Benign

Chapter 3: Stares

What Harry had failed to notice at first after his sorting however, was the fact that everyone except for his friends (whom had clapped wildly at his sorting) had all stilled the moment he was sorted, and were staring at him in shock. Even all of the professors were giving him the same surprised expression, and he felt extremely uncomfortable.

Harry turned his attention from his gawking audience to Draco, looking at him in confusion. "Um, why are they all staring at me?" He could feel the slight waver in his voice.

Draco quickly gave the room a once over, before looking back at him. "They all expected you to be in Gryffindor. Your mother and father were in Gryffindor, and from what I understand, so were every one of your ancestors."

Harry tightly pressed his lips together and grit his teeth. He didn't even know these people and these people didn't know him. So who were they to make assumptions about him based on other people that he didn't even know? "These people don't even know me, how dare they pretend that they do." He said angrily, though still managing to say it in his usual soft spoken voice.

Draco looked at him sympathetically. "That's what people do, especially when your famous. Even me, though I'm not as famous as you. They judge me by my last name, because they think that my family did something that they didn't. Not just me though, they judge the whole of Slytherin House because we have an "evil history."

Harry lost his anger practically the moment it was there. Now he had questions, so many of them. He ended up deciding on one he wanted to ask first. "What do they think your family did?"

Draco glanced at the people in the great Hall, before deciding that they were listening to them. "I'll tell you everything I know when we get into the common room later."

He was relieved that he hadn't just shot down his question all together, like he was so used to happening at the Dursleys', and nodded.

Harry tensed when an arm brushed against his shoulder, telling him that someone had sat down next to him. He jerked his head around with wide eyes to see who it was and if he was in trouble. He sagged in relief, realizing it was Blaise. "Hey Blaise." He greeted, giving him a small smile.

Balise gave him a warm smile, attempting to reassure him after frightening him. "Hey Harry, you gave the Great Hall a bit of a shock with your sorting 'ey?" he said, and the way he shock told Harry he was laughing.

He laughed a little to, deciding that he definitely liked Blaise. "Seems like it, I think quite frankly that where I'm sorted is none of their business. But you know, famous and all." Harry knew the last bit of what was supposed to have a joking tone, held a little bit of resentment, he could feel it.

Blaise raised an eyebrow at him. "You really don't like your fame, do you?"

Harry shook his head vigorously. "No, not at all. As you know, I didn't even know I was a wizard until about a month ago, and I hate when a ton of attention is focused on me when I can't even hear the people."

Blaise looked at him sympathetically. "Out of all the houses, your in the one that people in it can relate to you most. We've all got a bit of history, as I'm sure Draco here has told you." He finished the last bit giving Draco a slight nod.

Harry looked over to Draco at his nod and gave him a small smile, before looking back at the rest of the Great Hall. People weren't blatantly staring at him anymore and were more pointing and clearly whispering to each other at him. Harry was shocked when the majority of them suddenly started down at their table like it was the most interesting thing in the world, and looked over at Draco and Blaise. He smiled slightly when he saw that the two of them, as well as Pansy and a few other nearby Slytherins (whom had apparently, to his bewilderment) taken a liking to him, giving them terrible death glares.

He made a deliberate point to make eye contact with each glaring person and give them an appreciative look. When he met Pansy's eyes, he instantly felt bad because he hadn't talked to her much since he sat down. He opened his mouth and was just about to strike up a conversation before he felt Draco tap his shoulder. He looked over at him with a questioning look.

"Dumbledore's speaking." Draco answered pointing to the front of the Hall where the sorting ceremony took place.

Harry of course couldn't read his lips to understand what he was saying from the distance he was away from him, and deduced that he wouldn't be able to anyway because of the long white beard the Headmaster was sporting. So, he instead took to letting his eyes roam across the teachers table. When they landed on a strange looking teacher wearing a purple turban, Harry suddenly felt a sharp pain in the lightning bolt scar that rested on his forehead. He gently but subtly rubbed it, smashing down the suspicious feeling he had for now, before his eyes landed on a teacher two seats down from the purple turban wearing teacher. It just so happened, that this particular teacher had his eyes on him. The teacher had dark, almost greasy hair, a crooked nose, and had on black robes. The teacher surprisingly didn't look at him with the malice that adults and the majority of the Great Hall were showing him. He was only looking at him in extreme curiosity. Harry frowned in confusion.

He looked back at Dumbledore and noticed that he was moving to sit back down, so he turned back to his table. Harry stared in complete shock at the previously empty table. On the table, was the most food he had ever seen in his life, as well as a few he previously hadn't even know had existed. He looked around his table, and noticed that none of the people sitting around him seemed to think it was odd, so he shrugged the magically appearing food off. He was going to sit and wait until everyone finished, and if there was anything left when they did, he would eat then.

He looked up when Draco slightly nudged him. "Why aren't you eating? You must be starving." Draco asked in confusion.

Harry blinked at him with wide eyes. "You mean I can eat with you?" He felt his voice crack.

Draco looked at him worriedly. "Um, yeah. When else would you eat?"

This was all the go ahead Harry needed to get his own small portion of the large amount of food around him and start eating.

Draco continued eating as well, but kept sending him worried glances every now and then. They finished eating, and a few minutes afterwards, a person called a Prefect led them out of the Hall.

They walked down some winding staircases and into a darker, grey stone, and picture covered area. They walked a little bit further down the area, until they were led to a moving portrait with a stern looking man. The Prefect said something to the portrait, and then it swung wide open and they were led into a cozy, green coated room.

The Prefect finally looked directly at them, so Harry was a able to understand the next thing they said. "Students, this is Slytherin common room, which alongside your dorms and your classrooms, will be your home for the next seven years (excluding Holidays of course)."

Harry didn't, couldn't, read his lips anymore after that. Because, it had finally hit him that he wouldn't have to be at the Dursleys' nine months out of the year. He could potentially, for the first time, have a real home with real friends.

***

Authors Note:

To be completely honest, I had completely forgotten that I had posted a copy of this story on here as well as ao3. I apologize for that, and so, I'm going to update this so it's up to date with the other. (My name on ao3 is Moony394, I don't know if I be said that in previous chapters before, so if your rather read this on there your welcome to.)