What if there was a fourth member to the golden trio? A Slytherin? One related to Harry's least favourite teacher, Severus Snape? What if the magical world had much more prejudice and bias? Will Harry and his friends, each of whom has their own dem...
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The fleet of boats sailed in silence for about fifteen minutes, the oars cutting quickly through the water. They approached low rock cliffs. A curtain of Ivy hung down from the rock, offering only a glimpse into the tunnel beyond. The boats entered one by one, Hagrid's boat in the lead, Harry's boat second after Hagrid's. As they neared the far end of the tunnel, Harry saw open lake ahead of him. The lake ended at the base of a rocky hill some fifty feet away.
Steps cut into the hill led upward, shaped like a series of sideways Us. And at the top of the hill was... Harry's breath caught in his throat at the magnificent sight. A gigantic castle loomed in front of them, its turrets and towers reaching for the skies. Built entirely of a yellowish-brown stone, it had eight floors. The tallest tower was tall enough to have another ten floors above the first eight. Th castle was built in four parts, one main section surrounded by three others to the west, north and east. Halfway up the walls, at what Harry judged to be the fourth floor, there were bridges connecting the four sections. The bridges had a wide variety; everything from viaducts to rope bridges that swayed alarmingly every time a strong wind gusted past.
Hagrid led them up the steps winding up the rocky hill. As they neared the top, Harry got a closer look at the castle and the grounds. The grounds had lone tall trees in some places and clusters of them in others. Strange plants, many of them glowing in strange colours, grew here and there. Most of the ground was covered in grass of many kinds. To the left, there were a series of large glass gardens with more plants and trees growing inside them.
Hagrid approached stately double doors and led them into a circular Entrance Hall.
Torches placed in brackets at intervals along the wall only lit it dimly. Directly opposite to them, a green marble staircase led upwards. To their left was a set of large double doors. To their right was a smaller door which led onto a corridor adjoining a courtyard. Hagrid motioned for them to wait in the Entrance Hall. Older students entered the castle and went through the Double Doors to the right. Unlike the first years, none of them were wearing their pointed black hats. Bright lights and the sound of merry chatter and laughter flooded out every time the doors opened of their own accord to admit people inside.
A few minutes later, the double doors opened yet again, and a woman in dark green robes walked out. She wore square spectacles and had a stern face, all bony and angular with thin lips. Harry immediately decided that she was a teacher he did not want to cross.
"I am Professor Minerva McGonagall" she informed them. "I am Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts and it is my duty to inform new students about a most important aspect of life at Hogwarts; the school houses. There are four; Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. During your time at school, you will take meals with your house mates, sleep in your house quarters and spend free time in your house common room. While you will all form friendships outside of your house, your housemates will be like your family while you are at school. Good behavior and doing well in class will earn your house points. Misbehavior and rule-breaking will cost points. I trust that each of you will strive to be an asset to whichever house becomes yours. You will be sorted shortly after you enter the Great Hall. Come."
