The First Week
People were whispering about him, his hair, his eyes, his scar. They were sneaking looks and doubling back to pass him again when walking. The Gryffindors were acting fine, but everyone else was getting on his nerves because he was just trying to get to his classes. It was thanks to Sir Nicholas and the older Gryffindors that Harry and Ron weren't late to every class. Peeves the Poltergeist on the other hand was responsible for them being covered in chalk dust when they got to a few of their destinations.
Somehow the caretaker, Filch, was worse than Peeves. Harry and Ron had managed to make him mad on their first day when they had been caught trying to force their way into the out of bounds corridor, thinking it was the charms corridor. Filch didn't believe them and the only reason they'd gotten away was because Professor Quirrell had been passing by. The man owned a cat named Mrs. Norris who had earned the hatred of the students by being a snitch who would run to Filch the second someone misbehaved. The two of them apparently knew the school's secret passageways better than anyway. (Harry was skeptical, the older Gryffindors were much better at being everywhere and nowhere than the old man and his cat.)
Most of the classes were interesting and a lot more than waving your wand around and saying more than a few funny words. The teachers were all somewhat interesting as well. Professor Sprout was a kind, somewhat dumpy witch that teaches Herbology. History of Magic is taught by a boring ghost named Professor Binns who still didn't realize he was dead. Professor Flitwick, the tiny Charms teacher, had squeaked and fell off his stack of books when he reached Harry's name on the role call. Professor McGonagall had started lecturing them immediately, first about safety and then about turning a match into a needle. Defense Against the Dark Arts was a class most people were excited about but Quirrell doused that flame quickly. The smell of garlic mixed with his shuddering that sounded more fake the longer you heard it was enough to give anyone a headache.
Friday was an important day. Harry had finally found the route Percy had taken them the first night (their search for it had been the reason they had kept getting lost) and had gotten to breakfast before the rest of their year. The girls who had left before them seemed surprised to see them already eating and the boys who had left just behind them didn't get there until 5 minutes after them. Hermione had seemed suspicious of how they had gotten down there so quickly and the older years had clearly figured out what they had done. A few people had shifted over to whisper to one of the 6th year prefects and Ron's brothers’ eyes had gained a proud sheen.
“What have we got today?” Harry asked Ron as he poured more sugar on his porridge. “Double Potions with the Slytherins. Snape teaches it and apparently he's biased towards the snakes so this might be my least favorite class.” Harry grimaced at the concept of what being within hearing range of the hook nose professor would be like.
Just then, the mail arrived. The owls descended and for the first time Hedwig dropped something off. Harry opened the note quickly and saw it was from Hagrid, who was inviting him to tea around three? Harry was quick to agree before breakfast ended.
Despite the things he has heard about Snape, Harry was still kinda excited about the class. Then he met Snape. By the end of the banquet he'd been sure Snape didn't like him. But no, this man hated him.
Like Flitwick, when he got to Harry's name on the roll call he paused. “Ah, yes,” he said softly, “Harry Potter. Our new – celebrity.” Malloy and his friends were snickering until the man finished the role call and called their attention back. “You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making. As there is little wand waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes. I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death – if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach.”
Harry and Ron shared a look in the silence that followed, at both the dramatics and Hermione Granger's clear desperation to prove she wasn't a dunderhead. “Potter!” Harry's head snapped back to look at the teacher. “What would I get if I added powdered root to an infusion of wormwood?” Snape's lips curled into a sneer as Harry told him that he had no clue, “Fame clearly isn't everything.” He had ignored Hermione's hand.
“Lets try again, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?” Hermione was just barely in her seat and Malloy was shaking in laughter when Harry answered, “I don't know, sir.” Snape continued to ignore Hermione, “What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?” Hermione was standing now but something clicked for Harry.
A few years back Aunt Petunia had gotten mad at Harry for not planting the Wolfsbane she had bought because he had gotten confused due to the bags saying Monkshood. They had to get rid of them soon after because neighbors’ pets had started to get sick from eating them. There had been another name though.
“They're the same flower,” Harry began quietly but raised his voice a bit when Snape appeared shocked, “it's also called aconite. It's poisonous.” The professor seemed to take his answer as an insult, almost as if Harry wasn't supposed to know the answer, before yelling at Hermione to sit down, giving the other two answers, and taking a point from Gryffindor for ‘Harry's cheeky.
The class went as well as you would expect given that brilliant intro. Neville and Seamus’ cauldron had melted and Neville had to go to the hospital wing as Snape, very frustratingly, blamed Harry and took another point from Gryffindor.
Ron had decided to come to Hagrid's with Harry and they were greeted by the man as he tried to hold back his enormous black boarhound. Hagrid recognized Ron as a Weasley quickly due to his brothers’ shenanigans. Harry and Ron shared about their first lessons and pretended to enjoy the rock cakes they were given. They were delighted to hear that Hagrid had a similar dislike of Filch but both of them agreed that he knew something about why Snape hates Harry and about the Gringotts robbery while walking back to the castle.
…….
Just before their curfew the Gryffindor first years were all sitting on the largest couch in the common area as the rest of the Gryffindors slowly made their way in. The 7th years had kinda trapped them there and as suspicious that was, Ron's worry skyrocketed when his brothers walked in, the twins flanking Percy like Malfoy's goons do for Malloy.
It was when they were led silently out of the dorms that Ron realized this might be a weird hazing ritual, the look on Harry's face said that he had also reached this conclusion. Hermione's face just showed panic of breaching curfew. They were led through a series of secret passageways that Ron tried to commit to memory but quickly threw out the window when he realized almost all of the older years had disappeared. Wherever they're going, there are faster ways to get there.
Them being the last people to get to the location just proved that. They were herded onto another couch and took a look around the wine cellar(?) they were in. Ron's eyes were drawn to the collection of seats his brothers were occupying, Fred and George had taken a double seat and Percy was in an armchair, looking more relaxed than Ron had seen him in weeks. That was of course, until he stood up, joining a few 7th years in the center of the room. They spoke to the 1st years directly, despite the rest of the people in the room.
“1st years,” one of the 7th years began, “this is a tradition that started a few years back.” The other two took over with large smiles that made the sitting 7th years roll their eyes fondly at incoming drama. “It all started in 1984, when we came to a shocking discovery.” The 7th year who was talking was pushed out of the spotlight by the second one, who leaned towards the 1st years. “A good amount of us Gryffindors,” she paused to build suspense, “weren't supposed to be Gryffindors.”
Ron froze and snuck peeks at his yearmates. Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, and Dean Thomas seemed confused. Granger and Finnigan seemed to be trying to figure out where this was going. Neville looked nervous, and Harry, he looked downright scared. Ron didn't blame him, he was also fearful about how this was going.
The first 7th year took back over, the two dramatic 7th years throwing him playful looks as they backed up next to Percy. “We then took it upon ourselves to help each other develop and use the skills that belong to the other houses to make our years at Hogwarts more successful for all of us.” Percy stepped forward then, “We understand that if you might not want to tell anyone that you were supposed to go somewhere other than Gryffindor but please understand, this is a place of no judgment.” Percy seemed to make eye contact with Ron at this point.
“Sure we have Gryffindors,” a group of students to their left and one of the dramatic 7th years cheered a bit, “Hufflepuffs,” the more serious 7th year join a different group in making noise, “Ravenclaws,” the other drama queen led her group in clapping, “and Slytherins,” this group was much smaller, as Percy gestured to himself the twins started whooping, “but we are still one house and we just want the best for each other. So we won't force you to say anything now, but feel free to wander over to your group as the night goes on.” At that the speech ended.
Dean was the first to get up, making his way towards the Gryffindor group, to the delight of the 7th year that was heading that way as well. Brown and Patil went with him at a much calmer pace. Hermione and Seamus got their wits together at about the same time, making their way over to the Ravenclaws. Ron's brothers were staring at him, like they knew that he wasn't a Hufflepuff. So he stood and walked towards them.
Fred and George were grinning like idiots when he sat down on the couch across from them. Percy leaned forward a bit in his armchair to smile at him but no one said anything and Ron definitely didn't want to start this conversation. The couch dipped as someone sat next to him. Harry was definitely not the person he expected to see when he turned his head but he couldn't help but be grateful his closest friend was going through this with him.
…….
The 1st year Gryffindor boys all collapsed into their beds at about the same time that night, well after curfew. And they did so with the understanding that their differences made all of Gryffindor stronger.