"Gryffindor!" The S Hat decred. The small boy trembled as he made his way to the long table, taking a seat opposite Gleno Neville. Harry appeared so dazed that he barely registered the particurly enthusiastic cheers surrounding him.

  Ron followed shortly after, also sorted into Gryffindor. He looked equally overwhelmed as he slumped into the seat beside Harry.

  With the S Ceremony cluded, Professonagall departed, taking the part and the S Hat with her.

  Dumbledore rose to his feet, his face beaming as he gazed at the students. He spread his arms wide, as if nothing in the world could have pleased him more than seeing them all gathered there.

  "Wele!" he excimed. "Wele to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our ba, I would like to say a few words. Ahey are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

  "Thank you!" He sat back down amidst appuse and cheers as everyone began to enjoy the vish feast.

  At the Slytherin table, Glenn found himself pletely ostracized. His housemates had deliberately moved their cutlery and food away, leaving him isoted in his inal spot.

  Yet he remained uurbed - other people's as were of no sequeo him.

  From across the hall, Hermione's nose wrinkled in indignation as she gred at the Slytherins before turning her fury towards Snape.

  "Aren't you going to do something about this?" her expression seemed to say.

  Snape was indeed helpless. He couldn't do anything about these young Slytherin wizards who valued blood status above all else. Though he knew Glenn wouldn't be disced by such treatment - Snape was well aware that even if all the Slytherins were suddenly killed by a troll, Glenn wouldn't bat an eye.

  Still, knowing this was ohing; daring to meet Hermione's accusatre was another. He could only ehis bitter pill, pretending to be absorbed in his dinner.

  Hermione's fists ched in frustration.

  She cast a worried g Glenn, who noticed the young girl's and gave a slight wave, indig she worry and should enjoy her dinner.

  At the staff table, Professonagall also shot Snape a disapproving look, which he tio ignore.

  Well, he thought, this too art of life's lessons.

  Suddenly, a otion arose at the Gryffindor table. As Harry Paze swept across the staff table, he suddenly clutched his forehead with a cry of pain.

  All eyes turo him as he rubbed his scar, quietly apologizing.

  Glenn frowned, havied a faint ripple of soul energy. Since learning alchemy, he had bee particurly sensitive to soul energy, as creating life through alchemy required verting magical power into soul force. However, this method was incredibly wasteful, and Glenn had better alternatives, though that's a matter for aime.

  He quickly recalled where Harry had been looking - at Quirinus Quirrell, their soon-to-be Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

  Glenn made a mental note of this peculiar i but kept his observations to himself.

  When the desserts finally vanished from the tables, Dumbledore stood once agaiuring for silence.

  "Now that we are all fed and watered," Dumbledore said, "I have a few start-of-term notices to give you."

  "First years should hat the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

  His twinkling eyes fshed in the dire of the Weasley twins.

  "I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between csses in the corridors."

  "Quidditch trials will be held in the sed week of the term. Aerested in pying for their house teams should tact Madam Hooch."

  "And finally," Dumbledore's tone grew serious, "I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

  The students exged puzzled gnces.

  Glenn remained uned about the forest warning - avoiding it was impossible given his training pns. However, the warning about the third-floor corridor was new. Could it be reted to Dumbledore's pns? Glenn pondered silently.

  , Dumbledore led the school in singing the school song. Glenn abstained from singing, instead watg the young girl in the distance who, despite her evident disapproval of this particur tradition, was singing early.

  Everyone sang to their preferred tune, with the Weasley twins particurly standing out as they performed to the melody of a funeral march.

  When the singing finally ended, Dumbledore dismissed everyoo their dormitories.

  Glenn separated from the Slytherin line and walked towards the Gryffindors. Away fr eyes, he retrieved his luggage from his waist pack.

  "Glenn, how are you holding up?" Hermione had quietly made her way to the back of the Gryffindroup, grabbing his arm with . She had been furious watg him being isoted.

  Glenn shook his head, handihe waist pack taining her luggage, and patted her head. "Don't worry about it."

  Though still ed, Hermione accepted his reassurand took the pack. "Alright then. See you tomorrow. Good night!" Seeing no one around, she quickly hugged Glenn before immediately letting go, her face flushed as she hurried to catch up with the Gryffindors.

  "Good night," Glenn said softly, then turned with his trunk toward the Slytherin group. Even from a distance, he could track their dire by the vibrations in the floor.

  Glenn arrived at the Slytherin on room entrance just as the main group reached it. The leader spoke the password: "Pureblood," and the stone door opened. He followed the crowd inside.

  It was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling, from which round, greenish mps hung on s. Carved chairs were scattered about, and there were eborately decorated skulls as ors. Part of the dungeoended uhe ke, giving the room a greenish tinge as the Slytherins could view the ke bottom from the windows.

  After the girls followed their prefect to their dormitories, the male prefect Marcus Flint began assigning rooms.

  As fate would have it, Glenn was assigo share a room with Drad his two ies, Gregoyle and Vi Crabbe.

  Ign the hostility and malice from lenn found his dormitory a his trunk down by the bed he door.

  He had much to do.

  "Hey! You there, Hawthorne, isn't it?" Draco's voice came from behind as he burst through the door with his two followers, clearly looking for trouble.

  "From now on, you'll be responsible for keeping the room and taking care of our daily needs, uood, Mudblood? Otherwise, well... you know the sequences."

  He paused, ughing with Goyle and Crabbe, pretending to wipe away tears before tinuing, "ht, since your parents are probably both Muggles, you might not know our rules. I'll say this only once, so listen carefully!

  In Slytherin, blood status is everything! Do you uand..."

  Before he could finish, three purple beams and three blue-white fshes cut through the air.

  "Stupefy x3, Obliviate x3"

  The three had no time to react before they colpsed, their eyes rolling back as they fell peacefully unscious.

  Glenn put away his wand without further aowledgment. He opened his trunk, arranged his toiletries, tidied the room slightly, therieved a fist-sized pouch from the deepest part of his trunk.

  This was his personal arsenal, enhanced with an Uable Extension Charm.

  He pulled out a plete set of tactical gear that he had spent the entire summer reinf with alchemy, quickly do, put on a cloak with a hood, arieved a dagger and a Glock 17 with a silencer.

  After cheg his supplies of antidotes, blood-clotting potions, aives, he was ready to move.

  With his e in his left hand and his wand and dagger secured in the alchemically modified meism in his right sleeve, and the Glock 17 in its holster at his waist, he was fully equipped.

  With a thought, his wand sprang into his hand, and he began casting spells on himself.

  "Disillusio Charm, Sileng Charm, Notice-Me-Not."

  Glenn's body vanished from the dormitory. The door opened and closed silently.

  Using his e to make subtle taps, Glenn firmed the on room was empty and quickly passed through the tunnel into the corridor, heading downstairs.

  He had been pnning this for a long time, and now that he was finally at Hogwarts, he could put his pn into a.

  Having heard that the Forbidden Forest housed numerous dangerous magical creatures, Glenn had decided to duct his bat training there.

  He hadn't invited Hermione because the young girl needed proper rest for her growth, while he could use meditation for more effit rest without w about height issues, allowing him to make better use of the nighttime hours.

  Though if he were ho, not wanting to put her in danger was the real reason.

  Glenn was vihat only through dangerous bat situations could oruly master their knowledge.

  As for Dumbledore's rules?

  Rules were made to be broken!