A silver and green lion

Chapter 1: The Sorting hat

There weren't many people left now.

'Moon'... 'Nott'... 'Parkinson'... then a pair of twin girls, 'Patil' and 'Patil'... then 'Perks, Sally-Anne'... and then, at last –

'Potter, Harry!'

When Harry's name was called a fit of whispers suddenly broke out over the whole hall. His fame founding an even bigger rivalry between the four houses. Every single one of them wanted to collect him. Everyone wanted a good look at him and the last thing he saw before the old, ruffled hat slid down over his eyes, was the Hall full of people craning to get a good look at the raven boy. Next second he was looking at the dark inside of the hat, waiting.

"Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind, either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes – and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting... So where shall I put you?"

Harry grabbed the edges of the chair, thinking with all his might not Slytherin, not Slytherin, not Slytherin.

"Not Slytherin?" The hat asked surprised. "Why wouldn't you want to be in Slytherin? Is it because of what the Weasley boy said?" The hat waited for an answer but decided to take the heat creeping up on the boy's cheek as an answer. "Boy, you shouldn't be so preoccupied. I really think the house would do great for you." Before Harry knew it the Hat called out at the whole Hall:

"Slytherin!"

No, no, no! This couldn't be happening! A pale and shaken Harry walked towards the silver and green table who was cheering loudly because they had 'The boy who lived' in their house. Harry's eyes searched for Ron's, but the redhead didn't dare to look at him. Like he had said, nothing good comes out of Slytherin, all dark wizards were born there. Harry felt the happiness he had had after he had befriended the Weasley leaving his body when he sat down at the Slytherin table, not looking up from his empty plate. Maybe the Dursleys had been right all the way, maybe he was a dark and evil wizard.

"You probably wished you had befriended me while you could huh, Potter." He heard Malfoy sneer from a couple of seats away. He didn't answer the pale boy, not wanting to make more enemies. If this house was his family for the coming seven years, he better make some friends or become invisible. He'd rather do the second thing. If Ron's description was true about this house it wasn't the friendliest one.

"Hey there." A soft, female voice said. "Are you alright?"

Harry looked up and saw a pale, platina blond girl looking at him. Her grey eyes reminded him of a stormy air and for all he knew she could be Malfoys sister. She looked a lot like him. When he didn't answer the blond girl looked at her friend, a girl with dirty blond hair and blue eyes.

"Not much of a speaker, are you?" The blonde's friend said amused. "I'm Diana Michaels and this here is your prefect, Kali Knight." She introduced themselves. Still looking very amused.

"What got you so depressed, boy?" The blond perfect who was called Kali asked.

"You are sitting in the most awesome house ever!" Diana cheered. Seeing the unbelievable look on Harry's face the two girls looked at each other with another look on their face this time.

"You didn't grow up in the wizard world, didn't ya?" Diana asked dryly. Harry shook his head and Kali sighed.

"You know, not everything people tell you about Slytherin is true." Kali started. "What did you hear? Slytherin is full of dark wizards? We are all bad, evil traitors?" She waited for an answer but when she saw the small blush on Harry's face she knew enough. "Harry, Slytherin is the house of ambitious, cunning people who know what they want." She had gathered an audience now. "What is wrong with people knowing what they want and going for that?"