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Chapter 10

Chosen

Miles wasn't sure he knew his place anymore, though he wasn't sure he knew what it was before he started attending Hogwarts. He'd gotten the feel of how things worked in the school and knew he'd be fine. His professors were knowledgeable and besides, he already knew all the material up to fourth year thanks to his lessons with Dumbledore. The old man had promised to have him be familiar with everything up to the seventh year in the next couple of years. 

No, the problem wasn't the schoolwork, which was relatively easy for him. He did appreciate the review though, and seeing things from the different perspectives of his professors was fascinating. Dumbledore tended to be very biased with his opinions. For example, History of Magic with Dumbledore left out several cases where wizards were in the wrong, but Professor Binns showed that most of the time, people were at fault and then proceeded to blame other creatures. 

It was his social life that was puzzling. Dumbledore hadn't been mad at his sorting into Slytherin but rather intrigued. If anything, the tinge of fury Miles had seen at the feast now seemed to be directed towards Harry, as though the headmaster couldn't believe that he'd been sorted into Gryffindor. 

While the headmaster wasn't a problem, the students were another story. Hufflepuff students didn't mind at all, and in fact, were as friendly as they would be to anyone else with him. The Ravenclaws acted a lot like Dumbledore, as he'd spotted many inquisitively eyeing him, as though by staring at him, they'd be able to find out what went on in his head or whatnot. 

The Gryffindors were confusing. Some openly resented him just for being in Slytherin, making remarks to Miles and his friends in the corridors as such. A large portion of them was indifferent to his placement, seeming not to care where he ended up. And then there were the nicer ones, like the Weasley brothers, their friends, and Harry, who also didn't mind, and continued to treat him as practically a brother, which in Harry's case, was what he was to him. 

As for the Slytherins, they were also divided. Some welcomed him into the house boisterously, and he'd already been invited to two house parties in the common room. His friends, obviously, were great to him, and he honestly couldn't think of anything that had a chance of breaking up their tight-knit group. Mostly though, even those that welcomed him didn't seem to know what to make of him. 

Miles was aware of the kind of people that were placed in Slytherin house. Many students had parents who were former or currently Death Eaters, although Voldemort was no longer in power. He understood, in a way. He was, after all, responsible for Voldemort's death, despite not doing so intentionally. 

As he'd found out though, the house's bad reputation wasn't necessarily valid. While several students came from dark backgrounds, Miles did not doubt that they were still good people. You couldn't judge someone just based on where they were from. Their reputation, however, turned out to be a good thing in some ways. 

Snape hadn't been kidding on their first day. Slytherin house truly felt like a family, and every member's fierce loyalty to the house and their fellow members was comforting. Like any family, there were the occasional disputes, but they were quickly solved and never brought up outside the common room. 

While he'd been fitting in well at Hogwarts, he knew his parents' view of him had probably changed. He'd received a letter from James and Lily telling him that they were proud of him, but Miles wasn't too sure he believed that. He could practically feel James' confusion and dejection seeping through the parchment. It probably didn't help that Miles was the spitting image of his father, with the exception of his hair, and he knew for a fact that James would never be able to imagine himself in Slytherin robes.