Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter franchise, or any other item used or referenced in this story. They all belong to their respective owners. This is done purely for entertainment without intent to profit.

A/N: Another story I'm starting…please someone stop me with this? I really do have to stop. It's Wrong-Boy-Who-Lived, but a little bit more grounded. Hopefully. By grounded I mean that it's less of the everyone hates Harry, and more Harry is a normal (if brilliant) kid with a less than normal brother. That said, of course, having a brother like that will have emotional issues, but that shouldn't mean Harry gets completely sidelined by everyone.

Of Wizards and War
Chapter 1 – September 1st

"A family without black sheep is not a normal family."
~ Henich Boll (translated from German)

Hey, you there. Got a minute?

I got a story to tell ya…

September First. First of September. The first day of the ninth month. The day the staff at King's Cross train station in London probably found the weirdest out of all the 365 they could be expected to work.

Oh, those brilliant little muggles, with their smart phones and their sharp clothes and cups of coffee from Star Bucks. What must they think when they see all our kind in our audacious, incongruous, badly-dressed glory? Kooky men in horrid robes, mothers dragging kids around in numbers no modern family would have. To most, seeing one such thing would be easily dismissed, one of those things that happen on occasion. But so many, in the one place, on the one day? Certainly it would make some wonder.

Of course, the witches and wizards were brilliant too, in their own way. But most of them were idiots. All of the awesome power of magic, and they still lug around their trunks on big trollies like fools. Shrinking magic really wasn't that complex. My trunk was safely tucked away into my bag, along with Hedwig's owl cage, a few books and my money I would need for stuff.

"Why are we waiting here, Dad?" I asked dryly as we waited beside the hidden portal to Platform Nine and Three Quarters. "Clyde's bodyguards can walk him through."

"I promised your mother." Dad – James – said. "You know what she's been like ever since the attempt to kill him in fourth year."

"Yeah," I agreed fairly. "But Voldemort's not stupid enough to try something here. And his followers aren't stupid enough to piss him off."

"Language." Dad chastised mildly.

"Point stands." I grumbled. I cocked my head back and tried to find something of interest in the ceiling. Nothing. I sighed and looked around, picking the wizard from the muggle with ease. I briefly smiled when I saw the lovely Ginny, red hair fanning out behind her. Lovely Ginevra, in a relationship with Clyde. Lucky bastard.

I had actually asked her out first. I'm sorry, Harry, you're a lovely guy but I only really see you as a friend. Two days later, the two were dating, news plastered over Facebook. Or it would be, if Facebook actually got used in the magical world. Even if the background magical radiation didn't have Hogwarts saturated like a lightning rod the internet reception was probable terrible. But I digress…

She noticed me from across the platform and gave a smile and a little wave which I returned all too eagerly, and frankly, too much like a girl. Man up, Potter…

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we goooooo?" I whined. "Please, please, please-"

My old man rolled his eyes in exasperation. Sixteen years had largely given him a tolerance to my liveliness, my inability to just sit around. I could never just sit around; I always had to be doing something – reading, doing stupid and-or brilliant things, and to my mum's occasional joy, housework. "Go on ahead. We'll catch up."

I grinned like an eager child and all but jogged after Ginny, catching up to her just outside the concealed portal. "Hey Ginevra."

"Hiya Harry." She greeted cheerfully. "How's summer at Headquarters?"

"Boring as always." I grinned, before hugging her. "It's good to see you."

It might sound strange that I'm so close with her, despite having been rejected in favour of my brother. But I was friends with her long before that, and she would always been my friend, even if I wanted something more. Maybe there's an element of delusion in there, that you can be in unrequited love with a close friend and not screw it up, but I didn't cared. I liked her, cared for her too much to give her up completely. "You too. Where's Clyde?"

"Trying to get through his security, I presume." I shrugged nonchalantly. It was the same every year. Being an icon for a war effort meant getting around was tricky at the best of times and a bloody nightmare at the worst. "Wanna go get a compartment?"

"Sure." Ginny smiled and together we waded through the mass of families to the steaming crimson locomotive. We managed to fight our way on, and secure a compartment for us and our friends, and we decided to dump our bags – I had told Ginny how to shrink all her stuff correctly like me – and then go out to wait for our respective families. I sneakily sealed the door shut behind with a clever bit of magic.

"Y'know, I'm pretty sure Dumbledore knows you've broken your trace. Why couldn't you just get a waiver like Clyde?"

I shrugged. "Clyde has to fight the bad guys. I just laugh and make fun of them."

"Yeah, but still." Ginny continued. "You're his brother; that's a pretty big target to have."

"You're his girlfriend." I returned evenly; I could handle myself, as I had found out many times over the last few years. Even when Clyde was off doing whatever he did as a Ministry Agent outside school, I always seemed to end up dealing with the at-home crap. Ancient mythical stones, giant snakes in hidden chambers, soul-sucking Dementors...but those were still nothing compared to the stories Clyde had. My brother had fought all sorts of crap the Dark Lord had at his disposal. The guy was a living weapon, trained since birth in combat magic and the art of war.

Part of me was jealous of my brother. But a lot more of me pitied him and the heavy burden he had to bear.

"Actually, no." Ginny said sadly. "We kinda broke up over the summer."

I blinked, half-surprised, half-hopeful. "How come?"

Ginny waved her hand dismissively, and for a brief instant a look of sadness flashed across her face. "We just weren't working. Nothing to do with his constantly being away or anything though. We're still friends."

I nodded thoughtfully. "Are you okay?"

Ginny beamed. "Course I am. I've got you haven't I? My friend that fights monsters and helps me with homework and gets me hot chocolate when I'm feeling down."

I smiled at that. I felt a touch of bitterness at that though. Her friend. I could be so much more…I was about to say something when she noticed the Weasley army approaching. "Oh, there's Mum and Dad. Let's go."

I trailed a few steps behind her, pondering the new revelation. Ginny was single. How the hell had he only just found out about this? I knew everything about people; I always found out stuff quickly. But this had to have happened weeks ago. Who else knew? Had anyone else shown interest in her? I pushed the sudden obsession to the back of my mind and greeted the ginger clan.

There was Arthur and Molly, and Ron. I grinned and greeted my other Weasley friend with warm enthusiasm. "Ronnayy!"

"Harold!" Ron laughed before doing that handshake-hug thing that guy friends do. No idea what it's called. "How's happenings?"

"As much as to be expected." I replied, happy to see my first real friend after months. "You?"

"Same as always, met Mione's parents over the summer. Bit barmy if you ask me."

"Ooh." I smirked. "She's Mione now, is she?"

"Shut it." Ron harrumphed. "You were the one that set us up."

"Yeah," I reminisced fondly. All it had taken me was a magically animated statue and an ancient magical ritual. "I was. I won a lot of money from that betting pool."

Ron chuckled. "Thanks for that, mate."

"No problemo." Now, if I could just get a certain redhead to go out with me…

It felt odd, knowing that there would only be two Weasleys at Hogwarts this year. Bill and Charlie had left before I had even started, and Percy – currently estranged from the family – had left in my third-year. The boisterous twins, Fred and George, had left school last year to fulfil their joke shop dreams, much to the relief of the teachers. Of course, as soon as the last exam had ended, the twins had gone crazy, unleashing the largest array of pranks and outrageous actions the school had ever seen. People had been transfigured, whole corridors turned into swamps…it had been a glorious day. And now it was our turn.

"We'll need to make plans for the New Marauders." I told Ron quietly, so that his parents wouldn't hear.

"Agreed. I've got one or two ideas, but I'll save them for when we're all here." Ron said with a mischievous wink. I winked back, musing over the quartet that would be taking over Dad and his friend's legacy. Two gingers, a bookworm and a handsome bastard. Oh, this year was gonna be fun…

I turned my attention the Weasley matriarch and was instantly taken into one of her infamous, bone-crushing hugs. "Hello, Missus Weasley."

She scowled. "Now, Harry, I've told you a million times to call me Molly."

"Okay, Molly." I would probably never feel right calling her that though. "How are things at the Burrow?"

"Oh, so much quieter without Fred and George." She answered. "I never thought I'd miss the racket."

I chuckled at that. "Could be worse."

Molly nodded in amused agreement. "At least it will be their own flat they're blowing up."

"Hello Harry!" Molly's husband, Arthur, called out cheerfully, before grabbing my hand and wringing it enthusiastically. The elder Weasley man was daft for all things muggle. Their toys, their trinkets, their way of life. More often than not I was dragged into his discussions about them.

"Hello…Arthur." Again, the name sounded alien on my tongue. "How's work?"

"Pretty much dead these days. Fudge's new laws mean that pretty that there's a whole overhaul of the Ministry in effect. Nightmare and pointless if you ask me."

I nodded. Dad had been saying a lot of the same things. The general consensus was that Fudge was slowly losing his grip on reality, constantly trying to pass new laws to try and fight Voldemort. Trying to change what powers he had, how the Ministry worked, how democracy worked…how long would it be before he tried for a full empire? It certainly had the Order of the Phoenix worried; the good guys were starting to have enemies on the inside as well as the outside.

"I thought you were going to get promoted to that new department?"

"Scrapped it." Arthur rolled his eyes. "I think they just want to overtax the Aurors and Hit Wizards so that they can put more money into the War Mage program."

The War Mages were a branch of the Ministry's Department of War, created shortly after the Halloween attacks fifteen or so years ago. The idea was to create a force like no other; the best and brightest, those that showed potential were conscripted and bred for combat, trained for war. They would fight the battles the Aurors could not; take on the threats no one else could. All in the service of the Wizarding World. My brother had been part of the first class, and was effectively the poster-child for the whole thing.

"You don't think we need it?" I asked.

"I don't think we need child soldiers, no." Arthur said sadly. "The Ministry's getting as bad as You-Know-Who."

I nodded in understanding. I think even Dumbledore felt uncomfortable around Clyde. Dumbledore, old and wise and good, unnerved by the thought of a child whose innocence had been lost to a life of war. It was a saddening thought. Especially considering he was my brother. But that was what it was to live a life dictated by prophecy, wasn't it?

That was when my own family decided to show up. My Dad, my lovely Mum, who held the hand of a little red-head child with hazel eyes – my eleven-year-old sister, Amelia. And then there was Clyde himself. Looking at him, you wouldn't think he was the saviour of the world, or a warrior. He looked like a normal guy; the cool kind that dressed stylishly and was popular and got all the girls. But I knew him better than most; within a few seconds of walking through that portal he had scanned every face on the platform, taken in the size of the Hogwarts Express, and calculated every potential threat in the room, the best places for cover and the best objects he could use to his advantage in a spellfight. I knew that he had his wand in a wrist-mounted holster, and a six-inch blade strapped to his calf. He was sixteen, and if he had to, could probably take down everyone in the room, including the dozen or so Aurors. Probably could even if he was only armed with a banana and had one arm tied behind his back.

And no, I have no idea why I said banana.

"Get through security alright?" I asked them amused.

Mum scowled. "Honestly! I know the Ministry has to keep an eye on Clyde but I think we can get him to a simple train station without too much trouble."

"Lily, dear," James said in a placating tone. "It could be worse. He's the only one of the War Mages actually allowed to use the Express."

Special privileges for the Boy-Who-Lived. Or, rather, to give the appearance of normalcy to the rest of the world. I smiled as my parents began to bicker and knelt down so I was eye-level with Amelia. "All set to go to Hogwarts?"

Amelia nodded in excitement. "Yeah! Feeling a little nervous though."

"Good." I winked. "You're not doing it right if you're not."

"Harry," My sister asked, suddenly looking worried. "What if I'm put in Slytherin?"

"What if you're put in Slytherin?" I repeat confused. What difference did it make?

"Everyone says they're evil." Amelia whispered quietly.

I sighed. "Amelia, each house is known to exemplify traits; Gryffindor is known for bravery, Ravenclaw for intellect, Hufflepuff for hard-working and Slytherin for ambition and cunning. There's nothing wrong with being any of those. The thing about Slytherin though, is that Salazar believed in the notion of blood-purity, and so all the modern families that blood-purity matters to believe that Slytherin is the only noble house, and few actually possess the traits he wanted for his house. And if you do end up there, it'll be for the right reasons, not the wrong. And we'll all love you no matter where you go."

"Really?"

"Really really." I grinned. "You want to ride with us or students your age?"

"My age." Amelia answered.

"Okay." I accepted. "But if anything happens just come find me or Clyde. Got that?"

"Yeah!" She cheered happily. I smiled as she ran off to meet with the Weasley's.

"No trouble so far then." Clyde said, walking up to me briskly. He even had a soldier's gait.

"Voldemort's not stupid enough to have people attack here. Too many Aurors." I pointed out, just as I had to James.

"Maybe." My twin agreed. "But I don't like being out in the open like this."

"Then why didn't you just go straight to Hogwarts?" I asked dryly. It was always the same, every year. He really needed to get that War Mage stick out of his ass and lighten up. Okay, maybe that's a bit unfair considering his predicament, but still. If he kept being so serious all the time, he'd burn out and snap eventually.

"It helps people to know that the Boy-Who-Lived feels safe enough to be out in the open." Clyde rattled off.

"Please, you could probably kill everyone in a fifty foot radius." I laughed easily. "Fighting isn't everything, you know. You're only sixteen."

"You don't have a prophecy saying you have to kill a madman." Clyde growled.

"Neither do you!" I exclaimed. How often had we been over this same line of argument? "The future isn't fixed. We decide our own destiny."

"Easy for you to say." He snapped, before stalking off. I rubbed my eyes and sighed. It was never easy, with him. No wonder Ginny dumped him. Oh, now that was harsh…

And then I was saying goodbye to my parents, as Amelia and Clyde had already boarded. James ruffled my hair and smirked. "Now Harry, remember: do your homework, don't stay out of trouble and make sure you use protection."

"DAD!"

"JAMES!"

"ME!" He laughed. Then wilted under Lily's angry gaze. "C'mon, it was a joke Lils. Harry's a good boy."

"Yes he is." She said, wrapping me up in an embrace. "That's why I don't want you ruining him."

James merely winked at me behind her back and mouthed too late. I resisted the urge to snicker. Lily pulled away and looked at me with a serious expression. "Be safe okay?"

"I will." I promised. "I don't look for trouble. Much."

"Sure you don't." Lily sighed. "But, Harry, keep an eye on your siblings this year. Clyde might be acting like he's fine but I can tell everything's starting to take a toll."

I nodded. "I'll watch out for him."

"Thank you." Lily whispered. "Now off you go. Hogwarts is waiting."

There are things about me you should know.

Number One: Up until a year ago, I had a piece of Lord Voldemort's soul – a Horcrux - inside me. It was removed when I was almost Kissed by a Dementor that had attacked our home.

Number Two: The Horcrux gave me some of his memories, shards of his life, and his ability to speak to snakes. We also share a deep connection; Some call it being Soul-Marked.

Number Three: Don't let my awesomeness fool you. There's a lot of sadness and insecurity and doubt in this old heart of mine.

The Hogwarts Express was about to depart when Hermione Granger decided to join us in our compartment, complete with trunk and part-Kneazle Crookshanks tucked under one arm. My last of three best friends, with her bushy hair and once-big front teeth. Way back when in first-year, she had been clever to a fault, but also stuck up. After saving her from a troll – one of the adventures Clyde missed – she had fallen in with us, quickly becoming a partner in crime. And now, she was one of us, the New Maruaders.

Also, she was trying to suck Ron's face off. Or something to that effect.

"Guys," I groaned, trying to look away. "Do you have to do that here?"

No reponse. I turned to Ginny. "Okay, seriously, how can they do that for so long without coming up for air?"

"It's kissing, not swimming underwater." Ginny said, rolling her eyes. "You're clueless, honestly."

Well, when you're stuck in love with someone that doesn't love you back, and all the other girls you could try to distract yourself with are all more interested in your brother, it kinda makes it hard to get experience on the matter. Not that I said that out loud. I simply grunted and pulled out my wand. A bang and the two were forced apart. "Thank you."

"What was that for?" Ron grumbled.

"You're supposed to greet all your friends, Miss Granger." I chuckled. "You'll have plenty of time to play tongue tennis with him later."

Hermione blushed a shade of red that would put a Weasley to shame. "Sorry, Harry. And Ginny."

She got up and hugged us both. "Happy now?"

"Only if you two don't start kissing again." I snorted.

"No promises."

The train finally started to pull away with a lurch, and we all turned to the window to get one last glimpse of our waving families, before passing out of the station and towards home for the next ten months.

I phased out of the conversation after half an hour and busied myself in my little blue book. It served as something of a journal, soundboard for ideas, a diary and basically any random ideas that I happened to have. Right now, I was busying myself with my bigger plans for the year.

1: Find the rest of Voldemort's Horcruxes.
2: Get Ginny to go out with me.

How hard could either be? Part of me wonders whether I should tell my friends about the Horcruxes, enlist them for aid. But no, I can't bring my friends into this. Clyde might be destined to defeat Tom, but I had a personal stake in this too; too many people had died already. This would be my burden to bear, my footnote for Atlas. Besides, if I didn't know better, I would guess that a certain old man and I would be crossing paths on that quest very soon. I realised someone was calling my name.

"Earth to Harry?"

"Mm? Oh, what?" I blinked. Ginny laughed her so-lovely laugh. "Lost in the little book again. One day you'll need to let us see what's in there."

"Nope." I grunted, before sticking the book and pen into my jacket's inside pocket. "So what were we talking about?"

"Ron was just saying it could be really useful if we tried to become Animagi this year." Hermione answered. "I mean, your father and brother managed it."

"Yeah, would be useful." I agreed. "Want me to ask them for advice?"

"Couldn't hurt." Said Ron. "Plus, if the old Maruaders did it, we're not really living up to the title if we're not."

"Agreed." I nodded. Animagus, hmm. It would be cool to be able to turn into an animal. Hopefully I'd get something cool. Ginny stood up and went for the door. "One second."

She pulled open the doors to reveal a girl with white-blond hair and a ridiculous pair of glasses on. "Are you lost, Luna?"

'Luna' shook her head, and replied dreamily. "Oh no, I was just examining the train's aural pattern. There's so many echoes of the past here."

The girl knew about residual magic. Interesting. I spoke up. "You're welcome to sit with us if you like?"

She considered for a second. "The lingling's say you're all nice people, so okay."

She beamed before stepping inside. Ron shared a look with me and mouthed 'lingling?' I shrugged back. Ginny decided to introduce her as she sat down. "Guys, this is my friend Luna Lovegood. Her father runs the Quibbler."

There was a round of introductions and when I introduced myself she regarded me with interest. "Funny. You're wrong."

"About?" I frowned.

"The truth of you is hidden to all but one. The lingling say so." She answered in her soft voice.

"I see." I muttered. I didn't really. Not a clue.

"Don't worry." Ginny said, sounded just as baffled as me. "She does that."

Quite often, it's the insane that are the most sane. I would have to keep an eye on her. There was a mystery in her words. I watched as she pulled out a copy of her father's magazine and busied herself in it. "It's fine."

Eventually, the trolley lady came by and I bought a small feast for us to consume. After some prodding, we managed to get Luna to join us in the food and conversation. As it turns out, she actually lived just over yonder from the Weasley's.

I, on a moment of whimsy, took out my watch and quietly started counting down. As I hit zero, the doors opened to a platinum-haired idiot and his two stooges. "Mister Malfoy," I drawled. "We missed you."

Hermione sighed a smacked her hand to her forehead. "I knew we never should have watched the Matrix trilogy."

"Was that the one with the robots and computer things?" Ginny piped up.

"Yeah."

"I never got that." Ron complained. "If they were in another world, how could the guy use his powers in the real one?"

"Cause they were in a Matrix, within a Matrix, within a Matrix" I chimed in, before frowning. "No, wait, hang on, that's Inception."

"I understood that one." Ron said proudly.

Malfoy didn't seem to appreciate being forgotten about. "If we're all done talking utter nonsense."

"Oh, Draco!" I yelped, standing up quickly and sending Every Flavour Beans everywhere. "Shit, didn't see you there. Still doing the whole pureblood forever thing?"

"Purebloods are the few meant to run the world." He began.

"Really?" Hermione asked thoughtfully. "Then how come you're all becoming increasingly ridden with genetic faults due to inbreeding?"

"And besides," Ron followed. "A lot of pureblood girls are actual munters- OW!"

Malfoy however, seemed unperturbed by our inane chattering. "You may think your brother will come out on top, Potter, but trust me, there are plans in motion you can't begin to comprehend."

I simply smiled back. "I think the good guys always win, Draco. You might want to realise that before you don't have a way out."

With that, he simply left, Crabbe and Goyle at his heels.

"Well." Ginny began. "That was fun."

"What did he mean by 'plans in motion'?" Hermione pondered. "Does he know something from his father?"

"Doubt it." Ron scoffed. "His dad probably wouldn't trust him with a sharp object and not expect him to cut himself with it."

I chuckled at that, but as an afterthought, pulled out my little book and after my first two goals for the year wrote: 3: Work out Voldemort's Master Plan, and underlined it three times before replacing it.

The hours passed without further incident and it was decided that the time had come to get changed. Since I never actually bothered to wear the uniform since I hated robes, we left the ladies in the compartment to get changed while Ron found a bathroom and I wandered along the train. Looking outside the windows revealed a rolling plain of green and high, snow-capped mountains. Oh yes, Hogwarts was close.

I bumped into another classmate, Neville Longbottom. In earlier years he had been a little pudgy and lacking in confidence, but recently he had steered more towards leanness and seemed to have come out of his shell a bit more. Not unlike me, I suppose. "Hey Neville, lost the toad again?"

"Of course." Neville rolled his eyes. "I'll never get why Trevor can't just stand still."

"Well I can't see why you have a toad, but that's just me." I teased.

"Trevor's cool." Neville glared, before smiling. "Have a good summer?"

"Same old." I replied. "You?"

"Same." He said. "Gran wasn't really sure if I should come back this year or not. A lot of people are trying to move abroad."

I nodded. "I've heard. Not sure why though. Dumbledore's at Hogwarts; you'll be lucky to find anywhere safer."

"That's what I said." Neville agreed.

The train shook slightly. I frowned. "Are we slowing down?"

"Can't be." My fellow Gryffindor said. "We're not there yet."

The train lurched forward and came to an instant halt. Neville and I were flung forward onto our faces, and there were cries and thuds as luggage came free along the carriage. "You were saying?"

"What's going on?"

I stood up and went to the window. Oh, damn it all to hell. "Neville, you're going to have to be very, very brave right now."

"Why?"

I turned away from the window to face him, with the darkening sky and lances of black smoke crisscrossing in the space outside the window behind me.

"We're under attack."

A/N: Originally, the train journey was going to be just one chapter but I think I was better to spilt it between introducing everyone here and then having the attack part separate.

As always, read, review, criticise and all the rest of it.

Cheers.