This Time We Do It My Way

Twelve: Solidifying Positions

I don't own Harry Potter; I'm just borrowing him for a little while.

            Much of the Slytherin house was in the common room when Harry and Nasta entered. They looked at him expectantly and he fought the urge to sigh aloud. He stepped forward to the small platform that Snape, Nasta, and the prefects had stood upon while speaking last night.

"Hello Snakes," he called and received answering call of 'My King' back. "As you all know after the events of this morning am now your King and as such I am in need of a court. I have not been here long nor have I had much interaction with any of you which makes this exceedingly difficult. As such the court will not be filled immediately but in time. However you may have noticed Nasta's continued position in my court. Although no longer king I have taken him on as my adviser. In time I will add more people to my court however I believe I should perhaps lay down my rules so you know exactly how things will be changing and if you even wish to be in my court." He was met with silence so he continued noticing Snape's quiet entrance into the common room.

"Rule number one will remain the same. We look after our own. However this now includes our winged brothers and sisters the Ravens as I took acquired their throne just after breakfast this morning." Harry stopped as noises of incredulities sounded. He raised an eyebrow at a particularly loud boy in the front. "Problem?" Harry asked. The boy shook his head.

"No my King, just... you work fast," the boy said.

"What is your name?" Harry asked.

"Caleb Nott, my King," Caleb answered. Harry's eyebrow rose.

"Theodore's older brother I presume?" Harry asked. Caleb nodded. "Well I will take it as a complement of my maneuvering but in all honesty I was prepared to wait until my second year to take the throne. Unfortunately," Harry looked towards were the old court minus Nasta stood together. "Certain events caused me to speed up my timeline." Nasta winced slightly beside him.

"That leads me into my second rule, We Do Not Get Caught," Harry looked them over. "We are the house of the sly and cunning yet we are watched, every second we exit that door. That is because too many of us are overtly rude and condescending and downright mean to the other houses. I do not care about your views. If you dislike something work from the shadows and change it. Because our reputation is in tatters we must all work to fix it. I do not like bullies who only pick on the weak. Test your metal, pick on someone stronger than you from the shadows and get away with it. Be cunning. Be sly. Help a Gryffindor with her homework and then discretely cast a cutting hex at her bag for all I care but we must fix this and it will only work if we all do it, is this understood?" Harry asked. For a moment it was silent before as resounding,

"Yes my King," was heard. Harry rubbed his temples.

"Good. The last rule, and as I said before, I do not care about your views and I do not seek to force you to change them, I am not Dumbledore and am not his man or boy, but if you hold stock in blood purity you will keep silent. You can talk to your friends about it when you are alone but I do not ever want to hear the word 'mudblood' or any of its other unsavory counterparts pass anyone's lips. I believe in magic over blood and I will stand firm by this rule. If this rule is broken I will send you a card in the hospital wing," Harry finished not so subtly threatening them. He saw a few sneers on some of the upper year's faces and anticipated having to deal with those who would push him before the month was up.

"Are there any questions?" Harry asked. No one spoke. "Good. Tonight I will be holding court in Ravenclaw and giving them the same rules, for now I will be settling into my new rooms and preparing for tomorrow." With that he stepped lightly off the platform and up into the dormitory hallway.

He hadn't really unpacked anything the night before so it was simple to place the few things he had back into his trunk and levitate it behind him as he stepped out. Nasta was waiting for him in the common room his own trunk shrunk behind him. Harry almost smiled as he anticipated the reaction to his next move.

"The old court has fully moved out of the rooms, I anticipate that I am to take the advisor room?" Nasta said.

"No, had you asked I would have explained but I plan on turning that room into a formal court area where we can hold court with other houses. You will be remaining in your old rooms and I shall be taking the true kings rooms," answered Harry. Nasta's jaw dropped.

"My King I mean no disrespect but that is not possible," Nasta said the entirety of the house watching the byplay. Harry smirked lazily.

"Really?" He said rhetorically as he strode forward towards the elegant door. He placed his hand on it and spoke in Parseltongue.

"Hear me Slytherin greatest of the Hogwarts four and allow my entry," Harry hissed. The door glowed brightly before settling. Harry heard the click of the lock before he pushed the door open. He turned back to look at the house who was watching with open mouths and almost giggled at the surprise on Snape's face.

"I find that I tend to walk over the lines of impossible my dear Nasta," Harry said with a small grin. "Knock if you need me, but I intend to read for a time. Wouldn't want to fall behind before school even starts now would I?" Harry said as he slipped fully into the room and the door closed tightly behind.

'Fall behind he says' Snape thought as he exited the common room into his office. 'As if, even moving his timeline up as he says I'd bet that boy is still twelve steps ahead, not bad for a Potter. A true Slytherin, James would be rolling in his grave.' That put a smile on Snape's face as he went to ready his classroom in anticipation of the idiot children that would occupy it the next day.

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