Knights of Magic and Shadow

The boats glided silently across the inky surface of the lake, moonlight fractured on the rippling waves. Hogwarts loomed in the distance like a sleeping dragon, ancient and proud, with towers that scraped the clouds and windows that gleamed with candlelight. The chill air bit at exposed skin, but Harry didn't notice.

He sat at the front of the boat, eyes on the castle, mind elsewhere.

Tonight, he entered the board. But he would not be a pawn.

The Great Hall was everything the books promised: enchanted ceiling reflecting the night sky, floating candles dancing in the air, four long tables packed with students, and the staff table raised at the front beneath the gaze of Albus Dumbledore.

Harry could feel the eyes on him.

He didn't care.

Names were called. Cheers echoed. House tables grew fuller.

Then: "Potter, Harry."

He stepped forward.

The whispers were immediate. Harry didn't look at them. His eyes were locked on the Sorting Hat, perched on the stool like some ancient judge.

He sat.

The brim dropped over his eyes.

Ah... came the Hat's voice in his mind. Interesting. Very interesting indeed. Plenty of courage... but also cunning, control... and ambition. A mind honed for battle, not play. You've already danced with darkness.

Harry said nothing.

You could do well in Gryffindor, you know. You have the spine. But no... no, you're something else entirely.

"Put me in Slytherin," Harry said. "I'm not interested in playing savior."

The Hat chuckled.

*Wise and ruthless. You'll do well in...

SLYTHERIN!

The green and silver table exploded with applause.

Harry stood, removed the Hat, and walked calmly to his new House.

Draco Malfoy greeted him with a smirk and a nod. Blaise Zabini watched him with unreadable eyes. Across the table sat Daphne Greengrass—poised, serene, and utterly unreadable. Tracey Davis grinned at him like she was testing his reaction to a joke only she knew.

"Welcome to the Snake Pit," she said. "Hope you bite."

Harry gave a faint smile. "Only if I'm bored."

Daphne's eyes flickered toward him. Cool appraisal. She was calculating him. Not for his name—but for who he was beneath it. He respected that.

Food appeared. Conversation rose. Dumbledore gave his speech. Harry tuned most of it out, though his eyes remained on the headmaster.

You want me predictable, Harry thought. Manageable.

He smiled faintly.

Too late.

The entrance to the Slytherin common room was hidden behind a bare stretch of damp stone wall near the dungeons. A prefect whispered the password ("Salazar"), and the stones shifted, revealing a passage.

Harry followed the others inside—and stopped.

The air was cool and smelled faintly of stone and water. The ceiling arched overhead like the ribcage of a great beast, casting deep shadows into the corners. Long, sweeping windows lined the outer wall, and through them, he saw the dark, wavering light of the Black Lake beyond.

Fish drifted past, shadows gliding in and out of view. Occasionally, something larger brushed against the glass, making the chamber hum ever so slightly. The light filtering through the water gave everything a shifting green glow.

Emerald and obsidian furnishings filled the room—leather-backed chairs, low tables carved with serpents, and a long, firelit hearth where students had begun to gather.

Above it all hung a silver chandelier, cold and elegant.

This is not a home, Harry thought. It's a lair.

He liked it.

He found a seat near the hearth. Draco eventually slid in beside him.

"You surprised me," Malfoy said.

"Good."

Draco smirked. "You're not what I expected."

"No one is."

There was silence. Not uncomfortable. Measured.

"I was told you'd be in Gryffindor," Draco continued.

"People say a lot of things. Most of them are wrong."

Draco leaned back, intrigued. "You know, I think we're going to have an... interesting year."

"No doubt."

They didn't shake hands. But something passed between them anyway.

Daphne Greengrass approached later, alone.

"You're not like the others," she said simply.

"Neither are you."

She tilted her head. "Most boys stumble over themselves trying to impress me."

"Then you must be bored often."

A faint smile. Almost imperceptible.

"I'll be watching you, Potter."

"Only fair. I'll be watching back."

She nodded once and moved on.

Tracey arrived moments later and plopped down beside him.

"You're fun," she said.

"I'm dangerous."

"Same thing."

That night, long after curfew, Harry stood alone before the largest window in the common room. The water outside danced with shadows. A grindylow passed, then vanished.

He could see his reflection in the glass. Not a hero. Not a savior.

A shadow with purpose.

[System Notification]House Assigned: SlytherinTraits Gained:

Serpent's Subtlety (+10% to all deception and social manipulation rolls)• House of Legacy (+10% political reputation growth in pure-blood circles)• Dark Alignment Concealment maintained.

He smiled faintly.

Let them try to figure me out.

They'll never see the blade until it strikes.