Hogwarts, Great Hall, September 1, 2017
The Great Hall was exactly like the few memories Corvus made him recall. And completely different.
Solus walked in line with the other first-year students, his eyes sweeping across the great hall. The same four long tables. The same enchanted ceiling showing the night sky and an infinite sea of stars. The same floating torches. But the faces were new. The professors at the Head Table were unknown.
'A thousand years. Everyone is dead.'
The professor who had guided them from the boats, a tall, dark-skinned witch with an African accent and indigo-colored robes, stopped in front of the Great Hall doors.
"Welcome to Hogwarts". she said in a voice that resonated like a ceremonial drum. "I am Professor Amara Okafor, Head of Ravenclaw House and Professor of Astronomy". Solus looked at her, understanding something about her from the documentaries he watched with his father. 'Nigerian, probably. Yoruba accent. A former Uagadou student, no doubt'.
"In a few moments". Professor Okafor continued, "You will be sorted into your respective houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and... Slytherin. Your houses will be your family for the next seven years. Eat together. Sleep together. Triumph or fail together". She paused. "Before we begin, you must know something important: Hogwarts has changed. For three years now, we have offered exchange scholarships with the other great magical schools of the world. Second-year students and up can apply to study at Durmstrang, Beauxbatons, Ilvermorny, Uagadou, Mahoutokoro, Castelobruxo, or Koldovstoretz for a semester or a full year".
Excited murmurs among the first-year students. Albus, standing next to Solus, whispered:
"Is that new?"
"Very new". replied a red-haired girl behind them. "My sister is in her fourth year. She says twenty students went to Ilvermorny last year".
Professor Okafor raised a hand. "Silence, please. Now, form a line. When you hear your name, you will sit on the stool. The Sorting Hat will do the rest." She opened the doors. And the Great Hall swallowed them.
Solus had not prepared his mind for this. Seeing Hogwarts from the lake had been one thing. But being inside... This is where Corvus taught. This is where he died too... Each stone held a bit of the living memory of what had transpired. Every torch pulsed with magic that Solus could feel under his skin like electricity; it was like feeling old magic in modern times. The Intent is stronger here than anywhere else in the world.
The first-year students walked between the tables. Thousands of eyes watched them. Older students murmured, pointed, evaluated.
At the Head Table, Solus identified faces: Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, older than in the photographs he had seen in his books, but with the same steely posture. Her hair was completely gray now, pulled back in a severe bun. But her eyes were still sharp as blades. Next to her, a stout man with disheveled blond hair and dirt under his nails. Professor Longbottom. Herbology. A middle-aged Asian man with robes embroidered in gold. Japanese features. Perfect posture and perhaps iron discipline. A former Mahoutokoro student, probably. A pale-skinned woman with platinum hair and Russian robes. Cold eyes. Koldovstoretz perhaps. A young man, no more than thirty, in a muggle suit beneath his academic robe. Short brown hair. Glasses. Analytical expression. That one is different. He doesn't fit in with the rest. And at the end of the table, a dark-skinned man with a perfectly trimmed beard and green robes with the Slytherin crest embroidered in silver. Head of Slytherin.
Professor Okafor placed a stool in the center of the hall. On it rested the Sorting Hat. Old. Torn. Stained. But when it opened its sewn mouth and began to sing, the entire hall fell silent.
"A thousand years I've been right here,
A thousand years I've watched pass by, Founders who built with fiery passion,
Gryffindor seeks courage and the light,
Hufflepuff loyalty in youth's first sight,
Ravenclaw knowledge without end,
Slytherin... ah, Slytherin. Ambition, cunning, a will of steel, Many fear the serpent's bite, But they forget: the serpent also protects.
Today the world changes, it parts, it breaks,
What was secret is now celebrated,
Muggles with cameras, wizards with fear, And in the midst of chaos... who holds the power?
So come, you young, you new, unnamed, Let me guide you, be amazed,
For the house is not destiny, but a tool, And your choice... is what counts."
The Hat grew still. Applause filled the hall. Professor Okafor unrolled a parchment scroll.
"When I call your name, sit on the stool." Solus took a deep breath. Here we go.
"Abbott, Marcus!" A boy with blond hair and freckles went up nervously. The Hat barely touched his head. "HUFFLEPUFF!" Applause from the yellow table.
"Becker, Amelia!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Chandra, Priya!" A brown-skinned girl with an Indian accent. "GRYFFINDOR!"
The names continued. Solus observed the pattern. More diversity than in Corvus's time. More non-British surnames. More muggle-borns. The world has changed. Even here.
"Finch-Fletchley, Oliver!" A nervous boy in clearly muggle clothes. "HUFFLEPUFF!"
"García, Lucía!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Gray, Solus!" The name resonated like thunder. Solus walked toward the stool. Thousands of eyes followed him. He sat down. Professor Okafor lifted the Hat. And placed it on his head.
Everything disappeared. The Great Hall. The students. The professors. Only the voice remained.
"Ahhhh..." The Hat sounded pleased. "How interesting. Very, very interesting."
Solus did not reply.
"I can see your mind, boy. And it is... strange... No. That's not correct. You are strange."
'Can you see it?'. Solus thought.
"I see fragments. Of what seem to be your lives, although I cannot tell if they are real or not."
You are perceptive for a hat.
"I am the Sorting Hat. I was created by the Four Founders. I know their minds. And I recognize their magic when I see it." A pause. "Corvus Slytherin. The lost brother. The one forgotten by history."
'That was me.'
"And now?"
'Now I am Solus Gray. Son of Helen and Mark. A first-year student.'
"Liar." Solus tensed. "You don't lie about your name. But you lie about who you are. I see your mind, Solus. I see ambition that could burn cities. I see cunning that could shatter kingdoms. I see a will forged in moments of life and death." The Hat paused. "But I also see something else. I see a boy who loves his mother. I see a boy who is afraid of losing her. I see a boy who wants friends, normality, a life that is not war."
'I am not a boy.'
"No?" Silence. "You are both. And that is your greatest weakness. And your greatest strength." The Hat laughed. "Gryffindor would reject you. You are too pragmatic. Hufflepuff would suffocate you. You don't believe in blind loyalty. Ravenclaw... ah, Ravenclaw would tempt you. But knowledge without purpose doesn't interest you."
'Then you already know where I go.'
"Oh, yes. I always knew. From the moment you sat down."
'Then do it.'
"But first, a warning, heir of Slytherin." Solus waited. "The house of the serpent is broken. Divided. Poisoned from within. There is a boy there who serves a dark queen. And there are others who follow him blindly."
'All homes are battlefields.'
The Hat laughed again. "You are a good brother of Salazar. Very well. Go and rebuild what they destroyed." The Hat's voice resonated in the Great Hall: "SLYTHERIN!"
The silence was absolute. Then, slowly, the green table began to applaud. It was not enthusiastic. Solus took off the Hat and walked to the Slytherin table. He sat at the end, far from the older students who watched him with expressions ranging from curiosity to open contempt. So it begins.
The sorting continued.
"Khan, Amir!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Mwangi, Jabari!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"O'Brien, Siobhan!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Potter, Albus!"
Solus looked up. Albus walked to the stool as if he were going to the gallows. His hands were shaking.
The Hat touched his head. Five seconds. Ten. Twenty. Thirty. A singing hat, Solus thought. It's having trouble deciding. Finally, after almost a full minute:
"SLYTHERIN!"
The Great Hall exploded. Not with applause. With murmurs.
"Potter in Slytherin?"
"Harry Potter's son?"
"Is that... Is it possible?"
Albus got off the stool, his face pale. He walked to the Slytherin table like a condemned man. Solus gestured to him. Albus sat next to him, staring at the table with wide eyes.
"It can't be," Albus whispered. "It can't be."
"Breathe," Solus said in a low voice.
"My family... my father... they're going to..."
"Breathe, Albus." Albus breathed. Shakily. But he breathed.
The sorting continued. Solus held his gaze. This is going to be interesting.
"Weasley, Rose!" Rose walked up to the stool with her chin held high. "GRYFFINDOR!" It wasn't even a surprise. Rose walked to the red and gold table without looking back. More names.
"Yamamoto, Kenji!".
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Zabini, Stella!" A girl with curly black hair and olive skin went up with a mischievous smile. "SLYTHERIN!" She walked to the green table and sat... directly across from Solus.
"Hello". she said with an accent that mixed Italian and German. "You're the one who made Rose Weasley cry, right?"
Solus blinked. "How...?"
"News travels fast on the train. I'm Stella Zabini." She held out her hand. "And you are officially my favorite person."
Solus shook her hand. "Solus Gray."
"I know. Everyone knows it now." Stella smiled. "First-year muggle-born who wore the Hat for three seconds. That's impressive."
'Three seconds. Was it that fast?'.
"Besides," Stella continued, lowering her voice, "my brother Marco says to keep an eye on the new ones. And you... you're interesting."
"Your brother?"
"Marco Zabini. Fifth year. Slytherin Prefect. Strategist, polyglot, and a pain in the ass." Stella shrugged. "But he's my pain in the ass."
Solus studied her. Stella Zabini. The scout. Impulsive, bright, curious. She could be useful. Or dangerous. Probably both.
Finally, the sorting ended. Headmistress McGonagall stood up. The hall fell silent.
"Welcome," she said with a voice that resonated with quiet authority. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts. To our new students: welcome to your home. To our veteran students: welcome back." She paused. "As you know, Hogwarts has changed in recent years. We have opened our doors to the world. We have accepted that magic has no borders. And we have learned that shared knowledge is knowledge that endures." Her eyes swept the hall. "This year, we have exchange students from Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, and Ilvermorny among us. Treat them as your peers. Learn from them. And teach them."
Solus noticed three students at the Ravenclaw table in blue French robes. Two in Gryffindor with Scandinavian furs. One in Hufflepuff with the Ilvermorny crest. The world is mixing. That's good. And terrifying.
"Now," McGonagall continued, "A few warnings. The Forbidden Forest is still forbidden. Products from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes are still forbidden. And the third-floor corridor is sealed until further notice."
'Sealed? Interesting.'
"Finally," McGonagall said, and her voice turned serious, "We live in uncertain times. The muggle world is advancing. And we must decide how to respond. But here, at Hogwarts, we remain a refuge. A place where magic is taught. Where students become wizards. And where knowledge is preserved." She raised her goblet. "So I ask you: study hard. Be kind. And remember that the house does not define who you are. You define the house." She lowered her goblet. "Now, eat!"
Food appeared out of nowhere. Plates filled with roast chicken, mashed potatoes, vegetables, bread, pies. The students dove for it like hungry wolves. Solus ate in silence, watching. Albus, beside him, barely touched his food.
"Albus?" Solus asked quietly.
"I can't believe I'm in Slytherin," Albus whispered. "My father... my mother... what are they going to say?"
"They're going to say they love you."
"How do you know?"
"Because you are their son. And parents love their children regardless of the house."
Albus looked at him. "Do your parents know what house you're in?"
"No. But my mother will be happy I'm in any house. And my father... well, he doesn't even know what the houses are."
Albus laughed weakly. "That must be liberating."
"It is."
Stella, across from them, intervened. "Hey, you two. Are you going to mope all night or are you going to eat?"
Albus looked at her. "And who are you?"
"Stella Zabini. First year. Scout and also an official nuisance." Stella smiled. "You're Albus Potter, right?"
"Yes," Albus said with resignation.
"Great. Then we're the three Slytherin outcasts." Stella bit into a piece of chicken. "The muggle-born. The Potter. And the Zabini who doesn't want to play the political game. We're going to be the best of friends."
Solus raised an eyebrow. "Friends?"
"Friends. Whatever. The point is: you two are interesting. And I collect interesting things."
Albus smiled for the first time since the sorting. "You're weird, Zabini."
"Thanks. I know."
After dinner, the Head of Slytherin stood up. He was a tall, dark-skinned man with a perfectly trimmed beard and green robes embroidered in silver. His eyes were sharp but not cruel.
"Slytherin students," he said with an accent Solus couldn't place. Caribbean, perhaps. "Follow me to the Common Room." The Slytherin students rose as one. Solus, Albus, and Stella followed them. They went down stairs. More stairs. More.
'We're under the lake', Solus thought. Finally, they reached a stone wall.
The Head of Slytherin murmured a password. The wall opened. And revealed the Slytherin Common Room. It was exactly as Corvus made him remember. Low ceilings. Green stone walls. Windows that looked out onto the lake, showing black water and creatures swimming in the darkness. Black leather sofas. A fireplace with green fire. Thick rugs. And above the fireplace, the Slytherin crest: a silver serpent on a green background. Home.
The Head of Slytherin turned to them. "Welcome to Slytherin. I am Professor Annan. Head of House and Professor of History of Magic."
Solus blinked. 'History of Magic? Did this man replace Binks... wait, I think Binks should have been dead for a long time, right?'.
"Some of you," Professor Annan continued, "Come from old families. Others come from new families. And others do not come from magical families at all." His gaze rested briefly on Solus. "I don't care. Here, in Slytherin, your blood doesn't matter. Your will matters. Your cunning. Your ambition". He paused. "Slytherin has a reputation. And it's not a good one. But we are not our ancestors. We are ourselves. And this year, we are going to prove it." He looked at every student. "The rules are simple: don't fight among yourselves where others can see. If you have a problem, solve it here. Be loyal to your house. And above all..." He smiled. "Be cunning. Cunning is what defines us. Not cruelty. Cunning." The students nodded. "Now, to bed. Classes start tomorrow. And trust me: you will need them."
The students dispersed toward the dormitories. Solus, Albus, and Stella were the last to move. Professor Annan stopped them.
"You three. A moment." They approached. "Mr. Gray. Mr. Potter. Ms. Zabini." Professor Annan studied them. "I know who you are. And I know this year will be... difficult for you."
"Difficult how?" Stella asked.
"You three are different. And Slytherin doesn't love different. But if you stick together, you will survive." He looked at Solus. "Mr. Gray. I understand you are the first wizard in your family."
"Yes, Professor."
"Then learn fast. Slytherin doesn't forgive weakness." He looked at Albus. "Mr. Potter. Your surname will protect you. But it will also make you a target. Be careful."
Albus nodded, pale. Finally, he looked at Stella.
"Ms. Zabini. Your brother asked me to watch you. Don't cause too much trouble."
Stella smiled innocently. "I never would, Professor."
"Of course not." Professor Annan sighed. "Now, to bed. All of you."
The first-year dormitory was small but comfortable. Four beds with green curtains. Trunks at their feet. Windows that looked out onto the lake. Solus chose the bed farthest from the door. Albus chose the bed next to his. The other two boys, a quiet half-blood named Thomas and a nervous pureblood named Greengrass, chose the other two. Solus changed in silence, placed his wand under his pillow, and lay down. He looked at the stone ceiling.
First day. Over. Everything starts now. He closed his eyes. And for the first time in years, he dreamed of Hogwarts burning.