Neville unpacked his belongings silently and automatically. He was thankful that Theo Nott seemed to be an equally quiet boy, since Neville's mind was in a whirl. He needed to send a letter telling his grandmother about the sorting. He needed to talk to Callidora. He needed to figure a way to not be murdered in his bed by the Slytherins.

He'd been relieved that the door to the room would only open to he and Theo – or a teacher. Still, Theo could allow someone else in ... and Neville was quite nervous of Professor Snape, even if he seemed to be a good Head of House.

How had this happened ... ending up with the Slytherins? The sorting hat had explained its reasoning, but Neville had tried to tell it how mistaken it was. At least he hoped it was mistaken ... had all the things he'd done to try and survive really been Slytherin cunning?

He could admit that all the pranks on Algie had been a bit cunning – even sneaky, if he was honest, but it wasn't as if he could have openly challenged Uncle Algie. Neville nervously changed into pajamas and closed the curtains.

Theo wished him a pleasant good night and Neville managed to answer with a choked "Good night."

Neville pulled out Callidora's portrait and told her the news. To his relief she was cheerful about it – it had been her old house, she said. "Many Blacks were in Slytherin – nothing to be ashamed of. You merely have to beware of using your talent and cunning badly."

"But what about Grandmother? She'll be horrified!" Neville hissed.

Callidora just laughed until she noticed Neville's strained look. "Augusta cannot blame you for what house you are in. When you write her just remember to mention that you've had to be cunning to stay out of Algie's way and stay alive. That will throw the ball back into her court ... I hope."

Neville nodded and pulled out some parchment and a never-out quill and slowly wrote the news. He would have to put as good a face on it as possible. Harry Potter being with him in Slytherin might help a bit. He would have to find the owlrey and send the letter tomorrow.

He regretted not insisting on an owl for a familiar, now. Grandmother had tried to get him a toad, and he'd refused, remembering that Uncle Algie had threatened to get him one. Then she'd suggested one of the many cats or kneazles that roamed the greenhouses looking for rats and mice. Neville had been tempted, but said he'd wait until Christmas to decide. It was now obvious that an owl would have been best.

He finished the letter and finally lay back, hoping for sleep.

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Harry and Draco bounced out of bed bright and early, eager for breakfast and their first classes – it would be Herbology with the Ravenclaws and then History of Magic with all four houses before lunch with DADA with the Hufflepuffs. They were packing the books for their classes when Theo and Neville knocked.

"Can Neville borrow an owl? He wants to send a letter to his Grandmother – let her know he's managed to get into the Great House of Slytherin." Theo grinned, knowing that Neville – and his grandmother likely wouldn't be seeing it that way. Harry and Draco grinned back – both fully aware of Augusta's predjudice.

"Sure, you can borrow Hedwig, she needs to stretch her wings. I likely won't need her for a day or two – until I some real news to tell Aunt Petunia." Harry said brightly, hoping to get Neville to warm up to his housemates a bit.

Harry carried Hedwig to the common room and asked for the easist way to send an owl out. Marcus Flint pointed to a spiral staircase at one end of the common room. "That goes to a small balcony with windows to the outside – they're at ground level, really and you can let cats or owls out through them – be careful, they're very well warded against students coming or going that way." Marcus said with a smirk.

Harry and the others went up the lengthy stairs and opened a window, the ground was only about four feet below – an easy escape for cats or kneazles, and okay for owls. Neville carefully attatched the letter and Harry gave her the instructions. Hedwig nibbled his fingers cheerfully and took off.

"Thank you, Potter." Neville mumbled uncomfortably.

"Your welcome, and call me Harry." Harry smiled, refusing to give in to Neville's clear apprehension with his classmates. Harry had Draco and Theo on his side and Greg Goyle obviously wished he could be friends – if his parents wouldn't literally kill him. Zabini and Crabbe were lost causes at present, but Neville – he just needed to see that Harry and Draco truly wished to be friends. Harry, because he wanted as many allies as possible – Draco because the Longbottoms were an old, respected name and Lucius had liked Neville's father, Frank.

Neville smiled uncertainly and they all trailed down to the common room. All the first years had their bags with the day's books in them. Marcus would be taking them to the Herbology lesson after breakfast, and they'd best not make him wait. They trailed after the other students to the Great Hall, to find mass confusion.

The Headmaster and the house-elves had spent hours the night before re-arranging the tables. Now, instead of four long rows – the tables were turned length-wise, four across, with seven rows – one for each year.

The Headmaster beamed and explained that this would make it easier for the students in each year to become acquainted.

The upper years, in their confusion, still sat at the tables in the section that would have been theirs, as the banners still indicated the seven tables that belonged to each house. The lower years were not so reticent.

Dudley sat next to Harry and Draco. Pavarti went to be introduced to Padma's new friends in Ravenclaw, and took Lavender with her. Justin Finch-Fletchly, attracted by Seamus and Dean Thomas' talk of Rugby teams came over to give his opinion. Ron sat next to Neville nervously to ask 'what the bloody hell had happened?'

The second years also mixed together a bit as well as the third years, to Albus' satisfaction. He also noted that Percy Weasley quit the fifth year table altogether to go see how Tom was doing at the seventh year table.

Some of the teachers – Minerva in particular - were looking appalled at the houses mixing so thoroughly, but they would get used to it in time.

"We need solidarity for the times soon to come." Albus said in his best omniscient tones.

Lucius Malfoy joined Severus for breakfast. He was supposedly there to set up the day for the first Governors meeting, but he really just needed to see for himself that Tom really was in Gryffindor. Severus had firecalled him first thing that morning and Lucius had been sure that Severus was playing a massive trick.

Now Lucius was left with the sight of Tom with a Gryffindor badge on his robes and a red and gold tie, sitting at the seventh year Gryffindor table. Amazing.

Nearby, Professor Quirrell eyed his two old henchmen – Snape and Malfoy. He'd heard rumors that Malfoy was recruiting old Death Eater families to back Harry Potter and he was beginning to believe it. It was obvious that Snape was no longer loyal to him – Voldemort had only to see Snape speaking to Harry Potter once as he congradulated him on his sorting with that nauseatingly proud look on his face to know he was lost to him as a servant. He wondered how Lucius had come to desert him as well.

Voldemort was distracted from his contemplation of his former henchmen by laughter from his apparent son. He fumed again over the boy sporting red and gold – if he had to have a child from one of his 'night's entertainments' with his Death Eaters, he should have been a Slytherin.

He needed to sound out the boy, though. Find some weaknesses or ambitions ... find a way to recruit him to the cause. He certainly couldn't have his heir running around with traitors like Malfoy or Snape. He'd prefer no heir to one on the other side ... of course, he mused – that was always an option as well. He looked 'Tom Riddle' over again – a powerful boy, obviously and he'd heard Minerva and Severus talk about how very smart he was – hopefully he would be smart enough to join Voldemort when asked so death would not be the only alternative.

Voldemort reminded himself sternly that he was there at Hogwarts primarily to sniff out the Sorceror's Stone – it was already gone from the vault at Gringott's when he and Quirrell had tried to rob the vault, he knew that Dumbledore was the only one that Flamell would have entrusted the stone to. The pair was still close even after all these decades after their Master / Apprentice relationship had ended. Of course the gauntlet of traps Dumbledore was planning to put the stone behind would make obtaining the stone difficult.

Even knowing some of the traps would not necessarily help – the first block was going to be a Cerebus and Voldemort had no idea of how to get by it. Killing it would set off a sealing curse that was quite difficult to get out of – Quirrell would be unmasked even if Voldemort left him and got away – it would not have gained Voldemort anything.

Voldemort looked Harry Potter over again – surrounded by a dozen students from various houses – and from more than one year. Even his own son stopped by briefly to smile at him and say something that made the little bounder laugh. Disgusting.

Finally it was getting time for the first classes and Quirrell was scurrying to his classroom there on the first floor. Voldemort subsided to brood over his ever-multiplying pile of problems.

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Tom had been disgusted to find that there was no provision made for getting Gryffindor first years to their classes – or even to get them up on time. He'd set his clock early and rousted the first year boys – and the second years as well, for good measure. He'd sent a disgruntled fifth year prefect girl back up to wake the first and second year girls and in front of all the upper year students asked the first years if they had any idea of where their classrooms were.

There was not a single hand in the air.

"We all had to find them for ourselves. Why should we baby them?" Several prefects objected.

"Well how many of you lost points the first few days for your House before you figured out how to get to classes on time? Maybe you don't mind practically going into negative points for a time, then having to play catch up for week afterwards." Really, thought Tom – he shouldn't bother pointing this out, but Dudley would be at a disadvantage.

The prefects looked at each other in consternation. They hadn't thought of that. It was true that the first years always lost points by the dozen with tardiness and being 'out of bounds' because they were constantly lost. It was Gryffindor tradition, though for the youngsters to be 'self-sufficient'.

However – to preserve points – maybe a helping hand was in order. They quickly arranged escorts 'just for the week – then you'd better be able to find the classrooms after that'.

Tom winked at a relieved looking Dudley. Dudley had a very poor sense of direction and Tom well remembered how confusing Hogwarts was.

Breakfast had been enjoyable after Percy joined him. He was waved up to the Head table so Lucius could snicker at him and Severus could remind him that he was to let Severus know when he had free periods to assist with Potions classes.

Tom nodded and said he would have a list of times by the end of the day. Tom felt a sudden wave of burning pain over much of his body, he scrubbed at his skin a bit and frowned, though the pain abruptly ceased. Tom looked around – nothing out of the ordinary – even that weird Quirrell was just leaving.

Tom looked over at Harry – he was rubbing at his scar and looking around as well ... Odd.

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The first years trotted behind Marcus Flint as he led them out through a courtyard to the greenhouses. They would be starting in Greenhouse 2 it appeared. The Ravenclaws were heading there as well, clutching maps in their hands. Mafalda and Hermione said that instead of escorts they had quite detailed maps to follow. They'd studied them exhaustively the night before.

Harry peered at the map with interest – it looked quite useful. Perhaps dad ... er Professor Snape would get some for them as well.

They streamed into the Greenhouse and were directed around potting tables by a cheerfully beaming Professor named Sprout. Harry remembered that the twins said this was their Head of House and that she was much more stern than she looked if she found you were breaking rules.

Harry felt anyone who could keep ahead of the Weasley twins was likely quite tough and able to handle anyone.

Professor Sprout went into full lecture mode regarding Nettles – the various kinds and their uses. The best (from Queerditch Marsh) and how poor handling could render them useless. She demonstrated how to plant seedlings into growing containers and the group was soon planting away fairly happily. Some students were obviously less than happy 'grubbing in the dirt', but all the nettle was soon planted.

"Well done, class – well done. Five points to bothe Slytherin and Ravenclaw for everyone's efforts. Now, you have Herbology three times a week – short classes every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. On Wednesday I want a 2 foot essay on Hellebore and examples of potions it is used in and how mishandling affects various potions. You'll find that Herbology is closely tied to Potions – you need to do well in both to get good grades in either. Tomorrow – Tuesday we will be working on daffodils – there are many kinds and I am going to be quizzing you on them closely, so be ready." Professor Sprout shooed them on out the door and back toward the courtyard.

Another Prefect was waiting for the Slytherins to take them to History of Magic. This one was a fifth year girl with a rather pleasant face, though she told them to 'hop to it, I have classes as well'. All four houses took this class together in an enormous room with bleacher-like rows of desks and chairs. Harry and Draco soon had a corner filled with their friends fairly high in the seats.

The ghost teach Professor Binns tended to drone and the prefects had warned them it was best to do a certain amount of self-studying if they wished to pass the important tests of OWLS and NEWTS.

The prefects had given them the study schedule and books to read that some clever Ravenclaw had made up and sold years ago to those interested in actually getting high marks in History of Magic. Harry was determined to do his dad proud and had added the schedule to his list of 'things to do'.

Dudley was quite interested in the list and Mafalda waved a copy charm and Dudley had his own copy – a little smudged, but Mafalda had only been using the charm for a day.

Sure enough Binns immediately launched into a lecture that could have been quite interesting if not delivered in a monotone. There was a recently graduated student nearby also taking notes – there had been talk of an assistant taking over some classes and Harry hoped that was true. Seven years of listening to Binns' droning sound a bit cruel. He looked over at some other students. Quite a few Gryffindors were drifting off. Goyle and Crabbe were already lightly snoring and Zabini looked like he wanted to join them.

Draco and Harry jotted down names and dates, vowing to look them up later. The 'A History of Magic' book by Bagshot was interesting and Harry opened it to look at the section that Binns was talking about. Reading the relevant chapter while Binns talked seemed the easiest way to pass the hour – long class time.

Lunch was straight after Binns' class and luckily just down a long hall past several other classrooms. The great hall filled up quickly and soon the food was popped up onto plates. It was a bit more bland that Harry had gotten used to with Tinker in charge of meals - and mostly things that could be made up in large quantities – but good food none the less.

Harry ate happily enough, though Draco picked at the chicken a bit with a grimace, saying he preferred more rosemary. The other rows of students were slowly getting used to the idea of mixing and more friends and family were sitting together. Albus watched it all with a sense of satisfaction. Yes – it was against most tradition, but the traditions that demanded the separate houses were a bit archaic. Now, the houses mostly broke up the students into managable groups and kept the family traditions regarding houses going.

Albus looked at the new 'Assistant to the History of Magic teacher' a young wizard named Jarvis Pucey. He had a young second cousin presently at Hogwarts, but seemed quite intent on gaining a Mastery in History. Albus decided to have the lad's first project to be to give a lecture on the Sorting Hat, the reasons initially behind sorting and how the houses had since evolved. Albus smiled happily, that should set the cat among the pigeons with more than one wizard.

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The DADA class with the Hufflepuffs proved to be a bit of a joke. The Professor stuttered through most of the class. Harry disliked Blaise and Crabbe snickering over it, but he had to admit it was annoying. In spite of it all, the lecture was informative, once you weeded out the stuttering.

He hoped they would get to actual spells soon, though.

However, even with only three classes, so far they had a fair amount of studying and work to do. Hermione and Mafalda went immediately to the fourth floor to inspect the library and check out books they felt they would need. Draco and Harry stayed long enough to figure out that they had all the books they needed in their bookcase in their dorm room. Hermione looked quite put out that they hadn't needed to check out any books. She muttered a bit about the unfairness of children with guardians or godfathers working at the school knowing what books to bring.

Harry had flushed, not sure if he felt guilty or angry but Draco just put his nose in the air and said he and Harry had an extensive library and they'd brought what they wanted to.

Most of the boys wandered out to the courtyard to rehash the DADA lesson and do their essays together after the library raid. It was a simple essay – list four blocking spells and the attacks they were good against and how exactly the block worked. Gryffindor had DADA early on Mondays and Wednesdays, but the essays set were the same.

The first two parts were easy, but describing how the spell worked wasn't. The muggleborns – Dudley, Dean, Justin and even the self-proclaimed half & half Seamus hadn't really heard spell theory as yet. Ron had heard enough from Bill and Charlie to know what to look for in the books and could explain a little.

Draco knew three blocks by heart (they were his fathers favorites) and had heard his reasoning on the spell blocks enough to be able to write them down almost from memory. Harry was familiar with protego – a commonly used workhorse of a spell according to Severus - and the theory was easy enough to find in the books and understand. Between them all they got the essays done – though they were not due until the next class on Wednesday.

"Excellent!" exclaimed Seamus "– we can go watch the players on the Quidditch pitch – tryouts aren't for another week, but we can see who's practicing and whether they're any good." They all agreed that would be fun and wandered across the open area of ground to the pitch and climbed into a stand.

They were all soon critiquing the fliers – even the Muggleborns who'd never seen a broom before. Justin and Dean were quite awestruck, but managed to ask questions about the different balls in play – particularly the bludgers.

They realized the lateness of the hour when their stomachs protested and they scurried into the Great Hall soon after dinner had started. Luckily many of the Quidditch players were late as well, so they were only glared at briefly. Harry felt quite light-hearted as he made his way to the dungeons. His first day had gone quite well, he thought.

Severus waved Harry to into his office as he was going by to the dorm.

"How did your day go, Harry?" Severus asked, though the happy smile he'd seen on Harry's face throughout the day had really already answered the question.

"It's great, I can tell we're going to learn lots. Its really great – even History of Magic, now that I know to study on my own while Binns drones on." Harry answered with enthusiasm.

Severus smiled in return, glad Harry was settling in. "Let me know if you need anything. I'm likely to be too busy to track you down – so you'll need to come find me if you have to see me."

Harry nodded eagerly, "Okay." and ran for the dorm. He and Draco had plans to get Terrence Higgs and his friends to let them borrow their brooms and go for a fly on the weekend. This would require some planning and perhaps the swapping of some favors.

Severus watched him go a bit sadly – this was likely what those weepy women he so despised on the platform 9 ¾ every year felt - watching a child skip happily away on their own with barely a glance at their parent. Of course he was glad Harry was adjusting so well, but he'd gotten used to Harry ... well ... needing him.

He resolutely closed the door and started grading summer essays with a vengence, red ink flying, and immediately felt better. He would get used to the more mature, less clingy Harry, he was sure.

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