‘They've seen him! Not far from here!'

Harry swallowed his mouthful of porridge and looked up at the source of the yell. Seamus, instead of eating breakfast, was staring at a copy of the Daily Prophet.

‘Who has seen whom?' Harry asked irritatedly.

‘Sirius Black!' said Seamus excitedly, skimming through the article. ‘And here they say: "The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, assured the public yesterday that the Ministry takes the security of the wizarding population very seriously, especially that of underage wizards. That is why extraordinary steps have been taken to protect Hogwarts. However, the Minister did not directly address the question of whether Hogwarts is suspected to be Black's desired target, and, should that be the case, for what reasons the mass murderer would want to go there." ‘

Seamus lowered the newspaper. ‘Well, if you ask me, placing Azkaban's dementors around the school means they must be pretty sure Black's on his way here, but I really wonder what he's after?'

Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged glances. They knew only too well what Black was after. The concerned faces of his two best friends made Harry swallow. A few days had passed since their first Divination lesson and Professor Trelawney's prediction of his death, and he had successfully managed not to think about it too much. Now, however, he couldn't banish the thought any longer. The Grim, he thought, and shuddered.

Seamus wasn't the only student in possession of a newspaper, and the news that Black had been sighted spread quickly. All over the Great Hall sudents excitedly debated Black's possible whereabouts and objectives. It was more than Harry could stand at the moment. He shoved his almost finished plate to the side. ‘Not hungry anymore,' he muttered and got up. Ron and Hermione hesitated only a second before they followed him. They had barely left the Great Hall, when they heard a familiar voice behind them.

‘Hey! Potter!'

Harry spun around. As he had expected, there was Draco Malfoy, flanked as usual by Crabbe and Goyle. ‘What?' Harry asked.

‘So, Potty,' Malfoy drawled, ‘what's your plan? Going to try to find Black yourself?'

‘What are you on about?' Hermione asked sharply. ‘Of course not. Harry's not stupid!'

Draco sneered at her. ‘Don't talk about things you don't know anything about, Granger ... such as honour. Well, I suppose, you cant't really be blamed, it's just a fact that ... Muggles ...' he grimaced as if there was a bad smell in the air ‘lack the necessary pride to understand what a man needs to do.'

For once, Hermione was at a loss of what to say and just stared at Malfy, confused. The blond boy went on.

‘So what about you, Potty? Do you have any pride left in spite of being raised by Muggles? Or are you too scared? I only know, if it was me, I wouldn't hesitate, I'd want revenge!'

‘What are you talking about, Malfoy?' Harry asked sharply.

Draco made no effort whatsoever to hide his glee. ‘You don't know, Potter? You, of all people, don't know? Nobody bothers to tell you things that concern you, do they?'

‘Shut up, Malfoy!' said Ron fiercely.

‘And you, Weasel?'asked Draco mockingly. ‘You're kept just as ignorant as Potter. Daddy doesn't trust you with any adult subjects? Or doesn't he know himself? I wouldn't be surprised, probably every first year Slytherin learns more secrets in our common room than your father is trusted with, given the nobody he is at the ministry!'

Harry and Hermione reacted too late. Before they could hold him back, Ron's fist shot towards Draco's face. Draco's reflexes, however, were excellent, and he quickly jumped to the side so that Ron's punch missed him.

‘Mr Weasley.'

The cold, quiet voice froze Ron, who was just preparing to have a second go at Malfoy, as well as Harry and Hermione, who had been about to draw their wands. Snape, who had just come around the corner, quickly walked over to where they all stood.

‘Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr Weasley, and you should thank Mr Malfoy for his reflexes. Had you not missed him, it would have been twenty and a detention.'

‘He was provoked, Professor,' Hermione protested.

‘Was he really, Miss Granger', Snape said uninterestedly. ‘Your quarrels are your affair, however, your fights are mine. Now go, before I dock any more points!'

They hastened to obey.

Harry found it hard to concentrate during the lessons thar morning. Not only did the news about Sirius Black unsettle him, he had to admit to himself that Draco's words had struck a nerve. Nobody bothers to tell you things that concern you, Draco had said. Yes, it had been in order to rile him up, Harry knew that, but that didn't make it less hurtful, because there was a lot of truth in those words. Yes, Mr Weasley had told him that Black was after him, but he had also told Harry that he wasn't supposed to tell him. Just great, Harry thought bitterly, obviously I am old enough to be the target of a mass murderer, but the ministry, Dumbledore and McGonagall obviously think I'm not old enough to know it.

Ron's mood wasn't one bit better. Harry was sure that his friend was still brooding about the insult Malfoy had thrown at him about his dad. I wouldn't be surprised, probably every first year Slytherin learns more secrets while in our common room than your father is trusted with, given the nobody he is at the ministry! Try as he might, Malfoy's words wouldn't leave Harry's head and he was sure that it was the same for Ron. A plan began to form in his mind...

‘You know what, Ron', he said during the afternoon, while they were sitting together trying to fight their way through the pile of homework that they had.

‘What?' Ron asked, not annoyed in the least about being interrupted while struggling with his essay.

‘You know that git Malfoy, I really want to know what it is that he knows. So I thought, I might sneak into his common room again and listen.'

‘What, you want to use Polyjuice again? But it takes a month to brew and honestly, we were lucky we weren't caught last time when we were transforming back, and that was during Christmas break when the Common Room was almost empty!'

‘No,' said Harry, ‘I don't want to use Polyjuice. I thought I would just use my Cloak and slip in. I mean, this time I don't want to ask a specific question, I just want to listen to the conversations generally. With the article in the Daily Prophet today, they're bound to be talking about Black.'

‘Yes, that could work,' said Ron thoughtfully. ‘Hey, why can't I come with you?'

Harry hesitated. ‘I wish you could, but it would make it a lot harder not to be caught. You see, the room is going to be full and I'll probably need to quickly jump to one side or the other in order not to collide with anybody. We couldn't do that with the two of us under the cloak.'

Ron nodded reluctantly. ‘Yeah, you're probably right. Well then, make sure you get to hear everything they talk about! Maybe you'll even overhear something we can use against Malfoy!'

Hermione interrupted him. ‘You boys cannot be serious!'

‘Why not?' Ron and Harry asked together.

‘You can't do this! First of all, Harry's right, the room is going to be full! He is bound to get caught! And even if he's not, it's just not right, listening secretly to other people's conversations!'

‘Ah, come on Hermione, it's only Malfoy and his thugs,' argued Ron. ‘And you have to admit, he practically invited us with what he said today. Don't you want to know as well what it is that Harry should know about Black? I mean, he's got a right to know!'

‘Oh come on, Ron, Malfoy probably doesn't know anything, he just wanted to rile you up, both of you. You know what he's like. And even if he does know something, doing what you're planning, Harry, is just wrong!'

‘Oho!' said Ron. ‘Who was it last year who had the idea of disguising ourselves as Crabbe, Goyle and Bulstrode and trying to find out things in the Slytherin common room?'

Hermione blushed, but insisted, ‘That was different! We were all threatened by the heir of Slytherin, and Harry was suspected, but this time you are just curious!'

‘Harry is also threatened, by Sirius Black this time.' Ron wasn't convinced in the least by Hermione's arguments. ‘So, mate, when will you do it?'

Harry shrugged. ‘Right after dinner today, I'd say. I think the biggest trouble will be getting through the entrance undetected.'

‘Maybe I can come with you down there,' Ron offered. ‘I could start quarrelling with a few of them and cause a diversion so you can get in.'

Annoyed, Hermione noisily shut her book. ‘Well, you boys just go on and do what you think you should do. But when you are caught, Harry, don't come to me to complain about the number of detentions you'll have to serve with Professor Snape.' With these words she left rather huffily.

Harry and Ron looked at one another. ‘Well, I suppose I really shouldn't get caught', Harry said slowly.

‘You won't', said Ron bracingly. ‘Remember, with your cloak we've been in quite a few tight spots already, and it always went well, didn't it?'

‘Yes, I suppose. The good thing is that nobody knows I've got it, so they can't suspect anything.'

The boys were so pleased and excited with their plan, that it was with a certain reluctance that they finished their homework. Hermione was so annoyed with them that she didn't talk to them all afternoon and throughout dinner.

‘You know,' said Ron, when, after dinner they were hurrying upstairs to get Harry's Invisibility Cloak, ‘she acts like she's our mum or something.'

Harry silently agreed. He hid the cloak under his robe and they both hurried down the stairs and out of the common room, heading towards the dungeons. On their way they walked into a deserted corridor, where after a careful glance around to check if they were really alone, Harry made himself invisible.

‘Okay', Harry said. ‘Let's go. You better go first and I'll be right behind you, so nobody will bump into me when I turn a corner.'

Ron nodded and without any incident they made it to the aisle where they knew from the previous year the Slytherin Common Room was located. Carefully they peered around the corner at the place were they knew the stone door was concealed.

‘Any idea what the current password is?' muttered Ron.

‘No.'

‘Okay,' said Ron with a determined expression. ‘This is what we will do. You go over there and stand in that alcove next to the door, and I'll stay a few steps away from the door and start a discussion with somebody. Hopefully they will leave the door open long enogh for you to pass through.'

‘Good thinking', whispered Harry. ‘Thanks, Ron, I'll go there now.' He quickly went past the entrance to the Slytherin Common room and pressed himself into the small alcove Ron had indicated. He swallowed. His heart was hammering, but he wasn't exactly frightened. Nervous, yes, but the excitement about his adventurous scheme was not a bad feeling at all.

Ron approached the door and looked around. Quick footsteps could be heard and two small boys, presumably first years, entered the corridor from the same direction that Harry and Ron had come. They shot Ron a curious look when they went past him but didn't say anything to him. The smaller of the two took care to speak the passsword in a low voice to make sure Ron couldn't hear it. Harry was much closer to them, but to his disappointment, he didn't understand it either. He could just make out that it was a rather long Latin word.

Ron's timing was perfect. He waited until the door had slid open, but before either of the two had stepped in. ‘Oy!' he called out.

Both turned around. ‘What?' the smaller one asked.

‘Would you two do me a favour?' asked Ron. They both exchanged a surprised glance, but Harry had no time now to follow their conversation. Trying not to cause the slightest noise, he carefully went to the open door and just wanted to step through when the taller of the two Slytherins stepped forward. Hastily Harry avoided him and hurried into the common room, pressing himself against the wall instantly and slowly sneaking sideways.

The first year student called loudly from the door, ‘Malfoy? You're wanted out here by somebody. I think it's a Weasley!'

There was a sudden silence in the common room, when almost everybody looked at Malfoy. Draco, feeling so many eyes upon him, got up with a well practiced nonchalance and walked to the entrance. Harry held his breath, wondering what Ron intended to say to Malfoy and why his friend didn't just leave until it struck him that of course Ron couldn't see him either. Therefore Ron couldn't be sure if Harry had already been able to enter and he was trying to give Harry as much time as possible.

‘What do you want, Weasley?' asked Malfoy coolly. The other Slytherins hadn't left their seats, but they listened intently in order not to miss a word.

‘I just wanted to suggest you look into a mirror, Malfoy,' Harry heard Ron's voice clearly carry through the open door.

‘And why should I do that, Weasley?' Malfoy asked slowly.

‘Oh, I thought that maybe before going to sleep you might want to see the world's greatest git.' Then there was just the sound of somebody running away. Harry almost laughed out loud. Yes, Ron had indeed been brilliant. To his utter surprise he could see several of the Slytherins grinning, too,. The two first years that had opened him the door were positively giggling. Malfoy shot them an icy glare.

‘Very funny', he said trying to appear as if he didn't care at all and, strutting back to the sofa he had vacated earlier he added, ‘must be the Weasley type of humour, well, what do you expect from a bunch of uncouth idiots?'

Harry wanted to punch the prat, but right now he had more pressing matters. The common room door was closing and the two first years were heading towards him. If he didn't want to get caught, he'd better find a safe place soon where nobody was likely to walk into him. And then he could start what he had come for.

Trying not to make the slightest noise, Harry quickly walked to a small alcove that held an old suit of armour. Squeezing himself behind it, he felt he was rather safe at the moment; nobody was going to come here and bump into him. On the other hand it wasn't exactly a strategic position. The students closest to him were some first years who were amusing themselves playing Exploding Snap, making a lot of noise during the process and making it practically impossible for Harry to listen to any other conversations in the room. Harry thought hard. To whom should he listen first? Weren't the oldest students bound to know the most about everything? A small group of older-looking students were sitting around a low round table having an animated discussion. Malfoy on the other hand was with his classmates at the back of the room. Harry decided to start with the older students and then, when he had listened enough to them, proceed on to Malfoy and see what he could find out there.

Carefully he stepped forward and squeezed himself out of the alcove. He was glad that the Slytherin Common room was rather spacious, otherwise it would have been rather difficult to walk between the different low tables and armchairs without being detected. On tiptoes he made his way over to the older students.

‘... so if you can't get shredded gecko skin, why not try with just the skin of an ordinary lizard?'

‘Are you daft, what if we mess up the whole project because of that? Snape will shred our skin!'

‘Oh come on, of course we would experiment on a lower scale first, but sometimes you just have to experiment a  little, where should any progress come from otherwise?'

Disappointed, Harry realized that the heated discussion he had seen from afar and which he had assumed to be of interest for him was just about some potions project, probably for NEWT class. How anybody could discuss potions so animatedly was a mystery to Harry, but maybe the enthusiasm for potions was something that came with being Slytherin.  Be that as it may, he wouldn't find out anything interesting there. So he went over to Malfoy and the others of his year.

Carefully he made his way over to where the blond  boy was sitting. Malfoy was half-stretched on a sofa, Pansy beside him, Zabini and Bulstrode sat in armchairs close by. Another pale boy of his year, whom Harry actually had never spoken to and whose name he thought was Theodore Nott was sitting a bit apart from them at a table, obviously studying. Malfoy had carelessly thrown some of the sofa cushions behind the sofa. That suited Harry fine. He settled behind the sofa on one of the cushions on the floor. Unfortunately he couldn't see the others that way, but it was comfortable and he decided to stay there for a while. Hopefully he would get to hear something more interesting than potions problems.

‘So Draco, already planned your revenge on Weasley?' It must have been Zabini who spoke, as he was the only other boy apart from Malfoy in the group. Harry grinned triumphantly. Yes, this was perfect, now he would learn about Malfoy's plans and Malfoy would be even angrier if his revenge didn't work out... Unfortunately Draco didn't answer.  Zabini, however went on.

‘Too bad, huh, that Greg and Vince are with Snape "to work on their catastrophic academic achievements".' Harry grinned at the accurate imitation of Snape's iritated snarl. ‘If they had come with you to the door, Weasley would have run even faster, I guess.'

‘I couldn't care less' said Malfoy in a bored voice. ‘What does the oak tree care if a pig is scratching his back against his bark?'

A snort - was it from Zabini? - was all that Harry could hear as a reaction. He was diverted by a black cat that had appeared right next to him and leapt up on the back rest of the sofa. From there the cat looked in Harry's direction and as with Mrs Norris, Harry had the horrible feeling that the cat could see through his cloak. Could cats really do that? Harry decided they needed to experiment with Crookshanks. If cats could, what about McGonagall when she was transformed?

In a graceful movement the cat jumped down on the other side of the sofa, out of Harry's sight.

‘Urgh! Bulstrode, your cat is shedding fur all over the place again!' complained Malfoy.

I thought the black fur looked somewhat familiar, thought Harry and chuckled internally, remembering the fur-covered Hermione after she had drunk her dose of Polyjuice potion. I need to tell Hermione that Bulstrode's cat keeps dropping hair!

‘So what? It's normal for a cat to have a change of fur now and then!'

‘But not on me!' said Draco. He got up and leaned over the back rest so that Harry could see him again. He grabbed the black cat at the scruff of its neck. ‘Go shed your hair elsewhere!' With these words he dropped the cat, and it fell on top of Harry before jumping off and disappearing.

Harry's heart hammered fast. Had Draco noticed something? Had he seen that the cat had stopped seemingly in mid-air? Draco's puzzled face showed him that indeed he had noticed something and was trying to figure it out.  Well, Harry wan't going to take any chances, he needed to get away immediately. He quickly got to his feet, noticing too late that he had moved the cushion in the process. But that didn't matter right now. As fast as he could, he zigzagged around the other cushions and decided to get into the safe alcove as soon as possible. He'd have to stay there until everything settled down.

Draco jumped over the armrest. ‘There's something in here!' he exclaimed. The other third years had also got up.

‘Where?' Millicent Bulstrode asked.

‘Here, just behind the sofa, something weird is happening!'

Draco's shout caused students from other years to get up and have a look as well.  For Harry this meant that all of a sudden various students were coming his way. After jumping to the right in order to avoid a small girl, he found himself suddenly in the path of a pudgy boy. Harry made another dodge to the right and decided to jump onto one of the small empty tables in front of him. No sooner said than done! He leapt up onto a table, and when he lost his balance and painfully crashed on his left knee he noticed to his great shock that he had stumbled over the hem of his robe.

‘There's someone on the table! Over there!' somebody shouted.

Before Harry could react he felt somebody snatch the Invvisibility cloak from him.

‘Wow, that is some cloak!' Harry heard someone say in bewildered awe.

 ‘Potter!' yelled Draco, outraged.

‘How the bloody hell did he manage to get in here?' asked a fourth year girl in grudging admiration.

Harry's heart was hammering fast. Yes, he had been discovered, and once Snape found out, he would be in terible trouble. But now he had to get his cloak back and escape with it into the safety of his own common room, he couldn't allow the cloak to fall in the hands of the Slytherins. Knowing them, he didn't doubt they would want to keep it as their trophy.

‘Give that here!'he shouted, jumping off the table and trying to snatch it out of the hand of a fourth year boy.

‘Not so fast, Potter!' Harry felt his arms restrained by someone with more strength than he possessed, and then there was Malfoy in front of him, his facial expression an odd mixture of fury and triumph. ‘Spying on me, were you?' And before Harry could think of anything to say, his world exploded in pain as Malfoy punched him directly in the face.

‘Argh!' With a mighty jerk, Harry managed to get his arms free. Tears had shot into his eyes, and when his right hand flew to his nose, his suspicion was confirmed. Blood was running out of his nose and his upper lip was smarting tremendously. Now Harry's apprehension was joined by fury as well.  ‘You git!' he shouted and launched himself at Malfoy. However, the blond boy easily evaded him, and somebody tripped Harry from behind so that he fell to the floor. Harry balled his fists and jumped up.

‘You can't fight fair, can you, you cowards?' he hissed, wiping over his bloody nose again.

The faces of the crowd around him showed him that his words didn't go over well. He shrank back a bit as Marcus Flint approached him and Harry hastily drew his wand. However, before he could shout a spell, Flint had grabbed his arm and turned it so that, powerless, Harry let go of the wand and it fell to the floor. Flint didn't content himself with merely disarming Harry and gave him a punch that made him double over and gasp for air. He hissed into Harry's ear, ‘Not fair, is it Potter? How fair is it if you come here, invisible?'

Flint's attack caused mixed reactions among the students surrounding Harry, who had up to now been mostly silent observers. The majority seemed a bit put off by Flint's violence, and when one of Flint's classmates muttered, ‘Come on, Marcus, leave the little one alone. He hasn't hurt anyone, after all,' there were numerous nods in agreement. Not from Malfoy, though.

‘Not yet, you mean', the blond boy spat. ‘He's been spying on me, sneaking behind me, behind all of us,' he added, motioning towards his classmates who were standing next to him, shooting angry glares at Harry as well. ‘Who knows what he would have done next? Attack us while we couldn't see him?'

Affirmative muttering followed, and Malfoy and several others advanced threateningly, some of them with their hands balled into fists. Harry swallowed nervously and cursed his situation. He had lost his cloak, his wand and he was surrounded by a whole group of more or less angry Slytherins. Harry had been too often the victim of Dudley and his gang not to know a lost battle when he saw one. He had also been too often the victim of Dudley and his gang not to realize that although the majority of the students surrounding him would be willing to just let him go and would disapprove of him being beaten up, they weren't about to actively help him. So he lowered his head and shielded his face with his arms protectively. Come what may, he knew he would just have to wait the beating out.

‘Stop!' a voice called. Harry winced when a punch connected with his side. ‘Malfoy! I told you to stop!' the voice repeated, even louder. ‘And no, you are not going to use your wands on him! Everybody step back!'

Harry couldn't see the person the voice belonged to, nor was it familiar to him. It was obvious however, that the owner of the voice was used to being obeyed, and in fact, the students seemed to do so. Not without protest, though.

‘Oh come on, he deserves this!' This was Malfoy's voice.

‘That's not for you to decide! I fire-called Professor Snape, he'll be here shortly, and he'll sort him out! All of you step back!‘

Feeling relieved, Harry noticed that they did as they were told.  Somebody stepped close to him and lightly touched his shoulder.

‘Look at me, Potter.'

Harry drew a deep breath. He slowly lowered his arms and looked at the boy standing in front of him. It was a tall boy with brown hair and brown eyes, which were scrutinizing Harry critically. On the breast he wore a silver prefect badge.

‘Are you alright, Potter?' the boy asked coolly.

Harry shrugged. ‘I suppose so', he muttered.

The prefect turned to the group around. ‘You idiots! Just look at him! What do you think Snape'll do to us when he sees him like that! At least you've had the sense not to curse him! If I were you I'd see to it that he looks a bit more presentable when Snape gets here! And now give me his wand and his cloak!'

A girl quietly passed him the two items, while one of the NEWT students pointed his wand at Harry and with a muttered Scourgify made all the blood from his nosebleed disappear. It was Flint who grabbed the cloth off a nearby table, folded it and soaked it with water out of his wand. Wordlessly he gave it to Harry who took it and, not being a novice to nose-bleeding, expertly put it behind his neck. Another Slytherin passed him a hankerchief which he put under his still bleeding nose.

Abruptly the door to the common room opened. Harry didn't need to look to know who had just come in; the silence of everyone around him spoke volumes.

‘Mr Chesterton, you alerted me there was a problem; I am pleased to see you have it under control. What was the matter?' Snape's silky voice made Harry's heart thrum. Oh, he was going to be in so much trouble.

The prefect swallowed. He mutely pointed to Harry.

‘Potter.' Harry shrank under the piercing stare of Snape that took in his still-bleeding nose and the cooling cloth at his neck. A swift flick of a wand made the bleeding stop, another one made the bloody hankerchief and the cloth disappear.

‘He has been assaulted.' The calm statement did not appear to be addressed to anybody in particular.

‘Just roughed up a bit,' Flint muttered, and on Snape's glance he hastily added, ‘Without magic.'

Snape looked at the Prefect. ‘Explain', he said simply.

‘You see, sir, it's like this: Potter managed to sneak into our common room because he has an invisibility cloak. Here it is,' the Prefect said and handed the silvery cloth over to Snape who took and examined it, a sharp crease between his eyes.

‘I don't know what it is that he wanted or how long he was here. Well, somehow he was detected, I didn't see myself how it happened.' He swallowed nervously before he continued, ‘I'm afraid I was rather absorbed in my reading over there,' he vaguely pointed to the other side of the room, ‘so I didn't notice straight away that something was amiss. When I did, I decided to first call you, so I couldn't prevent all the punches. I'm sorry, sir. But really, I don't think it was too bad. And you see, sir, they were just angry.'

Snape's eyes glittered dangerously. ‘There is no need to explain any more. As for Potter,' Harry now actually started shivering as Snape looked at him with undisguised fury, ‘I am sure that once this evening is over his inhospitable reception will be the least of his worries.'

The prefect nodded, not bothering to hide his relief. Snape hadn't finished yet, though. ‘And while I'm dealing with Potter I want all of you to be working on an essay - two feet, I think. First, I want an explanation of the carelessness that allowed Potter to enter, with or without an invisibility cloak, and secondly, describe why several of you were foolish enough to give someone who wronged you the opportunity to present himself as a victim.' The younger Slytherins looked merely upset at the extra work, but some of the older students appeared extremely uncomfortable. The prefect blushed profoundly. He then went to Harry and stretched out his right hand. On his palm lay Harry's wand. ‘Here, Potter, your wand,' he said.

Harry hastily took it and and hesitated. Should he say something to the older boy, who had in a way helped him? But an inner voice told him that it hadn't been out of concern for him, but in fear of Snape's possible retribution. There was no time anyway, because Snape had grabbed his upper arm and pulled him towards the exit of the common room and through the door. He walked with long, angry steps quickly along the corridor, dragging Harry with him.

‘I can walk on my own!' Harry protested loudly. ‘There's no need to pull me!' He tried to yank his arm free of the painful grip of his professor, but his effort just resulted in Snape's fingers tightening.

‘If I were you, Potter, I would stay quiet!' hissed Snape. ‘You are in absolutely no position to argue about anything!'

‘But you're hurting me!' Harry insisted and tried to wriggle free again. Indeed Snape's fingers seemed to be made of steel.

‘And you think I care, Potter?' spat Snape. However, he let go of Harry's arm, but grabbed his robe right behind his neck instead and marched him on.

Harry made a face and rubbed his arm. He hoped they wouldn't meet anybody in the corridors, the position he found himself in was just too embarassing, but in fact he knew better than to argue any more.  So he kept quiet and didn't resist any longer against Snape's shoving. Predictably, their journey ended at the door of Professor McGonagall's office, where Snape knocked once heavily and then, without bothering to wait for an answer, opened the door and shoved Harry inside.

‘Severus Snape!' Mc Gonagall exclaimed in a scandalized voice. She had risen from the chair behind her desk and quickly crossed the distance to where they were standing. ‘What is the meaning of this? I would appreciate it if you let go of Mr Potter immediately!'

‘And I would appreciate it if you finally got this student of yours under control! Potter has outdone himself tonight!' spat Snape and and passed Harry's cloak to her. ‘He has demonstrated clearly that he has no respect whatsoever for any school rules nor about other people's privacy!' He let go of Harry's robe, who hastily took one step to the side. He felt truly horrible, and knew that probably by the time McGonagall finished with him he would be wishing that he still was in the Slytherin common room, even if it meant being on the receiving end of Malfoy's punches.

McGonagall's lips were thinner than Harry had seen them for a long time. She looked from the cloak in her hand to Harry and then to Snape.

‘Explain!' she said curtly - to Snape.

‘Potter used this Invisibility Cloak to sneak into the Slytherin common room to listen to the conversations taking place there!'

Harry felt himself blush as his Head of House looked at him. ‘Is this true, Mr Potter?' she asked sternly. Harry nodded miserably.

‘Well, I'll leave him here with you, while I go to inform the headmaster of Potter's latest escapade', said Snape smoothly. He addressed Harry. ‘I swear, Potter, this time you wil not get away as lightly as you usually do, I will see to that!' He turned on the spot and went towards the door. Before he left, he threw a last pointed remark, ‘I trust I can leave him here and you won't need me to make sure he doesn't cause any more mayhem tonight?' He left before an obviously stunned Professor McGonagall could answer.

Harry flinched at the loud snap of the closing door.

‘Take a seat, Mr Potter', said McGonagall and pointed to a wooden chair in fron of her desk. Harry sat; his teacher didn't, though. Instead she put Harry's cloak on her desk and walked up and down agitatedly in front of Harry for a few moments. Finally she stopped and stared down at him. Her gaze made him shrink in his seat.

‘You have managed to make Professor Snape angrier than I have seen him for decades. He is well known for his cutting remarks, but I cannot remember when I have ever seen him manhandle a student. It's not an achivemnent you should be proud of, Mr Potter.'

‘I'm not', muttered Harry.

‘As you can probably imagine, I am not particularly happy for Severus Snapes to tell me that I do not have my students under control. And I like it even less when all evidence points to the fact that he is right!'

‘I am sorry, Professsor,' whispered Harry and meant it.

‘Sneaking into the Slytherin Common room, listening into other people's conversations while being invisible, sneaking around like a thief! This is despicible behaviour and unworthy of a Gryffndor! I am ashamed of you, Mr Potter!'

Harry felt a huge lump in his throat. He had been in trouble before, but never before had anybody said that what he had done was unworthy of Gryffindor.

‘Just what were you thinking?'

Harry was tempted to tell her about his plan to get to know more about Black, but he found that he was unable to speak. If he started speaking now, he would start to cry, and it was bad enough to have disappointed his head of house as it was, there was no need to appear cowardly as well. He pressed his lips together and looked down at his hands.

McGonagall didn't press the point and sighed. ‘Well, undoubtedly you will have to explain to Professor Dumbledore.' She picked up the cloak and turned it between her hands. Harry, who had looked up at her last words, saw her expression change. The anger faded a little and was replaced by something else - was it interest, or even admiration?

‘Does Professor Dumbledore know that you possess such a cloak?' she asked.

‘Yes, Professor,' Harry managed to choke out. Then he added in a whisper, ‘It belonged to my dad.'

There was a brief silence. Than McGonagall sighed deeply, cautiously folded the cloak and placed it onto Harry's lap. He looked at her questioningly.

‘Yes, I will give you the Invisibility Cloak back - for now. However, if I were you I wouldn't be too sure that Professor Dumbledore won't confiscate it.' She rose. ‘You will go back to your Common Room straight away, Mr Potter, without any detours. Meanwhile I will go and join the headmaster and Professor Snape.' She went to the door and opened it. ‘Off you go.'

Harry mutely nodded and got up from his chair.

‘Will I be expelled?' he asked hoarsely. This thought was unbearable. He had feared expulsion just one week into his first year, when he had disobeyed Madam Hooch, then at the beginning of the second year, when he had arived with the Weasley's flying car, but right now expulsion seemed to him more probable than ever before. He hadn't thought when he had planned his adventure that it was such a despicable thing to do, he hadn't caused anybody any harm, after all, but judging by Snape's and McGonagall's reactions it must have been really bad indeed.

McGonagall's face softened a tiny bit. ‘I doubt it, Mr Potter', she said and Harry breathed a sigh of relief. ‘But you should be aware of the fact that Professor Snape meant it when he said he would see to it that you won't get away lightly. And I have to admit that this time I cannot blame him.' She looked at him encouragingly. ‘However, I will go and join him and Professor Dumbledore now and make sure you won't be eaten alive.'

‘Thank you, professor', Harry whispered and already felt a tiny bit better. With a curt nod McGonagall left for the headmaster's office. While Harry miserably made his way to the common room - his own, this time - he tried to feel some consolation out of the fact that although his head of house was obviously disgusted with him she was still seemingly willing to defend him against Snape.

 

McGonagall knocked shortly on the door to the headmaster's offfice and went in immediately without bothering to wait for an answer.  As was to be expected, Severus Snape was pacing in the office agitatedly while Dumbledore was sitting in his usual chair, a cup of tea in front of him, and seeming to find the situation more amusing than anything else.

‘Ah, Minerva, please do come in and take a seat!' he said and pointed to one of the armchairs in front of his desk. ‘Maybe if you sit down, Severus can be persuaded, too, to cease wearing down both his shoe soles and my carpet.'

Snape shot him a dark look but actually sat down in the seat next to his older colleague, who evenly asked the headmaster,

‘I take it Severus has already filled you in?'

‘Indeed he has', said Dumbledore and leaned back comfortably.

Snape sneered at his Gryffindor colleague. ‘So what about Potter? Is he in his Common Room where he belongs? Or do we have to expect more escapades from him tonight?'

McGonagall didn't deign to answer this. Instead she just looked at Dumbledore and spoke as if she hadn't heard Snape's outburst, ‘Yes, thank you, Albus, I would like a cup as well.'

The Headmaster's eyes were twinkling as he filled a cup and let it float over to his colleague.

‘So,' he said, ‘I take it you have spoken to Harry; what did he say?'

‘That he was sorry. Though I have to admit when he didn't answer at once when asked about his motivation I didn't insist. Knowing Severus and his relationship with Mr Potter,' she glared at her younger colleague and he glared back, ‘I had no doubt that you would have to talk to him anyway, so I thought I'd leave it up to you to find out his motives.'

‘Motives!' Snape exploded. ‘I keep hearing "motives"! I couldn't care less about his motives! I demand an exemplary punishment!'

‘Severus would you please calm down!' Minerva snapped. ‘Yes, Mr Potter has broken school rules today. Yes, he deserves punishment. But you are missing all sense of proportion right now! After all, he hasn't done any harm. It was just a harmless prank.'

‘A harmless prank', Snape repeated sarcastically. ‘I can only imagine your tirades if the roles were reversed and a Slytherin, say Malfoy, had sneaked into the Gryffindor Common room and spied on Potter. Then of course it would have been a vicious and underhanded attack on your precious Gryffindors. Sense of proportion, you said! Are you sure you aren't applying  double standards here?'

‘You're being ridiculous!'

‘Am I really? What I see is that whenever a Gryffindor breaks a rule it is a harmless prank, whereas when a Slytherin does the same thing, the worst motives are assigned!'

This was more than Minerva was willing to hear. 'Severus Snape. I will not sit here and let you tell me that I am biased and treat the students unfairly, favouring my own house! Coming from you that is a bit rich!'

Dumbledore cleared his throat. 'If you'd allow me to say something...' Two pairs of eyes turned to him. His two colleagues had almost forgotten that he was there, so immersed had they been in their argument. Both nodded stiffly, altough a bit sheepishly.

‘Thank you,' the old wizard said evenly. ‘I see your point, Severus, and agree that it is very unfortunate that there exist wide-spread prejudices against Slytherins. Having been a Gryffindor I am well aware that I sometimes have to struggle to act unbiased myself. However, I think that Minerva is above reproach when it comes to the question how she treats the students.'

Snape inclined his head. ‘I apologize.'

‘Accepted,' Minerva said crisply.

‘Very well,' Dumbledore continued. ‘Perhaps we can now get back to our original topic of Harry's actions and what response we should make. Let me summarize the facts: Harry was out of his common room after hours. He went into the Slytherin common room, where he has no business to be, and he was invisible. While the first two issues might each warrant a detention, the third is quite a different matter. So what kind of punishment do you have in mind, Severus?'

‘It all sounds very well when you put it like that, Albus. But you are missing that he was spying on his classmates, and he was doing it at the place where they are meant to be most comfortable. It is one thing when the Weasley twins try to sneak in to see if they can manage it. It is quite another to use a powerful magical artefact to conceal oneself in such a despicable way! I will not permit everyone to think that Slytherins are a suspicious lot and so there is no harm in spying on us!' Snape finished angrily, quite oblivious to the irony of his complaining about someone else's spying activities.

Dumbledore nodded. ‘Which brings us back to the omnipresent prejudices the members of different houses have against each other. I see your point, Severus, but please don't forget that these prejudices are not Harry's fault. He is thirteen after all, and he is a product of his environment. Alas, Harry's attitude is not that unusual, as you yourself point out. He needs our understanding.'

‘What Potter needs is a much tighter rein!' Snape snapped.

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. ‘Maybe, Severus. Maybe he does. However, I ask you to see what he did merely as a rash idea from an immature boy. Well, I have an idea what we can do so that this evening's little episode has a positive impact on Harry - and perhaps quite a few others.'

He looked through twinkling eyes at his two colleagues who silently waited for him to proceed. ‘I think we should tranfer Harry - for a limited time of course - to Slytherin.'

‘What!!' Both McGonagall and Snape leapt to their feet simultaneously.

McGonagall was the first to find her voice. ‘And what is the sense behind that? You kept saying that Mr Potter is acting like any boy of his age, yet in the same breath you suggest that he has forfeited his place in Gryffindor? And what good shall it do, separating him from his friends? Do you want to make him completely miserable? And what is the point of all this anyway? Is it simply to throw Severus a bone so that as Harry's new head of house he can finally punish Mr Potter as he sees fit?'

‘Oh please!' Snape scoffed. ‘I can well live without this kind of favour! I honestly hope that I misunderstood you, Albus, for if I didn't, you just delivered he biggest insult that I have heard for many years. Are you meaning to tell me that you consider it to be a punishment to be in Slytherin, as something inferior to Gryffindor? What do you think that kind of message would send to the students?'

‘I agree with you, Severus,' McGonagall said, looking reproachfully at the headmaster.' Each house has its own merits, and it is an old and good tradition to sort the students according to their personality into the house where they would fit best.'

Dumbledore pensievely shook his head. ‘An old tradition, yes, Minerva, but whether it is good I sometimes have my doubts. I often think we sort too soon, but at the moment that is neither here nor there.' His gaze wandered to Severus before he continued. ‘But perhaps it will set your minds at ease if I tell you that the sorting hat indeed put Harry into Gryffindor, but only after Harry had talked it out of placing him in Slytherin, which, as Harry told me himself was the hat's original idea.'

A tense silence followed, eventually broken by Minerva.

‘He is a Parselmouth', she admitted thoughtfully, ‘so it makes sense in a way. But the rest of him is a Gryffindor, if there ever was one! And even if he was not,' she added vehemently, ‘what good would it do to make him change houses now? He is happy in Gryffindor!'

‘I agree with Minerva, albeit for different reasons. I have my house to consider. Potter wouldn't fit in and is likely to cause utter chaos. I fail to see what "positive effects", as you put it, you expect to see, Albus,' said Snape.

‘I am glad you asked, because I was going to come to that now.' Dumbledore looked at them over the rim of his glasses. ‘The relationships between members of the four different houses is not always ideal, and I think you will both agree that between Slytherin and Gryffindor it's the worst. So I believe if Harry succeeds in making friends in both houses, this may be the start for a great improvement. And why shouldn't he? The sorting hat told him he would do well in Slytherin, so I have no cause to believe the opposite. And there is no denying he has shown interest in Slytherin, so we might well grant him his wish  and let him learn more about life in Slytherin.'

McGonagall was far from convinced.  ‘Albus, stop being so hypocritical! "Grant him his wish  and let him learn more about life in Slytherin", indeed! You know as well as I do that even though Mr Potter was undoubtedly curious tonight, it was not about life in Slytherin but surely about something specific about his classmates! Or maybe it was just the preparation of some silly prank.'

She took a deep breath and continued in a sharp tone.  ‘What you say about this theoretical, for lack of a better word, "internship" in Slytherin being a means to improve inter-house relations, well, I suppose it might work. It might not. But even if it did, it's not fair to Harry to use him as a tool, without taking his personal interests into account. For goodness sake, he is a mere boy, not some sort of ambassador!'

Dumbledore raised his hands to stop her agitated speech. His face had become sombre and his eyes had lost their twinkling.

‘Yes, Minerva, you are correct that he is not some sort of ambassador, but no, as much as it pains me to say this, he is not a mere boy. You both know that I am convinced that Voldemort shall return, and when he comes back, Harry will be his most important target. And in those dark days, Harry will need all the allies he can possibly have. Severus, you know as well as I do that when the day comes that Voldemort returns, many of your house will be tempted - or perhaps pressured - to follow him. If even one of them has befriended Harry and consequently reconsiders his choices, I shall think this experiment has been worth while.'

A heavy silence followed his words. Snape and McGonagall looked at one another uncertainly.

‘So,' MacGonagall asked slowly and reproachfully, ‘this plan of yours actually has nothing to do with what Harrry did today, does it? You wanted to do this anyway!'

‘The idea had entered my mind,' Dumbledore admitted, ‘but I wouldn't have done it without tonight's events. I have to admit that I am quite pleased that Harry has given me the pretext to implement my idea.  And don't look at me like that, Minerva. Harry will be fine. I repeat, the sorting hat told him he would do well in Slytherin.'

Snape's voice was hardly more than a whisper. ‘Whatever options the sorting hat may have debated with the boy, its final decision was Gryffindor. I still think it's a disastrous idea to overrule the hat on the only issue of its authority and self-righteously place this defiant, unruly and stubborn boy into my house! You cannot - '

Dumbledore interrupted him. ‘As for stubborn, I can only say that if he were less stubborn you would have had him in your house for the past two years. And as for unruly, well, you said yourself that he needed a tighter rein. So this is your chance, isn't it? To take him in hand yourself?'

‘How tempting, Albus.' Snape said drily. ‘Knowing you, I assume that continuing this discussion is pointless and you have already decided?'

Dumbledore made an apologetic gesture. ‘Yes, I have, although I still hope that I might actually convince you of my idea's merit...'

‘Well Albus, since you have so many good ideas, maybe you could suggest what I should tell my students,' Snape said coolly. ‘I promised I would see to it that Potter was punished. So what am I supposed to say, "The headmaster has decided that being with you is Potter's punishment ?" ‘

Dumbledore chuckled. ‘Well, Severus, maybe you should show a bit more tact. Why can't you say that I considered the blows that Harry received from your outraged students sufficient punishment? As for Harry changing house, blame it all on me, say I was thrilled by Harry's interest and and thought that as the first Parselmouth at Hogwarts in fifty years I thought he should be given the chance to experience Salazar's house. You have such a good relationship with the members of your house, Severus, I am sure you'll find the right words.'

‘Well, thank you so much, Albus', said Snape sarcastically.

Dumbledore turned to the Gryffindore head of house. ‘So when do you plan on telling Harry?' he asked.

‘Not at all!' she said, her lips in a thin line. ‘This is your idea, and I still think it's not one of your better ones, so you'll tell him yourself!'

Dumbledore nodded. ‘Fair enough. Well, tomorrow after breakfast then, no need to let him stew in anticipation any longer than necessary. Is there anything else we need to talk about tonight?'

‘Yes', said Snape slowly. ‘You said a "limited time". What length are you contemplating? If you plan for Potter to befriend people we cannot be talking about a fortnight.'

‘No', Dumbledore agreed. ‘But we don't have to decide this now, do we? I'd suggest Harrry starts the day after tomorrrow, Sunday, after dinner.'

‘Then I want to make one thing clear.' Snape looked intently first at Dumbledore, then at McGonagall. ‘If I accept him in my house, he will be a regulat member there, with all rights and duties pertaining thereto. I will not have someone with special status in my house.'

Dumbledore nodded approvingly. ‘I would not expect anything different from you, Severus.'

‘Invictus', Harry muttered miserably as he stood in front of the entrance to the Gryffindor common room and gave the current password.

The Fat Lady gave him a teasing smile. ‘You don't exactly look it, my dear', she said and swung open.

Harry felt too depressed to care about replying, and just mutely climbed through. Inside, he started looking for Ron. Although he wasn't so keen on meeting Hermione, he felt it would be good to share what had happened to him with Ron. His best friend would without any doubt be an interested and compassionate listener. He spotted Ron almost at once, he was watching a wizard's chess match between Seamus and Dean. Hermione was studying at a table nearby. Hesitantly Harry approached the table with the chess-board. When Ron saw him, he opened his mouth to ask the obvious question but Harry mutely motioned with his head to a group of deserted armchairs further away from Hermione.

‘You were caught,' Ron said immediately after they had settled down. Harry nodded miserably.

‘So what happened? Did they beat you up when they discovered you?'

‘Yeah, a bit', Harry admitted and unconciously rubbed the place where Flint had punched him. ‘Well, not all of them, mainly Malfoy and Flint.'

‘Gits', said Ron vehemently. ‘So, are you still hurting?'

Harry shook his head. ‘The prefect stopped them pretty soon, and he called Snape as well. Boy, Snape was livid. I'm in so much trouble.'

‘Well, I told you so.' Both boys flinched when they heard the self-satisfied voice behind them. Hermione was standing behind them with the hands on her hips, her school things lying abandoned at the table she had just left. ‘It serves you right.'

‘Well, thank you so much', snapped Harry. ‘This is just what I need right now.'

Hermione was about to snap back, but Ron, trying to ease the athmosphere, quickly interrupted. ‘What about your cloak, have you still got it?'

Harry nodded. ‘Well, that's something,' said Ron bracingly.

‘Yeah, but McGonagall said it might still be confiscated.'

‘Why McGonagall?' asked Ron confusedly. ‘Did Snape drag you over to her?'

‘Yes, and then he left in order to speak with Dumbledore. I still don't know what's going to happen to me.' Harry felt rather sick when he said that.

Hermione couldn't hold back any longer. ‘Well, what do you expect? I told you right from the beginning that you shouldn't do it! Why can't you ever listen to me?'

‘Will you finally leave him alone?' asked Ron angrily. ‘What are you, our Mum or what? Yes, Harry got caught, I hope you're happy! But do you really think that after Snape dragged him off to McGonagall Harry needs you to lecture him some more?'

‘Oho!' exclaimed two voices simultaneously and Harry groaned when he saw that Fred and George had been attracted by Ron's heated exclamation.

‘What do mine ears detect?'asked Fred interestedly. ‘Has Harry landed himself into trouble involving both Snape and our esteemed Head of House? Do enlighten us! What did you do?'

‘Just leave me alone,' muttered Harry.

‘Oh come one, Harry. Don't be such a kill-joy, you can tell us!' said George. ‘You probably should have told us beforehand in order to benefit from our vast experience, maybe you wouldn't have got caught then!'

Harry sighed. He could see that they were not going to leave him alone so easily. ‘Okay, if you have to know... I sneaked into the Slytherin Common room, invisible... and I was caught.'

‘How did you make yourself invisible?' asked Fred interestedly.

Harry hesitated. He hadn't spoken about his cloak except to Ron and Hermione so far, but seeing that all the Slytherins now knew that he had one there seemed nothing to lose by telling Fred and George. ‘I have an Invisibility Cloak', he said.

Georg whistled. ‘Bloody hell,' he said, obviously impressed. ‘Well, I have to say it's too bad you got caught, but it's still an inspired idea!'

‘Wicked!' Fred agreed.

Harry drew a grimace. For the twins it was all fun to talk like that, it wasn't they who had been caught. Still their demeanour made him feel a bit better. He was still in as much trouble as before, but seeing that the Weasley twins obviously thought of what he did as a brilliant prank made him feel much less ashamed than he had in McGonagalls office.

‘Any chance we might borrow that cloak of yours once in a while?' asked George, his eyes gleaming.

Harry bit his lip. ‘Erm..., sorry but I'd rather not... You see, if it gets confiscated... well, it probably will be now, anyway...' He swallowed audibly before he added softly,'You know, it was my dad's... ‘

An uncomfortable silence followed, then George muttered, ‘Sure Harry, no problem, I understand. Never mind, we've been doing fine so far without it, haven't we, Fred?'

Fred nodded, grinning. ‘Anyway, you obviously need to work a bit on your technique, Harry, in order not to get caught, but we have high hopes for you! Well done!'

Both of them hit him on his shoulder. Half pleased, half exasperated Harry tried to catch Ron's eye and didn't miss the slightly strained look on his best friend's face.

‘Ron helped me to get in,' he blurted out.

‘Good on you, little brother!' said Fred and George together and hit Ron on the shoulder as well. ‘Glad to see you follow in our footsteps!'

Ron looked pleased, Hermione irritated. With a last angry look at the four boys she went back to her table and ostentatiously put a book in front of her face.

Fred and George left as well and joined Lee Jordan in a corner. Harry had no doubt that they couldn't wait to fill him in.

Ron looked at Harry uncertainly. ‘Did the Slytheins guess that I helped you and tell Snape?' he asked worriedly.

‘No, not yet at least', said Harry. ‘Don't worry, I won't tell.'

Ron nodded and muttered, ‘It's a bit unfair though, if only you get into trouble even though I helped you.'

Harry shrugged. Then a thought came to him. ‘Snape set them all an essay, on how it was possible that I could enter undetected.... I wonder if your name will come up in one of those essays...'

Both looked at one another helplessly. ‘Well, we'll have to see what happens, won't we?' said Ron at last. ‘Come on, let's find someone for Exploding Snap, so that we get to think about something else.'

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘Mr Potter, a moment please.'

It was the next morning, a Saturday. Harry, just having finished his breakfast looked up resignedly and, as he had expected, found his Head of House looking at him. To his surprise, McGonagall looked more sad than angry.

‘Yes, Professor? he said.

‘You are to report to Professor Dumbledore in half an hour', she said and Harry felt his stomach contract.

‘Please, Professor, can you tell me, what did he say yesterday? What is he going to do to me?' he asked nervously.

McGonagall's mouth was a thin line. ‘I'll leave it up to him to tell you, Mr Potter. The password is "marshmallow".' She gave him a curt nod and hurried off.

Harry looked nervously at Ron and Hermione. Hermione seemed to have forgiven them their prank and now seemed intent of avoiding a quarrel like the evening before. She tried to show a bit of moral support.

‘It won't be so bad, Harry,' she said. ‘I mean, he will certainly punish you, he has to after all, since Snape went to see him about you, but I'm sure he won't be unreasonable.'

Ron nodded encouraging. ‘Yeah mate, I mean, he likes you, doesn't he? It can't be that bad.'

Harry nodded and tried to tell himself that his friends were right. Still his heart was beating like mad when he, after giving the password, went up in the spiral staircase and knocked at the headmaster's door.

‘Enter,' he heard Dumbledore's voice from inside. Gathering all his courage he opened the door.

‘Harry,' the headmaster greeted him, ‘come in and take a seat.'

‘Thank you, sir,' Harry muttered and sat on a wooden chair in front of Dumbledore's desk, looking intently at the polished wooden surfaced desk's pattern, as though fascinated by it. He hated showing such weakness, but looking at Dumbledore proved even harder than anticipated.The old wizard settled behind his desk and leaned back comfortably. ‘From what I've heard, you had a little adventure involving Slytherin house last night', he stated simply. Harry wiped his moist hands on his thighs and glanced at Dumbledore's face, relieved to find that it didn't look too stern.

‘Yes, sir. I'm sorry.'

‘I take it that the Slytherin students weren't too pleased to discover you hiding in their common room, listening to their conversations.'

‘No, sir', Harry whispered.

‘Would you care to tell me what motivitated you to carry out such a scheme?'

‘Well....' Somehow, sitting there in front of Dumbledore the plan didn't seem as logical as it had the day before. ‘I just wanted to find out... things.' He didn't want to go into details about Sirius Black; he didn't want Dumbledore to think that he was scared. After all, he had heard from Mr Weasley that a lot of grown up wizards - and Harry suspected Dumbledore to be among them -  did not want him to know that Black was after him.

‘Could you be a bit more specific?'

Harry flinched and decided to tell a part of the truth. ‘Well, Sir, yesterday Malfoy was bragging about how people in Slytherin know about lots of things we Gryffindors have no clue about so I guess I was just curious and wanted to find out more... I'm sorry. I know now it wasn't a good idea.'

‘And was your curiosity satisfied?'

Harry mutely shook his head.

‘Too bad, isn't it?' said Dumbledore with a small smile. ‘I can imagine you are a little disappointed. But you should get a little comfort by the thought that Professor Snape's timely arrival prevented you from suffering some painful ... retribution from some of the more, let's say hot-headed, Slytherins.' His blue eyes twinkled. ‘And I, of course, am very glad about that as well,' he added, his smile widening.

Harry was perplexed. Up to now, he hadn't heard a single word of reprimand. ‘But, sir, aren't you angry with me?' he stammered.

‘No, Harry. From what I understand you were curious about your Slytherin classmates. Curiosity is not a sin, Harry, however, we all need to learn to master it, and not let it master us. If we let the latter happen, and violate other people's privacy, we mustn't be surprised if those other people feel hurt and angry. The common rooms are supposed to be places where people can feel at ease and secure - in other words, at home. Naturally a violation of that privacy as you committed yesterday destroys that sense of security. I don't have to tell you, I think, that the Slytherins are more than a little angry and that Professor Snape has demanded a fairly severe consequence.'

Harry swallowed. Of course he hadn't expected anything else from the man, given their mutual dislike, but to hear the Headmaster casually talk about it was much more unsettling. He wanted to ask Dumbledore what they had decided but couldn't bring himself to get out more than a timid, ‘Sir?'

‘As I said, Harry, I am not really upset with you. In fact, I find your desire to learn more about your Slytherin schoolmates to be something positive. The means you chose left a bit to be desired, but I'm certain you have realized that yourself by now. So I have decided on doing something unorthodox, entirely unprecedented in fact, but something that will both satisfy your unquenched curiosity and Professor Snape's desire for, as he put it, "a tighter rein over you".'

Harry's heart was hammering. A tighter rein, that didn't sound good at all. Why couldn't Dumbledore just get on with it?

‘So, Harry, I have decided that from Sunday night onwards, you will, for a limited time, be a member of Slytherin house.'

‘What!' Harry didn't even notice that he had jumped up from his chair and had yelled out in his shock. ‘You can't do that!"

‘Harry!'

The Headmaster's voice finally penetrated his shouting, and Harry blinked, noticing that Dumbledore had conjured a pair of large and fuzzy earmuffs for himself.

‘Please take your seat again and try to calm down,' Dumbledore twinkled at him, removing the brightly coloured earmuffs.

A bit shamefaced (and quite relieved that the headmaster seemed to view his outburst as amusing rather than insulting), Harry sat down. In fact he rather let himself fall on the seat even as he repeated in a softer voice, ‘Please, sir - you can't do this!'

‘Why not?' asked Dumbledore calmly.

'The sorting hat put me in Gryffindor!' Harry insisted. 

‘Only after it tried to put you in Slytherin. It felt you would have done well there - you told me so yourself.'

‘But - but you said that our choices define what we are far more than our abilities do. You said that to me only just before the holidays!' Harry couldn't believe what was happening.

‘Yes, Harry, I know I said that, and I have to say that I am glad to hear that you remember my words so well.  Yes, Harry, our choices define us, but our choices depend on what information we have. If we don't know what our options imply, it is hard to make a wise choice. Your choice not to go to Slytherin was based on what knowledge, Harry?'

Harry forced himself to think. ‘I knew that Voldemort had been there, and all the other dark wizards.'

‘You see? That information is only partly true. Voldemort indeed was a Slytherin, but not all dark wizards come from Slytherin. And the reverse is even less true: you cannot say that every Slytherin is a Dark Wizard in the making. If it were like this, Harry, wouldn't that mean we should just expel all the Slytherins right after the sorting, thereby barring Dark wizards from further education and solving all our problems?'

Harry blinked. He had to admit to himself that this wouldn't make sense. But he wouldn't give in so easily.  'But you said last year that I was a true Gryffindor, or I couldn't have pulled Gryffindor's sword out of the hat!'

‘And I am not denying it now,' the headmaster replied calmly. ‘However, the sorting hat is never wrong. If it told you you would do well in Slytherin, too, then I have no reason to doubt it and I think you will benefit from the experience - and not only you but the Slytherins as well. And isn't this what you wanted? A closer look at the Slytherin House?' Dumbledore asked with a wicked twinkle in his eye.

Harry gulped. That's what came from telling the headmaster half-truths.

It was clear to Harry that he wouldn't manage to talk the older wizard out of his idea by citing the sorting hat's authourity. So he tried another tactic.

‘But Professor McGonagall...' He trailed off uncertainly. He had meant to say that she wouldn't allow him to leave her house, but then realized that she surely had already spoken with the headmaster. But if that was the case, where was she? Why wasn't she there, arguing? Did her absence mean that she agreed with the decision and didn't consider herself his Head of House any more? Didn't she want to have anything more to do with him now? Her words "Unworthy of Gryffindor" rang in his mind.  ‘Never mind,' he whispered and lowered his head. He could feel tears building at the back of his eyes and didn't want Dumbledore to see them.

‘Professor McGonagall is not in favour of my plan,' Dumbledore said gently and Harry raised his head, feeling hope flickering up again. ‘However I am the headmaster and thus she has to put up with my decision.' Harry‘s hope that McGonagall might somehow prevent Dumbledore's plan from being put into action disappeared, however it was good to know that she was still on his side. 

The old wizard continued, ‘Your head of house is very upset to lose you, even if it is for only a limited period of time. And', he smiled at Harry, ‘I am sure that it is not just because Gryffindor will temporarily lose a brilliant Quidditch player.'

Harry bit his lip. He had been so shocked about this mad plan that it hadn't even occured to him that this would mean that he couldn't play Quidditch in the near future. After all, the Slytherins would never let him play on their team - not that he would do so, even if they begged him, he told himself hastily. This was all so awful and he cursed Dumbledore for his horrible idea. He even wished that Snape hadn't arrived in the Slytherin Common Room so soon. Yes, the Slytherins might have beaten him mercilessly, but he was sure that if he had turned up full of bruises, nobody, not even the Headmaster, would have ever considered throwing him back into the snakepit. Yes, this was the worst punishment ever and he was pretty sure he couldn't get out of it.

He briefly considered arguing that Professor Snape would be even more upset than Professor McGonagall and surely wouldn't welcome him into his house, but if McGonagall had had to cave in to the headmaster, Snape would too. And, would he even want to object, Harry asked himself. Maybe Snape was pleased at the thought of having more control over Harry now, and that much more opportunity to make him miserable. Harry swallowed hard. This was going to be hell.

‘Erm, how long is this going to be for?' he asked tentatively.

‘To be honest, I don't know yet, Harry. Maybe for a month, maybe for the rest of the school year, I will decide on that later.'

Harry stared at him openmouthed. For the rest of the school year? He groaned aloud. "Please sir, can't you just tell me what I need to do to earn back my position as a Gryffindor?"

Dumbledore sighed. "Harry, being a Gryffindor is no better than being a Slytherin - it is merely different. And now you will have something no one else in the history of Hogwarts has had: the opportunity to experience life as a member of two Houses."

Harry just looked at him. Dumbledore could say whatever he wanted, but Harry knew perfectly well that his life was as good as over.

The headmaster shook his head. ‘I know you will need some time to get used to the thought. You may go now. You will receive a note from me shortly which shall give some more detail.'

Harry nodded mutely and stood up. Should he plead with Dumbledore, beg him not to do this, promise to...? A look into the old man's face showed he needn't even try. The headmaster's expression was friendly yet determined. Sighing, Harry made his way to the door.

‘And Harry,' Dumbledore added, his voice kind, ‘please try to see this not as a punishment, but as a challenge and as an experience.'

‘A challenge,' Harry repeated tonelessly and muttered, ‘It will definitely be a challenge to get out of this alive.' When he realized that he had spoken his thoughts aloud, his eyes nervously sought Dumbledore's, and he was relieved when he found that the old wizard was chuckling.

Dumbledore gave him a smile that was probably meant to be reassuring. ‘You will see, Harry. It won't be as bad as you think.'

Harry dubiously shook his head and left without a further word.

‘You must be bloody joking!' Ron stared at Harry open-mouthed. Hermione didn't say anything just yet, but her face betrayed utter shock as well. The three of them were sitting in a corner in the Common room which, due to the good weather on this bright Saturday morning was almost deserted.

‘I wish I was', said Harry miserably. He had just told them that Dumbledore had decided to make him leave Gryffindor for the near future. ‘I can't believe he's separating me from all of my friends.'

Hermione placed her hand on his arm. ‘We'll still be around, Harry,'  she said. ‘True, we won't have all our classes together any more, and you'll have to be in another Common room in the evenings, but we can still study together in the library or be together outside....'

Harry nodded mutely.

‘I always knew Dumbledore was off his rocker, but this...' Ron shook his head. ‘He's never punished anyone this harshly! Even the twins... I mean if they had been resorted everytime they were caught in a prank, they'd have rotated through all the houses five times already!'

Harry snorted. ‘Do you know what Dumbledore said to me?' he asked his friends bitterly. ‘He said I should try to see this not as a punishment but as a challenge, and he said I had the unique chance to get to know two houses.'

‘That's mental!' Ron burst out.

Hermione was looking thoughtful, though. ‘You know, Harry, maybe it would make you feel better if you tried to see it like that. I mean, you can't help it anyway. So just pretend you are participating in a student exchange programme.'

‘A what?' asked Ron.

‘Muggles have this at school', Hermione explained. ‘It's done between different countries. Students leave their school for a term or a year and go to school in another country. It's supposed to help them to learn a different language and get to know the other culture and customs.'

‘Culture and customs,' Ron repeated sarcastically, ‘well, Slytherin surely will be like another country.'

‘It might be interesting', said Hermione. She blushed when she saw the accusing stares of her two friends and said hesitantly, ‘Well, you probably don't understand it, because for you the sorting was clear without ambiguity, but for me...' She took a deep breath, gathering her courage, then continued bravely, ‘I came very close to not being a Gryffindor. You know, the hat wanted to put me in Ravenclaw at first and then ... well, it decided otherwise in the end. And yes, I am glad that I‘m in Gryffindor, but I still wonder sometimes how it would have been otherwise... Would we still have been friends? Sometimes I think about what I'd be like if the hat had decided differently...'

Ron looked at her uncertainly, struggling for words. ‘Okay, but Ravenclaw is one thing, Slytherin quite another! And you are the best student of our year, so no wonder the hat considered Ravenclaw. But with Harry it's completely different!'

Harry shifted uncomfortably in is seat. Now, if ever, was the time to tell his friends about the dialogue he had had with the sorting hat two years ago. But did he want to share this with his friends? He hadn't told them the year before, when there was all the talk about him being the heir of Slytherin. Hermione had just been very open with them, but could he do the same? Would he lose Ron's support, considering the redhead had never hidden his contempt for all things Slytherin? What would he say, when Harry was no longer a mere victim of Dumbledore's mad idea, but someone that truly belonged in the house of the Snakes? He decided not to say anything.

‘Well, he's a Parselmouth at least', said Hermione. ‘I bet the other Slytherins will be really jealous, Harry!'

Harry winced at the matter-of-fact attitude with which she said "the other Slytherins". He didn't consider himself a Slytherin!

Ron rolled his eyes. ‘As if it matters! We first have to think how we make sure Harry won't get beaten up the moment he enters the dungeons!'

‘Oh!' Hermione looked at Harry with wide eyes. ‘Harry, are you scared?'

Harry swallowed. Up to that moment he hadn't thought much about what he might encounter upon entering Slytherin, but had only focused on what he would lose by leaving Gryffindor.

‘I don't know,' he muttered. ‘I guess not as much as I am scared of what Oliver Wood will do to me when I tell him he'll need to find another seeker.'

Both friends watched him compassionately.

‘I've got an idea!' said Ron suddenly. ‘Let's go outside and find the twins. They're on the team as well, after all. Maybe they can come with you to see Wood!'

Harry agreed that this was indeed a good idea. They found the twins at the lakeshore, where they were catching crabs. Harry decided he didn't want to ask what they wanted them for.

‘Harry!' Fred called out together when he saw the trio come near. ‘Back from the showdown in the headmaster's office?'

‘And still alive! Do tell us what happened!' George added.

‘I'll tell you if you promise you'll help me with something afterwards,' said Harry grimly.

‘Of course! We'll do anything we can for our fellow prankster,' George winked at Harry.

‘Alright,' said Harry bluntly. ‘Dumbledore decided that my being in the Slytherin Common Room meant that I have lots of curiosity about them, so he's making me change houses and be in Slytherin , I don't know for how long, but for the next few months at least.'

The twins first stared at him, then at each other and burst out into laughter. ‘Merlin, that man is ingenious!' exclaimed Fred.  ‘I thought we'd had all kinds of weird punishments already, but this really tops it! Well done, Harry!'

George had a strange gleam in his eyes. ‘This is brilliant, Harry. You do realize that you are in the best possible position now to prank the Slytherins? We have to work on this together!'

‘Oh, stop it, you two,' said Ron angrily. ‘Just because everything that happens to you is a joke doesn't mean others are like that, too! Harry's not in the mood for pranks right now!'

Fred grinned at Harry a little sheepishly. ‘Good point, little brother. Okay, Harry. So who do you need our help with? Snape?'

‘No,' said Harry. ‘Oliver Wood'. The twins' faces fell.

‘Oh. Quidditch,' said George slowly.

‘Yes, that's a definite downside to this otherwise amusing situation', Fred nodded. ‘Sorry, Harry.'

Harry shrugged. He knew he should be annoyed with the twins, but somehow their humorous outlook on his situation  had helped a little. If only all the other Gryffindors took it like that...

‘Well, Harry, you don't have to worry about telling Wood,' said Fred. ‘I happened to overhear that he was called to McGonagall's office half an hour ago. I had wondered why. Well, I guess we know now.'

Harry felt a sudden gratitude towards his Head of House, who had obviously saved him the unpleasant task of telling his obsessive team captain.

‘So no help needed there, mate,' said George. ‘But we'd still like to do something. Do you want us to spread the news, or do you want to do it yourself?'

‘Erm, no you do it', said Harry gratefully. He suddenly became aware that there was no way he could stand it to repeat the same story over and over again and look into everyone's shocked faces. Besides, it surely would do no harm if the twins informed everybody from their point of view. If gossip couldn't be avoided, Harry definitely preferred people to talk about his wicked prank than his sneaky spying unworthy of a Gryffindor. The twins' amused view of what they called an ingenious plan sounded much better than any description Harry himself could come up with.

‘No problem', George said. ‘Leave it to us. And take our advice: there's no use brooding over an impending punishment - just enjoy your time until it starts!'

With a last wink at Harry they disappeared, taking care not to forget their respectable collection of crabs. 

The three friends looked at one another. ‘I don't know about you', said Harry, ‘but I could do with something cheerful now. Anybody willing to go flying with me?'

 

The day passed pleasantly, with the exception of mealtimes when Harry couldn't help but notice people looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and pity. Oliver Wood had a woebegone look on his face. Nobody broched the subject though and Harry suspected that the twins had told everybody not to. Percy looked at Harry reproachfully, but none of the other prefects did. The Slytherins ignored Harry completely.

When Harry returned to his dormitory for the night, he found a package on his bed. It didn't have a label and it was soft, wrapped in brown paper. Curiously Harry opened it, just to drop it angrily when he saw what it was. Inside, there was a Slytherin tie and a Slytherin scarf. A piece of parchment was attached to the tie. Harry unfolded it and read it.

Dear Harry,

Please find attached the items that form part of your new uniform. You are expected by Professor Snape on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. in his office, where he will have a talk with you before accompanying you to your new Common room. Just take your school-bag with what you think you might need during the evening with you. You can leave your packed trunk in your dormitory; it will be brought to your new dormitory later in the evening. Please remember that you are not to enter the Gryffindor Common room while you are a member of Slytherin house.

I hope you'll have a smooth start.

Albus Dumbledore

Harry opened his trunk, violently threw the items inside and slammed the trunk lid. All this couldn't be happening! It took a long time for him to fall asleep.

When he entered the Great Hall on his way to breakfast the next morning he met Professor McGonagall. She nodded at him and said ‘I'd like a word with you, Mr Potter. Please come to my office after breakfast - it won't take long.'

She didn't sound stern or angry, but Harry still felt a little nervous when he was sitting in front of her desk in her office half an hour later. His Head of House came straight to the point.

‘I am sorry to lose you, Mr Potter, even if it is only for a limited time. I am sure Professor Dumbledore told you that it was not my idea.'

‘Yes, Professor.'

‘Naturally for the duration of this... "experiment",' Professor McGonagall's lips tightened briefly, ‘Professor Snape is going to be the adult most responsible for you - and with the most authority over you as well. However, even though I am temporarily not your Head of House, that doesn't mean that I am no longer concerned about you. I am still your Professor, so if you encounter any problem and you feel unable to see Professor Snape about it, I hope you'll feel comfortable enough to talk to me.'

Harry swallowed. ‘Thanks, Professor,' he muttered. In that moment he became aware for the first time how much he appreciated his Head of House. The thought of exchanging her for Snape was definitely unpleasant.

McGonagall continued. ‘I would like to give you some advice as well, Mr Potter. As much as you may want to quarrel with your fate, sulking will not help you, least of all with Professor Snape. So do try to make the best of your situation, Mr Potter. You have to play with the cards you were dealt, figuratively speaking.'

‘Yes, Professor', Harry said miserably. All of the happiness he had felt at the realization that McGonagall was not abandoning him was abruptly replaced by the reminder of what was to come.

‘Off you go then, Mr Potter. Enjoy your day and have a good start tonight.'

The day passed all too quickly for his liking. He didn't bother to study at all - after all, there would be plenty of time to study once he was trapped in the dungeons - and it seemed to him this was his last opportunity to enjoy himself. Even so, he had no real appetite for dinner. Normally he would have loved the food, it was Sunday and there was even treacle tart for dessert, but today everything tasted like straw to him. When the meal was over, he dragged his feet upstairs to the Gryffindor Common room and then into his dormitory. Sighing, he took off his scarlet and golden tie and fetched the silver and green tie from his trunk. Harry was tempted to demonstrate his defiance by wearing his Gryffindor tie, but he thought about McGonagall's advice. He knew that such a gesture would be wasted on Snape. Besides, what good would acting defiant do? Snape already knew that Harry hated going to Slytherin, and he was probably even more upset about it than Harry was. No way did that greasy git want Harry Potter in his house!

And besides, it was now Snape who had most authority over him, and the man hated Harry enough as it was, so there was no point in provoking him by showing up in a Gryffindor tie. Snape would likely force him to eat it.

A last look in the mirror showed him that there would be nothing for Snape to criticize about his uniform.  Sighing, he picked up his satchel.

When he re-entered the common room, there was a sudden silence. Harry was painfully aware of everyone staring at his green tie...... Hermione and Ron approached him.

‘Good luck, mate,'Ron said awkwardly.

‘Ready to face the enemy?' Fred tried to joke.

George started teasing him. ‘Oh look, a Snake in our Common room! Oi, Harry, your Head of House will be so pleased! You look like a true Slytherin, the tie even matches the colour of your eyes!'

Both of them started intoning the tune of a slow funeral march.

Hermione glared at them. ‘You'll be fine, Harry.'

Harry didn't know what to say. He looked around in his Common room for what he knew to be the last time in a long time. Never before had it seemed such a cosy place to him. He forced a smile at his friends and left for the dungeons.

 

‘Come in Potter and sit down.' Snape gestured sharply to the empty chair in front of his desk. Harry closed the door behind him as quietly as he could and nervously sat down. He had been in Snape's office only once before, and he had been in huge trouble then too, but at least Ron had been with him whereas now he had to face the grim man alone. He hardly dared to look into the man's face. Harry knew how much Snape disliked him, and there could be no doubt that the man was anything but pleased with the headmaster's idea to place Harry in his house, even if it was just for a limited time.

‘When you have examined the floor sufficiently, Potter, you will have the courtesy to look at me.' Snape's sarcastic drawl made his head jerk up. Snape's black eyes bore into his, and it took rather a lot of willpower for Harry not to look away.

‘Very well, Potter. I am supposed to welcome you to Slytherin house,' Snape sneered.

Harry cringed internally and ducked his head again. Supposed to - Snape could hardly make it more clear that he was furious about Harry joining his house. This was going to be just as awful as he had expected. Ron was right - Dumbledore was truly barmy.

‘Under normal circumstances,' Snape went on, his piercing gaze never leaving Harry, ‘new Slytherins all arrive on the 1st of September, at which time I welcome the new members of my house and introduce them to the most important facts about Hogwarts as well as the school rules.'

Harry raised his head again and looked at Snape. In spite of his internal rejection of everything to do with Slytherin, he found what the man was saying to be interesting. He remembered his own first day in Gryffindor, where Percy as a prefect had just shown them where their dormitory was and they had tumbled into bed and fallen asleep almost immediately.  He felt a bit of pity at the thought of the Slytherin firsties who, tired after all the excitement of coming to Hogwarts and the sorting, still had to endure a lecture from Snape on school rules on their very first evening.

‘Well, Potter, as you are not a new student, I will save us both the introductory speech. Although up to now you haven't struck me as exactly rule-abiding, I still trust you are familiar with the general school rules - at least in theory?' He smirked and Harry glared at him.

‘I trust you have realized that your days of constant rule-breaking are over, Potter. You are, I hope, aware of the fact that you will no longer get away with it if you continue to run wild.'

Harry felt anger rise inside him. Run wild? ‘I don't run wild,' he protested heatedly. ‘And even if I do break a rule now and then, do you really think Professor McGonagall lets me get away with it?'

Snape's voice lacked his usual malice when he answered. ‘Don't misunderstand me, Potter, it was not my intention to criticize Professor McGonagall, who, I don't doubt, is a good head of house. However, I find that different ... approaches... are sometimes needed, and in your case I find the result of Professor McGonagall's approach less than satisfactory. I am, however, optimistic that my methods will achieve something where hers have failed.'

Harry blushed and hoped Snape wouldn't notice it.  What methods was he talking about? The man smirked at him again and remarked, ‘In my speech to the new Slytherins I go into more detail. I suggest you ask your new housemates, I'm sure they will enlighten you in detail about my methods to make sure that the rules are followed.'

Harry didn't say anything, deciding he would rather eat his tongue than let a smirking Malfoy explain to him what kind of punishment he could expect from Snape. It's not as if Snape will favour me like he does the other Slytherins anyway, he thought bitterly.

‘Although you are only in my house for a limited time, I intend to treat you as a full member of the house.'

Harry wondered, not for the first time, if Snape could read his mind. 

‘Therefore, you, like every other Slytherin, will be included in my schedule of regular individual talks.  I hold these with every member of my house and we discuss your academic progress as well as any personal issue that may have arisen and needs addressing. So check the notice board in the common room for the date of your appointment.'

Harry stared at him in shock. He had no desire whatsoever to discuss any personal issue with Snape of all people. He shuddered and almost missed the next sentence.

‘I am well aware, Potter, that you are not here voluntarily and that you long for this arrangement to end. However, I expect you to bear in mind that you brought this upon youself and that your fellow Slytherins are not to blame. This is not supposed to be a punishment for them. So I warn you, should you use this situation to deliberately make Slytherin lose house points or in any other way try to sabotage the running of Slytherin house, you will answer to me, and I assure you, you will not like it. Do you understand me?'

‘Yes, sir,' Harry muttered, his horror increasing by the minute. He had not even considered deliberately losing points for Slytherin but he was well aware that it would happen sooner or later. And now here was Snape automatically assuming Harry would do it on purpose. After all, he had always blamed Harry for anything that happened, and now he had even more reason to get angry.

‘The headmaster told me that two years ago you were almost sorted into Slytherin.' Snape's eyes bore into Harry's as if he wanted to find the confirmation there. Harry gave a reluctant nod, not at all pleased that the headmaster had shared this information with Snape.

‘I will not pretend that I wasn't surprised, but I think the fact that you speak Parseltongue likely played a role in the hat's assessment. However, you'll soon find out that it takes more than that to prove yourself worthy of Slytherin house. I recommend you apply yourself, Potter.'

‘Yes, sir' muttered Harry and refrained just in time from rolling his eyes. He had no desire whatsoever to prove himself worthy of Slytherin. If being worthy of Slytherin means being like Malfoy, applying myself would mean transforming into a git as soon as possible, he thought.

‘You know Claudius Chesterton, Potter.' It was a statement, not a question. Harry blinked.

‘Who?' he asked confusedly. He had heard the name, but couldn't place it right now.

‘Claudius Chesterton, Potter,' Snape snapped impatiently. ‘The Slytherin prefect who saved your hide two days ago. Have you already forgotten the debt you owe him?'

‘Oh, him,' Harry muttered weakly, noticing angrily that he was blushing again, ‘Yeah, I remember him.'

‘He will keep an eye on you, and if necessary, report to me, should you encounter any problems.'

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. At least Snape wasn't hanging a target on his back and looking the other way. Harry had no illusions that he wouldn't be attacked, certainly the prefect couldn't protect him all day, but it was better than nothing.

‘Needless to say, he will also report to me in the more likely event that you don't encounter, but rather cause, problems.'

Harry glared at him.

‘Any food, including sweets, that you may receive via post is to be given to him.'

‘What?' Harry spluttered indignantly, ‘Why? Just because he saved me?'

‘Don't be ridiculous, Potter!' Snape spat. ‘It's not just you, everybody is obligated to do so.'

‘But why?' Harry insisted, feeling slightly mutinous already. ‘Aren't the members of your house allowed any sweets at all?'

His professor shook his head. ‘It's not that, Potter, as much as I would like to ban unhealthy items altogether. Unlike what you seem to be thinking, Mr Chesterton doesn't collect everything to keep for himself or hand it over to me so that I can indulge myself.' He frowned at Harry who couldn't help but let a small giggle escape as he imagined Snape greedily devouring all of his students' sweets in the evenings. Harry hastily covered his mouth with his hand. Although he didn't think highly of Professor Snape, he wouldn't have suspected him of such Dudley-like behaviour.

Snape went on. ‘Mr Chesterton will divide the sweets among everyone in a fair way. Not everyone has a huge fan-club, Potter, and I won't have less fortunate people left out while others are gorging themselves on multitudes of chocolate frogs. Hence this rule: no food allowed in your trunk, which is private. Anything given out by Mr Chesterton is to be kept in your tuck box in your cupboard. The cupboard might be inspected any time by the prefect or by myself. Do I make myself clear?'

‘Yes sir,' Harry said, feeling irritated. It wasn't that he minded sharing his sweets; he never got that many, anyway. Mrs Weasley was the only one who ever sent him anything, and given that she had to divide her attention among so many children, it wasn't that often either. He would probably get more sweets under Snape's system than before. What irked him was that his new Head of House seemed to want to control every aspect of his life.

‘Don't give me that look, Potter. Like it or not, you will share.'

‘I don't mind sharing!' Harry protested indignantly. ‘It's not as if in Gryffindor we don't share, but we share because we want to, not because we're forced to! It's pathetic that you have to order people to share!'

Snape's eyes glittered dangerously as they bore into Harry's. ‘Manners, Potter. I won't let you criticize the way I run my house. Do I make myself absolutely clear?'

Harry swallowed and nodded hastily.

‘Nor will I justify to you each and every rule that might be different from what you are used to.  I will just say this: in Slytherin everybody gets their fair share, no matter how many admirers he has among his peers. As I said before, not everyone has a huge fan-club, Potter, and there are always some, also in Gryffindor, I am sure, who easily are forgotten when it comes to sharing. So I don't care whether you agree or not, that's the way it is done.'

Harry nodded again. He couldn't deny that there was some truth in what Snape was saying. The longer he thought about it, the better he liked that particular rule. At least it would prevent Malfoy from showing off the huge food parcels he undoubtedly got from home, giving things only to Crabbe and Goyle and everybody who did what he wanted, ostentatiously leaving Harry out. If I were Head of House and I had gits like Malfoy among my pupils, I'd probably do it like Snape, he thought. The only thing that still bothered him a little that it would soon become obvious to the prefect that he never got anything from his relatives, and once this knowledge spread amongst the Slytherins, he would no doubt be teased endlessly about it..

Snape's snarl pulled him out of his thoughts. ‘You should also be aware of the fact that I will not tolerate any sort of bullying, Potter.'

‘Why are you telling me?' asked Harry indignantly. ‘I've never ever bullied anyone!'

Snape's lips contorted to a sneer for a moment but then he scrutinized him for a few seconds before giving a curt nod. ‘If that is the case, Potter, make sure it stays that way, or you will find yourself in a great deal of trouble,' he said coldly. He continued to scrutinize Harry, who didn't answer.  ‘So, Potter, are you ready to face the enemy?' he inquired.

Harry grimaced and briefly wondered what Snape would say if he knew that he was using the same words as Fred Weasley. He muttered, ‘As ready as I'll ever be.' Instinctively he felt through his robe to make sure his wand was where it was supposed to be. He was bound to need it soon to defend himself. Not that it will help much, with me being on my own...

‘Don't even think of starting a fight, Potter,' said Snape who obviously hadn't missed the quick movement. ‘And you needn't worry for your safety, you will not come to any harm. As I said, I don't tolerate bullying. Come along then.'

Harry swallowed, picked up his satchel and stood up. He mutely followed his teacher out of the office, down the aisle, around the corner and there they were in front of the all-too-familiar door of the common room. ‘Dispholidus typus' Snape said, and the entrance to the common room opened. He gestured for Harry to enter and followed him inside.

All conversations ceased at once, and all heads turned towards them. ‘I won't keep you long,' said Snape. ‘I am delivering your new housemate. I advise you all to remember the talk we had about this last night.'

When the door snapped shut behind him Harry swallowed. It occurred to him that this was probably the very first time that he was sad to see this particular teacher leaving. He was on his own now, facing the army of less than friendly Slytherins. Now the challenge, as Dumbledore had put it, really began...

 

There was a ringing silence in the common room. All faces were turned to him and Harry swallowed. What should he do? Was he supposed to say something? But what should that be? Hello, here I am, as thrilled about this as you are? No, better not say anything.

Hesitantly Harry looked around in the common room. Where should he sit? With his classmates? Harry dismissed the thought at once. He would have to spend enough time with them as it was and voluntarily sitting down at the same table as Malfoy wasn't something he was keen to do. He could imagine all too well the kind of snide remarks that Malfoy would make, and Harry hadn't forgotten the boy's punches, either. At the thought of punches, he considered whether he should sit down near the prefect? Appealing as that idea might be, Harry knew his pride wouldn't allow that. It was bound to be interpreted as a weakness by his classmates, and if Harry had learned anything during his years at primary school when he had suffered from Dudley and his gang, it was that it was always bad to show weakness.

Harry scanned the room for a deserted table where he could sit down on his own and do his homework. To his dismay the only free table was a low round one in a remote dark corner, suitable for settling down for a comfortable talk with friends, but definitely not for studying. His gaze next fell on a large table where a few first years were studying and that still held a few free seats. Among the students he recognized the two boys that Ron had spoken to two days ago. Unlike most of the older students, they didn't glare at Harry, but rather scrutinized him with ill-concealed curiosity.

Harry remembered how these two boys had openly snickered when Ron had made fun of Malfoy and decided that this definitely spoke in their favour. Hesitantly he approached the table.

‘Is it all right with you if I sit here?' he asked and was immediately angry at himself for how insecure his voice sounded. Get a grip, Harry! You're a third year! And they're just ickle firsties! he scolded himself.

‘Er... okay,' said the smaller boy slowly, then he turned towards his friend and whispered something into his ear which made both of them grin. Then they went back to their homework, ignoring Harry completely. That suited Harry just fine. He hadn't done any homework over the week-end so he really needed to get someting done. Being busy would make it easier to ignore the stares from the other tables anyway.

Sighing, he started on his transfiguration essay. He found it extremely difficult to concentrate. He felt the looks of his new house mates burning into his back, and the conversations at the other tables were getting on his nerves. How was he supposed to do his homework with all this noise?

Of course, an annoyingly honest voice in his head pointed out, it's just as noisy in the Gryffindor Common Room, even noisier in fact. The difference was that in Gryffindor the conversations seemed friendly, and he knew he could always join in if he wanted. Here, he was constantly wondering if they were talking about him or planning an attack on him.  As for the first years at his table, their shuffling and giggling didn't enhance concentration either. He wondered if he had been like that two years before.

At last he finished his essay. He was sure he hadn't done done a very good job, and normally he would have asked Hermione to read it and tell him if he had forgotten anything important. He sighed again. Then he was struck by the horrible thought that he couldn't even be sure he had done the right homework. Did McGonagall set every group the same homework? Probably, but could he be sure? Maybe he should have asked about the homework before doing it. Who could I have asked, Malfoy? he asked himself. No way. Surely Mc Gonagall would understand his situation even if it wasn't the essay that she had assigned the Slytherins. When was the Slytherins' transfiguration class anyway? It seemed as if he couldn't avoid asking his classmates about things sooner or later. Better later than sooner, he told himself sullenly.  One thing was certain; he would still have Care of Magical Creatures on Monday, as Slytherins and Gryffindors were taught together. Still, due to the abrupt ending of the lesson when Malfoy had been injured by Buckbeak, Hagrid hadn't set any homework. Still, he probably could do some reading.... Carefully ho opened his copy of Magical Beasts and Where To Find Them and started on the chapter about hippogriffs.

‘First years, ten more minutes!' A groan greeted the prefect's loud announcement. Harry looked up in puzzlement as the students at his table started packing their stuff together, with the exception of a stout boy who scribbled away frantically.

‘Come on, Richard', a bossy looking girl nudged him.

‘I need to finish this, it's due tomorrow....'

‘Well if you hadn't left it until the last minute, you would have it finished ages ago!'

Harry suppressed a laugh. This scene was oddly familiar with the girl reminding him of how Hermione would scold him and Ron. But, he told himself sternly, Hermione was much nicer, she only wanted to help them whereas this girl was just self-righteous and full of herself...

He looked down at his book once more but was distracted again when the shuffling noises around him grew  even noisier. Looking up he noticed to his surprise that Snape had entered the Common Room again and was approaching their table.  The man looked silently around the table. If he was surprised to find Harry among the first years he didn't show it.

‘I expect you all in your dorms in ten minutes,' he said. ‘You too, Mr Donovan, and I hope for your sake that it is not your potions homework that will remain unfnished.'

‘No, sir', the stout boy muttered and, sighing, rolled up his parchment.

‘Mr Potter.'

Harry forced his face into a neutral expression and looked at his new Head of House.  ‘Sir?'

‘You still have a bit of time left. However, you should go to your dorm soon and unpack your belongings, I am sure they are there already. And before I forget, here is your new timetable.'

Snape dropped the piece of parchment in front of Harry, and without waiting for an answer he went over to where the older students were sitting and started a conversation with the prefect. From the way the tall boy quickly glanced his way Harry got the impression that he was the topic of their conversation. He gritted his teeth and looked once again at the students at his table. The boy that Snape had addressed, Donovan, was stuffing his unfinished parchment into his bag.

‘Bit of a control freak, Snape is, isn't he?' Harry whispered to nobody in particular. Donovan briefly met his eyes and gave an affirmative grunt. The girl next to him, though, looked daggers at him.

‘He's doing his job, nothing else!' she hissed furiously. ‘That's nothing to make fun of!' With that, nose in the air, she threw her satchel over her shoulder and left the table. The others followed, some of them glaring at Harry, too, who found himself abruptly alone at the table, feeling bewildered. Why did they react with such hostility when he had just said what they all must have been thinking? Well, all but one, he corrected himself, thinking of the bossy girl.

He looked at the timetable Snape had given him in order to check what lessons he would have the next day. Divination first thing in the morning, that was good news for a change as it meant he would still be together with his fellow Gryffindors. Well, former fellow Gryffindors, he thought bitterly. But how was it possible that he hadn't noticed that Gryffindors and Slytherins had divination together? Was there not a single Slytherin taking this class? Harry thought hard but couldn't remember seeing a single one. Definitely good news then. After Divination there was Defence with Professor Lupin, not bad either, and then, after lunch, Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid, no surprise there as this class was together with the Gryffindors. It looked as if Monday was going to be rather a good day.

Harry decided to heed Snape's advice and go unpack his things. He had no desire to stay in the Common Room anyway. Avoiding looking at the table where the prefect was still talking to Snape, he got up and left through the door through which the first years had disappeared. He found himself in a dimly lit corridor with several alcoves from which various stairs led up into different rooms. He turned to the right and found to his dismay that the heavy oak doors were not labeled. Under the first door, however, there was a trace of light and he also heard some muffled voices. He tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. Annoyed with the whole situation he knocked forcefully. When the door opened and a head was stuck out between the door and the frame Harry was glad that he hadn't been able to open the door. The head belonged to The Bossy Girl, as Harry had named her for himself. That would have been a great start in Slytherin indeed if he had barged into a bedroom full of undressing first year  girls!

‘What now?' she snapped when she saw who it was.

Harry groaned internally, but there was no choice really.

‘Can you show me where my dorm is?' he asked neutrally. He heard giggling behind the door.

‘Oh. All right.' She came out into the corridor and Harry was glad that at least she wasn't giggling. ‘This side is all girls.' With quick steps she walked along the aisle, past the door to the common room and said, ‘Here, left of the Common Room, are the boys' rooms. You're third year, aren't you? Then it's this door, the third one, right beside the portrait of Desmond the Devious.'

She pointed to a portrait that showed a sinister looking dark-haired man who stared at Harry suspiciously and spit a stream of tobacco juice through a gap in his teeth.

‘Charming,' muttered Harry and upon seeing the girl glare he added sarcastically ‘No offence, I'm sure he is a really likeable guy.'

Her glare intensified and Harry felt a bit sorry for teasing her. ‘Thanks for your help', he said and meant it. She turned around and without another word walked back to her own dormitory. Harry shrugged and opend the door.

After the dimly lit corridor with its rough stone walls, the dormitory came as a pleasant surprise. The walls were evenly plastered and painted in a light color. The room was spacious and there was plenty of room between the four-poster beds. Each bed had a huge wardrobe at its side. A large green and silver carpet muffled Harry's steps as he walked over to his bed in a corner, recognizing it straight away due to his trunk's sitting in front of it. He sat down on his bed and scrutinized the room. Opposite to his bed there was a door, presumably leading to the showers and toilets, and beside it was a huge green curtain, reaching from the floor to the ceiling. Curious, Harry crossed the room and peered behind it. There was an enormous window. Harry wondered what the view might be given that they were in the dungeons after all, but at the moment it was just dark, so it had to wait until next morning.

He slowly started putting his clothes into his wardrobe. As he didn't have that many, he finished quickly and his wardrobe still looked almost empty. He hesitated. Snape had said the trunk was private, while the wardrobe might be inspected. His photo album and cloak would stay in the trunk then. But surely it couldn't hurt to put his books and some other school things in there as well.

Again he looked at the other beds with the different trunks beside them and the different pictures and posters at the wall.

There, the bed next to the beautifully carved mahagony trunk at the other side of the room was surely Malfoy's; the trunk looked by far the most expensive. The quidditch poster over the bed on the other hand could have belonged to anybody.

Harry's eyes fell to the bed next to his and he sighed. This should be Ron's bed, and he already missed the bright orange of Ron's Chudley Cannons poster. Instead here there ws a poster of two dragons that were hunting each other through the air and a picture frame that obviously held the boy's pictures from his home. Curiously Harry went closer. Most pictures were of animals, mostly cats and owls, but there was also a picture of a house that reminded Harry a bit of the Weasley's home, just much tidier and in better condition, and one picture that showed an adult wizard. Harry decided it had to be the father of whoever it was that would be sleeping next to him and watched the picture intently to see if he could guess from any possible resemblences. It was an elderly, portly man in grey robes, with only a little remaining grey hair. Unlike most wizarding photographs Harry had seen so far, he wasn't smiling and waving but rather had a slightly worried expression on his face. There wasn't a picture of a woman to be seen.

Voices could be heard approaching in the hall. Not wanting to be caught watching the other boy's pictures, Harry hastily grabbed a random book out of his wardrobe, threw himself on his bed and pretended to read. He was just in time for the door flew open and all his Slytherin classmates came in.

Harry swallowed. This was the moment he had been dreading all evening. He slowly lowered his book and looked at the five boys who were watching him with open dislike.

‘Hi,' he said and hoped he didn't appear as insecure as he felt. ‘Here I am.' He realized how stupid that sounded as soon as the words had left his mouth.

‘We wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't told us,' Malfoy said sarcastically and went over to his bed. It was the one that Harry had thought was his. It came as no surprise either that his bed was flanked by the beds of Crabbe and Goyle, just like Draco was flanked by Vincent and Gregory during the day. Harry was glad that neither of them would be sleeping next to him. Instead, a pale, nervous-looking boy approached the bed next to Harry. Theodore Nott, Harry reminded himself, and the boy with the dark complexion was called Blaise Zabini. Harry's and Theodore's eyes met for a moment but neither said a word. Harry raised his book again and tried to read, but he found he couldn't concentrate.Would he have to fend off any verbal or even physical attacks?

At the moment it didn't seem like it. Everybody ignored him and his body slowly relaxed while the others were chatting to each other or going into the wash-room to get ready for bed.

‘Potter.' He turned his head and met the dark eyes of Blaise Zabini.

‘Yeah?' he said slowly.

The other boy shrugged. ‘Not that it's any of my business, but I was just wondering if you thought you could impress us by breaking the rules on your first night. I mean, I know you Gryffindors think that Snape is soft on us, but I don't think you should try that out over something so stupid as refusing to get yourself ready for bed on time. But as I said, your choice.' Without waiting for an answer, Zabini walked briskly back to his bed.

So the prefect actually reports to Snape if they are in bed on time? Or Snape checks for himself? Control freak indeed! Bewildered, Harry got up and went into the bath. He felt a bit embarrassed that it looked as if he did what Zabini had told him and was just glad that Malfoy was still in the bath and hadn't witnessed their short conversation. Maybe Zabini wouldn't have bothered to give that advice if Malfoy had been around, Harry guessed.

He turned on the shower and was impressed by the sheer luxury of the washroom. He briefly wondered why the standards were so different in the houses but decided he didn't really care. What does it matter, the water is still wet, he thought.

He was the last to return to the dormitory. The others were already lying in bed, pretending to read, by the time he was done. The big light of the room was out, and each of the boys had lit a small individual light on his night-table. Without a word Harry went to his bed, not bothering to light his own small lamp, and crawled inside. He had just stretched out, when he felt a burning sting first on his foot, then higher up his leg. With a gasp of pain he shot out of his bed, yanked his covers down and put his light on. Hundreds of fire ants were crawling over the foot of his bed. Harry quickly killed the ones that were still on his legs and looked at his roommates, who didn't bother to hide their smirks.

‘Oh, how very witty,' Harry snapped.

‘We thought you might like some company,' Malfoy said. ‘After all, we don't want you to feel lonely on your first night, do we?'

‘This really is the most amusing prank I've ever seen,' Harry said sarcastically. ‘Fred and George Weasley would be so jealous of  your ingenuity!'

He looked onto his mattress. The ants had spread in the meantime, and Harry wondered how one vanished live animals. He was pretty sure it hadn't been covered in class yet. He tried stunning them, which worked although he had to apply the spell for several times because it only worked on small groups. With his hand he swiped the motionless insects out of his bed and let them fall on the floor. That done he hopped back into his bed trying to ignore the giggling sounds from the other beds.

‘You're rather trusting, Potter. What makes you so sure nobody will enervate those lovely creatures during the night?' Malfoy said and the giggling got louder.

Harry angrily bit his lip. How could he have been so stupid not to think about that? Just when he had decided to get up again, collect the ants and go flush them all down the toilet, the door opened and Snape came in. The silence in the room was absolute, one could have heard an ant breathe.

‘Hm. There are some undeniable facts of life,' Snape said calmly. ‘One is that if you enter a room full of boys and it is as quiet as this one, you can be sure that something improper has occurred. So, what has happened?'

There was an awkward silence, then Malfoy spoke. ‘Not much, Sir, just a bit of fun.'

‘Ah.' Snape's gaze wandered around until his eyes fell on Harry. ‘Mr Potter, how would you describe the situation?'

Harry swallowed. He couldn't rat out his room-mates, could he? ‘Malfoy's right, Sir,' he said slowly, though the words nearly choked him, and he added with a bit of sarcasm in his voice, ‘It was all good fun.'

Snape nodded and looked at each of them in turn. ‘I see. I think you've all had enough fun for the day, is that clear?'

A muttered chorus of ‘yes sir' answered. Snape nodded again and turned to the door. ‘Good night, boys.'

‘Good night, sir.'

Harry suddenly felt the urge to laugh. He managed to suppress it until Snape had left the dorm, then he couldn't help it any longer, he snorted with laughter. Snape coming to say good night? No one in Gryffindor would believe this! What did he do to the first years, tuck them in?

The others looked at him, perplexed, which only made him laugh harder.

‘Barking mad,, Malfoy muttered.

Theodore Nott, who had looked extremely worried during Snape's short interrogation got out of bed and took an empty jar out of his wardrobe. He held it out to Harry.

‘Here, you can put the ants inside and take them outside tomorrow.' When Harry took the container, Theodore quickly averted his eyes and crawled into bed again.

‘Theo, who are you concerned for, Potter or the animals?' Malfoy teased and Harry for once didn't mind the comment, for that was exactly what he had been asking himself.

‘Come on, Draco, leave him alone,' said Blaise.

Harry knelt down on the floor and levitated the ants into the jar. It wasn't easy, as they were so many of them, but he managed. Closing the jar, he put it into his trunk and went back to bed for what he hoped would be the last time that night. Nobody said anything any more.

One by one, everybody extinguished their lights. Harry felt a bit more at ease now. Yes, his reception hadn't been friendly, but he hadn't been beaten up. And the prank with the ants, well it hadn't been too bad and he should have expected something. He was pretty sure that after Snape's warning nothing more would happen that night. But what about the next night? And the night after that? Would he always have to be on his guard? Harry sighed. How he missed his own dorm with all his friends! It took a long time until he fell asleep.

Harry was woken up by a beam of sunlight on his face.  He needed a few moments to realize were he was, then he quickly sat upright and blinked. He hadn't bothered to draw the curtains of his four-poster bed the night before, but where did the sun come from in the dungeons? Bewildered, he grabbed his glasses and his mouth dropped open from surprise.

Someone had opened the huge curtain he had been wondering about the day before. The sight that was displayed in front of Harry's eyes was spectacular. The dormitory was obviously built into the lake, and while the upper part of the giant window was above the water surface and let bright sunlight inside the room, the lower part permitted a tremendous view of underwater life. This was even better than the aquarium that Harry had seen when he had been to the Zoo with the Dursleys. Fascinated, he got out of bed and approached the window. A purple snail was slowly making her way on the other side of the glass.

Harry was startled out of his contemplation when a massive body stood next to him. It was Goyle. ‘It's good, isn't it', the boy said proudly.

‘Yeah', Harry said. Although he didn't like to agree with Goyle, there was nothing else to say to that. Reluctantly he abandoned his place at the window and got ready for breakfast.

It felt weird to enter the Great Hall wearing a Slytherin tie and even weirder sitting down at the Slytherin table. He looked over to the Gryffindors. As expected, many people were staring in his direction. There were the twins, grinning at him and giving him the thumbs up. And there were Ron and Hermione, looking at him anxiously, the question obvious on their faces. Harry shrugged and tried a faint smile. He was glad he would be able to fill them in during their first lesson directly after breakfast. Suddenly he realized he was hungry. No surprise really, as his nerves had prevented him from eating properly at dinner the day before. As his new housemates ignored him, he busied himself eating as much as he could and hurried from the table as soon as he was full.

‘Hi', he said a short while later when he met Ron and Hermione in the misty divination classroom. His two friends were sitting together with Neville on cushions around a flat, round table.

Ron's face lit up and he shifted his cushion to make room for Harry between himself and Hermione. ‘Cool, mate, I hadn't expected we'd still have this lesson together! How come? What about the other Slytherins, do none of them take Divination?'

‘No, they don't', said Hermione. ‘I've seen them all in... ‘ She blushed and broke off.

‘In what?' asked Harry.

‘In the direction of another part of the castle', Hermione said quickly. ‘So how was your first night, Harry?'

Harry had the feeling that this hadn't been what Hermione originally had wanted to say, but now Ron was also asking how Harry had survived until now, and so he gave them a brief summary of what had happened to him so far. The other Gryffindors surrounded them as well and listened sympathetically when he told them about the fire ants.

‘I bet it was Malfoy, that git!' exclaimed Ron. Just then the mystical voice of their Divination Professor could be heard.

‘My dear students, you'll need to calm down or you'll never be able to feel the vibrations of the beyond!'

Reluctantly everybody sat down again.

‘Let's all look into your partner's teacup and see if you can unveil the future!'

‘Oh no, not those blasted cups again', whispered Ron and made a face.

Harry silently agreed. Sighing, he drank his tea, swirled his cup with the remaining dregs around a few times and passed the cup on to Ron. ‘So, mate, what do you see?' he asked.

Ron watched the tea leaves in mock concentration. ‘Let me see,' he said, ‘lots of smallish dark spots, looks exactly like another fire ant attack!'

He and Harry exchanged a look and both snorted.

‘Careful,' Hermione whispered. ‘Professor Trelawney is already looking your way! And fire ants in a bed are not funny, Ron!'

Harry looked over at their teacher and saw that indeed she was frowning in their direction.

‘Sorry that I was laughing mate', muttered Ron. ‘I suppose you had nothing to laugh about last night.'

‘In fact I had', said Harry slowly and a grin spread over his face.

‘Psst', warned Hermione, thumbing through her book Unfogging the Future and looking into Neville's cup.

‘Everything alright, dears?' Professor Trelawney looked into Harry's cup that Ron was still holding, then, with a little shriek she took a few steps backwards again. ‘My dear boy, I know it is not always easy to face your fate, but there is no escaping your destiny, and idle chattering in class will not delay it...' With these melodramatic words she went back to Lavender Brown, who had been following her with wide, admiring eyes.

‘So, laugh about what?' muttered Ron as if nothing had happened.

‘Snape. He came in to say good night!' At that, Neville made wide fearful eyes, which made Harry and Ron giggle, and even Hermione had to smile. ‘It doesn't sound that funny now', Harry said pensively, ‘but yesterday, I was laughing so hard after Snape had left, I couldn't stop!'

‘Probably a hysterical reaction', said Hermione wisely, carefully keeping an eye on Professor Trelawney.  ‘You were under stress and that was an outlet...'

Harry shrugged and turned to Ron again.

‘I just imagined what he would do with the first years, probably tucking them in!'

Both snorted again and when Hermione kicked them under the table they became aware of the glare their teacher was sending their way. Hastily Ron drank his tea, swirled his cup around and passed it to Harry. Heads bent low over the table, they pretended to concentrate on the message of Ron's tea leaves.

Ron couldn't resist, though. ‘And just imagine, what does Snape do with the girls, give them a goodnight kiss on the cheek? Urgh!'

Both started sniggering so hard that not even another kick from Hermione stopped them. Professor Trelawney apparently had had enough, though. She advanced on them quickly, her shawls flutering.

‘Oh my dears, next week we are going to have a little test on what you have learned so far and I foresee that some among us will have great diffficulty in achieving good results, I can even see that two of this class are going to fail altogether!' said Professor Trelawney in her misty voice.

With that, she briskly turned to the table where Seamus and Dean were sitting.

‘You see? I told you,' whispered Hermione furiously. ‘She is angry at you! She foresees two will fail, what utter rubbish! She will just fail you and that's it!'

Harry and Ron looked at one another. Hermione probably was right. It certainly hadn't been a good idea to do so much talking in class, but when were they supposed to do it, now that they had so little time together? They spent the rest of the lesson in silence.

‘What do you have next?' asked Ron when they had climbed down the ladder. 

‘Defence with Lupin, but we'll meet again with Hagrid after lunch!' said Harry.

Harry took care not to enter the Defence classroom too early. He wanted to make sure that the others had already taken their seats. That way, nobody would get the chance to push him away under the pretext that Hary had taken his or her seat. And he would also be able to take care that he didn't end up at the side of Draco Malfoy. However, when he entered the room with just a few minutes to spare, he noticed to his dismay that Malfoy was still missing. He took a seat in the rear of the room next to Millicent Bulstrode.

‘So, did you also cover boggarts last lesson?' Harry asked nobody in particular.

It was Zabini who answered him. ‘No. We got the moral sermon, why it's bad to use Dark Magic, what makes magic Dark blablabla. Well, we know where we stand with Lupin then, don't we?'

‘Huh?' made Harry, who didn't understand what the boy meant.

‘You don't get it, do you? Well how could you,' said Millicent rather aggressively. ‘With you Gryffindors he does a practical lesson right away, making fun of Snape at that, but with us, oh, we might turn dark if we aren't already, so it's necessary to teach us right from wrong.  But always with a friendly smile of course, what a bloody hypocrite!'

Harry stared at her open mouthed. It had seemed impossible to him that the soft-spoken Lupin had managed to antagonize the Slytherins in the first week, but it was obviously the case. Malfoy has had it in for him from the very beginning just because he wears shabby robes, he thought angrily.

‘You're not fair!' he protested. ‘Lupin probably just didn't have a boggart at hand! And you don't know, if he hadn't found the boggart he might have given us that introduction about Dark arts as well!'

‘Keep dreaming, Potter,' said Zabini.

Before Haary could think of something to say, quick footsteps could be heard and Lupin entered the room. With his wand he was controlling a trunk that was hovering in front of him. Lupin placed the trunk in the front of the classroom and nodded at his pupils.

‘Good morning, everybody. You may put your books away, this is going to be a practical lesson.'

Everybody complied quickly, Harry looking at Millicent thriumphantly, which she ignored.

‘In this trunk there is a boggart; anybody know what that is?'

Harry looked around. No hand had got up, but surely they all knew, the whole school had talked about Neville's boggart. He raised his hand.

‘Sorry, Harry,' Lupin said, giving him a friendly smile. ‘I won't call on you this lesson to answer any questions, I know you know the answers, so it would hardly be fair. Nobody else? What about you, Gregory, can you tell us what you know about boggarts?'

Goyle grunted and started to explain clumsily what a boggart was and how it could be fought. Harry let his mind wander back to what Millicent had said before the lesson and was startled out of his thoughts when the door opened and Malfoy strutted in.

‘Professor, sorry I'm late', he said in a tone that didn't sound sorry at all and Harry was sure that, had he used that tone with Snape, he would have found himself in detention straight away. Lupin however was unfazed.

‘Please try not to let it happen again', he said calmly and adressed Goyle again. ‘That was explained correctly and completely, Gregory, ten points to Slytherin, well done.'

Goyle looked completely bewildered at the praise, and Malfoy who had sat down next to him, let his wand drop on his desk with a loud clatter and looked at Goyle as if he had sprouted another head. His show of looking a mixture of gobsmacked and impressed with Goyle provoked a giggle from the rest of the class and was excellently done; even Harry, who couldn't supress a giggle, had to admit this to himself.

Lupin frowned and waited until everybody was silent again. Then he demonstrated the wand movement. ‘Everybody practice the movement now, please.'

Lupin walked around and watched every student's wand movement.

‘Very good. Now please, everybody concentrate and think what form the boggart would take with you and what you would do about it.'

Harry closed his eyes. He knew only too well what form his boggart would take, and although this was already his second lesson on the subject he still had no idea what could be done to make a Dementor something that you could laugh about.

‘Blaise, would you please start?'

Zabini nodded a bit nervously and slowly walked to the front. He raised his wand and waited.

‘Alohomora!' Lupin said and the trunk opened. A huge mountain troll advanced on them, viciously swinging his club.

‘Riddiculus!' The dirty loincloth the otherwise naked troll was wearing transformed into a diaper and the club into a huge pink dummy. Everybody was soon laughing hysterically at the giant baby standing in front of them.

‘Very good. Millicent, you next!'

The girl waked resolutely to the front while Zabini sat down. Crack! Where transformed troll had been a huge wolf was howling at Millicent, preparing for the jump....

‘Riddiculus!' The wolf was lying in a bed, a lacey hat on his head just as Harry had seen it on pictures in Dudley's old fairy tail book about Little Red Riding Hood.

He was the only one who chuckled, though; the others were looking rather perplexed. The boggart cosequently wasn't very impressed and leapt out of bed.

Millicents eyes had gone wide and she retreated a few steps.

‘Here!' Lupin shouted and rushed forward. Crack! The glowing orb that Harry had already seen was abruptly hanging in the air, and with an almost lazy flick of his wand Lupin transformed it into a balloon losing its air and sent it zooming into the trunk.

He turned to Millicent, his face paler than usual. ‘Are you alright?' he asked kindly.

She nodded, still a bit shakily. ‘It seemed to work, but only at first.'

Lupin nodded, took a bar of chocolate out of his pocket and broke off a piece for her. ‘Here, eat, this, it will help.' When she had put it into her mouth he continued. ‘You had a good idea with the wolf...'

‘It was a werewolf', Millicent interrupted him.

‘Yes, still it was a good idea.' Lupin paused for a short moment, briefly massaging his temples.  ‘I think your problem was just that your classmates couldn't really appreciate the joke as they didn't know the tale of Litte Red Riding Hood, am I correct? Which of you knows the story?'

Harry's hand was the only one that went up. ‘You see? So that was your bad luck, Millicent, and that can be a problem with boggarts in general, not everybody's sense of humour is the same. - So, Draco, will you be the next to try, please.'

‘No, sir.'

Lupin's face showed bewilderment. ‘I beg your pardon?

Malfoy folded his arms in front of his chest. ‘I am not going to display my greatest fear in front of a class. It's something personal.'

Lupin frowned. ‘You have a point there, but you still need to learn to face a boggart. And if you hadn't been late you would have heard Gregory explain that it is not wise to face a boggart alone. So how are you going to practice?'

Malfoy shrugged. ‘I don't know, but it's still personal and you can't force me to do it.'

‘I certainly won't force you', Lupin said slowly. He looked around at the class. ‘So, who's next then? Vincent perhaps?'

Crabbe looked at Lupin, then at Malfoy. He mutely shook his head.

Harry felt fury rise in him. Malfoy had already ruined Hagrid's first lesson, and now he was trying to ruin Lupin's lesson, too! It was clear to him that the others would do what Malfoy wanted.

‘I'll do it', he volunteered quickly.

Lupin hesitated and Harry felt a pang in his chest. So he had had the right impression in the previous lesson. Lupin had prevented him from facing the boggart deliberately. The professor looked around in the class and made his decision.

‘All right Harry, if you are sure.'

Harry nodded, determined, but feeling extremely nervous. He had volunteered on an impulse, mainly to help out Professor Lupin, though a tiny part of him was also slightly grateful that Malfoy had provided him with the chance to fight the boggart without Lupin really being able to deny him. But as he walked to the front he was all too aware that he didn't have a clue what to do with the Dementor. Maybe I can exchange its cloak and hood for a fluffy bathrobe, he thought. Not brilliant but it will have to do.

‘Ready, Harry? Alohomora!'

The trunk opened, and a greyish slimey-looking hand appeared, followed by the hooded head and the cloaked figure. When Harry heard the rattling breath he swallowed hard and tried to concentrate on a colourful, fluffy bathrobe, but ice-cold shivers were already running down his spine and the hand that was holding his wand shook... Again he heard a woman scream, burt this time it wasn't just a high pitched scream but a desperately pleading voice.

‘Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!'

‘Stand aside, you silly girl ... stand aside, now...'

Harry felt as if he couldn't get air as he heard the high pitched cruel voice. Why did he hear those voices? Who were those people?  Why was that poor woman shouting his name?

‘Not Harry, Please no, take me, kill me instead... Not Harry! Please... have mercy...Have mercy!'

Cruel laughter followed. Harry gasped for air, and then everything went black.

‘Harry.' Somebody slapped his face. ‘Harry!'

With difficulty he opened his eyes. Lupin's worried face came into view. Harry realized he was lying on the floor in the classroom.  Lupin helped him up into a sitting position and gave him an even larger piece of chocolate than he had given Millicent Bullstrode. As soon as Harry had put it into his mouth he felt better, but at the same time he became aware of the awkwardness of his situation.  He had fainted in front of Malfoy and all the other Slytherins! They would never let him forget this! Quickly he leapt to his feet.

‘I'm fine, really,' he lied.

Lupin looked at him a bit dubiously, but let it pass. ‘Well, go back to your seat, then,' he said.

Harry walked back to his desk, staring straight ahead in order not to look into the faces of his classmates who he knew were sneering at him. When he sat down he thought how good it would be now were he still in Gryffindor - Hermione would whisper worriedly if he really was alright and Ron would probably hiss back at her to leave him alone. Here, Millicent next to him didn't say a word.

‘What about the rest of you,' Lupin asked, ‘anybody else in need of a piece of chocolate?'

Dismissive muttering was the answer, and then Malfoy said. ‘No, thank you, professor. But you see, none of us fainted even with the real Dementor.'

Harry looked down at his desk. He knew he had blushed scarlet.

‘I see,' Lupin said.  He raised his voice a little. ‘Let me set one thing straight. Fainting in front of a Dementor has got nothing to do with weakness. Dementors are among the foulest ceratures on earth. They glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope and happiness out of the air around them. Even Muggles can feel their presence, although they can't see them. Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you. You'll be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life. And that is why some of you, who may have enjoyed a happy and protected childhood,' his gaze rested on Malfoy who bit his lip, ‘are less  affected than others who have experienced true horrors in their past, even if those are lying in the subconscious, such as early childhood memoies.'

There was absolute silence in the classroom.

‘I hope that now that you know all this, you will never again belittle anybody due to the effect a Dementor has on him. Instead you should fall to your knees and thank the fates that have been so kind to you to spare you the horrible experiences that would cause you the same.'

Harry finally dared to properly look around in the classroom. Nobody commented Lupin's speech but from the slightly sheepish expressions on most faces Harry guessed that Lupin's point had been taken. A wave of gratitude towards his professor flooded through him. Not only had the man done what he could to save him from more teasing concerning Dementors, but his explanation had also helped Harry to understand what had been happening. So it had been his Mum's voice....

A huge lump formed in Harry's throat. Get a grip, Harry, he scolded himself, knowing that if he burst into tears now no speech of Lupin's, however impressive it might be, could possibly save him from the Slytherins.

Luckily Lupin continued talking. ‘For homework please read the chapter about boggarts. Oh, and before I forget: five points to Slytherin for everybody to tackle the Dementor, so that makes twenty more.'

Harry stared at him. ‘But Bulstrode and I didn't succeed!' he blurted out, receiving deathly glares from the others.

‘You and Millicent nevertheless tackled him', Lupin said quietly. ‘As such, you were facing your fears which is in itself always reason for praise.'

 Lupin checked the huge hour glass on his desk. ‘There is only a little time left. You may leave under the condition you don't stampede like a herd of centaurs in the corridor. - Harry, would you please remain behind for a moment.'

The classrrom was quickly deserted, except for Harry, who packed his satchel and walked slowly to his teacher's desk.

‘Are you really alright, Harry?' Lupin asked.

‘Yes!' Harry insisted.

‘I am sorry,' said Lupin. ‘I shouldn't have let you face the boggart.'

‘You knew I'd faint, didn't you', said Harry. ‘That's why you didn't let me do it last lesson, wasn't it?'

‘Not exactly. I assumed your boggart would take the shape of Lord Voldemort. And I thought it wouldn't be a good idea to let Lord Voldemort materialize in the middle of the classroom.'

Harry stared at him. Lupin had said the name, nobody except Dumbledore did that!

‘But if you were worried about that, then why did you let me try today?' he asked, puzzled. Now that he understood what Lupin had feared, he had to admit the man had a point. He could just imagine all the other students screaming and running for the door.

Lupin looked uncomfortable and ran his fingers through his hair. ‘Well, I thought... I thought it might be a good idea for your new housemates to see Voldemort for what he really is, rather than what their parents might have told them. I wanted them to have a chance to see for themselves what they might be pledging themselves to.'

Harry blinked in shock. It almost sounded as if Blaise and Millicent had been right - Lupid did think of Slytherins differently.

‘I'm sorry, Harry. If I had known your boggart would be a Dementor, I would have handled things differently.'

‘I did think of Voldemort at first,' Harry admitted. ‘But those Dementors....' He shivered.

‘I'm really impressed, Harry. It shows that what you fear above everything else is - fear. Very wise, Harry.'

‘Can you tell me how to fend a Dementor off?' Harry asked suddenly. ‘You know, with that silvery thing, like you did on the train...'

‘Harry, this is very advanced magic. And I think you should trust Professor Dumbledore not to allow any Dementor on the school premises.'

‘But if I don't learn, I won't even be able to face a simple boggart!' Harry insisted. ‘And I need to face my fears!' he quoted his Professor's words from the lesson.

Lupin smiled briefly. ‘Well quoted, Harry. Okay, we can give it a try. But you shouldn't be disappointed if you aren't able to master it yet, promise?'

‘Promise', said Harry.

Lupin nodded. ‘I'll inform you when I've got time. However, I suggest we wait a little bit, until you have settled in a bit more in Slytherin.'

Harry made a face.

‘And speaking of Slytherin', Lupin continued, ‘I'd like to offer you some advice. I don't know if you have noticed that your housemates weren't too impressed when you protested against being awarded house points?'

Harry shrugged. ‘Yeah.'

‘Well, I cannot be sure of course, but I think your remark was done impulsively because you thought it wasn't entirely fair?'

Harry shrugged again. ‘Yeah, why?'

‘I may be wrong, but I think it was likely interpreted by the others as an effort to deliberately prevent Slytherin from getting points. Be careful, because this could not only lead to angry housemates, but also to an immensely displeased Head of House.'

‘No need to tell me' Harry muttered.

‘So maybe you should clear up this misunderstanding, hmmm? - Off you go then, Harry, you must be hungry and lunch is about to start.'

When Harry made his way to the Great Hall, he was deep in thought. Clear up the misunderstanding, how was he supposed to do that? Apologize for what he had said and explain what he had meant? Never, he decided, and they wouldn't believe him anyway. All he would do was continue with his lessons as normaly as he could and earn points as much as he would in Gryffindor. Shouldn't be too difficult, he thought. With nobody to talk to in the evenings, I've got nothing to do but study anyway.

 

 

 

Harry had dreaded going to lunch as he feared that despite of Lupin's words he would be teased about his fainting in class. But obviously the others had agreed to avoid the subject altogether. In fact, nobody spoke about the defence lesson at all.  Instead, the topic was Hagrid.

‘I wonder how Hagrid will behave towards you today,' said Pansy Parkinson to Malfoy. ‘I bet he will be very careful. You can probably do what you want in class and he won't deduct any points, let alone put you in detention.'

‘No, of course not,' Malfoy smirked and Harry noticed to his dismay that once again, Malfoy's arm was in a sling.

‘Why are you wearing a sling again?' he burst out.

Draco raised his eyebrows and said ‘Because I got injured in your stupid friend's last lesson!'

‘There's nothing wrong with your arm!' Harry hissed. ‘You haven't worn a sling all day, and two days ago, your arm seemed to be alright when you punched me!'

Malfoy's voice dripped from sarcasm. ‘Yeah, seems like I overexerted myself a little bit there... ‘

A giggle went around the table.

‘Why are you doing this?' Harry asked in irritation. ‘Are you that desperate for attention?'

‘You're one to talk about attention, Potter!' hissed Malfoy. ‘You're the one who constantly seeks attention! But if you really want to know, I want Hagrid to see what his beast did to me!' 

‘It was your own stupid fault that you got injured! Hagrid told us exactly how to treat the Hippogriff! You just didn't listen!' Harry protested.

‘A teacher should not drag dangerous beasts into their lessons! I still cannot believe that that oaf is teaching us', Malfoy drawled. ‘But he won't be for long, not if I can help it.'

‘You're such a jerk, Malfoy', Harry said with contempt. ‘Hagrid is always friendly, he's never done anything to you, has he?'

‘He's a disgrace for any self-respecting wizard,' Malfoy said curtly. ‘Just look at his hut!'

‘Pfft', sniffed Millicent. ‘Not everyone can live in a Manor like you do, Draco.‘

Harry stared at her, surprised. He would never have thought she would contradict Malfoy. The blond boy narrowed his eyes. ‘I know that. And I know that it's not only a question of what you can afford but also of  taste - and the magic one can do to look after it.'

Harry felt the heat rise inside him at this obvious jibe at Hagrid's inability to use his magic, but before he could think of an angry retort, Pansy chimed in.  

‘We all know that, though probably not as well as you do, do we Millicent?'

From Pansy's fake sweet voice and the deadly glare that Millicent sent Pansy's way Harry deducted that there was something happening here between the Slytherins that he didn't quite understand. He didn't overly care, though, at the moment Hagrid was the one he cared most about.

‘What do you care about his hut? You don't have to live in it, so what is it to you?' he asked indignantly.

‘It's not just the hut,' Zabini joined into the conversation. ‘It's his whole personality. How is he supposed to teach us if he cannot speak a single sentence in educated English? And it is a disgrace that we get a teacher who hasn't even finished school himself!'

‘But that wasn't Hagrid's fault!' Harry protested. ‘And even if he doesn't speak all posh, that doesn't mean he's dumb! He still knows loads about animals!'

Zabini shrugged. ‘I'm not saying it is his fault. But that's just the way it is. You don't have to look at me like that, Potter', he stated calmly and met Harry's eyes, ‘that's the way I feel. I don't mind him as a gamekeeper, but I think we deserve teachers who have proper qualifications. Wasn't last year's DADA teacher enough of an argument for proper credentials?'

Harry couldn't think of an answer straight away. He couldn't argue with Zabini after he had brought forward a valid argument, but he couldn't stop thinking about Hagrid's happy and proud face when Dumbledore had announced his nomination. In that light Zabini's logical argument appeared cold and cruel.

‘And that makes it alright for Malfoy to try and get him fired?' he asked incredulously. ‘Do you all think so? What has he ever done to you?'

‘I don't want a teacher standing beside me wearing a smelly fur, thank you very much' Pansy snapped. ‘And Blaise is right, a teacher should at least talk properly, how are the students supposed to learn, right Millicent?' She giggled and Millicent blushed. Zabini frowned at Pansy.

‘Vincent, what do you think?' Blaise asked the broad boy who looked surprised at being asked his opinion but stopped chewing and narrowed his eyes as if pondering a  difficult question.

‘Dunno', he said finally. ‘Don't care really. ‘T least the lesson's outside.'

Malfoy rolled his eyes. ‘What kind of answer did you expect, Zabini? Those two would be the last to complain about Hagrid. After all he can hardly set any homework essays as he would have to mark them, and as for his language, I bet they haven't even noticed!' He looked at both of them and added, ‘Which is fine with me, don't get me wrong! Because you two would never consider ever becoming a Professor, would you? Professor Crabbe? Professor Goyle, Sir?'

His mock respectful tone caused a round of laughter and Crabbe and Goyle grinned sheepishly too. Then people started to leave the table.

‘What did you think about Hagrid's first lesson?' Harry asked Theodore Nott just before getting up himself. The pale boy's eyes quickly travelled from Harry to Malfoy and back again before he answered,

‘Well, I like all sorts of animals...'

With that, he hurried on and left Harry on his own, who thought this hadn't been a real answer to his question.

‘Potter.'

‘Hm', he made, startled out of his thoughts about Nott, turned around and found himself looking at Claudius Chesterton, the Slytherin prefect he already knew.

‘I'd like a quick word with you.' With his head the prefect motioned to the side near the wall where they could talk in relative privacy.

Harry followed him a little nervously, unsure what to expect. He found out soon enough, though.

‘Potter, I was inpecting your dorm after breakfast and I found that you hadn't made your bed and I found some dirty socks of yours underneath it.'

He looked at Harry expectantly who wondered what he was supposed to say. ‘Oh', seemed to be on the safe side.

‘Oh, indeed,' the prefect said. ‘Listen, Potter, I know that this whole change is not easy for you, so I suppose it's understandable to forget once. Once, you get me? I took care of your things today, but that was an exception, do you understand?'

‘Yes,' Harry muttered, feeling like he had at preschool when he had been reprimanded regularly for not tidying up his bricks properly, and he fervently hoped that would be all. Chesterton hadn't finished yet, though.

‘I am aware from our prefect's meetings that in other houses tidying up is not taken as seriously as it is in Slytherin, but I will have to report you to Professor Snape if this happens again. He feels very strongly about everyone tidying up after himself.'

‘No surprise there,' Harry muttered, secretely wondering if there was a single issue in the life of a Slytherin that Snape, the control freak. didn't feel strongly about.

‘Is that all then?' he asked, feeling annoyed.

‘Yes,' Chesterton said, ‘and you don't have to look at me like that, you should be glad I'm telling you and giving you this warning.'

Furious, Harry turned and left. He was still seething internally when he met Ron and Hermione at the exit of the Great hall, where they had been waiting for him.

‘What did the Prefect want?' Hermione asked at once. ‘You're not in trouble already, are you?'

‘Oh yes, I committed a horrible crime', Harry said sarcastically. ‘I didn't make my bed this morning, but luckily the Prefect tempered justice with mercy. Pompous ass!'

Ron was sympathetic. ‘Too bad, mate. Sounds like at home. Luckily Mum doesn't often have time to worry about about unmade beds, but sometimes she's after me as well. And I'm not allowed any magic at home! At least you can use a spell.'

‘So you can teach me?' Harry asked. ‘I'd rather do it Muggle-style all the time than admit to Malfoy or the others that I need their help.'

Hermione was looking half exasperated, half amused. ‘Don't tell me that you haven't made your bed at Hogwarts a single time since our first year.'

‘Well, no,' said Ron. ‘Why should we? It's our bed! And it gets messed up again anyway! Besides, it's all neatly done when the house elves change the linen every Sunday, so why bother?'

‘It's house elves that do that?' Harry asked, surprised.

‘Well, yes, sure', Ron answered, now surprised himself. ‘What did you think who did it? Mc Gonagall?'

The three of them started sniggering when they imagined their Head of House walking around with a stack of neatly folded linen.

Harry became serious again. ‘But honestly, mate', he said. ‘I didn't know there were house elves here at Hogwarts, I thought the beds did themselves, just like the food appears on the table on its own.'

‘But it doesn't,' Ron said. ‘It's also house elves who take it from the kitchen, where they prepare it, to the Great Hall, using their magic, of course.'

Hermione let out a frustrated sigh. ‘Why have they never told us? It's so unfair! Sometimes I think I can never catch up with all that you already know! And you can take Muggle Studies, there should be a subject like Wizarding Studies for Muggleborns as well!'

Ron shrugged. ‘I suppose.'

Meanwhile they had reached Hagrid's hut. They were the last to arrive; the others were already standing in groups together, Slytherins and Gryffindors apart from each other. The three friends exchanged a quick glance, then Hermione walked over to the Gryffindor group, however on the side closer to the Slytherins. Harry and Ron followed.

Hagrid's second lesson turned out to be a disappointment.  Malfoy's accident seemed to have cost Hagrid all his self-confidence and so he introduced the class to flobberworms, which were about the dullest creatures Harry had ever seen.

‘Yuck, slimy creatures,' Malfoy muttered. ‘Pity we didn't know them yesterday, they would have been charming company in your bed as well, wouldn't they, Potter?'

The Slytherins giggled and the Gryffindors glared.

‘Now, quiet there, please,' said Hagrid. ‘So that's all for today, I'd need some help ter get the little ones back to their cages, any volunteers?' He looked around hopefully.

‘Well, I'd love to, Professor,' drawled Malfoy, ‘it's just that my arm hurts so that I shouldn't move it so much.'

Hagrid didn't know what to say and just stood there, wringing his hands . It gave Harry a pang in the chest to see him like this. ‘I'll help,' he offered quickly and thought to himself that this was the second time in one day that Malfoy had provoked him into volunteering for something.

Hagrid looked relieved. ‘Thanks Harry, that's five points to Gr.... erm, Slytherin', he said and scratched his head. The Slytherins grinned broadly.

‘I'll help, too', said Ron and Hermione raised her hand as well. After awarding ten points to Gryffindor, Hagrid dismissed the class. Sighing, the three friends helped Hagrid with the flobberworms.

‘I don't know, I don't know, Harry,' mourned Hagrid. ‘You in Slytherin... But Dumbledore's a great man, ye know, he will have his reasons...'

Harry had feared this conversation with Hagrid. He felt that Hagrid was the member of staff with most reservations towards the Slytherins, and after his conversation with Dumbledore he had become aware that when Hagrid had introduced him to the wizarding world what he had said about Slytherin house hadn't been entirely accurate.

‘It doesn't change what you think about me, does it?' he asked worriedly.

Instead of an immediate verbal answer Hagrid tousled his hair and gave him a pat on the back that made him stumble forward a few steps.

‘Nah', he said finally, ‘you're still the same Harry, even if you are in Slytherin. But watch out, ye hear me? Some of those Slytherins cannot be trusted.'

When a little while later Harry made his way back to the Slytherin common room, his pockets were bulging from the numerous rock cakes that Hagrid had insisted upon giving him. As little as he liked eating them, Harry was happy about them - the mere fact that he got them surely meant that Hagrid still considered him his friend.

After entering the common roon, he looked around as he had done the evening before in the search of a suitable place to sit. When he caught sight of the prefect, talking aimatedly to some of his classmates, a mischievous grin spread over Harry's face. Quickly he crossed the room.

‘Chesterton?' he asked tentatively.

‘Potter?' The brown-haired boy turned to face him.

‘Snape told me that I am supposed to give any sweets I get to you, so you can distribute them to everybody...' Upon the nod of the older boy, Harry began emptying all his pockets and piled all his rock cakes on the table in front of him. The only thing that Harry regretted in this moment was that Ron wasn't there to witness the flabbergasted prefect's face.

‘What on earth is that, Potter', Chesterton said and took one of the rock cakes, trying unsuccessfully to break it in half.

‘These are Hagrid's rock cakes', Harry said with a straight face. ‘He gave them to me to make my evenings here more pleasant, that's what he said, but you know, I don't mind sharing.'

With that, he left the group of older boys and went to the table with his classmates.

‘Ooh, look who's coming,' exclaimed Pansy when she saw him approach. ‘Have you sucked up enough to your favorite teacher? "Yes Hagrid, I'd love to help you with your flobberworms, they are such amazing creatures!" '

‘Shut up', Harry said curtly determined not to let himself provoked so easily. Malfy, however had other plans.

‘Honestly Potter, it's a disgrace to see you kiss Hagrid's ass like this,' said Malfoy. ‘Helping that oaf with his flobberworms, as if he couldn't manage on his own!'

‘What is it to you if I help him?' Harry asked, trying to keep his temper. ‘After all, I like him!'

‘And I say, it's a disgrace,' Malfoy said coldly. ‘But surely someone who was raised by muggles and constantly runs around with mudbloods and blood traitors doesn't have a clue about wizarding pride! My father...'

‘Your father is a villain without any pride or honor or anythingelse!' Harry hissed, his hands balled into fists. ‘He almost killed Ginny Weasley last year!'

The students around him gasped. Malfoy was white with fury and had jumped to his feet. ‘That's a bloody lie!' he shouted. ‘You just want to criticize my father because you don't have one!'

‘It's not a lie!' Harry balled his fists. ‘And you know, I'm better off without a father than I would be with one like yours! I've seen the way he treated your house-elf, it was just revolting! You can see what kind of ass he is!'

‘You take that back!' Malfoy yelled, outraged, and quickly drew his wand. Harry did the same.

‘Expelliarmus!'

Claudius Chesterton was furiously advancing upon them, both of their wands in his left hand. ‘Listen, you two, I am sick of your fighting. You, Malfoy, stop your taunting, and you, Potter,' he looked at Harry coldly,'don't spread any rumours about other people. Do you understand me?'

Harry and Daco didn't say anything.

‘Do you understand me?' the prefect repeated impatiently.

‘Yes,' both muttered.

‘You are both going to write lines for me now. Fighting proves nothing and always shows a failure of both parties. 100 times. That should keep you busy until dinner and a bit afterwards. Start. You'll get your wands back after you've given me your lines.' With that he briskly turned around and walked back to the table he had vacated.

Harry and Draco glared at one another but knew better than to say any more. Instead Malfoy sat down where he had been before and Harry settled for an empty seat at the other end of the table, next to Theodore Nott. Without another word both of them started on their lines.

Fighting proves nothing and always shows a failure of both parties.

Fighting proves nothing and always shows a failure of both parties.

Fighting proves nothing and always shows a failure of both parties.

Fighting proves nothing and always shows a failure of both parties.

Fighting proves nothing and always shows a failure of both parties.

Fighting proves nothing and always shows a failure of both parties.

Fighting proves nothing and always shows a failure of both parties.

Fighting proves nothing and always shows a failure of both parties.

Fighting proves nothing and always shows a failure of both parties.

Fighting proves nothing and always shows a failure of both parties.

Harry sighed and counted. Ten times. A tenth of what he had to do. He never liked writing with a quill, and writing the same thing would get on anybody's nerves. His writing was starting to get worse with every sentence, and he had no idea how picky the prefect would be. Thinking he didn't want to risk having to redo his lines, he grudgingly decided he needed to slow down a bit.

He had finished line No. 76 when it was time for dinner. Sighing he put down his quill and followed the others out of the common roon, feeling very uncomfortable without his wand. He ate dinner in silence, not bothering to engage in any conversation with the others, who were busy discussing the status of their homework. Yes, Harry groaned internally, he stilll had his potions homework to do, but he would only be able to start that after he finished the rest of his lines. 

Harry was the first one to arrive back in the Common Room, and was already busy with his lines when the others joined him at the table. Theodore Nott, when he sat down next to him, looked at his parchment, but didn't comment. Neither did the others. Sure, Harry thought, they can't take the mickey out of me when their leader Malfoy has to do lines as well.

Fighting proves nothing and always shows a failure of both parties. 99.

Fighting proves nothing and always shows a failure of both parties. 100. With a sigh of relief, Harry put down his quill and looked over at Malfoy. The blond boy hadn't finished yet and was still scribbling away furiously. Harry grabbed his parchment and went over to the prefect's table. He cleared his throat.

‘I finished my lines', he said and blushed when all the older students looked at him and peered at his parchment. Harry thought that if the prefect made a single stupid remark he would probably explode and earn himself another 100 lines. Luckily Chesterton simply held out his hand without a word. After receiving the parchment from Harry, he checked its contents and then, still without saying anything, he gave Harry his wand back.

‘Thanks', Harry mumbled awkwardly and quickly left the older boys. On his way back he met Malfoy, who had also finished his lines. Both of them took care not to meet the other's eye. Deciding that he definitely needed to start with his potions homework, Harry went to his dorm to fetch his potions textbook and his notes from the last lesson out of his cupboard. Back in the common room, Harry sat down next to Nott again and started on his essay. Nott briefly looked up from his own work when Harry settled down and opened his potions book but did not comment. Harry missed Hermione's help, but he was determined to write an acceptable essay. He was in no doubt that  Snape would hear about his fight with Malfoy, which would result in enough trouble anyway, so he saw no need to aggravate the man even further by handing in carelessly-done homework.

With nobody to distract him, Harry noticed to his surprise that his work progressed rather quickly and he ended up having written three inches more than Snape had assigned them. This was unprecendented. Satisfied with himself, Harry decided he had done enough work for the day and that he should go into the dorm. He wasn't so keen on being present when Snape entered the Common room again and got filled in by the prefect and besides it was probably a good idea to get ready for bed before the others were there so that they couldn't mess around with his bed again.

Harry enjoyed the peace and quiet in his dorm. Dropping his satchel next to his trunk, he quickly changed into his pyjamas and went to the washroom. Upon coming back, he carefully inspected his bed. No, there wasn't anything in his bed that didn't belong there. Settling in his bed he immersed himself in a magazine that Seamus had lent him. He quickly skipped the pages titled ‘Magic for your wardrobe - the trendiest spells for your clothes' and moved on to the Quidditch section. There were moving pictures of famous Quidditch stars as well as tables of the latest results in the Quidditch league. This was much more interesting. However, the excitement of the last few days and the nights when he hadn't slept well took their toll and Harry was asleep before the others came to bed.

Harry woke up early the next morning, feeling more relaxed than he had for several days. There had been no unpleasant occurences during the night and Harry began to think that if he avoided any confrontation with the others and otherwise spent as much time as he could with his Gryffindor friends, he might survive this whole arrangement. He went up to breakfast in a rather good mood.

Like every morning, the post was delivered at the breakfast table. Harry was used to almost never getting anything, but he still enjoyed the fluttering of the multitude of owls in the Great Hall. This morning though, he was a little irritated by the huge parcel that Malfoy got and the admiring sounds that everybody around the blond boy made. To Harry it seemed as if Malfoy was making a show out of opening the parcel and making sure everybody noticed the valuable presents he got.

‘Just look at these boots', Malfoy exclaimed, ‘that's real dragon hide! And look here, there are some Quidditch cards, signed by the players themselves! Oh, and here, Chesterton, this is for you!' he said, handing a rather large sack over to the prefect. ‘Lots of sweets, enough for everyone I'd say.'

Harry couldn't help feeling reminded of Dudley's birthdays. The difference, though, was that Dudley had never been forced to share anything. Well, he couldn't care less, it wasn't as if he wanted to eat any of the sweets that Lucius Malfoy sent his son!

After breakfast, Harry quickly went to make his bed. Unfortunately he hadn't finished when the others came in.

‘Honestly Potter, what's this supposed to mean? You think you do it better Muggle-Style than with the spell?' Zabini asked increduloudsly.

Harry shrugged.'In the holidays we have to do it like this, too', he  said. ‘At least like this I don't lose the practice.'

Zabini gave him a strange look, but didn't say anything. Malfoy muttered audibly, ‘Completely nuts. That's what you get if you let a wizard grow up with muggles.' The boys quickly muttered an incantation and performed a wand movement that left their beds much tidier than Harry's in less than a second. Then they started gathering their school things for the day. So did Harry. He put his transfiguration things into the satchel next to the potions supplies that were still in there from the evening before. Suddenly he paused. He checked his bag, first systematically then increasingly frantically. There was no doubt. His potions homework, which he was sure he had put it into his bag the evening before, had disappeared.

Harry violently shut his satchel and looked up. Theodore was hurrying out of the dorm, his satchel over his shoulder, Zabini following suit. Crabbe and Goyle were still rummaging in their wardrobes, however Malfoy met his eyes and raised his eyebrows.

‘Looking for something, Potter?' he asked with mock concern.

And in that moment Harry was sure that it was Malfoy who had taken his homework. Without answering, he grabbed his bag and hurried out of the dorm in the direction of the potions classroom. He was desperate to meet his Gryffindor friends and was lucky to find that they were already waiting for him in their usual seats in the classsroom. As usual Harry sat down next to Ron and was in that moment even more glad than normal that this made him sit far away from the Slytherins. In a low voice in order not to be overheard Harry filled them in.

‘That git!' Ron's reaction was exactly as Harry had expected. ‘We really have to think of something to make him stop causing you trouble. Maybe we should ask Fred and George for help!'

‘I think you should tell Professor Snape,' Hermione said predictably.

Harry shook his head. ‘I can't sneak, that will only make it worse,' he said unhappily, and his gaze travelled to the old pewter cauldron on the teacher's desk which contained an increasing number of rolls of parchment as the passing students dropped their homework inside.

‘No, you can't,' Ron agreed. ‘Not that I wouldn't like to see Malfoy get into trouble, but sneaking on others is just wrong... ‘

‘But Ron, Harry didn't say anything when they put the ants in his bed and look where it's got him! It just got worse! Harry, you have to do something, you have to tell a teacher! If not, what will be the next thing they do to you?' Hermione hissed.

‘Yeah, I definitely need to do something,' Harry agreed. ‘I think asking Fred and George is a good idea. I can't sneak, Hermione, I really can't...Besides, I doubt that Snape would believe me anyway, it's my word against Malfoy's ....'

‘Still...' Hermione hesitated. ‘I don't know either, Harry. But at least you should tell him straight away that your homework is missing, that will be better than letting him find out for himself....'

She interrupted herself because just at that moment Snape arrived and noisily closed the door behind him. The man then leaned against his desk and let his gaze wander over the students as they finished preparing for the lesson. Harry looked at Ron who shrugged, then at Hermione, who gave him an encouraging nod. Hesitantly he raised his hand.

‘Mr Potter.'

‘I'm sorry, sir, but I couldn't hand in my homework.' He swallowed and continued in a small voice, ‘I did it last night, but now it's gone.'

‘Gone,' Snape repeated. ‘How peculiar.' He advanced a few steps until he was in front of Harry's desk, where he leaned down, his eyes boring into Harry's. ‘I don't see you as a student who finishes his homework days in advance. So I think it is quite a coincidence, Mr Potter, that your homework has mysteriously disappeared just the morning after the evening when you were unexpectedly busy doing lines and went to bed early.'

‘I did my homework', Harry insisted. ‘I wrote the essay after I finished my lines!'

He looked over to his Slytherin classmates. Pansy Parkinson was whispering something into Daphne Greengrass's ear and giggling, while Millicent Bulstrode was looking at him curiously, Malfoy coldly, Zabini pensively and Nott wasn't looking at him at all. Instead, he  kept rubbing his forefinger along a scratch on his desk.

‘Nott!' Harry said. ‘You saw me do it after I gave my lines to the prefect! I know you did!'

The blond boy unhappily looked up and briefly met Harry's eyes. His usually pale face showed the slightest sign of pink when he averted his eyes again and said hesitantly, ‘I saw you write something after finishing your lines, but I didn't see what it was.'

‘But that's not true!' Harry felt the heat rising in his body. He was sure that Theodore Nott must have seen that it had been his potions book lying open on the table right next to him. But before he could say anything more, Snape spoke.

‘Mr Potter, I think you have wasted enough time of this lesson. If you feel the need to argue further I will give you another five minutes of my time for that later. Your detention is scheduled for seven o'clock tonight, be five minutes early if you want.' Without waiting for an answer he turned around and marched to the blackboard.

Pansy Parkinson giggled even louder and Malfoy smirked at Harry behind Snape's back. Angrily Harry turned and looked at his friends. Ron grimaced sympathetically and Hermione shrugged helplessly. Harry sighed. It was not that he hadn't expected to get detention from Snape for not turning in his homework, but the actions of his new housemates bothered him more than he would have expected.

Meanwhile Snape had begun his lecture on ageing potions. Harry was unable to listen. Instead he pondered various possibilities of revenge and decided that Ron's original idea of asking Fred and George for help definitely had its charm. The screeching noise of chairs being pushed back drew him out of his thoughts, and he noticed that his classmates were getting up to fetch the ingredients they needed for the recipe that had appeared on the blackboard. Harry hurriedly read through the list and hastened to follow, deciding he would just take what Hermione took - not exactly a new procedure for him. As he was trying to get through to Hermione who, predictively had got to the shelves first Harry suddenly found himself eye to eye with Theodore Nott. The blond boy hastily looked away and took a step back to let Harry pass.

‘Thanks so much for your help, Nott,' Harry hissed. Nott's face turned pink but the boy didn't say anything. Harry glared at him and went to collect his ingredients.

Back at his desk Harry desperately looked at the blackboard. He had missed Snape's entire lecture, which meant he could only blindly follow the steps indicated on the blackboard without any understanding of the context. Sighing, he set himself to work. Chopping his roots he imagined the thin pinkish bits to be Malfoys fingers. Quickly he lit the fire under his cauldron, muttered ‘Aguamenti', filling his cauldron with water out of his wand, and added the chopped roots. He was just going to add the dried spiders when he was interrupted by a sharp ‘Mr Potter!'

Startled, he looked up and found Snape directly in front of him. ‘Sir?'

‘Read again what you need to do before adding the spiders!' Snape said and frowned at him.

Harry peered at the blackboard and found the line. After reducing the fire, add two handfuls of dried spiders. He hastily dimmed the flames and looked up, prepared for the coming dressing down by Snape, but the man had already walked on and was peering into the cauldron of a very nervous looking Neville Longbotttom. Relieved, Harry exhaled slowly and exchanged a glance with Ron next to him. They both carried on in silence. They mutely exchanged another glance when an irate Snape started berating Neville. Luckily for Harry, Snape didn't address him again, or maybe he wasn't so lucky, because at the end of the lesson, when Snape ordered them to cork a sample and bring it to him, Harry's potion had transformed into a sticky mass that he had problems getting a portion of into the little phial. Snape raised  his eyebrows when Harry put his work on his desk but luckily didn't comment.

‘Phht,' said Harry when they were finally leaving the classroom. ‘That was a really messed up potion.'

‘But you're lucky,' said Ron, ‘and me too. Snape didn't bother us as much as he normally does. Well, I guess there must be some advantages to you being in Slytherin.'

‘Yeah, he wouldn't take points,' Harry agreed, ‘but mind you, I'll probably get it all in detention this evening. You know what, though,' he added and looked over to Neville who, after having his usual harassment by Snape , was fighting back his tears, ‘ next lesson I am going to work at the same table as Neville, and we'll see if that helps.'

Ron grunted in the affirmative and then the friends had to separate. Harry went to join his new housemates on their way to the transfiguration classroom, but didn't talk to them. He hadn't forgotten his disappearing essay.

The transfiguration lesson with the Slytherins wasn't so different from how it would have been with the Gryffindors, Harry soon found out. McGonagall was a strict professor who didn't tolerate any talking amongst the students or any nonsense during her lessons and so it didn't really matter with whom one attended the lesson. Harry was pleased to notice that none of the Slytherins, not even Draco, dared to show the slightest sign of disrespect to his head of house. Yes, Harry stil considered her to be his real head of house. The lesson passed rather quickly.

‘Please stay behind for a moment, Mr Potter.' Harry looked up and nodded as his classmates hurried from the room as quickly as they could.

‘Yes, Professor?'

‘I wanted to ask you how your first days have gone so far. How are you settling in?'

Her voice was crisp as usual, but Harry knew her well enough not to miss the trace of concern in her tone.

‘Not too well,' he muttered. He hesitated. Should he tell her about his stolen essay? But he had no proof, and even if McGonagall believed him, she could hardly go to Snape with nothing more than his story. And Snape would only get angry that he had sent McGonagall to him. No, he decided, he wouldn't tell her.

‘I'm sorry to hear that, Mr Potter. Is there anything I can do to help?'

Harry mutely shook his head.

‘Well, if something should come up where you think I can help, do tell me.'

‘Thanks,' Harry muttered and turned to go, but then he stopped, an inspiration having just come to him. McGonagall seemed to be in an uncharacteristically mellow mood....

‘Professor, actually there is something... couldn't you sign my Hogsmeade permission form? My relatives forgot to sign it....'

The old witch looked at him with an expression that quickly turned from surprise to pity.

‘I am sorry, Mr Potter, but you have to ask Professor Snape for this now. This is out of my hands. I do not have any authority exceeding that of an ordinary teacher over you at the moment.'

‘But Professor,' protested Harry, who wouldn't give up easily, ‘can't you just sign and pretend I asked you last week?'

‘Mr Potter, are you really asking me to forge the date of my signature?' McGonagall asked in a stern tone. Harry didn't respond and nervously bit his lip.

‘I am sorry,' McGonagall repeated in a friendlier tone, ‘but as I said, you'll have to ask Professor Snape. - Now you'll have to hurry, or you'll be late for your next lesson.'

Harry was in a bad mood for the rest of the day. The prospect of the upcoming detention didn't raise his spirits either, but as he knocked on Snape's door he was determined not to aggravate the man any more and give him a pretext to prolong his detention.

‘Come in.'

Harry opened the heavy oak door to Snape's office and slowly walked inside. He had the same awkward feelling in his stomach that he always had when he went to a detention with Snape. He uncertainly looked at the man who wordlessly pointed to a small desk near the wall. Suppressing a sigh Harry lowered himself onto the hard bench.

Snape got up from behind his desk and walked over to Harry.

‘You should be aware, Potter, that I do not tolerate it if students don't turn in their homework on time - regardless of their house affiliation.' His tone was quiet and cold.

‘I did my homework!' Harry insisted. ‘I told you the truth, it was just... gone.'

‘How?'

Harry blushed and bit his lips. Should he say he had put it into his satchel and closed the satchel? That from Malfoy's face he was sure he was responsible for taking it? That this was the second time his dormmates had given him a hard time? No, that was impossible. So he remained silent and shrugged helplessly.

‘So you insist that you did it after finishing your lines?'

He mutely nodded.

Snape summoned a role of parchment and a quill and placed both items in front of Harry.

‘Start.'

Puzzled, Harry asked, ‘You mean the essay? Sir?'

‘Mr Potter, if I wanted you to write lines you can be sure you would have already heard from me what I wanted you to write.' With that, Snape went back to his desk, and began reading his way through the stack of parchments, probably the output of Harry's classmates.

Harry groaned internally, the essay had taken him long enough the evening before, and now, to do it all again... But probably still better than cutting potions ingredients. Without commenting, he started his homework once more. To his surprise, the work went rather quickly. The day before, a considerable part of his time had been taken by looking up in his textbook what he might write, but now he could still remember quite well what he had written. So when he hesitantly said ‘I've finished, sir', merely half an hour had passed.

‘Bring it here.'

Harry did as he was told and watched nervously as Snape was quickly scanning his text. Without commenting the professor put it to the other rolls. Then he pointed to the chair opposite his desk.

‘Sit.'

Harry sat. Snape looked at him intently before he started to speak.

‘I was surprised to see you had already retired to your dorm when I came into the common room last night.'

‘I was tired,' Harry muttered, not sure where this was going.

‘I wasn't so surprised, though, when I heard that you had already earned yourself some lines.'

Harry didn't answer, but stared at him defiantly. So what? What business was it of Snape's, if the prefect had already dealt with it?

Snape must have guessed his thoughts. ‘While I am sure that Mr Chesterton dealt with you appropriately, I don't want to ignore the incident completely. Do you really think that it is a good idea to spread rumours about Mr Malfoy's father in front of everybody?'

‘It wasn't rumours, it was the truth!' Harry retorted heatedly.

‘It's nothing proved, so it's rumours,' said Snape calmly.  ‘And besides, that's not the point. The point is that you brought Mr Malfoy into an awkward position in front of his peers and thus made sure he would retaliate.'

‘But he started it!' Harry was really furious now. ‘He started by saying that I...'

‘Stop it, Potter. Just tell me, what are the traits that characterise a Slytherin?'

Harry closed his mouth, puzzled, and quickly thought about the sorting hat's song he had heard in his first year. ‘Ambition,' he said.

‘And?' Snape prompted.

Harry hesitated. ‘Erm.. cunning?'

‘Indeed,' Snape said. ‘And if you don't want to be completely miserable , you'd better start showing some cunning. Trying to publicly humiliate the obvious leader of your peers is not exactly clever, Mr Potter.' He looked at Harry intently and said, ‘You have to make a greater effort with your housemates, Mr Potter.'

Harry still felt angry. While he had to admit that Snape probably had a point that cunning most likely would bring him further than direct confrontation with Malfoy, it was still unfair that Snape made it sound as if it was all his fault. ‘Yeah, a greater effort,' he said sarcastically. ‘Maybe you could help me and show me how I can ward my things, cupboard and all.'

Snape narrowed his eyes. ‘That will not be necessary. You may go.'

Harry decided that being dismissed so early from a detention with Snape was a chance too good to miss so he didn't argue about Snape's assessment and hastened to leave the office. After entering the Slytherin common room he looked around, trying to decide once more with whom to sit. The boys from his class were all sitting together, except for Nott, who was by himself, scribbling something on a piece of parchment. Harry had no desire to join any of them, neither did he want to join the firsties again. So he walked over to where the girls of his year were sitting. Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass were busy watching a witch's magazine and taking turns pointing their wands at each other to try out different hairstyles. Millicent Bulstrode was sitting a bit further away with a book in her hand, her cat curled up at her side. The choice was easy.

‘Hi,' Harry said hesitantly, as he sat down on the sofa next to Millicent's cat.

‘Hi', the girl answered and snapped her book shut. Harry had the feeling that she was glad for the pretext to stop reading. ‘That was a short detention.'

‘Yeah', Harry muttered. An awkward silence followed.

‘What's that what you're reading there?' Harry asked, just to say something. You have to make a greater effort with your housemates, Snape had said after all.

‘Some stupid muggle novel. My mum's keeping sending me those, says I need to read something different than just wizard schoolbooks. Not that I mind in general, I just wish she would stick more to adventure stories and not this corny romance crap.'

Harry grinned at her choice of words, but he was astonished. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't ever seen a single muggle book in Hogwarts yet, and if he were to encounter one, he wouldn't have expected it to happen in the Slytherin common room of all places. Curiously, he asked, ‘So, your parents are muggles?'

‘Just my mother', said Millicent in a tone that made clear that she didn't want to discuss this any further.

In the awkward silence that followed, Harry said, ‘I don't read at all, except for class textbooks, I mean. I used to before I came to Hogwarts, though. I liked detective stories best.'

Millicent snorted. ‘So, Sherlock Holmes, why don't you solve "The Mystery of the Missing Potions Essay".'

‘Ha, ha,' snapped Harry. ‘I don't need to be Sherlock Holmes to figure that out.' He hatefully glanced over to Malfoy.

In that moment the door to the Common room opened and Snape came in. Harry still found it odd how natural the students found their Head of House's regular visits. The students did look up briefly, but then they continued with what they were doing. McGonagall would only enter the Common room in case of an emergency and so there was always an almost breathless attention when she showed up. Snape quickly looked around, then made his way to the third year boys.

‘Draco,' Snape said calmly, ‘would you please accompany me to my office? I don't think it will take long.'

Draco's face showed a brief flicker of nervousness, before it expressed nothing but polite interest. ‘Of course, sir.' He quickly got up and followed his teacher who was already on his way out of the room. When they passed Harry, Malfoy stared at him and squeezed his eyes together a little as if he wanted to read something from his expression. When both had left the room, there was a ringing silence for a moment, before whispered conversations set in again. From his classmates he could hear the whispered words " Malfoy" and " Potter". There were glares like daggers in his direction, too. Pink-faced, he looked down and started stroking Millicent's cat who purred contentedly.

‘So you really did your homework, didn't you?' asked Millicent after a pause. When Harry nodded, she said drily, ‘Snape obviously believed you. That short detention was a record for Snape, and now after talking to you, he gets Malfoy immediately...'

‘Look, I didn't say it was Malfoy', Harry protested.

‘Hmph', Millicent made a doubtful noise.

Harry sighed and continued caressing the cat. ‘What's your cat's name?' he asked.

‘Tibby', she said curtly. 

‘My friend Hermione has a cat, too, Crookshanks.' Harry tried to keep the conversation going. ‘She just got him two weeks ago. Ron doesn't like him too much. He's scared he might eat his rat.'

Millicent snorted, ‘Rats are pathetic anyway. If you ask me he shouldn't even care.'

A loud giggle from the neighbouring table made them both look up. Both Pansy and Daphne were sporting long green eyelashes and fingernails.

‘Why aren't you with the other girls?' Harry blurted out before he could stop himself. ‘Don't they let you participate?' He suddenly thought about the deprecatory comments aimed at Millicent the day before. Was she an outsider, and thus maybe someone he could associate with?

‘Do I look like someone whose universe revolves around robes and hairstyles?' Millicent shot back. However, Harry saw her look at the other table a bit longingly. Not knowing what to say, he continued stroking the cat.

The Common Room fell silent when the door opened again and Draco Malfoy came in. Head held high, he slowly walked over to the group he had vacated a mere ten minutes before. The others slowly got to their feet and greeted him with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. Theodore, Pansy and Daphne joined them, too. Millicent remained where she was, but she, too, craned her neck in order not to miss anything.

‘So?' Zabini asked.

Malfoy shrugged and to Harry his face seemed more arrogant than ever. He talked as if Harry wasn't in the room. ‘Yes. As you probably figured out. Potter's essay.' He paused.

‘So I take it Snape wasn't amused?' Zabini said.

‘No, not at all.' Malfoy looked around and his gaze rested on Theodore Nott who was looking extremely nervous. ‘But none of you need worry. I told Snape that I alone was responsible.'

Harry could have kicked Malfoy just for the self-satisfied tone of his voice and his anger got even worse when he saw the effect that his words had on the others. Crabbe and Goyle merely grunted appreciatively, but Theodore Nott was looking at Malfoy as if he had just saved him from a terrible fate and Pansy's face showed deep admiration. As so often, Zabini was the most outspoken of them. ‘Thanks,' he said. ‘That was decent of you.'

Harry snorted on his sofa.  The group surrounding Malfoy didn't hear him, but Millicent turned around and frowned.

‘What?' Harry asked rather aggressively.

‘That was decent of him', the girl said.

‘I'd bet it was the truth, nothing else', Harry said, not caring whether the others could hear him or not.

His comment finally made Malfoy address him directly. ‘Just for your information, Potter,' he said coldly, ‘you needn't worry about your things in the future. None of us is interested in anything that belongs to you. Sneak!' With that he turned on his heel and strutted out of the Common room in the direction of the dormitories.

Harry was painfully aware of the stony faces looking at him. ‘I didn't sneak!' he protested, but he could see that it was no use, they didn't believe him. Millicent gave him another doubtful look as well and opened her muggle novel again. As she had made clear how she felt about that "corny romance crap" Harry took it as a sign that she didn't want to talk to him any more. He sighed internally. Millicent had actually been rather fun to talk to. Her manners were on the rough side, but to Harry she made a pleasant contrast to the way girls usually behaved. Well, not Hermione, Harry corrected himself as he thought about his friend affectionately. What would she be doing right now? Studying most likely, and thinking about that he suddenly remembered that he had a History test due the next day. He decided he'd better go through his notes, incomplete as they were. I should have copied Hermione's notes while I was still in Gryffindor, he thought angrily and got to his feet to get his notes that he kept in his trunk.

When he entered the dormitory, Draco Malfoy, who was lying on his stomach on his bed, propped on his elbows and reading, shot him a dirty look but didn't say anything. Harry didn't want to get into another fight with Malfoy either, so he ignored him, just fetched his notes and left the dorm straight away. By himself he thought that Malfoy was pathetic. He made it look as if he had been so brave accepting sole responsibility, but he had nothing to fear from Snape - he obviously hadn't got detention and wasn't even doing lines. So it seemed that he had been told to stay in the dormitory, but in Harry's opinion this was hardly anything to make such a fuss about. Shrugging, he settled next to Millicent again, who still ignored him, and started revising his history notes.

Although Snape's conversation with Malfoy hadn't exactly endeared Harry to his fellow Slytherins, it had obviously helped with his daily life. During the week that followed, there were no other unpleasant surprises or hidden things. His history notes had obviously been as bad as he had feared as in spite of his revision he failed his history test, and, as Hermione had predicted, he and Ron failed their divination test as well. Harry spent as much time as he could outside the dungeons with Ron and Hermione, but the fact remained that in the evenings they all had to remain in their respective common rooms. The other Slytherins still ignored him most of the time. Draco and his two sidekicks were obviously still blaming him for allegedly sneaking on Malfoy. Nott, however, would nod at Harry when they met. Harry thought that the boy was probably still ashamed for letting Harry down in Potions class and, he thought a little bitterly, even if Nott also believed that Harry had ratted Malfoy out to Snape, he probably considered it a justifiable way to get out of trouble.

One evening towards the end of his second week in Slytherin Harry noticed that several pieces of parchment covered in Snape's spiky writing were attached to the black board. Stepping closer, Harry realised that it was a list of the students and the dates of their appointments with Snape. And with a rising nervousness he noticed that his name was among the first and that Snape had scheduled their meeting in just two days.

Harry swallowed hard as he stood in front of Snape's office. He wasn't sure what to expect of his first appointment with Snape and in this moment he regretted that he had been too proud to ask his Slytherin classmates. Drawing a deep breath, he knocked.

‘Come in.'

Harry hesitantly entered the office. Snape got up from his desk.  "Sit, Potter,' he said quietly while he was clearing away the stacks of parchment that were piled on his desk. Harry nervously sat down on the old leather armchair in front of Snape's desk and watched the man go over to a low old cupboard with three drawers. The Hogwarts crest was carved into all of them.  Snape tapped the lowest drawer with his wand. ‘Harry Potter!' he said and opened the drawer. A moderately thick, leather-bound folder was inside. Snape took it out and shoved the now empty drawer shut.

‘I already had a look at your file a few days ago,' Snape remarked while he was opening the folder. ‘And I daresay we have plenty to discuss.'

Harry gulped.  He tried to get a glimpse on what was in the papers that Snape had in front of him, but the writing was too small and besides he could only see it upside-down. There were several bits of parchment that seemed to be lists with his marks, others seemed to be written reports, probably from all his teachers, Harry assumed.

‘Well, Potter, we will start this meeting with your academic achievements,' said Snape. ‘I have talked with some of your professors and I have had a look at your last year's report and at the marks you have received so far this year. You seem to be doing all right in most subjects, though obviously you could put a bit more effort into your homework. However, some subjects leave quite a lot to be desired. So let's start with History of Magic.'

His dark eyes bore into Harry's, who gulped.

‘Last week you had the first test of the term, and you failed it. What happened, didn't you bother to study for it?'

‘Yeah, I did,' Harry muttered. This was turning out worse than he had expected. He had been prepared to be berated for his potions performance, but if Snape already seemed angry about History, how bad was it going to be when they reached Potions? He swallowed and repeated, ‘I did study, it's just that, the questions were sort of different from what I had expected.'

‘Ah', said Snape. ‘You almost failed last year's final exam, too. So am I to assume that the questions then were also different from what you had expected? Were they about something completely different than what had been covered in class? Or might it be that your preparation has been somewhat incomplete?'

Harry didn't know what to say and lowered his head.

‘I should have thought that the bad mark last year would have motivated you to put a bit more effort in this term. Didn't your relatives scold you for your bad marks in a subject where it is obvious that they were solely a result of laziness?' Snape asked sharply.

‘Erm, no,' Harry answered carefully, determined to tell Snape as little as possible about the Dursleys. As little as he liked them, with Snape being head of Slytherin, the Muggle biased house of Hogwarts, he didn't want to deliver him more amunition for even more of the prejudices of which the man undoubtedly had quite a few.

‘I see', Snape remarked acidly. ‘They let you get away with everything, obviously.'

‘No, they don't!' Harry blurted out and in his indignation changed his mind about telling Snape a little more. ‘It's just ... erm ... they are muggles and don't know much about the subjects here...' he muttered evasively.

‘I don't doubt that is the case, Potter. But even as muggles they should be familiar with the subject of history, and even if the history facts they were taught at school were different ones, the principle of studying history remains the same. So no doubt they are aware of the reason for your poor mark in that particular subject.'

Harry blushed. This was going to be more awful than anticipated. ‘They are not very interested in what I learn here', he muttered and thought that this was probably the understatement of the month. ‘So they never asked me what my marks were.'

‘What utter nonsense', said Snape and frowned. ‘Do you really not know that your final report is sent to your home with an owl even before you board the Hogwarts express and arrives at your family's house before you get there -  and that a receipt needs to signed and returned with the owl?'

Harry stared at him wide-eyed and mutely shook his head. Now that he thought about it, it made perfect sense that student's families would be informed by the school, and he had known that his uncle was informed by the school about the time of the arrival of the train to come and pick him up (though it hadn't interested him enough to displease Uncle Vernon by asking). He saw his uncle's bad mood every time he had to pick Harry up with new eyes now. He had always thought it was just that Uncle Vernon disliked the thought of having him in the house again; now he undertood that it was that combined with the fact that he had received an owl in the morning and even been forced to send a message with one. Not a very good idea of the school's, Harry decided.

Snape raised his eyebrows and said, ‘Well, Potter, believe me, your relatives have always been given enough information to be informed of your academic progress. To what extent they decided to use it is beyond me, but if I understand you correctly they have never mentioned this to you.'

His eyes bore into Harry's who gave a curt nod and hoped that Snape would stop harping on the Dursleys.

‘So what made you study at all for those subjects you are obviously not interested in, like history?'

Harry looked at Snape uncertainly. ‘I wanted to do well, that's all', he muttered.

‘I see.'

Harry started to squirm in his seat. Snape's eyes bore into his. ‘So I suppose we have to be thankful that you possess some ambition, I shudder to think what your reports in all subjects would look like otherwise, given the obvious lack of motivation you get from your underperforming muggle family. Something Slytherin in you, no doubt.'

Harry didn't know what to make of this. Was that supposed to be a compliment? But Snape just didn't give compliments....

‘It's just a pity that your ambition is obviously not great enough to motivate you to study more for history.'

‘Well, I try!' Harry insisted. ‘It's just...  I find it hard to keep my concentration in the lesson ... and so my notes are not very good, and that makes the revision sort of difficult. You don't know how it is!' he exclaimed defensively upon Snape's disapproving glare.

‘Don't I, Potter? I can assure you that I am not so old that I went to school here before Professor Binns was teaching. And I still managed to get reasonable history marks, as do all your Slytherin classmates, without exception. I won't accept anything less from you, Potter. There will be consequences for you if you don't improve.'

‘But I told you I'm trying!' Harry insisted again.

‘Obviously not hard enough. It is clear from the rest of your marks, that you don't have problems with your schoolwork in general. Still, in History every single Slytherin outperforms you by far, even those who are usually far behind you.'

Harry was almost sure that Snape was talking about Crabbe and Goyle. So even those two dimwits were better than him? How was this possible?

‘I recommend you to talk to the others and ask them how they do it and then take a leaf out of their book. I've told you before Potter, you should make a greater effort with your housemates.'

‘Yes sir'. Harry sighed. It was easy for Snape to talk; the others were still not exactly friendly to him, after all. Going to them and requesting help for History of Magic wasn't going to be fun, but probably better than the detention he would undoubtedly get if he didn't follow Snape's advice and his history marks didn't improve. But maybe he could just study more, and with Hermione's help....

‘Next subject', Snape interrupted his thoughts, ‘Divination.' Harry groaned internally. Not only had he failed his test, but Trelawny had probably also told Snape about his messing around in class with Ron. If Snape started to threaten him with consequences in this subject as well....

‘Unlike history, this is a subject that you chose. Given your abysmal results so far, I wonder why you chose it in the first place. Have you ever had the feeling you have a gift for being a Seer?'

‘Erm, no', Harry admitted, relieved that Snape didn't seem to be angry this time.

‘If that is the case, I cannot understand your choice. Without the gift, even the most diligent study of the theory, which I find hard to imagine you doing ', he smirked and Harry glared, ‘will not bring you much success. Arithmancy may seem a little hard at first, but would probably have been the better choice for you. What made you choose divination?'

‘Well, Ron chose it, too...' Harry muttered.

‘What stupidity!' snapped Snape. ‘Did you even bother to think about the subject itself, and not just where you might be able to mess around in class with your little friends?'

‘I did!' protested Harry. ‘I talked to Percy and he told me about several subjects, but I still found it hard to decide. I mean, Ron and Percy just know better what kind of jobs there are after school! And Ron has his older brothers who have told him loads about the subjects and the teachers! So I didn't know, and I thought, if I took the same subjects as Ron, at least I would have someone friendly to help me if I was rubbish at them!'

‘I see,' said Snape. He looked at Harry intently before he continued. ‘We are not too far into term. Students are not supposed to change their subjects anymore, but as your head of house I could arrange it for you if you want to. Changing divination for arithmancy now would mean a bit more work to catch up, but you will undoubtedly have more success in the long term. The only thing you might achieve by trying hard in divination without a trace of a talent will be to become a convincing fraud. And true Seers are rare.'

Harry nodded thoughtfully. Snape was probably right. After all, McGonagall had said almost the same thing on the day of their first divination lesson. And he didn't like the Divination lessons at all. On the other hand,  they were the only Slytherin-free lessons he attended at the moment, which was not surprising, really, considering the trouble Snape obviously took to discourage students from choosing this subject. And it would mean one more class without Ron. Harry was tempted to decline, but a small, more mature voice in the back of his head told him that Snape had a point . He hesitated.

‘Do I need to decide right now, sir?' he asked.

Snape shook his head. ‘No, but you should make up your mind before your next class as I must talk to the teachers before then as well, should you want to change. So tell me until after lunch tomorrow if you want me to initiate the necessary steps to change your timetable.'

Harry nodded. ‘Thanks,' he muttered.

‘Potions,' said Snape, ‘is another subject we need to talk about.' Here it comes, thought Harry and gave a tiny nod.

‘Potions', Snape began, and by his tone of voice Harry felt reminded of Snape's introductory speech in the very first lesson in the first year, ‘is a subject that requires some talent in order to get perfect results. You are dealing with organic ingredients, often magic ingredients, that are sometimes stronger than other times and mustn't always be treated the same way. Intuition is needed to equilibrate the varying qualities. Therefore it would be demanding too much to expect perfect potions from everybody.'

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing, Snape was actually being understanding?

‘However', Snape continued and Harry flinched when he heard the menacing tone of voice, ‘I have absolutely no tolerance for students who are repeatedly unable to brew an acceptable potion. If you paid attention in class, you would have plenty of background information for every potion you have to brew, and you are always given written instructions, which you just have to follow. So if you apply yourself and know how to read, I do not understand how you are able to mess up so many potions. So do you know what I think, Potter? You are not even trying!' he spat and Harry gulped.

‘But I am!' he protested.

‘You messed up the last two potions and your homework hasn't been satisfactory either. So, are you just stupid or what is your excuse?'

‘I am not stupid!' Harry glared at Snape.

‘Then what is your problem with potions?'

‘The teacher', Harry muttered and flinched when Snape let his flat hand crash on the desk. ‘Sorry,' he added hastily upon seeing Snape's thunderous expression. ‘Erm, I don't really know, sir.'

‘I think some remedial potion lessons would be in order, Potter,' Snape said quietly and Harry bit his lower lip. Remedial potion lessons might be Snape called them but Harry was under no illusion that it would be just like detention, and he probably had just sealed his fate with his teacher remark.

‘However, I have no desire to spend even more time to put up with your incompetence. Somebody else will thankfully take you on.'

Immensely relieved and curious, Harry asked, ‘Who... sir?'

‘Mr Brackley. He is a sixth year Slytherin and a good Potions student. More importantly, he wishes to become a teacher. So it will be for his benefit as well to learn what kind of abysmal ignorance he will have to deal with while it is not too late for him to change his mind.'

Harry glared.

‘Although Mr Brackley is not a teacher, you will treat him with the same respect as if he were.'

Harry blinked. What was that supposed to mean; was he expected to call him "sir" and Mr Brackley?

‘Do I make myself clear?' Snape said sharply.

‘Yes sir', Harry muttered although in truth he felt that that point was everything but clear.

‘If he thinks it necessary, he may also give you homework. He will find you tonight after dinner.'

‘Yes sir', Harry muttered again, feeling that this was all very unfair. True, Potions wasn't exactly his strong point, but he wasn't the worst in class either and still he was the one who had to put up with extra lessons given by some Slytherin wannabe teacher. Still, he couldn't be worse than Snape.

‘I think that's enough for today about Potions', said Snape and Harry breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Your other subjects seem satisfactory at the moment.' Snape closed the leather bound file and looked intently at Harry. ‘ So, how are you settling in at present?'

Harry fidgeted a bit in his chair. How was he settling in? He still didn't have anybody in Slytherin whom he would consider even remotely a friend and his evenings in the Common room were lonely. He was rather glad that everybody left him alone, at least nothing of his had disappeared recently and he hadn't had any unpleasant surprises in the dormitory either. ‘Okay I guess', he said softly.

Snape's gaze penetrated him and there was an ugly sneer around his mouth. ‘It must be difficult for you without your usual fanclub. When people don't beg for your friendship as you are probably used to, you must be the one to make the effort .'

Harry blushed and bit back an angry retort. Why did Snape have to be so mean to him? Yes, it was true that the man had protected him from the worst bullying, but Harry knew it had only been because as Head of House he had been obligated to do so. Now, however he seemed pleased that Harry was obviously having no easy time with his classmates.

‘Anything else, Potter, that you wish you discuss today?'

‘Erm, yes sir,' said Harry and drew a deep breath. Now was the moment. ‘My relatives, you see, they didn't sign my permission form for Hogsmeade, and so I wanted to ask you, sir, if you could sign it as my Head of House... please, sir?'

He hated the sound of his pleading voice, but this was too important to indulge in pride.

‘What do you think, Potter? Did it say "parent" or "guardian" on the form? I am neither, thank Merlin for that.'

Harry decided to ignore the insult. ‘But sir, you know that my relatives are muggles. They don't know about Hogsmeade and stuff...'

Snape shook his head. ‘Potter, this is the second time tonight that you tried to claim complete ignorance on the part of your muggle relatives. Why is it relevant that they have never been to Hogsmeade themselves? Are you suggesting that your relatives are unfamiliar with the concept of a permission form? Or do you want to convince me that they don't know how to write?'

Harry mutely shook his head.

‘Potter, you had a permission form that you knew you needed to get signed. And you had plenty of time to get it done. So if your relatives didn't do it, I am sure they had their reasons not to, and I am not going to go against their wishes.  So no, Potter, you will not be going to Hogsmeade, you can amuse yourself in the castle, which shouldn't be too much of a problem. After all, you have more than enough work to do.'

Harry stared at him furiously. Amuse himself with homework? Snape was such a git. And he regretted having brought up the topic. If he hadn't he might have dared to fake the signature, but now, with both McGonagall and Snape knowing that the Dursleys hadn't signed the form, that was not an option.

‘Anything else you want to discuss?' Snape asked.

Harry shook his head.

‘Dismissed.'

A few minutes lataer Harry entered the Common room and looked around. The usual sight greeted him, students sitting together in small groups, playing chess, Exploding Snap or doing their homework. Most of his classmates were gathered around Malfoy who was busy opening a huge box. Probably another expensive gift from Malfoy senior, thought Harry and chose the corner furthest away from the admiring crowd. To his surprise Theodore Nott was sitting alone at a table, scribbling away furiously.

Harry grimaced. Snape was probably right, he was the one who had to make an effort. So he settled down at the same table.

‘Hi,' he said uncertainly.

Theodore Nott briefly looked up. ‘Hi.' His tone was not unfriendly, but he undoubtedly had no interest in talking to Harry. However, Harry had decided to make an effort and not let himself be discouraged so easily.

‘What are you writing?' he asked.

‘Lines for Snape.'

‘Why? What did you do?'

‘None of your business.'

Harry tried to decipher the lines his classmate was writing but, with the writing being upside down, he didn't succeed. From the end of the room where Draco was, admiring voices could be heard. Malfoy's present seemed to be up to his usual standards. Theodore briefly looked over to the group with an irritated expression on his face.

‘What an idiot', Harry said. Thoedore didn't protest and from the way he briefly met Harry's eyes Harry thought that he probably agreed, although the boy didn't say anything. Of course not, Harry thought a little bitterly. Theodore Nott doesn't have the guts to say anything against Malfoy where there is even the slightest chance he might be overheard. But it didn't make him as angry as it had a week ago, when Nott hadn't spoken out on Harry's behalf when his homework was missing.That was just the way Nott was, but other than that the boy seemed okay.

‘Theodore?'

The pale boy turned to him again. ‘Yeah?'

‘Snape said I should ask you - well not necessarily you, but somebody -  how you all manage to get good history results ... unlike me.' He grimaced. ‘So, how do you do it? I just can't manage to stay awake during the lessons!'

Theo put his quill down with a sigh and looked at him with an amused expression. ‘Come, and I'll show you,' he said.

Harry followed him into the dormitory. Theodore rummaged around in his trunk and then extracted various roles of parchments. He unrolled one of them.

‘These are the notes for the next lesson,' he explained.

‘For the next lesson?', Harry asked, confused. ‘But how come you already have them?'

Theodore gave him a look that reminded Harry of how a mother would look at her slow-witted toddler.

‘Binns has been droning on for ages, never letting himself be interupted. Do you honestly think that what he says this year is even slightly different from what he has been going on about last year or the year before?'

‘No, I guess not', said Harrry slowly. ‘So these notes have been made by an older student?'

‘Not by AN older student. By various. As you said it's hard not to fall asleep during the lessons, and so a single person's notes are usually not very complete. So these notes have been passed down for decades, and everybody who finds something missing adds to them. Mind you, there is hardly anything to add now; after all these years they are close to perfect.'

‘So every Slytherin has copied one of those?'

‘Not quite. There is a history archive. You go to the prefect and give him twenty sickles, then you get a set of everything. He uses the money to buy the parchment. Some older students who are good with copying spells make the copies and they also magically include any changes that they get told, so next year's students will get the most up to date version. But as I said, there are not many changes.'

Harry was very impressed. Yes, it made perfect sense. In hindsight he felt rather stupid that he had never before thought of asking an older student for his notes.  ‘Cool,' he said.

Theodore grinned, obviously pleased with the effect his revelation had on Harry.  ‘But you haven't seen the best yet,' he said. He took another roll of parchment and spread it on the bed. ‘This is what I used to prepare for the first test we had this term,' he said proudly.

Harry looked at the parchment and gasped. The parchment was divided into different sections and each section had a date as headline, the next one being roughly a year after its predecessor. Below, there was a list with questions.

‘Are these...?'

Theodore nodded. ‘Yep. The questions asked every year. So you see, they are not always the same, but they always get repeated after a few years, more or less. So if you look at the questions for the last five years and prepare for answering those, you're always on the safe side. And everyone who's got such a list is required to write down all the questions he remembers after the test, , so that when they're put together with everyone else's, we have a copy of all the questions asked on the latest test. Of course there are also copies of the end of year exams.'

Harry stared at him open-mouthed, impressed beyond words. The Slytherins had devised a method to achieve optimal exam results with a minimum of work.

‘And Snape knows this?' he asked incredulously.

‘What do you think? After all he was in Slytherin as a student.'

‘Yeah, I know, but, I mean, he's a teacher! Doesn't he think this is cheating? Not that I mind,' he added hastily upon seeing Theodore's face, ‘I think this is brilliant. But you know as a teacher...' He didn't finish the sentence as the thought entered his mind that on this occasion Snape was probably less a teacher than a Slytherin Head of House, who wanted his students to do well and wasn't troubled by too many scruples.

Theodore shrugged. ‘Not our fault if Binns is too lazy to change his lecture or his tests. So, are you going to get a set yourself?'

Harry grinned from ear to ear. ‘Absolutely.'

‘Harry Potter?'

Harry, who had just got up from the dinner table, turned around and looked up at a tall boy with dark-blond hair and blue eyes. ‘Yes?' he asked, although he had a good idea who this was.

‘I'm Brutus Brackley; Professor Snape asked me to tutor you in Potions,' the boy said.  ‘He's already told you, hasn't he?' Upon Harry's nod he added, ‘I thought we could start tomorrow evening, or do you have another appointment?'

‘Erm, no,' Harry admitted, a bit upset about his first tutorial being scheduled so soon. ‘Tomorrow would be fine.'

‘Okay,' the older boy said enthusiastically, ‘so meet me in front of the potions classroom at half past seven and bring all your potions stuff, if you still have it also from your previous years, okay? Oh, and make sure you have all your other homework done by that time, as we're likely to be a while.'

Harry nodded, and the older boy hurried off. Harry looked after him, feeling rather irritated by his attitude. What did he think who he was, ordering him around like that? What was it to him if Harry had finished his homework or not? And why couldn't he just ask Harry about what he thought they should practise? Grimly Harry thought that he should have known that Snape would choose the most annoying person for tutoring him. 

The following evening, Harry still didn't feel very motivated as he slowly walked towards the potions classroom to meet Brutus Brackley at the assigned time. Since he never left any of his school things with the Dursleys he had in fact been able to retrieve his potions books and his notes from the first two years, and as he carried his heavy satchel he thought that this must be how Hermione's bag always felt.

His designated tutor was already waiting for him in front of the classroom. However, when Harry arrived, it was not the door to Harry's usual classroom that Brackley opened but one a bit further down the corridor. He motioned Harry to follow him, and they entered a very small room that was set up as a potions classroom for no more than three pupils at the most. Upon Brackley's gesture Harry settled down at a table and the older boy sat down next to him.

‘This is one of the rooms NEWT students use for their potions projects', he explained.  ‘Professor Snape said we could use this one for our remedial potions lessons. I thought we could start with a first year potion today so I can see where your problems are, and then we can go over some basics, and slowly work forward so that we'll get you up to third year standard. So, as I said, I'm Brutus Brackley, you may call me Brackley or Brutus, I don't mind as long as you don't call me Brute.' He grinned at Harry who managed a smile in return. Harry remembered Snape's lecture about treating the older boy with respect, but now the faint hope grew inside him that maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

Harry soon found out that it really wasn't bad, quite the opposite in fact. Brackley had a profound knowledge of potions and an even deeper desire to pass it on. While Harry found the other boy's enthusiasm a bit overwhelming, it was a nice change to brew a potion and be constantly praised and encouraged during the process. With Snape in the room, Harry always had the feeling that Snape was just hovering, for his first mistake to happen, and then being all too pleased to be able to swoop down on Harry with loud insults. By contrast, although Brackley seemed pleased when Harry diced his roots not fine enough, even Harry could tell that it was out of eagerness to show him how to do it better and teaching him a handy sharpening charm for his knife.

‘Why has Snape never shown us this?' Harry burst out indignantly.

‘Hasn't he? Really?' Brackley asked, surprised. ‘He mentioned the incantation to my class in our first year.'

Harry squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. Had Snape done that in his class too? He couldn't deny that Ron and he tended to miss quite a bit of Snape's lectures, and he remembered sheepishly how they, unlike Hermione, had completely missed what Polyjuice Potion was and where to find the recipe.

‘Never mind,' Brackley said encouragingly. ‘As I said, I'm going to try to cover all the basics you might have missed, although we're surely not going to be brewing every single potion you've done so far. The first important bit to remember - now that you know the charm - is to make sure your knife is sharp before every lesson. By the way, for some magical ingredients a silver dagger is better than your ordinary knife, but of course those are quite expensive. That's why they are not mandatory for students to have one, but if you can afford one you really should consider buying one, especially if you want to continue with potions after your OWLS.'

Harry doubted that he would do anything that would force him to spend more time in Snape's presence, but he didn't have the heart to tell that to Brackley, who was trying so hard to help him. So he just gave a non-committal noise and nodded his understanding. Then, with his freshly-sharpened knife, he started dicing his roots once again.

An hour later Harry was staring into his cauldron in amazement as the anti-acne-solution was bubbling in exactly the shade that was described in his textbook.

‘Well done, Potter!' Brackley exclained and beamed at him. ‘You can bottle this up and keep it, in case you or one of your friends need it.'

Harry blushed with pride, being told that a potion that he made was safe enough to be actually used definitely was a first. And Brackley hadn't even sounded like he was making a backhanded insult about Harry's skin, something he was sure that Snape wouldn't have foregone. Carefully he poured the potion into several vials, and his feeling of elation even lasted through the time he needed to clean his equipment.

‘Okay, Potter,' said Brackley. ‘That went rather well, didn't it? Next week we'll try a swelling solution, so read up on the theory before then, okay? We can address any questions that you might have before we start brewing.'

Harry nodded and found to his astonishment that he didn't mind the other's attitude any more. He vaguely remembered the swelling solution, but as this had been the lesson where he had thrown the firecracker into Malfoy's potion, he hadn't been particularly focused on the actual brewing. So he acknowledged that it was a good idea to do it again. ‘Thanks for your help,' he said and meant it. ‘What can I do to thank you for all your help?'

‘Oh, that's quite alright, Potter. Unless... well they say that Dumbledore likes you, is that true?'

‘I'm not so sure about that...' Harry muttered, thinking about how it had been Dumbledore who had forced him into Slytherin.

‘Well, all you have to do to thank me is to get better in Potions and make sure that Dumbledore knows that I tutored you. You know, a recommendation from him would be a great help in getting a job as a potions teacher when I'm old enough...I'd really like to teach here, you know.'

‘I really learnt loads today. Honestly, you're already a much better teacher than Snape!'

Brackley looked pleased. ‘Professor Snape is a genius with potions,' he said, ‘and he is a  brilliant teacher at NEWT level, too. But I know what you mean, he's not very patient with those who don't understand...' He paused and looked at Harry pensively. ‘Tell me, Potter, is it true that you grew up completely in the muggle world?' he asked curiously.

‘...Yes', Harry said slowly, his wariness returning. A Slytherin asking about his muggle upbringing was something that always put him on his guard.

‘So you went to muggle school as well?'

Harry shrugged. ‘Yeah, why?'

‘I've read that to teach at a muggle school you not only have to know your subject, but also have to study and take an exam about how to teach, pedagogy and positive reinforcement and so on. Is that true?'

‘Yeah, I guess so.'

‘So, do you think you could ask your relatives to get some books for me on that?'

‘Er...' Harry said as he imagined Uncle Vernon's reaction on such a request.

‘I'd pay for them of course', Brackley said hastily, misunderstanding Harry's expression.

‘Yeah, all right, but you see... my relatives...,' Harry hesitated. How was he going to explain this? ‘You know, they are not much into reading,' he said, ‘but my friend Hermione, she's muggleborn and her parents are both really into books. I bet they would get them for you. You know what,' he said, his excitement rising as he realized something, ‘I can ask her straight away, there's still a bit of time until I have to be in the common roon, isn't there?'

Upon Brackley's nod, he gave him a cheerful grin and hurried off, glad for a pretext to rush off to his Gryffindor friends.

‘What are you doing here?' the Fat Lady asked, a few moments later. ‘You do know that you are not supposed to come in here, don't you?'

‘Yeah, I know', said Harry impatiently, ‘but I need to see my friends, so please open up so that I can tell them I'm here, will you?'

‘You can knock,' she said pointedly and Harry rolled his eyes. But he figured time was too precious to waste it with fruitless arguments with the Fat Lady, so he knocked. It was Neville who poked his head through the portrait hole.

‘Harry!' he exclaimed, obviously pleased to see him. ‘Great to see you! Er... are you allowed to come in?' he asked carefully.

‘No, unfortunately not,' Harry said and threw the Fat Laddy a fierce look. ‘Can you tell Hermione and Ron to meet me out here?'

‘Sure.'

A short time later, Harry and his friends were sitting together on a window sill in the corridor, while Harry told them about the remedial potion lesson and the request his tutor had made.

Ron whistled. ‘A Slytherin wanting to study out of muggle books? That must be a first! How come he's in Slytherin at all? The hat must have sorted him wrong!'

Harry shrugged. ‘I think he just really wants to become a teacher. And he wants to use every thing he can to be a good one. The Sorting Hat said, "Those cunning folks will use any means to achieve their end" or however that went. You know,' he said, as a thought entered his mind, ‘if he wants to teach here that means he's going to replace Snape, doesn't it?'

‘Hermione, you definitely have to get him those books! Even if it comes too late to help us, we owe it to future Hogwarts students!' Ron exclaimed, and Harry and Hermione giggled.

‘But it really seems a bit disloyal that he's so openly after Professor Snape's job', Hermione said reprovingly. ‘He is after all his head of house.'

‘Well, that definitely shows the Hat was right not to make him a Hufflepuff,' said Ron breezily. ‘But really, Hermione, who cares?'

‘All right,' she agreed. ‘I wanted to write to my parents tonight anyway, so I'll ask them - after all, I have finished my homework!' She looked at Ron pointedly.

Ron groaned. ‘I know, no need to rub it in!' He turned to Harry. ‘Have you already done this homework from hell, you know the one for divination? I haven't got a clue what to write!'

‘No, I haven't,' said Harry and took a deep breath. ‘I'm not taking divination any more,' he confessed and waited nervously for their reaction.

‘What?' both shouted together.

‘Just like that?' Ron asked incredulously.

‘Well, no,' Harry admitted. ‘I had a talk with Snape and he arranged with Professor Vector for me to change to Arithmancy. Snape said that that would be a better class for me since I don't have a talent for being a Seer. He was really definite about it, and no other Slytherin takes divination.'

As soon as the words had left his mouth he realized to his horror that for the first time he had referred to himself as a Slytherin, and from Ron's expression he could tell that his best friend had noticed his lapse as well.

‘Ah, I see', Ron said sarcastically. ‘So if none of the other Slytherins are taking it, you don't want to go there without them? I hadn't realized how how important it is for you not to upset Snape.'

Harry stared at him furiously. ‘That's rubbish and you know it! You know very well that I'd rather be in class with you than with Malfoy and his gang! But I think Snape has a point that divination is a stupid subject, and believe it or not, it's not much fun sitting there and having your death prophecied every lesson!'

Ron's facial expression changed immediately. ‘Yeah, I guess so,' he muttered a bit sheepishly. ‘And yeah, I guess Vector can only be better than Trelawney, but still it's a shame. We don't have that many classes together, after all. But listen, from what I've heard Arithmancy is pretty difficult, and you've already missed some classes. Are you sure Snape isn't just doing this to make things harder for you? Won't it be hard to catch up?. And you don't want to go and ask Malfoy for help, do you?' He grinned.

‘I'll help you', Hermione offered. ‘Arithmancy is lots more useful than Divination, and I don't think Professor McGonagall thinks Divination is very good either. I think it's really good of Professor Snape to arrange this change for you. I mean you are only temporarily in his house but he's still taking his job of advising you rather seriously, isn't he?'

Harry would rather endure a double lesson of divination than praise Snape, so he just made a noncommittal grunt. Luckily Hermione didn't go on about Snape but looked at her watch and sighed. ‘We need to go inside, it's later than I thought. The time has passed too quickly,' she said sadly. ‘You should hurry, Harry. You don't want to be missing in the common room when Snape gets there, do you? Does he visit every evening?'

‘No, but definitely more often than I would like,' Harry sighed and slid down from the window sill. ‘It was good seeing you. I'll try to do it more often, even if she' he glared at the portrait of the Fat Lady ‘doesn't let me in.'

Wistfully he followed his true friends with his eyes as they climbed through the portrait hole. Then he turned to go back to the dungeons.

‘Oy, Harry, wait!'

He turned around, and there were the Weasley twins, looking out of the portrait hole and beckoning him to stay.

‘Excuse me,' said the Fat Lady irritably, ‘I don't think it's asking too much at this time of day to have some peace and quiet!'

‘Nah, it's not,' George agreed. ‘All you'd have to do is let Harry enter and everybody would be happy.'

She huffed angrily, but the twins ignored her and climbed out into the hallway. Harry knew that he really had to hurry if he didn't want to get into trouble with Snape, but after the talk with his friends he already felt much happier than he had for several days, and he had missed talking to the twins as well. So he stayed. The twins approached him and pulled him into an alcove, turning their backs so that the Fat Lady couldn't see them.

‘Harry, Harry,' sighed Fred, making a face like Trelawney did when she made a fearsome prediction.

‘We had such high hopes in you', George said, ‘And what has happened?'

‘Nothing!' they intoned together.

‘Huh?' Harry asked, bewildered.

‘You were such a budding prankster!' Fred exclaimed. ‘But there has been not a single prank on Snape, not even on the other Slytherins! What has happened to you?'

‘It's easy for you to talk!' Harry protested. ‘You don't have Snape breathing down your neck 24 hours a day. He's a control freak!'

 ‘We thought you might say that', said George, ‘and that's why we've decided to give you this. But only for as long as you are in Slytherin! It's our most prized possesion, but desperate situations call for desperate measures, as we always say. Here!'

He produced a battered, yellowed sheet.

‘And what am I supposed to do with a ragged bit of old parchment?' Harry asked incredulously.

‘A ragged bit of old parchment, he says? It's the key to our success. Look!'

George tapped the parchment with his wand. ‘I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good.'

At once, thin ink lines began to spread like a spider's web from the point that George's wand had touched. Words appeared, proclaiming:

Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs

Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief Makers

are proud to present

THE MARAUDERS MAP

Harry stared at the parchment indredulously. It was a map that showed every detail of the Hogwarts castle and grounds, but it was more than that. Little dots were moving on it, each labelled with a name. There was the Gryffindor Common Room, and Hary could see his name in front of it together with the twins' dots.

‘Bloody brilliant!' he exclaimed.

Fred and George grinned proudly. ‘It is, isn't it? It also shows loads of secret passages, as you'll see when you take a closer look at it. So now that you have this, you can be always a step ahead of Snape. And you have no excuse anymore to be the model student you are at the moment', Fred said.

‘And speaking of Snape, where is he?' said George, scanning the parchment. ‘There he is, in the dungeons as expected. Uh, oh, Harry, you might be in trouble.'

Harry looked where George's finger pointed and his heart sank. The dot labeled Snape was just entering into the Slytherin common room, approaching a group of dots whose names Harry wasn't too sure about but suspected they were first years, then he went over to Brutus Brackley and after that to where Malfoy was sitting. Then Snape's dot was quickly moving out of the Common Room and heading towards the Great Hall.

‘Snape's on the warpath,' said Fred and shuddered. ‘Always a frightening sight, even if it is just a dot that you see. Come on, Harry, he's surely after you. Quick, you have to get out of Gryffindor tower before he gets to its entrance. After that, there are several routes you can take to get to the dungeons and you can evade him. And don't forget, tap the parchment with your wand, say "Mischief managed!" and then it goes blank again. Whatever you do, don't let it fall into Snape's hands!'

‘Right,' Harry said and drew a deep breath. ‘Thanks!' With that he ran to the stairs as fast as he could and sat on the hand rail, sliding down. A quick glance at the map showed him that Snape had crossed the Great Hall and was almost directly below him. Harry quickly left the staircase and entered a corridor that led to various classrooms. With the help of the map he easily managed to get down to the dungeons without meeting anyone. Breathing a sigh of relief he whispered, "Mischief managed!" which wiped the map clean, folded it carefully and put it in his robe. Then he quickly ducked into the Slytherin Common Room.

As was so often the case, Theodore Nott and Millicent were sitting on their own. Harry sank down on the sofa next to Millicent and looked at the cover of her book. From the looks of it, it was a mystery novel this time.

‘Did Snape catch you?' she asked, without putting her book down.

‘No,' Harry admitted.

‘You're lucky then, because Snape left to go searching for you. He wasn't too pleased.'

‘So what do you think I should do now?'

Millicent finally looked at him with an amused expression. ‘You know, you sound like a first year, all panicky.'

Harry felt to his dismay that he was blushing. ‘I'm not panicky, it's just that I'm not too keen on finding myself in detention!'

Millicent shrugged. ‘You still sound like an ickle firstie. And you behave like one as well, getting back late without a clue what to do next!' With a taunting gleam in her eye she added, ‘Not used to a Head of House who takes his job seriously, are you?'

‘Rubbish!' Harry protested vehemently. ‘Snape's a control freak, that's what he is! You're just so brainwashed that you don't notice!'

‘Brainwashed, my arse! If anybody is brainwashed it's you! While I don't like being caught if I break a rule, I'm not so stupid not to understand that there's no point in setting school-rules if you don't enforce them. Well, I understand it theoretically at least.'

She grinned mischievously and Harry felt his indignation vanish. Still he felt he owed it to McGonagall to protest.

‘But Mc Gonagall is a good Head of House, even if she isn't constantly breathing down our neck!'

‘All right, all right, don't get your knickers in a twist! I don't blame her for not doing as much as Snape, I mean she's ancient, isn't she? And Flitwick is a dinosaur as well, albeit a very small one.' She grinned again but became serious in an instant. ‘Snape is really young for being a Head of House, he's younger than my parents and has been teaching at Hogwarts for about ten years, I think. Maybe he'll also be a bit more like laissez faire when he's old and doddery.'

Harry stifled his laughter. Snape as a dodderer - the image was just hilarious. But he had to admit that Millicnt probably had a point and he had never before realized how young Snape was compared to the other teachers. He leaned back on the sofa, not regretting in the least having chosen Millicent as his seatmate for the rest of the evening. She was witty and certainly intelligent, albeit in a completely different way than Hermione was.

It was at that moment that the subject of their discussion entered the room, and Harry tried his best to look innocent. Predictibly, after glancing around the room, Snape made a beeline for Harry.

‘Mr Potter, how long have you been here?'

‘Erm, I don't know, Sir, a while' Harry answered vaguely.

‘So why didn't I see you just ten minutes ago, when I was here? Where were you then?'

‘Don't know', Harry shrugged, ‘Loo perhaps?' He tried to adapt an expression of polite innocence.

‘Miss Bulstrode, what do you say?'

Harry waited breathlessly. Was she going to rat him out?

‘Well, I can't know if Potter was taking a leak, can I, sir? I mean, even if I prefer boys' company to theirs' she motioned with her head to the girls clustered around Pansy Parkinson, chattering busily about the latest issue of "Fashions for Witches", ‘that doesn't mean that I go to the boys' loo as well, does it?'

Harry snorted but quickly controlled himself when Snape glared at him. Snape turned back to Millicent. ‘Miss Bulstrode, we have already had a few discussions about your language, do you need another?'

She hastily shook her head.

‘Then I'd advise you to be more circumspect. And you, Mr Potter, become more familiar with time-telling spells if you don't want remedial tutoring on punctuality as well. Do I make myself clear?'

‘Yes. Sir', they answered together and Snape nodded curtly, moving over to discuss things with the prefect.

‘Whew,', whispered Harry, ‘I can't believe I got away with it. Thanks, Millicent, you were brilliant, I'm glad you didn't get in trouble for backing me up.'

 She shrugged. ‘He had no proof, so what could he do? I said it, you were panicking like a Firstie! And about me getting in trouble, well I'm due once in a while anyway, nothing I can't handle.'

Harry grinned at her, for the first time feeling a sense of real liking for a Slytherin. Millicent reminded him of Ron - though he realized that was a comparison neither of them would appreciate. He frowned, realizing for the first time how much the Houses isolated the students. Ron and Millicent would likely never have the chance to get to know each other, all because of where that stupid Hat had placed them two years ago. Harry chewed his lip. Maybe the Headmaster was right and this was a very unusual chance that he'd been given... though he still wasn't ready to deny it was a horrible punishment as well.

Harry was startled out of deep sleep by a banging on the door of his dormitory.

‘What's the matter?' he asked sleepily as he sat up and blinked against the sudden light.

‘Everybody get up immediately!' That was Snape's voice. Bewildered, Harry grabbed his glasses from the night table. Indeed there was Snape, standing in the door frame under the clock that showed that it was a quarter past two in the morning. Snape was clad in his usual robes and Harry briefly wondered if the man ever slept.

‘Are you all deaf?' Snape barked. ‘Up, everyone, right now. Put on a warm sweater over your pyjamas and put on your slippers, then go and wait for me in the common room.'

With that, he left the confused boys on their own. Nobody said anything, they just exchanged worried glances and then quickly complied.

The common room filled quickly. Chesterton, the prefect, was busy ordering the pupils to stand together in groups per dormitory room and ticking names off lists.

‘Everybody's here, sir', he said nervously to Snape. ‘May I ask what...' He broke off when Snape curtly shook his head, frowning disapprovingly at Chesterton and glanced over to the first years who were huddled together, looking around with wide fearful eyes.

‘The reason for this interruption of your night will be explained later', Snape said, loudly enough for everyone to hear. ‘For now, we will all move together in an orderly fashion and proceed to the Great Hall, seventh years, you go first, sixth years, you go last. You all stay together. Potter, you go with me.'

Harry blushed, as he felt the eyes of everyone suddenly upon him. ‘Why?' he burst out indignantly. Did he always have to be singled out?

‘Because I want to keep my eye on you and make sure you don't wander off', Snape snapped. ‘And stop arguing. Seventh years, go!'

With these words he motioned for Harry to come to him. Harry glared mutinously, but he didn't dare disobey. With his drawn wand in his right hand and his left hand on Harry's shoulder, Snape went to the exit. Before opening the door, he stopped, let go of Harry's shoulder and his dark eyes bore into Harry's.

‘You will stay right behind me, Mr Potter, is that clear?'

Harry nodded hastily, feeling relieved. He had feared that Snape would steer him along like that all the way to the Great Hall! As Snape made his way to the Great Hall he followed mutely, all too aware of the excited whispers behind him, wishing he could walk with the other third years.

The Great Hall was packed, every single student of the school seemed to be there.

‘The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle', Professor Dumbledore announced as all doors to the hall were closed by the teachers. ‘So, for your own safety, you'll need to spend the night in here. I'm leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge. The Prefects are to stand guard at the doors.'

He waved his wand and the long tables moved to the wall, leaving the centre of the hall free where a huge number of sleeping bags in all colours appeared. ‘I'd like to ask the older students to help the younger ones with cushioning charms on the floor,' he said.

With that he left the hall, the other teachers following.

‘Sir', a seventh year boy addressed Snape, ‘what the headmaster just said didn't explain anything. Please, what's happened?'

Snape hesitated and looked around. So did Harry. Every Slytherin's eyes were fixed on their Head of House. ‘It appears', Snape said slowly, ‘that Sirius Black has been sighted within the castle by a student. However nobody has been hurt. Now, although I can imagine that this', he pointed to the colourful sleeping backs and frowned, ‘sleeping arrangement might be interesting for some of you, I am warning you not to cause too much mayhem. Troublemakers wil be reported to me.' With that, he followed his colleagues out of the Great Hall.

As soon as the techers had left, excited chatter broke out. The name Sirius Black could be heard everywhere. Harry felt a lump in his throat. Was this why Snape had singled him out and made sure he was next to him in the corridors? He shrugged off the thought. It didn't help to dwell on that, but it would be stupid to miss the opportunity to enjoy the night in the Great Hall! A wide grin spread over Harry's face when he became aware that finally he would be able to sleep next to his friends again, even if it was only for one night. He quickly grabbed a sleeping bag at random and hurried over to the corner where the Gryffindors were installing themselves.

He was slightly disappointed when Ron didn't greet him with an enthusiastic exclamation about how cool it was that Harry could be with them for the night but just asked nervously, ‘Have you heard about... Black?'

‘Yeah', Harry shrugged, ‘Snape told us he was seen in the castle.'

‘In the castle!' Ron scoffed. ‘Yeah, right! He was in our dormitory, next to me with a knife in his hand!'

Harry dropped his sleeping bag in shock. ‘In our dormitory?' he asked incredulously.

Ron nodded grimly. ‘I was asleep, but I woke up because my blanket was lifted. When I opened my eyes, some of the lights in the room were on and there was this fierce-looking man leaning over me! I wanted to scream, but he covered my mouth with his hand, and that'swhen I noticed he had a knife in his other hand! Merlin, I really thought I was done for!' He paused dramatically.

‘And then?' Harry asked impatiently.

‘He stared at me with blood-shot eyes' Ron said, ‘And then he said in a raspy voice, "Where is he?"'

Ron suddenly turned pink and bit his lower lip. His voice was apologetic as he said, ‘I guess I must have glanced over to your bed, Harry. I didn't want to, it just happened!' He nervously looked at his friend and when Harry didn't say anything he continued, ‘ So he jumped over to your bed and ripped open the curtains. And I yelled, because now I could, and he ran out of the dormitory.'

Harry didn't know what to say, but he was pretty sure that he couldn't have uttered a single word anyway, as a huge lump had formed in his throat.

Ron swallowed nervously, ‘You know, it's just that when he asked about you I naturally thought of you and my eyes automatically went over to your bed. But believe me Harry, he could have threatened to kill me, I would never have said anything that would help him find you! You know that, mate, don't you?'

‘Yeah, I know, don't fret' Harry muttered and meant it. After all, he knew how hard it could be to control where one was looking, and considering the way Ron had abruptly been woken up he could hardly blame him . The obvious relief in Ron's eyes embarrassed him so he hastened to change the subject.

‘So, what happened then?' he asked.

‘Well naturally the others woke, too, even in the other dorms. Then Percy came, being a prat as usual, all self-important and - well, you know him. He kept going on about me just having had a nightmare. Then McGonagall came in and I told her I had seen Sirius Black, and Percy interrupted me and said I probably had had a nighmare, but McGonagall believed me straight away.'

‘She did?' Harry asked, impressed.

‘Yeah, and you know why? Because she had come in through the common room and the portrait of the Fat Lady had been destroyed! Black blasted a hole through it!'

‘So the Fat Lady is dead?' Harry asked, feeling stupid the moment the words had left his lips. ‘I mean - destroyed?' He had been immensely displeased with the Fat Lady mere hours ago, but the thought that she had been just blasted away while she was trying to guard the Gryffindor Common room still made him sad.

‘They don't know yet,' Hermione said and Harry thought how remarkable it was that she hadn't interrupted Ron a single time while he told Harry his story. ‘Filch is checking all the portraits in the castle; she might have fled and and hidden somewhere. The people in the portraits have also been asked to help.' She looked at Harry uncertainly and lowered her voice. ‘You know, I've been thinking, Dumbledore's decision to put you in Slytherin probably saved your life tonight.' Her voice quivered slightly.

‘I guess so,' Harry said. ‘And good thing, too, that he didn't harm Ron, I mean we all know wht he is capable of....'

‘Yeah...' Ron muttered, but then his face lit up. ‘Anyway, Harry, can you spend the night next to us? This is just so cool!'

‘Yep, isn't it,' said Harry and a grin spread over his face, then he quickly rolled out his sleeping bag. And his grin was genuine, because although he knew he should be worried about a murderer being after him, the enthusiasm with which he was greeted by all of his Gryffindor friends filled him with joy. Whatever the teachers might think, his friends still considered him a true Gryffindor. The only one who frowned at him was, not unexpectedly, Percy, who said he wasn't sure whether he should allow Harry to spend the night with his old roommates.

‘Dumbledore didn't say where we had to sleep', Harry argued vehemently. ‘And since he didn't, you can't force me to sleep with them!' He motioned with his head over to the Slytherins. His determination obviously impressed his classmates, because they all glared at Percy. The latter wasn't stupid enough to insist.

‘All right, as long as you've informed your prefect about it,' he conceded.

‘Er...' Harry looked a bit uncomfortable.

Percy looked at him disapprovingly. ‘I'll tell him, I have to speak with the other prefects anyway', he said importantly and left.

‘Good old perfect Percy', said George and shook his head. ‘Just imagine Fred, if we had got his genes, there would be two of him!'

Others laughed, but Harry didn't listen. Instead his gaze followed Percy as he walked over to the Slytherin corner of the hall. He saw him talk with Chesterton, who looked over to Harry. Harry shrugged and made a gesture to his friends. The prefect didn't look pleased, but he gave a curt nod.

It was good to spend the night again with his friends, although it was a pity that as usual Percy took his duties very seriously and didn't approve of their whispering and chattering. After he threatened to move Harry back over to the Slytherins, where he probably should have been in the first place, the friends finally stopped talking and fell asleep.

At around three in the morning Harry woke up when Percy who contantly kept prowling between the sleeping bags greeted Professor Dumbledore. Harry quickly nudged Ron and Hermione though when Dumbledore came closer, they pretended to be asleep.

‘Have you found him, Professor?' Percy whispered.

‘No, but I didn't expect him to linger. Any problems here?'

‘No, sir, everything is under control.'

Other footsteps approached, but Harry didn't dare open his eyes to see who it was. He found out the moment the person spoke, though.

‘Mr Weasley,' came Snape's cool voice. ‘Now that we have finished our search you should take a sleeping bag for yourself and find a spot to sleep.' The tone of voice was calm but dismissive.

‘Yes, sir,' said Percy, sounding slightly reluctant.

‘You did a good job, Percy', said Dumbledore. Thank you for your help.'

‘I'm glad to be of help, sir', said Percy, his sense of importance restored, and he marched off with a rather smug smile.

‘So what is it you wanted to say to me, Severus, that you were in such a rush to send away young Mr Weasley?' asked Dumbledore.

Snape sniffed, but his fatigue showed as it came out as more of a sigh. ‘What does this mean for Potter?' he asked. ‘Do you think it likely that Black will look for him in the dungeons next?'

‘I don't know, Severus. It might be wise to take extra precautions though, wouldn't you agree?'

‘I'll transfer the portraits in the domitory aisles to the respective doors. We have seen that portraits are not the safest protection there is, but Desmond the Devious is not easily intimidated.'

Dumbledore chuckeled. ‘No, I suppose not. What about the Fat Lady, did you hear if Mr Filch found her?'

‘Yes, he did, but the woman's still hysterical and refused to say anything helpful. Have you any theory as to how Black got in?' Snape asked bluntly.

‘I have various ideas, each one as unlikely as the other.'

‘It is ludicrous to imagine that Black could have entered without inside help . I'd ask you to reconsider my concerns about the appointment of ...'

‘I do not believe a single person in this castle would have helped Black to enter it', and there was finality in Dumbledore's voice. The headmaster left quietly and Harry heard an angry snort from Snape, before the man left, too.

Harry glanced sideways at Ron and Hermione. Their faces expressed the same perplexity that he felt.

‘What was that last bit about?' Ron mouthed, but the other two could only shrug helplessly.

 

Breakfast the next morning was a noisy affair, as most of the students were still excited about their unexpected camp out in the Great Hall. Harry, who had reluctantly rejoined his Slytherin classmates, ate with great appetite, so it took a while for him to notice the funny looks the others sent his way.

‘What's up?', he asked Theodore Nott, who was sitting next to him. Theodore looked at him briefly, then just shrugged and grabbed more toast.

‘What, Potter, feeling left out?' sneered Malfoy. ‘I wouldn't have thought you cared, judging by the speed with which you dashed off to your Gryffindor mates last night.'

‘Ah, so you're all sad and upset because I left you last night?' asked Harry sarcastically. ‘Strange, that. Up to now I haven't exactly got the impression that you appreciate my presence here. You know what? I'll finish my breakfast at the Gryffindor table. I want to see some friendly faces, and I don't care if I get in trouble for it.'

With that, he stood up and made his way to the Gryfindor table. Getting there, however, he noticed immediately that something was very wrong. Ron and Hermione were sitting far away from each other, sending glares at each other.

‘What's the matter?', asked Harry, puzzled, as he sat next to Ron.

‘Crookshanks is what's the matter!' Ron snarled. ‘That beast ate Scabbers! I always told Hermione to lock her monster in, but last night, when we all had to leave the dorms, they must have let the door open! All I know is that when I got back into the dorm, Scabbers was gone and I found ginger cat hairs on my bed!'

Ron's voice shook slightly and Harry didn't know what to say. Wordlessly he filled up Ron's pumpkin juice.

‘Come on, Ron, he was wasting away anyway,' Fred said. ‘At least like that he snuffed it quickly, probably didn't feel a thing!'

Ron didn't seem to appreciate the attempt at cheering him up because all he did was glare at his brother. Then he emptied his glass of pumpkin juice. ‘Thanks', he muttered, ‘and thanks for coming to see me right away. You're a real friend.'

Harry decided not to point out that he hadn't come over because he had noticed that Ron was in distress. ‘That's alright, mate,' he muttered.  Both of them continued their breakfast in silence.

‘Snape's glaring at you, Harry', George remarked, and when Harry just shrugged, he clapped him on the back and said, ‘That's the spirit, man!  I was starting to get worried about you!'

 

Arithmancy lessons were held in a sober looking classroom on the first floor. When Harry entered, Hermione was already there, sitting on her own, being the only Gryffindor who took the class.  Millicent was also sitting on her own, at the desk right behind Hermione. Without further ado, Harry settled next to Hermione, nodding briefly at Millicent who raised her eyebrows as greeting.

‘Sorry you and Ron are fighting', Harry said.

‘I'm not fighting with Ron! He's fighting with me! He lost his rat and now he says it's Crookshanks's fault!  All he has found is a bit of ginger hair! And he's acting as if it's all my fault!'

‘Well, he says you must have forgotten to lock your dormitory door,' Harry said tentatively.

‘Oh, I knew you would side with Ron!' Hermione hissed angrily. ‘What?' she snapped, turning around to Millicent who had let out a snort.

‘Well, Weasley's a bit daft, ain't he? Keeps going on about you not locking your door, but obviously he hadn't locked his, either, huh?'

Hermione stared at Millicent as if she'd never seen her before. ‘You're right, I can't believe I hadn't realized that myself!' she said.

‘Well, since you're normally not that stupid, my only explanation would be that like Weasley you were in shock about his tragic loss,' Millicent said sarcastically, and added bitingly, ‘Pathetic, making such a fuss about a stupid rat!'

Hermione's mouth dropped open and she looked at Millicent incredulously.

Professor Vector's entrance caused an abrubt end to their conversation. She was an elderly witch whose grey robes matched exactly her grey hair and the grey rims of her glasses.

‘Good morning, class,' she said pleasantly and looked around.

‘Ah yes, Mr Potter,' she said. ‘Your head of house has already informed me that you found divination not to be your field. A wise decision I would say, but being an Arithmancy teacher I might be called biased, of course. Professor Snape has assured me that you are willing to do the extra work that will be necessary to catch up to your peers, and I see you have chosen the perfect seatmate for this. From what I could see in the previous lessons she has understood the lessons up to now perfectly.'

Hermione blushed at the praise, while Harry sat there, bewildered. Professor Vector had made it sound as if Snape had really pleaded his case. Why would he do such a thing? And what about Hermione? How was it possible that she had attended the previous lessons, when she had been sitting in Divination with him?'

So when Professor Vector turned around and magically stuck charts full of numbers at the wall, he whispered to Hermione, ‘How come you've been here before? Have you been at two lessons at once, or what?'

Hermione hesitated, and then whispered, ‘Not now, Harry!'

‘Mr Potter, I would advise you to pay attention.' Professor Vector's voice was not unfriendly, but it was clear to Harry at once that this was, unlike Divination, not a subject where the students could exchange chitchat.

‘Sorry, Professor', he muttered and and concentrated on the number charts. When Professsor Vector started his lecture, he tried hard to follow, but, having missed the basics, was soon lost. A sidewarts glance at Hermione showed him that she was fascinated; her mouth was slightly open as she hung on the teacher's words. He risked a glance over to the Slytherins. Malfoy was frowning slightly, an intense look of focus on his face. Crabbe and Goyle, on the other hand, had obviously given up and were, like Harry, looking around aimlessly. When Crabbe met Harry's eye, he winked, pointed with his head to Professor Vector, rolled his eyes and shrugged. Harry gave a nod back and realized that this was the first civil contact he ever had with the boy. How embarrassing that this has happened due to me being just as clueless as that twit! he thought and redoubled his efforts to concentrate and follow at least a bit of the lecture.

‘That was hard', Harry said despondently to Hermione, when they were packing their things.

‘You'll be all right. You can borrow my notes and I can explain some of it to you. Oh, but not before tomorrow, because tonight I have to study for the next history test. What about you, do you have a test as well?'

‘Yeah', Harry said.

‘Ron is hopeless as usual. He suddenly remembered yesterday that he would need my notes to prepare, said he couldn't revise without my help. Well, if he continues to treat me like he has been , he can see how he copes on his own,' Hermione said snippily. ‘Anyway, Harry, how are you doing?'

‘Fine', said Harry, ‘I'll be alright, I guess.'

He could see Theodore Nott, who had packed his bag and had paused on his way to the door. To Harry it was clear that the Slytherin had heard Hermione's last words. Harry suddenly felt conflicted. If Ron and Hermione didn't end their quarrel soon, and from what he had seen it didn't look like they would, Ron would probably fail the test the next day. Unless Harry told him what he had heard from Theodore.... But could he do it? The archive was obviously created by Slytherins for Slytherins, so reveal the existence of the archive to Gryffindors would certainly be seen as a betrayal. But what's wrong with me? How can I even think of putting Slytherin loyalty above my loyalty to my best mate? It's not like I'm even a real Slytherin! Harry thought. Maybe if he told only Ron and asked him to keep it to himself... But then, if Ron sawSeamus or Neville struggle, he would feel the same conflict that Harry did, and in no time the whole of Gryffindor would have the archive! He sighed.

‘Don't worry', Hermione said, misinterpreting his sigh. ‘It's not as bad as you think. You'll see how simple it can be, once I've had time to explain it to you.'

Harry nodded absently, belatedly understanding that Hermione was talking about Arithmancy again. He was still thinking about his moral dilemma.

The thought didn't leave him for the rest of the day. Maybe he should start an archive like that in Gryffindor when he got back there, but knowing Ron he was sure that his friend wouldn't forgive him easily once he found out that Harry had had the information all along.  Maybe he should find Ron in the evening, and he could share the answers under the guise of revising together .

His plan didn't work out as he had intended. He managed to persuade Ron to meet in the library for revision and tried his best to address the questions that seemed most likely to come up in the test. Unfortunately Ron was unwilling to do much studying. He was still too full of grief and fury due to the loss of Scabbers and after a while Harry gave up and reluctantly told himself that he had done what he could.

‘You know, mate,' Ron said, ‘this year sucks. First we get separated with you stuck in the snake pit, then a madman walks into our dorm, and now Scabbers. And this stupid History sucks, too,' he exclaimed and pushed his book away. ‘I'm not even looking forward to the Quidditch match on Saturday. Gryffindor against Slytherin...Without you as seeker it won't be the same...'

He suddenly looked at Harry warily.'You do support Gryffindor, don't you?'

‘ ‘Course I do!' Harry said indignantly. ‘What do you think, that I'd be cheering against my own team? You just wait until I'm up in the stands with you!'

 

 

Saturday came quickly and at breakfast Malfoy was even harder to bear than usual. He told everybody who would listen about his choice of breakfast and kept going on about an article he had read in a Quiddich magazine about the food an athlete should eat and complained that Hogwarts didn't offer the right variety for his needs. Harry, who had always been more than satisfied with the food at Hogwarts soon couldn't stand it any longer

‘What are you doing, Malfoy, preparing everybody so that when you don't catch the snitch you can just say it was the house elves' fault?'

Malfoy shot him a dirty look. ‘You're just jealous, Potter, aren't you, that I can play and you can't...'

Angrily Harry left the table. He hurried up to his dorm and searched his trunk. There it was, his Gryffindor scarf. It would be good to wear it again, Harry thought when he put it into a pocket of his robe and headed towards the Quidditch pitch.

‘Mr Potter.'

Harry stopped in his track and suppressed a sigh. Being stopped by Snape never meant anything good.

‘Yes sir?'

‘You are heading to the Quidditch pitch, I see. I'd like to ask you, which team you are going to support.'

‘Gryffindor, of course', Harry said. He pulled out his red and golden scarf and wrapped it around his neck a tad defiantly. When he saw Snape frown, he said defensively, ‘What do you think, that I'd turn against my own team? You can order me to do a lot of things, especially now that you are my head of house, but you can't order me to support the Slytherin team !'

Snape's answer came quietly, but his eyes betrayed his anger. ‘No Mr Potter, I cannot order that. But I can warn you. With the way you behave, it is your own fault if you are unable to settle into Slytherin, Leaving the Slytherin table during breakfast and sitting down with the Gryffindors is only one example. If you don't wish for Slytherin to win, fine. But the least you can do is join your Slytherin housemates and not rush off to Gryffindor at the first opportunity as you usually do. I don't care what colour your scarf is, but I don't want to see you in the Gryffindor stands.'

Snape didn't wait for Harry to answer but walked off, with Harry staring angrily after him. His enthusiasm for watching the match hadn't been too great to start with. Just watching when he knew that normally he would have been playing was bad enough. And now he was being lectured about where to sit? No, Harry decided, openly defying Snape was never a good idea, but he would not spend the match in the Slytherin stands. Better not to watch at all. Bitterly he went back into his dormitory and threw himself on his bed. How was he supposed to spend the time? After looking at the fish for a while, Harry decided he would try to do some reading. Potions needed some work, Brackley had given him homework after all, but Harry was so angry with Snape that preparing for his subject was out of the question. So instead he immersed himself in Arithmancy.

A short while later the door to the dorm was ripped open.

‘Oh, there you are Potter.'

Zabini was standing in the doorframe, behind him Nott was paler than usual, Harry found him even slightly green.

‘Yes, here I am', said Harry sarcastically. ‘Why? Have you been missing me?'

‘Not exactly, no,' said Zabini. ‘We were just wondering where you were, when we couldn't find you, either with us or your Gryffindor mates the moment the match was interrupted and cancelled.'

Harry stared at him. ‘Interrupted? Cancelled?' he echoed. ‘But why?'

Theodore Nott finally entered the room. He swallowed hard. ‘Dementors', he said quietly. ‘A whole lot of them. Right at the Quidditch pitch. Good thing you weren't there.'