If Harry Potter Was In Slytherin (the Sorcerer’s Stone) Chapter One: The Internal Battle

Not Slytherin, not Slytherin! Harry inwardly repeated, though he knew it would do no good. It was not like the Sorting Hat could hear him or anything.

He watched enviously as “Abbot, Hannah” was sorted into Hufflepuff. Why couldn’t he just get sorted right away? The wait had to be more agonizing than the results could possibaly be.

Visably shaking, Harry watched the other students get sorted. That Granger girl was in Gryffindor- ugh, the one house that he had hoped for more than any other just happened to have that know-it-all.

When his name was finally called, Harry felt as thought the world had been muted. The noise around him turned into a simpe buzzing, though he heard an accosonal “Did she say Potter?” and “Why, it’s Harry Potter! It’s really him!”

As Harry pulled the hat over his head, his silents pleas of not Slytherin were slightly quited, and replaced by a second worry. What if I’m not really magic? What if I don’t get sorted at all- what if the hat just sits on my head and I have to go back to the Dursely’s?

The thought of the Dursely’s made Harry’s nervousness increase enough to get rid of the chorus of not Slytherin, wich had still remained at the back of his mind.

He was so terrified that the hat speaking into his ear didn’t even surprise him.

Harry managed to make sense of the words, though the buzzing still filled his ears. “Not Slytherin, eh?” The hat asked.

Harry shrugged. Being put in Slytherin would be better than going back to the Dursely’s. “Put me i-in an-any house th-that you think I-i will belong in.” A chorus of protest errupted in the back of Harry’s mind, though he chose to ignore it.

“Are you sure, Potter?” The hat whispered. Harry thought for a second. Could all Slytherins be bad? Would being in Slytherin make him evil? Would it be better than going back to the Dursely’s?

Finally, Harry nodded, determined. He wouldn’t be hit anymore... he wouldn’t be hurt anymore...

But when the hat shouted “SLYTHERIN!” he knew there must be disapointment and shock on his face.

He felt his eyes go wide, and his thoughts started racing. I take it back! I didn’t want you to put me in Slytherin! I just didn’t want to go back!

Bu Harry managed to controll himself. He couldn’t stop the shaking, and his face must have shown an enormous amount of anger, but he couldn’t emberas himself like this.

Suddenly, he realized something was wrong. Instead of cheering, there was whispers, frowns, glares- it seemed Harry was hated. Why? He just didn’t want to go back to being abused- not that they would know, of course.

Just as he thought of this, the Slytherin table errupted with cheers. The whispering was drowned out and Harry’s heartbeat slightly slowed. He had been accepted. He wouldn’t have to go back. He wouldn’t have to go back!

Though, another part of Harry’s mind argued back You can’t be thinking this is okay... they could change you!

Harry shuddered, and realized just how long the walk to the Slytherin table was. Angling his head down, showing his shame, Harry took one step, then two. What was he going to do?

***

By the time the sorting was over, Harry felt he could’ve been classified as insane. You don’t have to go back to the Durely’s! His mind celebrated, before another section screamed, at the cost of your own life! At the cost of what makes you, well, you!

Wait- what made him, him? He had really only done chores... worked hard in school... suffered? Did he even have a personality?

Of course, don’t be an idiot, Harry told himself. Hang on to that personality, Harry. Hang on to it.

“Harry Potter, in our house,” a first-year girl said. Her face seemed almost pug-like, and she had short dark-brown hair framing her face. “I can’t say I expected it, but I’m glad.”

“Because I’m famouse?” Harry asked, surprising even himself. “This is what it’s all about, it’s all because I’m famouse....”

“Wh-what?” The girl asked, confused. “I don’t really under-”

“It’s fine,” Harry tole her. “I don’t understand either. I was forced the live in the fizzin’ muggle world all this time- and now I’m pretty much in another world. A world where I’m famouse...”

Harry wondered why he was saying all these things, but his mind was still battling... and apparently his sanity had been the first casulty.

The girl looked at him curiosly. “That would be hard, I suppose.” She sounded empathetic, but Harry knew she was only saying this because he was, well, him.

Harry lifted his head up from the table. He didn’t know he had set it there in the first place, but this was all so confusing... “I just want to be normal,” he said sudden;y. “Just treat me as thought I was a normal person.”

The girl looked surprised at this, though she quickly shrugged it of. “Okay, then- I’ll treat you normal.” Her empathetic eyes turned stone cold, and she added “As soon as you stop acting like an idiot. I can’t treat you normal if you don’t act normal- and normal people don’t act like... like this.”

Harry gave her a surprised glance, before shifting his attention to the plates set infront of him. He nearly gasped in shock- they were now full of food.

“What, never knew about the self-filling plates?” Harry turned his head, and two seats away, sat Draco Malfoy.

“You,” Harry muttured.

“Well, duh,” Draco responded. “There was never a doubt that I would be in Slytherin. Though I thought after that little display earlier you would’ve been put in Gryffindor- ahh, such a pity you weren’t. I don’t want you ruining our reputation!”

“It’s not like I asked to be put in here,” Harry argued deffensively.

“Well, you should have,” Draco snorted. “Anyone with half a brain should be able to tell this is the best house.”

Harry didn’t know what to say.

“Oooh, did you finally realize it was true after I slammed the knoledge in your face?”

“Actaully,” Harry muttered, trying to rid himself of his rising anger, “I thought it would be a better idea if I didn’t make enimies on my first day. I mean, anyone with half brain would be able to realize that.”

Several of the students around him gasped, but Harry pretended not to notice. Instead he turned his attention to the mountains of food infront of him, and filled his plate- though not as much as he would have if he had been put in any other house. For some reason, being in Slytherin made him self-concious.

That must mean the rumers were true.

Harry then realized that he would rather be abused- abused by the Durselys- rather than hurt someone else. Why couldn’t he have been put in Gryffindor? Or Ravenclaw? Or even Hufflepuff?! He knew that this would be the worst year of his life.