Hello, dear friends, and welcome to the revised Harry Potter and Destiny's Calling. As you may have noticed, I've totally started over from scratch with the story. The reason is that I had previously had tunnel vision, and didn't realize that my character was the Mary Sue of all Mary Sues. (Thank you for bringing this to my attention, reviewers. Especially you, Imperator.) Therefore, out of my own shame, I got rid of it, and started over. It will still contain elements of the original, but for the most part, it will be quite different. So, on to the new and, I hope, improved version! P.S. I wrote the Sorting hat song all on my own. Yay! Aren't I special?
DISCLAIMER: If you think that I own Harry potter, I've only one thing to say: Welcome to earth, my brothers from space!
Harry Potter and Destiny's Calling
PG for non-Disney-esque-ness
Chapter One: New Kid in Town
At first glance, the girl wasn't anything special. Her auburn hair was straight, though quite messy, and constantly tried to take over her face. Not that that was much, either. It had no remarkable features, even if nothing was out of place. The nose; straight, but plain, the mouth; soft, but made more for speaking rather than kissing. Her cheeks might have been called rosy, but they were covered with freckles, and her misty gray eyes were rather nice, but her short lashes and bushy eyebrows seemed to steal some of the beauty away. Her form was lean, but a bit on the lanky side, making her look a bit like a stork. As said before, nothing special. But again, as said before, that was only at first glance.
If you happened to take the effort to look again, whether due to curiosity, friendliness, or just plain coincidence, you would've seen that though her eyes were unremarkable, they held wisdom and intelligence. That though her form was more awkward than graceful, she fit well in it, for her walk and stance were confident and sure.
Sadly, not many bothered to cast that second glance.
But none of this seemed to concern her as she, alone, pushed her cart through King's Cross Station, crossed the barrier dividing platforms nine and ten, and strolled onto platform nine and three-quarters. As a matter of fact, nothing at all seemed as though it would much concern her, including the hustle and bustle all around her, from tearful farewells to family, or joyful reunions with old friends. Nope, nothing seemed to matter to her at all; the girl with her cart, just going about her way, stepping onto the train and entering an empty compartment, not bothering anyone, not being bothered.
And though many barged into her little compartment, disrupting this strange cloud of solitude that hovered about her, none found what they were seeking. Not in the plain, quiet girl who didn't care to come into contact with anyone.
Not in this most peculiar girl, who, had they bothered, anyone would've seen, was unlike any other.
~*~*~
"Harry! Ron!" an exasperated Hermione called, running up to the pair. "I asked you to wait for me!"
"Sorry, Hermione," Harry apologized, smiling, "but the man taking the tickets rushed us in."
"It's all right," Hermione answered, smiling back.
"Yes, well, enough. The train's about to pull out of the station, and even Ginny's already on," Ron informed them, pushing his cart forward. "Come on!"
Harry and Hermione complied, pushing their own carts as well, and rushing onto the train. They didn't really expect there to be any empty compartments this late, so they just stepped into the first one with an open door.
"May we come in?" Harry asked politely, poking his head in the doorway to find a girl sitting by herself. She nodded, and he grinned, then gestured for his companions to enter with him. Chattering all the time, they moved their luggage about and settled down. Only when they were finished doing so did they notice that the girl whose compartment that had so suddenly occupied hadn't said a word, only watched, somberly, as they talked and laughed. This made Harry a bit uncomfortable, but he smiled nonetheless, and asked for her name.
"I am called Breanna Phaon. You are Harry Potter." Harry didn't seem too astonished by the comment; lots of people could tell who he was if they looked.
"The one with the red hair," she continued, "is Ron Weasley. And the one with the sharp eyes," – Hermione blushed with pleasure – "is Hermione Granger, Prefect of Gryffindor House."
Ron and Hermione went wide-eyed, and chorused, "How did you do that?" Breanna smiled, the first time any of them had seen her do so, and simply said,
"You are wearing your badges."
Harry looked over at Ron and Hermione, and indeed they were. He burst out laughing, while Ron and Hermione flushed, embarrassed.
"You said your name was Breanna, didn't you? It's very nice." Harry commented.
"Thank you," she replied. "I have many names, though; this one is no different."
"Er… all right, then," Harry said, chuckling nervously. There was something a bit uncanny about this girl, and it wasn't just her way of speaking in riddles.
"Who's up for a game of Gobstones, then?" Ron queried, taking out the set his brother had given him for his birthday that year. Harry and Hermione smiled and enthusiastically volunteered. They laughed as Ron numerously got squirted with the foul liquid, and groaned when it was their own turn.
Breanna Phaon just watched, silent as ever, but Harry could've sworn there was a smile lingering on her lips.
~*~*~
"First years, transfers… everyone to be Sorted! Please proceed zis way!" a voice that was not Hagrid's called, beckoning a large group of students toward her.
"F… Fl… Fleur?" Harry sputtered incredulously, voicing the words that apparently refused to come out of Ron's mouth.
"'Ello, 'Arry!" she called, beaming. "I said I would get a job 'ere!" she crowed, smiling with pride. "We shall see each uzzer often, no?"
"I suppose so," Harry answered, fighting the urge to laugh at Ron's still gaping mouth and Hermione's murderous glare. His gaze wandered over to Breanna, who was making her way toward Fleur, silently, of course.
"Good luck," Harry said to her, despite the fact that he still made her a bit uncomfortable. She looked just the slightest bit surprised, but replied,
"Thank you, Harry Potter," and went off on her way.
Harry finally burst out laughing as he saw Hermione's livid face turning from Fleur to Breanna and back again, and Ron's mouth still gaping at Fleur's back.
"This is going to be one interesting year," he chuckled, dragging along his two best friends.
~*~*~
Breanna followed the veela, and stepped lightly into the same boat that the beautiful young woman did. She gasped along with the rest of the students as they got their first view of the magnificent Hogwarts castle, surprised at how beautiful it was.
The veela led them inside the castle to be intercepted by a stern woman, shoved into a small little hall, and shoved back out into a much larger one. The still-silent Phaon took everything in, from the light of the many flickering candles, to the tables lined with hordes of students, to the solitary, ragged hat sitting on a stool in the center of the room.
Breanna raised her eyebrows as the hat burst suddenly into song.
Let me tell you a tale known by many
Of the four greatest wizards known
I well tell you how Hogwarts School began
Ah, ah, now! Don't you dare groan!
These four traveled far and wide
Searching for young wizards they could teach
They united and formed Hogwarts School
So all magic folk they could reach
But each of them had quirks, you know
They each had their own tastes
So they formed four houses
In which their students could be great
In every single Gryffindor
You will always find
The bravery and strength of the lion
You can tell they're one of a kind
Ravenclaws have always been known
For their namesake's cleverness
They love to learn and use their brains
And do it in style, no less!
The Hufflepuffs, you shall see,
Are like the badger, ready to work hard
Their loyalty shows they're great friends to have
And of cruelty, they obtain not a shard
Last, but not least, the Slytherins
Are sly and cunning as the snake
They're not afraid to get what they want
And do whatever it takes
So now I continue the tradition
Of choosing from among the throng
The lions and snakes, the ravens and badgers
So put me on, and trust me, for I'm never wrong!
Breanna, amused, applauded and chuckled with the rest. After the Sorting Hat had finished its serenade, people moved forward to place the Sorting Hat on their heads. Slowly, she moved forward as, one, by one, the line dwindled. Most of the first years had been Sorted already, and the stern woman, whose name appeared to be McGonagall, announced the Sorting of the students that were coming to Hogwarts already with some education at other schools.
"For second year…" Breanna listened with half an ear as several students were sorted, until, finally, the new fifth years were being announced and Sorted.
"Johnson, Ana" and "Loxceye, Justin" were announced Hufflepuffs, and the Slytherins gained "Normandy, Helen." Finally,
"Phaon, Breanna!"
Breanna strolled toward the little hat, (which turned out not to be so little, since it fell about to her eyebrows,) and jammed it onto her head.
'Phaon… Phaon… Now that's one I haven't heard…' came a little voice in her ear.
'Come on, Hat, stop musing and get on with it,' she thought back at it, crossing her arms.
'Feisty, aren't we?' it observed, chuckling.
'Humph!' she returned, reminding herself never again to don a talking hat with a bad sense of humor.
'I heard that! Now then, let's see… no patience, none at all… not good Hufflepuff material. No ambition either, child… You just want to do what needs to be done, and in an honorable fashion at that… no, no, definitely not Slytherin. Gryffindor, perhaps? No, no, not nearly stubborn enough, and not quite as adventurous as Godric would've wanted. I think you have more of a knack for solving puzzles, using your brain… Speaking of which, have you considered a career as a diplomat?'
'!!!'
'Ah. I thought not. Anyway, you're an ideal… RAVENCLAW!'
~*~*~
"…RAVENCLAW!" the Sorting Hat announced, and Breanna returned the hat to its stool. Harry heard Ron breathe a sigh relief.
"Thank God! That girl was weird!" Ron exclaimed, settling himself down and preparing to eat.
"Oh yes, I wasn't very keen on her," Hermione agreed. "Don't you think so, Harry?" she inquired, facing him.
"Well, she was… strange, yes, but… Oh, I don't know… she seems kind of familiar," Harry explained, as much surprised at his own words as Ron and Hermione were.
"If you say so," Ron muttered doubtfully, as though Harry were off his rocker.
However, the uncomfortable conversation was cut short as Professor Dumbledore stood up to make his usual announcements.
"Good evening, Hogwarts students, new and old, and welcome! Before we begin the feast, I would like to make some announcements. First, please welcome three new teachers. Professor Figg, for Defense Against the Dark Arts…"
Harry was shocked. Mrs. Figg, with the cats and crotchet chairs, whom he'd grown up next door to? It evidently was so, for as she stood up, smiling, she looked directly at Harry and winked. Harry smiled back, and cheered louder than the rest.
"… Mr. Charles Weasley, for Care of Magical Creatures," he continued, and Ron, the twins, Harry, and Hermione erupted into cheers and applause, smiling goofily. A/N: Is his full name Charles? It makes sense to me, since Ron's is Ronald… and it sounds more formal… so deal.
"I told you I had a surprise for you!" Ron shouted over the applause, smiling more than Harry could've thought possible.
"…And finally, Miss Fleur Delacour, for Potions!" The Great Hall shook with the noise everyone was making, with the exception of most of the Slytherins, due partly to Fleur's veela heritage, but mostly to the complete and total absence of Snape.
"Ha ha HA!!" Ron cried, hugging Harry and Hermione in turn. "It can't get any better than this! No Snape! Oh, the ecstasy!"
When the noise finally died down, Dumbledore clapped his hands, and the feast appeared before their eyes, and everyone, especially Harry and Company, ate drank, and were very happy.
~*~*~
Breanna took another slice of roast beef, and drowned it in gravy. This was, quite possibly, the very best food she'd ever had.
"You like that, don't you?" a voice commented beside her, and Breanna turned to face it. She saw a young man of her own age, with messy brown hair, and curiously bright blue eyes. He was smiling in a friendly way, and as Breanna looked into those eyes of his, she realized that they held such a warm mirth, and she couldn't help smiling back.
"Yes, I do. It's delicious," she answered, wondering why on Earth he was asking such a silly question of a total stranger. She was still smiling, though.
"You look so much more friendly when you smile," he observed, and Breanna blushed. Why is he saying that? she asked herself. Why is he even talking to me? No one's ever just been so… kind to me before, or at least not at a first meeting!
He interrupted her, however, by offering his hand and introducing himself.
"I'm Ewan. Ewan Lowell. Fifth year. It's nice to meet you." He smiled again, those warm eyes sparkling.
"I'm Breanna Phaon, fifth year, too. Pleasure to meet you, as well," she smiled back at him, and each returned to their plates, not saying another word to each other until they reached Ravenclaw Tower and parted ways on the way to their dorms.
~*~*~
Breanna flopped onto her new four-poster, relishing in the feel of the goose down duvet and pillows. From the gorgeous wooden trunk at the foot of the bed, she pulled out a navy blue nightgown, thinking it was too ironic that most of her things bore the Ravenclaw colors.
And as she tucked herself in, warmed by the soft sheets and the cheerily blazing fire, she couldn't help but feel that she had finally found home.
~*~*~
Love it? Hate it? Better or worse that the first one? Is the character still Mary-Sue-ish? Please review and tell me! (P.S. If you haven't noticed, the character that used to be Sabrina is now Breanna.)