The Slytherin Mudblood

Power-hungry, deceitful, cunning, cruel, Muggle-hating, these are just a few of the traits that come to most people's minds when they think of Slytherin house. They think we all are going to turn out to be Death Eaters who for fun will end up using the unforgivables on Muggles everywhere. What if that is the last thing I want to do? Did any one stop to think about the fact that like the other three houses Slytherin is made up of many different individuals?

Everyone knows Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and especially Gryffindor all have their share of Muggle-borns right? Why is it then that no one stops and wonders why it is that none are in Slytherin? In my first year at my sorting, the Sorting Hat said Slytherins want the best things in life and always get what they want. When I was eleven years old, this sounded like an okay place to spend the next seven years of my life with people who would help and teach me about the magical world. I soon found out how very wrong I was.

The first weird thing that happened after the beginning of term feast was my new head of house, Professor Snape, called me into his office to "discuss a few urgent matters." Once we were in his office, which was located in a very cold, dark dungeon, he told me to take a seat in a comfortable looking green chair in front of his desk. I did so but not without some apprehension.

"Higgs," he said. It took a moment for me to realize he was talking to me I was so used to being called Terence. "You are in a rather difficult position," he continued to say. "This evening you were sorted into Slytherin and while it is without a doubt the best house in this school, some of the students are less than welcoming to other students from Muggle families such as yourself."

"Why, sir?" I ventured to say

"Because they believe many are untrustworthy and they fear one of you will expose our entire society."

"Do you think that?" I ventured again

"Of course not," he said. "And do not interrupt me again."

I merely nodded my head in response.

He continued on "This year you are the only Muggle born in your year which will no doubt make it even harder for you because you will have no one your age to confide in. However, the other students do not need to know of your true heritage. We will convince the others that your family is as pure as any of theirs only you have been in hiding. In addition there is a group of a few other Muggle born students in our house who have meetings twice a month to discuss things together. There are others so the students will not question your story but, if for some reason they do so, you will report to me immediately. Is that understood?" he finally finished.

"Yes sir," I managed.

"Good now get to bed you start your classes tomorrow," he told me.

I made my way back to my common, which was luckily very close to the professor's office because if it had been much farther I'm sure I would have gotten lost. Once I was inside, I had to ask some older students who were still up where my dorm room was. I was so embarrassed looking like a little lost kid, but then again I was. When I reached my room, the other boys were already asleep so I changed into my pajamas as quietly as I could, climbed into bed and fell asleep immediately.

The next morning I talked to my roommates for the first time since we told each other our names the previous night at dinner. Our nerves had silenced any other conversation before then. There was a tall boy with tidy brown hair and brown eyes named Alex Thompson, a boy my height with sort of messy on purpose blond hair and hazel eyes named Brian Stuart, a short boy with black hair and brown eyes named Stephen Baddock and a boy even taller than Alex with brown hair and a face that has always reminded me of a pug, named Peter Parkinson.

The relief I felt when they believed my story about my family being in hiding without question cannot begin to expressed in words, but as Alex told the other three it happens sometimes: two sisters in his brother's year were like that. We went up to the great hall for breakfast after we all were showered and dress in a group. We talked to some of the older students in our year.

"Over there at that table are the Gryffindors, of course you all know to stay away from them when possible."

"Why?" I asked

They looked at me as if I had just grown an extra head, and then to my horror started to laugh. A few of them slapped me on the back and many of them told me how funny I was for a first year. Just then over at the Gryffindor table everyone started to laugh at two twin boys with red hair.

"Eugh" said Alex's brother, Tom, in a discussed tone, "Great. That prat Percy Weasley wasn't kidding when he said his twin brothers were staring this year."

"You know how those Weasleys are," Tom's friend Anna chimed in. "All with that ugly red hair and too many kids to afford. Just look at Percy's robes. They're always too short on him. I'd die if I was dressed like that."

Everyone except for me nodded their heads in agreement with Anna. I didn't understand what was so bad with having three kids, but after what happened the last time I asked a question, I decided to leave it alone. All too soon after Professor Snape handed out our schedules the bell rang signaling it was time for our first class and the beginning of my magical training.