Chapter 13 & 14: Better Be… & House Tour
Chapter 13: Better Be…
1st September 1991, Hogwarts
When they arrived on the other side of the hall, they stopped in front of a stool. On top was a traditional hat, although it looked far older than his own and somewhat rackety. All new students looked at the hat in confusion, that is until it moved and started to sing.
Harry didn't think the song wasn't that bad. It felt more like a poem than anything that could be danced to. The lyrics just explained the characteristics of every house, and that you only had to put him on to be sorted. The boy saw his future classmates physically sigh in relief and Blaise gave him a glare for not telling him about how they were sorted before.
However, Harry didn't care, he was too preoccupied with staring at the sorting hat. It definitely didn't deserve the deafening round of applause. For the first time, Harry wondered when the Hat started to sing before every sorting. It was enchanted to sort the students, it definitely wasn't designed to sing, or its voice would have been far better. So, that means that one day, they decided to sing before sorting the students and it became a tradition.
The main question would be if the hat is sentient or not. Magic seemed to bridge the gap between objects and life. The moving paintings surrounding Hogwarts were proof of that. However, where was the line? Can the sorting hat be labelled as a living being or is it simply an enchantment that is mimicking a living being?
Perhaps this question was the core of why wizards disregarded magical species so readily. They were creatures born of magic, and so, they treated them like they would a very heavily enchanted object. It was just a theory, but it would explain why wizards look down on magical creatures no matter how powerful they may be.
Still, Harry had no idea if his idea had any merit. It was just based on observation, nothing concrete. He'll need to look it up in the library later on. Oh, he was going to be busy for a while.
He was so long in thought that he hadn't even noticed that a girl had been called to sit on the hat, which suddenly bellowed out, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
Realizing that the sorting had started, Harry wondered how the hat even worked. It didn't read minds, that's for sure. At least, it didn't look at memories. Old families are very protective of their secrets and having them stored in a single artefact that every wizard in Britain put on their head when they were eleven, was a huge privacy breach.
People far more knowledgeable than him probably theorized about how the hat worked, and if it came out that it could ferret out secrets, the public outrage would be gigantic, and the hat would find itself burnt or destroyed in a tragic 'accident'.
It had to be a test of character, like a personality test with automatic answers that tells the hat in which house students would fit the most. But the hat could also take into consideration the choice of the students, whether they preferred one house over another, that's not mentioning hat stalls – when the hat stays on top of someone's head for over a minute.
Perhaps the hat could read surface thoughts, or at least projected thoughts, which students with a particular preference would be yelling in their minds. Maybe hat stalls are just what happens when someone is compatible with two or more houses, and the hat needs to probe further by physically asking questions, to see their preference.
But the main question was how the hat could differentiate between the values of each house when they are so connected. Ambition is useless without the courage to pursue it, the wits to know how to realize it, and the hard work to make it a reality. The core values of each house were deeply connected, too much of one or another, and could easily ruin a life. A coward with ambition will not amount to much.
While the young Potter was pondering about the workings of the sorting hat, many students were starting to get sorted. He didn't even notice their names; he would have plenty of time to remember them, but it was almost impossible to regain a proper train of thought.
However, even Harry paid attention when Neville Longbottom's name was called up. The entire hall started murmuring but shut up when the boy who lived walked up. As for the boy himself, he walked towards the hat with swagger in his step, which was very misplaced for a child his age. Well, the boy acted superior to anyone else because of that scar, and well, it made sense. Oh, he was a very foolish notion to entertain, but Harry knew that any kid that was raised as a national hero for something he didn't even remember would develop a large ego.
You tended to see it in spoilt rich kids in muggle schools. Longbottom will need to learn to curb it as he grows up. The world can be very unforgiving for people that think they are owed something. That's not even mentioning the Voldemort bullet that he'll need to dodge. Not for the first time, Harry thanked the gods that the Dark Lord hadn't marked him as his enemy.
Oh, the war was coming, and Harry will need to deal with it, but it wasn't happening for a few years, and it was more than enough to have a solid plan and enough preparation to execute it.
Back to Longbottom, the moment the hat even glanced at the boy's head, it yelled out, "GRYFFINDOR!!"
The Gryffindor table erupted in cheer, it was by far the loudest one yet, and the house of lions started celebrating getting the boy who lived in their house as he arrogantly walked to the table. Harry wished the boy the best of luck dealing with the crap that comes with being the Chosen One; he will need it.
After a few more students were sorted, it was finally Harry's turn, "Potter, Harry!"
Harry walked up to the stool while making theories as to how the hat sorted students. When Professor McGonagall put the hat on his head, he heard a quiet yet rich voice, "interesting, very interesting. Definitely, a difficult sorting that one, no preferences too, but with that mind, that talent, that thirst to understand how everything works, Rowena would have loved to have you as a student. You already figured out that I wasn't reading minds, and your theories are possible enchantments I could have had, but you're mistaken. You'll figure it out one day, of that, I am quite certain."
Harry didn't respond but was quite miffed that his theory was wrong. He'll just have to think on it further. The hat though, wasn't perturbed, "But is knowledge what you truly treasure, what is inside your core? Oh, you love it, the thrill of discovering something new, of understanding. But are you suitable for Rowena's house? Or do you treasure something even more?"
The last Potter remembered a promise he made to himself, 'I will not be nothing again. I will put my mark on the world, forge a legacy of my own, and be remembered in the annals of history.'
The hat released a deep chuckle, "Yes, for all your love of knowledge, this is your core. Your ambition burns brighter than the sun itself. Yes, better be, SLYTHERIN!!"
Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked towards the Slytherin table. When he sat at the table near the other first years, he took a look at the Professor's table.
Professor McGonagall had wide eyes and a small, disappointed frown. She probably expected him to join his parents' house or something. Albus Dumbledore didn't even clap, and Hagrid – who had sat on the far right – was grimacing slightly while clapping. What was the most interesting was the greasy haired man who looked like he swallowed a lemon. Guessing that it was Severus Snape, Harry assumed that whatever relationship there was between him, and Harry's parents wasn't an amicable one.
Harry didn't even notice his tie and vest turn green, as well as the hood of his cloak, which had a Slytherin badge on the left side of his chest. Harry just stayed silent, contemplating the ramifications of his new house.
Slytherin was known as the house of Death Eaters because Tom Riddle was reputed to be the heir of Slytherin. That meant that Harry was practically secluded from the rest of the houses. Honestly, he wasn't really bothered. He knew that he wasn't a bigot, and he rarely ever cared about the words of people who didn't know him. Although as the house which had won the house cup the last year, Slytherin students were allowed special privileges, which included special spell practice rooms and a later curfew, which was a plus.
The elephant in the room would be his new housemates. With blood status being a big deal in this house, it would make things difficult for him since he was a half-blood and his parents fought Voldemort, although, he didn't know if that was common knowledge or not.
There were rumours of house politics in Slytherin and Harry wasn't especially concerned with children and teenagers playing at being politicians. It would barely compare to the academic politics that he had to deal with at university in his previous life.
The sorting ended when Blaise Zabini was sorted in Slytherin and sat next to him. The headmaster got to his feet, silence fell upon the Great Hall. He beamed at the students, his arms opened wide and he spoke.
"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"
Ignoring the nonsense, the man was spewing, Harry chose to focus on the headmaster. He was an obviously old man, with a long white beard, and half moon glasses. And yet, he didn't really look like a frail old man. He looked like a muggle on the verge of retirement, just with a large beard, old looking glasses, and ghastly coloured robes. These things were an eyesore.
And yet, considering that the enhanced lifespan of the average wizard was around a hundred and fifty years, Albus Dumbledore was probably around a hundred years old. Not that he knew it for a fact, it was guesswork.
Anyway, the elderly man sat down, and people clapped and cheered. A few first years smiled mockingly at the headmaster, but Harry knew better. No one had that many political positions and was senile. Whatever the headmaster had said wasn't just random world. They had meaning, if only for the man himself.
Still, when the food appeared on the table, he realized how hungry he was and started eating. Harry was never really starved at the Dursleys, but he rarely ate to his full, since he normally ate after Dudley who commonly asked for third servings.
Harry didn't speak to anyone while eating, too lost in his own head to care about the idle small talk the other students were spewing. At least Blaise ended up in the same house at him, so that was a familiar face, somewhat.
After everyone had eaten and the food was gone, Dumbledore stood up again and started what seemed like a regular speech, "Ahem – just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First-years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well. I have also been asked by Mr Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch."
Everything seemed to go smoothly until the man uttered that last sentence, "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 very painful death."
Well, that was the stupidest thing Harry had ever heard. He should have simply warded the corridor and made it inaccessible. Curious students who would find the wards and be rejected would be the only ones to know that it was forbidden. But telling it in front of children, especially impressionable ones with no experience with magic would be like challenging them to come there, which could be very dangerous.
Well, that was a good start for Harry's magical education.
Chapter 14: House Tour
1st September 1991, Hogwarts
Dumbledore asked people to sing the school song without a particular tune, the abomination that followed was one that Harry will do his best to scrub out of his mind. He's definitely wearing earmuffs next year to avoid whatever that was.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore wiped his eyes while remarking, "Ah, music, a magic beyond all that we do here! And now bedtime. Off you trot!"
Choosing the ignore the undeniable fact that the man was tone-deaf, Harry followed the prefects with the rest of the first years. The girl seemed to take the lead. She had a relatively forgettable face, even if that was unkind, but it was nonetheless true. She was of average height, and had brown eyes and black hair that wasn't particularly long or short.
Her companion was blond with blue eyes, and he looked like he wanted to be showing the first years around. Still, Harry was curious as to how the teenagers would handle a dozen children under their supervision.
Surprisingly, his classmates were very well behaved, at least for children. They followed the prefects while just looking around. Harry marvelled at the moving portraits, trying to figure out how they would behave without anyone seeing them.
They walked down to the dungeons and Harry did his best to memorize the path from the Great Hall. Still, they arrived at their destination after a few minutes, well they arrived in front of the wall.
The prefect girl gave them a serious look, "Like all the House common rooms in Hogwarts, the Slytherin common room is hidden, and you cannot enter it without a specific password. You are not allowed to bring visitors from other houses. While it is inevitable that its location is compromised, there are additional security measures stopping members of other houses from entering without being invited in by a member of the house. This rule is not an official one, but it is one of the unspoken ones in Slytherin and you will be severely punished if you're caught breaking it. We'll speak of this further when we get in."
The prefect boy rolled his eyes, "Stop scaring them, Gemma. Look, kids, just try not to break the rules, there aren't many and they're reasonable. Now, back to the entrance. The password for this week is 'viper'. "
The moment he said the world, the wall shifted away, revealing a large door, surrounded by the body of a gigantic snake. The boy walked in and continued to explain, "The passwords will be displayed in the middle of the common room and will glow when it has been changed."
The rest of the first year followed him into the common room and they gasped in awe. Harry felt the music in his head shift. It went from being a complex symphony into a slow but smooth one. It matched the ambience of the room, to be honest. The Slytherin common room was grand in appearance and yet the atmosphere was without a doubt cold. Best of all, it was quiet, and Harry loved quiet. It was why he dreaded the possibility of being a Gryffindor. The rumours of wild parties and events just didn't appeal to him.
As for the room, its walls were adorned with green and silver banners, and it was furnished with plush leather chairs and wooden tables. But what was most stunning was the view that came from the window. It wasn't really the night sky, but the black lake. Harry could see fish swimming around and what seemed like a giant tentacle for a moment – it was probably the infamous giant squid.
All things considered, Harry liked it.
The prefect girl led them to a large couch and started speaking, "Welcome to Slytherin. My name is Gemma Farley, and this is Rowan Padgett. We are the fifth year Slytherin prefects, which means that until your third year, we will be responsible for you, after which we would have graduated. Should you need any help, you are free to come to us with any problems, academic or otherwise. If we're unable to help you, you are free to ask Professor Snape – our head of house – directly. Beware, if he deems that the issue is mundane and finds out that you haven't asked us first, he will not be happy with you for wasting your time. With that said, let's talk about what it means to be a Slytherin student."
Rowan continued on her behalf, "Let's be absolutely clear, we are the most distrusted and dislike house in the school, and that is a fact. You are perfectly free to pursue friendships with students from other houses, but it will not easy. We have suffered greatly because of the last war, which means that speaking publicly about discrimination will not be tolerated. I don't care what you personally believe, but if someone is caught spewing around about Mudbloods and Blood traitors, they will be reprimanded by Professor Snape."
Harry caught the outraged look on Malfoy's face but just shrugged; he didn't care about any of that. As long as no one involved him, he would not enter a political debate with children.
Gemma though continued their little speech, "Slytherin stands united because if it wasn't for the threat of retaliation from the entire house, we would be constantly hexed and cursed whenever we leave the common room. That means no fighting outside the common room. I'm not saying to argue, but try not to cause large scale fights, which means no cursing each other outside of the duelling pits."
"Now, onto a brighter topic, you are allowed to join a club starting the second semester to give you time to settle in. There are dozens of clubs in Hogwarts, each with an age restriction. An entire list will be provided to you next week, but as a rule, you are not allowed to join more than two clubs, so as to not affect the quality of your schoolwork. The two of us will also accompany you for two tours of Hogsmeade village, one every semester, as an extra perk for Slytherin winning the house cup last year. It will be a guided tour, not a normal trip, and you will be required to be under our supervision."
Gemma then cleared her throat, "Finally, Slytherin is the house of the ambitious and thus it rewards ambition. There is a hierarchy involved, but you won't have to deal with it until your fourth year, or third if you're very ambitious. That doesn't mean that you can slack off right now, the more impressive your achievements are, the higher the echelon you will rise, you could even be granted a higher position when you start playing with the big leagues. Don't worry though, you have a few years to learn the ropes before things get serious."
Well, that took a sombre tone. Harry thought that the speech was entirely reasonable up until this nonsense about politics. At least he won't have to deal with it for a while. However, at the mention of a higher position, Malfoy preened, and more people stiffened and were interested. They might as well have had stars in their eyes. Seriously, what was wrong with these kids? They shouldn't be worried about crap like mini school politics. Harry knew how to handle them but really hated to do it.
Finally, Rowan concluded their little speech, "Now, you will be staying in dormitories separated by your gender. Boys, you are not allowed to get to the girl's dormitory, you'll get a nasty surprise if you do. Your trunks have already been brought next to your assigned bed. I suggest that you get used to them, you will be staying here for a few days. Gemma and I will leave you to get to know each other. We will wait for you at seven in the common room tomorrow to help you get to breakfast. Also, don't be afraid of exploring but try to not do it alone. Hogwarts is full of mysteries, but you tend to get lost a lot until your third year. I believe it's time for us to leave. Goodnight. Don't forget, tomorrow, at seven. If you're late, we'll leave without you."
The two prefects exited the common room for their dormitories and left the first years just awkwardly looking at each other. Harry ignored their pointless conversation and chose to finally listen to the melody of the common room. It was so odd. Harry knew that it was a magical talent of some sort, but he didn't understand what it was. Because it wasn't really a song, it was mostly a mixture of heartbeats with different frequencies, amplitudes, and for the lack of a better term, flavours, that mixed together into an amazing harmony.
It was strangely beautiful and yet Harry couldn't hope to replicate it with any instrument. He understood music theory, having learnt the piano in his youth, but there would be something critically missing if he tried to interpret it using sound. It was like there would be like trying to play an emotion or a memory.
For example, the common room was slow and deep and yet caring. It was protective but also mischievous. It was like the soothing cold on hot summer days, a nice shower after a run. It was hard to put it into words, and yet everything seemed so much plainer without it.
"…and I have a Crup called Rupert, but I couldn't bring him with me because of the school rules. What about you?"
A girl was talking and looking at him expectantly. He assumed that they were introducing themselves and he tried to do the same, "My name is Harry Potter. I like books and quietness. It's nice to meet you."
Everyone looked at him awkwardly and Blaise hit him in the side and murmured, "Seriously, you have nothing else to share?"
"I wasn't even paying attention," Harry replied.
"You're supposed to say a few things about yourself."
"Isn't that what I just did?"
Blaise looked like he wanted to punch him, "But you had nothing to say other than you like books and quiet?"
Harry shrugged and spoke up, "I also play the piano, know how to speak five languages, have an owl called Hedwig, and I have never lost a chess game yet."
Well, Harry was slightly lying about the chess thing. Oh, in this life, Harry hadn't lost a game, but he had lost many in his previous one. Oh, he wasn't some kind of master or anything, but it had become a hobby of his to play online after his brother died. It was a good way to pass the time, and he did crack a few theory books to entertain his curiosity.
When he was younger, when he hadn't gained his memories yet, Harry played a few games against the teachers, and well, since complex chess engines hadn't been invented yet, the theory wasn't as developed as it was in his old life. He played mostly by instinct, and he never lost a game so far. He was kind of proud of that achievement, to be honest.
As for the rest of the kids, they gave him approving looks, as if they were impressed by his achievements and the others continued boasting about their families and whatnot. It got boring very quickly but by the end, he had gotten most of his housemates' names and a hint of their characters. A few minutes later, he excused himself for being too tired and decided to go to sleep.
He found his trunk next to a bed that he assumed was his, and Hedwig was waiting for him on top of it. He opened his trunk to grab a change of clothes and went to bed.
"Goodnight, Hedwig," Harry said to his faithful owl, who hooted back at him. In the end, Harry grabbed his book and kept reading until he fell asleep, excited for his magical education to truly begin.
1st September 1991, Hogwarts
When they arrived on the other side of the hall, they stopped in front of a stool. On top was a traditional hat, although it looked far older than his own and somewhat rackety. All new students looked at the hat in confusion, that is until it moved and started to sing.
Harry didn't think the song wasn't that bad. It felt more like a poem than anything that could be danced to. The lyrics just explained the characteristics of every house, and that you only had to put him on to be sorted. The boy saw his future classmates physically sigh in relief and Blaise gave him a glare for not telling him about how they were sorted before.
However, Harry didn't care, he was too preoccupied with staring at the sorting hat. It definitely didn't deserve the deafening round of applause. For the first time, Harry wondered when the Hat started to sing before every sorting. It was enchanted to sort the students, it definitely wasn't designed to sing, or its voice would have been far better. So, that means that one day, they decided to sing before sorting the students and it became a tradition.
The main question would be if the hat is sentient or not. Magic seemed to bridge the gap between objects and life. The moving paintings surrounding Hogwarts were proof of that. However, where was the line? Can the sorting hat be labelled as a living being or is it simply an enchantment that is mimicking a living being?
Perhaps this question was the core of why wizards disregarded magical species so readily. They were creatures born of magic, and so, they treated them like they would a very heavily enchanted object. It was just a theory, but it would explain why wizards look down on magical creatures no matter how powerful they may be.
Still, Harry had no idea if his idea had any merit. It was just based on observation, nothing concrete. He'll need to look it up in the library later on. Oh, he was going to be busy for a while.
He was so long in thought that he hadn't even noticed that a girl had been called to sit on the hat, which suddenly bellowed out, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
Realizing that the sorting had started, Harry wondered how the hat even worked. It didn't read minds, that's for sure. At least, it didn't look at memories. Old families are very protective of their secrets and having them stored in a single artefact that every wizard in Britain put on their head when they were eleven, was a huge privacy breach.
People far more knowledgeable than him probably theorized about how the hat worked, and if it came out that it could ferret out secrets, the public outrage would be gigantic, and the hat would find itself burnt or destroyed in a tragic 'accident'.
It had to be a test of character, like a personality test with automatic answers that tells the hat in which house students would fit the most. But the hat could also take into consideration the choice of the students, whether they preferred one house over another, that's not mentioning hat stalls – when the hat stays on top of someone's head for over a minute.
Perhaps the hat could read surface thoughts, or at least projected thoughts, which students with a particular preference would be yelling in their minds. Maybe hat stalls are just what happens when someone is compatible with two or more houses, and the hat needs to probe further by physically asking questions, to see their preference.
But the main question was how the hat could differentiate between the values of each house when they are so connected. Ambition is useless without the courage to pursue it, the wits to know how to realize it, and the hard work to make it a reality. The core values of each house were deeply connected, too much of one or another, and could easily ruin a life. A coward with ambition will not amount to much.
While the young Potter was pondering about the workings of the sorting hat, many students were starting to get sorted. He didn't even notice their names; he would have plenty of time to remember them, but it was almost impossible to regain a proper train of thought.
However, even Harry paid attention when Neville Longbottom's name was called up. The entire hall started murmuring but shut up when the boy who lived walked up. As for the boy himself, he walked towards the hat with swagger in his step, which was very misplaced for a child his age. Well, the boy acted superior to anyone else because of that scar, and well, it made sense. Oh, he was a very foolish notion to entertain, but Harry knew that any kid that was raised as a national hero for something he didn't even remember would develop a large ego.
You tended to see it in spoilt rich kids in muggle schools. Longbottom will need to learn to curb it as he grows up. The world can be very unforgiving for people that think they are owed something. That's not even mentioning the Voldemort bullet that he'll need to dodge. Not for the first time, Harry thanked the gods that the Dark Lord hadn't marked him as his enemy.
Oh, the war was coming, and Harry will need to deal with it, but it wasn't happening for a few years, and it was more than enough to have a solid plan and enough preparation to execute it.
Back to Longbottom, the moment the hat even glanced at the boy's head, it yelled out, "GRYFFINDOR!!"
The Gryffindor table erupted in cheer, it was by far the loudest one yet, and the house of lions started celebrating getting the boy who lived in their house as he arrogantly walked to the table. Harry wished the boy the best of luck dealing with the crap that comes with being the Chosen One; he will need it.
After a few more students were sorted, it was finally Harry's turn, "Potter, Harry!"
Harry walked up to the stool while making theories as to how the hat sorted students. When Professor McGonagall put the hat on his head, he heard a quiet yet rich voice, "interesting, very interesting. Definitely, a difficult sorting that one, no preferences too, but with that mind, that talent, that thirst to understand how everything works, Rowena would have loved to have you as a student. You already figured out that I wasn't reading minds, and your theories are possible enchantments I could have had, but you're mistaken. You'll figure it out one day, of that, I am quite certain."
Harry didn't respond but was quite miffed that his theory was wrong. He'll just have to think on it further. The hat though, wasn't perturbed, "But is knowledge what you truly treasure, what is inside your core? Oh, you love it, the thrill of discovering something new, of understanding. But are you suitable for Rowena's house? Or do you treasure something even more?"
The last Potter remembered a promise he made to himself, 'I will not be nothing again. I will put my mark on the world, forge a legacy of my own, and be remembered in the annals of history.'
The hat released a deep chuckle, "Yes, for all your love of knowledge, this is your core. Your ambition burns brighter than the sun itself. Yes, better be, SLYTHERIN!!"
Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked towards the Slytherin table. When he sat at the table near the other first years, he took a look at the Professor's table.
Professor McGonagall had wide eyes and a small, disappointed frown. She probably expected him to join his parents' house or something. Albus Dumbledore didn't even clap, and Hagrid – who had sat on the far right – was grimacing slightly while clapping. What was the most interesting was the greasy haired man who looked like he swallowed a lemon. Guessing that it was Severus Snape, Harry assumed that whatever relationship there was between him, and Harry's parents wasn't an amicable one.
Harry didn't even notice his tie and vest turn green, as well as the hood of his cloak, which had a Slytherin badge on the left side of his chest. Harry just stayed silent, contemplating the ramifications of his new house.
Slytherin was known as the house of Death Eaters because Tom Riddle was reputed to be the heir of Slytherin. That meant that Harry was practically secluded from the rest of the houses. Honestly, he wasn't really bothered. He knew that he wasn't a bigot, and he rarely ever cared about the words of people who didn't know him. Although as the house which had won the house cup the last year, Slytherin students were allowed special privileges, which included special spell practice rooms and a later curfew, which was a plus.
The elephant in the room would be his new housemates. With blood status being a big deal in this house, it would make things difficult for him since he was a half-blood and his parents fought Voldemort, although, he didn't know if that was common knowledge or not.
There were rumours of house politics in Slytherin and Harry wasn't especially concerned with children and teenagers playing at being politicians. It would barely compare to the academic politics that he had to deal with at university in his previous life.
The sorting ended when Blaise Zabini was sorted in Slytherin and sat next to him. The headmaster got to his feet, silence fell upon the Great Hall. He beamed at the students, his arms opened wide and he spoke.
"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"
Ignoring the nonsense, the man was spewing, Harry chose to focus on the headmaster. He was an obviously old man, with a long white beard, and half moon glasses. And yet, he didn't really look like a frail old man. He looked like a muggle on the verge of retirement, just with a large beard, old looking glasses, and ghastly coloured robes. These things were an eyesore.
And yet, considering that the enhanced lifespan of the average wizard was around a hundred and fifty years, Albus Dumbledore was probably around a hundred years old. Not that he knew it for a fact, it was guesswork.
Anyway, the elderly man sat down, and people clapped and cheered. A few first years smiled mockingly at the headmaster, but Harry knew better. No one had that many political positions and was senile. Whatever the headmaster had said wasn't just random world. They had meaning, if only for the man himself.
Still, when the food appeared on the table, he realized how hungry he was and started eating. Harry was never really starved at the Dursleys, but he rarely ate to his full, since he normally ate after Dudley who commonly asked for third servings.
Harry didn't speak to anyone while eating, too lost in his own head to care about the idle small talk the other students were spewing. At least Blaise ended up in the same house at him, so that was a familiar face, somewhat.
After everyone had eaten and the food was gone, Dumbledore stood up again and started what seemed like a regular speech, "Ahem – just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First-years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well. I have also been asked by Mr Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch."
Everything seemed to go smoothly until the man uttered that last sentence, "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 very painful death."
Well, that was the stupidest thing Harry had ever heard. He should have simply warded the corridor and made it inaccessible. Curious students who would find the wards and be rejected would be the only ones to know that it was forbidden. But telling it in front of children, especially impressionable ones with no experience with magic would be like challenging them to come there, which could be very dangerous.
Well, that was a good start for Harry's magical education.
Chapter 14: House Tour
1st September 1991, Hogwarts
Dumbledore asked people to sing the school song without a particular tune, the abomination that followed was one that Harry will do his best to scrub out of his mind. He's definitely wearing earmuffs next year to avoid whatever that was.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore wiped his eyes while remarking, "Ah, music, a magic beyond all that we do here! And now bedtime. Off you trot!"
Choosing the ignore the undeniable fact that the man was tone-deaf, Harry followed the prefects with the rest of the first years. The girl seemed to take the lead. She had a relatively forgettable face, even if that was unkind, but it was nonetheless true. She was of average height, and had brown eyes and black hair that wasn't particularly long or short.
Her companion was blond with blue eyes, and he looked like he wanted to be showing the first years around. Still, Harry was curious as to how the teenagers would handle a dozen children under their supervision.
Surprisingly, his classmates were very well behaved, at least for children. They followed the prefects while just looking around. Harry marvelled at the moving portraits, trying to figure out how they would behave without anyone seeing them.
They walked down to the dungeons and Harry did his best to memorize the path from the Great Hall. Still, they arrived at their destination after a few minutes, well they arrived in front of the wall.
The prefect girl gave them a serious look, "Like all the House common rooms in Hogwarts, the Slytherin common room is hidden, and you cannot enter it without a specific password. You are not allowed to bring visitors from other houses. While it is inevitable that its location is compromised, there are additional security measures stopping members of other houses from entering without being invited in by a member of the house. This rule is not an official one, but it is one of the unspoken ones in Slytherin and you will be severely punished if you're caught breaking it. We'll speak of this further when we get in."
The prefect boy rolled his eyes, "Stop scaring them, Gemma. Look, kids, just try not to break the rules, there aren't many and they're reasonable. Now, back to the entrance. The password for this week is 'viper'. "
The moment he said the world, the wall shifted away, revealing a large door, surrounded by the body of a gigantic snake. The boy walked in and continued to explain, "The passwords will be displayed in the middle of the common room and will glow when it has been changed."
The rest of the first year followed him into the common room and they gasped in awe. Harry felt the music in his head shift. It went from being a complex symphony into a slow but smooth one. It matched the ambience of the room, to be honest. The Slytherin common room was grand in appearance and yet the atmosphere was without a doubt cold. Best of all, it was quiet, and Harry loved quiet. It was why he dreaded the possibility of being a Gryffindor. The rumours of wild parties and events just didn't appeal to him.
As for the room, its walls were adorned with green and silver banners, and it was furnished with plush leather chairs and wooden tables. But what was most stunning was the view that came from the window. It wasn't really the night sky, but the black lake. Harry could see fish swimming around and what seemed like a giant tentacle for a moment – it was probably the infamous giant squid.
All things considered, Harry liked it.
The prefect girl led them to a large couch and started speaking, "Welcome to Slytherin. My name is Gemma Farley, and this is Rowan Padgett. We are the fifth year Slytherin prefects, which means that until your third year, we will be responsible for you, after which we would have graduated. Should you need any help, you are free to come to us with any problems, academic or otherwise. If we're unable to help you, you are free to ask Professor Snape – our head of house – directly. Beware, if he deems that the issue is mundane and finds out that you haven't asked us first, he will not be happy with you for wasting your time. With that said, let's talk about what it means to be a Slytherin student."
Rowan continued on her behalf, "Let's be absolutely clear, we are the most distrusted and dislike house in the school, and that is a fact. You are perfectly free to pursue friendships with students from other houses, but it will not easy. We have suffered greatly because of the last war, which means that speaking publicly about discrimination will not be tolerated. I don't care what you personally believe, but if someone is caught spewing around about Mudbloods and Blood traitors, they will be reprimanded by Professor Snape."
Harry caught the outraged look on Malfoy's face but just shrugged; he didn't care about any of that. As long as no one involved him, he would not enter a political debate with children.
Gemma though continued their little speech, "Slytherin stands united because if it wasn't for the threat of retaliation from the entire house, we would be constantly hexed and cursed whenever we leave the common room. That means no fighting outside the common room. I'm not saying to argue, but try not to cause large scale fights, which means no cursing each other outside of the duelling pits."
"Now, onto a brighter topic, you are allowed to join a club starting the second semester to give you time to settle in. There are dozens of clubs in Hogwarts, each with an age restriction. An entire list will be provided to you next week, but as a rule, you are not allowed to join more than two clubs, so as to not affect the quality of your schoolwork. The two of us will also accompany you for two tours of Hogsmeade village, one every semester, as an extra perk for Slytherin winning the house cup last year. It will be a guided tour, not a normal trip, and you will be required to be under our supervision."
Gemma then cleared her throat, "Finally, Slytherin is the house of the ambitious and thus it rewards ambition. There is a hierarchy involved, but you won't have to deal with it until your fourth year, or third if you're very ambitious. That doesn't mean that you can slack off right now, the more impressive your achievements are, the higher the echelon you will rise, you could even be granted a higher position when you start playing with the big leagues. Don't worry though, you have a few years to learn the ropes before things get serious."
Well, that took a sombre tone. Harry thought that the speech was entirely reasonable up until this nonsense about politics. At least he won't have to deal with it for a while. However, at the mention of a higher position, Malfoy preened, and more people stiffened and were interested. They might as well have had stars in their eyes. Seriously, what was wrong with these kids? They shouldn't be worried about crap like mini school politics. Harry knew how to handle them but really hated to do it.
Finally, Rowan concluded their little speech, "Now, you will be staying in dormitories separated by your gender. Boys, you are not allowed to get to the girl's dormitory, you'll get a nasty surprise if you do. Your trunks have already been brought next to your assigned bed. I suggest that you get used to them, you will be staying here for a few days. Gemma and I will leave you to get to know each other. We will wait for you at seven in the common room tomorrow to help you get to breakfast. Also, don't be afraid of exploring but try to not do it alone. Hogwarts is full of mysteries, but you tend to get lost a lot until your third year. I believe it's time for us to leave. Goodnight. Don't forget, tomorrow, at seven. If you're late, we'll leave without you."
The two prefects exited the common room for their dormitories and left the first years just awkwardly looking at each other. Harry ignored their pointless conversation and chose to finally listen to the melody of the common room. It was so odd. Harry knew that it was a magical talent of some sort, but he didn't understand what it was. Because it wasn't really a song, it was mostly a mixture of heartbeats with different frequencies, amplitudes, and for the lack of a better term, flavours, that mixed together into an amazing harmony.
It was strangely beautiful and yet Harry couldn't hope to replicate it with any instrument. He understood music theory, having learnt the piano in his youth, but there would be something critically missing if he tried to interpret it using sound. It was like there would be like trying to play an emotion or a memory.
For example, the common room was slow and deep and yet caring. It was protective but also mischievous. It was like the soothing cold on hot summer days, a nice shower after a run. It was hard to put it into words, and yet everything seemed so much plainer without it.
"…and I have a Crup called Rupert, but I couldn't bring him with me because of the school rules. What about you?"
A girl was talking and looking at him expectantly. He assumed that they were introducing themselves and he tried to do the same, "My name is Harry Potter. I like books and quietness. It's nice to meet you."
Everyone looked at him awkwardly and Blaise hit him in the side and murmured, "Seriously, you have nothing else to share?"
"I wasn't even paying attention," Harry replied.
"You're supposed to say a few things about yourself."
"Isn't that what I just did?"
Blaise looked like he wanted to punch him, "But you had nothing to say other than you like books and quiet?"
Harry shrugged and spoke up, "I also play the piano, know how to speak five languages, have an owl called Hedwig, and I have never lost a chess game yet."
Well, Harry was slightly lying about the chess thing. Oh, in this life, Harry hadn't lost a game, but he had lost many in his previous one. Oh, he wasn't some kind of master or anything, but it had become a hobby of his to play online after his brother died. It was a good way to pass the time, and he did crack a few theory books to entertain his curiosity.
When he was younger, when he hadn't gained his memories yet, Harry played a few games against the teachers, and well, since complex chess engines hadn't been invented yet, the theory wasn't as developed as it was in his old life. He played mostly by instinct, and he never lost a game so far. He was kind of proud of that achievement, to be honest.
As for the rest of the kids, they gave him approving looks, as if they were impressed by his achievements and the others continued boasting about their families and whatnot. It got boring very quickly but by the end, he had gotten most of his housemates' names and a hint of their characters. A few minutes later, he excused himself for being too tired and decided to go to sleep.
He found his trunk next to a bed that he assumed was his, and Hedwig was waiting for him on top of it. He opened his trunk to grab a change of clothes and went to bed.
"Goodnight, Hedwig," Harry said to his faithful owl, who hooted back at him. In the end, Harry grabbed his book and kept reading until he fell asleep, excited for his magical education to truly begin.