Chapter 1 – The Arrival

Hogsmeade station was crowded with hundreds of students, most of them dressed in black robes. They greeted each other, walked in a hurry pulling their luggage, pushed each other as they walked, some apologized while others kept to themselves. But one thing was common for all of them. They were excited for a new year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Adam walked by himself, slowly pulling his luggage as he looked around at hundreds of students that were already seperated to their own groups. He could see different sigils on their robes, signs of their Houses. Adam was dressed in his own robes that he got from his grandfather back at the station in London. Only difference in his robes is that it had no sigil, yet.

All of the students walked in the same direction and Adam was no exception. He scanned the area arround him very carefully. They walked the tiled road, wide that as much as twenty students could walk side by side easily. At the both ends of the road was a forest, covered in darkness so only a first row of the trees was visible. At this time of a day, moon was already rising high on the sky, depriving land from the light of the sun, and the moon itself was hidden behind the omionus dark clouds, which warned of the upcoming rain. Students chatted and laughed as they walked in their groups, which made Adam stand out, as he was the only one who kept to himself and walked alone, causing some curious looks as he was never seen here before.

''Who's that?'' a girl asked behind him. ''I don't know.'' replied another girl. He didn't bother to turn around to see who's asking. Another dozen of curious looks and questions were exchanged between students about Adam as he walked upon the paved road. His gaze was set in front of himself and he never bothered to look at the curious students. And soon, they found themselves climbing on carriages that supposedly led them to Hogwarts. They were black in colour, with headlamps attached in the front. Adam intended to climb one, but as he approached it, a group of four students managed to climb on it before him, exchanging laughs and jokes in the process. One of them, a boy with white-blonde hair exchanged the looks with Adam and raised an eyebrow, probably noticing that he was a new student. Their carriage then started moving and Adam realised that there were no horses that pulled these carriages. If it was a magic or some invisible force, Adam wasn't aware. He spent next ten minutes trying to find a carriage with a free spot. Pushing through the crowd of students that was smaller and smaller with each passing second as students loaded the carriages, Adam managed to find a carriage. He approached it, spotting two girls sitting on it. They saw him approaching and exchanged looks. He put his hand on a wooden construction and used it as a grip to pull himself on the carriage, while holding luggage with his left.

He sat on the opposite side from the girls and caught one of them looking at him. Girl turned her head away nervously the moment their eyes met. The silence was quite awkward.

''I am Adam.'' he said with a smile, ending the awkward silence.

A girl with curly reddish hair, the one who turned her head nervously said ''I am.. Marrieta ..Edgecombe.''

''My name's Cho Chang.'' said a pretty girl with black shiny hair tied to a ponytail sitting next to Marietta, and smiled at Adam, revealing two rows of white teeth. ''I haven't seen you before. What House do you belong to?''

''Neither. I am new around here.'' Adam explained ''I am coming from Ilvermorny in United States.''

Girls seemed surprised by Adam's explanation which made him wonder if the student transfer is a thing around here. All of sudden, carriage started moving, leaving other students behind as it made it's was to Hogwarts.

''So, which House do you two belong to?'' Adam asked curiously, wishing to learn more of Hogwarts, and it's Houses.

Cho opened her mouth to explain but Marietta interrupted her ''We belong to Ravenclaw House. Eagle is the sigil of our House.'' red-haired girl explained and pointed at sigil on her robes. Adam leaned forward to see a sigil of an eagle with wings spread widely on a blue field. He nodded and proceeded to ask another question ''What are the other Houses?''

''There are three others'' Marietta continued ''House Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Slytherin.'' Marietta continued explaining in such a tone as if she was the smartest person in the world, which was quite funny by itself because when she talked, she would look up at something unknown which made both Adam and Cho chuckle. But one thing caught Adam's attention. She said Slytherin with a malice which made Adam wonder why would she hiss the name of that House in such a way.

''Are you just joking with us, or you really didn't know what are Hogwart's Houses?''

Adam shook his head ''I had no idea. I am not exactly from around here as you already know, so I guess it's not that bad. Or is it?''

Girls answered him with a laugh. ''It's good you know now. You don't want to be heard in your ignorance by other students.'' Cho said which made Adam laugh at her words.

''I wonder which house I'll be sorted to.'' he said and sighed, leaning on the back of the carriage and turned his head away from the girls.

They spent the rest of the ride in a quite weak conversation. It was either silence or an awkward conversation but at least Adam wasn't alone and he got some directions. After he said goodbye to girls, he proceeded to walk a the rest of the path towards Hogwarts alone, as Cho and Marietta were lost in the mass of Ravenclaw students Adam dared not to approach. There was considerably smaller number of students now and it Adam started to feel unease walking in the dark alone. As he walked, he spotted a tall man, with a shoulder-length black hair, dressed in black robes standing in front of the steps that lead into Hogwarts as if he was waiting for someone. Adam felt uneasy as his penetrating eyes gazed upon him.

''Headmaster is waiting for you. Follow me.'' man spoke in a soft, contained voice with several pauses and turned around to walk the steps just as Adam approached him to be a few paces distance away form him, which made him stop in his track of surprise. After looking at his back for several seconds, boy followed the man up the stairs, through several corridors and finally to a round stairs that started turning around as they stepped on, leading them upwards, in front of a large closed doors which opened as man in black robes and Adam approached it, revealing a large office with a two persons inside. Adam recognized Albus Dumbledore, a headmaster of school, and walked inside quite insecurely, followed by that man that led him here.

''Thank you, Severus.'' headmaster said to a man that led Adam here and smiled at him. He was tall, thin and seemed very old, with silver hair and beard so long it could be tucked into his belt. He had a very long and crooked nose that looked as if it had been broken at least twice.

''Welcome, Adam. I hope you find Hogwarts to your liking.'' Dumbledore greeted and walked towards Adam.

''Thank you, headmaster.'' boy thanked simply in a low voice and looked at the older woman with a pointy hat standing behind him. She seemed kind judging by the look, but Adam has learned that a book shouldn't be judged by it's cover a long time ago.

''Did you travel well? Was there any trouble along the road?'' old man asked to which Adam simply replied ''No, sir. There weren't any problems. I traveled well.''

''How is your grandfather?'' headmaster asked another question and placed his hand at Adam's shoulder, leading him to take a seat at opposite side of his desk ''I presume he's still having a trouble with that Hungarian Horntail he's been training?''

Adam took a seat and chuckled at Dumbledore's question, which reminded him how dangerous his grandfather's work actually is. He was a trainer of dragons, after all. Two months ago, Dumbledore visited them in Boston where Adam had the opportunity to meet him for the first time. There, headmaster of Hogwarts made a proposition that Adam should resume his education at Hogwarts, where both of his parents graduated and to be closer to his home. Adam's grandfather Arthur had some objections at first, but he agreed in the end, for reasons unknown to Adam. Dumbledore and his grandfather talked in private and boy had no knowledge about their conversation.

''He's managing.'' Adam answered Dumbledore's question ''Headmaster, I talked to some students about Houses of Hogwarts.''

''And you wonder which one you'll be sorted to?'' Dumbledore asked-answered. ''You shouldn't have to worry about that, my boy. You'll be placed in Hogwart's equivalent of Wampus, which is the House of Godric Gryffindor, or if you like it shortly, House Gryffindor.''

Adam smiled. While he was feeling quite uncomfortable at Hogwarts for it's a new surrounding, new people, no friends, at least this soothes him. Wampus is a Ilvermorny's house that represents the body of a witch or a wizard, and is a house of great warriors. If House Gryffindor is anything like that, Adam will be happy.

''Now Adam, I'd like you to meet professor McGonagall.'' Headmaster introduced him to a woman behind with a pointy hat which nodded her head and approached him.

''I am professor Minerva McGonagall and head of House Gryffindor.'' she introduced herself kindly with a warm smile ''Follow me now, I will lead you to the common room of your House.''

Adam looked at headmaster for one last time, only to see him pulling several scrolls from his desk to examine them, before standing up to follow professor McGonagall who was already on her way out of the office. Walking towards the common room, Adam found himself surprised when he saw the moving stairs in the corridors for the first time. More amazed than surprised, actually. There wasn't anything like this back at Ilvermorny, and yet, after learning so much of magic and how it works, some things like these moving stairs at Hogwarts still surprised Adam.

I love magic, boy thought with a smile as he stepped on the stairs carefully, but not before looking beneath himself. Fall from stairs would be fatal, causing Adam to be alerted as he stepped on them for the first time.

''Professor McGonagall.'' Adam addressed her, and she turned her around to face him as she stood higher on the stairs than him ''What are students of House Gryffindor like?''

She chuckled at his question and answered ''Don't worry, Adam. They are all good children, you'll make friends in no time.''

I hope so, Adam thought and looked away. He never wanted or liked to be alone, yet somehow, even during his life in America, he always felt lonely. Lonely even though he had a lot of friends in Ilvermorny wizarding school. He felt certain emptiness inside him, as if he didn't belong there.

Stairs stopped moving and a student and a professor continued their way towards the common room, exchanging few questions in the process. The Gryffindor common room was located in one of the towers of the castle, Gryffindor's Tower to be more precise. It's entrance was located on seventh floor guarded by the painting of the Fat Lady, who was garbed in a pink silk dress. Supposedly, she permits entrance only if give the correct password, which was changed regularly. After professor McGonagall gave the correct password, the entrance to the common room was revealed, and two walked inside. They walked through a small tight corridor, whose end revealed a large room, with a fireplace in the middle and two large staircases leading up to boys' and girls' dormitories. The walls were lined with numerous portraits, large windows were covered with long red curtains. Dozens of students were gathered at the center of the common room, sitting on comfortable couches and hanging out, while others walked upstairs to their dormitories pulling their things. When professor McGonagall made herself visible, walking and talking and all other sorts of activities stopped, as head of the house was about to make an announcement.

''Good evening, and welcome to Hogwarts. I'd like to make an announcement.'' she exclaimed, catching everyone's attention ''As you know, during your schooling, the exchange of students between wizarding schools is a rare sight. It only happened a couple of times in known history.'' Everyone looked at her with interest and some even with confusion. Professor turned her head and looked at Adam, who stood several paces behind her, hidden in darkness of the stone corridor.

''Come here, Adam.'' she ordered him and gestured it with her right hand. Adam approached her carefully, causing suspicious looks from the students below, his fellow Gryffindors, who exchanged whispers with each other.

''Silence.'' McGonagall ordered and whispering was replaced with silence and everyone looked at her impatiently, awaiting for an introduction. Their eyes were focused on Adam which made him shift in his place. McGonagall put her hand on Adam's shoulder and continued ''He is a former student of Ilvermorny school of Witchcraft and Wizardry who will continue his magical education here at Hogwarts. I hope you'll prove yourselves a true Gryffindors and help him to fit in at Hogwarts. Introduce yourself now, Adam.''

Adam closed his eyes and sighed, taking a step forward. All eyes in the common room were focused on him. They were all awaiting his introduction. It was so strange now. He was all alone. But it was a new beginning, an opportunity to finally get some answers. And that is an opportunity he is going to take.

''My name is Adam Black.''

XXX

Good day everyone and welcome to my fanfiction. I took some time to explore the Harry Potter fictional world and studied it specifically for this story, and hence I already have in mind what this story is going to be like, as well as it's characters and the rest. Even though this is a fanfiction, I'll try my best to stay true to J.K. Rowling's world (and I'd also like to thank her for providing us with such a beautiful world), but I'll still make little changes for my own story.

And for the end, I'd like to apologise for any grammar mistakes you may find while reading as English is not my native language, and most of all, I'd like to thank you for taking your time to read my story.