43Corona Vipera: A Harry Potter Fanfiction
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters: all rights belong to JK Rowling. I do not own any crossover references used in the story: all rights belong to their original creators. I do own any OC spells explained at the end of a chapter.
Plot: "You could be great, you know? It's all here in your head and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness. There's no doubt about that." It sounds like the temptation of the Devil, right? Well, the Sorting Hat was right: Slytherin could help Harry be great: all he has to do is say yes.
Author's Note: So, as weird as this idea is going to sound, I hope you give it a chance and, quite frankly, if you can't, fine: I'm sick of repeating myself over and over with nobody listening, anyway.
So, let's get on with this, shall we?
Dedication: I'd like to dedicate this to JustBored21 for being one of many inspirations: my recommended reads are Damaged Raven and Trickshot by JustBored21, Harry Potter and the Prince of Slytherin by The Sinister Man, Saviour of Magic by Colt01, Dark Lord Potter by loverofeevee, Harry Potter and The Ashes of Chaos by ACI100, Harry Potter and the Spiteful Sorting Hat by Evening Ego, Two Sides To Every Galleon by GJWickham, Right Side of Hell by NeoMare, Argent Knight of Pendragon by Ronin2106, The Downward Spiral Saga – Harry Potter and the Homecoming, Harry Potter and Salazar's Legacy, Harry Potter and the Year of Broken Chains, Harry Potter and the Return of the Lost, Harry Potter and the Dirge of Hope and Harry Potter and the End of War – by BolshevikMuppet99, The true heir of Slytherin by JasminSky, Serpentine by darkfire1220, Harry Potter and the Boy Who Lived and Dark Lord Potter Part 1 by The Santi, Thanks to a Snake by Irish216, On way to greatness by Sherlock Jay Holmes, We're In This Together by zugrian and Silver Tongue by Shadow Hidden By The Moon
Key Pairing: Harry/TBD
Other Pairings: To be determined
Normal Speech
'Thoughts'
/Parseltongue/
Prologue: I Want Greatness
"Hmm…difficult…very difficult…plenty of courage, I see…not a bad mind, either…there's talent, oh yes…and a thirst…to prove yourself…but where to put you?"
"Not Slytherin, not Slytherin," whispered Harry, a mixture of overwhelming fear, dread and, curiously, hope flooding his words as he closed his eyes and prayed to whatever force may or may not be listening to him try and seize control of his future.
However, as the whispers left his lips, Harry's heart stopped suddenly when he heard the Sorting Hat respond, "Not Slytherin, eh? Are you sure? You could be great, you know? It's all here…in your head…and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness…there's no doubt about that…"
Suddenly, Harry's pleas for the hat to hear his wish and send him anywhere, but to the house that had given the world Lord Voldemort and those like Draco Malfoy fell silent as he heard the hat's words resonate through his mind. As he heard them, Harry felt his hand move towards the rim of the hat as he lifted it just so, allowing him to gaze in the direction of the emerald-clad students and their table while he swallowed hard, even as he let the hat fall over his eyes again, before he finally spoke again.
"How?"
"Hmm?" asked the hat.
"How…how can…how, exactly, can Slytherin help me be great?" asked Harry, keeping his voice barely above a whisper as he queried about the hat's cryptic choice of words.
"Oh…many…many ways," replied the hat, earning a frown from Harry, even as the aged artefact went on, "There are many mysteries and many more secrets waiting to be rediscovered by the chosen spirits whom are brave and willing, in heart, as well as soul and magic, enough to go and explore the dark, venomous depths and hidden secrets of the Serpents' Den, Mr Potter. And, while you might not want to believe me when I say this, I sense…no…I have a very strong, almost-sure inkling that you are the latest of these chosen ones."
"Me?"
"Indeed," said the hat, a note of cryptic amusement in his words as he told Harry, "After all, you are the one responsible for vanquishing the last scion to have a claim to the ancient power and legacy of Salazar Slytherin himself; but, although I am not meant to be so blasé about such things, I'll go ahead and say it anyway: he was found wanting."
Before he could stop himself, Harry smiled in response to the hat's words, even as the old hat went on, "But you, Mr Potter; I sense you fear that going to Slytherin will make you just like him. Well, I am going to say it as both a spirit who has sorted every possible soul who comes through those doors and as one who knows precisely what sort of students Salazar would have wished for his House: you are nothing like that man…if he can even be called a man anymore. You are better and, within you, there slumbers the means to be greater…all you have to do is decide…"
For a moment, silence followed the Sorting Hat's words, as Harry tried to figure out what might be the right course of action.
Was the hat right?
Could he be as great as Voldemort himself, maybe even greater, and still be a Slytherin?
And what did the hat mean when it said he was chosen?
As Harry thought about the hat's wise words, his eyes widened beneath the old hat when he heard a familiar voice address the hat, "Come on: what's taking so long? Just sort him into Gryffindor where he belongs!"
"Mr Weasley, be silent!" snapped Professor McGonagall, though she seemed unaware of Harry clenching his fists as the deputy scolded the redhead whom Harry thought was a friend.
Now, however, maybe it was the way someone else seemed to decide that Harry belonged somewhere else, or maybe it was that lingering sense of interest, curiosity and wonder that came with the Sorting Hat's words.
Whatever it was, it lit a fire under Harry that drove his will forwards, but not in a direction that anyone else might have seen coming.
Clenching his hands around the edges of the stool, Harry hissed under his breath, "All right…do it…"
"Are you sure?"
"I want to be great," said Harry matter-of-factly, though not before he clenched his teeth tightly as he added, "But I don't want it to be because of my stupid scar or anything else people think makes me who I am. I want to decide what I want to do for once and, if it's true, and that House will help me on the way to greatness…and if you're right and I am some sort of Chosen One, then do it. I…I refuse to be scared anymore!"
"Very well," agreed the hat, unaware of how the Great Hall seemed to hold its collective breath as the aged artefact made his choice;
"If you're absolutely sure…better be…SLYTHERIN!"
As soon as Harry removed the hat from his head, however, what should have been an explosion of cheers, chants and friendly welcomes turned into a sea of boos, jeers and loud, none-too-subtle arguments, many of which spoke of things like traitor, betrayer, monster, fraud, liar and even Dark Wizard.
And yet, even as Professor McGonagall, stunned though she was at what happened, called for silence, the only one who didn't react was Harry.
All he did was move over to the Slytherin Table where he sat down in the nearest seat and waited, not even acknowledging the shocked, stunned and even hateful looks being sent his way by his new Housemates.
Instead, Harry's mind was focused on the one thing he'd thought about since the hat had mentioned it;
'How can Slytherin help me be great? Well, I guess it's up to me and me alone to find out…'
So, a short, but sweet start and curiosity arises: is the Sorting Hat right about Slytherin helping Harry on the way to greatness without turning him into the new Voldemort?
If so, how? And how will some of Harry's new housemates, particularly those who he's already met, named and shamed, handle the fact that he not only became one of them, but he chose to become one of them?
Keep Reading to Find Out
Next Chapter: Harry Potter receives the expected frosty reception as he is welcomed to Slytherin, but if these dark wizard wannabes and future Death Eaters think they can scare him away, they're in for a very rude awakening;
Please Read and Review
