Chapter 1: Sorted into Slytherin

September 1, 1991. A small raven haired eleven year old boy pushed his trolley and shuffled through the crowd of King's cross station. He had no idea where he was going, his handler never told him where to go. And his ticket; well, it said platform nine and three quarters. But there was no such thing as a platform nine and three quarters, right? How could he know for sure, after all, this wizarding world was all new to him. He only learned that he was a wizard on his eleventh birthday when a giant man named Rubeus Hagrid came bursting through their cabin on a remote island. He had been lied to his whole life. His parents were magical, and they were murdered and didn't die in a car crash. The murderer gave him his lightning bolt scar and forced him to live with his dreadful Aunt, Uncle, and cousin. It was the only family he had left in the entire world.

The emerald eyed boy came to a stop at a pillar between platforms nine and ten, sighing in frustration. He looked at a clock which showed it was half an hour till eleven. If he couldn't find the platform, he would miss his chance to go to Hogwarts, the wizarding school. He didn't want to go back to his dreadful aunt and uncle's. His snowy white owl gave a small screech and ruffled its feathers.

"I don't know, Hedwig," he said to his owl. "I can't find the platform." He leaned on his trolley and stared at the pillar thinking of where this magical platform could be.

"Are you gonna stand their and stare at the barrier or are you going to go through it?" a drawling voice said from behind the emerald eyed boy.

The raven haired boy snapped around to see another boy pushing his own trolley with his own trunk and owl. He was the same height as him with blond hair and grey eyes. The raven haired boy thought he'd seen him somewhere else.

"What?" he said, and then looked at the pillar and then back at the grey eyed boy. "What do you mean go through?" he asked, looking puzzled.

"Muggleborn?" the grey eyed boy suddenly asked.

The raven haired boy shook his head. "Half-blood, raised by muggles," he corrected.

The grey eyed boy nodded in understanding. "Just do what I do," he said, walking passed the raven haired boy, who watched and got a shock when the other boy passed through the pillar of platforms nine and ten. Gulping, the raven haired boy quickly followed, closing his eyes before reaching the barrier, and instead of crashing he went right through it. He opened his eyes and stared in awe. He was on platform nine and three quarters, and there on the train tracks, was a magnificent red train. He slowly pushed his trolley closer, seeing all the families and their children getting on the train or saying goodbye.

"The Hogwarts express," the grey eyed boy said, appearing next to the raven haired boy. "I don't know if you remember me but -"

But then it hit him. "Madam Malkins," the raven haired boy said. "That's where I've seen you before!"

The grey eyed boy gave a nod. "Draco Malfoy," he greeted, holding out his hand.

"Harry Potter," the raven haired boy replied, shaking his hand, noticing the other boy glance at his forehead. "And thanks for showing me how to get here."

Draco shrugged. "No problem," he said, and then looked around. "Would you like to go find a compartment together?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, sure," he said, and the two boys began making their way towards the train. A couple of older students helped the younger boys with their trunks and owls. One red haired teen grabbed Harry's trunk and put on the train. He turned around to see the exact same red haired boy holding onto his owl and blanched. The red haired boy smiled.

"Hiya, probably wondering why there's two of me, right?" he said to Harry who nodded. "Cloning spell," he answered as his twin walked up next to him a smiled. The red haired boy handed Harry his owl and continued on his way, slapping himself for forgetting that twins existed in the world. Harry followed Draco who found a compartment and entered. Just about as he was about to enter, someone nudged by him, but dropped their book. Harry set his owl cage in the compartment and turned to pick up the book. He stood up and handed it back to its owner; a bushy haired, brown eyed girl.

"Sorry," she said, slowly grabbing her book from Harry with a tiny blush.

"Its okay," Harry replied, smiling at the girl who looked to be his age. The girl gave a shy smile and left, entering the compartment next to his. Harry turned and entered his own compartment, placing his owl in the seat next to him as he sat by the window. Draco sat across from him with his Owl cage above him. "So, is this your first year too?" Harry asked. Draco nodded. "So, what is your blood status?"

"Pureblood," Draco simply answered. "But you're a half-blood raised my muggles?" Harry nodded. "You don't have any other magical family?"

Harry shrugged. "Not that I know of," he replied. "I didn't even know magic existed until my eleventh birthday. My aunt and uncle knew about magic, and they lied to me about everything, even about how my parents died."

"How did they react?"

"Oh, they have a strong hatred towards magic," Harry told him. "They're the worst people in the world." He looked at Draco who seemed to want to same something but thought against it. Soon, the train whistle blew signaling that it was time to leave, and seconds later, the train began to move.

"Can I ask you something?" Draco suddenly asked after half an hour of the train hour. Harry nodded and looked at him questioningly. "Why do you wear clothes that are too big for you?" he asked.

Harry blushed a little. "Er, remember when I said my family are the worst?" he said. Draco nodded. "Well, they don't really buy me clothes, they just give me the ones my cousin, Dudley, doesn't wear anymore. Come to think of it, they haven't even bought me anything at all really. But luckily, my parents left me my own money."

"Really?" Draco said, a bit interested. "But you haven't bought new clothes?"

"My school clothes," Harry answered. "And maybe a few new clothes that actually fit," he added with a smile. "So, is there anything I should expect to be amazed about in the magical world?" he asked.

Draco gave a small smile and said, "Everything."

A couple of hours passed by, and Draco was telling Harry all about a magical sport called Quidditch when a smiling elder woman opened the compartment door. "Anything from the trolley, dears?" she asked sweetly.

Harry's stomach did growl, not realizing how hungry he was stood up and glanced at the trolley seeing all kinds of sweets. "Whoa, they all look good," he said, eyeing everything. "But I can't decide."

How bout everything," Draco suggested, appearing next to Harry who nodded in agreement. A few minutes later, Draco and Harry were sitting on one side of the compartment, with many sweets in between them. "Pumpkin Pastries, Licorice Wands, Chocolate Frogs, Berty Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Cauldron Cakes," Draco named, and continued on naming others.

"Every flavor?" Harry curiously asked, picking up a box of Bertie Bott's.

Draco nodded. "And they mean it," he replied. "Go on, try one."

Harry picked out a purple one and stared at it, and then popped it into his mouth. He instantly spit it out. "Tasted like onions," he said with a grimace while Draco laughed. Harry put down the jelly beans and picked out a chocolate frog. He opened it, and saw the frog. He was surprised that it moved, and then jumped from its place, but Harry quickly caught it.

"You'd make a fair seeker," Draco commented. Harry opened his hand and saw that he crushed the chocolate and that it was un-moving. He ate it and then noticed there was a card in the chocolate box.

"What's this?" he asked, picking up the card.

"It's a collectable card," Draco began to answer. "Each card holds a famous witch or wizard and a small description of their entitlements. Some people collect them, but its kind of a waste of time if you ask me. Who'd you get?"

Harry looked at the card, and saw the picture of a green eyed and dark haired wizard. "Salazar Slytherin," he said, and continued to read, "'Co-Founder of Hogwarts. Inventor and builder of the Chamber of Secrets. Gave his name to one of the four houses. Was one of the first recorded Parselmouths, an accomplished Legilimens, and a notorious champion of pureblood supremacy.' Hmm, sounds like a great wizard."

"Mostly," Draco murmured.

Suddenly, there was a splat on the compartment door window. Harry and Draco jumped and saw something the size of their hand and green attached to the window. It was a toad. It croaked and then jumped of the window and jumped away. A second later, a small plump boy quickly ran by.

"That was odd," Harry commented.

After another hour passed by, the compartment door opened again and three boys entered. The two on the side were big and rather dumb-looking, but the one in the middle was pale with a strong jawed face. His had dark hair and dark eyes.

"Hello cousin," the boy in the middle spoke. "We've been looking for you, thought you'd sit with was."

"No thanks, Eris," Draco replied, glancing at the three boys.

Eris softly snorted and shook his head, then turned to Harry. "Word on the train is that the famous boy-who-lived is on the train," he said smirking at Harry's lightning bolt scar. "Oi, you him, right?" Harry nodded and Eris held out his hand. "Eris Lestrange," he introduced. "And this is Crabbe and Goyle," he added, holding out his hand. Harry stared at it.

"Don't you have some other first years to torture," Draco interrupted.

"Actually, I do," Eris replied dropping his arm. "Care to join us?" he asked both Draco and Harry.

"No thanks, Eris," Draco said, standing up and closing the compartment door in the three boys' faces. Eris laughed with the shake of his head and then left with his two buddies.

"So that's your cousin?" Harry asked, staring at the spot where Eris had stood.

"Yeah, live-in cousin," Draco said, "His parents are in Azkaban - A prison for dark wizards and witches," he added at Harry's questioning glance.

"Is it difficult living with him?" Harry asked.

Draco shrugged. "A little bit," he answered. Harry peered out of the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. "We should change into our robes," he heard Draco say. "I think we're nearly there."

Harry gave a nod that showed he heard Draco. Just as the two boys finished dressing in their school robes, a voice rang through the train, "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time; Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

And soon enough, the train slowed down and came to a stop. Draco exited the compartment first, but he was pushed by when a boy passed by him. "Excuse you," Draco said to the boy.

The boy turned to look at Draco. He had black shaggy hair and blue eyes, and he gave a smug smirk. "You're excused," he replied, and then turned back and continued on his way.

Draco shook his head and soon, he and Harry exited the train with many other students, all in their school robes, some wearing colored ties, others wearing plain black. Harry's stomach was filled with butterflies of excitement and nerves. He looked over at Draco whose demeanor was strangely calm. How could he look calm at a time like this? But then he heard a very familiar and booming voice that made him feel a little bit better.

"Firs' years! Firs' years this way! Come on, don't be shy!"

Harry looked towards the head of the train to see the half-giant Hagrid holding up a lantern. He led Draco over to the large man and smiled widely. Draco stared at the man with wide eyes, never before seeing a man his size.

"All right there, Harry?" Hagrid asked. Harry gave a nod. "C'mon, follow me—any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!" He turned and began leading the first years away from the train. Harry accidentally bumped into someone's shoulders. He turned to see it was the girl with bushy hair and chocolate brown eyes.

"Oh Sorry," he apologized.

"Its okay," the girl replied with a small smile.

"Harry!" Draco called. Harry waved at the girl and turned to catch up with his friend.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "Jus' round this bend here."

"Look!" someone shouted when they turned the bend. They were on the edge of a large lake, the water black in the night light. But what Harry and all the other first years were staring at was the magnificent castle of many turrets and towers that caught the attention from its perch on the mountain on the other side of the lake.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing at a large group of boats nearby. Harry and Draco entered a boat and were soon joined by twin girls, with dark hair and light brown skin. Harry looked around, seeing the girl with the chocolate brown eyes in a boat with the boy who was chasing his toad, a boy with red hair, and the boy who bumped into Draco earlier.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who was in a boat by himself, "Right then—FORWARD!" And the boats began moving on their own.

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.

"Heads down!" Hagrid called. The first boats had reached the cliff. Boat by boat, students ducked down as they passed into a dark tunnel, following it until they reached a small harbor where everyone scrambled out of their boats.

The students then began heading up a passageway, led by Hagrid. They came up in a grassy area, shadowed by the large castle before heading up a flight of stone stairs and grouped up at the large oak door.

"Everyone here?" Hagrid asked.

Everyone looked at one another, and no one said anything. Hagrid nodded, turned, raised one of his hands and knocked three times on the large oak door. Harry suddenly felt his stomach tighten and bit the inside of his cheek, suddenly feeling more excited than he had all day. He glanced over at Draco who still had a calm looking demeanor.

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harry's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.

'The firs'-years, Professor McGonagall,' said Hagrid.

'Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here.' She pulled the door wide.

The Entrance Hall was so big you could have fitted the whole of the Dursleys' house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble stair- case facing them led to the upper floors. They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right – the rest of the school must already be here – but Professor McGonagall showed the first-years into a small empty chamber off the hall.

They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have 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 are 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.

'The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

'The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting. I shall return when we are ready for you,' said Professor McGonagall. 'Please wait quietly.' She left the chamber.

Harry swallowed. 'How exactly do they sort us into houses?' he asked Draco.

"With a hat," he answered with his arms crossed. "You'll see," he added at Harry's puzzled glance.

Harry nodded and looked around. There were a few people talking in whispers and others were quiet and looking around. His eyes stopped on Eris who seemed to already be staring with a smirk. Harry quickly turned back forward, keeping his eyes fixed on the door, waiting for Professor McGonagall to come back and lead them in.

"So you're Harry Potter?" someone said, appearing next to Harry who turned to see who said his name. It was the boy with black hair and blue eyes, the one who ran into Draco on the train. He was standing next to a boy with read hair and freckles. The boy sized Harry up. "Thought you'd look more..." he said, holding a fist up. "Tough."

Harry stared back at the boy. "Thanks," he said dryly.

"Eh, dont worry about it," the boy replied with a smile and waving him off, and then held his hand out. "Reginald Oxley, but you can call me Reg or Reggie." Harry shook the boy's hand, and then smirked at Draco. "Malfoy," he said.

"You two know each other?" Harry asked, letting go of Reg's hand and looking between the two boys.

"No," Reg replied. "I'm just good at putting two and two together."

"The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." Professor McGonagall had returned. "Now, form a line," She told the first-years, "and follow me."

The first years quickly formed a line, Harry got behind Draco and stood in front of a boy with sandy hair. A second later, they began to follow Professor McGonagall out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through the pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles which were floating in mid-air over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering silver plates and goblets. At the top of the Hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first-years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, ghosts, Harry was surprised to see, shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Harry looked upwards and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars.

"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside," someone said behind him. He turned to se the girl with the chocolate colored eyes looking at him. "I read about it in Hogwarts: A History," she added with a blush and then looked down shyly.

Harry smiled and looked back at the ceiling. It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens. Harry quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first-years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. That must have been what Draco meant when he said they were going to be sorted with a hat, but how does it work?

Harry stared at hat just like everyone else. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth – and the hat began to sing:

'Oh, you may not think I'm pretty, But don't judge on what you see, I'll eat myself if you can find A smarter hat than me. You can keep your bowlers black, Your top hats sleek and tall, For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat And I can cap them all. There's nothing hidden in your head The Sorting Hat can't see, So try me on and I will tell you Where you ought to be. You might belong in Gryffindor, Where dwell the brave at heart, Their daring, nerve and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart; You might belong in Hufflepuff Where they are just and loyal, Those patient Hufflepuffs are true And unafraid of toil; Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, If you've a ready mind, Where those of wit and learning, Will always find their kind; Or perhaps in Slytherin You'll make your real friends, Those cunning folk use any means To achieve their ends. So put me on! Don't be afraid! And don't get in a flap! You're in safe hands (though I have none) For I'm a Thinking Cap!'

The whole Hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment. 'When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted,' she said. 'Abbott, Hannah!'

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause – 'Hufflepuff!' shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table.

Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.

'Bones, Susan!'

'Hufflepuff!' shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.

'Boot, Terry!'

'Ravenclaw!'

The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.

'Brocklehurst, Mandy' went to Ravenclaw too, but 'Brown, Lavender' became the first new Gryffindor and the table on the far left exploded with cheers.

'Bullstrode, Millicent' then became a Slytherin. The table on the far right erupted on applause and cheers. One by one, Harry watched student walk up to the stool to be sorted into their houses.

"Corner, Micheal."

"Ravenclaw!"

"Crabbe, Vincent."

"Slytherin!"

"Davis, Tracey."

"Slytherin!"

'Finch-Fletchley, Justin!'

'HUFFLEPUFF!'

Sometimes, Harry noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. 'Finnigan, Seamus', the sandy-haired boy next to Harry, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.

'Granger, Hermione!' Hermione almost ran to the stool and sat the hat on her head.

'GRYFFINDOR!' shouted the hat. Harry heard someone behind him groan.

"Greengrass, Daphne."

"Slytherin!"

"Goyle, Gregory."

"Slytherin!"

"Johnson, Ruth!"

"Hufflepuff!"

"Lestrange, Eris!"

Harry watched as Draco's cousin marched up to the stool and sat down with a smirk. McGonagall lowere the hat towards his head, but right before the hat touched it shouted, "Slytherin!" The Slytherins cheered as Eris quickly made his way over to the table. And the sorting continued.

"Li, Su!"

"Longbottom, Neville!"

The plump boy Harry had seen, stumbled up towards the stool. This time, the hat took a while to decide, and then shouted, "Gryffindor!" Neville stumbled off the stool and made his way over to the Gryffindor table.

"Malfoy, Draco."

Draco glanced at Harry and then made his way up to the stool. The hat was put on his head and a few seconds later it shouted, "Slytherin!" Draco jumped off the stool and casually made his way over to the cheering Slytherin table.

"McDougal, Morag!"

"Ravenclaw!"

"McMillan, Ernie!"

"Hufflepuff!"

"Moon, Jeffrey!"

"Hufflepuff!"

"Nott, Theodore!"

"Slytherin!"

"Oxley, Reginald!"

Someone lightly brushed by Harry's shoulder. It was Reggie who ran up and hopped onto the stool winking at someone. The hat was placed on his head and it shouted instantly, "Gryffindor!" Reggie gave a small fist pumped, jumped off the stool, and then ran off to the cheering Gryffindor table.

"Parkinson, Pansy!"

"Slytherin!"

"Patil, Padma."

"Ravenclaw!"

"Patil, Parvati!"

"Gryffindor!"

"Perks, Sally-Ann!"

"Ravenclaw!"

"Potter, Harry!"

And in an instant, the whole Hall went quiet, and looked towards Harry. As he stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

'Potter, did she say?'

'The Harry Potter?'

The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the Hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. Next second he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.

'Hmm,' said a small voice in his ear. 'Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind, either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes – and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting ... So where shall I put you?'

'Where is it you'd think I be best in?' Harry thought.

'How about Slytherin," the hat suggested. "You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that – and it could help with your ambition to defeat the one who took everyone who loved you dearly."

'Okay,' Harry thought.

"Slytherin!" the Hat shouted. The Slytherin table erupted in applause while some of the students of the other tables began to whisper to one another.

Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole Hall. He took off the hat and walked shakily towards the Slytherin table, feeling everyone's eyes on him. He sat next to Draco who patted him on the back.

He could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest him sat Hagrid, who was curiously looking back. Harry sighed and looked at the center of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster Draco told him about. Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole Hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts. Harry then spotted Professor Quirrell, too, the nervous young man he had met from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban.

And now there were only five people left to be sorted.

"Smith, Zachariash" went to Hufflepuff. "Thomas, Dean " Joined the Gryffindors. 'Turpin, Lisa' became a Ravenclaw. "Weasley, Ron," was put in Gryffindor, and finally, "Zabini, Blaise," was sorted into Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.

Harry looked down at his empty gold plate. He had only just realized how hungry he was. The pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago.

Albus Dumbledore had got to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

"Welcome!" he said, watching the students from behind his half-moon spectacles, "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I have a few words for you. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

Dumbledore returned to his seat as everyone cheered.

Harry's mouth fell open. The dishes in front of him were now piled with food. He had never seen so many things he liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, chips, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup and, for some strange reason, mint humbugs.

"Wow," he breathed out in awe. He had never eaten as much as he wanted, and how he could. He took a bit of everything and began to fill his stomach with the delicious foods.

"You're eating like you haven't eaten in days," Draco commented, eating his own steak and potatoes.

Harry shrugged and swallowed what he had in his mouth. "I really never had much to eat back home," he said to Draco quietly.

"How bad do they treat you at home?" He replied. Harry only shook his head and went back to eating. He looked up, chewing on some sausages when he saw the girl with chocolate brown eyes across the hall, eating her food and talking to an older boy with red hair. Hermione Granger was her name.

"I can't believe Potter is in our house," Harry suddenly heard someone say.

"Yeah, that'll make things a lot more easier," someone else said. Harry turned to look to see who was talking about him, but he couldn't really point out who had spoken.

"What's up?" Draco asked, seeing Harry's searching gaze.

"Someone was talking about me," Harry answered.

"Who?"

Harry shrugged and suddenly looked up at the High Table again. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose and sallow skin. It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Harry's eyes – and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead.

"Ouch!" Harry gasped and clapped a hand to his head.

"What is it?" Draco asked. Harry turned to him and rubbed his scar. 'Your scar?' he mouthed. Harry nodded, and jerked his head towards the High Table.

"Who's that talking to Professor Quirrell?" He asked.

"Who's Professor Quirrell?" Draco asked.

"The one in the turban," Harry answered. "Who's that he's talking too?" Draco shrugged. He didn't know the answer.

"That's Professor Snape," someone answered. Harry and Draco turned to a slightly older girl with blonde hair and hazel eyes. "You must be Harry Potter," she said. "I'm Selena Evergreen, second year. And you are?"

"I'm Harry," Draco said without thinking, but then shook his head and blushed. "I mean, I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

"You said his name was Snape?" Harry continued after giving Draco a strange look.

Selena nodded. "He'll be your potions teachers," she added. "Though we all know he's into dark arts. He's been after the Defense postion for years." Harry gave a nod of understanding and turned back to Snape who was back to talking to Quirrell. He wondered what it was that made his scar hurt.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the puddings appeared. Blocks of ice- cream in every flavour you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, jelly, rice pudding. Harry helped himself to a treacle tart, and listened to all the talk all around him.

At last, the puddings too disappeared and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The Hall fell silent. "Ahem – just a few more words now we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First-years should note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of a pair of redheaded twins. "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 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 very painful death."

"He's not serious is he?" Harry muttered to Draco who merely shrugged.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song"' cried Dumbledore.

Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed. Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick as if he was trying to get a fly off the end and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself snake-like into words. "Everyone pick their favourite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"

And the school bellowed the song of Hogwarts, some had the same tunes, while others sang to their own tunes. It sounded strange and mix-matched. Harry had never heard anything like it before, and soon it was over.

"Ah, music," said the headmaster, "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime! Off you trot!"

Harry stood up with the rest of the Slytherins and began making their way towards the entrance hall, but not before the Slytherin prefects were calling out to the first years.

"First years, over here!" they called, waving at the first years who all walked up to them.

"Alright you lot, gather round," said the boy prefect. "Just stay together, do as your told, and follow us and we wont have any problems." The first years nodded and followed the two prefects down the stares and into the dungeons, taking a few turns, and then stopping at a blank stone hall.

"This is the entrance to our common room and dormitory," the girl prefect spoke. "The password is - " She turned to the wall. "Basilisk." The walls opened up to reveal a small passageway. "This way." The first years entered the passage and soon found their selves inside a large room.

"This is our common room," the boy prefect spoke. Harry looked around and observed the room. It was lit up by greenish lamps, giving the room a greenish tinge. It had many low blacked black and dark green button-tuffed sofas and dark wood cupboards. It had a grand atmosphere but it was alos quite cold, but there was a fireplace with a lit fire, but it seemed not to help out a lot. There was also tapestries decorated around the room filled with adventures of medieval Slytherins.

"Alright, listen up you lot so I can tell you where you'll to be sleeping," the prefect girl said. "Over here, you'll see two staircases that lead down. The one on the left leads down to the boys' dormitories, and the one on the right leads down and to the girls' dormitories. First years, you'll come across your rooms first."

"Alright, Off to bed with you lot. I'm tired of looking at your faces," the prefect boy spoke tiredly. "You'll receive your class schedules tomorrow at breakfast. If you've got any problems, figure it out yourselves. How else can you learn." And the two prefects walked away.

Curious, Harry followed the other first years down the stairs and entered the first door the came to, and entered the dormitory. It was a large circular room, with stone floors. There were seven poster beds decorated with dark green, black, and silver; aligning the circular room. All there things had been placed inside. There was another door to the left when one entered, leading to a bathroom with showers. In the center of the room was a circular fireplace, already lit and giving off heart.

Eris took the second bed from the left, with Crabbe on his right, and Goyle on the left. Harry took the first bed on the right, with Draco on his right, and Blaise on Draco's right, while Theofore Nott took the center bed. Everyone changed into their pajamas too tired to talk and lied in their beds. Once Harry's head hit his pillow, he instantly fell asleep, tuckered out form the exciting day he had experienced.