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Chapter 1
Knock of three times and a pause and then once more. The door opens and enters a boy full of messy black hair and green piercing eyes.
"Are you Orion?" asked Harry.
The chair in the middle of the room facing window, where there was a nice view of the forbidden forest is on display sat a boy with black hair in a small ponytail and grey eyes. He looked up from the book he is reading and replying
"Yes, and who are you, my young friend?"
Harry was surprised, it was the first time since entering the magical world someone failed to recognize him.
"My name is Harry," he said
"Of course, now harry tell me what a first-year wants with me?" Orion asked
"Fred and George told me that you know more about history than professor Beans, they told me about special knock and also said that you help other students for a price." Said, Harry
"Then they told you right. Ok, harry ask your question." Said, Orion,
"What about price?" asked Harry
"Hahaha, Smart! Well, the price is according to the question."
"I need some information."
"Then the price is information. An equal exchange if you will"
Harry thinks for a few seconds then shrugged "sure but I don't think I have any information which will interest you"
"I will be the judge of that" Orion replied.
Harry paused for a moment thinking about his decision to ask infamous Orion for information and his mind wondered to the breakfast of Christmas morning.
Harry was not able to completely enjoy the delicious Christmas's breakfast with Ron because his mind was not completely on the meal. There was a large tome of history titled 'Famous wizards of last century' opened before him on the table. He and Ron had tried tirelessly to find about Nicolas Flamel over Christmas holidays. They had tried so many books, many times more than they have opened in their entire life but still, they have not found anything of importance. So here he was trying to find something when Ron is gorging himself on a chicken leg.
"What are you doing Harrikins? Reading on Christmas! Trying to impress Hermione, are you? "
Harry turned to see Fred and George Weasley elder brothers of Ron looking at him and turned red.
"N-no nothing like that" harry spurred "just working on my holiday homework"
"Homework?" both said
"I think little harry here trying to lie to us brother of mine" Fred or George said
"I think you are the right handsome brother of mine"
"Why thank you smartest brother of mine"
"well if you really doing homework we can't do anything to help but if you are doing something notorious you can always ask for our help Harrikins" Fred or George Harry still has no clue who is who said and turned to sit with their fellow year mates
"Wait a minute!" Harry exclaimed suddenly, as the third year they surely know more than me or so Harry thought. Ron put down the bread he was eating and said "Hermione will kill you if you told them about Nicolas"
"I m not telling the full truth just asking them about Nicolas surly we have tried everything we can" replied Harry
"Ok it's your grave," said Ron
"I knew it, so prankster in making little harry...
"How...
"Can...
"We...
"The notorious...
"The handsome...
"Smart
"Cunning...
"Prankster extraordinary...
"Weasely brothers
"Help you" they completed with a bow
"I just want to know about Nicolas Flamel," asked Harry with a little smile. Twins never fail to brighten anyone's mood.
"Nicolas hmmm do we know about him the brother of mine" Harry perked up a little.
"Nope never heard of him" harry sudden hope dashed just as quickly.
"But no worry Harry we know how you can get that information" harry mood brighten again
"I think you have two options, firstly is the restricted section of the library but beware, that contains horrors without any comparisons," they said dramatically
"And second?" asked Harry. They have already thought about that and surprisingly Hermione was the one who said them to go there. They really were a bad influence on her he thought.
"There is a fourth-year Slytherin with the name Orion. He knows more about history than professor beans but as a Slytherin, he always ask for a price for his services, he is the go-to guy in Hogwarts. And before we become as awesome as we are now we used his services and even now sometimes we do. But we can understand if you don't want to go to see him"
"Yeah never trust those slimy snakes," Ron said venomously
"Ron is right, don't want to involve any Slytherin in this," said Harry
Twins look at each other suddenly very serious and said "as you wish harry. Have a good day" and left to sit and enjoy their breakfast.
Harry and Ron looked at each other surprised at their sudden departure but turned their attention again to the meal.
After a disastrous trip to the restricted section of the library and his encounter with the mirror of Erised, Harry had approached twins again to know more about Orion. They had told him about secret knock to enter an abandoned room where usually Orion is found and now here he is in the room with fourth-year Orion who is famous for near encyclopedic knowledge of history.
"I want to know about Nicolas Flamel."
"Interested in the third floor are you," said Orion
"N-no No" Harry panicked and tried to deny
"Don't worry you are not the only one who wants to know more about what Dumbledore is hiding. Nicolas Flamel is world's foremost alchemist. He is the only one who created a philosopher stone. He was also the mentor of Dumbledore and partnered with him to discover 12 uses of dragon blood" said Orion while searching for something in his pocket. "Now where I have put it hmm...yes here it is" and he tossed something towards Harry. Harry caught that mid-air and looked to find its Dumbledore's chocolate frog card.
" You will find everything you need here."
Harry was feeling dumb. It was the same card he found in his first chocolate frog and he forgot that. "It was my first chocolate card and I have forgotten about it," he told Orion that.
"Don't worry everybody forgets but now my price?" said Orion while branding a black wand out of his sleeves and twirling it in a circular motion while muttering under his breath. After seeing wand harry tense at first but after seeing no harm coming to him turn around to see the door turn red for a moment and then it returns to normal.
"What did you do?" he asked
"it called a privacy charm but don't concern yourself with it, where are my manners please sit," Orion said with a careless wave of his wand a chair shifted in front of the desk which was just a moment ago sitting at the corner of the room.
It would be lying if Harry said he was not impressed, he had spent 6 months in Hogwarts and the only thing he can do is make a wing float or a pineapple dance. The movement of Orion's wand was like a professor, Careful and elegant.
"Do you know who I'm Harry?" Orion said suddenly pulling Harry out of his musing.
"Yes, a little anyway as I said before weasely twins told me about you," said Harry.
"Only this?" asked Orion
"Yes," said Harry
"Hmmm interesting, do you really live with muggles harry?" asked Orion with a serious look
"Yes"
"Relatives?"
"Yes" replied Harry with a puzzled frown, none had ever tried to ask about his upbringing. Only Ron had asked him these questions and he too was more interested in knowing about Voldemort. He thought Orion's questions too were going to along those lines.
"How do you know Hagrid?" Orion asked next
"Huh.. how do you know about my friendship with Hagrid?" Harry said. He starts becoming a little uncomfortable now.
"Everyone knows Harry" Orion emphasized on Harry "even if you want or not but everyone look at you harry potter and want to know more about you".
Harry was shocked he knew after the incident at leaky cauldron that he is famous but after the sorting hat ceremony he thought no one care about him anymore, but he was wrong and by Orion's deep questions he realized he will never leave his fame behind. Hidden maybe but boiling just under the surface like magma and he also realized Orion must have known about him from the beginning but was just humoring him.
"He introduced me to the wizarding world. He was the first magical person I meet". Replied Harry a moment later still little shaken by this sudden realization.
Orion looked at Harry for a few seconds. Many pieces of the puzzle are fitting in their right places." Do you know about the wizarding world before getting your letter?" Orion asked next.
"No," said Harry
After that Orion relaxed, he gets comfortable on this chair and waves his wand again the door once glowed and become normal.
"I think that enough for one day, thank you for answering my questions truthfully harry. May I offer you some refreshment" and without waiting for an answer he said loudly "Kreacher!"
Suddenly a short creature wearing a rob appeared before them
"Master called"
"What is it?" Harry asked, "and how can he apparate inside Hogwarts, Hermione said that none can do that."
"It's he, he is my house elf Kreacher and of course Hermione knows all doesn't she" Orion replied "Kreacher bring tea and some snacks will you"
"As master order" Kreacher replied and disappeared with a pop, all the time ignoring Harry. A few seconds later a pot of tea and some chocolate biscuits appeared along with two cups. "Please enjoy Kreacher make best tea"
"What is a house elf?" Harry asked after receiving his cup.
" Ahh, still the best," Orion said after taking a sip " well a house elf is like a servant if you will, bound to a family for his whole life, taking care of us, doing our household work and other things. How do you think the food here at Hogwarts gets prepared and your dorm gets clean every day?"
"I never thought of that"
"You surprising not seem to be very curious about magic for a muggle rise, even your friend Hermione who is muggleborn at least asks why and how," Orion said.
Harry sat silently after hearing this, partially because this was correct, he was so happy after escaping Dudley's home that he forgets everything and partially because he still thinks this all is a dream and he will wake up any moment to find he is still sleeping under the stairs.
"I think it's time for you to go harry, its nearly time for dinner and I don't think you want to miss your last dinner of Christmas holiday"
"Ok. Thank you Orion" Harry rose up from his seat after completing his tea in a huge gulp and walk towards the door. He missed the piercing gaze Orion is giving him and closed the door behind him.
With a wave of his wand the door again glowed red and Orion gets into a pensive mood thinking about his interesting meeting with the harry potter. Harry was completely different from the image he had made up in his mind. Instead of a boy full of confidence and pride like a typical Gryffindor, he saw an insecure boy afraid of his surrounding as well as of people. The brief legilimency glance he took at Harry's mind shown him a cupboard under the stairs full of spiders. Harry was definitely living a very different life at home. This bears an investigation. Plans were starting to forms; different scenarios were coming and going in his mind, the missing pieces falling into their places.
The house of black will rise again and Orion black the heir of Black will complete his quest no matter what and if have to cut a few in his way, well every great thing require sacrifices.
