Achieving Greatness

Chapter 3

The Slytherin table erupted in cheers. The older students stood up clapping vigorously for they had just gained the famous Harry Potter. Some of them refused to clap, most likely because their parents told stories of hatred for Harry and his deed as a child. Harry gracefully shrugged off the shoulder pats and the congratulations, and turned his attention back to the rest to be sorted. Most of them had gotten into Gryffindor but one quite tall boy took his place next to Harry.

"Blaise." He extended his tan hand to Harry and then to Draco. "Pureblood." He added at recognizing a Malfoy. Draco smiled in approval.

Dumbledore slowly stood up, an immediate hush fell over the students, and declared the start of the feast. Food suddenly appeared onto the polished, golden plates. This didn't surprise Harry as much after seeing floating candles, carriages being drawn by nothing, and talking hats, though he did jump a bit when the roasted pig popped onto the table with an apple stuck in its jaws. The Hall immediately filled with a warm chatter and laughter, many of the older students turning their attention to the new housemates.

Blaise seemed very interested in Draco's "History of Magic Blood" and they began to pour over the pages, sometimes pointing out a single person or tracing a line of a family tree. Harry glanced up at the Head table as a way to not have to talk to anyone just yet, as many heads eagerly turned to him as soon as he sat down. A very merry Dumbledore was telling jokes to a short plump professor, who was hiccupping slightly between giggles and sips of her drink. Hagrid was busy with his barrel sized mug of mead, singing a drinking song, and Harry quickly looked the other way before any eye contact could be made. A drunk Hagrid meant a more chatty and rambunctious Hagrid. A queer professor with a bright purple turban caught his eye. He looked quite colorful and silly compared to the pale, black-clad professor to his left, and quite nervous too. The turban-clad professor seemed to be trying to initiate conversation with the professor to his left, but the latter ignored him, looking bored and bothered.

"Draco, who is that professor, dressed in all black?" Harry asked.

"Him? That's Professor Severus Snape, head of Slytherin. My father is very good friends with him, I have no doubt that I'll get top marks in his class."

"And that class would be...?"

"Potions, of course. Now, if you excuse me." Draco turned back to his book, looking annoyed, Harry assumed this was because of all of his questions, thus he shut himself up. Harry's scar began to prickle uncomfortably, and he pressed at it with both hands. It felt like someone was poking at him with pins and his warm hands did little to help the effect. No one noticed this except for Professor Snape, who watched his every move. Harry looked around, hoping to find a fellow student to strike up a conversation with, but no such talk was to be found. Harry felt himself turn red and become quite uncomfortable. This professor gave him an unpleasant feeling. Luckily, his discomfort from the scar and stare was distracted by Professor Dumbledore standing up, making a few bothersome announcements, and then sending them off to bed. Harry gladly obliged and rushed behind others, as the professor's stares continued.

All first years were told to follow the house prefects (people that Draco referred to as prats and "too stuck-up for their own good") to their dorms. In the area outside the large doors of the Great Hall, Harry spotted Ron's fiery red shag above the other heads on the outskirts of the Gryffindor group, looking like he had no one to talk to.

"See you tomorrow, Ron?" Harry called out hopefully.

Ron looked around, smiling, until he realized it was Harry that called out. His face became sour and he only huffed and turned away.

"Like I said," Draco grabbed Harry's shoulder. "He doesn't think of you as anything more than an acquaintance. Anyways, you've got your own, new family here."

Harry tried to smirk, but still felt that Ron (or Weasley as Draco mockingly called him) still could be friends with him, forgiving that he was a Gryffindor.

The new Slytherins were led through twisting hallways and moving staircases, where pictures moved, smiled, and waved at them (little to Harry's surprise, as routine now). The prefects seemed to know each one of them perfectly well, greeting them in their own fashion. They descended deeper and deeper below the castle, down through more hallways and staircases, so many that Harry feared he would never remember the way out, until they came to a stone door with a large spiraling snake carved across it, which looked eerie in the dim torch lighting of the dungeons.

"Pureblood." Muttered the male prefect, causing the snake to slither and unravel and the stone door to slide open. The children poured inside to find a large room with towering pillars, cathedral ceilings, and a cold, green glow coming from the light of the tall windows. Harry curiously made his way over to a window and peered out. To him, it looked as though they were underwater. Every so often a black mass would pass by the windows, and the first years curled up in fear.

"Don't worry. It's only the giant squid in Hogwart's lake!" The female prefect quickly realized that that only made the first years more scared. "Yes, we are partially under the lake, but don't worry yourselves. The glass is charmed so it can't break. Ever. Trust me, I've tried. Anyways, make yourselves comfortable. Girls' dormitories to the left, boys' to the right. You'll  find your things already there. Good night."

Harry followed Draco to one of the leather couches in front of the stone fireplace as the other first years dispersed to different sections of the common room. The couch proved to be very firm, but nonetheless, Harry did indeed make himself at home. It was certainly the most elegant place Harry had ever seen. The tall ceilings had beautiful, carved stonework displaying snakes and figures that looked as though they came from pure fantasy. The fireplace was huge and shaped like the mouth of a snake.Banners and tapestries hung on almost every wall displaying more serpents and crests.

A few others sat themselves around the fire, one directly in front of Harry. She was the girl Draco pointed out earlier with the pug-like nose.

"So, you're Harry Potter. I'm Pansy Parkinson." She stuck her hand out.

"Nice to meet you." Said Harry.

Draco became very tired of the lack of attention on himself due to his new friend and he quickly interrupted the two.

"I knew you'd be a Slytherin, Pansy." He smirked.

"Really? How so?"

"Oh, I don't know, you just seem to have an air of confidence and ambition about you. Very charming, might I add."

"I know I do. Anyways, Harry, I did not expect you to be a Slytherin! After fighting off Voldemort, how brave you've had to be, I thought you would be a Gryffindor.

"What's the matter? Was it something I said?" Pansy question seeing the startled look on Harry's face.

"No, nothing, it's just Hag-," Harry caught himself from saying Hagrid, unsure if everyone disapproved of the kind giant as Draco did. "Er, I mean I was taught to never say the name of You-Know-Who. It's cursed or something like that."

Pansy laughed cheerfully. "Harry, that's just some made up hogwash. A wives' tale. So easily scared, now I see why you weren't Gryffindor."

Harry chuckled at his foolishness. "I was almost sorted into that house, but I consciously chose Slytherin. I saw more promise here." He lied a bit about himself seeing promise in Slytherin. It was really thanks to the hat, but they didn't need to know that. Pansy's eyes scanned him up and down, eyebrows raised, as if she was searching for something in him, but she seemed to decide nothing was to be found, and she turned away towards the dormitories after saying her goodnites.

"Why that little... How dare she ignore me so!" Draco hissed after the ringing of Pansy's footsteps died out  in the stairwell. Harry tried to hide his smirk and chuckle, but Crabbe and Goyle caught him and decided to join in.

The rest of the evening, Draco remained sulky, mumbling to himself about disrespectful, insulting old hags. Draco led the four to the dormitory, which looked similar to the common room except with a smaller fire enchanted to glow green in the center. Harry settled himself into his bed and stared up at the snake-embroidered tapestry hanging neatly over the bed. He heard one by one his fellow bunk mates drift off to sleep, their breathing getting slower and heavier, until he too joined them, eager to have his first day as a student of Hogwarts.