Harry Potter the Power Unknown By Priya Ashok

Chapter 13

As all the younger members went to sleep, McGonagall was discussing the sorting with Nicholas and Perenelle in the dungeons.

"How could the Hat make such a mistake? Placing Severus in Griffindor and Sirius in Slytherin. Both of them are so unhappy and I am not sure it was a right thing to do. Sirius has no Slytherin qualities and Severus as a Griffindor is simply laughable. Both of them may make serious mistakes that might cost us." Minerva did not like this sorting where the hat in her opinion had done the wrong thing.

Nicholas smiled as did Perenelle. "Minerva, yes Sirius is Griffindor material, but so is Severus. He made a mistake early in his life and got out of it by a desperate act of swearing an oath to Albus. But nine years later it was he who got all of us together and made us into a unit to fight Albus.

"Again, he has formed a bond so deep with Harry overlooking the fact he is the son of a man who tormented him all his seven years at Hogwarts and till now he has been willing and working with Sirius who led him to face a grown werewolf and I am sure is willing to die for Harry. He loves the boy.

"Those are Griffindor qualities and for Slytherin he really lacks the finesse and the casual power that comes so naturally to Sirius, Draco and the others because of their ancestry and bringing up, that Severus was deprived of and he never really had access to the type of living that these Slytherins take for granted.

"Sirius on the other hand will never succumb like Severus did to the power that Slytherin can give because he has seen how destructive it can be and at the same time he also has the charisma to take on Malfoy, Zabini, Parkinson and Nott on his own. That is something Severus could never hope to do. Remember he was a loner and was an outcast of sorts in Slytherin when he was a student here."

Minerva agreed reluctantly. She knew the boys were horrified not to mention very depressed that they had been sorted differently. Sirius especially as he had fought Slytherin all it stood for, all through his life. Well it could not be helped. She sighed and retired to her bed, taking a ride with Lily whom she had called as she did not want to be seen in the corridors.

The next morning Harry came down with Snape and Ron and met Hermione and Ginny in the common room and all of then left for the Great Hall to have some breakfast.

As they neared the entrance, they were met by Malfoy, Sirius, Pansy Parkinson, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle and Zabini who were all waiting for Harry and company to arrive.

As soon as Malfoy saw Harry he walked up to him, "Potter, are you willing to sit with us for breakfast today?" he asked mockery and challenge in every word.

"Only me or all of us?" was all that Harry asked.

Draco did not answer for a second. Then he came back with a drawl. "Why all of you, if you can make them sit at our table with us. You will find it difficult though."

Harry did not answer Draco Malfoy. He turned to Snape, Hermione, Ron, Seamus, Dean and Neville who had joined them with their wands drawn initially and as they heard the conversation their wands hung limply by their side and their mouths open in horror and disbelief.

A boy who had just arrived yesterday had broken so many barriers it was next to impossible. Harry was actually going to sit with the snakes and he was calling them to accompany him to add to the unnaturalness of it all.

"Well?" Harry asked smiling. "The Slytherins have shown courage by asking us if we dare to sit with them at their table. Do we dare to?"