The Divergence

When the hat called out Slytherin for Evie, Harry could not help but be swept up with emotion as he cheered and clapped with the rest of the table. While Draco seemed to do so in a more dignified way, Harry couldn’t help but feel like there was a great deal of relief in his friend. It could be wishful thinking, he hadn’t known Draco long at all.

He watched as Evie skipped down to them at the table where she inserted herself next to Harry and promptly hugged him. Harry stiffened at first, feeling a bit lost for what to do and ended up awkwardly patting her arm. He wasn’t used to physical contact that didn’t end in pain of some sort. But if Evie noticed, she didn’t show it.

“Glad to see you joined the right House,” Draco said with a snobbish tone and ended it with a little ‘sniff’.

“Oh, shove off, Drake,” Evie said as she rolled her eyes at Harry, making him giggle. “I couldn’t leave you two on your own. Who knows what ridiculous things you’d fill Harry’s head with without my supervision.” Harry watched as she sat primly with her chin raised just slightly.

“By the gods, stop acting like Pansy, please…” Draco said with a groan, making everyone directly around them laugh and Pansy to gasp.

“I do not act like that!” Pansy huffed and lifted her chin just like Evie had, which caused the group to laugh even more.

Around them, as the sorting ended, were all the ones Harry had met on the train. Draco and Evie’s childhood friends. It put Harry a bit at ease, even if the curious glances from the older students and the other tables were a little unnerving.

Up at the staff table was the headmaster, who went to the little odium that appeared and began to make a speech to the school. Harry was thankful that it took most of the eyes off of him.

“Is it just me, or was everyone staring at me?” he whispered to Draco and Evie.

Draco gave a slight snort. “Oh, they were staring at you. Remember, you’re famous and ended up sorted into a House that they all think is notorious for turning out evil witches and wizards. They all likely thought you would go into Gryffindor, like your parents.”

Harry frowned hearing that. “Why would they think that? We’re all just kids…”

“Don’t worry about it Harry.” Evie gave him a smile as she took his hand under the table and gave it a quick, reassuring squeeze.

They turned their attention back to the speech and Harry half paid attention as he thought on his parents and the Houses. What little he knew of this school and this world he now found himself in. Before he had just been so excited, he hadn’t really let it sink in exactly how little he knew. It made him anxious and feel like he was going to mess up.

Soon the speech was over and food appeared before them on the tables. It was a welcome distraction that pulled him from his thoughts and anxieties. He followed what everyone else did and filled his plate. Some food he knew, some he recognized but was never allowed to eat, and some he had no idea what it was. He tried to keep the portions small, but even so his plate filled quickly.

All around them there were conversations. He stayed quiet for the most part, happy to just listen as Draco and Evie bickered, then there was the deep conversation of magical theory between Theo and Blaise across the table. Daphne and Pansy were talking about potions? Or was that cosmetics? Both? Probably what was the most interesting was the conversation on quidditch between Greg, Vince and Millicent. Whereas Draco seemed more focused on Seekers, their talk was more on beaters and chasers. Tactics, it seemed. He wasn’t sure how good the tactics were that they spoke about, he was still not familiar with the rules and how exactly one flew competitively on a broom yet. But the idea fascinated him.

And so the evening progressed, with the older Slytherins keeping largely to themselves, and eventually the stares going away. Leaving Harry to enjoy himself and the sweets he managed to eat on top of the good food. He didn’t finish his plate, which made him frown, but he ate at least a little of everything. Evie assured him it was not an insult to the cooks that he did not finish his food, which seemed to amuse Draco, but Harry was honestly worried it would.

As it was time to retire, everyone stood and that was when the older years paid attention to them. Or, at least, the ones introduced as Prefects.

“First years, please gather here.” It was an older by who spoke up. Tall with broad shoulders. He looked a little ‘rough’, and rigid. What with his brown hair combed back and his robes all in proper order, while Harry’s tie had been loosened as the evening progressed. Next to him was a girl who seemed about his age with brown hair that fell in soft waves and a pair of spectacles perched on her small, prim nose. “I am Rupert Cummins, 7th year Prefect. This is Gemma Farley, fifth year Prefect. She will be escorting you lot to the Slytherin Common Room. After which we will then gather and await our Head of House for his Beginning of Year speech. Farley.” Lee gave her a sharp nod and then followed the rest of the Slytherins out.

Farley smiled at them all and held a clipboard to her chest as she motioned for them to all gather closer. “Welcome to Hogwarts, I am Prefect Farley. I have here handouts we provide to First years. This is a map with key indicators to help in familiarizing yourself with how to navigate tot he common room, our Head of House’s office, and his classroom. You will want to memorize them and burn this map in the morning. Do not misplace it.” She handed them out. “Now, please form two lines and follow me.”

Harry followed everyone else, noticing how they automatically divided into boys and girls and stood behind Draco, with Greg behind him. They then moved as Farley did. Harry noticed other groups like theirs, but only the blue clade Ravenclaws seemed to be in lines like they were. The others all clustered about their Prefects. It was curious. As they entered the press of students leaving, he was glad they had formed the lines. It meant that it was easy to stay with his group and not get separated in the press. They were all quiet as they moved and no one spoke until they broke away from the mass of students to quieter hallways.

“As some of you know, the Slytherin Dorms are in the ‘Dungeons’, unlike the other Houses which are within some of the Towers of the school. This is for many reasons. One being that having rooms under ground actually helps in regulating the ambient temperature year round. One will not see the drastic fluctuations in temperature due to the weather outside. It helps in conserving magical energy in warming the area, as well as the use of burnable fuel in the fireplaces. It is also secure and the farthest from the entrances. So more defensible. It also holds the Potions Classroom, which is purposefully kept far from the rest as a safety precaution as some ingredients and potions can have adverse reactions if handled or brewed incorrectly. As many Slytherin’s tend to excel in the magical art of potions… it makes it much easier to be close at hand.” Harry listened to her intently as they walked and noticed that, yes indeed, they were descending into the castle. “Another reason, which has risen as a necessity in more recent generations, it provides us with safety and solitude from the other Houses. While Slytherin House gets on well with Hufflepuff and largely with Ravenclaw… not all of the students in those Houses will give us the benefit of the doubt. Gryffindor is typically a non-starter. It is a rare Gryffindor that will not fall in line with the brethren and haze any Slytherin student they come upon, let alone rick the ire of their House to socialize with us. So being so far removed from them in, well, a bone.”

Harry’s brows furrowed and he lifted his hand, even as e went to speak – she couldn’t see him, but raising his hand before talking was ingrained in him from muggle schooling. “Is… is it really that bad?”

Prefect Farley paused, and they all stopped as well, as she turned to look at him. Her brown eyes calculating. “Yes. I am not sure what fairy tales you may have been told, Potter, but it is. Which is why all First Years up through Third are required to travel in pairs, if not an entire group. This is to ensure none of you are caught alone. Though sometimes that can still happen. Bullying and hazing… they are very real, no matter what the Headmaster says up at that podium about House Unity. Protect yourselves and be wary. The only adult that looks out for us in this school is our Head of House, Professor Snape.”

Harry bit his lip and lowered his eyes. That was… scary to hear. He felt his hand taken and looked over to Evie in the line next to him. She gave him a small smile, and he tried to return it.

Prefect Farley turned and continued on. “You are to tel no one where the entrance to our Common Room is, nor how to get into it even if they do somehow figure out its location. Slytherin House is our safe space.” They descended a bit further before going down another hallway, lit by torches mounted on the walls. She then stopped in front of a blank stretch of stone wall. “Listen closely. The password will change on occasion, never write it down. Memorize it. Our current Seventh Year Prefects prefer Latin.” She then turned to the wall to utter, “Nova principia.”

Harry watched as a part of the wall slid aside, revealing a rectangular opening. They all filed inside to find a wide open space lit dimly by torches on the walls and a large fireplace. There was a slight green tint to the room from a large window on one wall. The green shade cased by the fire light reflecting off of the green water of what Harry suspected was the same lake they had traveled over to get here earlier. Behind them the stone door slid back into place. When Harry looked back he saw a stone archway with carved symbols showing where the door was. So it was disguised from the hallway, but not from the inside… interesting.

“Welcome to the Slytherin House!” Farley led them over to to a small group of older kids, one of which was Prefect Cummins. “These are the Prefects for the Slytherin House. Prefects are fifth, sixth and seventh years students. My fifth year counterpart is Joss Honeysett,” she motioned to a bookish looking blond boy who gave a nervous smile and wave. “For sixth year are Eurig Clarke and Casandra Beckett,” Clarke was another blond, but where Honeysett was bookish and nervous, Clarke was tall and well built, very handsome in the way of a typical Scandinavian like he’d seen on his aunt and uncle’s telly. Beckett was pale with bone straight black hair and rather plain looking. “Our seventh year Prefects are Rupert Cummins, which you met earlier, and Adelina Clay.” Adelina was was a classic beauty with honey warm light brown hair falling in loose curls with heart shaped lips and a soft smile as she looked over them with kind hazel eyes. She was the kind of pretty girl his cousin, Dudley, would have tried to impress even though she was much older.

Prefect Farley stepped back with her other Prefects.

“Alright, First Years, I will make this brief,” Prefect Cummins said as he took over. “The rules, while unofficial, are a firm requirement for all Slytherins. Any issues with your fellow Slytherins is to only be expressed in the safety of the Slytherin Common Room, and not outside in the Halls or Classrooms. Outside of this space all issues are set aside as we provide a united front. Do not show weakness to the other Houses, because they can and will be used against you. As I am sure Prefect Farley has informed you, first through third year Slytherins are required to travel in pairs, if not in a full group of others. This is for your protection as younger years will not know many spells to protect yourself from older students. If someone from your year is not available to be an escort, approach someone of a higher year. If you find yourself alone, or in any precarious situation go to the nearest safe place. That will be to our Head of House’s office or classroom, the Librarian, or the nearest gathering of Professors. Even if they tend to favor their affiliated Houses over Slytherins, the other students of this school are not stupid enough to act out against you in front of the Professors. If you are confronted by another Professor for any perceived wrong-doing, always request the presence of Professor Snape, as he will ensure fair treatment, even if you will likely end up lectured for having been caught in a troublesome situation and bothered him. Understood?”

Harry nodded and then spoke up as the rest did with a soft ‘yes’, feeling his anxieties come back. He felt a little twisted up inside. Worried as all they said seemed so very serious and reminded him a lot of what he had gone through with Dudley and his cousin’s friends. But also, he was kind of surprised and happy they seemed to take it seriously and have things in place to help them. Others before just left him alone, offering no help. With his focus torn between the Prefect and his own inner turmoil, he missed the concerned look that Evie gave him as his fingers kept twisting together in front of him.

“For your first week, until you’re able to properly navigate the castle you all will be escorted as a group from class to class by one or more older Slytherin students. You are to gather as a group in the morning by six-thirty here in the common room, where one of us Prefects will escort you to the Great Hall for breakfast. In the morning you will be given your schedule, and then after eating you will be approached by an older student who will escort you to your first class. You will then wait after each class together outside until your next escort arrives. After your first week, you will no longer be escorted.” Prefect Cummins then looked at his wrist, where a watch rested and he gave a nod. “Alright, our Head of House should be arriving shortly. Everyone found a seat. When he arrives he will be giving his speech.”

Harry felt a little frantic as he looked around, not sure where to sit, but thankfully Draco just huffed in annoyance at his hesitancy and just grabbed his arm to drag him along to some couches and chairs near the fireplace that were unclaimed as of yet.

Harry was no longer certain he was going to do well in this world...