Snakes And The Moon

Chapter 21

Everything was silent in the office for another minute before a cough broke out. It was Severus and he looked at the trash can with a mix of confusion and amusement as the Hat was thrown in there.

"Shouldn't you take it out?" he asked quietly.

"Probably," Harry shrugged.

"Will you?" Severus asked.

Harry grinned. "Nope."

Severus gave a defeated sigh and hung his head but Harry caught a faint grin of his own on his face. He clearly thought it was funny, too. How could he not? The stupid thing really was annoying.

McGonagall chose that moment to speak up, although not as calm and collected as them both. "What is this nonsense? I don't understand what's happening," she snapped.

Dumbledore sighed and shook his head. "I believe... The Hat has come to it's decision," he said quietly.

"But, it already did! Two years ago, I was there," she said, looking miserable.

"Sometimes, the Sorting can go in ways none of us expect or understand," Dumbledore said with a frown. "It appears as if this were the case with Mr Potter."

"How can that be?" she asked. "What changed?" She seemed to forget Harry was standing right next to her and was watching the exchange with a confused look.

"You heard the Hat, Minerva. The boy was supposed to be in Slytherin House at the start of his school year, however he had an argument with it and decided to go the opposite way, in order to stop himself from getting into trouble with another boy."

"Purely self preservation," Severus spoke up. Harry was playing with his gloves and feeling slightly anxious. What was he to do?

"Indeed," Dumbledore agreed with a sigh.

Harry noticed that Dumbledore and Minerva both looked, dare he say, disappointed. This confused him thoroughly, he didn't do anything! It was that silly piece of fabric shouting out random words.

He felt like leaving the office and simply going back to the tower, but he knew the Headmaster and McGonagall had strict rules when it came to these things. No matter how much they might despise the idea of him leaving Gryffindor, they knew it was mandatory for him to now go to the dungeons, otherwise they'd be betraying Hogwarts and it's guidelines, which is disrespectful.

He felt like laughing at the sheer irony of it all. They didn't like betraying the school yet placed dangerous animals and traps within it, along with ancient artifacts and psychopathic teachers and even Voldemort himself?

'Can't I just leave this hellhole and go to another school? I've heard of Durmstrang, that sounds interesting,' he thought to himself with interest. He plans on looking into that over the summer holidays, perhaps. It might be a good idea to check it out, if the teachers and students have such an issue with him here, he'll just pop away to somewhere else and start fresh. 'Plus, they teach all kinds of questionable Dark Magic there, which I know I'll enjoy!'

"What will we do?" McGonagall's voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"I don't think there is much we can do," Dumbledore's voice said unsure. 

Harry sighed, fed up with being left out again.

"I'm sorry, but I don't see what the big issue is," he muttered.

Dumbledore and McGonagall's faces were one of shock whereas Severus remained neutral, trying to decipher the situation.

"The big issue, Mr Potter, is that you are being stripped away from your friends in Gryffindor House and forced to stay elsewhere," McGonagall said frantically. 

"Stripped away?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, but if my friends are truly as loyal to me as they say they are, they wouldn't care about something as silly as a colour on my clothing, wouldn't you agree?" he asked.

"Well-"

"And I believe the only way I could be "stripped away" would be if I left the school and didn't come back, having no contact with anyone here at all," he said sarcastically.He didn't mention that he was honestly considering it.

McGonagall sighed. "Well, what are your thoughts now on the matter?"

He just shrugged. "Honestly? I'm just tired and want to take a nap. We leave school tomorrow and should be packing up, not bothering with any of this rubbish," he snapped.

"Quite right," Severus defended him, much to his relief.

Suddenly, there came a hissing and Harry grinned. Nessie was growing restless underneath his clothing where she was still hiding. She could tell he was in distress and always jumped to his rescue.

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked.

Harry softly patted her through his clothes and made sure to speak in English.

"I'm fine for now." he whispered.

Dumbledore eyed him warily. "Is there something you wish to tell me, Mr Potter?"

Harry smiled innocently. "No sir, nothing."

"Hmm..." the Headmaster frowned and looked at his abdomen which was moving. "Would you mind telling me what is moving underneath your clothing?"

"Oh, yes! This is Nessie," he smiled and patted her so she'd appear from his hem and slither up to sit on his shoulders.