Disclaimer: I don't own "Harry Potter"

Chapter 1 "The beginning of the journey"

A blonde haired women could be seen sitting on a swing set on the grounds of Malfoy manner. Her crystal blue eyes looked distantly at her family's home, and her left hand lay protectively over her swollen stomach. Unbidden a couple of tears fell from her eyes, cascading down her cheek and falling into the freshly cut grass. Giving a melancholy smile the women's voice came out with a rich tone, "Why Sirius?! Why did you do it and leave me and little Harry all by ourselves?"

She could remember the day it all happened as clearly as if it had been yesterday. The morning in which they had made love, the afternoon in which he had proposed, and more than ever the night she had found out he had betrayed his friends, and in doing so her and their unborn child as well. Remembering that night was the only thing that kept her going at times, showed her how strong she needed to be, because in the end the only person she could count for her and her child was herself.

(Flashback)

Walking through a book store late at night she idly browsed the section on motherhood. She passed the common titles such as "What to expect when you're expecting" and turned her nose up at the ones her family owned such as "How to make sure it isn't a squib". Just as she was finally settling on "it all starts with a little magic" did she notice the increased activity outside. This in and of itself wasn't to odd a sight, after all with it being Halloween night and the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters running around. Still though her older brother Lucius had assured her that this section of Diagon Alley was safe. Leaving the book on the shelf she quickly but regally exited the store and headed to where it seemed a large celebration was happening.

Going over to what looked like a hastily established booth that currently had five kegs of booze precariously leaning off the edge, she approached what looked to be the vender. He was a middle aged man with a beer gut and face that looked like it was usually in a frown. A surprise really considering that as soon as she was within arm's length the man handed her a cup of beer, before she could give it back to him the man raised his own cup.

"A toast to the defeat of the Dark lord!"

While everybody raised there drinks, she desperately tried to keep hers from slipping through her fingers. 'The Dark Lords dead?' It was inconceivable to anybody, most of her family had practically worshipped the ground the man walked on, or in her brother's case were too greedy and to cowardly to oppose him. Still the news was great, for her and Sirius. In fact, putting the alcohol on a counter she envisioned the place she knew her fiancé would be and with a pop she was there.

The magic floating through the air itself made her hair stand on end and goosebumps appear along her body. It just felt wrong on so many levels. Slowly ever so slowly she approached the door, careful to have her wand in her hand. It didn't matter that she was pregnant, she only cared about making sure Sirius was safe. Slowly entering through the door her immiediently let out a gasp at the sight of her Fiancé's best friend laying on the floor. His soulless eyes appeared to look right through her and with a small moment to gather her wits, she walked past the body of the man she remembered who had always provided a laugh for everybody around her. When she got to the door that housed little Harry she hesitated. 'Will all that awaits me be a dead baby lying in his mother's arms? Is that really worth seeing? Sirius might not even be here.' Though she knew in her heart that her beloved would have come back and that meant that the only way to find him was to open the door and see what awaited her.

The sight before her was one that would haunt her till the end of her days. A mother lying on the ground, a baby laying still in his crib, and a black cloak laying on the floor the ashes of something beneath it. Her body refused to move as she starred at the cloak on the floor, shed recognize it anywhere especially with the wand laying in front of it. Her mind fuzzy the women apparated away, had she stayed she would have seen the soulless eyes of the specter that came out of the ashes, or the slight flash of life that momentarily appeared in the baby's eyes.

-X-

Brushing an errant strand of hair behind his left ear, Harry Black took one last look at his mother through the window of the Hogwarts express as the train started its journey. She was giving him a smile as she stood next to his uncle Luscious and his aunt Narcissa. He could see that she didn't exactly look comfortable to be in the situation but they were Malfoy's and appearances must be kept. Giving a sigh Harry quickly hoisted his trunk, charmed as it was to be as light as a feather above his head and into the hanging rack. No sooner had he done that the sounds of a commotion outside reach his ears. Walking to the door Harry had just reached the doorknob when he heard something that was going to make his day slowly descend into misery.

"Just wait till my father hears about this Weasley! You'll be lucky to be able to afford second hand robes!" The shear malice could be heard to all.

Upon turning the doorknob and walking into the hallway, absemindedly making sure not to scruff his new shoes Harry could see a crowd beginning to form. The first thing he noticed was a red haired youth about his age whose ears looked to be turning red for some reason, and appeared capable of murder. Well at least to the blonde boy standing across from him, two hulking boys standing to his left and right.

Letting out a sigh, Harry decided that if for nothing else he couldn't have his cousin tarnishing his family's reputation, the same family that he and his mother were a part of. 'Not that the family reputation is positive, but that's neither here nor there.'

Glancing at the blonde boy Harry said, "Cousin Draco do try to keep the volume down, I had just gotten into a particularly good book and was finding my concentration waning."

The tightening of his shoulder was biggest indication that Draco had heard him, his cousin glanced at him from the corner of his eye and Harry was man enough to admit that the small shutter that went through Draco's body pleased him immensely.

"Of course, sorry to interrupt your reading cousin Hadrian."

The barest twitches of his cousins left lip pissed him off more than he would like to admit. Still he couldn't very well get into an altercation with his ponce of a cousin after reprimanding him for just that. So it was with a slight narrowing of the eyes that Harry turned around and walked back into his compartment.

"See that it doesn't happen again."

The rest of the journey was relatively silent and he had been able to sit back and enjoy a good book. The only exceptions to this had been the visit of the trolley and a bushy haired girl. The trolley had been a simple enough affair and he had walked out of it with a couple chocolate frogs and a bottle of pumpkin juice, as well as a couple of knuts lighter. The girl had been another issue entirely, she had stopped by to enquire on whether or not he had seen a toad hopping around the express. His response had simply been to ask whether or not the girl had attempted to find someone to summon the toad. This had been met with the girl starring at him for a while in silence. Finally just when he had been about to ask the girl to bugger off she had finally spoken.

"That book that you're reading, what is it?"

Raising an eyebrow at the question, Harry casually closed the book while making sure to fold the top corner of the page he was on. The title "A beginners guide to the art of potions" shown on a velvety black cover. Giving her an appropriate amount of time to see the title, Harry casually flipped the book to where he had left off and began to read. The girl however seemed to take this as an acceptance of some sort because she sat down next to him and seemed to attempt to read the book over his shoulder.

"Oh you're reading about potions for calming people down. I've already read about them in the course books we were assigned as well as in some supplemental books. I'm Hermione Granger by the way, and you are?" The ending of her sentence was finished with her holding out her hand as if asking for him to shake it.

It was a very muggle way of acting and just judging by the last name he could easily ascertain that the girl was most likely a muggleborn or a very recent half blood. Still though while most of his family was very against anyone who wasn't a pureblood his mother had raised him not to judge others. So with a flourish Harry took her hand and bending slightly at the waist placed a kiss upon her knuckles.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Granger, my name is Hadrian Black but I insist you call me Harry."

Hermione let out a slight gasp before her face took upon a decidedly red hue. Her hand which she had not yet taken from his palm began to feel a little clammy. With a start Hermione stood up and starring at him with an odd sort of glance said something about "looking for a toad" and quickly exited his compartment.

Starring at where the retreating girl, Harry gave a shrug and went back to his book. Like his uncle Lucius had said, females were better off letting be, rather then attempting to figure out.

Before he knew it they had arrived at Hogwarts School for witchcraft and wizardry, and more importantly he had finished three chapters of his book. So with a slightly longing glance at the seat he had occupied for the last couple of hours left his trunk where it was, after all his mother had informed him they were transported to their dorms. Walking down the hallway and out of the train Harry was just about to follow the crowd of people walking towards the castle when a booming voice reached his ears.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! No more than four to a boat!"

The man shouting this, was taller than he had ever seen anybody before. He possessed a mane of curly black hair that fell against his back, and appeared to not have been washed in a while. His coat looked raggedy and worn, but still seemed to provide its intended use. All in all Harry could say that he was not impressed. 'Wonder how dear Cousin Draco, feels about an obvious half-giant being on staff. I'm sure it will be a trying time for Aunt Narcissa and uncle Lucius over the holidays.'

Walking over to the small paddleboats that the man was shepherding the first years into, Harry stepped into the nearest one. He was soon joined by what looked like a pair of Indian twins, both of which appeared to be slightly nervous about getting on the boat with him. He could understand the apprehension. His striking grey eyes, long black hair and high cheekbones bore a very close resemblance to his imprisoned father.

The twin on the right seemed about to say something when they were joined by a newcomer. A blonde haired haired girl stepped onto the boat, her striking blue eyes narrowed at the two girls and then him before she gave a curt nod in his direction. He distinctly remembered seeing her before, probably at one of his uncle Lucius's dinner party's or perhaps even at one of the ministry balls.

It took him until their boat was nearly half way across the lake before he remembered who the girl was. Daphne Greengrass, the heir to the Greengrass family. Well he supposed that was kind of wrong to say, rather whoever she married would be the lord of the family since the Greengrass family was a paternal lordship family. The Blacks and Malfoys were the same way, as were most of the families in the Wizengamot. In fact the only exceptions that Harry knew off the top of his head for this were the Bones and Brown families.

Turning back to his fellow passengers Harry could see that the two Indian girls were staring at the castle, Daphne however had her eyes trained on him. Upon glancing over and their eyes meeting both of them looked away, Harry thought he spied a faint dusting of red on the girl's cheeks but he could be mistaken. It wasn't long before they were getting off the small rowboats that they had been placed in, when they were once more being shepherded by the giant of a man. This however changed when as soon as they walked into the entranceway a couple of ghosts passed through the doors debating something about a poltergeist. No sooner had they finished their conversation than an elderly women walked through the doors leading to the great hall. She wasted no time in dismissing the man that had brought them here and then her attention quickly turned to them.

The women wore the standard black robes that most wizards and witches were. Unlike most however, she also had on her head a witch's hat which most people had stopped wearing decades ago. Her eyes were narrowed, though there was a warmth to them at least Harry thought as she gazed at certain students. Him and Draco however, received frostier looks.

"My name is Professor McGonagall and in a couple of minutes you all will walk into the great hall and be sorted into your individual houses. These houses will become like your family away from home, and throughout the year you will win or lose house points for this family. I hope all of you will become a pride to your houses and have fond memories of your Hogwarts experience. Now follow me and we will enter the great hall where you will be sorted."

They were led through the massive doors of the Hogwarts entrance and in no time at all they all stood gathered in front of a stool containing a dinky old hat. This was no ordinary hat however, since as soon as they had all congregated in front of it did it start to sing a song. The song went over all of the houses and what each's members possessed. When the hat finished its song it seemed to give an imitation of a bow before once more straightening up. Professor McGonagall walked up until she was behind the sorting hat and pulled out a long list.

"Abbot, Hannah"

A pudgy girl with blonde hair that was currently done up in twin pony tails. She seemed nervous if slightly determined and quickly walked up to the stool and sat down. McGonagall placed the hat atop the girls head and then the hall became silent.

"Hufflepuff!"

Cheers erupted from one of the long tables, where most of the student body appeared to have yellow ties and badger symbols on their chests. Hannah quickly ran over and was welcomed quickly by the students. McGonagall allowed this to go on for a while before a single look from her and the hall once more fell silent.

"Black, Hadrian"

Whispers across all of the tables greeted that announcement. Walking towards the stool that the girl had vacated Harry could feel all eyes settle firmly on his back. It heckled him a little to have his name broadcast like that to everybody, and the stares were not helping the situation. Still though he was a pureblood, heir to the Ancient and Noble house of Black and he would bow his head to nobody, especially not a bunch of pre-teens. It was that thought that got him to the stool without turning around and telling everyone to bugger off. His head was suddenly covered and he could hear an eerie silence settle upon the student body. All of their eyes trained on him.

'Hmmm let's see, oh yes you are definitely an interesting one aren't you.' The thought came from his head and Harry was startled to hear somebody else's thoughts in his head. 'Oh come now, there's no reason to be startled. Now let's see what we have here. You have plenty of loyalty to those that can prove themselves to you and you do believe in hard work, but it looks like you don't believe in giving loyalty until it's proven. No I dare say Helga's house wouldn't fit you.'

Harry felt annoyance when he heard the disappointment in the hats tone. It must have shown because quickly the unknown voice continued. 'A quick wit, and the thirst for knowledge can be seen as clear as day in your head Mr. Black, however so is the ability to allow emotions to cloud your judgement and a pride that you feel must always be kept. No I dare say you would revolt at the thought of your opinions being wrong, your pride wouldn't allow the slight. It would seem that Rowena's house is out as well.'

He could practically feel the hat smile atop his head. 'But you already knew that didn't you Mr. Black, yes I can see in your head that you don't care about those two houses only the fact that they possibly don't care for you either. A strange one you are, I can sense courage in you and the desire to save those closest to you. I would have no doubt that Godric would love to have you in his house. Oh there's talent, so much raw talent, as well as the cunning and ambition to see it used. You would quickly find yourself among the top of Salazar's house with that potential. The question is though where to put you, which of those qualities need further polishing and which will grow on their own.' Distantly Harry could feel all of the eyes of the hall staring at him, his sorting had been going on for a while and the answer still wasn't clear at this point. Privately, Harry couldn't blame them it did not mean he would show it to them though. 'Yes I see, now the answer is as clear as day!' Harry was just about to ask what the hat meant when it said that when suddenly his ears were assaulted.

"Slytherin!"

Harry blinked once, twice and then suddenly he could hear subdued cheers coming from one of the tables. The hat was lifted from his head, and Harry got the distinct impression that it had winked at him. Numbly stepping up it took Harry a couple of feet before he was able to regain his composure and walk with the grace befitting his station. He walked towards the end of the table and was unsurprised when a spot quickly cleared for him. Turning to his new housemates Harry saw them staring at him, silently judging his worth. A feeling of someone watching him loomed upon his back and Harry inclined his head to see a man with greased black hair starring at him from the staff table, eyes smoldering with hatred.

"Bones, Susan"

The feeling diminished but never left, even as Harry heard the rest of the students be sorted. It was a while later that Harry saw another student plop into the seat next to his. Glancing over at her, Harry could see that she possessed a pretty face with dark brown eyes and short brown hair. Her cheekbones were high, like most purebloods but there was something decidedly different about her appearance. 'Probably a recent Half-Blood.' The girl turned to look at him after his glance and he was a little surprised to see her give him a smile before turning her attention back to the sorting. The rest of the sorting was nothing to write home about. The Granger girl he had met on the train went to Gryffindor, as well as that boy Draco had the confrontation with on the express. Speaking of his cousin he soon joined Harry at the Slytherin table. Their eyes had met and he noticed a slightly smug countenance grace Draco's face, no doubt pleased by how quickly the hat had sorted him into Slytherin.

After the final student, a Blaise Zabini was sorted into Slytherin did everybody start eating. Taking a particularly large helping of the mashed potatoes, Harry idly took a sip of his pumpkin juice. He idly looked around at the gathered students. Upon meeting Daphne Greengrass's eyes he raised his goblet a bit and was rewarded with the barest inclining of her head. He was quickly able to determine something about the students comprising the house of the serpents.

There were four categories you could fall into, each posing their benefits and their disadvantages. You could be a sheep such as Crabbe and Goyle, blatantly following somebody else and not sticking your own neck out for fear of it being lopped off. It was a position that provided the most safety but the least chance to further your own agenda. You could be a wolf, willing to collect the sheep and should need be devour them. It was a position that put you at the head of the pack and allowed you to unobstuctavely further your own whims. With that freedom however came the consequences, you were exposed and always having to put your neck out for whatever goal you wished to see completed. For all of his faults Harry could see that his cousin fit into this category, even if he was sometimes to cowardly to show it.

The next final two categories became a tad more interesting. You could be a sheep pretending to be a wolf. Showing your neck with fear and trepidation but only when you felt that the risk was worth the gain. It was a position that allowed you to move through the masses and gain followers. The biggest issue is should a true wolf find you it would be no trouble to remove your façade and turn you into the sheep you truly where. Glancing at the Greengrass girl Harry could honestly say that judging by the ways she kept looking over as if assessing him she probably fit into that category.

The final category was the one that Harry felt the most trepidation towards. Those that were truly wolf's but had found a way to pass themselves off as sheep were to be wary of. They would welcome the presence of a wolf and even follow them, however they would lie in waiting until the day when they could pounce on the wolf from behind. The corpse of the wolf would fall to the ground as the sheep following him looked in sadness, only to look in reverence once more as the previously thought sheep shredded its disguise and took the place of the ex-leader. Glancing over at Blaise Zabini, Harry noticed that he was also glancing around at everybody, judging, assessing. His eyes swept over the sheep with calm indifference, though his eyes would linger on certain students. Students that Harry felt were the easiest for a disguised wolf to enter into their circle of influence.

Giving a soft chuckle Harry speared a slice of ham. 'It would seem that I'm going to have a lot of fun being in the house of the snakes.'

-X-

Two men stood in the Headmasters office. One was an elderly man with a long white hair, flamboyant robes that drew attention to him and sapphire blue eyes that seemed to sparkle in the moonlight. The man looked like the poster child of what a 'light' wizard should be. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore, defeater of Grindelwald, Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, Headmaster of Hogwarts, and his personal favorite featured on the chocolate frog cards. His companion however looked the exact opposite of himself. Severus Snape possessed a very crooked nose, brown eyes that seemed able to pierce into his enemy's souls, slicked back hair that looked more in place with a used broom salesman and midnight black robes that seemed to billow behind him as he walked.

"You called for me Headmaster."

Albus sitting at his chair locked his fingers underneath his chin and seemed to access the man before him. "Yes, Severus I called you hear to ask a favor of you." His eyes seemed to dim as he continued to speak. "The death of the Potters hit us hard, the prophesy clearly was talking about young Harry but while he has perished Voldemort continues to exist."

Snape seemed to turn slightly annoyed. "I am aware of this professor and we both know that the existence of the dark lord is merely as a specter he can't come back without being able to take a corporeal form."

Albus did not acknowledge his companions mood, instead the man just offered a benign smile that seemed to further infuriate the potion professor. "Voldemort will return to human form once more, I am sure that time will be eventually be upon us and we must be ready."

Snape didn't argue instead he gave a quick nod to Albus. "What is it that you would ask of me?"

Albus's smile continued to stay on his face. "Young Neville is also a candidate for the prophesy. He was also born as the seventh month dies, and his parents as Auror's had defied Voldemort at least three times. I believe that fate may place the burden of ridding the wizarding world of Voldemort onto Neville's shoulders."

Snape seemed to judge him for a second, as if coming to terms with what he had just learned. "Very well Headmaster I will keep my eyes on the Long bottom heir."

Dumbledore's smile turned more genuine, and Snape taking this as acknowledgement that their conversation turned to leave.

"He is not the only one that I wish for you to watch Severus, there is also the matter of young Hadrian Black."

Snape turned around swiftly, his face thunderstruck. "That boy is of no concern, he is no doubt as arrogant as his father and as untalented as him as well. Content to have his highest existence in life being a bunch of practical joke."

The headmaster just stared at other man before saying, "He has the other wand Severus, the twin to Voldemort."

The man was having none of that though. "A mere inconvenience a wand does not make a wizard powerful the wizard itself does. The wizards will, his abilities, and most of all his cunning. I have no doubt in my head that like his father Harry Black possesses none of these things and he will instead be a lazy blight on society just like his cowardly father was before him."

Dumbledore seemed to age right before him, as if a heavy burden where thrust upon his shoulders. "Even so Severus, I would prefer not to assist in the defeat of one dark lord only for another to take his place."

Severus had nothing to say to that.

-X-

Letting out a yawn Harry sat up in his bead. Stretching out his arms, he glanced around at his bedmates. Draco was sprawled out along his bed, his comforter a mess, and one of the pillows near his face seemed to have a surprising amount of drool on it. Blaise and Theo were surprisingly absent, apparently the two were both early risers. The less he said about Crabbe and Goyle the better, why his cousin would pick such moronic simpletons to follow him Harry would never know. Still it did divert the attention away from himself, as the son of The Dark Lord's right hand man, the nephew of his left hand man, being his aunt Bellatrix he was definitely watched by the student body. His uncle Lucius being high up on the Death Eater pecking order no matter how much he attempted to deny it, at least in public certainly did not help his case.

Before he knew it Harry found himself settled into his seat among the occupants of the Great Hall. The girl from yesterday, he believed her name was Tracey sat to his left. The spot to his right was empty and directly across from him was Daphne. He had just been about to bite into a particularly delectable looking apple when a paper was suddenly pushed in front of him. Glancing behind him where the paper had come from, Harry saw the man that had been glaring at him during dinner last night standing there. He had learned last night that the man was actually his head of house, when he had stood behind the prefects as they went over the rules of the common room, and dorms.

The man gave him a look as if judging him and then a second later it transformed into a look of contempt. "Your schedule Mr. Black." Glancing down Harry noticed it was indeed his schedule. From the corner of his eyes he noticed Professor Snape handing out a similar looking timetable to the rest of the Slytherin students. It wasn't just Snape though, Harry could see three other teachers doing the same with each of the tables. 'Obviously those professors are the head of houses of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff.'

Glancing down he noticed that he, along with the rest of the first year Slytherin's had Monday morning charms with the Gryffindor's. So grabbing a couple pieces of bacon, some toast and a large glass of pumpkin juice, Harry mentally prepared himself for the day.

The walk to the charms classroom was uneventful, all of the first year students seemed to travel in packs. Upon leaving after finishing his breakfast Harry was unsurprised to find himself the first one to the classroom. Smoothing out his tie, as well as checking himself once more for any wrinkles or stains on his outfit Harry entered the classroom.

The classroom had numerous books littering its walls, it was obvious to Harry that the professor was definitely the scholarly type. Curiously enough there seemed to be a stack of books at the chair up front. 'Perhaps the professor was reading them and needed someplace to put them.' It did after all make sense judging by the clutter littering the desk towards the front the professor obviously was running low on available space.

Taking a seat in the front of the classroom, Harry silently pulled out a book on transfiguration. The book wasn't no ordinary tome however, no it covered a particular advanced transfiguration that Harry knew he was years from being able to use. This book covered the animagus transformation, something his mother had once told him his father had accomplished. His traitorous father, the one that had betrayed his best friends and bowed to the wishes of the dark lord. 'The weak willed coward.' Harry thought bitterly. Don't get him wrong on a certain level he could understand the thought process, this powerful being was coming for you, and you had two options. You either give him what he wants and live, or you fight till the end and never give him what he wants secure in the belief that the information is worth the cost. Harry himself preferred the third option, you blow up the supposedly all powerful being into tiny little pieces and then you walk away as if nothing had happened. In the end he supposed it did not matter, he would surpass his father by learning the skills he had acquired and then he would go beyond that. Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and Voldemort would all be names that people would forget about, after all how could they not when the name Harry Black would be so much more prevalent in their thoughts.

His musings were interrupted by somebody's bag being placed down next to him. Turning to his left he saw a mane of brown curly hair, and inquisitive warm chocolate colored eyes staring at him. Without hesitating Harry inclined his head and asked, "Ms. Granger, what do I owe the pleasure?"

The girl offered a small nervous smile. "Well I mean it's just that you're the first person who I met that I got along with, so I was sort of hoping really that perhaps we could sit together."

Glancing at the girl Harry could tell that she didn't make friends easily. Judging by the way her eyes were scanning his face for any signs of rejection and the way she nervously rubbed her hands underneath the table he was sure that she was used to being shunned and isolated by her peers. 'Hmm probably a muggleborn looking for a new start in the magical world. I can't say I blame her, my childhood was fairly lonely as well similar to other magical children around us. Still though she is a muggleborn and I am a pure-blood it wouldn't do for people to think I am taking the company of somebody below my station."

Turning away from the girl Harry internally smirked at the way her eyes appeared downcast. Just when it looked like she was about to pick up her stuff and find somewhere else to sit, most likely far away from prying eyes did he speak.

"Just call me Harry, Ms. Granger."

Her countenance changed and he could see a big smile decorate her face. Her large front teeth jutting out in an odd if slightly cute way. She also turned towards the front, the sparkle in her eyes staying for everybody to see.

"If I am to call you Harry, then I insist you call me Hermione."

"Very well Hermione."

Chapter End.

So admittedly this idea has been circulating in my head for a while. I just needed the motivation to put it out there. This is my first Harry Potter story, and I hope you guys enjoy the length of the chapter. I plan on making them a little longer but this is probably going to be the average length I shoot for. As always I can't wait to hear what you guys think.