#slytherin harry potter

[h-i-n-a-57]

[demaparbat-hp]

"Harry! You have grey hairs already!"

"I always did..."

This is my second entry for @hms-harmony-discord Milestones Bingo event. This time, the prompt was First Signs of Aging.

[gods-graveyard]

"No one can tell the Weasley Twins apart" may be true, but with a few key exceptions.

_____________________________________________________________

McGonagall- She's iconic, and also how dare you imply she cannot tell two of her students apart, thats just blasphemy.

Lee Jordan- His best mates (and they told him)

Elisen Nott- Her best mates (and they didn't tell her, she learned out of spite)

Percy Weasley- They're his brothers, he really can't understand why no one else can tell

Oliver Wood- Quidditch, no elaboration.

Marcus Flint- Oliver & Percy told him how, and Quidditch.

Harry Potter- The vibes (Their freckles)

Theo Nott- The vibes (Magical signature)

Luna Lovegood- The vibes (but actually)

This is all based on my fic @yellow_sprouts on ao3 called "Navigating the den of snakes" and with the twins being introduced next chapter I thought I would go ahead and give a lil fun snip (although Theos is a minor spoiler)

[hollowed-theory-hall]

Hello! I have seen this question debated many times and I wanted to know your take on it cause I find your theories very compelling. Do you think harry should've been in Slytherin? Does he have what it "takes" to be a Slytherin? Is it because of voldemort's soul in him that lead the sorting hat to even suggest he could be in Slytherin? I know this is not one question but I would like to know your opinion on this topic in general!

First of all, thank you for the kind words! 😊

As for the questions, well, you've asked more than one question, but this ask kinda gives me a good reason to talk about how Harry isn't some golden Gryffindor. He actually has some anger issues and he most definitely has what it "takes" for Slytherin.

I'll start with the last question and then go backward, actually.

Did the hat consider Slytherin house just because of the Horcrux?

I don't think so.

I mean, Harry is incredibly clever, magically powerful, and has a cunning streak a mile wide all on his own. I'd actually go as far as to say he's more cunning, ruthless, and resourceful than many of the Slytherins we see in the books. So his own traits definitely are in line with a Slytherin sorting, Horcrux or no Horcrux.

We can try and discern if the Horcrux has an effect on Harry's personality then, and if its influence is seen like that. I'd say that I don't think so either.

Tom and Harry, while they have their similarities, are very different people. They both have a bad temper (although they react to anger differently), but Harry has low self-esteem whereas Tom thinks he is the best (while still hating himself). They're both stubborn, but Tom is much more obsessive than Harry in pursuit of his goals. Harry cares for justice and isn't willing to hurt innocents, Tom doesn't really care about any of that he cares for efficiency. If the Horcrux was influencing Harry's personality, I'd expect to see more similarities between them that go deeper than that.

So, I don't think the hat only offered Slytherin because of the Horcrux. Harry is a Slytherin in his own right.

Does Harry have what it "takes" for Slytherin?

So, I honestly got really excited at the sight of this sentence. See I love Harry, that's no secret. But one of the things I love about him is that he isn't the perfect noble hero. He can be angry, and cruel and ruthless. But he has a sense of justice, he wouldn't wish harm on someone innocent, but someone who did harm to him, or was mean to him or someone he cares for... then Harry can be terrifying when he wants to be.

So, now I'm going to go through some (I have so many more examples of this, and the examples here are mostly books 1-5 since that's what I had on hand) of my collection of quotes showing Harry Potter's vindictiveness and anger.

Harry's response to "have a good summer" at the end of his first year:

“Oh, I will,” said Harry, and they were surprised at the grin that was spreading over his face. “They don’t know we’re not allowed to use magic at home. I’m going to have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer.…

(PS, page 221)

This is Harry's (very justified) vindictiveness we see towards the Dursleys many times in the books. He uses the idea of magic to scare them and is gleeful at the thought of Dudley's fear. Harry is very much chill with vengeance.

“…He likes to keep in touch with me, though . . . keep up with my news . . . check if I’m happy. . . .” And, grinning broadly at the look of horror on Uncle Vernon’s face, Harry set off toward the station exit, Hedwig rattling along in front of him, for what looked like a much better summer than the last.

(PoA, page 435)

Same as above, just Sirius Black as the threat instead of magic.

Yes, thought Harry, that looked all right. There was no point putting in the dream; he didn’t want it to look as though he was too worried.

(GoF, page 25)

Harry can and does lie and conceal information, even from people he trusts (like Sirius) if he thinks it'll be better not to tell them something. Whether that is for his own image or for what they would think.

“Potter! Weasley! What are you doing?” It was Professor McGonagall, and her mouth was the thinnest of thin lines. “We were — we were —” Ron stammered. “We were going to — to go and see —” “Hermione,” said Harry. Ron and Professor McGonagall both looked at him. “We haven’t seen her for ages, Professor,” Harry went on hurriedly, treading on Ron’s foot, “and we thought we’d sneak into the hospital wing, you know, and tell her the Mandrakes are nearly ready and, er, not to worry —” Professor McGonagall was still staring at him, and for a moment, Harry thought she was going to explode, but when she spoke, it was in a strangely croaky voice. “Of course,” she said, and Harry, amazed, saw a tear glistening in her beady eye.

(CoS, page 259)

And he clearly can lie well, even at 12.

But Harry wasn’t going to stand for this. Gone were the days when he had been forced to take every single one of the Dursleys’ stupid rules. He wasn’t following Dudley’s diet, and he wasn’t going to let Uncle Vernon stop him from going to the Quidditch World Cup, not if he could help it. Harry took a deep, steadying breath and then said, “Okay, I can’t see the World Cup. Can I go now, then? Only I’ve got a letter to Sirius I want to finish. You know — my godfather.” He had done it. He had said the magic words. Now he watched the purple recede blotchily from Uncle Vernon’s face, making it look like badly mixed black currant ice cream.

...

He stopped there to enjoy the effect of these words. He could almost see the cogs working under Uncle Vernon’s thick, dark, neatly parted hair. If he tried to stop Harry writing to Sirius, Sirius would think Harry was being mistreated. If he told Harry he couldn’t go to the Quidditch World Cup, Harry would write and tell Sirius, who would know Harry was being mistreated. There was only one thing for Uncle Vernon to do. Harry could see the conclusion forming in his uncle’s mind as though the great mustached face were transparent. Harry tried not to smile, to keep his own face as blank as possible. And then — “Well, all right then. You can go to this ruddy . . . this stupid . . . this World Cup thing.

(GoF, page 33)

Again, vindictiveness and manipulation of Vernon through fear. Not only that, but Harry can keep his calm and keep his face blank even at 14 for the sake of getting something he wants.

“Get stuffed, Malfoy,” said Harry. “C’mon, Ron. . . .” “Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren’t you, Potter?” sneered Malfoy. “So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?” “You know your mother, Malfoy?” said Harry — both he and Hermione had grabbed the back of Ron’s robes to stop him from launching himself at Malfoy — “that expression she’s got, like she’s got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?” Malfoy’s pale face went slightly pink. “Don’t you dare insult my mother, Potter.” “Keep your fat mouth shut, then,” said Harry, turning away.

(GoF, page 204)

Harry has a bark (all of the above quotes are Harry having a bark). He can and does shoot back as good as he gets.

Harry isn't all bark though, he's got a bit. Harry's anger is palpable and so very real and I love seeing it:

just as Uncle Vernon burst out of the dining room, his trouser leg in bloody tatters. “COME BACK IN HERE!” he bellowed. “COME BACK AND PUT HER RIGHT!” But a reckless rage had come over Harry. He kicked his trunk open, pulled out his wand, and pointed it at Uncle Vernon. “She deserved it,” Harry said, breathing very fast. “She deserved what she got. You keep away from me.”  He fumbled behind him for the latch on the door. “I’m going,” Harry said. “I’ve had enough.”

(PoA, page 30)

Again, Harry has his vindictive strike. (Obviously, Marge had it coming, but that's also what Harry is thinking).

A boiling hate erupted in Harry’s chest, leaving no place for fear. For the first time in his life, he wanted his wand back in his hand, not to defend himself, but to attack . . . to kill.

(PoA, page 339)

“You killed my parents,” said Harry, his voice shaking slightly, but his wand hand quite steady.

(PoA, page 341)

Harry, at 13, was fully willing to kill who he believed led to his parents' deaths. And more:

So what if he had to kill the cat too? It was in league with Black. . . . If it was prepared to die, trying to protect Black, that wasn’t Harry’s business. . . .

(PoA, page 342)

He's willing to kill Hermione's cat if it stands in his way.

Harry stood there, feeling suddenly empty. He hadn’t done it. His nerve had failed him. Black was going to be handed back to the dementors.

(PoA, page 343)

Harry Potter, at 13, laments that he didn't have the nerve to kill Sirius himself. He thinks he should've killed himself. He sees it as a failure that justice would be served by someone other than him.

Harry sat there staring at Snape as the lesson began, picturing horrific things happening to him. . . . If only he knew how to do the Cruciatus Curse . . . he’d have Snape flat on his back like that spider, jerking and twitching. . . .

(GoF, page 300)

Harry felt oddly separate from everyone around him, whether they were wishing him good luck or hissing “We’ll have a box of tissues ready, Potter ” as he passed. It was a state of nervousness so advanced that he wondered whether he mightn’t just lose his head when they tried to lead him out to his dragon, and start trying to curse everyone in sight.

(GoF, page 347)

The above quotes are both situations Harry was willing and wishing to curse people. Even Crucio Snape. He's not as noble and righteous and golden as many fans and characters in the books make him out to be...

If Dudley’s friends saw him sitting here, they would be sure to make a beeline for him, and what would Dudley do then? He wouldn’t want to lose face in front of the gang, but he’d be terrified of provoking Harry. . . . It would be really fun to watch Dudley’s dilemma; to taunt him, watch him, with him powerless to respond . . . and if any of the others tried hitting Harry, Harry was ready — he had his wand . . . let them try . . . He’d love to vent some of his frustration on the boys who had once made his life hell —

(OotP, page 11)

And sometimes, Harry wishes for an excuse to fight. An excuse to take his anger out on someone. (He has a lot of anger in him)

Smirking all over his pointed face, Draco Malfoy leaned across Harry and seized the largest bowtruckle. “Maybe,” said Malfoy in an undertone, so that only Harry could hear him, “the stupid great oaf’s got himself badly injured.” “Maybe you will if you don’t shut up,” said Harry out of the side of his mouth.

(OotP, page 260)

He's threatening and witty.

“Oh no,” said Hermione, quaking so badly that her knees gave way. “Oh, that was horrible. And he [Gwamp] might kill them [the centaurs] all. . . .” “I’m not that fussed, to be honest,” said Harry bitterly.

(OotP, page 759)

And when it comes to people he doesn't consider innocent, or ones he doesn't care for, even if they never harmed him, Harry is still vindictive. The centaurs mistreated Firenze and Hagrid, so Harry doesn't really care if Gwamp kills them all.

That being said, he is more concerned about Sirius in the above scene.

And he can and does cast unforgivables easily by the later books:

Hatred rose in Harry such as he had never known before. He flung himself out from behind the fountain and bellowed “Crucio!” Bellatrix screamed. The spell had knocked her off her feet, but she did not writhe and shriek with pain as Neville had — she was already on her feet again, breathless, no longer laughing. Harry dodged behind the golden fountain again — her counterspell hit the head of the handsome wizard, which was blown off and landed twenty feet away, gouging long scratches into the wooden floor.

(OotP, page 809)

Harry raised the hawthorn wand beneath the cloak, pointed it at the old goblin, and whispered, for the first time in his life, “Imperio!” A curious sensation shot down Harry’s arm, a feeling of tingling, warmth that seemed to flow from his mind, down the sinews and veins connecting him to the wand and the curse it had just cast. The goblin took Bellatrix’s wand, examined it closely, and then said, “Ah, you have had a new wand made, Madam Lestrange!”

(DH, pages 152-453)

As Amycus spun around, Harry shouted, “Crucio!” The Death Eater was lifted off his feet. He writhed through the air like a drowning man, thrashing and howling in pain, and then, with a crunch and a shattering of glass, he smashed into the front of a bookcase and crumpled, insensible, to the floor. “I see what Bellatrix meant,” said Harry, the blood thundering through his brain, “you need to really mean it.”

(DH, page 502)

So, I think Harry definitely has what it takes. He's clever, he can be ruthless, and he's capable of lying and hiding secrets when he feels it's the best option. He can hide his emotions when he really needs to, even if he rarely does. Actually, only in book 6, Harry starts sharing everything with Ron and Hermione on Dumbledore’s advice. Up to that point, he kept quite a bit to himself. And when someone wrongs him, he can and often will swing back.

And last but not least, should he have been in Slytherin?

So, this is an interesting question, because "should" can have two meanings.

1. Should've for the story — as in what is best for the narrative.

2. Should've for the character — in universe, which house the sorting hat should've picked.

So, for the first one, my answer is no. Gryffindor was the right choice for Harry for the narrative of the books as they are. Gryffindor is essentially the opposite of Slytherin and represents a choice more than just the traits and values the house represents. It represents Harry's choice even though he could've been a Slytherin he chose Gryffindor. And it's a constant choice with every heroic act. (personally, I'm not the biggest fan of equating school houses with morality, but it's effective in creating a clear narrative)

And while not all Slytherins are evil and not all Gryffindors are good, a Slytherin Harry Potter would've resulted in a very different story than what we have. So, for the story we ended up getting to happen the way it did, yes, Harry needed to be a Gryffindor.

For the second, maybe. Personally, I believe people (even if they aren't hatstalls) have more than one house they can fit into. Harry is both a Slytherin and a Gryffindor, and neither of them is more wrong or right for him as a person. I think deciding which one of them is best for him is up to a coin flip (and when in his life the question is asked).

He can be ruthless and cunning like a Slytherin. Selfless and courageous like a Gryffindor. He values justice like a Gryffindor. But he also has the selective loyalty of Slytherin to their own.

Point is, there isn't really a "should", because both suit him and he would’ve done well in both. Do I think Slytherin Harry is an incredibly fun concept to consider? Yes. Did I read way too many fics with this premise and would read more? Yes. Do I think he might've fit into Slytherin better than Gryffindor? Well, not necessarily.

Harry is much quieter than most in Gryffindor, but I think the constant scheming and image-keeping in Slytherin would be exhausting to him. He just doesn't care about all the gossip and politicalizing (something that occasionally leaves him out of the loop also in Gryffindor). So, again, both suit him about equally. The difference is that we get a very different story depending on his house.

[morsmordream]

tom: “well, you know how it is. if push comes to stab, and all that.”

harry: “that’s… that’s not the phrase. it’s if push comes to shove. tom? tom marvolo riddle come back here right now, so help me god-”

[aethon-recs]

Hullo!!

Thank you for all the great tomarry fic recs you have given to us!! Your recs are always the best and I love them all..🩷🩷

Do you have any Tomarry fics where Harry somehow time travels to the past where Tom is still in his Hogwarts years ?? And Harry becomes the transfer/new student and gets sorted into Slytherin??

I hope I'm not being too specific.. honestly, just any fic where Harry and Tom both go to Hogwarts!!

Thank you🩷🩷

- rioo xxx

Hi there! Thank you for your kind words 🤍

Here's a selection of fics featuring Harry and Tom attending Hogwarts together in the 1940s.

There's 23 fics in the list below, covering 1.7 million words, so hopefully there's some fics in here you haven't come across before! Happy reading!

*

Hogwarts 1940s-era Tomarrymort Recs

A Future Without a Face by @dividawrites (E, 115k, complete)

Tom Riddle is a gifted teen with a personality disorder. He’s going to rule the world one day. Harry Potter is an extremely angry transfer student, or at least that’s what Tom believes.

And the Living Will Envy the Dead by @k-s-morgan (M, 81k, WIP)

When Harry looks at Tom, he feels overwhelmed. There is a spark that makes him hopeful, the fear that nothing he does will save Tom from himself, and the horror at what his lies might lead to. When Tom looks at Harry, he feels nothing. Until he does, and then Harry’s world starts drowning in blood.

At the end of every road by @sass-y-squatch (M, 90k, complete)

In which Harry is determined to prevent Voldemort's rise, even if he has to stalk, bribe, threaten, and marry Tom Riddle to do it.

But For You, I Did by @duplicitywrites (M, 21k, complete)

When 11-year-old Tom Riddle finally arrives at Platform 9 and ¾, he meets fifth-year Prefect Harry Evans, a Muggleborn Slytherin at the top of his year. Harry is everything that Tom wants to be—Harry knows exactly what it’s like to be special, intelligent, and have no one understand you. 

Custodarium by Tina48 (E, 73k, complete)

The war is over, and the Wizarding Britain has been slowly rising from the ashes. Harry just wishes none of it ever happened – what will he do when he’s given a chance to change the past? Was Dumbledore right about “the power he knows not” after all?

Devil's Hour by @exarite (E, 3k, complete)

Harry traveled back to Riddle's time with the intention to kill him, but it's been months and he's done nothing. Instead, night after night, Tom visits him in his bed. Harry lets him.

Embryo by @cannibalinc (NR, 28k, WIP)

While others only gossip about Grindelwald and dutifully prepare for their NEWTs, Tom is building an empire. He has painstakingly clawed his way to the top of his generation’s elite, and now he wants more—more power, more delights, more magic than has ever been explored before. That is Tom’s destiny, a King among men. No—a god. He need only rise to that which is his for the taking… if only one strange boy weren’t so determined to get in his way.

Enoument by @accipitae (M, 22k, complete)

Call if fate, call it destiny, call it getting hit by a car at five years old and flung into the past to land naked and bruised on the steps of Wool's Orphanage in 1931. Whatever it is, Harry grows up not in a cupboard under the stairs but in a small room shared with another strange boy.

Fate Granted by Flipdarkchill (M, 60k, WIP)

When a young Tom Riddle demands a friend in the middle of the night, he did not truly expect anything to happen. At least, not right away...

Game On, Your Move by @perhaps-sunlight (T, 75k, complete)

Be on guard, my Lord, writes Abraxas Malfoy, the new transfer student intends to kill you. Except Abraxas has terrible penmanship, and 'kill' and 'kiss' look awfully similar in shoddy cursive. Naturally, things escalate. A lot.

good night, darling by @purplemineralwater (E, 141k, WIP)

Harry's breath faltered. It was all so confusing... Harry had died. He had died and spoken to Death and suddenly he was standing in Hogwarts, in 1942, and the Sorting Hat had just pronounced him Slytherin.

Holly & Yew by @lovely-lotus (M, 236k, WIP)

After a bout of accidental magic when Harry is six, Vernon goes too far. When Harry wakes up, he is gravely wounded and more than fifty years in the past in another world. After some shuffling, Harry ends up at Wool's. There, he meets Tom Riddle, his mysterious roommate, eventual best friend, and the love of his life.

Infinite by @duplicitywrites (E, 8k, complete)

Harry and his twin brother Tom have the same mark. The same soulmate. Whoever their soulmate is, wherever they may be, they will go to Tom. Tom, however, has other plans.

nothing left to lose by @cindle-writes (E, 11k, complete)

Harry got to have Tom’s cock inside him anytime he wanted, but all he really wanted was Tom’s soul back inside of him.

Of Monsters, Of Men by @ca-xan-dra (M, 144k, WIP)

Harry’s first memory at Wool’s Orphanage is of Tom Riddle. He thinks Tom Riddle makes many exceptions for him. (He’s right.)

Promises, Promises by @mosiva (E, 72k, complete)

Harry, stuck in the past and trying to navigate Slytherin House with Tom Riddle at its head, is hit with a memory-loss spell. An unhappy accident, as the ever-friendly Tom Riddle is on hand to tell him.

Reckless Cartography by @meles-merrivale (M, 9k, WIP)

Just because someone is the love of your life doesn’t mean they’re good for you. And just because someone’s bad for you doesn’t mean you get to walk away. Featuring Harry and Tom attending Hogwarts together and slowly ruining each other’s lives.

Stab Right Through by @the-wig-is-a-metaphor (M, 82k, WIP)

Getting lost in old memories is a dangerous thing for anyone, but in Harry's case the whole situation is slightly more literal than usual, and—as it always tends to be—much, much worse.

Subjective by IceLynx (G, 1.5k, complete)

While Harry thinks Tom is extremely handsome, nobody else does. Most think Tom is rather average. Harry refuses to admit it and is forced to defend his opinion.

tautological by @cindle-writes (E, 7k, complete)

It had taken Tom quite a bit of trial and error to figure out how, but he had finally worked out how to exploit their shared horcrux connection and send Harry false visions and dreams. For a few weeks now, Harry had been waking up every morning to a rush of pleasure, soaked pajama bottoms, and Tom’s name a broken moan on his lips.

Terrible, But Great by @isalisewrites (M, 143k, WIP)

When Death gives Harry a third option, one that can save everyone he ever cared about, he takes it unflinchingly. Even when that means doing the impossible: falling in love with the enemy, Tom Riddle.

Vespertine by @itsevanffs (E, 24k, WIP)

Harry only blooms at night; Tom can see this much.

What Souls Are Made Of by Emeralds_and_Lilies (E, 278k, complete)

A mysterious object in Bellatrix's vault sends Harry, Ron and Hermione spinning into the past and to a Hogwarts like none they know. Posing as students, Harry catches the eye of the Head Boy, Tom Riddle, who is nothing like the Voldemort of the future. He's charming and sly and manipulative; both brilliant and deadly.

*

[picklesonjupiter]

In this fic (series), Harry befriended snakes who told him he was a wizard before he was 11 which led to him mistrusting Dumbledore. He was sorted into Slytherin and made friends with Blaise and Millicent. Also, Draco is still a bit of a prat, but Harry leads him on the right path. Severus becomes Harry's guardian after he learns that the Dursleys were abusive.

[kazisstillawake]

🐍 The Runemaster - Tomarry ⚡️

Explicit

Harry trips on a rock and leaps through time. Lost and alone, 1940s Hogwarts is very different from the Hogwarts he is familiar with. To make matters worse, he is dumped into Slytherin – Riddle’s territory.

Harry must navigate his new life in the most unremarkable way possible and blend into the background until he can find his way home. But it’s hard to be invisible when you’re a novelty, new student that knows too much for your own good.

Part I – Ongoing

[raleighrox]

Looking for Vibes

I just finished reading Evitative by Vichan on Ao3. If you haven't read it yet: ( Evitative - Chapter 1 - Vichan - Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling [Archive of Our Own] ) Do it.

This is literally one of the best Drarry fanfictions I have ever read. The next one in the series isn't officially finished yet (and I'm not sure it ever will be) and I NEED similar suggestions.

Give me Slytherin Harry Potter. Give me the cutest Drarry. Give me slow burn. Give me soft love. Give me two idiots who can only understand one another. Give me the vibes that I desperately crave.

Not opposed to spice or enemies to lovers either, tbh.

Thank you!!!

[katie-krum]

Not a Slytherin - Chapter 1 - katiekrum - Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling [Archive of Our Own]

Harry Potter doesn't want to be in Slytherin. Severus Snape doesn't want Harry in Slytherin.

but...

Hermione Granger thinks that green suits to Harry.

xxx

She quickly and effectively managed to teach other Slytherins what being a Muggleborn really meant. She didn't have to use force for this. Her respect for wizarding culture, her comprehensive and even old-fashioned education, and the speed with which she learned new spells were enough to promote her from a Muggleborn to something more.

There were exceptions, but these exceptions inexplicably ended up in Poppy's care in the Hospital Wing. And she always had an alibi.

It only took a year for her to catch Lucius' attention and replace Astoria Greengrass in his marriage plans for his son.

To sum up, Severus Snape was afraid of this school year. He was prepared for the arrival of Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter but never, even in his wildest dreams, had he prepared for them both to end up in his care.

[lilsytherinheiress11]

[h-i-n-a-57]

You can see I don't have my own drawing style yet :p

[maysileeewrites]

everyone else when discussing Slytherin!Harry: cool, elaborate theories, inventing all these exciting new storylines

me: oh, you know, the green would go lovely with his eyes 💚🐍

[gods-graveyard]

Evan Rosier who was a shy kid- neither he nor Pandora had good social skills. And he tended to come off as rude or creepy, so a lot of his early friends were paintings around the castle he would talk to in his free time

[morsmordream]

fight club (kinda), but it’s hogwarts

severus snape saw himself as a realist, honestly. the other hogwarts staff members saw him as way too pessimistic, but, frankly, he believed they were just too optimistic.

severus was shocked at how intently the rest of the professors truly believed that the declining animosity amongst the student body was a secret, unanimous agreement of inter-house unity.

severus, of course, knew otherwise. being, shockingly, the youngest member of staff had its perks, you see.

the room of requirement wasn’t the well-kept secret that the other staff members believed- knowing of its existence but not it’s location. the room was used widely by students in severus’ time in hogwarts, primarily as a duelling room- where students settled their quarrels with an audience, away from the watchful eyes of their professors or even just practiced duelling for fun.

having, naturally, been challenged to countless duels during his time in hogwarts, severus recognised the decline in aggression between the houses for what it really was- this well-kept secret has been passed down from parents to students again once more.

severus knew that these duels should be running along proper duelling etiquette, but he also knew that any curse bar the killing curse was free game. if someone could heal it, or cast the counter-curse, you could use it. if not, you couldn’t. simple as that. most students have the common decency not to use the remaining unforgivable curses- but the key word was most.

severus could tell the rest of the staff, but where was the fun in that? all students present at a duel, not just the duellers, likely will have taken a vow of silence so it couldn’t be revealed to staff. multiple students with a solid grasp of healing would be present at each duel. different nights held different year groups. it was surprisingly well-organised.

most importantly, though, it severely lessened the amount of detentions severus had to give out.

maybe it truly was a good thing, severus mused, as he rounded a corner in the dungeons on his way to his next class. double potions with the slytherin and gryffindor fifth years.

there had miraculously been a slight improvement in inter-house relations between the two usually feuding houses. it seemed that this duelling had sparked a grudging respect and severus had noticed a steady decline in the amount of his students in the hospital wing for gryffindor-related incidents.

severus had also noticed an obvious distance between potter (potter-black, he amended in his head) and granger and weasley since that demented sorting hat had demanded his resorting at the beginning of the year. the combination of potter-black’s change of legal name, his sorting into slytherin, his certain involvement in illicit duelling (which granger was very against- her loud protests outside his classroom was half the reason severus worked it out) and his close friendship with nott and zabini (and shocking civility with malfoy) had certainly spelled the end of the golden trio.

severus heard the chattering outside his classroom abruptly stop, and he swiftly disillusioned himself despite not being in sight yet.

“heir theodore nott. i, hermione jean granger, challenge you to a wizard’s duel at 8pm tonight on the grounds of the horrific injustice you and your housemates are doing by corrupting one hadrian potter-black to your dark magic ways. i nominate ronald weasley as my second.”

oh merlin, severus thought. out of all the students granger could pick a duel with, she goes for the death eater’s son who reads dark arts books like they’re bedtime stories.

“and what’s in it for the winner?” came nott’s voice.

“if i win, you stay away from harry. if you win, i- i’ll leave harry alone,” granger said.

“granger,” severus recognised potter-black’s sharp tone, “renounce it. you can’t duel.”

“what, harry? you think a mudblood like me can’t handle myself against one of your new death eater friends?”

“get your head out of your arse, granger,” zabini chimed in, “that’s not what hadrian’s saying and you know it. you hate the duels because the dark arts aren’t off limits, yet you want to duel someone who can wield dark spells when you have no duelling experience? you’ll get hurt, hadrian’s trying to stop that from happening.”

“sounds like a threat, zabini. you won’t scare me. nott, do you agree?”

there was a pause, and severus was sure he could hear a harshly whispered warning to nott from potter-black. similarly, he could hear weasley pleading with granger not to go through with this. severus imagined the latter was down to his fear of potentially having to duel nott himself.

“i, heir theodore tyr nott, formally accept hermione jean granger’s challenge to a wizarding duel tonight at 8pm on the grounds that she needs to mind her own sodding business. i nominate hadrian potter-black as my second.”

severus felt a rare twang of pity for granger, as he recognised the barely suppressed glee in nott’s voice- clearly, he had been itching for something like this for a while. whatever happened tonight would not be pretty, and, as he cancelled his disillusionment spell and set off towards his classroom, severus decided he would brew some quick speciality healing potions to send up to poppy in the hospital wing as a little gift.

for the first time in all his years of teaching, severus almost wished someone would create a disaster in this classroom. that way he could throw out as many detentions as remotely possible, and hopefully prevent this disastrous duel.

he was almost tempted to ruin granger and nott’s potions himself as an excuse to punish them, despite the fact granger was competent in potions and nott was top of the class, but he soon scrapped that idea upon remembering exactly what kind of father nott senior was. young theodore, as terrifying and powerful as he may be, would not survive a summer with his father if he failed even one potions class.

severus sighed to himself as he stalked around the classroom towards its end, pretending not to hear the furious whispers or see the rapid hand gestures that potter-black was directing to nott beside him or nott’s hands held up in innocence as he swore he wouldn’t try to kill granger. severus also really ignored the quick kiss nott pressed to potter-black’s cheek when he was focusing on the gryffindor side of the classroom, and he also ignored the way potter-black stopped his protests and settled for merely glaring at the boy beside him.

he did, however, deduct fifteen points from gryffindor after weasley’s hands shook hard enough for him to mess up his potion to the point of the cauldron melting through the table.

severus sighed to himself, as the last of the class left the room. he wouldn’t say he had ever been particularly impressed with potter-black in potions, but he did have to admit- he had never seen a functional draught of peace brewed with quite so much aggression.

he shook his head as he readied himself for his next class, telling himself that whatever happened in that duel tonight was not his business to stop. he was, however, quite eager to see just how it would turn out.

oh, to be a fly on the wall of the room of requirement.

[fureliselost]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Hermione Granger & Harry Potter & Ron Weasley, Harry Potter & Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall & Severus Snape, Hermione Granger & Harry Potter Characters: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall Additional Tags: Slytherin Harry Potter, POV Harry Potter, POV Ron Weasley, Unregistered Animagi (Harry Potter), Animagus, Harry Potter Never Went to Hogwarts, Severitus | Severus Snape is Harry Potter's Parent Series: Part 5 of Soured Summary:

Harry might be in a world of trouble. All his own fault, of course.

"Explain yourself." Snape ordered.

"I decided to practice the spell that reveals an animagus on Ron's rat?"

"How did you know it was Pettigrew?"

"His finger. When he was allegedly blown to bits, that's the only part of him they could find."

Ron looked almost humorous, "He was naked and the thing you focused on was his finger?"

"Yes, I'm very observant."

OR: Harry does a plot point.