Snapped

Chapter 2: The Heir of Slytherin

Harry strode into Transfiguration, Baneofallrodents wrapped around his neck. There had already been one incident that morning with Scabbers, but Ron had managed to snatch the rat away just in time. "You should be a keeper, with those reflexes," Harry had remarked, and Ron had been so astounded by the sudden compliment that he forgot to berate Harry for allowing his snake to attack Ron's rat.

"You look nice today," he said to Hermione, seating himself next to her. She blushed. Harry smiled inwardly. Point to him.

"Quiet please," McGonagall said. "Today we shall be learning how to turn a rabbit into a slipper." There was a flick of her wand and a rabbit appeared on each of their tables. Baneofallrodents lunged forward, biting the rabbit. Everyone stared. Baneofallrodents began the slow process of swallowing it. Harry smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry. She's hungry. Next time give me a warning, and I'll tell her not to eat it," he told McGonagall. "Naughty. I told you not to bite anything!" he hissed.

"You told me not to bite any human," she replied, rather smug to have found a loophole. Harry sighed.

"Well now I'm telling you not to bite anything unless I tell you that it is food."

"Fine," she replied in a resigned tone.

Harry smiled winningly. "She won't do it again."

McGonagall stared at Baneofallrodents, a perturbed expression upon her face.

"See that she doesn't," she said, and with a wave of her wand Harry had another rabbit.

"Now, the incantation is 'Lepmutavsol', and the wand movement is this." She demonstrated. Harry grinned. It was time to start demonstrating to the world that Harry Potter was not an imbecile.

"Lepmutavsol," he murmured, flicking his wand. Instead of a rabbit sat a pair of fluffy white slippers. McGonagall looked startled, then beamed.

"Very good Mr Potter! Five points to Gryffindor." Ron was gaping (he did that a lot), and Hermione looked frustrated. He slid his chair closer to hers.

"When you perform a spell, what do you feel?" he asked.

She frowned. "A rush of magic," Hermione said.

Harry nodded. "Okay, now, before you perform the spell, try and pull that feeling to you."

Her forehead crinkled as she focused. "Okay?"

"Now perform the spell, visualising the outcome."

She did, and there sat a lovely pair of slippers.

"Thanks Harry," she whispered. He grinned. He could practically feel Malfoy's glare. He turned and winked at the blonde, who nearly fell off his seat. Merlin, but idiot baiting was so much fun.

They were sitting at Gryffindor table for lunch when Harry actually began to take note of the whispers surrounding him. They focused on one thing: Harry was the Heir of Slytherin. He tried not to chuckle at the absurdity of that suggestion. People were sheep. Harry decided to take his turn at being shepherd.

"What's this about me being the Heir of Slytherin, then?" he asked his part of Gryffindor table. A number of them blushed, or looked away. He could feel the rest of the Hall quiet. Ah, the profits of being famous.

"Slytherin," he instructed the table, as if the entire Hall wasn't listening. "Slytherin is the house of cunning. If I was the Heir of Slytherin, why on earth would I demonstrate that I was a parselmouth, and have a pet snake? It's far too obvious. Besides, those of you who have done your research know that the Chamber of Secrets was opened fifty years ago, and I wasn't even alive then. So it's obviously not me."