"You have got to be joking!" Ron said horrified. "They can't do that can they?"

Harry nodded wearily. "Even McGonagall is going along with it although she didn't look to happy about it."

Hermione looked shocked as well. "I don't know if Hogwarts has ever had anyone resorted before. I should look into it."

"Yeah, maybe it's against Hogwarts policy and then Dumbledore will have to change his mind." Ron said hopefully.

Harry nodded though he doubted it. Dumbledore would know if it was against policy and it obviously wasn't.

"I really can't believe they are doing this." Hermione said, worry in her eyes. "You with the Slytherins? Doesn't the Headmaster know that you don't get along? It will be them against you and that's not right."

"And Snape as your Head of House? He tries to make your life miserable just being your Professor imagine what he will do now?" Ron stared at Harry wide eyed.

"Gee thanks guys. You've really cheered me up." Harry tried to joke.

"Oh Harry, I'm sorry! It's just, I'm worried for you. And what are we going to do without you in Gryffindor?" Hermione asked sadly. "We'll miss you."

Harry swallowed the lump that was beginning to form in his throat. His friends meant everything to him. He had never had friends until he came to Hogwarts. And Harry knew there was no possible way he would ever make friends in Slytherin. They all hated him and from what he had heard, most were eager for Voldemort to return someday. He knew he would be bullied and hexed while he was in Slytherin and like most adults, Snape would look the other way. Or maybe Snape would join in, you never knew with the snarky Potion's Master.

"What about Quidditch?" Ron whined. "You're our best player! Maybe this wasn't Dumbledore's idea, maybe it was Snape's! To keep you from winning all the games!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Do you really think Professor Dumbledore would agree to a plan like that? No, it had to be the Headmaster's idea. I just don't see the point in it. It seems like an excessive punishment."

"According to Dumbledore, it is not a punishment." Harry sighed. "It's a learning experience." He added sarcastically.

Hermione looked thoughtful. "Maybe it's a way to get different houses to get along? But still, to have it be you Harry…" She trailed off.

"Those snakes better not hurt you or else." Ron said determinedly.

Hermione was wringing her hands together nervously. "Oh, why did you have to attack those two Ravenclaws?"

Harry threw his hands up in frustration. "They attacked me first!"

"They didn't pull their wands out on you and that is what got you in trouble." Hermione pointed out.

"When do you have to move?" Ron asked.

"I have to have breakfast with the Slytherins and Dumbledore said my things would be moved to their dorms in the morning." Harry said glumly.

"Ugh." Ron said just as glumly. "You have to eat with them too?"

"He'll be a part of their house Ron. Of course Harry will have to sit with them at meals and in class too." Hermione looked just as dejected as the two of them.

"Geez the three of you are looking so glum-bum! What's wrong?" Fred and George sat next to them.

"You look like you got detention for life or something." George laughed. He paused. "Wait, did you?"

"Worse! Harry's been resorted!" Ron exclaimed loudly.

"Ron!" Harry hissed as the Gryffindors around them looked at them in shock. He hadn't wanted everyone to know yet.

"You've been resorted? Why? To where?" Dean demanded as he walked over followed by everyone in the common room.

"Slytherin." Harry braced himself for the chaos that was sure to happen. And it did.

"You're going to be in Slytherin!"

"They can't do that!"

"Is going to Slytherin the new punishment now?"

"I'd drop out if it were me!"

"What about Quidditch!"

Harry stood up and tried to get everyone to calm down. "It's um, an experiment Dumbledore is trying." He hedged. "And it is only for the first term and then I'll be back in Gryffindor."

"The Slytherins will kill you!" Neville Longbottom's eyes grew wide with fear. "Forget that. Snape will kill you!"

Murmured agreement went through the room. Oliver Wood stepped up with his arms crossed across his chest. "So you won't be able to play Quidditch for the whole term? How could you let this happen?!"

"I don't want this!" Harry yelled, startling the whole room. "You think I want to be in a house that completely hates me? And Snape is sure to be a total git about it!" He put his hand up to his head which was pounding once more and he felt like he was going to be sick again. "Gryffindor is my home and I'm being forced to leave it." He turned and started to go up to his dorm, stumbling a bit as another wave of dizziness hit him.

"Harry?" Hermione asked in concern.

"I'm fine. I'm going to bed." Harry said, shaking his head a bit and continuing on his way. Hopefully he would wake up and find this was all a dream.

HPHPHPHP

Severus sighed as he left the common room after informing his Slytherins that Potter would be in their house for a term. They had been understandably shocked and upset. They, like he, took exception to that fact that Potter being put in Slytherin was being treated as a punishment. And that was how it would be considered by everyone no matter how Dumbledore had tried to spin it. Despite his personal feelings for the boy, he had been adamant to his snakes that while Potter was one of them he would be treated as a true Slytherin. That meant they would follow the Slytherin code which was that Slytherins stick together. They looked out for and protected their own and that would now include Potter. After all, if a house is divided it will destroy itself.

He had to admit he felt some sympathy for Potter. Not that he would say so to anyone but when he had been in school he would have not survived being made to live in Gryffindor for a day never mind a term. Well, except that he would have been in the same house as Lily. If only…

Snape made a stop at the infirmary before retiring for the night. He kept health records of all his Slytherins as many came from abusive homes. He always had them checked at the start of term. Now that Potter was one of his Slytherins he would need to add his file.

"Severus." Poppy said in surprise. "I was just about to leave for the night. Is something wrong? Are you sick?"

"No." Severus said. "I need Potters file for my records. I assume he has already been checked or has an appointment to as it is the start of the year?"

"No he hasn't. You are the only head of house that does that Severus." Poppy said as she summoned the file on Harry. "All I have are his records from when he has been admitted here from being hurt at school."

Severus took the file and glanced through it. They were of his times being hurt at Quidditch, when the brat when after the stone and chamber, when that idiot Lockhart vanished his bones but nothing from before Hogwarts. Severus wasn't that surprised that he was the only Professor that checked. He himself had come from an abusive home and he wanted to help the students who were like him.

"I would like a full history done tomorrow." Severus said.

Poppy nodded. "Tell him to come by after his last class. I'll run a full diagnostic."

"Thank you Poppy." Severus inclined his head and went to his quarters to finally rest for the night.

HPHPHPHP

When Harry woke up the next morning he was feeling worse. Probably nerves, he thought as he touched his left side. As he started to get ready he noticed his robes now had a Slytherin crest on it and his scarf that was hanging was now silver and green. He sighed. Not a dream then.

"Is it time to get up already?" Ron groaned as he buried his head in his pillow.

"Just think of the abundance of food waiting for you in the Great Hall." Harry said absently as he gathered his books into his bag. Reminding Ron of breakfast was the usual way he hurried along his friend in the mornings.

"Oh yeah!" Ron sounded more enthusiastic as he got up. "Oh yeah." He said more solemnly as he remembered that this morning Harry would be leaving Gryffindor. "Hey, maybe you can use your cloak and sneak back in here. You know the password so…"

"I thought of that but you know everyone in Slytherin will be waiting to get me in trouble. I better not risk it or I may have to stay all year in Slytherin." Harry said as he finished putting his shoes on. He stood up and immediately all of his belongings except what he was wearing and his book bag disappeared.

"Guess it's real." Ron said as he tied his red and gold tie. He wrinkled his nose a bit at Harry's green and silver one.

Harry grabbed his bag. "It's time to face the music. What happened after I left the common room last night? Did everyone calm down?"

"Yeah. Well, eventually. Most are angry on your behalf but some are well, angry that you are giving in and going to Slytherin." Ron stepped back and Harry's angry expression. "Their words not mine! There are just a few older students who think you should have given the Headmaster an ultimatum that you would either go home or stay in Gryffindor."

"I can't risk having to go to the Dursley's before I absolutely have to." Harry said flatly. "Believe it or not, I'd rather be in Slytherin."

Ron looked at him sympathetically. "Don't really blame you mate. At least you get to eat here no matter what house you are in." He brightened. "Think of it this way, you can lose Slytherin tons of points!"

Harry laughed. "Sure, cause that will go over real well with Snape."

Ron's face fell. "Oh, right. Don't want to get on his bad side. Well, you don't want to get even more on his bad side than you already are."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Thanks."

Hermione met them at the bottom of the stairs, pity clear in her eyes. Most of the Gryffindors were looking at him the same way except for a few older students. He noticed Cormac McLaggen and Alexander Williams were glaring hard at him.

"We're sorry to see you go Harry." Percy Weasley said to him as he adjusted his Head Boy badge. "Don't worry, if you throw yourself into your studies the first term will go by fast."

Hermione brightened. "You can spend all of your free time in the library with Ron and me."

"All of our free time?" Ron repeated.

Hermione threw him a look. "It's the only way to be able to talk with Harry!"

Ron nodded slowly. "True."

The Gryffindors walked down together and Harry stayed silent as they entered the Great Hall. He looked towards the Slytherin table and saw many of them were glaring at him. He looked up at the Head Table and saw Dumbledore give him an encouraging smile. He darted his eyes over to Snape and saw him give a curt nod and then look pointedly towards the Slytherin table.

"See you guys later." Harry mumbled as he made his way over to the Slytherin table. His table now. He could hear some Ravenclaws whispering as to why he was wearing a Slytherin crest. He ignored them and slid into the seat at the end of the table and kept his eyes averted. His side was throbbing, his head still hurt and he felt really hot.

"Good morning."

Harry looked up and into the dark blue eyes of the girl sitting across from him. The eyes were framed by her long blonde hair. Harry didn't know who she was but had noticed her last year. "Good morning." He said tentatively. For all he knew she was going to prank him or mock him.

"Welcome to Slytherin." She added.

"Thank you?" Harry looked at her questionably.

She frowned. "What?"

Harry fiddled with his empty glass. He hadn't bothered to put any food on his plate or drink anything. His stomach was still feeling funny. "Two things. First, why are you being nice to me?"

The girl huffed. "Maybe I'm a nice person?" She shook her head and then looked at him with her head tilted to the side. "Unless you are one of those people who think that no nice person could ever be in Slytherin. If that's the case, then I shouldn't have bothered."

"No, I'm sorry. It's just…well; no one has been nice to me from Slytherin. I thought…" Harry shook his head. He had assumed all Slytherins hated him since he was the boy-who-lived.

The pretty blonde relented. "True, you probably don't have many positive experiences with our house." She looked at him curiously. "What was the second thing?"

"I don't know your name." Harry said with a grin.

The girl's eyes widened. "Oh, I'm sorry! How rude of me. My name is Daphne Greengrass. I'm a third year like you." She gestured to the girl sitting next to her. "This is Tracey Davis, also a third year."

"It's nice to meet you both." Harry said nodding towards Tracey. Tracey blushed a bit.

Breakfast was interrupted by Dumbledore who had stood and was tapping his glass to get their attention. "Good morning students! Welcome to another year of Hogwarts! To those who are starting their first year, we welcome you. A few announcements and then you may return to your meal. The forbidden forest is still off limits and our caretaker Argus Filch would like me to ask you not to track in dirt into the castle. We also have two new Professor's starting this year. I am pleased to announce that Rubeus Hagrid will be taking over Care of Magical Creatures!" Applause broke out over the announcement and Hagrid beamed. "And our new Defense against the Dark Arts Professor will be Remus Lupin, a former student of Hogwarts." Dumbledore continued. "A word of caution, Hogwarts also has Dementor's guarding the castle until escaped prisoner Sirius Black is caught. And lastly for the first term this year, Harry Potter has been resorted into Slytherin."

The room erupted into loud chatter and exclamations.

"He's got to be bloody joking!"

"What could Potter have done that was so bad he's now considered a Slytherin?"

"Poor Potter with those evil snakes!"

"Who wants to place a bet he won't survive the term?"

"Enough!" Dumbledore said loudly, his eyes not their normally twinkling self. "This is not a punishment and Mr. Potter will be quite safe in Slytherin I assure you."

Harry looked at Snape and was impressed with the look of loathing he saw the Potion's Master giving everyone in the Great Hall. If Harry had to guess he would guess Snape was mentally collecting names of those who spoke badly of Slytherin so he could hand out detentions later.

"Gee, I can sure feel the love. How about everyone else?" Daphne said sarcastically.

Tracey nodded in agreement. "I hate being stared at like they expect us to attack them or something."

"They're just jealous because we are the best house." Draco Malfoy informed them as he and Theodore Nott turned their attention to them.

"We're also smarter and more talented, of course they hate us." Theo quipped, causing Tracey to giggle.

"So Potter, you're a snake. Who would have ever thought?" Draco said with a smirk. "You better not try and sabotage us with the points Potter."

Harry decided not to mention that Ron had thought that would be a good idea. "I wouldn't do that." He said softly.

"Nice welcome Malfoy." Daphne said with a roll of her eyes.

"Why should I welcome him? He's not really a part of us and never will be. He's Potter, the boy-who-thinks-he's-so-great." Draco narrowed his silver eyes at Harry.

Harry narrowed his eyes back. "You don't know a thing about me Malfoy so sod off!" He stood up and suddenly felt light-headed. He shook his head to clear it.

"Are you okay? You haven't eaten anything." Daphne said in concern.

"Why do you care Greengrass? He's a lion; they do anything to get attention." Draco scoffed.

"Shut up Malfoy. You're part of the problem of why Slytherin gets such a bad rap." Daphne lifted her head and stared Draco down.

"Whoa calm down everyone." Theo said with a quick look around. "We aren't supposed to draw negative attention or fight amongst ourselves."

"You guys are making our Head of House shoot us warning looks, knock it off!" Graham Montague, the Slytherin Quidditch captain and Head Boy hissed at them. "Sit down Potter!"

Harry sat and his hand went to his side again. He blinked his eyes as everything began to swim in front of him.

"What's wrong with you?" Theo asked with a curious look at Harry.

"I'm fine." Harry gave his programmed response.

"He hasn't eaten anything is what's wrong." Daphne put some eggs and toast on his plate. "Here. And don't worry, not everyone in Slytherin is like Malfoy here."

"Hey!" Draco protested. He gave Theo a dirty when he laughed. "It's not my fault most people are inferior to me."

"Get over yourself Malfoy." Tracey rolled her brown eyes.

Harry was amused and a little surprised that he wasn't being completely treated like dirt on the floor. Well, Malfoy's attitude was expected. They had never gotten along and never would.

Harry managed to eat a few bites of breakfast but could not manage much. He pushed away his plate and as he did a folded piece of parchment landed in front of him. Remembering the last time this happened Harry hesitantly opened the note.

Mr. Potter

Please report to the infirmary for a full check up that I insist all my Slytherins have. Madam Pomfrey will be expecting you after your last class.

Professor Snape

Harry's heart began to pound. He couldn't go to the infirmary! Pomfrey would find out he was wearing a glamour! And a full check-up? What all would that show? I can't go, Harry thought desperately. He'd have to skip it and hope Snape didn't press the issue. After all, it wasn't like Snape actually considered him a real Slytherin. He doubted the man would actually care if he went or not. And that was a good thing because Harry couldn't risk anyone finding out about his injuries, past or present.