𓏲 . THE BOY WHO LIVED . .៹♡
                                                             CHAPTER SIX
                                    ───  THE FIRST POTTER IN SLYTHERIN

"I think we'd better follow Hermione's advice and change our clothes." Charlus said about five minutes after Hermione had left their compartment. The others agreed and in just under fifteen minutes all four were changed. 

Harry helped his twin brother knot his tie, as Charlus seemed to have a little difficulty with it, even though he was amazingly skilled with his fingers , and in the end he managed it even though it wasn't perfect.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way towards the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Charlus felt the cold night air hitting his skin, which made him shiver. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students and Charlus heard a familiar voice: "Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here! All right there, Harry,Charlus?" Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads. "C'mon, follow me – any more firs'-years? Mind yer step, now! Firs'-years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark either side of them that Harry and Charlus thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a second." Hagrid called over his shoulder. "Just round this bend here." Charlus, who was next to Ron, Harry and Alistair, looked at them and gave a sideways smile, eager to see the famous castle.

"What do you think Hogwarts is like?" Charlus asked with a wry smile, but before they could answer, Hagrid shouted that no more than four people could fit in a boat. He pointed to a fleet of small  boats lying in the water on the shore. Harry and Charlus were followed into their boat by Ron and Alistair.  "Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then – FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as
they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff;they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy which hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They
were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbour, where they clambered out on to rocks and
pebbles.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?"  said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them. "Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last on to smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door. "Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the
castle door.

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Charlus' first thought was that this was not someone to cross. "The firs'-years, Professor McGonagall."  said Hagrid. "Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She pulled the door wide. The Entrance Hall was so big you could have fitted the whole of the Dursleys' house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the
ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Charlus could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right – the rest of the school must already be here – but Professor McGonagall showed the first-years into a small empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

" Welcome to Hogwarts. " said Professor McGonagal. "Now in a few moments you'll pass through these doors and join your classmates but before you can take your seats you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Now while you're here your houses will be like your family, your triumphs will earn you points any rule breaking and you will lose points. At the end of the year the house with the most points are rewarded the house cup."

"Gryffindor is the best." Ron said to Harry who raised an eyebrow. "Um." Heard Charlus beside him and there stood Alistair with his arms crossed. "Everyone knows that Slytherin is the best house. " "Slytherin is the house of people who went bad." Ron replied simply.

Charlus frowned, it was just a house. "Ron,it doesn't matter which house a person is from. Everyone can be good and bad. What matters is which side we choose to act one. " Charlus declared wisely as Harry,Ron and Alistair looked at him with shock and awe registered on their faces.

"Look at you, quite the philosopher." Harry joked with him while Alistiar nodded in agreement with a smile and Ron shook his head in disbelief. "Wait here! The selection ceremony will begin in a few moments!" said the teacher before she left the small chamber and now everyone was waiting in the large group that they were.

"So it's true then, what they're saying on the train. " A voice rang out and as the four of them turned around, a boy with a pale, pointed face walked up to them with his friends and another boy with a pale, pointed face. "Harry and Charlus Potter has come to Hogwarts." Astonished murmuring began and everyone looked at the two. "That's Crabbe and Goyle." he introduced his friends and stood in front of Harry, Charlus and the other two. " I'm Malfoy-Draco Malfoy." he then introduced himself before he pointed to the boy next to him.  "And this is my incredible brother Adrian Malfoy."

"Incredible is such a strong word." Ron said in a whisper and then snorted, which made Draco look at him angrily. "Think my names funny do you? " he asked and looked him up and down. "I've no need to ask yours. Red hair and a hand-me-down robe? You must be a Weasley."

This caused Ron's previously amused expression to drop and now he looked bitterly at the Malfoy boy. "Draco, that's enough. " Adrian said aggressively to his brother, who ignored him. Instead, he looked at Alistair and narrowed his eyes, but said nothing.

Then he put on an arrogant smile as he looked at Harry and Charlus, who looked quite angry. "You'll soon find out that some wizarding families are better than others, Potters. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort." He then looked back at Ron, who Alistair put his hand on his shoulder sympathetically.

"I can help you with that." Malfoy said and extended his hand for Harry and Charlus to shake. The eldest Potter quickly looked down at his hand and back up at him. Charlus then saw out of the corner of his eye that Harry was about to say something, but he beat him to it.

Before Harry could say anything, Charlus slapped Malfoy's hand away with his hand and then he did what he'd been meaning to do since he'd opened his mouth: He punched him as hard as he could right in the face and everyone flinched back in surprise, even Malfoy looked surprised as he held his bloody nose. "I think Harry and I can tell who the wrong sort are for ourself,Malfoy." he said to him, his voice trembling with anger.

The blonde now appeared angry, his eyes practically dripping with venomous hate. "Just wait until my father hears about this." Draco jeered at Charlus, who raised his eyebrows. "That's right, run to Daddy because you can't fight your own battles."

Draco's cheeks turned pink, but he didn't respond. Instead, he glared at Charlus angrily before he, Adrian, Crabbe, and Goyle moved away from Harry and Charlus, and now stationed themselves far away from the crowd.

The eldest Potter laughed as he saw Adrian  take out a handkerchief to wipe away the blood from his twin brother's nose.  "That was bloody brilliant!" Harry laughed in amazement and the other two also looked at him enthusiastically. "He just deserved it." Charlie smiled at his brother.

Ron was going to say something to him, but was cut off when McGonagall had finally returned. "We're ready for you now." She told the first-years. "And follow me." And with that Charlus got
into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Harry next to him and Ron and Alistair behind him, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

Charlus had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles which were floating in mid-air over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the Hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting.

Professor McGonagall led the first-years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing
the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds'of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver.

Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Charlus looked upwards and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard Hermione whisper, "It's not real the ceiling it's just bewitched to look like the night sky, I read about it in Hogwarts: A History."

It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.

Charlus quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first-years. On  top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was
patched and frayed and extremely dirty.

Everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, he stared at it too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth – and the hat began to sing:

                                                 "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 hats sleek and tall,
                                                     For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
                                                                And I can cap 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 Gryffindors 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!"

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again, Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment. "So! Before we begin, Professor Dumbledore would like to say a few words to you!" She began to speak and gestured to the old man, who rose from his chair.

"I have a few start-of-term notices I wish to announce. The first years, please note.. that the dark forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our caretaker, Mr. filch, has asked me to remind you.." he pointed to a very grumpy old man, next to whom a cat with red eyes was ambling along. Neither of them looked very nice, Charlus thought.

"..that the 3rd floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds, to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death!" Everyone looked at him very questioningly or disturbed. Charlus drew his eyebrows together and looked at the man suspiciously. "Thank you. "He then smiled affectionately again and Charlus himself had to smile a little when the man sat down again.

" When I call your name, you will come forth. I shall place the sorting hat on your head.. and you'll be sorted into your houses. " announced the professor and with that the first year students went upstairs one by one, had the hat put on their heads and were assigned to their houses. At this moment, Charlus began to wonder what would happen if he and his brother were sorted into different houses. What would he do? What would his brother do?

He was pulled away from his thoughts as he heard McGonagall call out Hermione's name. Charlus  could tell that she was a bit nervous and so he gave her a reassuring smile as she sat down, and to his surprise she smiled back.

The hat was placed on her head and it didn't take long for him to make his decision. "GRYFFINDOR!" He shouted and with what must have been the widest smile, Hermione hurried to the cheering table where she was immediately greeted.

Draco Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, 'SLYTHERIN!' Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself. Then it was his brother's turn, who also came to Slytherin.

" Susan Bones!" A red-haired girl ran forward nervously and also got the leather hat put on her head. "HUFFLEPUFF!" The girl stood up and ran to the table, which was now applauding.

While the other kids were being sorted, Harry and Charlus made eye contact with a man sitting at the same table as the professors. "Ouch." they both groaned as they rubbed their scars. Alistair and Ron looked at them with concern written on their faces. "Harry,Charlus, are you alright?" asked Alistair.

Harry shrugged with his shoulders. "Yeah, it was nothing. We are fine." Charlus waved the subject away and with that they looked ahead again. "Ron Weasley!" "You can do it," Charlus encouraged him with a smile. Nervously, Ron stepped forward and and took a seat on the stool. "GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the Sorting Hat, and once again, the red table erupted in applause, welcoming him with cheers.

"Alistair Black!" Professor McGonnagal called. Charlus saw Harry pat him on the back to comfort him, as he stepped forward. He looked back at them quickly before sat down on the stool.Within a few minutes, the sorting hat bellowed, "SLYTHERIN!" Alistair smiled and walked over to the green table as Charlus and Harry clapped.

"Harry Potter!" As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall. "Potter, did she say?" "The Harry Potter?" "What about Charlus? Is he here?" 

Charlus   gave him a smile as the hat dropped over his head. It seemed to be having trouble deciding where to put him. However, after a while, the hat shouted out, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry heard the hat announce and took off his hat happily. He looked at his brother and whispered good luck before running over to Ron and sitting down next to him. A red-haired boy, probably another one of Ron's brothers, stood up and shook Harry's hand tightly while the Weasley twins yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!"

"Charlus Potter!" McGonagall called out. The young boy stepped forward and walked up the steps. He sat down and waited for the Sorting Hat to be placed on his head.

Suddenly he heard it speak, "Ah yes,  Charlus Potter! Let's see what we have here. Plenty of courage that Gryffindor would very much favour. And I see, not a bad mind either...But there is a talent, oh yes,and a longing. You wish to prove yourself, do you not?"

Charlus gripped the edges of the stool and his heart thundered in his chest. The hall went quiet. How long had he been sitting there? He did have something to prove. He wanted to prove that he was not like his uncle with anyone. He wanted to prove that not every Slytherin was evil.

"Ah, there it is! I know exactly where to put you..SLYTHERIN!" The Great Hall erupted into whispers and gasps. He could feel the weight of the stares from his fellow students. "Slytherin?" someone exclaimed in disbelief. "Whoa! A Potter? In Slytherin!" another voice echoed through the hall.

A mix of astonishment and curiosity filled the air as Charlus made his way to the green and silver table. He could sense the skepticism and raised eyebrows from both students and professors alike. As he passed the Gryffindor table, he caught glimpses of surprised faces and even a few disappointed expressions.

Nevertheless, amidst the skeptical whispers, there was a familiar  voice that cut through the noise.  "You can sit next to me!" called out Alistair and waved  Charlus over. The  support warmed Charlus's heart, and he smiled gratefully as he joined his friend.

As Charlus settled next to his friend, he felt a mix of relief and determination. He was ready to overcome prejudices and show in his new house that courage and determination could thrive just as much in the halls of Slytherin as in those of Gryffindor.

A few moments later, dinner was served. Charlus found himself in between Adrian and Alistair, while Draco, Crabbe and Goyle sat across from them. Next to Alistair sat a boy with dark, curly hair and blue eyes who had politely introduced himself to them as Matthew Scamander.

Charlus talked amongst Alistair, Matthew and Adrian, who was very different from his twin brother,  without a care in the world. In the middle of the conversation, Charlus sensed that someone was watching him.

The boy looked towards the staff table and noticed that a professor with black chin-length hair,a hooked nose and sallow skin blatantly ignoring Professor Quirrell talking to him as he was too fixated on glaring at the Potter twins. Charlus took a sip before he turned away from the professor's gaze and nudged Adrian on the arm. "Adrian, who's that sitting by Professor Quirrell?"

The blond-haired boy looked in the direction of the staff table before he turned to the brown-haired boy. "That's Professor Snape. Head of our house. He also teaches Potions, but everyone knows it's the dark arts he fancies. He's been after Quirrell's job for years."

Charlus nodded understandingly before he looked back at Snape once more, and then he concentrated on his food again without wasting another thought. Or he tried to, as the sound of Dracos' yelp made Charlus jump in his seat.

He looked up to find the cause of Draco's scream; a horrible ghost  with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face and robes stained with silver blood and the rest of the Hogwarts ghosts have come to say hello to their first years.

Charlus,Matthew and Alistair gave out a small chuckle as Adrian teased Draco for getting scared. Then three shifted their attention back to the ghost.  "How did you get covered in blood?"  asked Alistair with great interest. " That is a secret." The ghost replied with a resonating voice before he flew away to scare other students.

After lunch, the new Slytherin students followed Gemma Farley, the prefect, through the chatting groups, out of the Great Hall and to the the marble staircase. On the way,Charlus and Alistair ran into the arms of Ron and Harry.

"You two are in Slytherin!"Harry exclaimed, his eyes widening in feigned shock. Charlus couldn't resist a playful retort, a smirk dancing on his lips. "Oh really?" he replied sarcastically.  "I suppose that means we can't be friends anymore, does it?"

Ron chuckled as he caught the joke. "Come on, Charlus. We're still friends, aren't we?" he asked and looked at both Charlus and Alistair.  Alistair and Charlus exchanged amused glances before nodding in unison. "Definitely." Alistair confirmed.

Charlus added with a grin,"Slytherin and Gryffindor, it doesn't matter, because nothing can separate us,even if we are in different houses." After a final round of laughter and goodbyes,they had to split up again as the Slytherins must go down the staircase while the Gyffindors must go up.

Charlus was surprise that the people in the portraits along the hallways murmured and pointed as they passed, or that twice the prefects had led them through portals hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries.

They went down many more stairs, yawning and shuffling their feet, and Charlus began to wonder how far they still had to go when they suddenly stopped in front of a  damp stone wall. "Dragons Blood." Gemma said and a stone door concealed in the wall slid open.

Charlus could see the Slytherin common room , which he thought was cool.  The room was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling, from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains. A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them, and several Slytherins were silhouetted around it in carved chairs.

"Here's warnings, freshmen." Gemma Farley pointed out. "The password changes every fifteen days, you must remember it! Girls, you'll find your dormitories up the stairs to your left and boys, the same thing on your right! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me- welcome to Hogwarts!"

And with her words, a sense of relief had visibly washed over the faces of the first-years. After Gemma handed out a piece of paper to each student with their dormitory door number, Charlus went straight to his room. " 'Room 444, Slytherin' This is it." Charlus said to himself.

When he opened the door, he saw Alistair, Matthew, Adrian and two other boys. One of them was a tall, dark skinned boy with high cheekbones and long, slanting eyes and the other was a thin boy with a pointed face , pale features and deep-set eyes. His dark brown hair was carefully styled....they were Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott.

"Excuse me, I was sent to this room..." Charlus said very nervously, but Alistair, Adrian and Matthew smiled at him, pleased that they had to share a room with their friend, while Blaise and Theodore just nodded.

The six boys laughed  as they got to know each other while unpacking their things. Charlus' owl, Phoenix, and Alistair's owl, Blacky, had made friends with Matthew's owl, Shadow, and Adrian's owl, Snow. It made Charlus happy to see that his companion loved his new home as much as he did.

They went to bed quite late, even though their first lesson with Professor McGonagall was at 8am. Sleep quickly caught up with the boys, and soon all six were in a deep sleep.