The Blood At Dusk (HP AU)

Chapter 25: Change

7:02pm. The scarlet train had arrived at Hogsmeade Station and the train was bustling with students from ages 11 to 17. Eventually everyone had made it out of the cramped and narrow hallway of the train and onto the station platform. They started walking towards the Thestral drawn carriages. 

Harry looked over to the first years who were wandering over to the boats, he saw the squid stick one of it's tentacles out and towards the 11 year olds, clearly playing with them. A burst of magic made Harry's body become lax and calm as he felt the sensation of Hogwarts' magic comfort him. His eyes flickered into his natural multicolored state for a second but the glamour hid it before anyone could see it. 

Harry suddenly spotted Luna on one of the carriages and waved to her, a genuine smile lighting up his face at her comforting aura. He discreetly dragged his hand gently across the thestrals' bodys as he walked by. He saw the thestrals as soon as he got into Hogwarts but never alerted anyone about it. It made sense since he did see his parents die at the age of 1. 

Luna smiled as Harry sat next to her when he had gotten up, her voice was dreamy and soft as usual "So you can see them Harry?" Harry nodded and pointed to his throat, even though he knew Luna already knew what happened. The word of Harry being mute had been overheard and spread throughout the whole train. The reasoning behind it was unknown, but it was better that way. Soon enough, Hermione, Ron and Ginny arrived at the carriage and Ginny, for the millionth fucking time, latched onto Harry's side. Once again, Harry flinched. 

Once again, Ginny was trying to arouse Harry in front of people. But Harry kept ignoring her, making it seem like he didn't notice Ginny doing the things she was doing. Luna thankfully noticed and tried distracting Harry, talking about nargles and things she had read about in her weekly quibbler. 

7:42pm. Everyone was packed into the great hall watching the sorting ceremony happen, and try to guess where Ginny was and what she was doing. Yeah, right next to him and her hand on his thigh. Harry was just looking at Draco as he silently tried to send S.O.S. signals to him. Draco already knew what was happening and was pretty pissed about it. Harry was fragile and didn't need this kind of shit happening to him. 

Pansy and Blaise were in the same boat as Draco as they also wanted to skin Weaslette down to her bones. The three along with a few more Slytherins who had heard of Harry and Draco's friendship, were watching Ginny like hawks and giving her the stink eye like no one had ever seen before. 

Theo, Vincent (Crabbe), Gregory (Goyle), Pansy, Blaise, Millicent, Marcus (Flint) and Draco were watching Ginny and Harry's movements. Ginny was getting closer and Harry was moving ever so slightly further away. That was the first red flag. Harry flinched when Ginny moved her hand further down, a panicked but well hidden face covered Harry's face. 2nd red flag. The whole group were ready to pounce on her when they faintly saw tears glistening in his eyes from the amount of panic welling up inside him. 

Luckily Dumbledore started announcing something just as Ginny was biting her lip and trying to make Harry look at her. "All right children, settle down. Let me introduce our new defense against the dark arts teacher: Dolores Umbridge." A pink clad woman stood up from her seat and started walking to the middle of the platform. Her heels clicking against the floor made everyone's attention focus onto her. 

"I have been hearing reports of your school and I would like to announce that the second years and up will be resorted immediately because of news getting out that the sorting hat had been giving choices to all of you." It seemed that what Lucius had said was correct. "If the second years could walk up to the middle of the hall now, that would be splendid. Now! Up you come children!" Umbitch said with an annoying high pitched voice. 

The hall murmured in panic as the news or the resorting finally set in. Ginny grabbed onto Harry's arm harder and the Slytherins nearly hissed in anger. Ron and Hermione were arguing in a state of panic and fear. But Harry was just pretending to panic, even though he was ready to exclaim in excitement because he would finally be away from the three traitors. And besides, the extra time he would receive to plan was putting him in a good mood.

8:04pm. The fifth years were finally being called out. Harry only listened to the ones he actually gave a shit about, but still memorised who was in which house simultaneously. Ginny had already been sorted and had not changed, still staying in Gryffindor. Luna did the same she stayed in Ravenclaw as well.

"Bulstrode, Millicent." Said girl gracefully walked up to the stool and it shouted out. "SLYTHERIN" quite fast. 

"Crabbe, Vincent." The slightly obese boy walked up to the stool and felt as the hat was placed on his head. A few seconds went by before the hat yelled out "SLYTHERIN" 

"Granger, Hermione." She walked up with nerves shaking her legs like a jelly legs jinx. "RAVENCLAW" it yelled out, she look mortified but walked over to the eagle's table anyway.

"Goyle, Gregory." He walked up with a calm expression and didn't let his mask fall as the hat yelled out "SLYTHERIN" once more. 

"Longbottom, Neville." Neville nervously walked up and his eyes filled with tears when the hat shouted out "HUFFLEPUFF" but not because of the house, just the idea of change.

"Malfoy, Draco." Harry watched carefully smirking when the hat immediately shouted out "SLYTHERIN".

"Nott, Theodore." Theo walked up with a smirk and smirked harder when the hat called out "SLYTHERIN" as well.

"Parkinson, Pansy." She also walked up with a smirk, but it stayed the same even after the hat called out "SLYTHERIN".

"Potter, Harry." Harry froze then walked towards the stool as if being controlled by the infamous imperius curse. When the hat was placed upon his head, he felt nothing, only the sorting of memories in his mind. There was no voice judging his traits, it was like he was removed from the whole hat. The whole hall fell silent at it's next word. "SLYTHERIN". Mcgonagall removed the hat and Harry walked feebly over to the Slytherin table, remembering that he had to act weak and helpless. Draco and Theo moved sideways to let Harry sit in between them, everyone was too shocked to notice Harry seat placement that came so naturally. No arguments, no looks, he just sat down. Only one teacher payed attention to Harry's behaviour, Snape.

"Weasley, Ron." The boy had a look of worry and panic on his face at the realisation of Harry being in a different house. Yet he still stepped up, the hat quickly yelled out "HUFFLEPUFF" and the empty and surprised face of his made the Hufflepuffs think he didn't like them at all. Which was in a way true.

"Zabini, Blaise." He walked up with swagger and a confident expression. "SLYTHERIN" was shouted out and again, his expression did not change. 

There was obviously names in between them all but Harry was only listening to the specific ones.

Afterwards, it got to Fred and George's year. Harry watched the twins with serious eyes as they looked at him back. 

"Weasley, Fred" said boy walked up with a rare serious face and waited patiently as the hat called out: "GRYFFINDOR". Harry silently cursed at the fact that Fred had to suffer being around his sister.

"Weasley, George" Harry was snapped out of his glaring at Ginny and focused on George walking up to the podium. The hat's crease which formed a mouth quickly shouted out "GRYFFINDOR" Once again Harry silently cursed, but there were still good sides to this.

It showed that not all Gryffindors were going to be perfect little children on the light side, also, Fred and George could act as inside spies. Whatever, Harry would just figure out some kind of bullshit later.

Snape was watching the Slytherins with hawk eyes and kept his eyes locked onto Harry's small yet strong figure. Clearly something had happened during the summer, first Lucius told him to spread the word about Potter's lack of speech, then the boy was getting along with the Slytherins like it was just another day. He would find out later, for now he watched Dumbledore with hateful eyes once the powerful wizard had declared the dinner to commence.