dorms were both up in two towers.

Gryffindors tended to be loud and brave in the ways that mattered to the individual, though most could be reckless.

"The lions usually seem to gamble before thinking about decisions; it's almost like they're diving nose-first with their impulsive nature. Bravery can only get them so far, but most of them are as stubborn as an enraged mule. Don't even get me started on their tempers; a man can only take so many burnt cauldrons from poorly treated ingredients in one lifetime." Snape had said. The man looked like he'd swallowed a whole bottle of vinegar and not the party kind. It was difficult to hold in his own laughter, resulting in Harry snorting into his glass of milk and the drink spilling out of his nose a second later.

The Ravenclaws were bookworms and/or book dragons. Snape had claimed that the majority of them were obsessed with knowledge and would spend hours in the library, buried under piles of books or missing classes to focus only on personal projects. The students were competitive to a frightening degree if they put their minds to it. Apparently, the students in the bird-based house are the pupils in the school that gain and lose "house points" most frequently.

Snape had, on several occasions, caught a Ravenclaw sneaking (poorly; they set off at least eight of the wards in the library) into the restricted section of the library after curfew—around 1-4 a.m., usually—desperate to get their hands on a rare book. "For research, sir!" They had cried out as Snape dragged them back to their dorm. The older man looked like he had aged years after recounting several encounters.

Then there's Hufflepuffs. Snape looked slightly befuddled before speaking about these students. Known by the other students as friendly, kind, and hard-working, Hufflepuffs were often underestimated due to their lack of ambition and competitive drive. However, their loyalty and dedication to their friends and tasks make them valuable assets in any situation. Despite not seeking the spotlight, Hufflepuffs excel in subjects that require patience and perseverance, such as Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures or anything jobwise to do with the human mind. It is not uncommon to find Hufflepuffs volunteering for extra responsibilities or offering a helping hand if the need arises.

Snape recommended befriending at least one Hufflepuff before offhandedly mentioning that their dorms are the closest to the kitchen. He also muttered something else about how Hufflepuff wasn't just about the house name. Whatever that meant...

Slytherin was the last house Snape told Harry about. Slytherins were known for their ambition, cunning, and resourcefulness. They prioritised self-preservation and were often seen as ambitious and determined individuals. They usually made extremely dedicated friends. Their dorms also had an unknown number of protections and all other types of spells cast by Salazar Slytherin himself. Additionally, Slytherins were often associated with a strong sense of loyalty towards their own house members, creating a tight-knit community within their dorms. Anything and everything said inside the dorms stayed in the dorms; not even friends of those from other houses hear, let alone family of Slytherin students, were told about it.

Harry nodded along the whole time, quietly wondering which houses his parents were in during their school days. He asked the question once Snape paused his explanation to take a sip of his coffee.

The answers he got were straightforward: James Potter was in Gryffindor, was the captain of that Quidditch team, also as a Chaser, became the Head Boy in his seventh year, and was talented at Transfiguration; he was one of the top students in the whole school at the time.

He pulled pranks, mainly on Slytherins, that had the majority of the professors in a kerfuffle while he and his group of friends—Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew (the whole group being in Gryffindor together during their school years). An unlucky Archie Clawbone had to suffer through all of his seven long school years in the same dorm room—would, except on rare occasions, get away with it. Thus leaving the whole school confused about their ability to evade punishment.

James Potter's mischievous nature and quick thinking often allowed him and his friends to outsmart the professors, leaving everyone wondering how they managed to escape consequences time and time again. James was known for his mischievous nature and was often seen as the ringleader of their group alongside Sirius Black.

Snape stoically admitted that he and Harry's dad did not get along at all until they briefly began to tolerate each other in their final months of their sixth year and the beginning of seventh year for reasons that Snape was not going to discuss with Harry at this point in time.

Lily Evans, on the other hand, was in Ravenclaw and was known for her exceptional skills in potions and charms. She had a reputation for being incredibly intelligent and quick-witted. She wasn't very interested in sports and mainly stuck to her studies and her tight-knit group of friends—Amelia Bones, Dorcas Meadowes, and Marlene McKinnon. All of them are from two houses; Lily and Amelia were both from Ravenclaw, with Dorcas and Marlene from Gryffindor.

Trying to get back on track, Snape offhandedly mentioned that there were ghosts that stayed in the school at all times, some helping the professors and prefects patrol the halls for any students breaking curfew. That didn't mean that they all helped; some just floated aimlessly throughout the school. Professor Binns was a ghost who hadn't realised he'd died and had yet to stop showing up to his classes; there was one poltergeist called Peeves that just made most of the staff's years a living hell. He'd prank everyone and help students with pranks, his latest favourites being the Weasley boys, Fred and George—who are two years older than Harry in Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Snape said the houses with reluctance. Harry hummed while adding them to his mental list of possible friends, alongside Felix—and it was just a pain to work around if he decided he wasn't fond of you.

Harry wrote that down in the tiny checklist that he'd begun inside his mind. So far, he had:

- Stay out of the restricted section of the library.

- There was a curfew, and people patrol the hallways for anyone not in bed. (The ring he got from the Peverell Heir box in Gringotts will come in handy.)

- Ghosts assist the professors and prefects with curfew patrols.

- Peeves, the mischievous poltergeist, was always causing trouble for the staff and students. (Plan A: Try to befriend him or just avoid him if Plan A fails.)

- Stay out of the Forbidden Forest.

Snape warned Harry about the dangers of the Forbidden Forest and cautioned him to stay away from it if he knew what was good for himself. He listed a few creatures that lived inside the seemingly never-ending trees and described in heavy detail what each would do should they find someone unwelcome in their territory. The last talk made Harry very jumpy for several days afterwards, and Jinx ended up sleeping with him in his massive bed to help comfort him.

He wonders what house he’ll be put in….