Hello Everyone! It has been years since I posted or updated on this story but many of you still continue to read it. Thank you! 3

One of the main criticisms of this work was the terrible spelling and grammar. I can only ask that you forgive me, as I was younger and inexperienced and struggling to improve my dyslexia at the time (still working on that one).

Good news though! The amazing Capering Wolf has agreed to beta the entire story and fix all my many mistakes. So everyone send them our love and appreciation. I will be replacing the chapters in batches as they complete them, and who knows maybe this will rekindle my inspiration for this story. (saying that if anyone wants to adopted this neglected baby and give it a good home, please feel free)

For now three Chapter 1 and 2 have been beta'd, so I am keeping the old Chap1-5 up, once all five chapters have been beta'd this will be deleted (sorry for the muddle)

Now please, Enjoy!

Prologue

What they wanted was a savior.

What the public wanted to see was the indestructible Boy-Who-Lived, Gryffindor Golden boy, and all-round brave hero of the light. What the ministry wanted was a scapegoat. Dumbledore had his own expectations for the boy and the weapon he could become. The Weasley family wanted the money and fame coming from being the adopted loving family of the orphaned boy savior. What everyone expected was an arrogant Gryffindor kid with a cocky attitude, loudmouth, and exaggerated hero complex. That's what they wanted.

But people don't always get what they want.

Instead, what they got was a rather shy, quiet, watchful, and reserved eleven-year-old Slytherin.

Safe to say, all their expectations went downhill from there.

"Harry Potter," called Professor McGonagall. She appeared to be a harsh woman, her graying hair drawn back in a tight, high bun and her lips normally pressed into a thin no-nonsense line; she did, however, spare a smile for the student that was the owner of that name. She too was sure of her expectations.

Dumbledore too smiled as he heard the calling of his new pupil. He was sure the boy would open up to him and allow him to guide him in the right direction for what was needed. Another person sitting at the head table reacted in his own way to the name of Harry Potter.

Professor Snape scowled, he had been dreading the time that the brat would come to the school and he would be forced to attempt to teach the boy Potions and to obey the rules. No doubt the boy was the same as his father—arrogant, loud-mouthed, and bent on making his life agony. A sly smile spread across his face as he thought of all the things he could do to punish the boy and get back at his father for the years of torment he had made him suffer at school. Yes, even after all he had seen, done, and learned, he too had his own expectations.

If anyone of the adults at the table would bother to look with unclouded eyes at the boy in question they would see something they weren't expecting. Harry Potter was not at all acting arrogant, and nor did he seem to be basking in the fame of his namesake.

Instead the small boy—for he was small, smaller than all his eleven year old peers and looked to be no more than around eight years old and not on the verge of adolescence—was standing away from the collection of remaining first years waiting to be Sorted and gazing intently down at his feet as he subtly glanced around the hall and gorged everyone's reactions.

The students were all whispering about him so that the Great Hall sounded more like a wasp nest compared to a gathering place for students.

The boy, still with his head down, shuffled across the stone tiles to the stool placed at the center front of the room. Again, if anyone were to look they would have realized that his trainers were far too big, practically falling of his feet, and in a state of disrepair, but people don't see what they don't want too, so again this sign went unnoticed by the hundreds of people watching the boy hop upon the old wooden stool, and have the battered Sorting Hat placed upon his head of untamable raven hair.

"Ah, I was wondering when I would see you here," said the Hat.

"You're . . . you're talking to me, are you in my head? You're just a hat!" Harry shouted in his mind, and to those watching he gave a small, surprised jump but remained sitting on the stall.

"Ha ha, but I'm a very special hat. You'll find that everything's not as it seems around here young Harry . . . now what have we got here, hmmm?"

Glancing up from the floor, Harry could see the expecting faces of all the people around him. The whole hall seemed to be in a state of holding its breath. "They're staring at me."

"Well, yes. You are the Boy-Who-Lived; they are waiting to see what house you'll be in. I have to say it is a difficult decision, you have quite the troublesome mind."

"That's stupid," thought Harry. Hagrid had told him a bit about why he was famous after he got swamped by fans in the Leaky Cauldron. As far as Harry could tell, he was famous and supposedly all-powerful because of something he couldn't even remember doing.

"Sorry," he said to the Hat.

"Hmmm, oh don't worry, young Harry. Now where to place you? I see you have no preferences."

"No, I only found out about the wizarding world two days ago, so . . ."

"What's taking so long?" thought Professor Snape irritably. A few murmurs had broken out among the more impatient students, talking about why the Sorting Hat hadn't decided yet. It never took this long with a student. What was Potter doing, giving his life story?

"Now let's see," continued the Hat. "Well, you don't like the spotlight—that's going to surprise a few—and you're hard working so you could be a Hufflepuff. I also detect a thirst for knowledge and understanding with a strong logical mind though, so maybe Ravenclaw. However, there's plenty of loyalty and bravery there, so a Gryffindor you could be yet. Slytherin qualities are also in you, with the ambition to prove yourself and enough cunning to know people aren't always as they seem. Yes, a very difficult decision. Hmmm?"

Harry stayed quiet during the Hat's ramblings but he wished it would hurry up. None of the other first year students had taken this long and people were beginning to whisper. "Hurry up!"

"In a rush are you? In that case it better be . . .

"SLYTHERIN!"

The young boy was so desperate to escape from the center stage that he simply hopped off the stool as he was far too short for his feet to touch the ground, placed the Hat back upon it with a slight polite nod, and rushed over to his house table. He sat down right on the end of the table with the rest of the first years, but a little away from everyone else. Harry kept his gaze firmly upon the polished wood. It was only after a whole minute when people were still staring, some in open-mouthed shock, that he realized that unlike everyone else, he had not received applause.

Harry Potter was certainly not what people were expecting, but then again, you don't always get what you expect.

XXX

Severus Snape sat slack jawed in shock, not caring if for once people saw his emotions. He wasn't the only one to have their jaw open and lying on the floor. Many of the students as well as a few of the other teachers had similar expressions. Who could blame them though? Harry Potter, Gryffindor Golden boy, was in Slytherin. The staring continued and the boy in question just continued to look down at the table as if it held the secrets of the universe. A clearing of the headmaster's throat brought everyone out of his or her daze.

The students began to whisper frantically, speculating as to what this event could mean. Those near the boy continued to stare and many of the Slytherin table were giving him glances out of the corner of their eyes. Professor Snape regained his composure and put his normal disapproving scowl on his features. Professor McGonagall too, composed herself and continued to call the rest of the students' names for Sorting. Everyone worked on automatic as they clapped for their new housemates and there was only one more Slytherin first year by the name of Blaise Zabini. He gave Potter a long look before sitting opposite him on the table. The raven-haired boy glanced around the room now and then but kept his head bowed.

"Damn brat! Ashamed to be in Slytherin," thought Snape. Dumbledore said his normal speech, telling everyone to have a good year and to stay away from the forbidden forest and third floor corridor before clapping his hands and making the food appear to start the welcoming feast. Severus looked at his fellow colleagues, trying to see how they felt about Potter.

McGonagall was looking on with disappointment, her lips pursed. Probably wanted him to be in her house for the fame. Hagrid was looking at the boy with something close to pity and Snape scoffed at the idea. The last thing the arrogant boy needed was a sympathy vote. Professors Flitwick and Sprout were looking slightly surprised but on the whole seemed to accept the idea, as there was nothing they could do about it and they hadn't been expecting the boy to be in their houses anyway. Dumbledore was frowning and the normal twinkle in his blue eyes wasn't there. He seemed to be disappointed but also suddenly wary when looking at the boy. Hmmm, guess having Potter in Slytherin wasn't what he was expecting of the brat. Probably fearing that the boy would go dark, or some such rubbish. Snape himself was close to the headmaster, and the old man was probably the only one of his colleagues he spoke to regularly, but he knew that the man was meddlesome to the point of being manipulating. He also knew that the headmaster was only human and despite his claims, held the same prejudices against Slytherin that most people had while favoring Gryffindors. Having Potter, someone he was probably hoping to be close to and guide towards the light, suddenly in Slytherin had thrown his view of the boy off.

Overall, everyone's—the teachers and students'—expectations of the Golden Boy had just made a U-turn, for the worse. Harry Potter was not going to have it easy. No doubt many of the students were going to write home about this and then it would get into the papers and the rumor mill would start, resulting in chaos. Those that were related to Death Eaters would be told to watch or hurt the boy and then he would have to defend himself. Others would believe him to be dark and a Death Eater himself, resulting in even more bullying of all forms and more attacks against him. The teachers themselves would abide by their prejudices and too think him dark or beyond hope for being in the house of the snakes. No, Harry Potter definitely wasn't going to have it easy.

Harry Potter was in for hell.