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Chapter 04: Fallout

The tension in the Great Hall could be cut with a knife. Harry Potter, the savior of the Wizarding World, the one who was supposed to be the Epitome of a Golden Boy Gryffindor, A Slytherin. They could not believe it. Harry could spot the Slytherin Table in shock. Snape had looked like someone had just shot his puppy. The twinkle had been gone from Dumbledore's eye. Of all the outcomes the old wizard had expected, this was the furthest he could expect.

Then we have Harry Potter, who rose from the stool, handing the hat to the dumbstruck Professor McGonagall before calmly walking to the Slytherin Table as if nothing strange of the sort had happened. Harry had sat down at the end of the table where no one but a weedy looking boy and a brown haired girl who had an unreadable expression on her face were also sitting.

The Sorting had to go on. Three more students after Harry had gotten sorted. After which Dumbledore rose to his feet.

"There will be a time for talking but that is not now," said Dumbledore with a smile. "For now it is time to eat. So tuck in."

With a wave of his hand, the plates filled with food. Harry had helped himself to most of everything on the plate. Finally, the weedy looking boy leaned forward to talk to him.

"So, Potter, a Slytherin. I must say, you caused quiet a stir," said the boy quietly before the brown haired girl smacked him across the back of the head.

"Ever hear of tact, Nott," said the girl, shaking her head in an irritable way. "Welcome to Slytherin, Potter. I am Daphne Greengrass and this buffoon is Theodore Nott. You will find he has foot in mouth syndrome all too often."

"And I am sure you are so perfect," said Nott sarcastically. "Listen, Potter. We would like to say Malfoy came in here, raging about how Harry Potter disrespected him on the train. About time someone did it, I must say. We do not have much to do with Malfoy and I was only forced to have anything to do with him because my father and his father are old friends. Just know not everyone in Slytherin is out for your blood"

"I appreciate that," said Harry. "But if Malfoy thinks he is going to get one over me, he is in for a big surprise."

Speaking of Malfoy, he obviously had not learned from the incident on the train. Malfoy had his wand in his hand and Harry shook his head. It was obvious Malfoy could not defend himself without the help of someone bigger or his wand.

"Potter, how dare you foul up the ancient and noble house of Slytherin!" said Malfoy. "Your name will be a black mark on this house and I ought to teach you a lesson in respect for your superiors."

"Well, Malfoy, it is a good thing I only disrespected you," said Harry calmly.

Malfoy whipped out his wand and stuck it in Harry's face.

"What are you doing to do with that?" asked Harry. "Send sparks flying in my face which only tickle slightly? Put it down Malfoy before you hurt yourself."

Malfoy had a look of rage.

"The Malfoys are the most noble and greatest wizarding family which ever lived," said Malfoy. "I know spells which would make you quiver."

"Good for you, Draco," said Harry. "Thankfully for me, I do not need a wand to inflict harm. Tell me Malfoy, have you ever heard of the Martial Arts?"

"Of course I have!" said Malfoy in an irritated voice. "The Malfoys are well versed in all forms of knowledge but my father thinks they are overrated. After all, why learn a fancy bunch of jumps, flips, and kicks when you have a wand."

"Oh, you mean this wand," said Harry who had quickly snatched Malfoy's wand out of his hand when Malfoy was going through his diatribe.

"Give that back Potter!" said Malfoy. "I just cleaned it last night, I do not need you fouling it up."

Harry handed the wand back to Malfoy, with a disgusted expression on his face.

"Malfoy, if you think Martial Arts is just a bunch of fancy kicks and flips, then you are sorely mistaken," said Harry in disgust. "My Sensei would have a heart attack if he saw you talking about it with such disrespect. It is much more than that, Malfoy. It is the ability of practicing the art of silence and the art of invisibility. It is the art of using your abilities to their fullest by having your mind, body, and soul become one. Something, which you could never, do, as you are the most narrow minded, pin brained person I have ever met. Now quit wasting my time and leave me be."

Harry went back to eating as Malfoy looked agitated at Harry for showing him what he saw to be disrespect.

"I think you have been dismissed, Malfoy" said Nott to Malfoy. "I would suggest you leave Potter alone, as you are a bit out of your league when dealing with him."

Malfoy turned and walked back to his cronies while muttering about "disrespectful half bloods" and how "this is not over."

"I think you have made an enemy, Harry," said Daphne quietly. "Malfoy is not going to forget this and he will attempt to make your life difficult."

"Well I intend to make his difficult if he annoys much more," said Harry. "So we would just be even."

The feast had went on pretty much without an incident, unless you count a tall red headed boy staring at Harry in disgust from the Gryffindor table as if he was the second coming of Voldemort. Finally, after all the desserts had disappeared, Dumbledore had risen to his feet.

"Now a few words now we have all been fed and watered," said Dumbledore as Harry snorted.

"Fed and watered, what does he think we are, pack animals?" asked Harry to no one in particular as Nott shook his head.

"The first years should not that the Forbidden Forest is off limits," said Dumbledore. "And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Dumbledore turned his twinkling eyes to a pair of red headed twins, who gave Dumbledore innocent smiles, that Harry knew were not too innocent.

The caretaker, Mr. Filch, would like me to remind you that magic is not allowed in the hallway," said Dumbledore, indicating a grubby looking man who looked extremely unpleasant with a mangy looking cat.

"Also, if anyone wants to play on their house Quidditch teams, they should contact Madam Hooch," said Dumbledore. "And finally, it should be noted the third floor corridor on the right handed side is forbidden. Anyone who goes up there will suffer a most painful death."

Most of the Great Hall went silent as Harry had a calculating look on his face as if trying to figure out what kind of game Dumbledore was playing.

"I wonder what he could be hiding up there," muttered Harry to himself. "If it was forbidden it must be something valuable or extremely dangerous."

Dumbledore had then set the school into the Hogwarts song. After the song was finished, with the red headed twins finishing last to a slow funeral march and Dumbledore conducting the last few lines with his wand before an applause broke out. Dumbledore was clapping the loudest.

"Ah, music," stated Dumbledore beaming. "A magic beyond all what we taught here. Now to bed. Go on, off you trot."

The students rose to their feet as a surly looking Slytherin with a badge pinned on his chest rose to his feet. He looked a bit like a troll to be honest.

"Listen up, first years," said the prefect. "The name is Flint and I am your prefect. If you do not cross me, we will get along just fine. If you cross me, then there will be big trouble. Come on, follow me and I will show you to the Slytherin Common Room."

First Year Slytherins rose, following Flint, deep into the school. Harry could not feel that he fit the Slytherin House in more ways in one because while the Dungeons might be dank and uninviting to some, Harry was used to living deep within the depths underground.

"Somehow, this feels like a strange homecoming," said Harry.

"How so?" asked Nott.

"Well, I do live in a sewer," said Harry.

"The famous Harry Potter living in a sewer," said Nott. "Well, I am sure that would be the last thing anyone would expect."

"The Quibbler got it awfully close," said Daphne. "They said Harry was being raised in an underground cavern by the descendants of the lost city of Atlantis."

"I cannot believe you read that rubbish," said Nott

"The Quibbler is no more rubbish then some of the stuff that you say, Nott," said Daphne.

They had gone a little further before Nott had stopped.

"We are here," said Flint. "The password to get in is Parseltongue, don't you little pukes dare forget it because I will not be reminding you again."

The entrance sprang open as the Slytherin First Years entered.

"The boy's dormitory is on the right side," said Flint. "The girl's is on the right. Unfortunately, I have been asked to warn you that any boys who think they can go up into the girl's dormitories are in for a nasty surprise."

The boys went up to the dormitory and then pretty much fell asleep right away.

The early riser Harry was, he was up at four in the morning. Breakfast was not for another few hours, so Harry went through his trunk, looking for some promising material, which he had yet to read. Spotting a book on Human Concealment, which looked very promising, Harry began to read. The section on people who had Metamorphagus abilities was the most enlightening to Harry.

People who exhibit Metamorphagus abilities are extremely rare and even more so when people who have the talent do not discover the talent. The use of this talent takes an extreme amount of concentration; only wizards with the strongest connection between their mind and their magic can make use of this talent. Normally, similar attributes are required for this, then also with Animagus training (see page 63 for details)

Harry placed a book mark in the book. He would have to attempt to see if he had the Metaorphagus abilities later on but now he got up. He wanted to be out of there before Malfoy was because putting up with Malfoy's attitude was on the list of things Harry would rather not do. In fact, it seemed to be just above bungee jumping without a cord.

Harry had gone into the Great Hall. Breakfast was not for another hour but Harry decided he would have a look around the Dungeons. Of course, he ran into trouble. Trouble in the form of the mangy cat he saw caretaker Filch just the previous day.

Before Harry ever know, Harry was standing face to face with the thing students loathed most of all, Argus Filch.

"You boy," snarled Filch. "What are you doing? No doubt you are up to any good."

"I am just taking a stroll, honest," said Harry.

"You are up to something, Potter," said Filch in an angry voice. "I knew your father and his mangy friends. They were up to no good as well. Remember, I have my eye on you, boy."

Without another word, Filch and his cat walked off as Harry walked off to Breakfast. After getting his schedule, Harry found out he had Charms first period, so he walked off to find the class. However, something stopped him. He had heard his name. Harry spun around and saw the same red haired boy who was staring at him like he was the second coming of Voldemort last night.

"So, Potter got himself sorted into Slytherin. He was supposed to be in Gryffindor," said the boy. "Then again, since he was in Slytherin, he has to be just as bad as You-Know-Who. After all, everyone knows all Slytherins are junior Death Eaters."

"Ron Weasley," snapped Hermione. "Now, he just because he is a Slytherin, does not mean he is evil. I am sure there were some decent Slytherins."

"No, Hermione, you don't understand," said Ron. "All Slytherins are rotten to the core. I don't understand why Dumbledore does not just chuck the lot of them out. It is complicated to explain, because you are muggleborn and all the decent families learn know that as long as they can remember."

"So, just because you think it is the truth, means that there is no way none of them can be good," said Hermione angrily. "I have never seen more of a narrow minded group of people in my life and honestly, I can't be the only one who feels this way."

All the Gryffindors looked at Hermione like she was insane, except for a round-faced boy who looked rather uncomfortable, as if he wanted to say something that disagreed with Ron but did not have the courage to do so. Harry decided to say something.

"Hello," said Harry in a bored voice.

All of the Gryffindors tensed up. Hermione looked at Harry warily. How much had he heard? What was he going to do? For what she saw from Harry yesterday on the train, he had a short temper. Although she understood what it was like to be annoyed by others when she was reading and Harry seemed irritated he was brought out of a good book.

Ron Weasley however proved why he was a Gryffindor by speaking before his brain could register what he was about to say.

"What are you doing here Potter!" demanded Weasley. "No doubt trying to see who your first victim is when you take You-Know-Who's place as the Dark Lord, you slimy Slytherin."

"Oh, you mean Voldemort," said Harry brightly as he enjoyed the effect of seeing all the Gryffindors wincing. "No, I just could not help hearing you were talking about me behind my back. Let me give you one friendly piece of advice. Do not talk about things you do not understand. Good day and Hermione, if you ever need someone more intelligent to talk to than this lot, I am right here."

The first day of lessons went rather smoothly. Charms went rather well. The Slytherins had class with the Ravenclaws Harry had shared a table with Theodore and Daphne along with a Ravenclaw named Lisa Turpin. The class was taught by a shorter teacher named Professor Flitwick, who needed to stand on a stack of books to see over his desk. When he had read Harry's name, he had gave a squeak of enjoyment, toppling out of sight.

The other class was Defense against the Dark Arts. Although Harry had looked forward to that class, it had turned out to be a bit of a joke. The teacher, Professor Quirell, seemed afraid of his own shadow and stuttered often, not being able to finish complete sentences. It would be a wonder if they were to learn any Defense at all. Harry had wondered what the criteria were to hire teachers at this school. After a long lesson, the day was over.

Remember Harry had to send the mirrors to the Turtles and Splinter, he had found out that the school had owls which anyone can use. First, Harry had scribbled a short note, which read the following.

Dear Leo, Raph, Mikey, Don, and Master Splinter.

These are two-way mirrors, one for each of you. I have my own. If you need to contact me for any reason, just say my name and I will answer. School seems interesting, hope you guys are well.

Harry.

Satisfied, Harry stuck the note in the package, along with the five mirrors. Picking out a small barn owl, Harry sent it off on its way. Turning, Harry had left, making sure to stick to the shadows because he did not want to be detected if he could help it.

On his way back, Harry saw that mangy cat of Filch's prowling about. Thankfully for Harry, he had well concealed himself but he thought of his promise to have a bit of fun. What better way to have fun than was to pull a prank? Remembering a charm he read about on color change, he decided to use the cat as a bit of a test subject. Raising his wand, while muttering the charm, he looked at the cat. The cat was now bright green with purple stripes. Snickering at the multi colored cat, Harry walked off, still sticking to the shadows. Satisfied with his work, Harry departed before the cat could detect him and no doubt warn her master.

The fireworks were sure to fly in the morning when Filch found out but Harry would worry about that problem until then.