Changing Ideals

Body

Disclaimer: I don\'t own anything! Nothing I say! Stay away you evil vultures!

*drum roll* And now...

Chapter 5: Train Talks and Reactions of Closed-minded Imbeciles

Dear Mr. Potter,

After carefully considering your request, I have decided to allow you to be resorted. You shall sit with the Gryffindors until all the first years have been sorted and then I shall inform the student body of your resorting. Thank you for your time and have a pleasant summer.

Albus Dumbledore

Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards

Carefully refolding the letter, that he had read more than ten times, Harry stepped out of his cab and looked at the familiar surroundings of King\'s Cross Station. Gathering a trolley, Harry deposited his trunk and familiar on it and started of to the barriers between platforms nine and ten. He passed many muggles that gave him strange looks because of his owl, but he simply ignored them. He didn\'t have the time to worry about what the muggles thought of his owl. Casually leaning against the barrier, Harry slipped through when no one was looking. Righting himself, he looked at the scarlet engine that would take them to his beloved home, Hogwarts. Although he wasn\'t looking forwto dto dealing with Ron and Hermione just yet.

Deciding that he definitely wasn\'t ready to talk to them yet, Harry found a secluded section to wait in to watch for the shocking silvery-blonde hair he knew would be coming through the platform at anytime. Low and behold, there it was. Calmly walking up behind Draco, Harry tapped him on his shoulder. Turning, with a sneer firmly on his pale features, Draco regarded Harry with a calculating expression and followed after him when Harry motioned for him to come with him. Finding an empty compartment, Harry shut and warded the doors, making sure no one could enter, hear what was being said, and that they couldn\'t unlock the doors.

\"This better be worth my time, Potter. If it\'s not, I\'ll make your life living hell in Slytherin,\" Draco pompously stated.
Don\Don\'t worry. It will definitely be worth your time. As I\'m sure you know, I\'m to be resorted. In my first year the sorting hat wanted me in Slytherin, but me, being naive of the ways of the magical community, believed everything that doddering fool laid before me. Before I was even at Hogwarts I had it firmly implanted in my head that Slytherin equaled evil and Gryffindor equaled good. I now know this is not the case. I am ready to embrace my true self and not let the expectations of others hinder me. I also wanted to insure you that I did not lead the glamorous life everyone has me pictured as living. I have my own scars, both physical and mental. I was hoping that if this truce worked, we could eventually start a friendship. So, what do you say? Was that worth your time or do you want me to go?\" Harry asked.

\"Well, well. Who would have ever thought it. Welcome to Slytherin Harry. You definitely have my support, for now. Although if I ever find out that you are being untruthful with me, well, the results won\'t be pretty. You\'ll have wished that the dark lord would have finished you off,\" Draco replied.

Smirking to each other, Harry and Draco spent the rest of the train ride getting to know each other. Neither completely trusted the other, but they would both remain true to their truce. They shared their Hogwarts experiences this far and Harry listened to Draco tell of his home life. Well, not all of his home life, just what he felt it was safe to tell. Draco didn\'t push about Harry\'s and he knew not to ask about the subject of his two friends, Ron and Hermione. Finally, they had both gotten tired of talking and both pulled out books to read for the remainder of the train ride.

Keeping to the back of the large group, Harry made sure he got into a carriage that had younger students than him in it. He didn\'t want to talk to anyone else at the moment. Luckily, the other students in the carriage didn\'t spare Harry a glance. He attributed this to the fact that he looked completely different from the Harry that attended school here last year.

Entering the Great Hall, Harry made his way over to the Gryffindor table.

\"Ron, have you seen him ye...who\'s that heading towards us?\" Hermione asked.

\"I don\'t know! Geez \'Mione! We\'re suppose to be looking for Harry! He seemed really different in the letters he wrote to us this summer. Not at all like the Harry we know,\" Ron said.

\"Hm, and to think you don\'t recognize your own friend and those letters I wrote were the real me. Close your mouth Hermione, it\'s un-lady like to drool. Oh, quitringring Ron, she\'s not my type,\" Harry commented.

\"Harry! Don\'t say that!\" Ron screamed.

Blushing, Hermione could only stutter as Harry said that and what did he mean not his type? Comments came from all the Gryffindors, amazed at his change. Although they were amazed, they also didn\'t like this new Harry.

\"Hey, Harry, I really think you need to look into a new wardrobe, loose the highlights, cut the hair, and act like the Harry we know. I mean, this new you seems kind of ominous, dark, and, well, evil,\" Dean Thomas stated.

\"This is me, take it or leave it Dean. I don\'t care what preconceived notions you had of me. Get them out of your heads now, because they are most definitely not who I am. If you can\'t deal with the new me, then just stay out of my way and don\'t butt into my life. Now if you don\'t mind, I\'m going to continue reading. If you value your limbs, don\'t talk to me,\" Harry calmly told them.

Flabbergasted, the Gryffindors were about to respond when the doors opened and the first years streamed in. The hat in the front of the room opened its rip and started sng ing its song. (Um, not going to do one of these. I totally suck at poetry and I think I would receive massive flames for trying and people would stop reading my story. So, yeah. Not happening. I\'m also really lazy and don\'t want to write down a bunch of imaginary students who will never take part in my story again. So that\'s not happening either.) When all the first years had been sorted and were sitting at their tables, everyone got ready to eat.

\"Ahem. Welcome to a new school year! Unfortunately, it is not time to eat just quite yet! We have one more student in need of sorting. Well, actually, resorting. Over the summer, a student wrote to me and informed me that the house they were in no longer suited them. After much careful deliberation I have decided to allow this student to be resorted. Would Harry Potter please come forward so that he may be sorted into his proper house?\" Professor ledoledore said.

Walking to the stool, Harry sat down. He focused on not scowling at the students who were looking at him as though he were Voldemort himself or that he had betrayed them. Since when did he ever say that he was with them? He was on his own side. He had his own beliefs to live up to and things he wanted to do. He did not want to follow blindly behind some senile old man.

[Hmm, back again I see. AH! This time you\'ll let me sort you where I want you! Great! Gryffindor no longer suites you. I do believe it would cause quite a disaster if I tried to leave you there. Hufflepuff was never a choice to start with. Huh, you\'ve got quite the mind on you. Too bad you never let anyone see it. Although I see that is going to change. Good, good. Still, Ravenclaw doesn\'t sort you. They are too analytical and tend to jump into new projects without weighing the pros and cons and whether or not it\'s dangerous. So, it had better be...SLYTHERIN] The last word was yelled for all to hear and stunned silence followed Harry as he made his way to his new table.

Too bad that silence didn\'t last. Shortly after Harry sat down, the whispers started. Gradually the whispers escalated into full blown comments with the occasional yelling voice. From the sounds of things, people were outraged. They couldn\'t believe that Harry would willingly be resorted and willingly go into Slytherin. There was no way in their minds, that Harry would ever do this. He was their savior. The epitome of light and everything good and right in the world. This had to be some cruel joke, but looking over at the Slytherin table they knew it wasn\'t. For low and behold, Harry Potter was comfortably sitting at the Slytherin table holding a civilized conversation with Draco Malfoy, would be deatheater. Of course, they had no clue that their perceptions of Draco were as wrong as their perceptions of Harry. Alas, the world was not black and white, but shades of gray, which they would soon learn in the coming future.

\"Well, now that is out of the way, on to the announcements! Just a reminder to all students, their is to be no magic used in-between classes or in the corridors. Just like the name says, the Forbidden Forest is forbidden. Mr. Filch has added all the WWW products to the list of items banned from and school and the complete list can be viewed in his office. I\'d like everyone to welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Remus Lupin. I\'m sure that some of you remember him from a few years back. He has graciously accepted the position again. It seems that word has gotten out that the position is jinxed. Oh well. Now, elbows off the tables!\" After Dumbledore said this seemingly random sentence the food appeared on the tables. The ravenous students dug in with fervor and those with more manners, politely took their food using good manners in everything they did.

When dinner was done Dumbledore announced that it was time to sing the school song.

\"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they\'re bare and full or air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we\'ve forgot,
Just do your best, we\'ll do the rest,
And learn until our brains rot.\"

Once the song was done, the first years were lead to the dormitories and everyone else headed on their ways. Some were intent on going to bed to be ready for classes tomorrow and others were intent on finding answers to the puzzle that Harry Potter had laid before them.

TBC

I know! This chapter was pretty short! I hope you aren\'t too upset with me and please remember to leave me a wonderful review! I accept any!