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1
The Hogwarts Express started moving, and hundreds of children waved goodbye to their weeping parents, who they wouldn't see at the very least until Christmas.
This used to be a moment for celebration, for it was when grown wizards and witches would see their children begin their formal education in one of the world's most prestigious institutions for the learning of witchcraft and wizardry - but something had changed along the way, Hogwarts was not what it used to be, and the tears in many of the adult faces were those of sorrow and not happiness.
Harry Potter was still not sure what he himself was supposed to do in Hogwarts, he didn't think of himself as a student but rather as an hostage. He instinctively remembered his mother's words in Diagon Alley, warning him and his sister about being cautious in Hogwarts 'not only with your actions, but also with your words'.
Of course, his father had told him the opposite that very same day, 'always fight for what you believe is right, doesn't matter if everyone tells you it's wrong'.
The only reassuring thing in this whole ordeal was that Holly Potter would be with him, a fitting thought given the deep emotional connection that twins such as themselves usually shared; they at least had each other and they could be hostages together.
This very moment she was sitting right beside him, staring through the window at the vanishing station with her emerald green eyes, playing meaninglessly with her long curly black hair. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.
Apparently he sighed loud enough to attract his twin sister's attention, as she immediately turned towards him with a smile drawn across her face. "We are together in this, remember?"
"We are." Harry returned the smile and found himself unable to stop himself from grabbing her hand; it wasn't just that she was the only person he could always trust, but also the fact that he felt confident in trusting her. She was after all, not only beautiful, but also extremely intelligent and clever, although she had a particular way of seeing things differently…
It had begun on their eleventh birthday, which the family had celebrated as usual in Godric's Hollow. When they returned to Potter Manor near the middle of the night, they found a stranger waiting for them outside the gates.
The man himself was tall, possessed an abnormally large nose, and sported black long hair alongside a goatee. The ominous black cloak he was wearing resembled that of a vampire, and perhaps that was what their father initially mistook the man for, as he instantly whispered a warning and drew his wand.
It was their mother who had defused the situation, and invited the man to pass. He was apparently the new Headmaster of Hogwarts, and had only come personally to ensure both children's attendance to the school.
Despite the man's harmless intentions, he had still managed to sound rather threatening.
"Hell! What was that about?" Harry had gone on, their mother having sent them to their bedroom rather early. Downstairs, their parents were apparently still talking with the man.
"It was a reminder" Holly had responded trying to maintain a neutral expression in her face, though Harry knew her better. She had tried to mask her annoyance as she continued. "The House of Potter is still remembered for having supported the losing side during the Wizarding War, they came personally to ensure everything's going nicely with us…"
Harry realized it was true. Their father had been an auror during the war, and it was fantastic that he was still alive and free (others had not been nearly as lucky). Despite this, he had thoroughly refused any and all positions he had been offered in the new government, and this had in turn brought a smear campaign against him and the House of Potter.
The House of Potter had been accused of supporting the Order of the Phoenix, and even of hiding mudbloods from the government. The investigations had found no evidence for any of these ridiculous claims, though they remained suspicious and had been greatly disruptive nonetheless.
"And it's easier for them to keep us on Hogwarts." Harry had concluded, his small fists had clenched in rage. "We're going to be hostages"
Their father was still the head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter, and even though slightly discredited with the outcome of the war and the scandals, his public opinion still held some weight (especially since the outcome of the war had actually strengthened the power of the noble houses). Of course, with prince and princess of the House of Potter in Hogwarts, under the close watch of their enemies, their father would be unable to challenge the government as before.
Their father had once said the family ought to move out of Britain, that day he had claimed that they could move to America. There were tons of war refugees over there, and that he had reasons to believe that some of his friends had rebuilt their lives there, far from the reach of the Dark Lord.
It was extremely difficult, and it was considered high treason; the House of Potter would immediately fall on disgrace. That had been the reason their mother opposed the idea, she had said that it was unfair to deny them what their ancestors left them, and that in some way or another they could have a future in Britain.
Still, for brief moments, Harry had entertained the idea that they would actually leave Britain, especially after the unpleasant experiences in which the government had broken into the their home to investigate the ridiculous accusations.
Holly had simply nodded that day, evidently understanding the situation, but too annoyed about it to keep talking about it.
Both children remained silent in the compartment, looking through the window towards the fields of green. Nobody else showed up for a while, and the food cart was politely refused.
Eventually, another boy opened the door to the compartment. He was pale-skinned and sported long blond hair that reached his shoulders, his grey eyes inspected the both brother and sister cautiously. "And who might you be?" the boy smirked, pretending authority in the way he spoke.
They both raised from their seat and shook hands with the boy, presenting themselves with their full name. They both knew that their family still held some respect, and they might as well use it when in doubt.
"So, the Potters. My father has told me enough about you…" He said mockingly. "It'd be wise to remember that when choosing sides, you wouldn't want to be on the losing side again…"
The boy hadn't even revealed his own identity, and he was already gone. Harry had wanted to punch him in the face, he wanted to protect the honor of his family, and would not stand back as they were mocked.
Holly's hand on his lap, however, had calmed him. She explained that the boy was probably the heir of a more powerful Noble and Most Ancient House, and that would be giving him authority and command over his fellow students.
"I have heard that the eldest children from the House of Malfoy are supposed to attend Hogwarts this year…" she had finished.
Harry had also heard about the House of Malfoy children, the news had probably appeared during the summer in the newspaper. They were really important, after all.
Not only were they amongst the Noble and Most Ancient Houses which had supported the Dark Lord, but they had been instrumental in the destruction of the old government – Lucius Malfoy had somehow become the Minister for Magic, and almost immediately he had used his powers to dissolve the Ministry of Magic permanently and give way to the new order.
If that boy earlier had really been from the House of Malfoy, then that pretty much gave him authority and command over his fellow students by default. At least those that didn't want to get on the wrong side of one of the most influential noble houses in the country.
As Harry understood, the Wizarding War hadn't been such a simple conflict. It was difficult to choose a side.
The Ministry of Magic had grown a lot during the last couple centuries, and in the state it was fifteen years ago, it had grown so much as to make it largely inefficient (there had been dozens of useless departments, thousands of irrelevant restrictions).
The central issue during the war had been the Ministry of Magic's fanatic worship of the Statute of Secrecy. It was contradictory. They supported the integration of muggleborns into society and government, while at the same time reducing the power and influence of the noble houses. As it increased in size and became more inclusive of those that didn't really understand centuries old traditions, it became more likely to be detected.
Of course, the defense of the old establishment had been lead by the Order of the Phoenix. Following the outcome of the war, many (on the winning side) had claimed that in retrospect, it had been foolish to understand the Order of the Phoenix as anything more than Albus Dumbledore's platform to rule the Wizarding World from behind the scenes – he had a lot of stake in the old establishment, holding several key positions, which gave a single man such as himself an extraordinary amount of influence.
Opposing those views, there were those who had wanted to reform the establishment to make it more exclusive. They called for the further isolation of society and government from the reach of the muggles, and the restoration of the power and influence of the Noble and Most Ancient Houses.
The opposition to the existing establishment had been lead by the Dark Lord, an extremely powerful dark wizard who was believed by the Noble and Most Ancient Houses to be the best chance they had in succeeding.
Of course, in the end, they had succeeded. The new government was small and decentralized, basically a council, where the heads of the Noble and Most Ancient Houses would vote upon the necessary laws – of course that the Dark Lord was above them all, everyone knew he called the shots.
All those who hadn't been purebloods were persecuted following the war, many were driven to exile, while many others were killed or imprisoned. Those who remained resigned to living as second-class citizens, for one, their children would never be able to learn at Hogwarts.
Harry Potter sighed. He was a pureblood, but he wasn't particularly excited for Hogwarts.
"I think we're almost there." Holly suddenly said, snapping Harry out of his trance. It was amazing, for both of them, how often their thoughts would drift in such a way. Through the window, they could see serpentine rivers and craggy mountains. "Is this Scotland?"
Harry shrugged. "No idea. Are we supposed to be going through Scotland?"
As soon as he had finished that sentence, the door to the compartment opened once more; a short round-faced boy with blond hair stood at the doorframe, staring at both of them nervously.
The boy's name was Neville Longbottom, he told them, after he had calmed down and taken the couch infront of them. He was apparently hiding from a pair of older boys, who had appropriated of his old compartment.
"You should have gone to a prefect" Holly said.
Neville shrugged. "I think one of them was a prefect"
They spent the rest of the trip talking mostly about Quidditch and the Sorting Hat; really they were glad to have a lighter theme of conversation rather than complicated pureblood politics or the war.
The Potter Twins shared certain interest in the magical sport, inherited from their father, and they played occasionally in the outskirts of their home, though none of them were too serious about it.
Neville Longbottom was afraid of flying and probably afraid of brooms too, he declared with shame. For that reason he was certain to be sorted into Hufflepuff, which in turn would cause his family to disinherit him. Harry wondered if it was healthy to be so pessimistic, and turning towards Holly he could guess she was thinking something similar.
Soon they were arguing about which of the Hogwarts Houses would be better. It seemed as if both of their families had a tradition with Gryffindor in the latest generations, though for some reason none could understand, that house had acquired a bad reputation as of late.
Slytherin was where most people wanted to be, Neville Longbottom seemed to have heard earlier. A number of important persons had come from there, and it was associated with cunning and ambition.
A few hours later, Longbottom had fallen asleep, drooling awkwardly in the window; Holly seemed to be entranced by the falling drool, as she looked intently as it slipped down the glass.
"Do you think we could be sorted in different houses?" Harry begun, hopefully his sister wasn't too far gone in her thoughts, as it usually happened with both of them.
"We promised, we would always be loyal to each other before anything else" Holly responded, turning towards her brother with a smile. She leaned forward, placing one hand between his legs, and the other on his head; she messed his black hair even further as she continued. "It wouldn't be too terrible, right?"
He smiled back, and she let herself fall upon his legs. For the rest of the journey, he gently stroke her long curly black hair, green eyes lost on green eyes.
Longbottom began to snore.
Nothing much happened until the sun began to set in the horizon and the train started to slow, Hogwarts visible in the distance.
A/N: Please review!