History Undone

The new Marauders plus Neville were sitting in one of the train compartments debating on which prank they should pull off first. While Neville wasn’t a member he did enjoy listening to their schemes. At the moment Hermione was trying to figure out a use for a no-heat firework that Harry had brought. It seemed to him that Malfoy was going to be the recipient of this prank. Tracey and Daphne were hoping to get whatever sorted them into Houses to place Malfoy into Hufflepuff. Neville was hoping this wasn’t the case as he was certain he would be in that house.

A knock on the door got everyone’s attention. A small redheaded boy with what looked like a dirt stain on the side of his nose was standing in the door way. Neville thought he might be a Weasley given that he had seen him once before with Arthur Weasley an old friend of his mum.

“Hey have any of you seen Harry Potter? I heard he was on the train.” The young boy asked. Neville thought he was a bit presumptuous.

“And who are you?” asked Hermione coldly.

“Ronald Weasley,” he narrowed his eyes a little, “and you are?”

“Hermione Granger, my mother thinks highly of your father.” Hermione said politely.

“So is Harry here?” Ronald asked again.

“No he’s not, but I’m Jacob Potter.” Harry said with a smile. “Can I help you?”

“No thanks, I’ll just be going.” Ronald closed the door.

They watched Ronald leave. Neville shook his head at the boy’s behavior. Perhaps he was like so many other people and just wanted to meet the ‘famous Harry Potter’, and be damned the real boy who survived nine years of abuse. He looked back at Harry who had a sour look on his face. Daphne’s facial expression was just a touch colder than usual.

“Come on guys there’s no need to get upset about this. He is just curious.” Neville said in a soothing voice.

“The last kid that was curious wanted to take me home.” Harry said.

“Harry she was three.” Tracey said with a smile.

“At least Sirius wasn’t there.” Pansy said with a smile.

“Oh God, I would never hear the end of it.” Harry groaned.

“None of us would.” Daphne said feigning an air of arrogance reminiscent of Sirius.

Neville went to get Trevor, his toad, and it was at that point he realized he was missing. Hermione decided to go with him. Hopefully this was not a sign of the way things would go all year.

Serverus Snape was pacing back and forth in his office. Things had changed dramatically over the last year. For eight years he had thought the young Lord Potter had been pampered beyond understanding, and envisioned him as a younger version of his school rival. Then he learned through the Daily Prophet article that he had been used as little more than slave labour by his aunt and uncle. Really he should have known this given that he was left with the worst examples of human beings, aside from his own father, this world could offer. Sure there were things worse than what even he had been through, and if the child of his dear friend had suffered that form of abuse the Dursleys would be wiped off the surface of the Earth.

“I need to talk to Lord Greengrass to find out the truth.” Serverus walked over to his Floo lit it with flick of his wand. He preceded to Floo Call the Granger family, “Greengrass Glade.”

Harry was relaxing while Daphne and Hermione planed their fist ‘in school’ prank, and ironically it involved the sorting.

“Okay we know it involves a hat, and that it can talk. What I’m wondering is can we convince it to sort that God-awful excuse of a human being known as Draco Malfoy into any other house but Slytherin.” Daphne asked.

“I don’t think so,” said Hermione, “but we can always try it. The three of us get sorted before him any way.” Hermione pointed to herself, Daphne, and Tracey. “Tracey since you’ll be the first of us to get sorted talk to the hat as quietly as possible, and see if you can put him in Hufflepuff.”

“I’ll try, but if it’s not possible I will shake my head once I sit down at the table.” Tracey let out a sigh. “I just hope my mum is right and there are more half-bloods in the house than idiots like Malfoy.”

“Even if there isn’t Harry is a Lord of an Ancient and Noble house which means Malfoys influence is nullified.” Daphne said confidently.

“What if I am sorted into the Vipers nest?” Pansy asked with a hint of fear in her voice.

“You have nothing to fear as everyone will think you’re a half-blood, and the moment my mum is done with that potion you will be a half-blood.” Hermione said confidence oozing off her words.

“But that potion takes years to complete, and what if she’s found out? It’s a highly illegal potion.” Pansy whined.

Harry had almost forgotten about the potion Mrs Granger was working on. He didn’t know much about it other than it would alter one’s parentage. It also relied on blood magic which was a branch of magic that was borderline dark. His mother had used it to protect him from Voldemort all those years ago, so it couldn’t be that bad could it?

“Pansy, there are times when certain laws need to be broken.” Hermione said calmly.

“Like this one?” Pansy quizzed.

“Yes like this one and it will benefit you in the long run.”

“How so, I mean Mr Malfoy already suspects I’m a muggle-born.” Pansy hung her head low.

“Oh that arse just wants his son to get into the knickers of any pure-blood witch he can find for the prat.” Tracey said coldly.

“Tracey!” the other three girls screamed.

“What it’s true.” Tracey defended herself.

“That may be, but you don’t have to be so crude.” Pansy retorted.

Tracey’s response was typical. She stuck her tongue out at Pansy. “I may be a ‘Lady’, but I am also a Marauder, and that comes with certain... rights, and one of these is the right to curse like a bloody sailor.” She said the last part almost as an afterthought.

Harry just laughed at this. When the girls looked at him he just pointed a finger at Tracey. “I’m with her on this one.”

Neville finally lost it. He started laughing hysterically. He and Hermione had been unable to find his toad, and he had fallen into silent state of regret for the last half hour. Even when he and Harry had to change into their robes out in the hallway lavatories he was unable to make Neville smile. Well at least now they knew what to do if he was down in some kind of rut: curse like sailors.

A voice echoed throughout the train: “We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately.”

Harry looked around at his friends, and it appeared he wasn’t the only one feeling nervous. Pansy seemed to have broken out in a sweat, while Tracey was fidgeting with her robes; Daphne kept tapping her fingers on the empty space between them, and Neville kept standing up and sitting back down. Harry himself felt his stomach lurch with nerves.

The train slowed down and finally stopped. People pushed their way towards the door and on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice: “Firs’ years! Firs’ years this way! All right there Harry?”

Hagrid’s big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.

“C’mon, follow me- anymore firs’ years? Mind yer step, now! First years follow me!”

As the group of friends followed they were slipping and stumbling over the rocks leading to the boats just like all of the other students heading toward the lake. Neville seemed to have the worst luck with all of this as he was tripping and stumbling more than any other student. Harry thought he could also hear him sniffing a couple of times over the loss of Trevor. Malfoy and Weasley through some perverse rational found this funny. Two rather large boys were laughing sycophantically with Malfoy, and that was rather disturbing in Harry’s opinion. Did those boys have any thoughts of their own or were they just Malfoy’s parrots?

“Yeh’ll get yer firs’ sight o’ Hogwarts in a sec,” Hagrid called over his shoulder, “just round this bend here.”

There was a loud “Oooooh!”

The narrow path opened suddenly onto the edge of a giant black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

“No more’n four to a boat!” Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. The six friends looked to one another, and it was decided that Harry; Daphne; Hermione; and Tracey would take one boat, while Neville and Pansy would be taking a boat adjacent to them. Neville and Pansy were followed into their boat by Ronald Weasley and a dark skinned boy.

“Everyone in?” shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. “Right then- FORWARD!”

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

When they were within spitting distance of the cliff Hagrid asked them to lower their heads down. As they were carried through the curtain of ivy Harry hoped that Malfoy would get thrown into the lake. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right under the castle, until they reached some kind of underground harbor, where they climbed out onto rocks and pebbles.

“Oy, you there! Is this your toad?” said Hagrid, who was checking the boat as people climbed out of them.

“Trevor!” cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they climbed up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid’s lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass in the shadow of the castle.

“You there still got your toad?” Hagrid asked, and after getting the affirmative from Neville raised his giant fist and knocked on the door.

The door swung open at once. A tall, dark haired witch in emerald green robes stood in the door way. “Hello Professor McGonagall.” Daphne said with a smile on her face.

“Good evening Ms Greengrass.” Professor McGonagall said calmly.

Hagrid chuckled a little before he said “The firs’ years, Professor McGonagall.”

“Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here.”

The entrance hall was huge. Harry could see his old house sitting in this room comfortably. He followed his friends across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a door to the right- the rest of the school must be in there- but professor McGonagall lead them to a small camber off to the left. They stood a little closer than would have usually been done, peering about nervously.

“Welcome to Hogwarts,” said Professor McGonagall. “The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you’re here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room.”

Professor McGonagall then went on to give the Houses names (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin), and how each had its own noble history and traditions. That each had given rise to many great witches and wizards. At that comment Harry thought he heard Ronald Weasley say something about Slytherin being made up of nothing but dark witches and wizards. Harry rolled his eyes at this. He had been living with Jacob for a year now and if all Slytherins were evil Jacob took the cake on deception as there didn’t seem to be an evil bone in the man’s body. He could also hear whispers about himself being spoken by others. “I hear his relatives abuse left him magically broken.” A girl with ruby hair said quietly. “No, no he’s in St Mungo’s with his godfather because of the trauma he endured.” A girl with raven hair said in response.

“Ignore it Harry.” Hermione said in a low whisper.

“I’m trying to, but the more I hear the more I just wana scream ‘Hi, I’m Harry Potter, and I’m just fine so if we can just change topics that’d be great.’”

Hermione was stopped from responding as several people behind them screamed. Harry himself jumped about a foot in the air because of this. When he turned around what he saw made him, and several other people for that matter, gasp. About twenty ghosts just streamed through the back wall. They reminded him of the ghosts from that movie ‘Ghostbusters’ he had seen with his friends over at Neville’s place a few weeks back. They were pearly-white and semitransparent. He thought he heard Hermione and Pansy humming a familiar tune, and when Neville said ‘who you gonna call?’ Harry lost it. Even Harry’s outburst of laughter didn’t break the ghost conversation as the fat monk continued speaking: “Forgive and forget, I say we ought to give him a second chance-”

“My dear Friar, haven’t we given Peeves all the chances he disserves? He gives us all a bad name; he’s not even really a ghost-I say what are you all doing here?” A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

Nobody answered.

“New students!” said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. “About to be Sorted I suppose.”

A few students nodded.

“Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!” said the Fat Friar. “My old house you know.”

“Move along now.” The sharp voice of Professor McGonagall returned to the room. “The Sorting Ceremony’s about to start.” When the ghost left she turned to the students many of whom were staring at her with a mixture of hope and dread. “Now form a line, and follow me.”

The new Marauders and Neville stood next to one another, and through some stroke of luck or the grace of God Malfoy and Weasley were nowhere near them. Harry’s legs however still felt as if they were made of lead as he made his way into the Great Hall.

As he made his way through the double doors Harry was in awe of the splendor of the room. The hall was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laden glittering golden plates and goblets. The other professors were seated at a table at the back of the hall. The man known as Dumbledore was seated in the middle of this table. There was an empty seat at this table, and Harry assumed that this is where Professor McGonagall would sit once the Sorting was over. The ghost themselves had dispersed themselves amongst the students. The misty silver glow made this place seem even more surreal. In hopes of diverting his attention from the sea of unblinking eyes Harry turned his gaze skyward. Instead of a flagged stone his gaze was met with a visage of the night sky. He heard Hermione whisper, “It’s bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts a History.”

Harry was in amazement about this. He had seen some interesting stuff since he’d been living in the magical world: a mirror that would tell you if what you were wearing was fashionable or not, pictures that moved, and real flying brooms. This however topped all of that.

He looked down when Harry heard the sound of a four-legged stool being placed on the floor echoed throughout the hall. On top of the stool, she placed a pointed wizard’s hat. The patched work nature of this hat made him wonder how it would Sort them it looked like it was really, really old, and the thought of this hat being able to talk was almost comical. Harry envisioned it having the voice of a really grumpy old man. Harry nearly jumped when the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth- and the hat began to sing.

As the hat sang about its smarts, how it would sort them, and the houses themselves Harry wondered which one he would best fit into. Slytherin is where the girls would go, Neville (if Harry was honest with himself) was Gryffindor bound, but as for himself he had no clue. If he wasn’t in Slytherin the girls would prank him silly. If he was in Slytherin he felt as if he’d let his parents down, but at that thought Iris’ voice filled his mind.

“Don’t worry about not being in Gryffindor Harry. Your parents would be happy no matter what house you are placed in.”

Harry was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of thunderous applause. Harry could hear a commotion going on behind him, but shoved it out of his mind as the word ‘troll’ was involved.  Honestly if there was a troll in the hall at this very moment the teachers would be doing something- or so he hoped.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward and explained that she would call out names, and as she did so said student would have to place the hat on their heads, and then wait for a house name to be called out. The first student to be called forward was a Hanna Abbot. She was sorted into Hufflepuff. The next student called was Susan Bones, and like Hanna was placed in Hufflepuff. The list went on for a while until Harry heard a familiar name.

“Davis, Tracey!” The look on McGonagall’s face was impassive, but Harry thought he heard a touch of dread held within her voice.

Harry moved over as Tracey walked up to the stool. She was on the stool for about a minute when the hat shouted out: “SLYTHERIN!”

Harry watched as Tracey made her way to Slytherin table, and once she sat down she looked over at her friends and shook her head. He could hear Hermione say something she wouldn’t normally say in such a public setting, but given the noise being made as Justin Finch-Fletchley was sorted into Hufflepuff he doubted anyone but himself was able to hear her.

Next up was Daphne, and like Tracey she was placed in Slytherin. Hermione followed suit, but only after about four minutes of sitting there on the stool. The look on her face during the whole ordeal was downright frightening. If Harry had to put a word to what her face looked like it would be: murderous. Neville’s sorting took just as long as Hermione’s, but in the end he was placed in Gryffindor. Soon it was Draco Malfoy’s turn. The blonde ponce sauntered up to the stool, and if he was expecting to be Sorted into Slytherin instantaneously he was sorely disappointed as his sorting took longer than Neville’s and Hermione’s combined. At about the six minute mark two voices from the Gryffindor table yelled out “Hatstall”. This caused a few bits of laughter to spread throughout the Great Hall. Much to Harry’s disappointment Malfoy was placed in the house of Snakes. After Theodore Nott was sorted into Gryffindor Professor McGonagall called out the last of Harry’s friends.

“Parkinson, Pansy!” said Professor McGonagall.

Harry looked over at Pansy and said “No matter where you go, we’ll always be friends.”

Pansy only nodded in return, and walked up to the Sorting Hat. It didn’t take long before the Sorting Hat yelled out “GRYFFINDOR!”

Harry cheered along with his friends and the few at Slytherin table that were overjoyed at her sorting. Next were two twins Patil one sorted into to Gryffindor and the other into Ravenclaw. After them was Perks, Sally-Anne, and finally…

“Potter, Harry!”

Before he could step forward a hand touched his shoulder. He looked over to find Ron’s face was a mix of awe and annoyance. “What is it?”

“You said your name was Jacob.” The redhead hissed.

“I know, but that’s because I don’t like being gawked at.” Harry said as he made his way to the stool.

As Harry made his way up to the Sorting Hat Harry could hear whispers echo throughout the hall.

“Potter, did she say?”

“The Harry Potter?”

As the hat was lowered over his eyes Harry could see the entire hall craning their necks to get a good look at him. The moment his vision was blacked out he just waited for his fate to be dulled out.

“Hmm,” said a small voice in his ear. “Difficult. Very difficult. Where should I put you? You’ve plenty of courage there’s no doubt about that. Not a bad mind either. You’re also very loyal. You’ve had to be cunning to survive what you’ve been through- So where to put you?”

“Slytherin with my friends,” Harry thought with all of his might.

“Yes those girls can be- demanding,” said the small voice. For a moment he thought he heard the voice laugh. “Are you sure you don’t want to be in Gryffindor? Well if you’re certain then it is- SLYTHERIN!”

Harry took the hat off and walked to the Slytherin table. As Harry made his way over to the Slytherin table the applauses surprised him. He thought that since this was the house that most of the Death Eaters came from he would not receive that warm of a welcome, but here he was receiving a bigger applause than Malfoy. If the house said to be in Voldemort’s back pocket this was weird.

Once he sat down at the table he was greeted by his friends, and the few students at the front of the table congratulating him on making Slytherin house. One of the tables adjacent to the Slytherin table looked dejected to a degree. The other two tables just looked stunned. He sat down next to Daphne with a prefect next to her. The Prefect leaned over and shook Harry’s hand.

“Hi, the names Gemma Plank it’s an honor to meet you Harry.” The blonde held out a hand to shake. “Glad to have you in this house. Maybe now we’ll get some respect.”

“We should be getting respect any way. We are the house of Salazar Slytherin.” Malfoy spat out.

“This coming from the Hatstall,” Gemma shot back.

“What the bloody hell is that anyway?” Malfoy said. A look of disdain covered his face.

“If it takes you longer than five minutes to be sorted Draco you are a Hatstall. It is believed that you are trying to sell the Hat on where you want to be placed. So where did it want to send you?” the male prefect asked.

“Hufflepuff,” Malfoy said this with disdain, “do I honestly look like a looser to you?”

“Yes.” Four of the new Marauders said in unison as Blaise Zabini was sorted into Slytherin.

Once Blaise took a seat the headmaster stood up. Harry recognized the man as the one who was with the group that saved him from the Dursleys last year. He was the one Iris yelled at for what felt like an eternity then, but was probably no more than ten minutes.

“Welcome!” he said. “Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet I would like to say a few words. And they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you.”

“Is he- a bit mad?” asked Tracey.

“Albus Dumbledore is a bit mad yes, but he is also a genius when it comes to magic.” Gemma said with a smile on her face. “Potatoes, Harry?”

Harry’s jaw fell open. The empty plates in the middle of the table were now loaded with food. A lot of his favorite dishes were laid out before him at the moment. He was torn did he start with the lamb chops or the stake and bacon? The side dishes were also there boiled potatoes; roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, and the list went on.

“That does look delicious.” Said a brooding voice off to Harry’s left. “Don’t mind me young man, I’ve haven’t eaten in a little over nine hundred years.”

“Baron you know you could always possess a Gryffindor.” Gemma said with a smile on her face.

“No Ms Plank I don’t think so. I have enough sins to work off as it is.” He looked right over at the Gryffindor table. Harry did the foolish thing and followed his gaze. Ronald Weasley was shoving food down his throat at an alarming rate. Those seated around him were trying to move just a little farther away with each mouthful of food he got. “Godric would not be happy with the recent set of Gryffindors if that boy is anything to go by.”

“You knew Salazar Slytherin?” Malfoy asked with stars in his eyes.

“Yes I did Mr Malfoy.”

“Did you know the founders or something?” Tracey asked with a little bit of food still in her mouth.

“Yes I did. I am one of the first students of the school to be honest.” He looked over at the Ravenclaw table, “The Grey Lady is among that group as well.” The Baron looked at Harry. “I saw you talking to the young Gryffindor sitting beside that boy, do you know her?”

“Yes she’s our friend.” Tracey said with a smile on her face.

“Better pick a new friend and soon half-blood.” Malfoy spat out. Tracey looked crestfallen, but Daphne looked livid as did the Baron.

“Mr Malfoy you best keep your cheek in check. That kind of talk cost House Points.” The Baron didn’t sound happy with the Malfoy scion at all.

“What do you mean it ‘cost us House Points’?” Malfoy shot back at the Baron.

“If you say such things to another House Member it cost Slytherin two hundred House Points Malfoy.” Malfoy looked up at the giant glass containers underneath the house banners. “There won’t be any deductions yet twit because you weren’t warned about it yet.”

“Then when does it start?” asked Tracey.

“Tomorrow, treacle tart?” asked Gemma holding up a tray of said sweet.

Harry looked down at his plate and saw that it had been replaced with all kinds of dessert. There were blocks of ice cream (in all flavours), aforementioned treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs and jam doughnuts, strawberries, and Jell-O among other things. They started eating their dessert while Malfoy glared at Gemma and the others who were chatting amongst themselves and not giving him the time of day.

Harry took this time to look up to the Head Table. He saw Professor McGonagall talking with Professor Dumbledore. Hagrid was downing the contents of his giant goblet. A professor wearing a bizarre turban was chatting with a man with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.

“Ouch!” Harry placed a hand over his scar.

“Is something wrong Harry?” Hermione asked.

“Not really, Gemma who is that man up there?” Harry pointed to the greasy haired professor.

“That is our Head of House and the potions teacher Professor Snape, and the professor next to him is our new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher Professor Quirrell.” Gemma said calmly. “The turban is new though he didn’t have that when he was the Muggle Studies teacher.”

“He must have injured his head or something.” A student with severely messed up teeth said.

“I heard he got attacked in Albania by a vampire.” Another student said.

“You shouldn’t believe everything the rumor mill says Flint I thought you’d learned that by now.” Gemma said with a smile on her face. “Besides the rumor mill said Harry Potter was magically damaged by his relatives.”

“Clearly it was wrong.” Daphne said this with a bit of venom in her voice.

“Sorry Daphne, but I was just pointing out how wrong the rumor mill is.” Gemma said looking down.

“Yeah, it said you were dating Percy Weasley, but clearly that’s not the case.” A girl with blonde hair to the right of Gemma said this with a smile on her face.

“Quiet Percely,” Gemma looked back up to the Head table. “Well, it looks like we will be reintroduced to the ‘List of Banned Items’.”

“The what,” Tracey asked.

“We’ll tell you later.” Gemma said as Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat.

“Ahem- Just a few words now that we are fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should know that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember this as well.” Dumbledore was looking right at a set of redheaded twins at the Gryffindor table at this point. The next warning sounded like a no duh to Harry. “Mr Filch, the care taker, has asked me to remind you all that no magic should be used in between classes in the corridors. Quidditch will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their House teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death.”

“Is he kidding?! Wait till my father hears of this nonsense.” Draco spat off.

“Can it Malfoy. Your father has about as much leverage in this school as my mother, and she’s dead.” Gemma retorted with more than a hint of venom in her voice. “It is odd though that he wouldn’t have informed us prefects ahead of time. Normally this is the way things are done, and we’re told why we can’t go into certain places. The forest is obvious because it is crawling with dangerous creatures.”

“And now, before we go off to bed, let us sing the school song!” Albus Dumbledore said with a smile on his face. What followed was a chorus sung in many different tones. And once they were all done Dumbledore ushered them all off to bed.

The Slytherin first years followed Gemma and a boy named Gibly through the mass of the chatting crowd. They went down a set of stairs off to the right of the Great Hall into what felt like a dungeon. Even with the torches lit it still felt like a place you would rather not find yourself. As they walked Gemma informed them that the stairs leading into the upper levels of the school would move on you from time to time. Harry looked over to Hermione for a confirmation on this and she just shrugged her shoulders.

When the group got to a wall within the cellar segment of the dungeon Gemma said “Parseltongue” and the wall folded inward revealing the Slytherin common room and Harry was left speechless. The walls were decorated in green tapestry carrying the Slytherin seal. There were chairs and tables decked in emerald green fabric, and made of ebony. There was a large portrait of Salazar Slytherin against the back wall though it looked like he was asleep at the moment. What was absolutely breathtaking though was the far left wall it was made of nothing but glass that, assumedly, looked out into the Black Lake.

Gemma at this point turned back to the gathered first years. “Congratulation on making Slytherin House and this is the Common Room. The girls’ dorms are off to your left, and the boys’ to your right. Now before we head off to bed there are a few things that I must clarify for you all.” She was looking right at Draco and two goons standing next to him. “I would like to clear the air as it were. You may have heard that we all are into the Dark Arts, and that we will only talk to you if your great-great-grandfather or grandmother did something famous. Well, your wrong.” There were a few murmurs at this point. “You may have also heard that this house only accepts ‘pure-bloods’, and yet again you would be wrong.”

“You’re only saying that Farley.” Draco spat out. “I doubt a mudblood would last in this house.” The few senior students in the room glared at Malfoy. “What it’s not like any of you are of that filth.”

“Actually, Mr Malfoy you will find that this house contains its fair share of muggle-borns, half-bloods, and pure-bloods. In fact, you will find that there are those in this very room that have at least one muggle parent.” The male prefect said. “And besides you just cost this House two hundred points come tomorrow morning.”

“You’re kidding Baleren?” one of Malfoy’s thugs said.

“No.”

“Another thing I would like to point out is that every other house has had its fair share of dark witches and wizards.” Gemma continued as if Malfoy hadn’t said anything. “Which is something they don’t like to bring up much, and something else they hate to bring up is that Merlin himself walked these halls as a Slytherin.”

“No way!” was the resounding call from the first years.

“Oh, I am not kidding, and if Merlin himself called this House home for seven years we should be proud to call ourselves snakes. Do you want to be like any other member of this school and known only for mediocre work, or do you want to be known for greatness?” Gemma looked around at the gathered first years. “I didn’t think so. Now off to bed with you.”

With that the group dispersed into their respective dorms. Harry was trying to stay ahead of Malfoy who kept trying to push his way past him, and finally he turned around and snapped.

“What the hell is your problem Malfoy?” Harry seethed with annoyance.

“You’re in my way Scarhead.” Draco looked back at his friends. “He thinks he’s better than me boys.”

“I am.” Harry seethed. “You are heir to the Malfoy family, and I am the Head of the Potter family which might I remind you never fell out of favor with noble society, muggle or magical, so you rank just this side of whale shite when it comes to social standings Malfoy.” Harry turned and made his way into the first year’s dormitory. Sitting on his bed was Izzie’s cage. Harry made his way to his bed before Malfoy could do anything to it.

“What is this, Potter? Did mummy send you a care package?” Draco paused as if waiting for an answer. “Oh, wait that is kind of impossible. Isn’t she dead?”

“Brilliant observation Malfoy, it only took you what, ten years to figure this out?” Harry said this with a small smile on his face as he pulled Izzie from her cage. “If he comes near you,” Harry pointed to Malfoy, “you have full authority to bite him.”

“You’re a Parseltongue!” Draco screamed.

“Apparently Malfoy, and this means you are even further down the food chain than him.” Zabini said flatly. “Face it Malfoy you have no hope in this House now.”

“Says you, your mother’s got a reputation more questionable than the whores who walk Nocturne Alley.”

“Hot air Malfoy, even your father knows better than that, and if I were you, I’d leave it alone.” Blaze climbed into bed and closed the curtains. “Good night, Lord Potter.”

With that the rest of them changed into their nightclothes, and went to bed. Harry let Izzie curl up next to his shoulder. Harry was glad that the curtains were closed so as to conceal Izzie’s location to the blonde ponce and his dimwit cronies. What was really weighing on his mind was what tomorrow’s classes would be, and whether he could get through the day without jinxing Malfoy.