Disclaimer: I own nothing! Everything involving the Harry Potter series belongs to JK Rowling.

Introduction

I took in my surroundings, feeling extremely overwhelmed. Starting in a new school in your fifth year was never a particularly easy thing to do; especially when your father had decided to move to another continent. For him, it was nothing, a smart move even. For him, this was a homecoming. He was returning home to old Scotland, no doubt under the strong influence of my grandmother. I sat in my new school's headmaster's office. It was grand old room filled with countless magical artifacts as well as a plethora of magical history.

My father smiled reassuringly in my direction patting me on the shoulder and giving it a loving squeeze. His bright icy blue eyes were warm and wrinkled a smile. I tried giving him a genuine smile as I tried to swallow down the lump that had formed in my throat. He knew I missed our old home in Canada, and that I would soon adjust to the UK. The old man in front of us finally put down the papers he'd been reading and smiled warmly at me.

"After reviewing your file Miss Valerius, I see that at your old school the material was quite different from what we teach here at Hogwarts. None the less you were a top notch student. We are excited to see your intelligence develop further under our watch," he stated finally. His voice was warm and friendly, not at all intimidating like I'd expected from Albus Dumbledore. I had to admit that I was more than a little star-struck. Back at home I would have never even dreamt of meeting one of the magical world's most powerful wizards, let alone have him be my headmaster.

"Thank you sir, you flatter me," was my simple reply. I was nervous, anyone who knew me well could tell easily. My hands were folded neatly in my lap but my fingers drummed along my thigh in anxiety.

"She was a star Quidditch player as well. Not to mention with astounding musical talent," my father bragged. I knew he was more than proud of me; his bragging had embarrassed me more than once.

"Yes, quite," the headmaster said simply. My face grew very hot at his response. He must have been thinking that my father is overly proud like most others did. I silently thanked the gods that I had been born with an inability to blush. It saved me in more than one case.

"Now, because you are enrolling very late into the school there are some things we need to cover quickly before I set you loose on the rest of the student body." Dumbledore smiled and his blue eyes twinkled as I smiled genuinely at his joke. My dad chuckled as well squeezing my shoulder again. "Normally all of our students get sorted into houses in their first year, seeing as you are entering our facility at such a late time you can decide whether you would like to be sorted along with the first years at the welcoming feast in a week's time. Or you may get sorted today privately."

"I was a Gryffindor," my father piped up suddenly beaming with past memories. The headmaster smiled at my father kindly.

"I remember that fondly myself Agapitus. Although you were quite the troublemaker… always ending up in my office at some point or another." My father flushed a light pink as I grinned wickedly up at him. I had always guessed that he had been a prankster in school but now had confirmation.

"I would like to do so privately, I know how uncommon new students in fifth year are," I replied quickly. I was sixteen years old but the Hogwarts staff and Ministry of Magic had decided it would be best to put me into fifth year so that I could complete my OWLS before continuing. I wouldn't have to do a makeup test and try catching up with the other sixth years. "This way I can get the proper robes as well, I can fit in with the other students more."

"Of course Miss Valerius. As for rooming we normally have our students share dorms. We would like you place you in a dorm with your fellow year and housemates, but we understand how much privacy means to you," he explained softly. I fought the urge to bite my lip in nervous-ness. I hated sharing a dorm, especially with girls my age. The majority of them were nosy and rude. I fiddled with my long pearl necklace thinking over my response carefully.

"I wish to be treated the same as the other students here. I'm kind of sick of all the special treatment I got at my old school," I replied simply. The man nodded, but his eyes read out as if he were seeing right through me.

"If you would like we can put you in a dorm but should an issue arise, we will find a solution quickly and promptly," I beamed at the professor, glad that he understood my wanting to fit in, but my need for privacy.

Back at home, my grandfather was the chief of a very strong and influential tribe. In the muggle world we were referred to as 'aboriginals' and most of us lived on reserves for political reasons. When, truth be told, we were a large group of witches and wizards. We lived on our reserves alone, away from the prying eyes of muggles. We were able to live free and continue to practise our magic openly. Although in the past several wars had been waged against us by muggles because of our different life style.

My family on my mother's side was the equivalent of the 'royal' family of the Haudenosaunee people. My grandfather was still the political leader of the Haudenosaunee wizarding community. He was in charge of the current magical government in place in eastern Canada and America. Because the North American wizarding community was a majority Native American, the modern country boarders didn't count in the wizarding community. They were separated by Northern, Western, Southern, Central and Eastern tribes.

My father had come as a part of a British magical embassy of sorts, and when he met my mother, Princess Nahimana, the tribe's head medicine woman and mystic. They fell in love, and he chose to stay in Canada with her, as tradition calls for he was initiated into our tribe through many ceremonies. I looked up at his smiling face, he'd even gone so far to tattoo his face as many of the young men in the tribe did. It was just a simple feather and arrow framing his right cheek. I had even seen pictures of him with half his head shaved and the other side grown long and braided in the traditional fashion. He had done everything in his power to fit in.

He gained the Haudenosaunee name Pahana, meaning long lost white brother. It was the highest honour a white man could ask for. Because of the two clashing cultures I had two different names I went by. My European name was Aurelia Valerious, but my Haudenosaunee name was Wanikiya Kiwidinok meaning 'savior of the wind'. Haudenosaunee first names were given to children by the tribe's mystic, my mother, based on a prophecy that she read on the day of their births. Our family name was Kiwidinok, there was a long mythical story behind it and why it was the royal family. I only knew some faint details about it, my grandmother was the one who recited it the best.

So, that all means that I am a Princess back at home. Here in Britain, my dad's side on the family is a very rich and influential pure blood line of witches and wizards. My dad's side of the family was not impressed with him running off and joining a bunch of 'savages'. The only reason they didn't disown him was because they found out that he had married into royalty, and money and fame came along with royalty.

Back at home I had always gotten everything I wished for, even if I never asked for it. My teachers adored me and never got me into trouble, I was always the most popular with the girls and the most sought after among the boys. I never liked the attention and spent my summers in Scotland with my dad's family, and all my free time in the secluded royal grounds.

Two years ago my mother was murdered by revolutionists. There have been whispers of a war for many years among the eastern tribes. Apparently my when my mother had had a fleeting affair with the son of a very powerful family, the whispers stopped and the fights and riots that were breaking out across the land quieted for a time. They were very much in love and many thought that their relationship would turn into marriage, which would make an alliance between the feuding families. That was until my father came along; most say it was love at first sight. She broke it off with Kotori, and was found together with my father, the nation was in an uproar. Outrage that she had left one of the most powerful Haudenosaunee men and family for a white man, and that her family was corrupted. Fearing another European invasion, the revolutionists started to protest.

Although the land was rather peaceful for many years after and the violence only took place amongst certain groups of people and it was easily contained and stopped. That was… until the bold assassination of my mother took place. Ever since then the violence had escalated and the royal family – my family – could no longer be in the public eye because of the danger posed. My father made all the public appearances on behalf of my grandfather and grandmother. He was safe because of a charm that was still in place from his years in the embassy, and any eastern nations owned wand could do no harm on him.

I was carted to and from school with a huge armed guard and soon there were even many attempts on my life. People who had long been my friends betrayed me for promises money and a higher social class. After I was severely wounded and in the hospital for a few weeks my father announced to the family that he was moving back to Scotland, and bringing me with him. Canada was no longer safe for us to live in. My family understood, but they were upset with my father for removing me from my family when they needed me most.

Of course all of this had been making international headlines, so my father's first worry when relocating to the UK was privacy. He didn't want to have the risk of anyone here being associated with the revolutionists back at home resulting in another possible attempt at my life. A band of British wizards known as 'Death Eaters' were associated with 'Shadow Runners', the revolutionist group. Both were set towards the same thing. Keeping blood pure, the Shadow Runners thought that mixing white blood – muggle or wizard – with red blood – the term used for Native Americans – was disgusting and should be discouraged at all costs. As well as complete and total hate for muggle-borns and half-bloods.

After snapping out of my daze, I replied. "That sounds perfect. Thank you so much Professor Dumbledore."

"Now, after we get you sorted shortly I'll give you a list of school supplies. Then you two can be on your way," explained finally. My father and I stood and I shook the headmaster's hand with a smile. As Dumbledore brushed past to go get her list and sorting hat, I felt my father lean into my side.

"I hope you get into Gryffindor. Everyone in our family is Gryffindor," he said, his voice low.

"If my memory serves me correctly, your niece, Lepida is it? Is a currently a member of Slytherin house," Dumbledore interjected, shuffling through a large filing cabinet. I felt myself flinch involuntarily at the name.

"Oh yes, Lepida. I had completely forgotten about her," father mused above me. Hard to forget some one with such a loud mouth, I thought silently to myself.

"As well, your cousin, Piso… was a Ravenclaw, wasn't he?" Dumbledore continued as he pulled a piece of parchment from the files and handed it over to my suddenly sullen father.

"Yes, yes he was." His eyes were downcast and his mouth was a hard line. I squeezed his shoulder reassuringly, I had never met Uncle Piso, but he and my father had been very close before the First Wizarding War took place. My Uncle Piso was tortured for information and then killed by Death Eaters, he had been in line to be the next Minister of Magic.

"Wonderful man, Piso was." Dumbledore held in his other hand a rather old looking, patchwork hat. It looked fairly ratty, and I couldn't say that I wanted it to go onto my head. "Now, Miss Valerious, I'll ask you to take a seat just once more. The hat needs time to sort some one who is your age."

I took my seat once more, facing my eager looking father, and smiling Headmaster. A voice spoke suddenly into my ear, I jumped a little, startled that a hat was speaking to me.

"You're a little old to be getting sorted don't you think?" Was the first thing I heard, it spoke the moment it touched my head.

"I'm a late bloomer," I joked, the hat tisked over me.

"Witty, ambitious. Very Slytherin. Loyalty and honesty are there as well… very Hufflepuff of you. But with such a strong mind, clever. That's a Ravenclaw's mind if I've ever seen one. But so much courage, so much bravery, you are a Valerious if that's for sure. Valeriouses typically are Gryffindors, had a shock with your cousin Lepida there though. See, your mind is much more developped than what I am used to, this is a challenge indeed…" the hat rambled on in my ear. I sat patiently, waiting. I was restless to move on, this office was already suffocating me.

"Well, you'd better go to-"

A/N: I know that this was a terribly dry read, but it's important that I lay out the situation clearly for all of you to see. Otherwise I'd hate for anyone to get confused. I'm experimenting with this idea, and it's my first Potter fic. Please be kind, because this has been a project I've been working on for sometime now and I'm looking forward to bringing it to light.

- GiantKilleress