Harry's first day at Hogwarts was everything that he had thought it would be, both good and bad. He and Draco got up in the morning and got ready for the day ahead. They headed towards the Great Hall for breakfast, unencumbered by their book bags since they didn't want to cart all of their books with them because they didn't know which classes they had first. It was as they neared the hall that Harry noticed everyone staring at him and the hushed whispers that followed in his wake. He did his best to ignore them, continuing his conversation with Draco about what they thought they would be doing that day until something, more like someone, made them stop in their tracks. More specifically, Ron Weasley stood blocking the path to the Great Hall and Harry could tell by the look on the red head's face that whatever he had to say wasn't going to be pleasant.

"Why don't you look at that," Ron sneered, gaining the attention of the crowd of students in the hallway, "if it isn't our boy hero, or should I say boy traitor? You parents would be ashamed of you if they saw you consorting with the likes of him, let alone you being sorted into Slytherin."

"My parents have no problem with which house I was sorted in," Harry retorted refusing to let Ron see how bothered he was by the other boy. Harry had never had to deal with bullies or people not liking him. He had always been popular back at school in the States. "They told me that would be proud of me no matter where I was placed."

"I'm not talking about those people that raised you," the other boy said. "I'm talking about your real parents. The Potters. They were true Gryffindors and they would hate you being in that snake pit. Everyone knows that Slytherins are evil."

"How dare you," the green eyed boy growled, his anger beginning to overtake him at the assumption of someone who had no idea of who he was or how he was raised. "Who in the hell do you think you are to assume you know anything about what any of my parents would think about my being in Slytherin? You didn't know them just like you don't know me."

"You tell him, Harry," Draco said, supporting his friend. "He's just jealous because he knows you're better than him anyway. Probably upset because you didn't want to hang out with him on the train."

"Sod off Blondie," Ron snarled, taking a step towards Draco. "You're probably the reason Harry's even in that snake pit. You probably cast a hex on him or something."

"Yeah because that's something every first year that has never had any magickal training has the ability to do," Draco rolled his eyes before grabbing Harry's hand. "Come on, Harry. Let's get to breakfast before Professor Snape starts to hand out the schedules and notices we aren't there yet."

"It is too late for that, I'm afraid Mr. Malfoy," drawled Professor Snape from behind them. All of the students jumped at the unexpected voice only to stare in silence at the foreboding look on the Snape's face. The professor took in the crowded area and as his eyes met each student, said student quickly looked away and headed towards the Great Hall, wanting to get as far away from whatever was about to happen and leaving only Harry, Draco and Ron. "Would anyone care to tell me what is going on here?"

"Nothing Professor," Ron said, gulping as Snape turned his attention towards him. "I was just talking to Harry here when Malfoy decided to interrupt." Snape looked at him for a moment before turning to his two Slytherins.

"Is this true Mr. Potter? Mr. Malfoy?"

"No, Professor," Harry answered his uncle, having already been told to not let on his relationship with the Potions Master. "Draco and I were on our way to breakfast when Ron got in our way. He told me that how my parents would be ashamed of my being in Slytherin." Snape's eyebrow rose at that.

"Really," the Potion's Professor drawled. "If I remember right, your mother was sorted into Slytherin when she went to Hogwarts. And she is one of the finest witches I have ever had the privilege of knowing."

"That's not much of a recommendation, you greasy git," Ron muttered under his breath, but not so quietly that Professor Snape didn't hear him.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor, Mr. Weasley and detention tonight for insulting a teacher. I must say, that's a new record. Even your brothers waited a week before they began to lose their house points," Snape told him. "I must say, this could prove to be a very interesting year if this is how you wanted to start it off. Now don't you have somewhere else you have to be?" Ron nodded his head, his face red at already having lost points and the detention, knowing that somehow his mother was going to find out and she would not be happy about it, and headed towards the Great Hall. Once he was gone, the Professor turned back towards Draco and Harry.

"I want you both to be careful about Weasley," he warned the two Slytherins. "I have a feeling that he will continue to try and cause the two of you problems, especially you Harry. He is very much his mother's son, and she has always been a social climber and she has passed that gene onto her two youngest children. Luckily we don't have to deal with the daughter for another year."

"I've heard stories about how poor the Weasleys are," Draco said. "If she's such a social climber, why did she marry Arthur Weasley?"

"Because when they first got together, it was said that he was being groomed to be Minister one day by Dumbledore, but that was something he was never interested in," the older wizard explained. "Arthur is happy where he is, and with what life has given him. He loves his wife and his family and doesn't want to deal with the politics required to be in a higher position at the Ministry. Molly is not happy about that though and has tried her best to get him promoted."

"And you think that Ron just wants to be my friend because I'm the stupid Boy Who Lived?" Harry grumbled. "Just what I need. Like watching out for Dumbledore wasn't going to be bad enough, now I have to deal with people who are judging me for something I can't even remember."

"Unfortunately Harry, that is something that isn't likely to change," Snape replied. "Like I said, just be careful and remember my door is always open to either one of you if you need to talk. Now why don't you two go get some breakfast? You have Potions first thing and I will not tolerate lateness, even if it is you two."

"Yes Sir," both boys said before doing as told.

"I was rather surprised to see Harry sorted into Slytherin, Severus," a grandfatherly voice came from behind the Professor as soon as both boys were out of eyesight. "Considering whom his parents are, I would have thought that he was destined to be a Gryffindor, especially after that night."

"The Potters didn't raise him though, Headmaster," Severus reminded his superior, turning around to face the elderly wizard. "Nor was he even raised in Britain, considering his accent clearly has him marked as an American. There is no telling how he was brought up."

"True, true," Albus Dumbledore agreed quickly. "And the fact that he seems to have developed a close friendship with Mr. Malfoy seems to point out that he was raised by people that have Slytherin leanings. I want you to keep an eye on that. If I remember it correctly, you are young Draco's godfather." Severus nodded his head. "Find out what his intentions are in regards to Mr. Potter. Maybe encourage the two of them to stay away from each other. Point out the problems a friendship between the two might bring."

"I have never bothered to involve myself in my students' social lives and I don't intend to start now, especially when one of those students is James Potter's son," Snape gave his best sneer.

"Regardless, I want you to watch the two of them. I want Harry to cultivate friends within an appropriate circle."

"One that doesn't include Draco Malfoy," Snape interrupted.

"The Malfoys were supporters of Voldemort," Dumbledore reminded the Potions Master. "I don't want them to take advantage of the fact that Harry might not be aware of that."

"Let me guess, you think it would be better if Harry were friends with someone like Ron Weasley from Gryffindor." Dumbledore smiled and nodded his head. "In case you missed it, Headmaster, Mr. Weasley is very hostile towards Mr. Potter once he became a Slytherin, no doubt raised to believe that all Slytherins were evil because we know that is what Molly believes."

"I will make sure to talk to both Molly and Ronald about understanding that they need to help Harry stay away from the Dark Arts, especially with him being in Slytherin," Dumbledore explained, talking down to Snape as if he were still as student at the school instead of one of the teachers. "They'll do what is needed. Now I believe that you have some timetables to hand out." Without giving Snape a chance to say anything else, Dumbledore walked away leaving behind a worried professor, wondering what the Headmaster was planning and what he would have to do to keep his nephew safe.