Now, anyone who is aware of this character in real life would know that they were actually born in 1982, but I'm pulling that back by 1 year so it fits better with the story I'm trying to tell, 'kay? Kay.

William was a normal, 10 year old child. He was an intelligent boy, who was among the top of his class in year 6. He was reading at a year 8 level, and already considered himself a strong patriot. You see, William was extremely knowledgeable in all things British. His home almost always had a Union Flag (not, as he liked to remind people who got it wrong, the Union Jack, which it was only called when it flew at sea) flying from the roof, he knew every word of every verse of the national anthem, and he knew the full names and birthdays of every member of the Royal family, and always kept up to date with what was happening in Buckingham Palace. After all, what would the public make of William Arthur Philip Louis Mountbatten-Windsor if he didn't know about his own family? So, I suppose when I say he was a 'normal' 10 year old child that should be taken with a relatively large pinch of salt.

Needless to say, William, as a 'normal' 10 year old child, was eagerly awaiting his 11th birthday, coming up in 6 days. As anyone that age would, he was counting every second, giddy with excitement at the thought of being another year older. He couldn't wait for the whole family to get together and enjoy a nice meal. Harry, however, was constantly bugging him about his presents. "I bet you're going to get a horse, Wombat!"

"Harry, please stop," he'd chide his little brother.

Harry was practically bouncing around the room. "And I'm sure Aunt Anne's got you a new jacket, and Grandmother will have gotten you something lovely, without a doubt!"

Will grinned. "I'm sure she has, Harry, but that's not what I'm excited about. There are so few times when everyone's together without the cameras, and I want to enjoy the day,"

Harry pouted. Why are you like that?" he asked.

Will laughed again. "Like what?"

"Mature. You're 10, Will, not a hundred!" he waved his arms to prove his point. It was true. Will was definitely the more grown-up of the two. He had fun, sure, but he saved his childishness for their holiday home, as Mother had taught him to.

"I am going to be king one day, you know," he reminded his little brother.

"Yeah, but not for, like, a hundred years, right?" Harry looked at Will with a confused look.

Will smiled. "Yes, but the point is I need to be ready to be an adult,"

Harry fake-yawned. "Boooooooring! Come on, Will, let's play hide and seek!"

Will frowned. "Harry for the last time, I am not going to play silly games with one, two, three, four, five," Harry's pout turned into a grin as he squealed and ran to find a hiding spot.

"Ninety eight, ninety nine, one hundred! Ready or not, here I come!" Will leapt up from his seat and began running around the palace, looking behind curtains, in wardrobes, even in the bathrooms. He couldn't find Harry anywhere. He heard a giggle come from the room on his left. He crept in and looked around the room. "Oh, Harry, where are you?" he said in a singsong voice. He heard more giggling, and snuck to the wardrobe. "Gotcha!" he shouted, opening the doors to reveal… nothing. "Harry?" he heard more giggling, and the wardrobe wobbled on its legs. Will looked up to see his brother on the top of the wardrobe, laughing his head off. "Found you!" he jumped and tagged Harry, who giggled and climbed down. "Harry, you shouldn't do that! You could get hurt!"

"Relax, Will, I wasn't going to fall, the wardrobe's really big," he emphasised his point by pushing on the wooden furniture. It wobbled and fell towards them. Will pushed Harry out of the way and screamed. The wardrobe fell on him with a crash.

Harry yelled and ran out of the room. "Help! Help!" he shouted, and an attendant came running.

"What's wrong, sir?" the man gasped.

Harry was babbling. "wewereplayinghideandseekandihidontopofthewardrobeandwillfoundmeanditfellandhelp!" the attendant seemed to understand, and he ran into the room to see Will shaking in the fallen wardrobe, a hole seemingly cut around him.

"Sir? Are you alright?" the man asked, putting his hand on the young prince's shoulder.

Will jolted, then looked up. "Mr Elliot?" he looked around. "How did I…?" he burst into tears. "I'm sorry, Mr Elliot, I didn't mean to!"

Elliot sighed in relief. "That doesn't matter, sir. What matters is that you're alright. Come along, sir. How about I ring down to the kitchen and we get you and Harry a hot chocolate?"

Will sniffed and took Elliot's hand. "Thank you,"

That night…

Professor Dumbledore was sitting in his office, preparing his speech for the coming term. Finding four random words to say was a more delicate art than one might believe. He had spent many a night wondering if Newt was a good enough choice, or if he should instead say Boggle. Professor McGonagall strode into his office. "Albus, we may have a serious problem," she seemed rattled.

"What is it, Minerva?" Dumbledore looked over the rim of his half-moon spectacles. The deputy head placed the book of admittance on his desk.

"Albus. Look," she opened the book to the most recent page. "The quill has written a new name, and it is rather worrying,"

Dumbledore read the name. Then he blinked. Then he reread the name. "Ah. Well I can see how this could be an issue,"

"Should we inform the ministry?" McGonagall asked.

"No, no. If the ministry find out about this, then it would most definitely be problematic. I believe I am due a trip to London," Dumbledore chuckled and began humming the national anthem. He walked to his fireplace, threw some floo powder into it and calmly said "Number 10 Downing Street, please," He walked into the fire and appeared in the office of the Prime Minister.

John Major leapt out of his chair. "Good Lord, give me some warning, man!" he locked the door and sat back down. "I don't believe we've met. Did the other minister send you?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "No, Mr Major, I am the only other person authorised to use this fireplace. My name is Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts, our magical school," he held out his hand, and the PM shook it.

"Well, um, how can I help you?" he asked, a little nervous.

"Could you please arrange me an audience with her majesty? It is a matter of urgency," Dumbledore's eyes glinted, and Major shuddered slightly.

"Um, of course. May I ask what this will be about?" he took out a pen and started writing a letter.

Dumbledore laughed. "Oh, my dear boy, you should know by now that the answer to that is no,"

Major laughed nervously. "Ah, of course," he placed the letter into an envelope and handed it to Dumbledore. "Go to the palace gates at some point next week and they'll let you through,"

Dumbledore's eyes glinted. "Thank you, Mr Major," he walked to the fireplace and threw some more floo powder in. "Headmaster's office, Hogwarts, please," he walked into the fire and disappeared.

John wiped his forehead. "Jesus Christ this job takes it out of me,"

Will awoke to feel Harry jumping on his bed, yelling "Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday!"

He grunted. "Harry, get off!" Harry did not comply. Instead, he pulled the covers off his older brother and pulled him out of bed with him, tickling him relentlessly. "Stop it, please!" he laughed like a madman.

"Having fun?" a voice from the door asked. Princess Diana smiled down on her sons playing. "Happy birthday, William!" she held out her arms and Will ran to her and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you, mother!" he smiled up at Diana.

"Come on, let's see what presents you've got, everyone's waiting for you!" the three walked through the palace, Will grinning wider and wider as every attendant they passed wished him a happy birthday. He entered the living room and gasped. All his family were there, holding neatly wrapped gifts. His cousin Zara was holding a little gift bag, and Grandmother Elizabeth was sitting in her favourite armchair by Grandfather Philip, holding four boxes of varying sizes.

"Happy birthday!" everyone shouted. He ran into the room and began hugging everyone, which took a while.

"Come on then, Wombat! Open up your presents!" his father, Charles beckoned him to the neat pile of presents that had been made. Will smiled and picked one up.

"To my dear grandson, Happy Birthday, love Grandmother and Grandfather," he read. He ripped open the paper, and revealed a black and red striped tie. Any normal 10 year old child would not be impressed with such a gift, but Will was definitely not a normal child. "Thank you so much! I love it!" he tied it around his neck, tucking it in to the collar of his pyjamas and posing melodramatically, earning chuckles around the room.

The morning followed suit. Will opened his presents and thanked who had given them to him. Harry was right. Aunt Anne had given him a blue jacket, which instantly became his favourite the moment he put it on. His father got him a video tape of his least favourite film, Superman 3, but when he opened the case he saw tickets to see Les Misérables in the Victoria theatre, and squealed like a little girl. Uncle Edward got him a saddle, which he didn't understand, until Uncle Andrew told him to look out the window, and he saw a black stallion cantering in the garden. He hugged his uncle tightly and leapt around the room, yelling "OH MY GOD!"

After the presents, the family had brunch and relaxed in the garden, before going to the balcony to give the press their pictures. Will didn't even mind today, he was just so happy. They watched Terminator and told fun stories. It was by far the best day of his life. Then, halfway through dinner, a guard walked into the dining room. "You majesty, my lieges," he bowed, then rose. "There is a man who has authorisation from the Prime Minister to have an audience with you.

Elizabeth sighed. "And you ask me if I am available on my grandson's birthday, during our meal,"

The man stiffened and went slightly red. "Apologies, ma'am. He said it was urgent,"

Will cleared his throat. "I don't mind, grandmother. I understand that you're busy,"

"Are you sure?" Will nodded. "Alright then, William. If you don't mind," the Queen got up and left the room.

Albus Dumbledore rose to his feet as the Queen entered his room, and bowed respectfully. "Your majesty, I apologise if I have inconvenienced you,"

Her majesty sat down. "Mr Dumbledore, was it? Please, be seated," Dumbledore sat down. "This had better be important, it is my grandson's birthday,"

Dumbledore's eyes widened. "I am terribly sorry, ma'am. If I had known I would have come another time. But I'm afraid this is important,"

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed. "What is it?"

Dumbledore's eyes glinted. "Prince William is a wizard, ma'am," the Queen looked at the headmaster like he'd slapped her in the face with a fish.

"Pardon? Are you telling me that my grandson is like you and your kind?" she didn't seem disgusted, just shocked.

"Yes, and if I may, ma'am, it is rather surprising. There has never been a magical person in any royal family. Rather impressive, if I may,"

Elizabeth furrowed her brow and sighed. "And I assume you are here to tell me that he needs to be educated or else he could be a danger to himself and those around him, correct?" Dumbledore nodded. "Then I shall bring William here so you may discuss it with him,"

Albus chuckled. "Well ma'am that may not be necessary. I believe the young prince is hiding behind the door, listening in on us," the door opened to reveal William smiling nervously.

"Sorry, Grandmother," he looked down at his feet.

The Queen sighed. "It's alright, William. Come, have a seat,"

Will sat down next to his mother and looked at the oddly-dressed man in front of him, whose eyes seemed to mischievously twinkle. "Is it true? Am I a… a wizard?" he asked, with surprising level-headedness,"

Dumbledore sighed. "Yes, it is, sir," William visibly cringed. "Have I done something wrong, ma'am?"

Elizabeth would have chuckled if the situation wasn't so serious. "William does not enjoy being addressed to formally. You may refer to him as William for the time being,"

"Yes, ma'am," Dumbledore bowed his head respectfully. "Yes, William. You are a wizard. I am here to tell you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where you will learn how to master your magical abilities,"

William was gobsmacked. He always thought magic was just a fairy tale, a bedtime story to get him to sleep at night. But now he was learning that it was all real, and he didn't know what to make of it. "Do I get to choose if I go or not?" he asked, interlocking his fingers.

Dumbledore sighed again. "I'm afraid that this would be very dangerous. If you do not go to Hogwarts, you may perform accidental magic, which could be very dangerous and harmful. Either that, or deliberately hiding your magic could, well, could reap dire consequences,"

Will sniffed. "So, if I don't go, I could injure somebody?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Unfortunately, yes,"

Will looked up at his grandmother, whose brow was furrowed in thought. "If I go, what will happen? We are constantly having our pictures taken, and people will notice if I disappear for most of the year,"

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "If I may, ma'am?" she nodded. "Hogwarts has magical wards placed around it. If one without magic looks upon it, they would only see the ruins of a castle. And, we have fabricated an alias for students who are frequently in the public eye, for example, Muggle celebrities. We have a deal with Eton College which covers this specific event. This could remove suspicion.

Elizabeth did not look convinced. "What if reporters wished to find the school?"

"We have placed a perception charm on this alias, meaning people are more accepting of it, and will only research it if their curiosity is abnormally great. Both your publicity and our world will be safe, ma'am,"

Will looked upset. He had to leave his family for months on end, or else somebody could be hurt. "Grandmother, I think this is for the best,"

Elizabeth frowned. "I believe so too. However, we should consult your parents before we make the decision. Thank you for this information, Mr Dumbledore. We shall send a letter via the Prime Minister tomorrow at 4 PM with our answer.

Albus smiled. "Thank you, ma'am. I shall leave you to finish your evening. Oh, and Happy Birthday, William," the old wizard disappeared.

The Queen sighed. "This has been an odd day. Come, William, let's get back to dinner,"

Albus was waiting in the office of number 10 Downing Street, sipping tea with a nervous Prime Minister, when there was a knock at the door. John opened it, and was handed a letter addressed to the Headmaster. "May I?" Albus held out his hand, and John relinquished the paper. "Mr Dumbledore, We have decided that William will be attending Hogwarts come September," he chuckled. "Thank you, Mr Major," he said throwing some floo powder into the fireplace. "Headmaster's office, Hogwarts please," and he walked into the green fire. He plonked himself down in his chair and chuckled. "God Save the Queen,"

A couple of months later…

One of the troubles with being one of the most famous families alive (the Kardashians weren't a thing yet) was that you couldn't go anywhere without being flanked by paparazzi. Luckily, the royal family were used to wanting to go places without being recognised. Will and Elliot were walking through London wearing jeans and hoodies to cover their faces. They managed to walk through the streets without arousing suspicion. They followed the directions Mr Dumbledore gave them and came to a pub, The Leaky Cauldron. Elliot went to the bar and cleared his throat. "Um, excuse me?" the bartender came to him and smiled.

"What can I get ya, sir?" he asked while washing a glass.

"Nothing, thank you. My son and I need to get supplies for the school year, and were told to come here,"

The bartender winked. "Ah, muggles, eh? No problem, follow me," he put a sign up saying 'on a break' and ushered them through the back door. The three of them faced a brick wall, and the barman pulled out his wand and tapped three bricks. The wall shifted, folding in on itself to reveal an archway, and on the other side, the wonder that is Diagon Alley. "Here ya go, squire. Diagon Alley's the best place for your school supplies,"

Elliot and William's mouths were agape. "How did…" Elliot managed to get out.

"Haha yeah, I was like that my first time, too. I recommend going to Gringotts first. That's the big white building over there. That's where you'll get your money. Enjoy!" the barman walked back inside, leaving the gobsmacked royal and attendant to enter the magical alley.

Elliot and William entered the bank and walked to one of the stalls, to be greeted by a short, grotesque being with long pointed ears and full moon spectacles balanced on a crooked nose. "Um, how do you do?" Elliot greeted, nervously.

"How may I be of assistance?" the goblin asked, slightly snarling.

"I would like to access the Royal account, please," William said, removing his hood.

The goblin's snarl turned into more of a growl. "Hand, please,"

"Pardon?" Will seemed surprised.

"I need your hand to be sure that it is you, and not somebody trying to steal from the royal accounts,"

William gulped. "Oh, of course," he held out his right hand, palm up and the Goblin placed a finger in the middle of the palm. Where he pressed shone green for a moment.

"You are eligible to withdraw from this account. My associate, Griphook, will take you to it," another goblin walked to them.

"Follow me, please," he said, walking to a set of doors. They followed, being led to a minecart. "Sit, please," they sat, and the moment they were seated, the minecart sped off, climbing higher and higher at immensely high speeds. They saw row after row of what seemed like vaults, carved into the side of a mountain. The cart came to a halt, and the goblin got out, followed by Will, then Elliot. "Vault 1," Gripook placed a finger on the door, and pulled it down, drawing a line in gold. The door swung open and revealed a veritable mountain of gold.

Elliot looked at the small goblin. "How much would you recommend we withdraw?"

Griphook sniffed. "I would say you should take 250 Galleons to be safe," he took out a pouch and waved his hand. Gold coins flew from the pile into the pouch. After about a minute of flying coins, Griphook closed the bag and handed it to them. "Will that be all?"

"Yes, thank you," Griphook led them back to the cart, which sped back to the main hallway. "Goodness, that was odd, sir," Elliot shuddered.

"Yes, very strange," Will remarked. He got out his list and read it. "I think we need to go to Madam Malkin's next, for my robes,"

"Yes, sir. Let's hope there are fewer oddities there,"

Madam Malkin's looked like an overstuffed tailor's shop, and would have been just slightly eclectic, if not for the suits hanging on hangers suspended in midair. "Incredible!" Elliot gasped. A woman came out from the back room.

"Can I help you, dear?" she asked.

"Yes, um, I'm here to get my, um, robes made," Will replied, feeling slightly silly. Harry would be splitting his sides at Will's face.

"Of course, dear. I have another child in at the moment, just getting his measurements. If you can just come through, he'll be done soon," Will followed the woman to the back room.

"Madam Malkin, how long will this take?" a boy with platinum blonde hair and measuring tapes flying around him asked.

"Not much longer now, Mr Malfoy," the woman replied. A floating quill and notepad scribbled some numbers and flew to Madam Malkin's pocket. "You can come down now, dear," the boy stepped down and sat down next to Will, who was browsing through fabrics.

"What's your budget?" he asked, and William looked up.

"Um, I'm not really sure," Will replied, blushing.

The boy laughed. "The best way to shop!" he held out his hand. "I'm Draco,"

Will shook Draco's hand. "I'm Will. Pleased to meet you,"

Draco looked at him funny. "Are you a pureblood?"

Will didn't understand the term, and had a worrying thought that Draco might know who he was. "You could say that," he laughed, slightly nervously.

Draco raised an eyebrow, then chuckled. "Fair enough," he took the book from Will and flicked to the back few pages. "This fabric here is quite expensive, but it's stretchy and comfortable to wear. If you don't like the feel, then this one's slightly thicker, but it can be scratchy when it's new,"

Will smiled. "Thank you for the help,"

"Come along, dear, let's get you measured," Malkin said. Will stood on the podium, and tapes flew around him, taking measurements for just about everything.

"Well, I'd best be off. Got to get all the textbooks. See you," Draco waved and left the shop.

Will left 15 minutes later with 5 sets of robes, some of which he handed to Elliot. "I think we should get my books next," they came to Flourish and Blotts, which, for some reason, was incredibly crowded. Will weaved in and out of throngs of people, who were all gazing at two people on a balcony, one of whom was smiling for the camera like his life depended on it. He tripped on someone's leg and fell into a red headed girl holding a pile of books. The books fell to the floor with him. He groaned as he pulled himself up. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I tripped, I didn't mean to," he started as he picked the books up for her.

"It's fine, really," she seemed kind of awkward in front of him.

"I'm um, Will," he said handing her the books.

"Ginny," she replied. "Thanks," she smiled.

They stood there awkwardly for a moment. Will broke the silence. "Um, who are those two people up there?" he asked, and Ginny burst into laughter.

"Hah! Brilliant!" he looked at her like she had kissed a donkey. "Wait, you're not kidding?"

"No, sorry," he blushed.

"Well, the tall one is Gilderoy Lockhart. Magical hero and pioneer, and he's our new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher," she explained, rather dreamily. "And the other one is Harry Potter, the boy who lived. He beat He-who-must-not-be-named when he was a baby, and he's a really powerful wizard," Ginny sighed, and Will covered his mouth to hide his laugh. "And what's so funny?" she glared at him.

"Nothing, nothing," he breathed to calm himself down.

"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" a familiar voice snapped. "Famous Harry Potter. Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page," Draco spat.

"Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!" Ginny retorted. Draco sniggered.

"Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend!" Ginny blushed, and William frowned.

"Hi, Draco," he said blandly.

Draco smirked. "Oh, Will. I didn't see you there. I see you've met the Weasels," he sneered.

William and Elliot stood there, perplexed, as Draco began throwing insults at the so-called weasels, who answered in kind. The back and forth continued until the families' fathers got involved. The words became more heated and offensive to the point where the red headed man balled his fists, and William was slowly positioned behind Elliot, whose hand was twitching by his concealed firearm.

"Come on, Dad!" One of the identical gingers put a hand on his father's shoulder.

"Yeah, we love a good scene as much as the next bloke, but he's not worth it," the other twin agreed. Harry just looked down, Draco sneered at the family, Ginny was still furiously blushing, and William was just stood there, wondering how the first Wizards he met were so strange. The families stared each other down some more, then began leaving the shop.

Ginny smiled at Will, embarrassed. "I'll see you in September, yeah?"

"Um, yes. Goodbye," he waved awkwardly, then turned to collect the books he needed. "Sorry," he muttered as he bumped into a man with a big camera.

"S'alright, son," the man turned and narrowed his eyes. "You look familiar," he said, cocking his head to the side.
Will's eyes widened. "I get that a lot," he said, walking away as quickly as possible.

"Well, it sounds like you had a time of it, sir," Elliot remarked, looking down at his charge.

"Yes, it was a little odd," William replied, looking at his list. "I think we need to go here, now," he pointed at the shop on his left, called 'Ollivander's'.

"I see. Shall I go in with you, sir?" Elliot questioned.

"No, I should be fine, thank you," William walked into the building and gulped. The room he was in was lined with long, thin boxes, and was very dimly lit. A man was sitting at a desk, threading what looked like a thick red string into a stick.

"Good afternoon. Will this be your first wand?" the man said, looking up.

"Um, yes sir," William replied, rather unsettled.

"Right then," the man stood up. "My name is Garrick Ollivander, professional Wandmaker. Let me see here," he looked through his collection and pulled out one of the boxes, opening it to reveal an ornate, dark brown wand. "Here, hold this," he handed the wand to William, who examined it with interest. He waved it accidentally, and sparks flew out the end in all directions. "No, I don't think so," Ollivander took the wand back and placed it back in its box. He went to the back and took out another. "Here, try this one," William took it and waved it cautiously. He was pushed back into the door. Ollivander's smile turned into a worried frown. "Goodness me, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, thank you," William laughed. "This is fun!"

Ollivander looked at the young man in his shop for a moment, scrunching up his nose. "You seem rather familiar, young man. Have we met?"

William gulped. "I don't believe so, sir," he clasped his hands behind his back.

"Ah. Never-mind then. I suppose I'm not as young as I once was," he chuckled, but the suspicion didn't leave his mind as he took out another wand. "Try this one then,"

This repeated six more times. After a while, William had had his hair spiked like a pineapple, his face covered in soot, and his eyebrows singed half off. Fortunately, Mr Ollivander was kind enough to rectify these instantly. Finally, Ollivander brought out a beautiful light brown wand with intricate designs carved into it, and what appeared to be a cross guard a few inches from the bottom. "Try this one. Cypress, Phoenix feather, 12 inches, and swishy," Will took the wand, and wondered what the knowing smile on Mr Ollivander's lips meant. The moment his hand closed around the wand, he felt a rush of energy. Waving his wand, he made golden light shine and a powerful wind blow his hair around.

"Amazing!" he whispered, excitement building in him.

"Yes, it would seem that we have found your match… Your Royal Highness," Ollivander gave the young prince a small bow, leaving Will with a gobsmacked face.

"How did you know?" Will asked, worry entering his voice,

"That wand is one of the oldest wands in this entire shop. It has been passed down from generation to generation, all hoping to be the one to sell it. Cypress wands favour nobility, and those who protect others before themselves. I believe we can assume that you are noble, correct? Phoenix feather cores are rare, but capable of the greatest range of magic out of all cores. I believe we can expect similar things in your future,"

"Thank you, sir. I'll do my best," Will bowed to the man and handed over the 7 galleons, leaving the shop with a wand and a smile.

"Thanks for your help, Elliot," William hugged his guard one last time.

"It's my pleasure, sir," Elliot replied with a smile. "All the things I've learned, astounding!"

"Isn't it?" William smiled, then turned. "They said to just walk through this barrier, didn't they?" he began pushing his trolley and, with one last wave, disappeared through solid rock.

Making his way through the crowds of kids saying goodbye to their parents, he decanted his belongings off the trolley and parked it, entering the beautiful Hogwarts Express. Luckily he was early, and managed to find an empty booth. Looking out through the window, he was amazed at how all this could be concealed so easily by magic.

"Hi, Will!" a girl said at the door. He turned and smiled when he saw Ginny.

"Hello, Ginny, how was your summer?" he asked, motioning for her to sit with him.

They chatted for the entire train ride there, only stopping when a lovely woman with a trolley full of sweets came around. Will bought himself some pumpkin pasties and, at the recommendation of Ginny, some Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. He retched when he got a sweat-flavoured one, much to the enjoyment of his new friend.

"Mountbatten-Windsor, William," the professor with the hat called out. William straightened his back and walked to the podium, ignoring the whispers from some of the students.

As the hat was placed on his head, he felt something enter his mind. 'My goodness, this is interesting. It is a pleasure, Your Royal Highness' someone, he was assuming the hat, said to him.

'Please, just William, or Will" he thought.

'Very well then, William,' the hat gave a few interesting grunts and 'hmms' before chuckling. 'I do like this memory here about you and your brother. The one where you said you wanted to be a police officer, and he said -,'

'You can't do that, you've got to be king!' Will remembered the moment fondly.

'Well, I suppose with aspirations like that, the best place for you would be,' "GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted this last bit out loud, eliciting cheers from the red table. He smiled and made his way down there, quickly marvelling at how the inside of his robes' hood turned to red silk. He sat down next to a girl with bushy brown hair, who blushed and held out her hand.

"Hermione Granger, it's a pleasure to meet you, Your Royal Highness," she said, with the respect and politeness that could only come from a true brit.

Will decided to have a little fun. He turned his nose up and made his voice go as pompous as he could. "It is proper to curtsey when meeting royalty, and also improper to offer your hand. You are expected to wait for a prince to offer his," the girl blushed furiously and began muttering apologies. He snickered and smiled. "I'm just joking. Pleased to meet you, Hermione," he said, shaking her hand. "Please, don't use the titles, I prefer Will, or William if I'm tired and grumpy,"

She chuckled politely, and the two began talking, pausing to clap when another student became a Gryffindor.

After a delicious feast and an introduction for the new defence against the dark arts teacher, Professor Lockhart, Will and the rest of the Gryffindors were led to their common room and dormitories. A roaring fire and huge armchairs appealed to him the most. Once the students were left to their own devices, a boy his age came up to him with a camera around his neck. "Um, excuse me, Your Higness, sir?"

Will looked at the obviously nervous boy and smiled. "Hello. Colin, right? I remember you from the sorting," he held out his hand, and Colin shook it excitedly.

"Hello, hi, hello," the boy said, beaming from ear to ear. "I was wondering if, um, if I could maybe get a picture to show my parents? We're all big fans of the royal family," Colin began to blush, making Will a little uncomfortable.

"Of course," he replied, and winced as Colin began squealing, pulling a nearby third year to take the photo. Will smiled with practiced ease, putting his arm over Colin's shoulder, whose smile got somehow wider. As the boy thanked him and walked off with his new, somehow moving, picture, William was about to sit back down, when another student came up to him, blushing and smiling. He sighed. This was going to be a long year.

This story was written with the utmost love and respect for the Royal family, and I have no intention of discrediting or offending any royals mentioned. Information on the royal family and related material was found from online research and my own knowledge.

This plot bunny has been hopping around in my mind for a while now. I've tried looking for something like this on the site, but the closest I could find to royal involvement in the wizarding world was a wonderful little fic called 'Long Live the Queen' by the author offsides. I wholly recommend you read it, as it is a fantastic fic.

Please review, I try to respond to as many people as possible!