Chapter 1

The war was over and the light had been triumphant. With Hogwarts fully restored and the wizarding world putting itself back together, the students of Hogwarts were on their way back. There had been many casualties from the war and the student population showed this.

The trio stepped into the Great Hall and were met by a sobering fact. Lots of their friends were gone. Taken by that monster and his followers. The hall was only half full. Mostly Hufflepuff and Slytherin looked to have taken the biggest hit in terms of students.

As the trio sat at their ever familiar Gryffindor table, Dumbledore stood to make his usual announcement. However, this time the students were absolutely not expecting what came next.

Dumbledore's voice boomed throughout the hall. "Ah yes, welcome back students. I cannot say how thrilled I am to see your happy and excited faces back within the secure walls of Hogwarts. As you may have noticed looking around you, there were many casualties from the war. That is why, this year we will be doing something a little different. Not only will the first year students be sorted into their houses, but you remaining students who are 4th through 8th years will be resorted too –" At this, there was an uproar from the Gryffindor table which sounded a lot like Ron, Seamus and Dean, with McClaggan with a couple of Slytherins chipping in as well. Harry thought he was going to be sick. If he was resorted, he knew exactly where the hat was going to put him.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, ".. As I was saying, all of you are going to be resorted to even out the number of students in each house for competing for the house cup. Professor McGonagall if you will". Dumbledore moved aside and McGonagall stepped forward with the sorting hat. She started with the first years and then moved onto the remaining students calling them up in a random order.

The students were told to form line down the middle of the hall. Harry and Ron looked down at their robes and noticed they were all black. Their ties and robes were all black with the Hogwarts crest on the left side. They looked up at each other and Harry could see Ron looked as though he was going to pass out.

Ron leant over and whispered, "Harry, please we have to be in the same house. I don't want to be anywhere else. I mean lets think about it, all my family has been in Gryffindor and your parents, Sirius and Remus were all in Gryffindor right? So we should be ok?', Harry nodded mutely and looked down. He knew that he wasn't going to be put in Gryffindor. He had never told anyone about what the sorting hat had said to him in his first year. He was too ashamed at the time to mention it because of how Draco had talked about Ron.

"Lavender Brown", McGonagall's voice rang out through the hall.

Harry could briefly hear what was going on a round him until he felt Ron nudge him in the ribs. He shot Ron a hard look as he rubbed his ribs. "'Mione's up, Harry", he said motioning to the front. Harry noted that Hermione looked rather calm about the whole situation. That was odd, he thought. I have never seen her this calm before.

"RAVENCLAW", the hat shouted. Ron gasped and Harry just stood there and gaped. Hermione smiled slightly and got up to join the other Ravenclaws. As she did so, her robes changed gold and blue and the Hogwarts crest changed to the Ravenclaw one.

Harry looked around the hall and saw Luna, Lavender and Neville were placed into Hufflepuff, Seamus and Dean were back in Gryffindor, and Draco was back in Slytherin with Blaise and Pansy.

"Ronald Weasley". Ron froze and Harry had to give him a gentle push to get him going. "Ron, you'll be fine", Harry whispered. "It's like you said before, Gryffindor. Ok, so calm down". Ron slowly crept up to the stool and sat down. McGonagall placed the hat on his head and immediately shouted, "GRYFFINDOR". Ron looked so relieved. A wide grin spread across his face and he all but ran to the Gryffindor table.

It was getting near the end and Harry was still patiently standing in line. "Harry Potter", he heard McGonagall say. Oh shit, here we go. Ok now relax Harry. It won't be that bad…Will it?, he was internally battling with himself as he made his was to the front. He caught Dumbledore's eye and that damned twinkle was in full force. Did he know this would happen?. Feeling slightly less settled than before he smiled tightly at McGonagall before sitting on the stool.

"Ahhh, Mr. Potter. Once again I have the chance to sort you", the hat was whispering in his ear. "Where shall we put you this time? I stand by what I said last time, even more so now, you have no reason to fear the Slytherin's."

Harry thought about this for a second. Judging by the 7th and 8th years in Slytherin so far, none screamed 'psycho' and then there was Draco. The boy had actually smiled. Genuinely smiled when they were on the train. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, he thought.

"Have we come to a decision then?", asked the hat. Harry quickly glanced to his right and locked eyes with Snape. He cocked an elegant eyebrow at Harry in interest. He turned back and shouted "yes" in his mind.

He shut his eyes and vaguely heard the hat say, "SLYTHERIN!". Silence. That's all he heard. He chanced a look around the hall and saw most people were either gaping, scowling or if you were Hermione, smiling. McGonagall was horrified, she snapped out of her daze and took the hat from Harry.

"Good luck Harry", she said quietly. "It's been a privilege", and with that he moved his way over to the Slytherin table and cautiously sat next to Draco not daring to look over to see Ron glaring at him. Nor did he see the utter astonishment of one Severus Snape sitting at the head table.

"Well, well", Draco purred in his ear, his customary smirk in full force. "The golden boy a snake I see huh. Interesting". Harry looked to his right and saw Draco extend his hand towards him. "Fresh start, Potter. What do you say?". Harry thought about this for a second and took Draco's hand.

"I accept, Malfoy". He smiled slightly and received a smirk back from Draco.

"Please, it's Draco to my familiars".

"And I, Harry".

As the feast begun to take full force, the chatter in the hall increased as everyone got to know each other. Harry sat quietly as Blaise and Draco were conversing over something complicated to do with potions.

The hall started to empty as the students began to disperse to their common rooms. Draco motioned for Harry to follow him and they, with the other Slytherin's made their way to the dungeons.

As they reached the Slytherin entrance, Draco stepped forward and said, "Salazaar", to the guarding portrait.

Before they stepped inside, Harry heard a familiar voice from behind, "Mr. Potter". Harry turned around and was met with a very intimidating looking Professor Snape who had his infamous scowl covering his face. "A moment of your time, if you will", motioning down the corridor.

Harry nodded slightly turning back to Malfoy who shrugged and told him he would wait for Harry to get back. He had to jog to keep up with the Potions Master who was striding off down the corridor. When they reached Snape's office, he held the door open for Harry motioning for him to enter. He went to stand in front of Snape's large mahogany desk. The room was cold and damp, considering it was the dungeons it wasn't surprising and there was a green tinge to the room. The office was covered, floor to ceiling with books and bits of potions ingredients. Snape brushed against Harry as he walked past and stood behind his desk, putting both hands flat on the top.

"I guess, congratulations are in order Mr. Potter", he drawled. "An intriguing series of events. I must say, I was, rather surprised myself to see that the wizarding world's golden boy is, in fact now a snake." He straightened and rounded his desk, sitting on the front edge facing Harry with his arms crossed. "Now. I want you to listen. Very. Carefully". He leaned forward slightly and Harry couldn't do anything but look at his shoes. There was something about Snape tonight that was making him feel uneasy.

"You are now in Slytherin. You are in my house. Under my control, and my rules. We both know you have a tendency for rule breaking and absolute disrespect to your authoritative figures. So let me be clear of what I want. You are to go to every class. You are to study your hardest. You are to be in the Slytherin common room beforecurfew and no later. And you are to stay there. Failure to comply with these rules will mean punishment", he stood and got very close to Harry's face. Harry could feel Snape's hot breath as he spoke. "And you will be punished..", leaning in he whispered, "How. I. See. Fit".

Harry didn't know it was possible to be seduced by only a voice but it made his stomach do a little somersault when Snape silkily whispered the last part. It almost made him hopeful? To be punished? No. To be punished by Snape? What was wrong with him, he briefly shook his head to clear his thoughts, blushed furiously and kept his head down.

As Snape pulled away he smirked. He could tell the boy looked uncomfortable and was rather enjoying watching him squirm. While, at first he was not all that pleasant about having the brat in his house, after everything they had endured the last couple of years he supposed the boy deserved a chance. But one wrong move. Only one and he would be sorry.

Snape went back round his desk and picked up a piece of parchment. "This is your timetable Mr. Potter, I assure you it will be an interesting morning tomorrow for us all", he smirked and handed Harry his timetable.

Harry saw that his first class was Potions. He inwardly groaned. Must be with the Gryffindors, he thought from what Snape just said. "Do you have any questions Mr. Potter?".

Harry swallowed hard. Why is my throat so dry suddenly?. "No sir. Professor Snape, sir."

He internally grinned at the boy's apparent attempt at showing respect. "Good. As you probably heard, the common room password is 'salazaar'. I trust you know how to get there from here?"

"Actually, no sir. As much as I was caught wandering the castle nightly, I hardly strayed to the dungeons. Sir."

Snape's eyebrows rose. He didn't expect that to come from the boy's mouth. He narrowed his eyes speculatively.

"Fine. Follow me Potter".

Back in the common room, Draco was spread out on the couch in front of a large roaring fire. He saw Harry and Snape enter through the portrait and noticed Harry looked rather frazzled and Snape a little smug. He swung his legs round and Harry made a bee-line for the couch next to Draco. However, Snape caught his arm, "Remember Potter, you're in my territory now". He let go and watched Harry sit next to Draco. Draco looked to his godfather with a questioning look which earned him a scowl so moved his attention to Harry.

"You okay Harry? You seem distracted".

"Just got a few stern words", he whispered noting that Snape was still within earshot whilst talking with a fourth year.

"Hmm, thought so. You have a reputation you know".

Harry laughed uneasily. "Yeah, don't worry I will be on my best behaviour", he sat up straight and puffed his chest showing his pride.

Draco snorted. "Yeah, right Potter. Your reputation says otherwise". He winked at Harry.

"It's not all that bad, Potter. You'll soon learn the rules. I can help you there". They smiled and focused their attention to Snape who was about to give the ever repetitive welcoming speech and multiple threats if rules were broken.

"Come on, Potter. I'll show you to the dorms". Harry followed Draco down a couple flights of stairs that twisted and curved through the darkness. They came to a round room with several doors shooting off it. Draco went through the one in the middle which was the 8th years boys dorm. It was larger than the Gryffindor dorms were. All the beds were centralized around the log burner in the middle. There were four beds, belonging to Blaise Zabini , Draco and Harry, and the other was empty. The walls were green of course and the carpet was a dark grey. All the beds were made from a dark wood and each had their own emerald curtains. Each of the boys areas had a simple wooden desk and chair with shelves above them. Off to the left was a door which led to the bathroom with several showers and toilets which all the boys used.

Harry saw his trunk and his owl by the bed next to Draco's. After Hedwig was hit by the killing curse he felt so empty and lonely without a companion to keep him company. He was browsing the pet store in Diagon Alley and as soon as his eyes saw 'Mystic', he knew she was the one with jet black feathers, pointy beak, slim body and piercing green eyes, she was perfect. She glared at him from across the room, which seemed to be all too familiar now... And he went over to pet her.

"Well, I might turn in for the night. If my timetable is anything to go by I'm going to need all the sleep and rest I can get", Harry yawned and shuffled through his trunk for his pajamas.

"Never a good idea to have double Potions on a Monday morning, let alone with a bunch of pig-headed Gryffindors", he smirked and found himself with a pillow to the face from Harry. He threw his arms up in defeat, "Force of habit I'm afraid, you'll get used to it". He winked and Harry shook his head.

"Night guys", he pulled back the covers and jumped into bed and almost moaned it was that comfortable. Gryffindor never had this luxury.

"Goodnight Harry", said Blaise as he headed to the bathroom with Draco in toe.

"Night Potter", said Draco. "Let the lion-snake have sweet dreams", he winked suggestively and smirked at Harry. "If you're not awake at 5:30 am, I'll make sure you are. There are important things that needs attending to".

Harry let his head fall to the pillow. 5:30 am? Is he serious? These Slytherins are crazy. He looked up at the ceiling and let his eyelids fall close as he thought back to the resorting and Snape's warning. Then there was Draco's 'famous last words'. "Night Mystic". She hooted quietly as Harry rolled over and fell into a deep sleep.