Harry was not unfamiliar with the feeling of not being wanted.
For the first ten years of his life, he had stayed at his uncle and aunt's place, constantly living with that feeling.
Only recently, because of the worsening situation in the world, the students were made to spend their holidays at the School. Otherwise, he would have had no choice but to return to that place, reliving that feeling once more.
Harry had never imagined that he would be facing the same unwanted gazes at Ilvermorny of all places.
If he were being honest with himself, in the magical world, Harry rarely remembered being so openly rejected by anyone, other than the time he met Draco's father.
He was the Boy Who Lived.
He was the reason behind Voldemort's disappearance, well, until the Dark Lord returned.
No matter where Harry had gone or visited, he had found people either liking, admiring, or thanking him, including some of the goblins at Gringotts. If not that, then, at least, he had never attracted an emotion worse than neutral from anybody.
Yet, here he was, the famous Harry Potter, surrounded by resentment, if not outright hatred.
That was only because he knew for whom all the Ilvermorny students were preserving their hatred.
Standing in the middle of the Entrance Hall, Harry looked over his shoulder.
Darcie was standing next to Madam Villanelle with her head tilted up, her dark green pupils shifting left and right as she seemingly met each student's hateful gaze.
"…"
Harry was astonished.
Over two years of studying in the same School and living in the same Castle…
Yet, even now, Darcie hadn't stopped surprising him with not only her actions but her courage.
He couldn't do it, Harry realized.
He dared not look up and meet the students' gazes, knowing the true reason for his presence here.
Still, if Dumbledore had sent him here, then it meant he had a part to play.
What had happened to Ilvermorny, Harry didn't want it to happen to Hogwarts… ever.
And, if getting their hands on Slytherin's Wand could give them the upper hand over the Dark Alliance, then he must do his best.
No.
He must outdo himself — for the Order of the Black Phoenix — for Professor Lupin.
Headmistress Theodore Whitethorn walked off the circular platform.
Instantly, Harry had a feeling that four more gazes had fallen upon him. Four massive gazes that were powerful enough to stand out from hundreds of others. Four gazes that were not only magical but also held an authority — to judge him, his personality, his experience, and his potential.
The entire Entrance Hall came to a silent standstill.
Even the sound of breathing seemed to die over time.
Harry, with bated breath, looked at the statue to his diagonal right.
It belonged to a massive, wooden serpent, with a horn on its head, a silvery-blue gem embedded right under that horn, almost between its slitted eyes.
The Horned Serpent favors Scholars, Madam Villanelle's words echoed in Harry's mind from a moment earlier. Not just a bookish approach, though, but a more… practical one. Compared to Hogwarts' Houses, it would slightly resemble Ravenclaw.
And that made the Horned Serpent's House the one Harry dreaded the most.
He was no Ravenclaw. He had even forgotten how many times he had almost failed a subject if he hadn't copied homework from Draco or Hermione. Forget being a Scholar, once Black had dared him to get into the Ravenclaw Common Room, and he had failed at that, too. He had needed to solve a riddle to get in, but he couldn't, Harry remembered.
Now, as he looked at the menacing Horned Serpent, Harry felt a touch ashamed of his lack of studious nature.
Perhaps he could try another way?
Not… a traditional one, but the one that had the greatest chance of working in his favor?
The students of Ilvermorny already resented his presence here.
What was the point of making things right with them? It was not like he had years' worth of time to prove his and Darcie's innocence in the matter, right?
Nodding to himself, Harry's vision slowly blurred, his pupils zooming out.
He opened his mouth, and, instead of a word, a hiss came out, like a command, drawing gasps from all the students and staff members, the Headmistress's brows rising along with them.
In the very next moment, the Horned Serpent stirred, as if reacting to the Parselmouth.
A brilliant glow erupted from the gem on its head, drowning the entire Entrance Hall in its blinding light.
As if that were the cue, more statues began stirring almost instantly.
The Wampus, which favored warriors and was equivalent to Gryffindor, raised its mane and let out a majestic roar.
The six-winged Thunderbird, which favored adventurers, desiring similar qualities to those of Slytherin House, flapped its wings with a resounding rattling noise.
In the end, the Pukwudgie, which favored Healers having qualities that resembled Hufflepuff House, raised its arrow, the pointy tip going higher and higher as the rattling of the Thunderbird's wings and the Wampus's roar deafened ears.
Slowly, all the reactions shown by the Four receded like a tide, leaving behind a shocked silence.
There was one sound, though.
Breath.
Harry could feel and hear the entire Ilvermorny School breathing down his neck.
"He cheated!" someone shouted from the balcony.
"He cheated, Professor!" another chimed in, the voice brimming with hate, disbelief, and envy.
"Cheater!"
"Cheater!"
"Cheater!"
Harry would have felt small against this obvious injustice.
However, he had fought Lord Voldemort and had survived.
This was nothing compared to that. There was no rule against using all his abilities. There was no warning against using Parseltongue in his favor, right?
So, Harry kept his back straight, letting the accusations hit him squarely in the face.
"Haha…"
The laugh… was small.
But Harry heard it. Not only him, but the entire school heard it.
And it had such an effect that all the shouts and slurs came to a sudden halt.
Harry turned around and found Darcie stepping onto the circular platform, laughing.
She pointed her thumb toward her back, looking at him, obviously asking him to step out.
"…" Harry, sensing something absolutely terrifying and grand was about to happen, almost ran, coming to a stop next to Madam Villanelle.
Meanwhile, Darcie, still smiling, looked around at all the students.
"Chosen by the Four?" she said, smirking. "Just be glad that you all will have the honor to be in my presence…"
Before the shocked crowd could erupt, Darcie looked down, her gaze shifting from one statue to another as she finished her statement.
"… right?"
And, to everyone's surprise, the Four answered…
… a blinding light, a majestic roar, rattling wings, and a raised arrow once again livening up the Entrance Hall!
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