Chapter 3
Before the Slytherins knew, a month had passed and things started getting serious.
Harry hadn’t talked to his father since his first night but at least his mum made an effort. She sends his jam drops and they have mirror calls every third night. Lily seemed thrilled when he showed himself in his uniform, saying he looked very handsome and that it complemented his eyes wonderfully. Marlene and Dorcas said the same and his Aunt Marly looked murderous at the prospect of James not supporting his son.
“I’ll punch his nose in if he says anything rude, just give me the signal and he won’t be able to smell ever again.” She had said. Harry was very grateful but kindly declined.
Uncle Wormy was also very supportive and sent him a gift basket filled with green food and face masks for all his roommates. “It’s a good ‘get to know you’ activity!” Pete wrote, also in green ink.
On Harrys second week, Sirius must have sent his brother a message, he received an owl from Regulus Black. Harry had always liked Regulus, he was funny and very handsome with really cool hair, cooler than Sirius’s but he’d never hear the end of it if his godfather found out. The Slytherins exchanged pleasantries and Regulus told him some history all Slytherins ‘must know’.
… Salazar always opposed over the idea to allow witches and wizards from half-blood and muggle-born heritage to enrol at Hogwarts and this was the foundation that created the great controversy at the school and it was the root of a feud between Slytherin and Gryffindor. He later decided to leave the school when an argument started between him and Gryffindor started a small civil war between the houses. Such an argument would be forever known as the origin of the feud between their two houses and also made them the houses that are most competitive.
It’s quite funny when you think about it. I’ve always believed Slytherin to be more supreme, be proud of your house, Harry. Slytherins need to stick together, sometimes we’re the only ones you can trust. Anyway, this will make family dinners much more controversial which is something we really needed…
Harry found his new mentor one of great help during his first few weeks at the school. Hedwig had mail to give him everyday for breakfast and dinner from people around the country. Apparently news got out of his sorting and it was causing a feud amongst the ministry. People were writing to him daily with their personal opinions on the matter and he even got a letter from the minister asking if he would talk to the Prophet.
Draco seemed more excited than Harry about the dilemma and made himself Harrys official mail checker. Reading every letter with scary interest and either burning it or keeping it for a reply.
“Listen to this,” Draco said one night, both boys on Harrys bed and surrounded by unopened letter. “Dearest Harry, my 8 year old daughter has had a huge crush on you since your presence in the Prophet 3 years ago and is currently in tears after hearing about you being sorted into Slytherin. I too, am worried about your safety in that house and urge you to speak with Albus Dumbledore, maybe you can negotiate and get resorted?” Draco gave a loud sigh and folded it messily. “The audacity on some people! I get you’re the famous Harry Potter who saved the world but that gives them no right to harass you. My father will definitely hear about this!”
Harry laughed. “You seem to be telling your father a lot of stuff this week.”
“Not more than any other week.” Draco shrugged. “You do deserve privacy, you know? You’ve grown up in the spotlight, I’ve seen you in the papers a million times over my childhood and always wanted to be you. I thought you would be amazing, filled with knowledge and shit. But you’re just like us! You don’t know anything about potions and drop your books if you’re carrying too much. Your scar is always covered and you shrink back if anyone asks about it, I have a feeling you’ve never liked the camera.”
Staring at each other, Harry tried to think of something to say in reply. It was the nicest, most humble thing anyone had every said to him.
Draco just smiled kindly and opened another letter with his peacock letter opener. When he opened the card, a puff of pink smoke popped out and into Dracos face, causing him to sneeze.
“What the hell was that?” Draco splattered, wiping his eyes.
Harry took the card and read over it, he turned red and put the card quickly into its envelope. “Its nothing, nothing at all.”
Draco snorted and tried to grab it, Harry jolted it out of the way and held it above his head.
“Give it, Potter.”
“Not a chance, Malfoy.” He grinned. Draco rolled up his satin pyjama sleeves and jumped on the shorter boy, causing him to squeal and kick his legs. Harry laughed loudly and rolled them around, wrestling them into the mattress.
“Give me the letter, Harry!” Draco cried out, not quite reaching.
“Never!”
“You can’t hide it forever.”
“You underestimate my abilities, Malfoy.”
“I just had horrid smelling powder flung into my eyeballs, I think I deserve to see what’s written.” Draco smirked, Harry let him grab the letter and covered his face.
He heard the blonde make a choking sound before bursting into laughter. “Your fans do know you’re 11 right?”
“I don’t know, I really don’t know.” Harry muffled, his face still covered.
They continued reading over fan mail when someone knocked on the door.
“Who could that be? Crabbe, did you get the elves to send up midnight snacks again?” Draco asked, getting up to open the door.
“No!” Goyle crossed his arms. “Why do you guys always think it’s me, anyway?”
“Because you’re the one who ate all my cauldron cakes!”
“You said I could help myself.”
Draco huffed in annoyance. “Can we help you?” He sneered after opening the door.
There were five seven year boys outside their door who looked less than impressed. They barged in, shoving Draco to the floor.
“Hey!” Harry exclaimed, leaping out of bed and putting on a dressing gown.
“Just be quiet, get your wands and participate. You know what this is.” A dark, tall boy said, coming up to Blaise and putting a hand on his shoulder. Each of the seven years went to a boy and stood behind them, recognition seemed to go off in the first years head because they all shared a secret smile.
Harry was obviously confused.
“Huh?”
The boy behind Harry stifled a laugh and patted his shoulder reassuringly. “Just come with us, Potter. You’ll understand soon enough.”
The boys were led down to the common room and Harry saw Pansy, Millicent and Tracey Davis being escorted out of their bedrooms by three seven year girls. The older students nodded silently and went to a side of the common room that had three large portraits of famous Slytherins. Harry was led to the one of Merlin.
The five boys and three girls took out their wands and performed a soundless spell. The three portraits quivered before creaking open, showing a pitch black tunnel.
“Single file, and be quiet.” A tall brown haired girl said, putting a finger to her lips.
On the other side, Harry gasped. It was a great old room he had never seen before, with a fluffy white carpet and many plush couches. Sitting on the couches was every Slytherin student and Professor Severus Snape, who was standing in the middle of the room.
He turned around and looked the 8 first years up and down with his consistent look of distain.
“Thank you for coming at no notice, I see your escorts didn’t give you enough time to let you get changed?” The professor scorned. The 7 years shuffled with discomfort and they apologised quietly.
“You said to be quick, sir, just following orders.” The buff boy who was with Crabbe said, lifting his chin to assert dominance.
Snape raised an eyebrow and shrugged a shoulder. “Doesn’t matter. We are running out of time, midnight is coming and we are wasting time standing here.” He cleared his throat with a deep cough and took out a small piece of paper. “Bulstrode, Crabbe, Davis, Goyle, Malfoy, Parkinson, Potter and Zabini, we welcome you to the first Snake Conclave of the year. Since the beginning of this school, Slytherins have met in this room to unite us and bring us closer as a house. What is said in this room, stays in this room. Do you agree to this?”
The first years all nodded quickly. Harry gulped loudly and shuffled close enough to Draco so their shoulders touched.
“We meet on the last day of every month an hour before midnight. Of course, this is the most important night of the Snake Conclave since we have new students joining us, making our magic stronger with every new individual. Do you understand to this?”
They nodded again.
“Perfect,” Snape looked at the vintage clock on the opposite wall and raised his chin, “get your wands out children and form a circle between you, we have only a few minutes.”
Pulling their wands out, Harry and his peers made a small circle between them. Draco had his chest puffed out with pride and was quickly styling his un-moosed hair.
“What the hell is going on here?” Harry whispered.
Pansy giggled. “I can’t believe the boys didn’t tell you!”
“Will you tell me then?”
“Nope.” She giggled again, popping the ‘p’.
The other students were also getting out their wands and forming a larger circle around the first years. Professor Snape was standing underneath the old clock and was counting down the seconds with his fingers.
“What the actual fuck?” Harry whispered. When Snape’s final finger went down, the students raised their wands and said a foreign incantation that vibrated through the whole room.
“Congius nobus!” They said over and over again.
Over the top of their chanting, Snape raised his own wand, a faint transparent whip of magic whizzed out of it and over the first years. Harry couldn’t feel a thing physically, but mentally, his magic was rushing through his bones and intwining with his blood. He had never felt so powerful and connected with his magic.
“Salazar Slytherin! Bloody Baron! Merlin! Phineas Black! All the greats!” Snape said loudly. “Watch over your students, your successors, your descendants as they raise the ranks. Help them achieve their greatest potential! Be the true Slytherins they were sorted to be! Look over them now.”
Harry looked up to see a swirl of silver and grey above their heads. The Bloody Baron was hovering on the side with what looked like a smile but was more of a grimace. The outside students had stopped chanting and laughter could be heard from some. This was extremely exciting.
“A goetry!” Blaise gasped, admiring the spirits above them.
Things were silent for a moment as the spirits ‘inspected them’, as Harry put it. He felt gushes of cold go through him as the ghosts traveled through his body, making him feel like he just had a cold shower. He heard his friends gasp as well and poor Tracey had a spirit come out of her nostril, making her sneeze. They twirled around them and even traveled around the room, before returning to their swirl above their heads.
“Do they please you, great ones?” Snape yelled, waving his wand slowly around his head. “Are they sufficient enough for our prestigious house?”
Nothing happened for a full minute and the room felt like it was holding it’s breath. The Professor let out a sigh of relief and waved his wand slowly again.
“Do you see their potential? Do you see their power?”
It was silent again but Harry wished Professor Snape was talking again, a wave of cold went through him, over and over again. He felt tears sting his eyes at the continuous feeling. His magic was thrumming and he felt it rise from the depths of his soul to his finger tips, his mouth, his feet. He couldn’t see or hear a thing, only seeing blackness and wisps of silver and the sound of rushing waves going through his ears.
Then, as though it never happened, the spirits disappeared and Harry collapsed. He felt his clothes to feel they were dry but his skin was as cold as ice. The powerful magic he had felt wasn’t there anymore and he felt as he did before.
“Harry!” A voice said in his ear. Harry cracked open his eyes to see Draco smiling widely at him with their other roommates behind him.
"That was bloody amazing! I- I don't even know what to say to that.” Blaise breathed.
A hand went to his shoulder and lifted him to a standing position. Professor Snape turned the confused boy around and stared him up and down with a small smile gracing his lips.
“Who’d have thought the son of James Potter would be the most powerful wizard of us all.”
“Huh?” Harry questioned, feeling so very confused.
Pansy sighed in frustration behind him and went to stand next to the Professor. “Don’t you see, Harry? You’re to be the most powerful wizard out of all of us, the spirits see your magic and see the power you hold! You could be the more power than the Dark Lord himself!”
“What, Voldemort?” He said stupidly. Gasps filled the room and Snape hit his shoulder.
“Don’t be rash, boy!”
Harry had never and will probably never understand peoples shocked reaction whenever he said that name. He had defeated the man before he could even talk for Merlins sake! He should, out of everyone, be allowed to say his name.
But his parents raised him right, to be polite and respect peoples aversion to the Lord. “Sorry, Professor.”
Snape rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering, “How you’re the first student in 50 years to have this potential is beyond me.”
“I’m the what?!”
Snape sighed again and looked to the shocked students on the outer circle for help. “This is what we’ve got to put up with, I feel sorry for us.”
The first years apart from Harry laughed. Crabbe and Goyle lifted him up and placed him between their shoulders.
“Make way for the next great lord!” Goyle said, earning loud cheers.
“Move, peasants.” Crabbe added.
The Slytherins laughed and cheered and one student magic-ed glitter to fall from the ceiling, the sparkles landing in everyones hair. Snape grinned with amusement and waved his wand, the rusting phonograph starting to play a jazzy tune.
“Harry Potter!” Everyone chanted, clapping on his back and ruffling his hair.
He had never felt so alive.