I enjoyed this chapter, I hope you do too.
o.o.o.o.o
Harry and Bill chatted as they walked down from the shack into Hogsmeade. Harry had seemed to be in a cheerful mood until they left the shack. When they started running into people he started to withdraw and close in on himself. Bill was astonished by how many people stared, whispered and pointed at him. There were glares and dirty looks and Bill even deflected a hex back onto a very unfortunate 7th year.
Bill glared at all of them putting a protective arm around Harry and ushering him into The Three Broomsticks. But Harry thought he saw at least one copy of the Quibbler, and got a few speculative looks too.
They took Harry's favourite table by the back fireplace and had just say down to wait for the others, when Bill spotted Snape enter, along with a grim-looking Flitwick and a puzzled McGonagall who seemed to be arguing with Flitwick.
Bill raised a hand in greeting, but for a moment, Snape just looked at him, with perhaps a hint of surprise on his face. A touch of hurt sparked in Bill's chest as he wondered if Snape would acknowledge him at all. But then Snape's expression shifted, softening slightly. He nodded at Bill as he followed his colleagues to the main fireplace, the corner of his mouth twitching in an almost smile.
Flitwick took an irritable looking McGonagall firmly by the elbow and ushered her into the floo, and after a moment Snape followed.
"I didn't know Professor Snape spoke goblin," Harry murmured to Bill, watching the teachers curiously.
"How'd you get to that conclusion?" Bill asked.
"Lip-reading," Harry said as if it were obvious.
"I didn't know you could lip-read," Bill replied, still not answering his question.
"Just English and that wasn't English. But his mouth made the same shapes, Professor Flitwick's sometimes does, and Professor Flitwick speaks Goblin, so the shapes were a bit familiar. So I assumed he was speaking Goblin."
Bill sighed, "he doesn't speak Goblin, just bits and pieces. That was just a floo address, " Bill said, "now don't be nosey, butt out."
Harry bit back his protest. Bill was right. It wasn't his business, and the last few times Harry had been nosy he'd almost been killed by Quirrelmort, a basilisk and eaten by a werewolf.
But then again, Harry was used to needing to know everything so that he could make sure he didn't end up hurt or dead. He needed to be aware of everything and everyone and what they were doing so he could see the threats coming. Being nosy had kept him alive in. It was not a habit he was going to break.
But he held his tongue, he trusted Bill, besides he'd gotten a little information. The teachers had been going to a Goblin Floo. Maybe it was Gringotts. Why were they going to Gringotts?
Hekate help him! He hoped they weren't bringing another Philosophers Stone back to the school! Before he could consider asking, Hermione, Neville and the Twins arrived, and the matter was dropped as the twins almost bowled Bill over in a hug.
They were clearly ecstatic to see their older brother. Harry felt a little wistful that they had siblings they were so close to, that they felt so secure in their relationship with, that they could just dive bomb in a hug.
But then, Hermione was there. She sat next to him, casually leaning into his side, silently telling him he wasn't alone. He did have a family. Suddenly he didn't feel quite so lonely. He had family. They were his family. He didn't need to envy them.
Lunch with his friends was always fun. Bill shared a few of his more recent curse-breaking stories, sharing some fun finds in some of the objects he'd been de-cursing for Harry. One had been a trolls head that sang rude Christmas carols and bit people's noses.
Fred and George shared some of the crazy things they'd done in their latest campaign to lose Gryffindor points. Collectively, all of them had really enjoyed earning Gryffindor points then helping Fred and George lose them or trick the Gryffindors into losing them somewhat spectacularly.
Needless to say, none of the Gryffindors were very happy with them (though that was nothing new,) and they were perhaps starting to regret kicking out such large point winners.
But to Harry's savage satisfaction, they were winning the silent war they were waging on the traitorous red house.
The latest point loss project was a spell to cause loud flatulence—the twins took great delight in hitting their Gryffindor classmates with it. The best thing was they hadn't been caught. It was their classmates that had been hit with the spell that had gotten the blame. They'd been told several times in no uncertain terms that if their stomachs were that upset to go to Madam Pomfrey or the bathroom, and not to continually disturb class with their loud smells! It had worked so well that between winning points, Harry, Hermione and even Neville had started doing the same thing to their classmates. For once Professor McGonagall's obliviousness was highly convenient.
They were happy to report to Bill that they were keeping Gryffindor firmly in last place for the house cup.
After a good laugh, and congratulating them on well-planned vengeance Bill's expression turned serious and he flicked up a privacy ward.
"I saw Skeeters article on Bagman boys, anything you want to tell me?" He asked far too knowingly.
George sighed, and Fred looked obstinate then irritated then also sighed and said, "We won a bet-"
"and he didn't pay up." George finished.
"The one from the world cup? What'd he do pay with leprechaun gold?" Bill asked.
They nodded.
"We've tried everything-"
"-short of blackmailing him-"
"-to get him to cough up," they replied.
"He owns a lot of people a lot of money," Bill explained, "he was foolish in how he ran his books at the cup, and that wasn't even the start of his money issues. The goblins are furious with him. Furious enough that they might help you if it helps them ruin bagman... I'll get back to you on it. In the meantime, keep pestering him. You'd be surprised how often you can get what you want by reminding people and being irritatingly persistent."
The twins laughed.
"So any new exploits on the black market boys?" Bill asked with a smirk.
Fred and George blinked at him, narrowing their eyes slightly as they tried to guess their brother's angle. The Hogwarts black market was not something they often spoke about in the open. They'd talked about it between themselves often enough, and with Bill and Charlie, but it was generally not something spoken about casually like this with friends... Then they looked at their brother again, who flicked his eyes to the left briefly at Harry.
"Ah," they chorused catching on.
"Harry, dear old chap!"
"You're missing out!"
"It's the secret to our success!" Fred crowed.
"and school books!" Added George darkly.
"Hogwarts has a black market?!" Hermione said, sounding equal parts fascinated and horrified.
"Oh yeah," said Neville, "selling class notes, homework help-"
"And answers," cut in George.
"Exam study notes" added Bill.
"Bogus exam answers," corrected Fred.
"And good luck charms and amulets and things, especially around exam time." added Neville.
"You can also purchase, potions, second-hand books, robes and extra potion ingredients," said George.
"So you two..." Hermione said guesting to the pair of them.
"Four," corrected Bill.
"Have made extensive use and profit on it", Fred said.
"Charlie and I started selling things into the Hogwarts black market back when we'd just started." Bill explained, "We knew we'd have more siblings coming through who would need our old books. We figured we could ease the financial strain on Mum and Dad by making enough to get our own second-hand copies. It meant that our originals could be passed down to our siblings easing the financial burdens and we'd still have copies of the texts we'd need for reference when studying for exams etc. We also helped get our own potion ingredients and things. It wasn't much, but it helped."
"It's really quite a lucrative business," said Fred, "we've been selling trick wands and tun tongue toffies".
"Among other things," said George with a grin.
"Close your ears, Hermione," Fred added, making Neville snicker.
Hermione just rolled her eyes and exaggeratedly put her hands over her ears, not at all actually blocking out the sound, and proceeded to listen just as intently as the others.
"Other than making copies of homework assignments and selling them-"
"People will also pay you to do their homework,"
"Or edit it,"
"And they'll buy exam questions and answers too."
"If you write them down after the exam you can then see them to the year below!" the twins explained.
"That's cheating!" Hermione said scandalised, "brilliant though."
"So," said Fred turning back to Harry, "if Dumbledick is holding your purse strings,"
"Leaving you hard up for cash over the summer," went on George.
"The black market, is something you could work with," finished Fred.
"You can sell your bracelets," offered Bill, "and you're fireproof clothes even if it was just fireproofing gloves for potions work."
"And the greenhouse and veggie patch we're working on in the shack," added Neville "is something we can all use, and sell, potion ingredient top-ups and things!"
"and potions," Harry said, "pepper-ups for after a late night, calming potion, wide-eyes potions for when students are cramming, and headache soothers."
"All mild versions that won't do any harm being sold under the table if they take too many," Hermione added quickly.
"It would be their own fault," Harry countered darkly but didn't argue.
"We can sell study time tables!" Hermione said, "and class notes and exam study guides as well! We'll be able to work something out so we can both afford to stay in Nocturne over the break!" She said excitedly before turning to Bill.
She wanted to get his advice on the upcoming business they were starting to build in the shake's. Bill was a font of knowledge on starting up businesses. Not because he had one, he was contracted with Gringotts, but because he and Charlie had looked into it extensively when they'd learnt the twins wanted to set up their own joke shop. It meant they could provide their brother's with good advice.
It was a lively, productive conversation, and it left them all feeling hopeful and exciting. The good feeling didn't last; however when Bill took them all aside after lunch to scan them for spells before he departs. Thankful they were all clean, which was a huge relief, but the fact they had to check at all was a bit of a downer.
As nice as having lunch with his friends was, Harry begged off staying longer in the Village. He can feel peoples eyes on him, and even if he ignores them, he could feel people watching him and muttering. It was starting to weigh on him, and he really wanted to get out of peoples sight.
Hermione and Neville wanted to go to the nursery and the book shops and tried to wheedle him into staying longer but he persisted.
It was settled however when Malfoy walked passed and stopped when he spotted them. He was flanked by Crabb, Goyle, Pansy and a few other Slytherins Harry wasn't close to.
"Oh look boys, its Potty the Porker having lunch at the pub" Malfoy sneered eyeing Harry's middle pointedly, "Didn't think you'd need it. Not very good for the waist line pub food, looking a bit porky there." He said causing his cronies to snicker and jeer.
Harry scowled but before he could snap anything back Fred turned to him and said loudly, "you know what they say about little boys don't you Harry," he said conversationally looking at Malfoy.
"No, what?" Harry asked, wondering where this was going.
"They only tease and pick on the ones they like." George finished conspiratorially.
"Really?" Harry said resisting the urge to snicker, "well, in that case, Malfoy, I'm flattered, but I simply cannot return your affections," Harry said trying not to smile as Fred and George snickered.
Fred then linked arms with Harry and his twin and strolled out of the village with them, leaving Malfoy bright red and looking furious. Hermione and Neville's laughter followed them out.
They walked back towards the school, and after a moment, Harry said, "you know, you guys didn't have to come back with me. I'll be fine on my own Fred."
"It's not that," Fred said after an odd pause, "with everyone in Hogsmead, it is an ideal opportunity to rig up more dung bombs in the Gryffindor showers. We're doing the quidditch locker rooms too, so don't use Gryffindor after your runs any more."
Harry laughed, then noticed George staring at him.
"What is it, George?"
"How do you do that?" George asked an odd expression on his face.
"Do what?" Harry said, coming to a stop.
"How can you always tell us apart?" He asked, "Bill and Charlie can, but normally that's it. Expect you. You always get it right too."
"It is weird," Fred added flatly.
Harry cocked his head to the side, looking at them and thinking. He'd never really thought about it, he just knew.
"I guess mostly you feel different? You look the same, really the same. More so than the muggle twins I met in primary school but there are still small physical differences, that seem obvious now I know what to look for. But mostly your magic. It still feels really similar to each other, but it acts differently?" Harry tried to explain, "Yours is a little more... still, George, it's smoother. And Freds' is, erm... spiky-er... I guess?" He floundered trying to describe something that was so abstract.
"It's more restless, but George's is stiller until you get pissed off and then its the other way round. It's hard to describe, it's one of those things that just is. Once I figured out which of you was actually Fred, and which of you was actually George, you do swap names a lot! It was easy. That and you guys act a bit different too, it's subtle as you both like to seem the same."
"Huh," was all George said before Fred grinned suddenly and making another joke, changing the topic.
Harry wondered if their deliberate choice to act the same to confuse people was more a cover for the fact that they confused people anyway. Maybe it hurt less that people didn't care enough to learn the difference if they deliberately set out to confuse them. Then they could pretend that it wasn't because people were stupid or just didn't care.
Harry looked at them carefully as they headed back to school. But they looked to be their cheery selves and even felt cheery. But Harry wondered if something hidden was lurking in their expressions; in the tense set of their shoulders and the odd undercurrent to their magic. And he wondered if they really were always as cheery and happy as they acted all the time.
*
After leaving Fred and George to break into Gryffindor Tower (he'd given them the password off the Map), Harry was waylaid by Theo Nott, Blaise Zabini and Daphne Greengrass. All of whom were now on a first-name basis with Harry.
Pansy and Goyle (who disliked his first name) must still be stuck with Malfoy in Hogsmeade. The poor buggers. He didn't really understand the complicated relationship those two had with Malfoy. Neither like the prat much, but Goyle seemed (mostly) content to put up with him, and Pansy hid her dislike very well.
Harry did wonder on more than one occasion, what Malfoy had over them. Goyle was always sure to never meet up with Harry when Malfoy would notice or note his absence. And Pansy was continuously careful never to be caught being too friendly with Harry.
Harry didn't really mind, and he could sense she was conflicted about it and didn't mean it to hurt him. But that didn't mean he liked it. It reminded him far too much of Dudley bullying and blackmailing kids in primary school to hate him.
His Slytherins friends had taken great delight trying to catch him out, acting like an 'Idiot Gryffindork.' So far, he had disappointed them. However, he was still (apparently) too much of a Gryffindor for any speaker of their founder's tongue.
Harry took the ribbing rather good naturally and did enjoy letting his colder inner Slytherin out to play a bit more. They had been delighted when he told them about setting Peeves on the school. Even more so when as had managed to get the Bloody Barron to let the poltergeist have free rein.
Harry was distracted from his musings when Blaise and Daphne grabbed him by the elbows and frog marched him down into the dungeons. They usually met up in an old potions classroom deep in the upper dungeons. This time they were leading him in the opposite direction...
They were often far more covert about when they were meeting up too. They were up to something. This was far too bold to be anything ordinary.
"Where are you taking me?" He asked suspiciously.
"Oh nowhere," Daphne lied blithely, "just somewhere warmer and more comfortable than our usual room."
"Oh goodie," Millie squeaked, clapping her hands, uncharacteristically, "you didn't tell me we were doing it now! It's about time too!"
There was a sinking sensation in Harry's gut, and he wondered what trouble he was about to be dragged into. Millie looked too excited, too pleased. They all did, and that didn't bode well for him, as he had an inkling of where they are taking him now, and it did nothing to soothe the dread rising up like acid in his gut.
"Ooh no. No, no, no." He aid as his suspicions seemed only to be confirmed, "I have too much to do this afternoon, I have to see Snape later, I have to get some study time in first!" Harry protested, trying to pull away. But for a petite girl, Daphne's grip was vice-like.
"Occlumency can wait," Daphne said, getting a sharp look from Harry. They never really talked about that.
"Besides it will need to wait till tomorrow, he's out today. Sinistra is covering for him." Blaise dismissed.
Theo grinned savagely but said, "come on, we've heard the talk. We've come to give you a bit of sanctuary from all the bullshit the Gryffindors are stirring up."
This was both reassuring and not. Especially when he recognised the patch of wall they were leading him too. He'd read about Sanctuary in the charter. It was serious business.
They were taking him to the Slytherin common room, "um! I appreciate what your doing, and am honoured by the offer of Sanctuary, and Professor Snape may be out, but he'll have my hide for breaking in here! Sanctuary or no, he hates my guts."
But they just held his arms tighter, rolled their eyes and marched him in saying, "don't worry Snape's won't be in the common room today, he's out on business. Professor Sinistra is on call, We told you. You won't get in trouble."
"Maybe not today!"
"You're fine, you've been invited and offered sanctuary." Theo said as if Harry were missing something obvious, "besides he hasn't found out yet. But he won't argue with the council about this."
That sounded vaguely familiar too actually. Harry cast his mind back to the charter and what it had said about the houses. Traditionally houses had a council made of prefects, and two students voted in from each of the lower years. They ran the house, set house rules, and dealt with house squabbles.
Sanctuary was an old custom too. A custom that most of the other houses had let go along with many of the older house traditions. Except un-housing, he thought bitterly. Slytherin was pretty much the only house that still kept to the old traditions set up by their founder.
Sanctuary was offered to a student ostracised by their own house when the student in question demonstrated the traits their founder prized.
So basically when Gryffindor had kicked him out, Slytherin voted him to be a 'suitably Slytherin' candidate. Obviously, most of Slytherin house had been in favour of the idea (which was mind-boggling. He was far more used to people hating his guts on the whole than someone actually wanting him.) But that meant that Harry would have a place to retreat to. It wouldn't make him a Slytherin, but it meant he could be in the common room to have a break from the rest of the school until he had been re-sorted, and prefects to go to if he needed assistance. He could even petition any house points he earned to go to Slytherin. And that would mean they would not have to work so hard to lose any points he gained Gryffindor though Hagrid their stand-in Head. Oh the fun they could have using that to rub things in the Gryffindors faces.
This was good. Scary, it was Snape's domain, but good.
It defrosted something cold and sharp inside Harry that the un-housing had broken in him. Sanctuary was a house ruling. There would have been a house vote. That meant he was aloud, he wasn't breaking in. So he wouldn't get in trouble for it. It also meant he was wanted.
His throat ached and his eyes stung.
He was wanted here, by Slytherin as a whole.
He was wanted.
Gryffindor had cast him aside like a used up piece of trash, but Slytherin saw something in him and wanted him. They didn't care that he could speak to snakes (probably liked him more because of it) and they didn't care that he used his brains in the first task and not idiotic flashy stupidity.
They wanted him there.
They were offering a sanctuary, a home and family of sorts, in a way Gryffindor never had been. Even if it was temporary.
They wanted him. And at that moment, Slytherin had gained his fierce, unwavering loyalty.
But still, he didn't want to run into Professor Snape. It wouldn't have been the first time he'd gotten in trouble for no reason. The man had been weirdly decent, nice even, and Harry didn't want to push the man into a change of heart by making the man put up with more of Harry than usually he had too.
The wall slid open to admit them and Harry looked around curiously. The Slytherin common room seemed friendlier than it had back in second year. It was still the long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains. But the fire's crackling under elaborately carved mantelpieces around the room seemed more welcoming now.
Like the Gryffindor common room, Slytherin was decked out in its house colours. The green and silver contrasting beautifully against the dark stone walls and ceiling. The floor was made of plush green carpet with snakes on it, and he wondered if they would be sentient when spoken to like the other castle snakes were.
Also, like the Gryffindor common room, Slytherin had plenty of armchairs and sofa's for people to sit and relax in around the fireplaces.
Unlike Gryffindor however, Slytherin had a number of communal bookshelves and desks for people to study at. Also, unlike the Gryffindor common room, the Slytherins didn't have a staircase leading up to the dormitories and the bathrooms. Instead, Slytherin had a stone archway opening into a long corridor with girls dorms along the left and boys along the right.
But the biggest difference was the immense window curving along one wall that looked out into the lake. It gave the room an eerie green glow, and when he went over to it, he could see the lake bed and thought he caught a glimpse of the giant squid and the mer village in the distance. He smiled, feeling strangely comfortable in the somewhat unfamiliar space.
The common room wasn't empty either. There were still plenty of students in armchairs and tables, and while several glanced up and even watched him for a moment, no-one seemed to protest as Harry, and his friends took seats around a fireplace at the back. This alone filled Harry with a sense of warmth and comfort. It had been so long since he'd been in an open place without being ridiculed just for existing.
"Wait, is Professor Snape often in here?" Harry asked, getting back on topic.
"Well yeah, all the time," Blaise said as if it were obvious, "he's our Head of House where else would he be?"
When Harry just blinked at them, slightly stunned, Daphne explained, "after dinner, he supervises homework and helps answer questions."
"doesn't Professor McGonagall?" Asked Theo seeming equally puzzled.
"Er, no," said Harry slowly, not sure whether to be horrified at that level of supervision or envious.
"I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen her in the common room. Mostly in the early hours of the morning to tell the older years to shut up when partying after quidditch and once to tell us that the school was being closed, back in our second year."
They stared at him, seemingly as puzzled by her lack of presence as he was by Professor Snape's seemingly hands-on attitude.
"Weird," Theo said, slowly drawing out the word in his disdain.
"That's a bit lax of her. No wonder the Gryffindors are so wild. No discipline." Blaise said haughtily.
"Our Head of House does his marking here every night after dinner if he doesn't have detention. If he has detention, he'll either make extra time later, drop in before dinner or get Professor Sinistra to be here. She stands in if he's not able to be available. She doesn't spend quite as much time in the common room as he does. But we see her quite a bit too and we have her office hours on the noticeboard too. They both have a portrait here that is linked to their offices. Professor Sinistra basically his deputy or assistant Head of House." Blaise explained.
"So he's here all the time, and you're bringing me here?!" Harry said is voice almost squeaking in horror. "He hates me."
"Don't worry," Theo said rolling his eyes., "there was a vote. The council made their ruling granting you entrance and sanctuary."
"Everyone knows Snape hates you, so you won't be dobbed in, but he won't break a council ruling, for something as petty as dislike," Daphne said confidently.
Still, he thought letting his insecurities get the better of him, his own house had kicked him out, and had wanted nothing to do with him...
"Should I really be here?" He asked, trying not to squirm, the room suddenly seemed rather big and open. It suddenly seemed like a very vulnerable place to be. It felt like a very long time since he'd say out in the open like this, or in a common room where he could easily be found. He felt like everyone was watching him, even the Giant Squid.
An older prefect leant over the back of her chair suddenly and cut in challengingly, "I don't know Potter, should you be here?"
Her friend turned as well and added, "Rumour says the hat nearly put you in Slytherin and that it would have if not for that Malfoy prat. They petitioned for your adoption." She said, indicating Daphne, Theo and the others.
"They were backed by first year and second year and some third. That's smooth work Potter, gaining all that support. So you tell me. Do you belong? Or were they wrong to take that risk for you?"
Harry was suddenly aware that this was definitely a political move, and that everyone was watching. This was a test. A test and a challenge to see what he was really made of. His friends had put their necks on the line, their own house standing on the line, for him, to offer him Sanctuary. And that warmed him, he wasn't going to let them down or throw that back in their faces.
The common room may have been mostly quiet with a lot of the house still in Hogsmeade, but it was now dead silent. Everyone present was watching him or at the least listening closely. What he said now would be passed on to the rest of the house. It would matter.
"Yes," he said automatically, knowing it, feeling it in his bones and the magic humming beneath his feet, "I belong here."
He didn't even have to think about it. Not really. He'd just let the Gryffindors get to him, and make himself doubt.
"Prove it," the prefect said with a harsh jab of her wand.
Harry ducked and through u[ shield, but it was just a snake summoning charm. The snake in question landed on the floor with a bang, hissing angrily bearing its fangs. It was a long thin dappled green beauty, that unless he was very much mistaken, was actually a Boomslang. A very poisonous one. A very pissed off poisonous one if the angry, increasingly creative threats she was hissing were anything to go by.
"Hush you're safe, pretty one!" Harry hissed coaxingly in parseltongue.
The snake turned to him, and he kept talking to her, "you're safe here, pretty, don't bite the two-leggered fools."
She hissed back at him irritably, but seemed placated by his compliments, and allowed him to coaxed her onto his arm.
When he had the agitated snake calmed and coiling contentedly up his arm stealing his body heat, he turned back to the prefect and said, "that was rude."
Her eyes hardened dismissively at his perceived whining, but his next words surprised her.
"You could have at least summoned something soft for her to land on. I can give you a demonstration and banish you onto a floor if you like, see how you like it."
The prefect and her friend laughed.
"Though, it was rather impassive summoning her all the way from Africa" Harry went on.
The prefect's friend elbowed her, "did not you showman! You just summoned it from your uncle's shop!"
"Spoil my image, why don't you," she snarked back, "that may be true Potter, but I did summon the most poisonous one!"
Harry nodded and said, "yes, and my names not Potter actually, its Evens-Potter, Hadrian."
There was a weighty pause and assessing looks all round, but he said, "you should to be more cautious next time you summon a poisonous one, that was a dick move, I may have let her bite you."
"See, you're one of us", the prefect said from the other side of the room with a cold, pleased laugh, not delaying it being a dick move, and not being at all sorry.
"Besides you proved in your second year you were one of us when you talked that snake down." Her friend said.
"That took balls," one of the older years called.
"Mad respect," another said.
"Especially now you've pulled your head out of your ass," another added.
Harry had to stop himself squirming under all the scrutiny but said, "erm, thanks."
"Just don't make us regret adopting you", the prefect said.
"Yes, ma'am" Harry snapped out automatically in response before he could think about it, everything about the girl said authority.
"And I'm keeping her," Harry added, "you set a poisonous snake on me, I'm keeping her."
The prefect looked a bit put out but laughed, and when back to her friends.
Harry smiled and turned back to his friends. Basking quietly in his own good mood. He had family. He had close friends that mattered more than anything. But after being rejected by his own house, this offer of friendship and belonging eased the wound in his chest left by Gryffindor's rejection.
He stroked the snakes head and working on taming his smile. He liked that they wanted him, liked that they saw that he could be part of the Slytherin family. One of their own.
"The older years found out about your tutoring and interrogated your students. Between that, the un-housing and your parseltongue, they decided that you were one of us," Blaise explained.
"until you've formally housed again next sorting," Theo said
"But we know where you'll be sorted," Daphne added.
"And that was Gemma Farley and Anna Bode, Farley is 6th-year prefect," Daphne explained as the common room door opened.
Harry forced himself not to jump and look cautiously to see who it was but forced himself not too. Professor Snape was out, he'd be fine.
END NOTES
So the 7th year was unfortunate as bill deflected the hex that the 7th year sent at Harry, (it was a nasty one) back at him, so the 7th year ended up covered in painful boils in painful places. That's why the idiots unfortunate, because he was outsmarted by Bill.
You'll learn more about where Filius and Severus took Minerva soon.
Snape tutors his students very night in the common room. Each year gets a different night and he spends time there on Saturday's to answer homework questions. He tutors them in potions and DADA. he can also help with other things.Harry is surprised at this, and if he were to ask Flitwick he'd find out all houses do it except Gryffindor. Filius would say, poor Minerva is so over worked, she's been asking for a replacement head of Gryffindor for ages, or a transfiguration assistant, but albums keeps saying no, she'll manages fine. Yes it would be in her defence but just because he's defending her to a student doesn't mean he approves of it. Snape had to keep an eye on his snakes. Especially some of the first year some of them seemed to be struggling with their studies and seemed to ashamed to ask their older siblings for help.
The Boomslang.Yes I know female boomslangs are normally brown, but this ones green and pretty because I said so. Lets just assume it is a magical subspecies of boomslang that differ slightly from the muggle version, so the females are just as pretty and impressive as the males. (Muggle ones are brighter on the males and grey/brown on the females.) Also I've decided that magical boomslang venom is just as deadly as muggle boomslang but it much faster acting. Muggle boomslang venom will take a couple of days to kill a person, magical ones will take a few hours. Their venom removed the clotting factor so you bleed. A lot. From everywhere.Basically I adjusted boomslang snakes into a new magic subspecies that suited me. There will be another adjusted subspecies of snake later down the track too if I recall my notes correctly...