Existence

Chapter 1: Inceptum

He stared out of the window, out at the trees, hills and lakes passing by. The sky was cloudless, and he guessed that he'd be able to see the stars tonight. He sighed. It all seemed like a dream that it was true that he was going to a boarding school, away from his relatives. Could he ever have wished for something better? However, he was still not sure about the whole magic thing. Apparantly, as the giant, Hagrid, had told him, he wasn't only a wizard but also the most famous wizard. He had defeated someone called Lord Voldemort as a baby, the same man who had only minutes earlier killed both his parents.

Harry had always been an abnormal boy with his scar and all, but most unusual had been his intelligence. No matter how much he had disliked doing it shortly after starting school he had hid the fact from his aunt and uncle that he was smarter than even most of the smartest pupils in the higher classes. But hey, it had saved him from being locked in his cupboard and from having to do even more chores than usual a few times, hadn't it? Again he sighed. He wondered if he could finally express his talents and gifts at this new school.

Witchcraft. Wizardry. What had Hagrid called the school? Hogwarts, school for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Yes, that was it. Harry had to say that the shopping street the giant had token him to to get his school equipment had seemed very convincing, and those people in the pub - what was it called again? - had seemed quite thrilled at getting to meet him. Also, the titles of his school books weren't normal - to Harry. History of Magic Volume I? Potions for Beginners? Transfiguration Made Easy? What else other than magic could they teach at Hogwarts? Furthermore why would he be required to have a wand which above all even seemed to work if he wasn't going to be taught spells and jinxes? Really, the only plausible answer to this was that it wasn't a hoax as he had first believed. But he had to say that when that giant had given his cousin a pig tail back at the cabin when he had found Dudley eating the birthday cake Hagrid had made for Harry, it had been hilarious.

Another sigh escaped his mouth. All this was too much for him. He believed in science, and magic clearly wasn't part of it. Would he have to give up his believes in the methodical study of part of the material world?

"No Mummy...."

Harry turned to look at the only other person in the compartment sleeping soundfully right next to the door. Redhead... Redhead... Redhead Ronald Weasley! That was that guys name.

"He sure has a big hunger," Harry sighed looking at all the sweet wrappers lying around them.

"No Mummy...." Ronald continued to sleeptalk. Then, quite loudly, he started to snore. Harry had to do his best trying not to make too much noise giggeling in order not to wake the other boy up. He stood up and opened his trunk, rummaging until he found a book. Might as well get a headstart, he decided. As he pulled his hand back out he looked at the title of the middle-sized, brown-covered book. The letters were written in black bold letters above the picture of a cauldron: Potions for Beginners.

"Chapter one," Harry murmured as he made himself comfortable in his seat, stretching his arm out to try and find some left over sweets. "This sounds interesting. Chapter 1: Ingredients used in Potions. What have we here? Asphodel, powdered root of... bezoar... monkshood... wolfbane... wormwood, infusion of..."

By the time Ronald woke up again Harry had finished reading chapter four. All this was just fascinating him more and more with every word he read.

"What time is it?" Ron yawned stretching himself.

Harry glanced at his watch, then took a surprised look at the sky outside. How the time had flown by! It was almost half past six.

The loudspeaker in the corridors crackled. "Half an hour until arrival in Hogsmead," a voice said. "Half an hour..."

"We better get our school uniform on," Harry said putting his book away.

Ron shrugged moving some sweet wrappers with his foot. "Isn't anything left? I'm hungry!"

"I do not think they're going to starve us at Hogwarts," Harry said annoyed. "I mean, Hagrid did talk about a feast if I remember correct." But Ronald didn't listen to him, he was stuffing Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans down his throat.

"I cannot wait to get to the castle!" Ronald exclaimed as he and Harry jumped off the train once it had arrived in the place called Hogsmead. Like instructed they had left their trunks and pets on the train. "I am so hungry!"

"Hey, that's Hagrid over there!" Harry said pointing at a large figure swinging a lantern.

"First Year," the giant shouted. "First Year over 'ere!"

"That's us," Ron said. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Why do I even hang out with that guy?" Harry muttered as he made his way through the crowd.

"All of yous 'ere?" Hagrid asked smiling at Harry.

"Can't we get a move on fatso?" a blonde haired boy asked arrogantly while studying his fingernails.

"Don't -" Harry started angrily glaring at that boy, but Hagrid cut him off.

"'Tis okay, 'arry. 'Tis okay," the giant repeated turning around to lead the students away from the train station. "Yous will be going over the lake with boats," he explained to the few boys and girls directly around him. "Not only will it give yous the best first view of the castle - and I am speaking from experience - but it also gives the others more time to prepare."

"Prepare for what?" a bushy-haired girl questioned curiously.

"Oh, I've said too much, I've said too much!" Hagrid started whining. "Can't say no more, can't say no more!"

"Well, we'll surely find out soon enough," Harry said to the girl. "By the way, I'm Harry, and you?"

"Hermione," she replied smiling nervously. "Want to sit in the same boat?"

"Sure."

"Nevile here will be joining us of course," she said pulling a boy holding a toad between his hands next to her.

"O-okay," he stammered nearly tripping over a stone reaching up especially high from the uneven ground.

As the evening brise went through Harry's hair he inhaled the fresh air, looking up at the dark sky. He had been right. You could see every star clearly.

"Ain't it wonderful?" Hagrid sighed looking up too.

"Yeah, so romantic," Hermione whispered in awe.

"Well," the groundskeeper said pointing ahead. "There are the boats. Four students in every one! No pushing please!"

Harry shared a boat with Hermione, Neville and Ronald. He saw the impolite boy from earlier reluctantly sit down in one together with two fat boys as if he thought he was too good to travel in a boat.

"See that boy over there?" he whispered in Hermione's ear. "I wonder who he is. I mean, he obviously comes from a rich family."

"Certainly, you can see it instantly," Hermione agreed. She wrinkled her nose. "Wouldn't really surprise me if he would turn out to be gay."

Harry erupted in guffaw.

"G-gay? Are you serious?!"

The girl shrugged just as the wooden boats left shore. "Didn't you see how he was admiring his perfect fingernails trying to find an imperfect spot? Older girls do that, not guys."

"I thought he did that because he comes from a wealthy family meaning that he wants to look better than everyone else," Harry shrugged his shoulders.

"Could be," Hermione replied as if weighing which answer was more probable.

"Hey, what are you two whispering about?" Ronald moaned. "I want to hear too!"

"Maybe if you would open your ears," Harry hissed quietly and Hermione giggled. It made him happy to amuse her.

"Oh my god!" one of the girls in another boat exclaimed about quarter of an hour later pointing to something in the distance. "Look at that!"

Everyone turned to look at the school building, wondering if they were imagining it or not.

"Just like in a fairy tale," Hermione breathed not able to move her eyes away from the mind-blowing sight of the castle.

In his boat Hagrid smiled happily. Another year with the joy of being able to make children happy.

Harry took a long look at the woman in front of him. After having arrived at the other end of the lake Hagrid had brought the children up to the castle and into the building to where this person had been waiting for them.

"I am Professor McGonnagal," the woman said softly looking at every student. Then her voice tightened. "I will be teaching all of you transfiguration in whatever house you are in, and I do not tolerate misbehaviour of any kind. In a moment I will bring you to a room where you will have to wait for a couple of minutes." She glanced at Hagrid who was on his way outside. "Once again our groundskeeper has managed to bring the First Year students early." Professor McGonnagal turned on her heels and the others followed her silently not daring to even breath. Following a three-minute walk the teacher held open the door to a room.

"This is small," Ron complained as everyone had shuffled in. They just had enough space to step twice in any direction without bumping into each other.

"It smells in here," Harry heared that boy from earlier, the one Hermione suspected to be gay, say, seemingly disguested by the smell of sweat coming from everyone in the room.

"It's so dark," someone else voiced their thoughts. Harry knew that person was right. He could hardly mkae out the outlines of Hermione's body.

"For crying out loud," Hermione said pulling her wand out of her robe. She made a swift hand movement at the same time saying something that was utterly unfamiliar with Harry and an instant later the tip of her wand was glowing, illuminating the nearest six people around her.

"What the -" Harry gasped as he saw something coming out of the nearest wall. It was a silvery-white colour, flimmering in the light coming from Hermione's wand and only as the thing looked up did the girls and even some of the boys scream in fright, recognizing that creature to be a ghost.

No one had time to realize what was happening. One moment they were alone in the room, the next dozens of ghosts were swirling around them, making owl noises and screeching "BOOH!" over and over again. Almsot every person was intimidated by them.

As he felt someone grabbing his hand Harry looked around until he saw that blonde boy staring at him as if he was the grim reaper. He was whimpering, giving off the girliest scream Harry had ever heard as one of the ghosts touched his cheek. Then the boy let go off Harry's hand blushing deeply.

"Enough!" the strict voice of McGonnagal interrupted the ghosts' appearence. "You scared them enough!"

"I - I can't believe they let them do this," Hermione stammered both anxious and angrily as she left the room, holding on to Harry's wrist.

Albus Dumbledore smiled in a satisfied manner as he saw the faces of the new students as soon as they entered the Great Hall.

"Isn't it a beautiful sight?" he sighed.

"Not for eveyone," the man sitting next to him sneered.

"Ah, Severus, don't be so harsh. It is their first time. I clearly remember when you first -"

"Enough," Severus Snape snapped. His eyes wandered over the group of eleven-year-olds walking towards the Head Table. There was Draco, Vincent and Gregory. Then -Hm? James Potter? How could that be?

"Young Harry," Albus whispered.

Severus grunted in reply. Of course. Potter's son, he should have known.

While Minerva McGonnagal was explaining to the new students what would happen next, Flitwick turned to the headmaster.

"Albus, what is the maximum bet this year?"

Dumbledore looked at the boys and girls in front of the table, thinking. "150 galleon," he finally decided. Just then the first student was called.

"Granger, Hermione!" The girl stepped forward, sat down on the chair directly under Albus and then put the hat on.

"Ravenclaw," Flitwick muttered instantly. "50 galleon."

"Ravenclaw," Severus followed. "Ten galleon."

"Gryffindor, 100 galleon," the headmaster whispered receiving a surprised glance from his potion master.

"You sure?" Severus asked.

"Quite certain," Albus answered while the other teachers made their decisions.

"Gryffindor!" the sorting hat exclaimed.

All of the teachers continued to place a bet upon every student like they did each and every year. By the time they got to 'P' Albus was, like usual, the owner of the most money.

"Gryffindor, everything," he said as "Potter, Harry" was called. The other teachers did the same, knowing that Lily and James' son could only be in one house.

"Everything," Severus murmured so quiet no one heard it, "on Slytherin."

Well, who do we have here?

What the -uh, I didn'tknow you could read minds. Harry was quite shocked at hearing an unfamiliar voice in his head.

How else did you think I was communicating with everyone, silly?

Dunno, I s'pose.

Yes, of course you didn't Harry.

Hm? You know my name?

I can read minds, remember?

Oh, yeah.

Shall we start then?

Uhm... I guess so.

Your parents were both in Gryffindor?

I - I think Hagrid mentioned something like that, yeah.

I do not think you should go there though.

Any reason not? And what other house would you send me to?

You are quite intelligent, a trait from Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff is nothing for no one like you.

So Ravenclaw it is then?

No Harry - I dare say I should send you to Slytherin.

Slytherin?! Isn't that the house where all the evil students go to?

Not evil students, Harry. Sly students, yes. Cunning students, yes. Ambitious students, yes. But no evil students.

Ohhh...

Be not discouraged. You cannot know if you did not learn.

Then - then it is Slytherin?

In the end it is more or less your decision. If you have anything else to say against Slytherin which you think is a good enough reason for me not to send you there, speak now or be silent forever.

Well, Slytherin it is then I think.

You still sound a bit uncertain. Here at Hogwarts you are meant to feel at home and not as if you're in jail.

Yes, you are right. It's just that the only person who I think could be a friend was sorted into Gryffindor. Also, from all the kids who have already been sorted into Slytherin I don't really like any of them.

It is understandable that you are reluctant Harry, but you should think of what would be best for yourself.

Yeah, you are right...

Harry, you're a bright boy. If you look deep inside you you will find the right answer.

Harry closed his eyes and as soon as he did an image started to form in his mind. There was a majestic lion sleeping peacefully in the shadows of a tree cast by the midday sun. A snake crept up to him, silent as death. It bit the lion on the paw. Next thing the lion knew was that he was standing on his hind legs, fighting an invisible force. The snake started rising in the air; an instant later its head was at the same height as that of the lion. Finally, being able to see his enemy, the four-legged creature lunged forward but the reptile was faster. It flung itself around the other animal's neck, tightening its grip fast than a stone could fall down when thrown on the floor. As the snake slithered away the lifeless body of the lion lay in the shadows of the same tree where he had slept moments earlier.

I think I know the answer.

Yes, Harry?

Harry took a deep breath before he answered. Slytherin.