We left the orphanage and went into Snape’s house.
"Wow, this is really just around the corner. Why have I never seen you around this neighborhood before, Professor?"
"Because I have no reason to wander around this neighborhood. Wizards go to Diagon Alley instead of Muggle shops, and they use Apparition, Floo Powder, or Portkeys instead of Muggle transportation. Wizards have their own way of living, and you’ll have to get used to it from now on."
"Yes, Professor. But I’ve never heard of Floo Powder or Portkeys before."
"Of course you haven’t. The reason I brought you here is precisely that. To teach you the common knowledge of the wizarding world that you don’t know."
However I looked at it, this was very different from the Snape I knew. He was way too kind. Could the gap between fiction and reality really be this huge?
"Floo Powder is a magical powder that connects one fireplace to another. Wizards who haven’t learned Apparition usually use it. However, this method still can’t take you to places that haven’t been approved for Floo Powder use.
A Portkey can take you anywhere, but you need to know the spell for making one. Otherwise, you have to use a Portkey someone else made. That’s enough for now. You’ll know it all once you see it later."
"Yes, Professor."
Right, so this was all stuff he already knew.
"Hmm, what should I explain first... Yes, it would be best to start with Hogwarts.
Hogwarts is the only wizarding school on the British mainland, founded about a thousand years ago by the four greatest wizards of the age. Their names were Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and, lastly, Salazar Slytherin.
They joined forces to protect wizards who were being hunted by Muggles, and eventually succeeded in founding Hogwarts.
However, they differed on how to choose the students they would teach. Gryffindor wanted to teach the bravest children, Ravenclaw the smartest, Slytherin only those of the purest blood, and Hufflepuff wanted to teach all children equally."
Hmm... Hufflepuff really was the true teacher after all. If you’re going to teach, you should teach everyone, not just a select few. What kind of nonsense was that?
"Professor. But why did Slytherin insist on teaching only children of the purest blood? Shouldn’t everyone be given an equal chance to learn? Muggles teach all children, too. Of course, the children of wealthy families and people like me from the lower classes go to different schools, but we still get taught at school."
"Do you think Slytherin wanted it that way for no reason? You have to look at the circumstances of the time as well.
Hogwarts was founded in the 990s. That period, whether you know it or not, is called the Middle Ages in Muggle terms, or the Dark Ages. It was an era when religious austerity was rampant, the Church stood at the top of everything, and many things considered impure were persecuted.
To Muggles raised in that atmosphere, wizards were devil worshippers who used incomprehensible powers, so they hunted down and killed wizards whenever they saw them.
Likewise, the parents of Muggle-born wizards hid and suppressed their own children if they turned out to be wizards. They told them magic was bad and must not be used.
Muggle-born wizards raised on that kind of wrong teaching came to think of themselves as impure beings, and they sold out the information of the wizards they met in wizarding society.
By contrast, pure-bloods were born to wizard parents and were taught that magic was not a bad thing. And if they betrayed their people, their own parents would die too, so even when they were caught, they rarely betrayed anyone. They simply chose to die alone.
Think about it, Leonard. If you were a professor, would you really teach a Muggle-born child who was likely to betray you? Slytherin simply made the most rational choice."
"Now that you put it that way, I can see why. I was thinking too shallowly."
"Of course, if you didn’t know these facts, pure-blood supremacy might look strange on the surface. Especially to Muggle-born wizards, it would seem even stranger. But you must understand that there are reasons behind it. I’m glad you understand that point.
To continue, the persecuted wizards fled deep into the mountains to avoid Muggles, which is why Hogwarts was built in those barren Scottish mountains."
"I see."
Snape’s lecture continued.
"Your founders created four houses named after themselves.
When they were alive, they chose the students themselves, but after they died that was no longer possible, so they imbued the Sorting Hat with the wisdom of the four founders.
The hat became a magical sorting hat at that moment, and from then until now it has continued sorting new students.
Those with courage are sorted into Gryffindor, those with strong curiosity and great wisdom into Ravenclaw, those who are diligent and fair into Hufflepuff, and those who are cunning, ambitious, and willing to use any means necessary to achieve their goals into Slytherin."
"Then, Professor, which house did you come from?"
"Me? Naturally, Slytherin. Can’t you tell at a glance?"
"Which house do you want me to be in, Professor?"
"That’s obvious too. Slytherin. Absolutely Slytherin! Slytherin forever!"
That was Snape, all right.
"Professor, do you like me? Since you want me to be in the same house as you."
"What...? Hah! What on earth are you talking about?"
"You seem to be treating me well, even though we only met yesterday."
"...I was merely interested in the fact that another wizard had appeared in this neighborhood."
"You’re from this neighborhood too, Professor?"
"Yes... I was born in this filthy place and lived here my whole life. What a damn neighborhood..."
"You’re right. This neighborhood really is a damn neighborhood."
"Anyway, Leonard, there’s something else you need to hear."
"Yes, Professor."
"Slytherin favored pure-bloods for a reason, but over time that intention was distorted.
The descendants of pure-bloods began taking various privileges by boasting of the contributions their families had made to the wizarding world, and by now they are openly preaching pure-blood supremacy.
They despise all Muggle-borns and even look down on half-bloods. Especially Muggle-borns... they call them by the very insulting word ‘Mudblood.’ When you go to school, the chances of hearing such words will be very high."
As he said this, Snape wore a truly regretful expression.
That was probably because of that incident you know about, I know about, and Harry Potter doesn’t know about yet...
Still, Slytherin really did seem to be full of fucking racists.
And I was Muggle-born, so I’d better be careful.
Snape, sunk in sorrow, gathered himself again and went on.
"In truth, genuine pure blood has long since disappeared.
Wizards have strangely few children compared to Muggles, and pure-bloods even more so. So if the bloodline is to continue, Muggle or half-blood blood has to be mixed in eventually.
But they simply hush that fact up among themselves. Everyone knows it.
Well, anyway, I’ve warned you clearly, so you’ll have to handle things yourself. I’m the Slytherin head of house, and I’m acquainted with many pure-blood supremacists.
If you get into trouble with their children, I can’t protect you. You’ll have to solve it yourself."
And then you’re telling me you want me in Slytherin...? Then I’ll just go to Gryffindor...
"Still, let me give you one hint. Even they can do nothing before overwhelming force. They’ll only submit. The one who fell eleven years ago did the same thing and crushed them with power."
"The one who fell...?"
So that meant Voldemort, that bald guy.
"I have far too much to tell you. You know absolutely nothing, do you...
I’ll say this name only once. More than ten years ago, a man named Voldemort appeared.
He claimed that Muggle-born wizards had to be wiped out, and he carried that out faithfully. Many pure-blood supremacists agreed with him and followed him.
Voldemort claimed to be pure-blood, but in fact he was a half-blood. Yet none of them could tell him he wasn’t pure-blood. Faced with the unfathomable power of that man, they had no choice but to keep their mouths shut.
Now you understand what I’m trying to tell you, don’t you? Slytherins have a tendency to submit to the strong. So if you’re strong enough, you can do very well in Slytherin.
And to continue, there is magic on that man’s name. The moment anyone dares to speak it carelessly, he can automatically detect the location of the person who said it.
In the battle ten-odd years ago, when wizards split into two sides and fought fiercely, he found the locations of those who dared speak the name and struck them down with Apparition, killing them all.
Although he is now said to be dead, that terror still remains in people’s minds. So you’d better be careful not to say his name yourself."
I already knew all that, but let’s just pretend I didn’t. It was strange enough that this professor was speaking so kindly, and strange enough that I knew all of this, so keeping my mouth shut was probably the right move.
"There is one opponent the man cannot defeat, and that is Hogwarts’s headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. He is regarded as the greatest of all headmasters in history. And since Apparition is forbidden at Hogwarts, it is safe to say that at Hogwarts alone, it is safe to say that man’s name."
"Oh, as expected of Hogwarts. Then did the headmaster defeat that man?"
Snape suddenly fell silent.
"...No. He is said to have failed to kill a newborn child, and the Killing Curse he cast rebounded and killed him. He’s not dead, but he’s in a state very much like death."
"How could a newborn child do that?"
"...There was a prophecy. ‘The one to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies.’ That man obtained the prophecy and immediately went to find the baby and kill it, but in the end he was defeated by that very baby, as the prophecy foretold. The child’s name is Harry Potter. He’s the same age as you, so he’ll be entering Hogwarts this year."
"Harry Potter..."
"That’s not especially important. You’ll meet him at school anyway. Right now, you should keep listening to me."
"Yes, Professor."
Just hearing the name Harry Potter put him in a bad mood. More precisely, it was the name Potter.
"I mentioned Headmaster Albus Dumbledore earlier. I’ll skip over his abilities and achievements, since you’ll have many chances to experience them in the future.
Next is what subjects you’ll study at Hogwarts.
From first year to fifth year, the core subjects are Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, Astronomy, History of Magic, and Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Then there are elective subjects you can take from third year onward: Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Muggle Studies.
There’s also a miscellaneous subject only for first years: flying lessons.
For today, let’s just briefly go over the professors for the core subjects and stop there.
Charms is taught by Professor Filius Flitwick, who is also the Ravenclaw head of house. He’s part goblin, so you’d best not bring up his background first.
Transfiguration is taught by Professor Minerva McGonagall. She’s the Gryffindor head of house.
Herbology is taught by Professor Pomona Sprout. She’s also the Hufflepuff head of house.
And Potions, as I said yesterday, is taught by me.
If you have enough talent and effort, you’ll be able to gain a great deal from me. However, I’m very strict, so be prepared.
History of Magic is taught by Professor Cuthbert Binns. He’s a ghost.
And Astronomy... is taught by Professor Aurora Sinistra, but I have very little to say about that subject.
Lastly, Defense Against the Dark Arts. There are widespread rumors that this subject is cursed.
According to rumor, after that man applied for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post and was rejected, he cast a curse so that no one could hold the position. I think the rumor is probably true.
Since then, no one has been able to teach the subject for more than a year. They either had accidents or resigned because something happened to their family.
This year, Professor Quirinus Quirrell will be in charge. He was originally assigned to Muggle Studies, but for some reason he applied for that subject this year."
Wow... hearing things I already knew was making me feel genuinely dazed... and in that low voice of Professor Snape’s, too. No, Professor! If you can speak this well, why were you always like that?
"Thank you, Professor. That was a huge help. I’ll make sure to remember it well."
"Good. I’m glad you’re a student who knows gratitude. Starting tomorrow, I’ll give you a brief Potions lesson every afternoon. So when you return to the orphanage, get permission from the headmistress. And don’t forget to bring the Potions tools you bought earlier when you come."
Snape was going to give me private tutoring...? To a mere Muggle-born first-year who hadn’t even been sorted yet?
Thank you, generous Snape tree, thank you again and again, overwhelming gratitude!
"Thank you so much for even offering private lessons, Professor. I’ll make sure to learn properly and not shame my teacher’s name."
"Yes, that will do. Now go on back. You don’t need me to escort you, do you?"
"Of course not, Professor. I’m a wizard now."
Though, in fact, I’d been safe even before I was a wizard.
*
"I’m back, headmistress."
"Oh, you’re late."
"The professor said I should ask your permission because he’ll be giving me lessons starting tomorrow."
"Oh, really? How very kind of him. What a bother this is for you, though. I’ll pack you something to eat tomorrow, so go and thank him for me."
"Yes, I will, headmistress. It’s late, so I’m going to sleep now. Have a peaceful night."
I left the headmistress’s room behind and returned to my own room, where I climbed up into the bunk bed.
I couldn’t skip today’s training either. Conveniently, the other kids were all asleep, so there was nothing to worry about.
Still, Harry Potter, the child of prophecy... Well, this was a world with magic, so of course there’d be prophecies.
It was just that there weren’t any proper seers in this generation.
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