September 1st, 1991

"Slytherin could be great for you, you know. It might be hard, but one day you'll thank me for this. SLYTHERIN!"

Hermione Granger took the Sorting Hat off her head and stared blankly at the completely silent hall.

A muggle-born? In Slytherin? What had just happened?

Slowly, Hermione got off the stool, handed the Hat to the stunned Deputy Headmistress, and walked on shaky legs to the table on the far right. She looked around desperately for a place to sit, as groups of friends had bunched together as she approached. Hermione cautiously sat down to a brunette first year that she thought was named Stacey or Lacey.

An older boy hissed at her, and another coughed something that sounded suspiciously like 'mudblood'.

Hermione held her head high and refused to cry. No, she would not cry. Not here, anyway.

"Greengrass, Daphne!"

"Slytherin!"

Everyone cheered.

Hermione turned her head away to stare intently at one of floating candles, only taking note that her new friends from the train were sorted into Gryffindor.

No one spoke to her during the feast. Draco Malfoy, who she had met briefly on the train, spent the majority of the meal bragging about his manor, his father, his broomstick, his gold, his father, his summer home, and everything else he had. And of course his father.

While making herself take bites of her shepherd's pie, Hermione mentally noted the other kids in her year. There were 10 first year Slytherins, and they all seemed to vary on the power scale.

Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson were like the snobby prep kids she had been bullied by in her old school. Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe were the brutish thugs who were good for muscle and little else. Blaise Zabini seemed like a natural flirt, while Theodore Nott seemed like a loner who preferred to be by himself. Millicent Bulstrode and Tracey (not Stacey or Lacey) Davis she wasn't so sure of yet. Daphne Greengrass was the real enigma. She spoke a little with Tracey and Blaise, and otherwise alternated between eating her dinner and sending cutting remarks to where Draco and Pansy were sitting a bit closer to the second years, chatting loudly.

After the feast, a prefect led them all to the common room. If Hermione hadn't been about to burst into tears, she would have appreciated the wall that faded when given a password, and the view of the lake from inside the common room.

The whole room had a greenish tint, thanks to the large windows that encompassed one of the walls and gave the Slytherin a good look into the bottom of the lake. Elegant looking armchairs and loungers were dotted around the room, with a few portraits lining one of the walls. It all looked very expensive, but judging by Draco's sniff of approval, this was what all of her classmates were used to.

"Welcome to Slytherin," a girl said, drawing Hermione's attention from where it was focused on her shoes. "My name is Gemma Farley, and I'm one of the fifth year prefects. This is Adrian Pucey, your other prefect." Adrian nodded in acknowledgement, but otherwise stayed silent. Gemma fixed the first years with a intimidating stare. "Slytherins are hated by the other three houses. We have a reputation of being the 'dark' house, and all of us are either dark lords or death eaters. For this reason, we have a few rules we expect you all to follow. Jade?"

A blonde girl with sapphire eyes stepped forwards. "I am Jade Greengrass," she began, "Last year, I made prefect. Next year, I will be Head Girl. I am the top of my year, and this will continue. Why? Because I want it. I am a Slytherin. I am in the house of cunning and ambition, and I will do whatever it takes to achieve my goals."

She swept her gaze over to the first years. Davis looked down, Crabbe and Goyle weren't even paying attention, Nott and Zabini stood coolly, Bulstrode froze, Malfoy and Parkinson looked away, and Greengrass nodded silently. When Jade's eyes turned to Hermione, she looked up and met her gaze.

Jade smirked, giving Hermione an impressed look. "Rule one, you will do whatever it takes to be the best. Isn't that right, Flint?" Jade turned to look at a burly sixth year, who nodded frantically. "Two - Slytherins are always united. I don't care what happens in here, but when you're out of the common room we stand together at all times. And third, don't get caught. I don't care what you do, but if you get caught doing it, I, and Professor Snape, will be very displeased." Jade paused for a second, her hand going up to touch her headpiece that looked like a small tiara, if one was looking closely. She then gave a small smile. "Welcome to Slytherin."

"Okay!" Adrian Pucey spoke for the first time, clapping his hands. "Dormitories are up the steps! Girls to the left with Gemma, boys with me."

As Hermione turned to follow Gemma, she noticed Jade settling down on a couch by the firepit, a group of older students gathered around her. The burly boy Jade had nodded towards earlier was holding court by one of the walls, jabbing furiously at a paper.

With one last glance at the Slytherins, Hermione headed upstairs to the dorms.

By the time Hermione arrived, the other four girls had chosen their beds. Pansy had the bed by the door, Millicent next to her, Daphne next to the bathroom, and Tracey on the other side. Hermione silently walked to the empty bed, which was opposite from Pansy.

"So Mudblood, how'd you end up in Slytherin?" Pansy sneered.

Hermione turned to look at the brunette, who looked somewhat like a pug. She turned to face the center of the dormroom, surveying her roommates.

Pansy had a pug face, brown eyes and short bobbed hair. With her arms crossed, she looked like one of those Queen Bees Hermione had encountered in primary school. Millicent hovered slightly behind Pansy, her black hair lying limply down her back. She had a larger build than the rest of the girls, and dark brown eyes. Daphne was sitting on her bed, pretending to be immersed in her unpacking. She had pretty blonde hair that was in soft curls and ice blue eyes. Tracey stood between her bed and Daphne's, trying to make it look like she wasn't listening, but was not as successful as Daphne. She had light brown hair, freckles, and hazel eyes that flickered between Hermione and Pansy.

"Well, Granger?" Pansy prompted. She raked her eyes over Hermione's body and sneered.

Hermione lifted her chin. "The sorting hat said 'Slytherin'. That's how I got into Slytherin," she shrugged.

Tracey snorted, before disguising it as a cough. Pansy glanced over at her for a second, before turning dismissively back to Hermione

"Yes, but you're a mudblood. You don't belong here!" Pansy insisted.

Hermione smiled slightly. "And that is where you're wrong." With that, she turned and pulled the covers around herself.

She wouldn't emerge for the rest of the night.