In the House of Snakes

Percy watched the great hall with interest. They were going to be sorted. He was standing behind Oliver and watched as Professor McGonagall put an old, ratty-looking hat on a stool. He was even surprised when it sang. He did read about the sorting but never thought the hat will sing. He did his research when nobody in his family or neighborhood was willing to tell him what sorting is. It seems to be something of a tradition to leave eleven-year-olds to worry about the sorting process.

"So, all we have to do is put on a hat?" Oliver whispered near him. "I am going to kill your brother, Percy."

Percy raised his eyebrows at him and Oliver continued. "Charlie told us that it was going to hurt a lot." Percy knew that Oliver sat somewhere else on the train. He figured Oliver was with other first years. Percy winds up sitting in a compartment by himself. He tried finding Marcus but he was too scared to meet with other potential Slytherins. The Weasley family did not have a good reputation among high society wizards after all (even though the Weasleys have the prestige and name for it except for money). Marcus was standing a few heads away from Percy with the younger Montague and some people Percy isn't familiar with.

"You're gonna be in Gryffindor too, right Percy?" Oliver asked.

Percy nodded but was unsure. There was a chance Percy would wind up in Ravenclaw due to his love of books and information but he personally wants to stay in Gryffindor with his brothers and family.

Oliver and Percy watched as one by one; Professor McGonagall called their names. Because both Oliver and Percy's surnames start with "W" they'll be called last.

"Flint, Marcus Aurelius!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

Percy watched as Marcus joined the Slytherin table. Percy wondered if he and Marcus would still be friends even if he winds up with Gryffindor. He knew how the Slytherins and the Gryffindors hated each other. The only house the Slytherins tolerated is Ravenclaw. They see the Gryffindors as rivals while thinking the Hufflepuffs are kind of a joke. Percy doesn't exactly think anything badly with the Hufflepuffs. A lot of Hufflepuff graduates own a lot of businesses and are known to be more tolerant, peaceful, and accepting than the other houses.

Percy watched as all the other students were called. Montague, Graham Sasha joined the Slytherins until it was only Percy and Oliver left.

"Weasley, Percival Ignatius!"

Oliver patted him on the back as Percy stepped forward and sat on the stool. The last thing he saw before the hat was dropped on him was Oliver's face, his brothers, and a curious Marcus.

"Ah! Another Weasley, ey?"

"Uh, hello?"

"Yes, yes. It is very funny how many Weasleys I have sorted over the years that I automatically assumed Gryffindor."

"Why aren't you?"

"Because unlike your brother Charlie, I have to dig deeper into your psyche Percival."

What does Charlie have to do with it? Percy thought but the hat didn't answer him.

"You are a curious one Percival. You have loyalty to your family and your friends but your self-interests forfeit their desires. Hufflepuff isn't for you. You do have bravery, typical of a Gryffindor and your love of books and information would make you easily adapt to the Ravenclaws but what's this? Ohh, you are a curious one Percival..."

"Why am I curious?"

"You want to be accepted in your family, don't you? Poor Percival, very different."

"I'm not different!"

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing child. You have a strong desire to uphold the Weasley name, lift it from the grounds, and have people respect you."

"Well, yes. They were always saying that the Weasleys will never amount to anything, that we'll always be poor and have more children than we can afford."

"And you want to change that don't you Percival? Want to prove them wrong?"

"Yes."

"That's very ambitious of you young Percival."

"What?" Percy got a feeling he knows what this means.

"Oh yes. Slytherin will help you with that goal. You'll be perfect there young Percival."

"What? Wait. No! I can't! I can't go to Slytherin."

"Why ever not?"

"They're all bad wizards there! My parents would hate me!"

"And you're best friend is in Slytherin."

"Uh..."

"Don't judge the whole house because of the actions of the few people who came from there Percival. Don't ever think that the dark means evil..."

"What?"

"I have reached my decision. Better be..."

"Wait! Please no!"

******

"What's taking so long?" Charlie asked Bill as they watched Percy curiously. It has been almost ten minutes. Hat stalls are not that unusual but they usually take at least one or three minutes.

Bill shrugged. He got a feeling that Percy might be arguing with the hat the same way he did when he talked it out of Ravenclaw. Bill remembered that it took more than ten minutes. Bill wondered what the hat's house decision was. Percy looked completely worried and almost in tears.

Professor McGonagall was tapping her foot impatiently and Oliver was fidgeting nervously. Professor Dumbledore and the rest of the staff were eyeing Percy and the rest of the great hall was very silent waiting for the final decision.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Clang! Charlie dropped the cup he was holding and everyone in the room gasped, even the Slytherins. No Weasley has ever been sorted in Slytherin – as far as they can remember. Bill was the first to recover as he watched his brother who looked like he was going to cry as his crest and tie turned into Slytherin colors.

Percy took off the hat and hand it back to Professor McGonagall who was too busy gaping to take it. The Professor must be thinking it was all a joke. Even the all-twinkly-eyed Dumbledore and stoic-faced Professor Snape are gaping at the curly-haired redhead as he slowly made his way to the table of the snakes.

*****

Severus Snape never liked the Weasleys, he always thought they were an annoying horde (everyone in Gryffindor is an annoying horde). Particularly, Charlie Weasley whom Severus often reminded him of that blasted bastard, James Potter. The boy was an absolute menace with his love creatures, getting into a mess, spending time with Hagrid, and even his talent in quidditch.

He was the sole reason that the Slytherin quidditch team has problems competing with them. Severus also hates it when the boy blows up one too many cauldrons in his dungeons. If he has any say, he would expel the boy for not following instructions; he was as scattered-brained as Hagrid.

He did not want to accept another one of those annoyances in the classroom. He wondered how many Weasleys he will be handling over the years knowing their fertility rate; Bill and Charlie were just the first.

He did wonder about William Weasley. He was more fitting in Ravenclaw than Gryffindor and Severus can tolerate the long-haired Weasley in his dungeons.

And here's another one. When McGonagall called the third sibling, Severus noticed he looked like a frightened little mouse. His hair was more crimson than reddish orange, his eyes darker more sapphire than his brothers, and his hair was also curly which is different than he expected from the Weasleys who normally have straight hair, and he still has their signature freckles. He wore a pair of rim-horned glasses that looks like they need some updating.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Severus almost fell from his seat, he found himself gaping at the damn kid. What? Slytherin? What is the hat thinking? What?

He watched as the redhead walked nervously to the table and sat beside the Flint boy. He was even surprised that the boy wraps his arm around the redhead and talked to him. Since when did the Flints associate with Weasleys? Severus shook his head as they finish off the sorting.

*****

"Hey, it's going to be okay Percy," Marcus whispered next to him and wrapped his arm around the redhead. "We're not exactly all that bad, you should know."

"My parents are going to hate me, Marcus." He replied. "And I don't think everybody here likes me either." Percy looked as the rest of the Slytherin house was glaring at him.

Marcus snorted. "You are a Slytherin. The hat sorted you to Slytherin. That means you have potential. Don't ever let anybody tell you, you can't."

Percy wipes off his tears before they would fall and sniffed. He smiled at Marcus who then introduced Percy to his friends (Graham Montague and Adrian Pucey) as Percy watched Oliver sorted into Gryffindor. The Scot wasn't very happy. There seem to be fewer Gryffindors this first year.

Percy has read that sorting is never equal in any house. There was one year that every first year was sorted in Ravenclaw and one time where all the boys were in Hufflepuff and the girls were in Gryffindor.

Percy took a glance at Gryffindor's table. Charlie looked upset and talked harshly to Bill. Bill looked annoyed but he took a glance at Percy and gave him a small smile before glaring at Charlie.

*****

When Dumbledore finished addressing the school, he then sat down fuming while he watched the students eat their feast.

He did not expect Percy Weasley to be sorted in Slytherin. He should have expected it when one of his spies in the Magical Registration Department informed him that Ollivander issued a new registration on one of his wands that wasn't under the ministry's required category. He knew that Percy Weasley was the owner of the said wand.

If Dumbledore has his way, he would have forced Ollivander to only hand out the required wands. He knew that some wands would choose owners who aren't light leaned but it does cut off their magical abilities – making light leaned wizards more powerful. The fact that such a dark-rooted wand choose Percy Weasley indicates the boy has darker potential and it was concerning. And Dumbledore wouldn't risk others to find a wand outside of Britain. Many foreign countries are less strict regarding wand cores.

Percy may not be necessary for his plan, nor are the older brothers but he has to make sure that the younger siblings are to be sorted in Gryffindor – they were necessary. He worries that Percival's sorting might influence the younger siblings. It doesn't matter to him if the boy is a Weasley. He's a Slytherin now and Dumbledore has learned for years that all Slytherins are Dark Lords in the making. If only he could convince the hat or confound it at least but the damn thing was protected by ancient magic that even Dumbledore couldn't remove. He is going to have a long talk with Arthur and Molly.

*****

The next day, Molly was preparing breakfast while the children did their chores. Arthur was preparing to leave for work when the tapping on the window distracted her.

"Mum! Mum! There's an owl!" Ginny squealed as she attempted to grab the window.

"Don't squeeze the owl, Ginny!" Molly chastised as the owl landed on the table and dropped a letter.

"Could it be from Bill?" Ron asked excitedly. Molly was very proud of Bill and so is most of the family. Prefect and possibly next head boy.

Molly frowned when she picked up the letter. "Whose it from Molly?" Arthur asked as he emerged from the stairs all dressed up for work.

"It's from Dumbledore," Molly answered.

"Really?" Arthur asked surprised. "What does he want?"

"He wants to talk to us tomorrow afternoon at the school."

"I wonder what for. Surely Charlie refrained from getting into trouble. It's still the first day!"

The twins grinned right behind him.

"Don't even think about it, Fred! George!" Molly glared at her mischievous twins. Knowing the twins, they might see this as a challenge to break a record. The two adored their second older brother the most.

"Mum! Look! Another owl!" Ron pointed at the window as the large barn owl dropped a letter on Arthur's lap.

"It's from Charlie. "Arthur said gleefully. "I knew it, he's in trouble again!"

"It must be big to have Dumbledore ask for a meeting, isn't it Dad?" Fred or George grinned as they sat next to their father.

Arthur sighed as he opened and read the letter.

"What did Charlie write?" Molly asked but received no reply. The children stared at their father who looked dumbstruck as he read the letter.

"Arthur? What's the matter?"

"Yeah, Dad. What did Charlie do?"

There was a long pause till Arthur replied. "Percy..."

"Percy?!" They all gaped.

"What happened? What happened to my baby?" Molly asked frantically.

"Perfect Percy did what?" the twins asked curiously.

Arthur gulped as he stared at his wife. "Percy got sorted in Slytherin."

There was a loud thud as Molly dropped the food she was holding and the younger Weasley children gaped at their father (except Ginny, who looked confused).