Chapter One
"AND THE DARK LORD SHALL MARK HIM AS HIS EQUAL... NEITHER CAN LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVES..."
Harry woke up in a cold sweat. That damn prophecy! For 11 years now, those words has been hanging over his head like an invisible doom that he couldn't see, but always knew was there. The truth was, it had always been there, for as long as he could remember. Most people wouldn't understand; how could they? No one else had been the subject of a now infamous prophecy about being the saviour of the wizarding world... no one else, that is, except his best friend Neville.
Poor Neville didn't have it easy either. A quiet, gentle boy, Neville was even more uncomfortable with being the centre of attention. He spent most of his time in his room in the bunker, preferring his own company to that of the many witches, wizards and squibs who were always bustling around the headquarters of the Order.
Luckily for both Harry and Neville, Hagrid was often around to entertain them, with his funny stories and contagious, roaring laugh. His deep fondness for magical creatures was shared by the two boys, who longed to be as free as the mighty hippogriff, soaring the skies, or to be as quick and quiet as a niffler and be able to sneak away from it all for a little while.
Sadly, their movements were watched closely and they were very limited in where they could travel. Maybe it would have felt like they were prisoners locked up in Azkaban, if they hadn't understood the motive behind their rigorous lifestyle...
Love.
Harry's parents were always reminding him of the importance of love. "Love is more powerful than hate, Harry" his mother always said. "It's the oldest and strongest magic there is." "Your mother's right." said the world-famous James Potter, Harry's dad. "And love is something that Voldemort would never understand."
Harry's parents were famous Aurors and key members of the Order of the Phoenix, leading the resistance against Lord Voldemort and his army of Death Eaters. The Wizarding war had been going on for over two decades, with countless casualties on both sides. Despite the overwhelming numbers under the Dark Lord's command, the resistance had managed to survive through guerrilla tactics, secret hideouts, and - most importantly - working together to protect, help and defend each other.
The Ministry of Magic, led by Millicent Bagnold up until she was murdered by a Death Eater called Dolohov a few months ago, was in a total state of disarray and had been relying more and more heavily on the Order to lead the war effort. Not long before she died, Bagnold had officially awarded the title of 'High Auror' to all members of the Order in an attempt to bolster the Ministry's forces as well as entice those wizards and witches who were too scared to consider joining the ranks as well.
In the past, the ministry had been responsible for all kinds of things to ensure that the Wizarding world ran smoothly and remained a secret from the muggle community. All that had now changed; the ministry's main focus was on holding dark forces at bay, and it had - out of necessity - called on MACUSA and other international Wizarding agencies to step in to help maintain secrecy as much as possible.
Since the death of Millicent Bagnold, Albus Dumbledore had been forced to take up the reins and become Minister for Magic while concurrently running Hogwarts School of Witchcraft Wizardry as the official Headmaster. With his focus now spread across the Order, the Ministry and the School, Dumbledore had named Minerva McGonagall as his quasi-replacement. Meanwhile, his brother Aberforthe was helping run the Order while Arthur Weasley had been chosen to manage the Ministry if Dumbledore wasn't available.
It was a perilous time for all, whether magical folk or not. Harry knew that every day he didn't hear news of a friend or loved one being captured, tortured or killed was a lucky day. But as he woke on this particular day, on the morning of his 11th birthday, Harry knew that today would be a good day.
"Yer' awake, Harry!" a familiar rumble informed him. "I was jus' coming to check on yer! Alastor was asking where Harry was... surpr'sed he couldn't see yer, what with that big ol' fancy eye of his!"
"I'll just be a minute Hagrid!" said Harry excitedly, as he quickly packed his neatly folded clothes into his trunk and grabbed his glasses off the nightstand. He was in such a rush to get out that he almost forgot his wand.
"Big day, Potter!" Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody exclaimed as Harry came up from the bunker. He was a large, stern-looking man with a long wooden staff and an electric blue eye; part of his nose and one of his eyes had been lost while fighting Death Eaters. "Good to see you're up and ready to go, boy" he said. "Time is short, you'd best say goodbye to your parents now, go on."
Harry turned to see his parents, Lily and James Potter, standing next to a large black dog. They were smiling and looking proud, but Harry could tell that they were nervous and rather scared for him. "Don't worry, I'll be fine!"' he assured them. "We know you will, darling" his mother said, "but you must be careful..." "Hogwarts is one of the safest places in the world!" James interjected. "Maybe even safer than here at HQ! Dumbledore knows what he's doing." The dog barked and wagged its tail in agreement, then bounded over to Harry and nuzzled against his hand. He laughed. "I know, Padfoot. I bet you wish you could go back to school and get up to mischief like you used to!" Lily rolled her eyes. "Mischief! That's the last thing anyone needs right now; darling, promise me that you and Neville will focus on your classes and learn as much as you can? You're both going to need your wits about you if we're ever going to win this fight against Voldemort."
Moody had been busy collecting Neville and his luggage, but now they had everything sorted and had joined the group. "Your mother's right, Harry" said Moody in a serious tone. "You two boys are the best hope we have in this war. You've got to watch each others' backs at all times. And watch your own while you're at it!" Harry swallowed nervously. There was that dreaded prophecy again, dictating how he and Neville lived every day. He wondered if it would be as bad at this at Hogwarts. What if it was even worse? He shook his head as if to dislodge the thought - it wasn't worth thinking about.
Ever since he'd first heard stories about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft Wizardry from his parents and the other members of the Order, Harry had been desperate to go there himself. He knew all about the sorting ceremony, the Great Hall, the Quidditch pitch and even the House Elves that served in the kitchens below. Of course, these days the House Elves were in the employ of the Ministry on the order of Dumbledore. He said they had such a powerful magical ability that their talents were wasted as cooks and kitchen hands. The students now all took turns helping the squib volunteers prepare the food and clean the dishes after each meal.
There would certainly be a lot of differences between the tales he'd been told about the school and what it was like now. Nonetheless, Harry was excited to experience something beyond the confines of the bunker and he knew Neville was as well.
James knelt down and pulled Harry in for a tight hug. "Stay safe, Harry. And remember to send us a letter once you've been sorted. We'll keep an eye out for Hedwig!" He grinned and ruffled Harry's hair. Lily had a tear in the corner of her eye, but she brushed it away and smiled warmly. "Be good, darling. And remember to ask for help if you need it. Help will always come at Hogwarts, even in these dark times. We love you sweetie."
Harry hugged his mum and shook his dad's hand, then picked up his luggage and walked to where Moody was standing next to a wooden bowl on the ground. Neville had just finished saying goodbye to his grandmother, Augusta Longbottom. She was a stern-looking old lady, and was always telling Neville off for forgetting things.
Neville's father Frank Longbottom, on the other hand, was a quiet, gentle man who always had some sort of treat in his pocket. Today he had a chocolate frog and a packet of acid pops for Neville and Harry to share. He knelt down and whispered some words of encouragement to Neville, pulled him in for a hug and then ruffled his hair in farewell.
"Time to go, boys" said Mad-Eye (who was living up to his nickname, with his electric blue eye darting around in all directions, as if to ensure there were no enemies lurking nearby). "Hold on tightly now."
Moody and the boys knelt down and held on to the wooden bowl, and the black dog grasped it in its teeth after an excited 'woof!' The world started spinning, and as his parents faded into the background, the last thing Harry heard was his mother saying "Keep your friends close, Harry! We love you, sweetie!"
Chapter Two
Harry bent over and rested both his hands on his knees. His stomach felt like it had been melted into jelly and then flipped over like a pancake. "Welcome to the wonderful world of transportation by Portkey, Potter!" laughed Moody, with a twinkle in his eye. "You've done well not to barf, actually."
Harry looked around. They were in a dusty, dilapidated-looking bathroom. Neville was lying spread-eagled on the floor of a cubicle, with one arm draped ungracefully in the toilet bowl. Mad-Eye grabbed him by the nape of his neck and lifted him out, muttering a spell under his breath to dry off Neville's sleeve. Padfoot, meanwhile, had bounded forward out of the door as soon as they'd arrived and they exited to find him chasing his tail eagerly in the large atrium of King's Cross Station.
They made their way to the section where Platforms 9 and 10 intersected, and walked down until they came to a particular section of brick wall that looked no different from all the others. "You show them how to do it first, Padfoot, and then they can copy you" said Moody. Their canine companion barked in happy agreement and lunged forward, cantering headlong into the brick.
As he reached the wall, he suddenly disappeared entirely from view. After glancing at Moody for a nod of approval, Harry shouted "Come on, Neville!" and sprinted towards the wall himself. He emerged from the brick at a full run, and had to stop himself from continuing headlong down the platform. He was standing on a very similar platform to the one he had just left, but looking up he saw the reassuring words of the sign above: "Platform 9 3/4". He'd made it!
Neville arrived shortly, almost tripping over his own feet as he struggled to take in his new surroundings. Sitting there quietly was a large red steam engine, puffing smoke slowly and regularly, as if taking slow, long breaths before a race. There was a lot of noise and movement, with parents and children bustling around everywhere, luggage handlers moving cases, pets trying to escape from their owners, and a conductor making various shrill noises with his whistle.
Harry noticed a number of Aurors stationed around the platform, evidently standing guard in the event of an attack. Moody motioned the boys to board the train with him, and Harry was about to do so when he realised he'd lost sight of Padfoot. Looking into the shadows where he'd seen the dog run after entering the platform, he saw a dark figure emerging. A tall man with brown hair, blue eyes and handsome features strode out into the open, and gave Harry a wink and a cheeky grin.
It was Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, who had transformed from his Animagus form as a dog. The final whistle blew, and Sirius ran forward and jumped onto the train just before it started rolling smoothly out of the station. "Got to keep appearances up! But I must say, it's nice to have my hands back - and to be able to hold a wand again!" "Welcome back!" said Harry, giving him a big hug. "Ok, we're going to check in with the other Aurors now, so you boys go ahead and find a seat for yourselves." Sirius said. "We need to make sure everything's in order." "It had better be…" growled Moody ominously. "And remember; I've got my eye on you."
They walked off together, while Harry and Neville made their way down the carriage, looking for any spare seats. Eventually they came to a booth with only three people in it. Both Harry and Neville instantly recognised a familiar mop of red hair through the glass. They went in and asked if they could squeeze in.
"Wotcher, Harry!" said Ron Weasley, the red-haired, freckled boy who they had instantly recognised. "Hi Neville! It's been a while!" It had indeed been a long time since they had last seen Ron; it must have been at the wedding of Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks last November. It had been held at HQ, for security reasons. Harry fondly remembered having his first Butterbeer with his dad at the reception. It had been deliciously sweet, and had left a ring of foam all around his mouth. But the main thing Harry remembered was his dad telling him, "Harry, it's important to celebrate the good things in life, even in the darkest of times."
Harry pulled himself out of his reverie as he realised Ron was introducing them to the two young ladies sitting across from them. "This is Luna Lovegood. Her dad is the editor of the Quibbler; you know, that really quirky newspaper-" he cut himself off as he realised a second too late that he may have put his foot in it. All eyes turned to Luna - a pretty little blonde thing - to see how she'd react to his thoughtless comment. "I suppose it IS a bit quirky" Luna said in a thoughtful, dreamy voice. "But we're all a bit quirky in our own way, don't you think?" Ron nodded rapidly in relief. "Anyway, this is.." "I'm Hermione Granger" said the other girl in a confident voice. "Isn't it exciting to be on the Hogwarts Express? I read all about it in Hogwarts: A History." Ron looked at Harry and Neville and rolled his eyes.
"So," continued Hermione, "aren't you two meant to have some kind of special magical abilities or something?" "Yes!" said Ron, proudly. "They're the Chosen Ones!" Hermione's brow furrowed slightly. "That doesn't really make sense, Ronald. How can both of them be the Chosen One? Surely they're the Chosen Two?" It was Ron's turn to look confused. "Well... erm.. why don't you explain, Neville?" He turned to Neville with pleading eyes. There was a moment of intense silence, which felt like an eternity. A long, loud croaking noise emanated from Neville. Luna started giggling, and within seconds the entire group was in uproarious laughter, apart from poor red-faced Neville, who slowly put his hand into his jacket pocket and tenderly pulled out a bright green frog. "It wasn't me... it... it was Trevor!" he stammered. This only sent the group into more peals of laughter, until Neville's face slowly broke into a grin before he too saw the funny side and started laughing.
"How's Ginny?" Harry asked Ron when the cackling had subsided. Ron looked up, surprised, and Harry quickly added: "and George? And Fred, and Bill, and Percy, and Charlie? How are your mum and dad?"
"Dear me!" Hermione said. "You certainly have a lot of siblings!" "Do not!" Ron scowled defensively. We're a normal-sized family!" Hermione lifted an eyebrow doubtingly. "How many siblings have you all got, then?" Ron snapped. "None!" they all chimed in response. Ron couldn't believe his ears. "NONE? Not one of you has a SINGLE brother or sister?" They all shook their heads, trying not to laugh at his incredulous expression. "Ron Weasley, you have enough siblings for all of us combined!" said Harry with a chuckle. "And you're very lucky you do, so be grateful!" "Yeah, I'd be grateful to get a moment's peace and quiet..." Ron mumbled to himself.
They spent the rest of the journey talking and laughing, and for that brief train ride it felt like the world was a happy place; although at one point Harry could have sworn he saw red and green flashes of light outside the window and was reminded again of the ever-growing darkness.
Harry's favourite moment of the trip was when the trolley witch came offering sweets and candies. She was slowly trundling along pushing the trolley as if it were as heavy as an elephant, while Alastor Moody followed immediately behind her, shadowing her every step and watching every movement like a hawk. It was a very funny procession to watch.
As they pulled into the station, Sirius came to collect them and escort them for the final leg. A very short man - about the same height as them - greeted Sirius and ushered them all into small wooden boats which were then launched onto a huge black lake. It was both exciting and nerve-racking for the group as they were gliding over the water with only the light from a small lantern to guide them. Suddenly they saw another source of light in the distance and shortly there came into view an absolutely magnificent castle; Hogwarts. "Wow..." breathed Harry. He was awestruck; seeing the castle in person was beyond any description he had heard.
The boats gently slid into the boat shed and everyone disembarked, eager to enter the warmth and comfort of the castle. The imposing front doors - flanked by Aurors of course - creaked open and everyone crowded inside, glad to leave the cold and dark behind. A tall, thin witch walked stiffly down the stairs towards them. She was dressed in traditional black robes and wore a pointed hat upon her greying hair. Harry's first impression of her was that of a harsh, cold woman who thought all children were naughty and deserved to be punished.
Professor McGonagall said "Welcome, first year students. Welcome to Hogwarts!" and her face broke into a warm smile. The lines on her forehead that had previously made her look stressed and serious now gave her an appearance of wisdom and nobility. "It is our pleasure to have each and every one of you joining our school, where we hope you will benefit from an excellent education and graduate as well-rounded witches and wizards, just as many fine magical folk have done before you." A pale blonde boy near Harry muttered under his breath "and some not-so-fine folk as well..." which caused a ripple of sniggers among a few students standing near him.
McGonagall continued, "In a moment we will be moving into the Great Hall for the Sorting Ceremony. This is a very important occasion for all of you, as the Sorting Hat will determine which House you will belong in for the duration of your time here. There are four Houses; Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Slytherin. The House you are sorted into will be like your family. You will be rewarded for good deeds by receiving House Points, and you will lose them as a punishment for misbehaviour. The House with the most points at the end of the year will be awarded the coveted House Cup. Each House has Prefects who will be there to guide, encourage, and discipline you as needed." Harry and Neville glanced over at Ron, remembering that his older brother Percy was a Gryffindor Prefect.
"Now," said McGonagall, "everyone please line up in an orderly fashion and we will proceed to the end of the Great Hall in one minute." The students started shuffling around and for a moment Harry found himself face-to-face with the blonde boy from before. "And who might you be?" he asked Harry in a condescending tone. "I'm Harry. Harry Potter. Who are you?" A smarmy expression slowly spread across the boy's face. "Potter, is it? Pleasure to meet you. I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. My family is part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. I'm sure you've heard of us?" Harry had heard of them alright.