A New Beginning

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Don't sue me please.

Chapter 5

There was nothing Harry wanted more at that moment then to curse Ron with the deadliest curse he knew. The fear that was exuding from the other boy was practically tangible. Taunts didn't usually affect Harry. After living with the Dursleys, Harry had learnt to brush them off. Although he could endure insults directed at him, Harry would never ever allow anyone to insult his parents, Isabella or Blaise.

Harry gazed down at Ron who was quavering in fear. His knees had apparently given up on him. It was pathetic. Harry actually felt pity for Ron. The only thing that was stopping him from walking away was his pride. Ron was all talk and no action. Harry felt the eyes of almost everyone there staring at him. There was no way he could back down now. Weasley had to be made an example of. Let everyone know that Harry Potter was not one to be trifled with. After all, Harry was someone who could back up his words with action.

A loud BANG echoed throughout the hallway. In the exact place where Ron had been just a moment ago stood a red weasel. Well, not exactly standing. More like lying. Panicking. Whatever.

The hall was silence for a moment before Blaise gave a small chuckle. Some of the other students began to laugh too. A blond haired boy was laughing so hard that he had to clutch onto his two larger friends beside him to prevent himself from falling down. Not all the first years found the situation amusing though. A few of them were frowning. The rest looked at Harry in what appeared to be fear.

" Students…" Professor McGonagall returned to the hallway confused as to why some of the students were laughing. It didn't take her long to find out. Harry was standing in front of a red weasel separated from the rest of the other students. Putting two and two together, Professor McGonagall realized almost exactly what had just transpired between the two.

" MR POTTER! What… Is…" Professor McGonagall was speechless. Different emotions passed through her. Anger. Shock. But most of all, she felt amazement and awe that a first year student could produce such magic, whom most seventh year students would not even dream of attempting. Of course, it could have been accidental magic but she was sure it wasn't.

Drawing her wand, the head of Gryffindor transfigured the red weasel back to a disgruntled Ron Weasley. His whole face was red and burning with embarrassment. Scurrying to his feet, Ron shot Harry a scathing look before disappearing among the crowd of first years.

" In all my years… I have never seen such…" Professor McGonagall struggled to find a word suitable enough to express what she was feeling. Unfortunately, she was unable to do so.

Composing herself, she said " Fifty points from Gry…" It was another example of how everyone expected Harry to end up in Gryffindor just like his parents. Realizing that the students have not been sorted yet, she said " You will serve detention every night for the next week Mr. Potter."

" Professor, he insulted my parents."

" Nevertheless, we do not tolerate the use of transfiguration on another student no matter what the circumstances."

Harry gave the professor a cold stare. Neither of the two were willing to back down. They stayed that way for a minute before a group of ghosts entered from the wall behind them, causing a slight commotion in the group of first years.

" I'll try to keep that in mind Professor." Breaking eye contact, Harry walked over to where Blaise was. The first years followed Professor McGonagall into the Great Hall, where all the other students were already seated. Most of the students fidgeted nervously, unsure of how they were going to be sorted. In the middle of the hall was an ancient hat sitting on a three-legged stool.

' That must the sorting hat. Doesn't look like much.' Thought Harry with detached disapproval. As if the hat picked up on what he was thinking, it suddenly burst into a song!

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hates sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can top them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindor apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a thinking cap!"

Once the song was over, the entire Great Hall erupted into applause. Professor McGonagall seemingly conjured a list out of nowhere and started calling students forth. As the line of first years thinned, Harry felt a small jolt of nervousness. The shorter the line became, the harder his heart rate increased. What if the hat decides to put him in Hufflepuff? Or worse, away from Blaise.

Harry watched, as Hermione Granger became a Gryffindor, Neville Longbottom (surprisingly) became yet another Gryffindor and Draco Malfoy became a Slytherin. Harry knew that as Blaise's last name was Zabini, she would be called last.

" Potter, Harry."

Harry felt Blaise give his hand a reassuring squeeze. His heart seemed to beat a little faster through not entirely due to nervousness. Harry turned to give Blaise a smile before walking confidently up to the stool.

" Potter did she say?"

" The Harry Potter?"

" Can you see his scar?"

" He looks so cool."

The attention of everyone in the entire hall seemed to be focused on Harry. Although Harry had a small smirk on his face, he was feeling rather jittery on the inside. It was unnerving having hundreds of people, maybe even thousands staring at you!

Clamping the old hat over his head, Harry felt an odd sense of relief as the hall disappeared into darkness. The buzzing of the other students evaporated into silence.

" Ah. Plenty of courage I see. Loyal to your friends too. Lots of cunning. Yes. You are undoubtedly destined for great things." The hat appeared to be speaking to itself. " Difficult. Extremely difficult."

" Just let me be with Blaise. Just let me be with Blaise." Harry prayed.

" Hmm. I see your friend wants to go to Slytherin. And you want to go where she goes. Well then, the decision is clear…"

" SLYTHERIN!"

Silence. Total silence. That was what greeted Harry when he removed the sorting hat. It was hard to imagine that one word from a frayed old hat could cause such a reaction. Well, not really. After all, no one expected Harry Potter, the boy who lived, savior of the wizarding world, to end up in the same house that Voldemort once went to.

Harry for one didn't know what the big deal was. After all, not all wizards who went to Slytherin turned out bad and not all wizards who went to Gryffindor turned out good. Soft clapping from Blaise jolted everyone out of his or her stupor. One by one, most of the students from Slytherin started clapping. However, whisperings and hissing could be heard from all of the other three houses.

As Harry walked over to the Slytherin table, he got a good look at all the other students he'll be spending most of his school life with. It might have been the sorting hat's words that were affecting him, but the Slytherins certainly did look the most cunning of the lot.

Harry, on the other hand, felt that the most important sorting was yet to come. Harry ignored all the attempts of the other Slytherins to engage him in conversation. Harry waited impatiently as the hat sorted out the other students. Who in bloody hell cares where Dean Thomas or Lisa Turpin or Ron Weasley ended up?

Harry knew that Blaise would most likely end up in Slytherin. So why was he feeling so nervous? Nervousness wasn't a feeling Harry was accustomed to. And yet, he seemed to be feeling that way for the past hour or so. Harry watched on anxiously as Blaise's name got called out. She was the last student to get sorted. It seemed to Harry that the sorting hat was taking an exceptionally long time to make a decision. Harry's fingers were white from the death grip he had on the table.

" SLYTHERIN!"

Harry could breath easily now. It was laughable really. There was nothing to worry about. Harry couldn't see Blaise in any other house apart from Slytherin. Harry clapped loudly as Blaise made her way towards the Slytherin table. She radiated with elegance and grace. Her blue eyes surveyed the Slytherin table before finally resting on Harry.

Once Blaise sat down, Dumbledore said, "Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

The empty plates before them were now piled with all kinds of delicious food. This surprised many of the muggle-borns. Harry thought back to when he first saw the food magically appear out of thin air. It was indeed a surprising experience.

" Well Potter. I have to say, that was a brilliant piece of magic you did to Weasel over there," said Draco Malfoy, who was sitting opposite Harry.

" Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." He said, extending a hand in greeting.

" I know who you are." Harry replied, not making any movement to take his hand. Draco Malfoy. A family of purebloods. The son of Lucius Malfoy, a Death Eater. Draco's smirk faltered as he realized Harry wasn't going to shake his hand any time soon. He looked as though he wanted to say something, but then thought better of it.

The Slytherin common room was located in a dungeon at the lower levels of Hogwarts. It was so deep down that the students reckon that it was under the lake. There was an atmosphere of class and prestige surrounding the room, with its greenish lamps and chairs.

Saying a quick goodnight to Blaise, Harry made his way together with the other first years up to the boys' dormitory. His trunk was already on his bed waiting for him. Harry waited until all the other Slytherins fell asleep before opening his trunk. There was a secret compartment in it where he kept two of the most important belongings.

The first one was his Nimbus 2000 that he had smuggled into school. The second was a phoenix egg. Rare and mystical, the egg of a phoenix was undoubtedly extremely valuable. Somehow, Isabella had managed to get one for Harry, and one for Blaise. It had cost a fortune, but what was money if you don't spend it, she had said. Harry carefully placed the egg on his four-poster bed. The egg was due to hatch sometime that week and Harry wanted to be there when it did. Putting the egg in a safe place, he casted a protective charm over it. Satisfied with his spell, Harry dozed off into a peaceful slumber.

The next day, as Harry went to the Great Hall for breakfast, everyone who passed him in the corridor would scurry away from him. People were shooting him fearful glances. It appeared that news of his 'incident' with Ron had spread around the school. From ' the boy who lived', many people were now calling him ' the next dark lord'.

What the hell was wrong with those people? It wasn't as if Harry went around cursing everyone. He knew what it was like to be bullied. He hated that feeling. Harry wasn't a bully but neither was he going to allow himself to get bullied. Was that a crime now?

Entering the Great Hall, he spotted Blaise sitting at the far end of the Slytherin table. Conversation in the Hall hushed considerably as Harry walked by. No doubt they were talking about him.

" Morning Harry. You're up late." Blaise remarked, who had already finished breakfast.

" Good morning to you too." Harry laughed, filling his plate with eggs and bacons.

Just then, the owl post arrived. Hundreds of owls soared into the Great Hall, delivering letters and other mails to the respective recipients. Harry was surprised when a brown barn owl dropped a letter in front of him.

Dear Harry,

You might remember me from yesterday at the train station. I'm Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of the Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts. You might not know this, but your parents and me were friends. I have something that you might like. You can come down to my hut for lunch later today. It is down by the Forbidden Forest. Send your reply back with this owl.

Hagrid

Harry had a hard time reading it. The letter was almost indecipherable. Summoning his eagle-feather quill, Harry scribbled a quick yes on the back of the letter and tied it to the owl, which gave a quick hoot and flew off into the horizon.

" Who sent you that letter, Harry?" asked Blaise.

" You remember that large man from the train station yesterday? That was him. Said his name was Rubeus Hagrid. He invited me down to his hut for lunch. Wanna come with?"

" Sure." Blaise said, as the two friends got ready to go to the dungeons for their first lesson of the day, which of course was potions.

Entering the classroom, the first thing that Harry and Blaise noticed was that the class was made up of only Slytherins and Gryffindors. The Slytherins on one side, the Gryffindors on the other. This left Harry and Blaise no choice but to sit down at the front table, the only one remaining. There was a loud bang as the door slammed shut. Professor Snape stormed into the room, his robes swishing behind him.

"You are all here to learn the exact art of Potion-making… There will be no foolish wand waving in this class. I do not expect you to understand the beauty of simmering cauldron. The delicate power of liquids that can creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses… That is… If you aren't like the usual dunderheads I have to teach…" Professor Snape spoke in a low whisper but they heard every word, all of them hanging on his lecture.

" Mr. Potter. Tell me. What would I get if I added the powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

"Asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping drought so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death." Harry answered easily. Although he knew the answers, Harry wondered why Snape was asking him a question that was surely not covered in this term's syllables. The professor have not even started teaching yet!

" Where will you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

" I would look in a goat's stomach. A bezoar is a stone taken from a goat's stomach that can save you from most poisons."

" Take 20 points for Slytherin." Snape said curtly. " And what are the rest of you waiting for? Christmas? Start copying this down immediately."

The rest of the lesson was fairly simple. Professor Snape had instructed them to make their first potion. Somehow, Neville had managed to make a mess out of the whole thing, his potion turning an interesting shade of grayish-black, compared to the pale blue that it was supposed to be. His potion exploded, covering him and a few other students in that murky disgusting concoction of his.

" You imbecile! I suppose you added the porcupine quills before removing your cauldron from the fire? You boy! " Snape said, pointing to Dean Thomas. " Take him to the hospital wing now."

" Weasley! Why did you not stop him from adding the quills? 10 points from Gryffindor!" The Gryffindors and Ron were sorely unhappy about what they perceived to be a total abuse of power.

" How was it my fault? I'm not even sitting anywhere near Neville!" Ron argued.

" 5 more points from Gryffindor, Weasley. I suggest you continue doing your work. Unless of course you want detention."

" He seemed like a really good teacher." Blaise said to Harry as they walked down towards the Forbidden Forest to meet with Hagrid.

" I know. But I get the feeling that he doesn't like me." Harry said

" Don't be silly Harry. I heard Snape only dislikes the students of the other houses, especially Gryffindors."

The pair soon came upon a cabin located right by the pathway leading into the Forest.

" This must be it." Harry said. After a few knocks on the door, Hagrid opened the door, a smile on his face. He was easily three to four times larger than Harry.

" Hello Hagrid. I hope you don't mind, but I brought a friend with me. This is Blaise." Harry said, gesturing to Blaise, who gave Hagrid a smile.

" No, no. O' course not. I was looking forward ta meetin' yeh. You look so much like yeh father, but yeh have your mother's eyes." Hagrid said, staring at Harry reminiscing for a second before ushering them into his house.

His cabin was small, but homely. This was a fire roaring at the fireplace. There were several ornaments hanging from the wall. A small table was positioned in the middle of the room. That was all Harry managed to see before getting tackled by a great boarhound, which was trying eagerly to lick his face.

" Back Fang! Back!" Hagrid said. "That's Fang. He won't bite. He's dead friendly."

" So, the two of yeh are in Slytherin?" Hagrid asked as he placed a plate of rock cakes in front of them.

" Yeah."

" I can't say I expected that. How's Snape treating yeh?"

" Not bad I suppose. I heard that he favors all of the Slytherins." Harry answered, helping himself to a rock cake.

Hagrid was truly surprised by this. Severus Snape and James Potter were bitter rivals. Hagrid could not believe that Snape would not take this opportunity to make life hell for the son of James Potter. Harry and Blaise both did not notice the surprised look on Hagrid's face. They had both bitten into the rock cakes and were too busy experiencing the horrible feeling of eating something that was exactly like rocks.

" Well, 'nough of that. I have something for yeh, Harry." Hagrid said, pulling out an album and passing it to Harry. It was an album of wizarding photographs of James and Lily. They were both smiling and moving in all of the photographs. There was even one particular one with a one-year-old Harry in it.

" I didn't know if yeh had any pictures of yeh parents so I called all their old friends and asked 'em fer this…" Hagrid said, trailing off nervously.

" I… Thank you Hagrid. This really means a lot to me… Thank you."

It was a beautiful night. The sky was littered with stars that were shining brightly. It had been an eventful day. The only bad part was the detention he had to serve with McGonagall. The one thing that can make his day perfect was if he could do one of the things he loved most. Flying.

Harry felt the cool crisp wind blowing gently as he strolled onto the empty quidditch pitch. It was midnight and Harry had been unable to fall asleep. Mounting his Nimbus 2000, Harry soared off into the night. One of the reasons he loved flying was that he need not have to be someone he's not. No expectations or pressure from anyone. He could just… fly.

Another reason was the thrill he got from flying. With the wind roaring in his ear, Harry pushed his broom into a steep dive towards the ground before pulling up at the last possible second. It was exhilarating.

After another ten minutes of flying, Harry decided to call it quits. Dismounting off his broom and flinging it over his shoulders, Harry hoped that he would be able to make it back to the Slytherin common room without getting caught.

" Hey Potter!"

No such luck.