79Harry really, really loved Hogwarts.
It was a lot to get used to, of course. Magical lessons were very different to those at his old primary school. Charms and Astronomy were a long way from Maths and English, and working in Aunt Petunia's garden hadn't prepared Harry in the least for the magical plants that Hogwarts had to offer.
Then there were the other students. The older Slytherins usually ignored them, which Harry honestly preferred over the looks and glares he got otherwise. The other houses weren't much better, and being stared at because his parents were murdered got old fast. The other first years weren't so bad, especially those who had grown up in the Muggle world like Harry, but they seemed wary of Slytherins in general.
Harry didn't see what their problem was. Yeah, the older students were scary, and Malfoy was a loud-mouthed prat, but the others? It was hard to be scared of Nott when he spent his evenings buried in a thick fantasy book, or find Millie intimidating when she played with her kitten in front of the fire every night. Pansy had a razor-sharp tongue, but she helped Crabbe and Goyle with their homework every night, no matter how many times she had to explain things, and Tracey and Daphne might be reserved in front of the rest of the school, but they taught Harry Exploding Snap and Gobstones and never once made fun of him for his ignorance.
And there was Ron. Ron was loud and brash and stubborn and the best friend Harry had ever had. Ron didn't have much, and he was nearly as lost in Slytherin as Harry felt, but he shared what he did have and he did his best to explain whenever Harry was lost in the world he was now part of, and he was loyal and kind and Harry was glad they were friends.
All in all, life at Hogwarts was far better than the one Harry had left behind.
Still, Harry was looking forward to his first weekend. It had been a long week of classes, and by the time Harry and Ron made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast on Friday morning they were all ready for a break.
"I can't wait for the weekend," said Ron, as he slumped onto the bench and started pouring out pumpkin juice. "They don't believe in starting us off easy, do they?"
"We're here to learn, Weasley," said Nott. "Just wait until we get to fifth year."
Ron rolled his eyes, but Harry was more interested in the arrival of the post owls. He hadn't received any letters yet, but he hadn't been expecting any and it was nice to see Hedwig anyway.
It was something of a shock, therefore, when Hedwig swooped down with a note tied to her leg.
"Oh, look," Malfoy called. "Someone finally wrote to Potter."
"Shut up, Malfoy," said Ron, without looking at him. "Who's it from, Harry?"
Harry scanned the short note and smiled. "It's from Hagrid. He's invited me to tea this afternoon."
Warmth spread through his chest. He hadn't heard from Hagrid since his sorting, and he had been worrying a bit. Ron leaned over to look at the note.
"That's cool. Reckon it would be okay if I come along? Charlie really liked Hagrid."
"I don't think he'd mind then," said Harry.
He scribbled his reply on the back of the note, fed Hedwig a piece of bacon, and sent her off again. "It'll be nice to see him."
Malfoy muttered something to Crabbe and Goyle, both of whom broke out into grunts of laughter, but Harry ignored him. He was getting very good at that. Daphne rolled her eyes, and Tracey passed over the jam with a sniff.
"We've got to get through Potions first," she reminded them. "It should be interesting; Snape's supposed to be a good teacher."
Ron snorted, then winced when both Tracey and Daphne frowned at him. "Sorry, but I've heard different things from my brothers."
"Of course you have," Nott drawled. "They're Gryffindors."
"So?" Ron demanded. "Shouldn't make a difference, should it? McGonagall doesn't treat us any differently than the Gryffindors."
Nott just rolled his eyes and turned back to his porridge, but Harry frowned. "Is that why Mo told us to read our Potions book last night?"
He had wondered why the Prefects had told them to work on a subject they hadn't even had yet, but if Snape was going to be a temperamental teacher then he was glad of the warning. Daphne quirked an eyebrow.
"Probably. He must expect us to set a good example. You heard him on the first night."
Harry shivered. He hadn't spoken to Snape at all, but he hadn't forgotten how Snape had looked at them. At him. The last thing he wanted was to get on his Head of House's bad side.
With that in mind, the first-year Slytherins made sure to be waiting outside the dungeons in good time. The Gryffindors arrived soon after. They stayed on the other side of the corridor, their expressions wary, with the exception of Blaise Zabini. He had been talking quietly with Neville Longbottom as they came down the stairs, but he broke off to nod to the waiting group of Slytherins.
"Good morning."
Daphne and Tracey returned the greeting, and Nott nodded as amicably as he ever did, but Malfoy's lip curled. "Zabini," he said. "Still here? I'd have gone home in shame."
Harry frowned, but Zabini just quirked an eyebrow. "Yes, well, you would know about being an embarrassment, wouldn't you, Draco?"
Malfoy spluttered, his pale cheeks flushing, but Zabini had already turned to Harry. "Please excuse me. Draco and I have loathed each other since childhood."
Ron snorted, and Harry grinned at him. "I can't imagine why." He held out his hand. "Harry Potter."
"I know," said Zabini, but the spark of amusement in his dark eyes as he shook Harry's hand eased any sting from his words. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Harry nodded, and he looked at Ron. "Ron, right? I've met your brothers."
Harry caught the odd note in his voice at the same time Ron winced. "Sorry about that. They can be a bit, uh…"
He trailed off with a helpless shrug, and Zabini laughed. "Yeah, that."
Ron grimaced again, the tips of his ears blazing red, and from the other side of the corridor Hermione Granger sniffed. "They have been very rude," she said. "I still think you should talk to someone about it, Blaise."
Zabini shot her a brief smile. "They're only messing about. They'll get tired of it sooner or later."
Hermione shook her head, and Ron's frown deepened. "Sorry," he said again. "I'll talk to them." He pulled a face. "Can't promise they'll listen, mind…"
Zabini shot him a long look, but even as he opened his mouth the door to the dungeons swung open. Hermione jumped and immediately hurried inside, and Zabini and Neville joined the rest of the Gryffindors trailing after her. Ron stepped forward, but Harry caught his arm.
"Why were you apologising?"
Ron hesitated, then shrugged. "Told you, the twins can be a bit…sharp, I guess. If they like you they're great, but if they don't…"
He trailed off with another shrug. Harry frowned. "But how did you know that they wouldn't like Zabini?"
Ron bit his lip, then shook his head. "Tell you later. C'mon, we really don't want to be late."
Now afire with curiosity, Harry followed him into the classroom. Most of their classmates had already taken their seats, the Gryffindors on one side of the room, and the Slytherins on the other, and he and Ron found a space near the back. Harry pulled out parchment and a quill, and finally looked to the front of the room.
Snape glared down at the class. His black eyes travelled slowly round the room, and Harry had to fight the urge to fidget. He hadn't interacted with his Head of House since getting his timetable, and he had no idea what to expect.
Snape rose to his feet, and Harry sat up straight. He got the feeling that not paying attention would be a very bad idea.
He was a compelling speaker. There was no denying that. Harry had liked the look of Potions when he first read through his books over the summer, but the way Snape spoke about it was something else. Snape had a knack for holding a class' attention, and his passion for his subject brought the rather dry pictures painted by the textbook to life.
"Potter."
Harry jumped, startled by the sudden switch to animosity, but Snape didn't give him a chance to adapt, "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Hermione's hand shot into the air, but Harry could only gape. He hadn't been expecting a challenge straight away, and for a horrible moment his mind went completely blank, but then the hours Mo had spent with them the previous night came flooding back.
"Um, a sleeping potion? The, um, the Draught of Living Death," he clarified, when Snape's eyes narrowed.
The Potions Master continued to glare at him, and Harry had a sudden terror that he'd got it wrong, but Ron had relaxed and Tracey was grinning at him from the row in front. Hermione had put her hand down with obvious disappointment, but even as Harry let out a breath Snape's eyes narrowed.
"And where would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?"
That one Harry did remember, mainly for how disgusted Malfoy had looked when he learned it, and he was able to answer more confidently, "The stomach of a goat, sir."
He knew it was right, Zabini and Daphne were nodding along with Tracey, but Snape was still glaring as fiercely as ever. His lip curled as he met Harry's gaze, and for a moment his expression was so reminiscent of Aunt Petunia that Harry had to fight a shudder.
Snape twitched.
Only for a split-second, and so faintly that Harry was sure no-one else had spotted it, but something changed. Harry shook himself, and Snape switched his glare to the Gryffindors.
"Longbottom," he snarled. "What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
Neville's face went white. He stared up at Snape in outright terror, and Harry's stomach clenched in sympathy. Hermione's hand was once again in the air, but Snape continued to ignore her in favour of his new target. Even from across the classroom Harry could see Neville trembling, but before he could work out what to do Zabini leaned over to bump his shoulder against Neville's.
Neville jumped, distracted from Snape's glare, and at Zabini's nod he seemed to find his voice. He mumbled something, and Snape's glower darkened.
"Speak up, boy."
Neville took a shaky breath. "They're-they're the same plant, sir."
Snape blinked. Neville glanced at Zabini, and straightened a little at the other boy's smile. "It's also known as aconite," he said.
Harry looked at Neville with new respect. He hadn't known that one, and he certainly hadn't known that it had yet another name. Judging from the startled faces around him, no one else had expected that from Neville either.
Snape, however, did not look impressed. He glared down at Neville with almost as much venom as he had at Harry, but even as Neville shrank back, Snape turned away with a twitch of his robes.
"I expect you all to maintain these standards."
Harry shivered at the implicit threat, and resolved to study his Potions book until he knew it by heart. The last thing he needed was to give his head of house any more reasons to hate him.
Snape waved his wand and a set of instructions appeared on the board.
"You will be making a potion to cure boils. I trust you can all follow instructions?" He glared down the people who dared nod, and continued, "You should have the required ingredients. Proceed."
Ron immediately started pulling ingredients out of his kit, but Harry caught his arm. "Hang on, we should read it all first, so we know what we're doing. That's what I always do when I'm following a recipe," he added, when Ron frowned at him.
Ron shrugged. "Fair enough." He squinted at the board. "Doesn't look too hard. You want to chop while I measure things?"
Harry relaxed a little as they set about their work. Handling Potions ingredients wasn't that different from food, and as antagonistic though he might be, Snape's instructions were clear and easy to follow. Snape himself paced the classroom, complimenting Malfoy and the other Slytherins and criticising the Gryffindors, but he passed by Harry and Ron without a word.
"He's starting to creep me out," Ron whispered, as Snape once again stalked past them. "Our horned slugs look just as good as Malfoy's."
Harry was opening his mouth to reply when there was a yelp from the front of the class. He looked up in time to see Zabini apologising profusely as he took some porcupine quills from Neville's shaking hand.
"Sorry, Neville, I didn't mean to startle you, but we need to take the cauldron off the heat first-"
"What is going on here?"
Neville jumped, but Harry saw Zabini flinch before it was hidden by his usual polite smile. "Nothing, Professor. We're sorry to disturb the class."
Snape's lip curled. "I expected better of you, Zabini. A point each from Gryffindor for failing to read instructions properly."
Zabini dropped his gaze to the floor. "Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."
Snape snorted and swept on. Ron let out a breath. "Blimey. Doesn't let anything go, does he?"
Harry, who had seen Pansy stop Crabbe and Goyle for making far more stupid mistakes, gritted his teeth. "Not if they're Gryffindors."
"Git," Ron muttered, but he was careful to make sure Snape was out of earshot first.
Harry took a deep breath. The sooner they were done with this the better.
The rest of the class passed without incident. Harry and Ron double-checked every single line of the instructions before they did anything, and their potion ended up more or less the right colour and texture it should be, but Snape didn't even acknowledge them when they brought him a sample. Only once they had fled the classroom did Harry let himself breathe.
"That was different."
"I'll say," Ron growled. "What's his problem?"
Harry shook his head. He didn't know, but somehow he was going to find out.
His attention was diverted though when Neville and Zabini left the classroom. Both looked exhausted, and Harry shook his head as he passed.
"I think I'm glad the Hat didn't put me in Gryffindor."
If Snape treated him this badly as a Slytherin, Harry dreaded to think what he'd have been like in any other circumstances. Zabini caught his eye, and pulled a face.
"Well, that was fun," he said. "Can't wait to do it every week for the next five years."
Harry snorted. "Yeah, that was…" He trailed off with a shrug. Neville shuddered.
"I'm sorry, Blaise," he said miserably. "I did read the instructions, but he made me so nervous."
"It's not your fault," said Zabini, in a tone that suggested he'd said it more than once since the accident. "Other people made mistakes and he didn't snap at them."
"I know I'm not going to be working near Goyle any time soon," said Ron. "He'd have gassed us all if Pansy hadn't been there."
Zabini smirked at him. "Ah well, we survived. Hope there's something good for lunch."
Harry kept an eye on Neville as they made their way up to the Great Hall. Zabini seemed to have shaken off Snape's venom, but Neville was still pale and downcast. Harry wracked his brain for something to take his mind off things.
"How's your toad, Neville?"
Neville blinked. "He's…he's good. I have to keep him out of the shower now."
"You really do," Zabini muttered. "Seamus almost stepped on him yesterday."
"He keeps getting away from me," said Neville with a sigh. "I never knew toads could move that fast."
Ron pulled a face. "I'm lucky Scabbers is so lazy. I'd never be able to catch a rat."
Harry smiled at the image, and Zabini chuckled. "There are easier pets to handle."
"You got that right," Ron muttered. "Hedwig is brilliant." Harry beamed, and Ron glanced at Zabini. "Have you got any pets?"
"No," said Zabini, after a pause. "My mother doesn't like animals." His face twisted into a grimace. "I was hoping to be able to talk her into it, but she's definitely not going to change her mind now that I'm a Gryffindor."
"That's stupid," said Ron hotly. "She's your mum. If mine can accept me as a Slytherin, yours can get over you being a Gryffindor."
Zabini just looked down at his shoes. Harry was desperate to ask why even his mother thought Zabini should have been a Slytherin, but he swallowed the urge down. Zabini didn't look like he wanted to talk about it. Ron's frown deepened, but then they came out into the Entrance Hall and Neville grabbed Zabini's arm.
"We'd better find the others. See you later, Harry, Ron."
"Bye," Harry called, as the pair vanished into the crowds. He stared after them, then turned to Ron. "Okay, what's going on with Zabini?"
Ron ran a hand through his hair. "It's, uh, a bit weird."
"Everything here is a bit weird," said Harry flatly. "Come on, Ron, I can't be the only one who doesn't know."
"The Muggleborns probably don't know either," Ron muttered. "Fine," he added, when Harry glared at him. He thought for a moment. "Okay, does the Muggle world has people that, uh, everyone thinks they're kind of suspicious but no-one's ever accused them of anything?"
Harry frowned, then remembered some of Aunt Petunia's gossip and Uncle Vernon's comments on certain politicians and nodded. "I suppose so."
Ron shifted from foot to foot. "Right," he mumbled. "Thing is, Zabini's mum, she's been married a few times." He paused. "Five times, actually. And every time they die soon after."
Harry put the pieces together and his jaw dropped. "And people think she killed them all?"
It came out a little louder than he had intended, and Ron dragged him over to the side of the room. "Keep your voice down," he hissed. "No one knows for sure, or someone would have done something, but everyone says it's weird that every time she marries someone rich they die and leave her a lot of money."
Harry opened his mouth, then closed it again. His stomach twisted uncomfortably. "So people think that because his mum might have killed people, that he should be a Slytherin?"
Ron dropped his gaze. "Yeah," he mumbled. "Come on, Harry, you know Slytherins have a bad reputation, and even if she's not from here she's rich enough to know Malfoy and all the other pureblood families-"
"That's not the point! Why does everyone think Slytherin is just for evil people?"
Ron gave him a helpless shrug. Harry gritted his teeth. "This is stupid," he fumed. "Malfoy's a git, but everyone else has been fine. I don't know what's going on with Blaise's mum, but Blaise is nice enough." He shook his head. "It's stupid," he finished.
Ron stared at him for a long moment, then ran a hand through his hair. "You're right," he said. "It is." He stared down at his shoes, then took a breath and looked up. "And it's not fair."
Harry's hands clenched into fists. He had spent years being hated for who he was. He wasn't going to spend the next seven years letting people think he was evil. He looked Ron straight in the eye.
"Maybe we can do something about that."
Ron's eyes went very wide. He swallowed hard, then his jaw set and he nodded. "I was going to prove it to Fred anyway. Might as well prove it to everyone."
It took a moment for the words to sink in, and then warmth flooded Harry's chest. "Thank you."
Ron's beaming smile lit up the Entrance Hall. "Any time." He flung an arm around Harry's shoulders. "C'mon. Can't fix the world on an empty stomach."
Harry had to laugh.
Lunch was good, and even better with the knowledge that they were free from classes until Monday. Malfoy had continued to gloat about his performance in Potions, but Harry and Ron both ignored him. So did Daphne; she instead leaned over to talk to Harry.
"Have you spoken to Professor Snape at all, Harry?"
"Nope," said Harry in between bites of his lunch. "Those questions in class were the first time."
Daphne's frown deepened. Tracey looked up from her shepherd's pie. "Are you sure you haven't offended him or something?"
"How can I have offended him when I've never spoken to him?"
The two girls shrugged. Ron washed a mouthful of food down with some pumpkin juice and straightened. "Maybe you could ask Professor McGonagall tomorrow. Bill always said she was really helpful."
"Maybe," said Harry quietly. He had a feeling that talking about his head of house with another teacher wouldn't go down very well. He sighed and turned back to his dinner. "I'll think about it."
Daphne pulled a face, but changed the subject. "Do you have plans for the afternoon?"
"Homework," said Tracey promptly. "I know," she said, when Ron choked on his pie, "but I'd rather get it out the way now than have to do it over the weekend."
Ron shuddered, and Harry grinned. "We're going to visit Hagrid."
"The gamekeeper, Potter? Really?"
"Shut up, Malfoy," said Ron, without looking at him. "He's better company than you."
"You would say that, weasel," Malfoy sneered. "You're used to associating with the servants."
Ron started to lurch upright, face flushing, and Harry caught his arm. "He's not worth it," he said firmly. "Let's just finish eating so we can go and see Hagrid."
Ron glared at Malfoy a moment longer, then sank back onto the bench. Tracey sighed. "You can't let him get to you."
"Easy for you to say," Ron muttered, then caught himself. "Sorry."
Malfoy muttered something that had Crabbe and Goyle breaking into snorts of laughter. Harry just rolled his eyes, and refilled Ron's and Tracey's goblets. Dudley had given him plenty of practice ignoring bullies, even if Malfoy was worse than Dudley had ever been.
They managed to finish lunch without further incident though, and Harry wasted no time dragging Ron out into the grounds. His friend was still fuming, but his mood brightened as they made their way down to Hagrid's hut.
"Charlie really likes Hagrid. Helps that they're both mad about dragons."
Harry snorted. "He said that he wanted one. I'd like to see one."
"Me too," said Ron. "Maybe one day."
Harry smiled, but the closer they got to Hagrid's hut the more he was beginning to worry. Hagrid's words about all the bad witches and wizards who had come from Slytherin rang in his ears. He didn't want to think that Hagrid would turn against him, but having seen how people reacted to Slytherins he and to wonder.
Hagrid had been the first person to openly like him. Harry didn't want that to change.
"Harry?"
Harry blinked, and realised they were standing outside Hagrid's hut. His stomach clenched, but he took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
Almost immediately the sound of barking echoed from inside, and Hagrid's even louder voice sounded through the wood,
"Down, Fang, yer daft thing."
Harry just had time to exchange a bemused look with Ron before the door swung open and Hagrid beamed down at him. "Harry, good t'see yeh."
Relief crashed over him, and Harry smiled back. "You too, Hagrid. This is my friend, Ron."
"Nice to meet you," said Ron. He was staring up at Hagrid with wide eyes, and staggered when Hagrid clapped him lightly on the back.
"Another Weasley, eh? I remember yer brothers. Come in, both o' you."
They entered, and Hagrid waved them to chairs so tall they went both left swinging their feet while he made tea. Fang turned out to be an enormous boar hound that slobbered over both of them before flopping down into a giant basket.
"How are yeh findin' Hogwarts?" Hagrid asked. "Classes all right?"
"It's brilliant," said Harry. "It's a lot to learn, but everyone's been great. Most people anyway," he amended, when Ron snorted.
Hagrid gave him a knowing look as he set down the mugs. "Slytherin, eh? That was somethin' else."
Harry gave a slightly awkward shrug. Next to him, Ron shifted in his chair. Hagrid looked at the two of them, and his smile faded. "Yer both stayin' safe there?"
"They're not all evil," Harry pointed out. "Most of them are fine."
"Maybe now," said Hagrid dubiously. "But you mind the older'uns. Some of those kids..."
He trailed off, shaking his head. Harry thought about saying that he was sure he had more to fear from Snape than any of the students, but Hagrid was already moving on,
"Be careful, Harry. Yer both fine, but a lot of Dark Wizards did come from Slytherin."
"But not all of them," Ron spoke up. "What about Sirius Black?" He shuddered. "He was as Dark as they come."
"Who's Sirius Black?" Harry asked, but before Ron could answer Hagrid abruptly straightened up.
"Death Eater. Real bad'un, but he's safe in Azkaban. Don' you worry about that, Harry."
Harry opened his mouth to ask why he needed to he told not to worry about Black when he was safe in Azkaban, but Hagrid had already turned to Ron. "How's Charlie gettin' on? He ever get to go out t'Romania?"
Ron launched into an excited account of Charlie's successful application, and how much he was enjoying his work, and Harry sat back. Hagrid's reaction had been weird. Plenty of people had been telling him about Death Eaters since he had got to Hogwarts, and no one had shut down like that.
There was something going on. It didn't look like Hagrid was going to tell him, but that was fine. If nothing else, living with the Dursleys had taught Harry patience.
"That was fun."
Harry smiled. Hagrid hadn't said another word about Death Eaters, but the visit had been fun despite that. He and Ron had got on well, and while Hagrid hadn't exactly seemed pleased about their sorting he wasn't against it. It was about as good as Harry could have hoped for.
Neither of them had been able to manage Hagrid's rock cakes though, and both their stomachs were rumbling as they made their way into the Entrance Hall. Harry saw the rest of the first-year Slytherins filing into the Great Hall up ahead, but just as he and Ron made to follow them a voice echoed through the hall.
"Ron."
Ron froze. Harry glanced round and one of the twins came running up. He shot quick look at Ron, but though his friend paled, he managed a nod of greeting.
"George. You all right?"
George nodded. He was quiet for a moment as he looked Ron over, but just as Ron was starting to shift from foot to foot George cleared his throat. "Yeah. Yeah, you?"
Ron shrugged. "Fine."
George nodded again. Harry looked between the two of them. He didn't have siblings, and had no idea what was going on, but neither of them looked like they were having fun. George finally coughed and folded his arms.
"Anyone giving you problems?"
"You mean apart from Fred?"
George flinched, and Ron ducked his head. "Sorry," he muttered, but George shook his head.
"No, it's... Yeah." He bit his lip. "Ron, look, I know I've been a bit of a shitty brother."
He paused. Ron's jaw dropped before he snapped it shut. George gave a weak huff. "Was sort of hoping for a disagreement there. I know," he said, when Ron started to open his mouth, "I've been thinking. Even before all this..."
He broke off shaking his head. Ron still looked like he couldn't believe what he was hearing, but George continued before he could say anything else, "I'm sorry. Percy was right. Don't tell him that," he added quickly. Ron snorted, and George managed a quick grin before his expression turned serious again. "You're my brother. Doesn't matter what house you're in."
Ron's blue eyes were very bright. He tried to speak, coughed, and tried again. "That's... Thanks."
George ruffled his hair quickly and stepped back. "Yeah, well. It's true. I just wanted to make sure you knew."
He started to turn away, then paused. "And I'll get into Fred's thick head one way or another. It just...might take a while."
He vanished into the crowd before Ron could say anything else. Ron stared after him until Harry nudged him.
"Are you okay?"
Ron sniffed. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." He scrubbed a hand over his face, and smiled at Harry. "Thanks, mate."
Harry smiled back. "Any time."
As pleased as he was for his friend though, Harry couldn't keep his thoughts from drifting back to their chat with Hagrid. There was something he wasn't being told about Sirius Black, and Harry was going to find out what.
Thanks for reading! Any feedback would be appreciated.