The first minutes were iffy. There was basically no one in the great hall so it was just me eating my food.
Eventually, as the hours passed more and more people came in, and soon enough the hall was bustling with loud, obnoxious laughter.
Yay.
"How are you doing mate?" Draco asked as he packed his plate with bacon.
"I'm as good as always. I got my dream house after all and have pissed off Lilly and James. What more could I ask for?"
Draco snorted but quickly covered it up, the only evidence left of it ever happening being my amusement.
"About your parents..." Draco started making me fight to contain my urge to groan.
"What?" I asked, sounding more resigned than a 30-year-old trying to make a living while working for 'the man.'
"Are they going to do anything about your...you know..."
"Betrayal, disloyalty, horribleness, disregard of family tradition, being-myself-ness?" I added playfully.
Draco nodded awkwardly, looking away while rubbing his arm.
I snorted, thinking how wonderful it would be to live in the same building as my parents again.
"No. Not yet at least."
Draco opened his mouth, no doubt about to reply to me, but he got interrupted by none other than Hermione Ravenclaw.
"Haaaaaaaadriaaannnnnn!" She called in a sing-song voice, making tick marks grow on the older Slytherin's foreheads.
A strong force hit me from behind as Hermione basically jumped on me.
"I'm not a coat hanger and you aren't a coat. Don't hang on to me."
"Awwwwwww," she said playfully, but letting go nevertheless.
"Go to your house table, we can talk later. If you haven't noticed I'm in the middle of a conversation of a moment."
"Yeah! With me!" She said enthusiastically.
A long sigh escaped my lips as I basically threw her at the Ravenclaw table.
"Take her," I said handing her to a bewildered Ravenclaw prefect.
I looked back to Draco and smiled apologetically.
"What were you saying?" I asked trying to get back on track.
"No, it's nothing."
I frowned but didn't push on. I'll ask later if I think it's important.
Eventually, some of the other Slytherin first years came in and they stared at me with a mixture of curiosity, and disgust, with a manipulative hint as well.
Ahhh, just like Dudley when he was younger.
My mind ran through the memory of me killing Dudley with a smile gracing my lips. Then a fog-like feeling rushed through my mind and an entirely new memory came up.
Or, can it even be called a memory?
I 'remembered' a kid who looked like old Dudley leaving the house, and looking 'apologetic.'
I snapped out of my daze but I was still confused.
What the fuck was that?
I pushed the thought to the back of my mind.
'Something to distract me, something to distract me,"
My gaze landed on the teachers' table; only three teachers were missing.
Lilly Potter, James Potter, and Albitch"
Just as my mind started cooking up scenarios of what was happening with them, some more credible than others, they burst into the hall, looking at the students like they were looking for something.
Or rather...someone.
Eventually, all their eyes landed on me, and smirks could be seen appearing on their faces.
'Bloody hell. What in merlins shit do they want now?'
"Come," James beaconed inviting me to stand up.
I didn't stand.
A dark look flashed on his face as everyone quieted down to hear the commotion.
'Great. Attention. Just what I need.'
"Stand up," Lilly commanded, walking over to me, forcing me to smell her thick perfume.
She never changes, does she?
"Up. The sorting hat's going to re-sort you idiot." Lilly said, gripping Hadrian's shoulder tightly.
'What did this bitch just say to me?!
She did not just say that did she?!'
The bitch gestured to the hat- sorry -Alastor, who was resting in Aldicks hands and looked like the grinch just stole his Christmas.
"Now we're going to fix your fucking mistake" James exclaimed yelling into the hall.
"At least try to be less of a disgrace," he said looking at me hatefully.
My jaw clenched and my eyes grew red as anger shot through my body.
Draco backed away from me, confusing the other first years, and all of the other students who saw him scoot away from me.
I could take many insults, but today was not my day.
'Hell. No.'
"The sorting hat put me in Slytherin." I stated, looking into my parents' eyes "I will not leave my house."
The hall was deathly silent as the Slytherin students, hell, all the studies, stared at me in shock.
"That is no excuse-" Dumbledore began before I cut him off.
"Your right!" I yelled standing up and looking Dumbledore in the eye.
I laughed shallowly, sounding hollow and bitter.
My laughter rang through the hall entering all the students' ears.
"I have no excuse," I started, pausing to see the twinkle in Dumbledor's eyes grow.
"I have a reason." I continued, barely containing my grin as his twinkle left his eye.
I laughed once more before looking at him seriously.
"And you better listen to it."
Silence filled the hall, and everyone, including the teachers, looked at me with wide eyes and open mouths.
The perfect expression if I do say so myself.
"I was sorted into Slytherin. You have no right to try and change that. Even as the headmaster and..."
I looked at Lily and James with a sneer,
"Whatever authoritative figures you two are trying to be right now."
I smiled, 'sweetly' making Draco and Hermione shiver.
"Were your parents you ungrateful child."
"Oh, no I think you've got it all wrong. You being my parents assumes that we have a relationship with love and trust. You are just the filthy aspect of my blood! Does that clear up the misunderstanding?"
"You little-" James started before I cut him off.
"Aww, is Jamsie trwing to inwult mwe?"
His face turned red. Whether it was from anger or embarrassment I'm not sure. But I do know it was hilarious.
"I have no respect for you lord and lady Potter. I will not listen to your insulting 'advice' nor stand still as you insult an entire house right in front of them.
Like it or not there are 4 Hogwarts houses.
And I am in Slytherin. Plus your only real child is in Gryffindor isn't he? So why can't you just fly out of my life? Oh, wait, pigs don't fly."
The hall was silent except for the sound of Hermione munching her food.
"If you wish to discuss this later you are more than welcome to bring it up with Griphook, my bank goblin. Thank you for this truly lovely talk." I added sarcastically, smiling at them sweetly.
"I hope you have an absolutely dreadful day!" and so, I walked out of the gear hall, leaving behind whispers of 'how bad of a son I was," and "how rude I was to the headmaster."
'I've absolutely fucked my chances with the teachers haven't I?'
The headmaster watched me walk off with a sharp and cold gaze, likely trying to understand 'my intentions.
Professor Snape was looking at me in disgust.
But professor Quirrel...he was...different.
I shook my head dismissing the thoughts, but right after I left, I poked my head back into the hall again.
"Also classes were supposed to start a few minutes ago! Just adding!"
Then I walked over to transfiguration, my first class of the day.
How wonderful.