Harry Potter: The Lion of the Serpent House

Harry was fairly accepted in Slytherin, despite his feud with Draco. First-years treated him as the leader of his trio with Zabini, Azrael, and Farcas. Harry disliked the hierarchy, seeing them as brothers, but his un-Slytherin actions caused friction, making it his duty to lead and protect them. His snake-speaking and exposing Pettigrew at the Sorting Ceremony earned him goodwill, allowing friendly chats with Slytherins.

After the notebook incident, prefect Garfield Gafgarion privately advised Harry. "Don't get too dreamy about wizards, Potter. Remember what I said at the Sorting?" he said, sounding annoyed, swamped with studying for eleven O.W.L. subjects.

"No house business outside?" Harry recalled.

Gafgarion nodded. "Going along with Malfoy in the house is normal. Keep inside and outside separate, and there's no issue, right?"

"Thank you," Harry bowed, pondering. Fifth-years, stressed for O.W.L.s, casually insulted Muggle-borns in the common room, bonding through it. Should he mimic them and placate Draco? "No way," Harry decided. It felt disrespectful to Draco, with whom he hadn't reconciled.

Ignoring Gafgarion's advice, Harry didn't approach Muggle-borns outside but subtly helped them with magic. Azrael praised him. "That's the Slytherin way!" he said during Quirrell's class, relieved Harry's recklessness had calmed.

At the Gryffindor vs. Slytherin opening match, Harry sat in Slytherin's cheering section with Zabini and Farcas, united in hoping for victory. Draco, caught up in Quidditch passion, seemed to forget their rift. "Let's cheer for the team, Potter. Got your voice ready?" he asked.

"Got my Sonorus lozenges," Harry replied.

"Then cheer full force! The captains are out—wave!" Draco urged.

Quidditch, the wizarding world's top sport, awarded ten points per Quaffle through the opponent's rings and 150 points for catching the Snitch, ending the match. House points added prestige to players. Harry initially found the rules odd—why not focus on the Seeker?—but enjoyed scoring Quaffles in mock games with Draco.

Once the match began, Harry's doubts vanished. Players zipped at over 150 km/h, passing or intercepting Quaffles, Chasers scoring, Beaters smacking heavy Bludgers to disrupt opponents. Harry was enchanted, cheering Slytherin's points, groaning at Gryffindor's. He admired Slytherin's rough tackles, requiring precise broom control, but asked Farcas if they were excessive.

"You're one to talk, Harry," Farcas teased. "You've broken plenty of rules. That's normal in Quidditch."

Harry noticed Slytherin's rough play controlled the pace. Gryffindor's Keeper, skilled but rattled by Slytherin's tactics, made errors, costing points. In Quidditch, where 150+ points secured victory, Slytherin's strategy seemed fair. Their teamwork and hunger for victory shone—no pure-blood, half-blood, or Muggle-born divide in the air. Winning justified all, making Quidditch a space for Slytherins to be themselves.

Distracted by Farcas, Harry missed a scream from Slytherin's stands. A Bludger, deflected by their Beater, narrowly missed Gryffindor's Seeker, Cormack McLaggen, on a swift Nimbus 2000, and hurtled toward the stands. Protego should've blocked it, but with Dumbledore absent, Snape, Slytherin's Head, managed the spell. The Bludger aimed straight for Harry, who, unable to interfere magically, closed his eyes.

It stopped just before impact. The match paused, Protego was recast, and the Bludger replaced. "That was scary… is Quidditch always like this?" Harry said.

"No, that's not normal…" Zabini replied, shaken, keeping distance while watching the game.

In Gryffindor's stands, Ron and Hermione waved at Harry before the match. "He didn't notice. Too glued to Slytherin," Ron said, secretly relieved after worrying about Harry post-Halloween. Slytherin's affairs were hidden, so Harry seemed unchanged.

"Stop, Ron. It's rude to judge Slytherin like that. Sure, some are bad, but…" Hermione said, still stung by bullying from Slytherin girls, especially Pansy, whom she mentally cursed. Ron's criticism let her balance her views.

"Fine, some. But if they don't show it, it's a bunch of jerks," Ron retorted.

"You're so stubborn. Seamus, doesn't Ron have a bias?" Hermione asked.

"Dunno," Seamus dodged.

Their banter was a Gryffindor staple, with someone always buffering. To outsiders, Ron seemed stuck between friends, but Gryffindors valued his ability to handle Hermione's know-it-all nature with wit or praise.

"Foul play!" Gryffindors cried at Slytherin's tactics. Hermione agreed. Unlike Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, Slytherin's roughness made them despised. Seeing Harry cheer with Slytherins disappointed her. Glancing at the staff, she noticed Quirrell, Snape, Sprout, and Flitwick, with Snape muttering. Suddenly, a Bludger pierced Protego, aiming for Harry. Hermione saw Snape chanting intensely.

Her vast knowledge—likely the year's best—convinced her Snape cast a spell to bypass Protego. His clear dislike for Harry, treating him unfairly despite being Slytherin, fueled her suspicion. Snape never rewarded her correct answers, only deducting points unjustly. "Ron! Harry's in danger! Snape's casting! We have to stop him!" she cried.

Since Halloween, Hermione aimed to be the epitome of Gryffindor bravery. Ignoring Ron's protests, she charged toward Snape like a lion facing a bat.