What Could Have Been - Harry Potter

Harry (Slytherin)

{ published 2_th october 2014. }

written for The Sorting Hat's Challenge, The Greek Mythology Mega Prompt Challenge (Echidna), Harry Potter Chapter Challenge (The Boy Who Lived), Pick a Card, Any Card Challenge (Ace of Clubs), K-POP Challenge (SPEED - Don't Tease Me), The "As Much As You Want" Comp & As Many As You Want Competition.

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What Could Have Been
Harry (Slytherin)

Despite the minorly dank condition, Harry found the Slytherin common room enthralling – the dimness and sense of grounded security was comforting, and the fact that it was a dungeon gave a sense of dark adventure.

Stereotypes were often incorrect, and Harry could confirm that having been accepted into the House. Snakes were sly and sneaky, but whilst branded with a bad name, Slytherins were more focussed on cunning than Black Magic. Even the great Merlin had hailed from their nest, and even Prof. Snape was proud to preach it.

Harry's Sorting went well, and he couldn't have been happier.

- - - - - - - - - -

(...Could he?)

- - - - - - - - - -

"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?"

Eleven-year-old Harry clenched the stool.

"Not Slytherin, eh? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on your way to greatness, no doubt about that..."

He was about to object, but he paused. 'Greatness...?'

The Sorting Hat chuckled dryly at the innocent inquiry. "SLYTHERIN it is!"

- - - - - - - - - -

(Why didn't it give him the choice...?)

- - - - - - - - - -

Harry huddled in his bedroom, curled up under the blankets to preserve heat. Low rumbles floated from downstairs, where his Housemates were still awake – under normal circumstances, he would have joined them, but he had been sent by Snape get some sleep with the other Quidditch players so that they could be in top form the following morning. Unable to sleep, however, he just stared at the top of his four-poster.

A serpent was printed at the top, he noticed, and his green eyes narrowed as he focussed on it. "Hello," he murmured. He tried again "Hello." This time, it came out in a hiss: his Parseltongue. He was famed for it by now, among his housemates especially. The ability had been discovered completely by accident when he meant to speak about a snake that the potions teacher had been milking for poison, and the rumour had spread like wildfire. Now, everyone was certain that he was the Heir of Slytherin.

'I don't see the deal, it's a worthless technique!' the Potter thought venomously, before sitting up abruptly. His scar stung, but the pain quickly died.

Trying to lull himself, Harry turned his mind turned to Quidditch, and he recollected the strategy that his team had given him. Cheating would be an understatement. Distracting himself again, Harry sat staring at his bed as he toyed with the green duvet out of restlessness. They were green - the proud and smart shade of envy and dirty-intentions. Even as his dorm-buddies filtered in with sleepy greetings, he stared at the covers.

"This won't be a very Slytherin thing to do, now will it?" he grumbled silently. He found that, for a brief second, he didn't care. He was going to win, clean.

- - - - - - - - - -

(At least, that was his mindframe until he roused in the morning, not remembering his vow; he ate a muffin for breakfast, and when the game rolled around, his play was anything but fair)

That's what a Slytherin would do, afterall.

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prompts used: muffins; write about the Slytherin House; alternatively, write about Harry Potter; alternatively, write about a Slytherin; "I've erased the me that you've known in the past".

A/N: almost done.
- crystalcanon.

{ original chapter: 2_th october 2014. 
updated a/n: 23rd august 2020. }