Hermione Granger, Slytherin
The instructions were clear. To save Harry, put on the hat. Clear and simple.
What came after was everything but. There was yelling, most seemed outraged, some surprised, some bordering on…gleeful? And then there was Snape’s hand on her arm, dragging her out the side door. The sorting hat was still on her head.
The heavy oak door shut behind them and Hermione found herself in a small room off of the great hall that must be meant for Professors. They had a teachers lounge? Hermione had a strange urge to giggle.
She was high. She was dreaming. Fred had slipped some Wizarding Wheezes product into everyone’s pumpkin juice. No, that can’t be right, he wasn’t here this year. Snape had a dark sort of calmness about him.
“Dumbledore has informed me that I am to rearrange your class schedule and make accommodations for you in your new dormitory.” He was not sneering at her or putting her down. He simply sounded tired.
“As your head of house I will tolerate none of the nonsense that McGonagall puts up with, and I expect you to be civil and respectful to your house mates.” He turned his back to her and started waving his wand over a roll of parchment.
Perhaps that was for the best because Hermione’s mouth was dangling open. Civil? She was the one being accused of not being civil? Housemates? Her head of house? Oh no.
“Your new schedule.” Snape said, turning back around with a dramatic swoosh of his robes.
“I suggest you collect your things from your old dormitory and I’ll send a Slytherin prefect to be waiting for you outside your new common room. I assume I don’t need to give you directions there?” he was sneering now, and Hermione quickly shook her head, snatched the paper, and ran for it.
In her empty dormitory she frantically cast spells, organizing her things to fit in her magically expanded trunk. Her book collection was too large and her books too fragile, so they would have to be carried manually with a featherlight charm. Another sweater in her trunk, another sweep under her four poster for anything she had forgotten. And then she was done.
The silence was horrific. She could still hear the sorting hat’s voice in her ear.
Hermione Granger, back again? How interesting.
I need help saving Harry, I need to save Harry Potter. She thought it over and over, maybe she had even said it out loud.
I see greatness in you Granger, ambition, cunning, loyalty. You say you’d do anything to save him?
Anything.
Very well then, “Hermione Granger, Slytherin!”
She stood up, hovering her trunk behind her. She hadn’t lied, she would do anything. Even this.
________
To her great relief, everyone was still at dinner as she sulked her way through the castle down to the dungeons. She had been too embarrassed to admit she had no idea where the Slytherin dormitory was, so she wandered, eventually finding an empty stone corridor with a boy leaning against the wall. His back was to her, but she noticed his soft brown curls and his distinctly un-slytherin striped sweater and brown trousers.
When her trunk hit the ground and he whipped around, a wide smile on his face. “Granger!”
He looked familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. Swiping a hand through his hair he bowed low and dramatically, “Theodore Nott, at your service.” When he looked up at her he winked. “But you can call me Theo.”
Hermione warily accepted his help with her trunk which he insisted on carrying the muggle way. She supposed Slytherins were supposed to be charming, though she rarely had seen that side of them.
“Password is Gobstones.” he said over his shoulder, and the stone wall slid to reveal the common room. Hermione couldn’t help it. She gasped.
The entire ceiling was domed glass, and they were under the black lake. Fish swam over their heads in the murky water, illuminated from below by the candle and lamplight coming from various small nooks with couches and chairs covered in green velvet.
It was warmer than she expected, and almost cozy, she even spotted several tall bookshelves that she was itching to get a closer look at. Theo had followed her gaze.
“No reading till we get you moved in Granger,” he scolded, grinning at her. “You know I almost tied your owls last year, if it weren’t for those blasted runes.”
Hermione looked over at him surprised. A studious Slytherin? She actually laughed.
“Hey! I worked very hard for those scores I’ll have you know! I could be first in the class if it wasn’t for you. And Draco.” He scowled, but just as quickly a smile overtook his (admittedly) handsome features. “But I could have a leg up on him for the Newts if you agree to tutor me in Runes.”
He held up his hand, “Don’t answer me now! Just think about it.”
Hermione realized she hadn’t spoken a word this whole time. She straightened her Gryfindor spine and decided to take this in stride.
“I’d be happy to tutor you. I’ve seen you in the library I think. You’re always in the potions section.” They had reached a small glass hallway that led to an arched door.
Theo leaned against the wall and flashed her another grin. “Ah, so the lioness has noticed me after all. You know I’d be happy to tutor you on potions anytime.” he said, sending her another wink. Hermione scoffed and pushed past him.
“You can tutor me when you catch up to me.” she said with a small smirk, and closed the door behind her.
Contrary to the rumors, Slytherins did not have private rooms, they shared just like everyone else. Her new dormitory looked much like her old one, three four poster beds, each with a bedside table, and a tall window looking into the black lake. The bedding, of course, was green.
Setting her trunk at the foot of the only empty bed, she poked around a bit. They had two private bathrooms and a massive walk-in closet. Maybe the Slytherins weren’t exaggerating that much after all.
Turning to the other beds her growing suspicions were confirmed. Pansy Parkinson was penned in fancy script across a set of white notebooks on one bedside table. There was also a vase of fresh white tulips.
The other bed was much messier, cups and books stacked haphazardly around a single moving photograph where Hermione recognized Millicent Bulstrode holding a black kitten.
Perfect. Pansy who hated her, and Millicent whose cat she had accidently polyjuiced into in second year. This was going to be a nightmare.
The only thing for it was to get in bed and pretend to be asleep before they came back. Quickly she stripped and threw on her pajamas, hearing a heavy thump as her robe hit the ground.
Her instructions! She reached into her robe to take the parchment out of her pocket but found a small parcel instead. Vaguely she recalled that Professor Trewlany had given it to her. She tossed it unceremoniously on the bed and pulled the scroll from her other pocket, along with the small purse Dumbeldore had given her this morning.
Too exhausted to be curious, she shoved the lot into the drawer of her nightstand and then set as many wards as she could remember how to cast. She didn’t need any sneaky Slytherins getting into her stuff.
As she crawled beneath her sheets (which were indeed silk), she looked up into the expanse of green fabric. She had always liked the color green. But right now all it reminded her of was Harry, lying on his back on top of the astronomy tower. Reaching for her wand she cast the first spell she thought of, then collapsed into sleep.