13. Slytherin

Finally, it was Dante's turn.

Professor McGonagall straightened the parchment in her hand and hesitantly read his name:

"William Dante Rosier."

The Great Hall fell silent.

A cold knot formed in Dante's stomach. It was as if everyone in the room held their breath and stared at him. The whispers of the upperclassmen sitting at the tables became audible. "Rosier?" a few voices echoed softly. The whispers were joined by a faint humming from the Slytherin table.

The Death Eater's last name...

Dante's father, Evan Rosier, was known as one of Voldemort's most loyal followers. He died in a duel before Harry Potter was born. But his name was still remembered. The Rosier family was one of the oldest wizarding families that defended the ideology of purity. And now the bearer of that name had entered Hogwarts.

Dante held his head up. He squinted at Charlie, but even Charlie was silent. He could see that he was surprised as well. Not only Charlie, but most of the students at the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables stared at him in silence.

Dante walked nonchalantly and slowly to the Sorting Hat. He didn't know what to think.

As he sat down on the wooden stool, Professor McGonagall placed the old, worn Sorting Hat on his head. At that moment, the Sorting Hat's voice echoed in his head.

"Hmm... Very interesting... Yes, very interesting..."

Dante frowned.

"What's interesting about it?" he thought.

"You," the hat replied immediately. "You are here as a rosier... But I sense the conflict in you. I rarely see someone like you."

Dante remained silent. There was indeed a conflict within him. He had never known his father, but he didn't want his past to determine his destiny.

"I see everything about you, Dante," the hat continued. "You have a dark heritage, but your soul is... complex. There is power in you. You are clever and determined. You know how to survive. But... at the same time, you don't want people to misunderstand you. You want to be someone else, don't you?"

Dante's fingers involuntarily gripped the edge of the stool.

"I... I just want to be myself."

The hat laughed slightly.

"I understand, but the price of being yourself can sometimes be heavier than you realize. So, where shall I put you? Hmm... You're clever, very clever. You could have moved up in Ravenclaw. But you're also loyal. You have the loyalty of a Hufflepuff. And you're brave...maybe Gryffindor?"

Dante's heart quickened. Maybe Gryffindor would be a good choice. Charlie was there too. But at that moment, the Sorting Hat suddenly fell silent. Then his voice spoke again, in a heavier tone.

"But no... No. The determination in you, your strength... You're perfect for Slytherin. Just like the rest of your family."

Dante took a deep breath.

"But I don't want to be like them."

"You don't have to be like them," the Hat said calmly. "Remember, Slytherin isn't just about darkness. It is the home of the ambitious, the clever, and the cunning. Survivors like you. You'll grow here, you'll become stronger. But the choice is yours..."

Dante thought quickly. If he went to Gryffindor, everyone would force him to be a hero. If he went to Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw... he might be accepted. But Slytherin...

He didn't want to feel alone. But maybe the hat was right. He was a Slytherin.

"Then," Dante said quietly, "send me to Slytherin."

The Sorting Hat was silent for a moment. Then it shouted loudly:

"SLYTHERIN!"

There was a huge round of applause at the Slytherin table. The students at the table clapped their hands and cheered. The name Rosier was familiar to them, as Slytherin boys usually came from purebloods and old wizarding families. They accepted him immediately.

Dante slowly got up from the stool. As he walked towards the Slytherin table, his eyes searched for Charlie.

Charlie was sitting at the Gryffindor table. He had a look of surprise on his face. But what caught Dante's eye was that strange feeling in his eyes.

Prejudice.

Dante paused for a moment. He could feel Charlie thinking differently when he heard his last name.

"Slytherin, huh?" Charlie muttered from a distance. He didn't smile.

A strange bitterness filled Dante. This was his first time at Hogwarts and he was already being misunderstood.

But then, as he approached the Slytherin table, a student made room for him. A boy with blond hair and sharp features gave him a polite nod.

"Welcome, Rosier."

Dante took a last look at Charlie. Then he sat down heavily at the Slytherin table.

No matter what... his new life at Hogwarts had officially begun.

As Dante sat down at the Slytherin table, the students at the table stopped talking for a moment. Their eyes were fixed on him. There was a brief silence before the whispering began.

"Rosier, isn't it?" asked a blond boy, obviously a fifth year, sitting across from him. He had a mischievous smile on his face. "Cassius Warrington. Welcome, Rosier."

Dante shook his hand with a slight nod. "Dante."

A tall girl with dark auburn hair sitting next to Cassius smiled. "Daphne Selwyn. Fourth year. The name Rosier hasn't been heard at Hogwarts for a long time."

The boy next to her looked only a year or two older than Dante. He was fair-skinned, with coal-black hair slicked back. He looked quiet but alert. "Theodore Burke. Third year."

Another dark-skinned boy joined the conversation, looking at Dante with a slight smile. "Balthazar Rowle. My mom knew your dad," he said, as if saying something casual. "Evan Rosier, right?"

Dante's insides tightened slightly. There was an uncanny interest in the faces of those at the table.

Cassius smiled and lifted his glass. "Son of a Death Eater. Welcome to Hogwarts."

Dante frowned but said nothing. Evan Rosier, his father, was a Death Eater, as everyone knew. For many this would have been a threat or an embarrassment, but in Slytherin it was a prestige.

Daphne leaned in slightly and whispered to him. "Some of the professors and other students may not look favorably upon you. But here in Slytherin, we know who you are. And that's no problem for us."

Dante looked over at the Gryffindor table. Charlie was there. As he locked eyes with him, he noticed the look on Charlie's face.

Confusion.

Cassius followed Dante's gaze and grinned. "Don't get too close to a Gryffindor, Rosier. The Weasleys act like heroes at Hogwarts, but remember, they choose sides too."

Daphne raised her eyebrows. "The Weasleys pride themselves on being pure-blood, but they despise Slytherin. Especially when you come from a background like your father's."

Balthazar added with a shrug. "Gryffindors are pure. They confuse bravery with stupidity."

Cassius laughed slightly and shook his head. "They always have to create an enemy. To write their own little hero stories."

Dante thought for a moment about the hesitation in Charlie's eyes. Would his name be a whisper at the Gryffindor table tonight?

He knew he would be judged by his father's name. But here in Slytherin, at least it was accepted.

"There is a rule at Hogwarts, William," Daphne said, leaning slightly forward and reaching for the goblet in front of Dante, stirring the water with her fingers, her voice low but firm. "Choose your friends wisely."

If you want to support me patreon com Talamo