A/N. Disclaimer; recognizable features, including characters, situations, places and concepts belong to J.K. Rowling, this applies to the whole story.
Warnings: OC, Harry born a girl, violence, character death.
So here it is, the official re-write of this is war. I will begin with the first three chapters and keep them coming every week there after. I'm incredibly pleased with how it has turned out in the end.
I. THIS IS HOGWARTS
A tall greasy haired man was standing in front of a black haired girl. She had a sharp face, deep sunken black eyes and was wearing long black robes over a thin frame, in fact they both were. Both with protruding hooked noses and slim bony fingers clinging to skull masks.
"If he tells you-" The man began, but the young girl interrupted him, a terrified look on her face.
"I don't want to do as he says," She tells him, "I don't want to hurt you dad and I don't want to die."
"You have to do as he says, Echo," He told her, grabbing her free hand with his. "Otherwise we both die."
"I'm not like Him," She said, glaring at the man.
"It will be harder to avoid the Dark Lord while you're at Hogwarts, before the distance and security gave you a good excuse." He said, seemingly ignoring her last statement.
"If you're gone I have no where to go, I would rather be dead."
"Echo," The man said, exasperated, "You're my daughter, and I need to protect you. We're on the brink of a war and I have to keep you alive." He gently touched her cheek. "I know you don't like hearing it but you're far more important than I am, no." He looked at her until she stopped trying to interrupt "I'm your father and what I say, goes, understood?"
She nodded. He slid his terrifying mask into place.
"I don't want to lose you dad." She whispered and they shared a fleeting but tight embrace before she slipped on her matching mask and held his hand.
With a crack, the both disappeared.
Harriet Potter, a short, almost unhealthily thin, black haired girl, Ron Weasley, a gangly ginger and Hermione Granger, a bright eyed bushy haired girl barely managed to get into the great hall in one piece.
Why was it so difficult? Because of the Daily Prophet, or rather the news on the front page;
DURMSTRANG INSTITUTE FOR MAGICAL LEARNING ATTACKED BY DEATH EATERS
Hermione had nearly given them both the paper cut of the century thrusting the newspaper under their noses this morning, now, parents were flooding the Entrance Hall demanding to see Dumbledore. Some wanted to remove their children from school, some wanted to enrol their children (from Durmstrang) others wanted to have Dumbledore convince them their children were safe. The result was a crammed noisy mess of stupid parents and their children blocking Harriet from her breakfast.
"SILENCE!"
Dumbledore was standing at the top of the grand staircase, his wand to his throat, the wizard had a grave expression on his face.
"Hogwarts students!" He said loudly over the crowd which were quiet now that the Headmaster had arrived, "Classes will be cancelled for today, parents, and other students, if you're leaving or concerned for the safety of your child, you need to see your child's Head of House, new enrollments need to speak with me."
There was a cram of bodies as the crowd split up, Dumbledore moved further up the stairs and the Heads of House all made for the front door.
Harry, Hermione and Ron pushed on to the Great Hall for their breakfast.
"Day off, day off, day off" Ron kept chanting between "no potions, no potions, no potions." Hermione was looking around at all the noisy people, and scanning the 'Durmstrang Attack' article in the paper and Harry was just watching the bacon get closer. She was so hungry.
"Do you think we'll get any new students?" Hermione asked them. Harry did little more than shrug as her mouth was occupied and Ron shook his head.
"No," He said, "They never let people in half way through the year," He carefully picked out a hard-boiled egg and smacked it with his spoon. "Besides, even if they did, they'll all be in Slytherin. Dark wizards and everything." Hermione frowned at the Slytherin table, looking disappointed.
They went back to the common room and flopped onto their three favorite chairs by the fire, Harry and Ron were instantly dragged into a game of exploding snap with Seamus and Dean and Hermione decided to read ahead for the classes that surely would be on tomorrow. It was a lazy day, Harry and Ron successfully achieving nothing until they had to go down to dinner.
The holes in each house were not noticeable, not many Gryffindors had left, more of the younger students had been removed by scared parents than the older years. The thing that drew the attention of most were the fifty or so students dressed in heavy fur coats in the center of the hall.
"We've had a bit of an unconventional occurrence, this year." Dumbledore announced, standing before the crowd, "A large number of Durmstrang students are moving here to finish their education, so, we'll be having another sorting ceremony tonight! But first to welcome our new members, the school song!"
With no melody, sensible tempo or pitch the whole school roared;
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald,
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling,
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best,
we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot."
The final word was yelled and screamed and sung opera style for about five minutes as everyone finished their interpretation of the words, but with no Weasley Twins and their slow funeral ballad it was a quick affair. McGonagall brought the stool and sorting hat into the Great Hall, Professor Flitwick had been organising them in year groups, there were twelve first years, six second, four third, five fours, fourteen fifth, three sixth and thirteen seventh.
The sorting hat was sat on the stool and its mouth opened wide.
New students are here
They'll find a place to be
And who better to sort them
Than the sorting hat, me!
Will you be in Ravenclaw?
If knowledge is what you need
Will you be in Gryffindor?
Where they value bravery
Could you be in Slytherin?
Are you ambitious and sly?
Or will you be in Huffelpuff?
On your friends you can rely
Welcome to Hogwarts, new and old
You've come at a time that's bound to get cold
Now remember unity is the key
And with it we won't have to flee!
The Durmstrang, or former Durmstrang students looked rather frightened at this apparently mad school they were to join.
"Wasn't as good as usual." Ron said, though it was better than this Authors other sorting hat songs.
"He didn't have as much time." Seamus pointed out, gaining a snort from Harry and a 'gwaf-faw' from Dean.
McGonagall called names and the students were sorted. Surprisingly, there was a fairly even spread of people over the four houses, Harry was, like Ron expecting them all to be in Slytherin.
"Right, sixth years!" McGonagall called, and the single girl and two boys in their year stepped forward.
"Császár, Alexander!" Alexander was a short boy, he had a very strong build though, and had dark hair and eyes, he actually looked a lot like Victor Krum, but, not as ugly. He was sorted into Ravenclaw.
"Markovic, Sasha" a tall, muscular boy with dirty blonde hair stepped forward, he was very handsome, according to Lavender and Parvati. He sat on the stool and was sorted into Gryffindor. He then sat next to Harry. Who greeted him with a smile.
"Snape, Echo!"
Harry was reminded of his sorting, the great hall erupted in excited and shocked whispers, the Gryffindors were no different either, Harriet looked between the dour girl and their dour professor and her own friends.
"SLYTHERIN!"
"She's definitely a Snape, then." Ron decided as the girl left for the Slytherin table.
Harry's eyes had not left her potions professor's sour face, so she was the only one who saw the small, proud smile he had as his assumed relative walked to the Slytherin table.
The seventh years were sorted next, and Harry was more than happy to tune out the rest of the ceremony, she subtly studied their new housemate next to her, who was clapping after every one of the seventh years were sorted and giving McGonagall his rapt attention.
Lavender and Parvati were right, he reminded Harry of a slightly less pointy Draco Malfoy, but his hair was golden and not peroxide, he was hugely tall, and his shoulders were quite big.
Dumbledore then began the feast, with, as per usual his few, short words and Harry watched the new students faces light up in wonder as the food blossomed on the plates before them.
"Tat is wonderful!" Sasha said to her. "Sasha Markovic" The new student introduced himself.
"Hi, I'm Harriet Potter." Harry said, "Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas," Harry introduced their group.
"You are Harriet Potter? Um, the famous one?" He asked her, and Harriet nodded.
"Yes, that's me." She said, looking back to her plate.
"I 'ave heard a lot about you, is the Hogwarts a good school?" Sasha asked, Hermione interrupted.
"Your English isn't very strong is it?" she asked.
"I am Russian," Sasha said. "We began learning a second language in second year at Durmstrang."
"Well articles are used in front of objects not names. You said 'the Hogwarts' but because you used the name of the school you don't need the article," Hermione smiled.
"Sorry," Sasha said shortly, then turned back to Harry. "Is Hogwarts a good school?"
"Yeah," Harry said, "It's fantastic, easy to get lost though. You'll be in my classes, unless you have different electives. Most of the teachers are alright," She continued, thinking of Snape, and then deciding to keep quiet.
"Thank you, Harriet," Sasha paused. "Is there Dark Arts lesson here?"
Harry almost glared at him, "No, we teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, why?"
"Oh, I vas never given the option to take it, this morning, during enrollment," Sasha said, "Why not?"
"The Dark Arts are bad," Harry said, "Why would you want to learn them?"
"You do not knov much about Dark Arts?" Sasha asked, "Hov is it you defense against tem?"
"Defend," Harry corrected.
"And hov can you fight tem? Dark Arts spells are much more dangerous tan defense."
"Dark Arts spells are dangerous and cruel, we don't need to use them, using unforgivables and Dark Arts would make us no better than Death Eaters."
Sasha looked truly astounded.
"You vill not use Dark Arts?" He asked.
"No," Harry said, she began to like Sasha less and less.
"Harry, tis is war, if you don't vant to hurt people, you will not survive."
Harry couldn't reply. The Death Eaters numbers doubled compared to the Order if you counted that Order members would be killed and Death Eaters wouldn't be. And they were already outnumbered.
"Whose side are you on?" Harry whispered to Sasha.
"Yours, Harry, but if you're going to lead tis war, you'll need to," He paused, thinking up the words, "change your style."
"I see," Harry answered shortly, but her cranky demeanour must have dissuaded Sasha from continuing his case. "So, tell us about Durmstrang, were there many people hurt in the attack?" Harry asked, curious as to why the school would be attacked when they were obviously on the death eaters side, what with muggleborns being excluded and dark arts being taught.
"Yes, tey came at night, lots were hurt, tey went for kids of parents who didn't join Him." Sasha paused, "My sister Anastasia was hurt badly, why my parents moved me to Hogwarts."
"That's terrible," Hermione said, "was anyone killed?"
"Many students were killed; a friend of my friend Echo, Isaac was killed."
"Echo Snape?" Ron asked, "Is she related to Snape?"
"Who is Snape?" Sasha asked him, Ron pointed to their potions professor.
"The greasy git on the end."
"Tat is Severus!" Sasha exclaimed, "Yes I know Severus, he is Echo's Papa, He is not a greasy git." The foreign student said with conviction and a frown at Ron, "Well, he is a bit, but he is a good man." He added.
"Her dad? Who's her mum?" Ron said
"Yes her dad, her Papa. She never told me who her Mama was," Sasha said, "She died when Echo was very young."
"Were any Muggleborns attacked?" Hermione asked.
"No," Sasha said, "But Durmstrang doesn't enrol Mud-ggleborns."
"Sasha!" A female voice snapped the attention of the Gryffindors to a girl approaching their table "How are you? Making friends I see?" She said, standing beside Sasha. Seeing her up close made the resemblance between her and Severus Snape remarkable.
"Echo," Sasha greeted, "this is Harriet Potter, Ron and Hermione."
She glanced over them.
"What are you doing here?" Seamus asked, "You're in Slytherin."
"I came to say hello to Sasha," Echo said, "Make sure he survived meeting all the new people."
"What think we were going to off him did you?" Ron said this time, Harry thought he looked very defensive.
"Well, no, I hope not," Echo replied. She looked mildly annoyed.
"Sit down, Echo, they are very curious about you," Sasha moved over, creating space between him and Harry, "And I am much better around people tan you, stop glaring."
Echo looked at Sasha with a surprising warm smile, but didn't sit down.
"Your dad really is Snape?" Lavender asked her, leaning forward over Dean.
"Yes, no more questions," Echo said, looking like she didn't care anymore that she wanted to speak to Sasha.
"Are you and Sasha dating?" Parvati asked her, Sasha spit his pumpkin juice out and began to choke, Harry looked up then, giggling at him.
"Net!" he very nearly shouted, "No, ve're not dating," He repeated. Echo thumped him on the back and he cleared his airway. "She is like sister to me," Sasha said, "Not like partner."
"We've grown up together," Echo explained.
"I can be not-platonic, though, yes?" Sasha said to her, she smiled at him.
"You will meet a nice, sexy not-platonic girl one day Sasha, don't worry." Sasha gave her a very goofy grin.
Parvati looked like she was going to put her hand up and jump up and down in her seat like Hermione in class, screaming "pick me," Harry rolled her eyes again.
Dumbledore then stood and asked everyone to follow their prefects to their dormitories and to make the new students feel welcome.
"I should go," Echo said, "Good luck tomorrow Sasha."
"Luck, I vill not need luck!" Sasha exclaimed, "For I am brilliant!" A small Huffelpuff girl was almost taken out by his exuberant hand gestures and he didn't even bother apologizing, just turning to Harry with a smile.
Harry was told about Durmstrang; Sasha described it not as a castle, but a snow-covered fortress. It was made of huge dark stone bricks and lit by torches on the walls, it had a wide moat, with Kelpies swimming under the constantly frozen surface of the water and the Durmstrang ship frozen, stuck in the water. A wall three stories high surrounded the mote with a drawbridge and cast iron gate.
And of course on the issue of Durmstrang, Harry and Sasha got into a debate about The Dark Arts. Harry actually found it rather interesting. There was a whole branch of magic the Order were neglecting to even study, and what made it worse; that was what they were fighting! Of course she didn't have the luxury of having an opinion on the matter, being the great Harriet Potter, the newspapers would have a ruddy field day if they caught her practicing Dark Magic.
But Sasha was right, the more Dark Art users the Order has, the more advantage they have. Harry, however was stubborn, and argued with Sasha nearly constantly about it, but that was something she was never able to do before, because on the issue of Dark Arts, all the Gryffindors agreed.
"Magic cannot be evil or good, Harry!" Sasha was saying to her, "You can't accuse Magic of being evil or good, it is intent of caster."
"There is no good or evil," Harry whispered quietly, "There is only power," she paused, "And those too weak to seek it."
"Exactly!" Sasha cried, "Though intent of people seeking power makes them good or evil."
"Voldemort told me that," Harry said, she looked at Sasha, who had gone white.
"You have spoken to Him?"
"Yes," Harry said, glaring again, "He told me that when I was eleven." Sasha looked shocked.
"But he vas not alive then!"
"Sasha he was never dead, when I was one, he was... ripped from his body, and was too weak to keep fighting the war; presumed dead." Harry looked at his new friend, and then looked around the common room, "I'll tell you later. But I agree with you about the concept of power, I mean, the Cruciatus curse could never be used for good, it bloody hurts, but..."
"You could Vingargdium Leviosa someone off a cliff, and kill tem, or Avada Kedavra someone to euthanize tem?"
"Exactly, but does that mean I agree with Voldemort?" Harry asked. Sasha laughed.
"Do you plan to begin war with Muggles?"
"No," Harry said, "Right, ok. Is it hard to use the Dark Arts?"
"Yes, very," Sasha leaned back on the couch, "Dark Arts need amount of power, not just words. Like unforgivable, you need to mean it, and have the power to back it up."
"What if you don't have enough power?" Harry asked, she was fiddling with the aglet on her shoelace, ripping it apart with her nails (she knew she would regret that when she had to re-thread her shoes)
"Then you draw power from surroundings, but take lots of training. Very hard to do for people wit not enough power," Sasha looked at her, "You vould be very good at Dark Arts, Harry."
"You think?" Harry asked, actually considering it, then remembering the field day the press would have if they found out.
"Definitely, you are very powerful Harry," Sasha yawned, "vould you like me to teach you?"
"I'll consider it." She said, "I have to be careful about what I do and say though, the press-" She begun to explain, Sasha looked as though he understood where she was going but they were interrupted by a second year.
"Miss Potter? Um there's er two Slytherins waiting outside for you."
"What? Who?" Harry lifted herself from the lounge looking back at the portrait hole.
"Er, I dunno." The second year nervously inched away.
"I'll be back Sasha." Harriet said with a frown, walking towards the entrance to the common room with a distrustful stare.
Echo Snape and Draco Malfoy were waiting by the ledge near the stairs, Echo was standing while Malfoy was leaning against the railing.
Harry frowned at the pair. "Can I help you?" She asked, utterly disliking the fact Malfoy knew where their common room was. Malfoy sneered at her, while Echo seemed to remain stoic.
"I'd like to see Sasha." Echo said, "If you wouldn't mind?" She added, Harried nodded.
"Why didn't you ask for him, then?" Harry asked her, but it was Malfoy who answered.
"Potter, really, what second year Gryffindor runt would know the name and face of a brand new student. It was easier to just ask for you." He said, still leaning on the railing.
"Thanks, Malfoy," She said sarcastically, "But I didn't ask you did I? Try getting some bloody manners!"
Malfoy looked highly affronted, but she didn't give him time to reply as she ducked back in the common room and approached Sasha.
"Its Echo, Sasha she wants to see you." Harriet told the other boy, who stood with a smile and thanked her on the way out. Harry went over to Ron and Hermione as Sasha left.
"What do you think of Sasha?" Harry sat down tying her hair up quickly.
"He seems ok, you're kind of ignoring us though." Hermione said, "I suppose if you want him to ask you out you should pay more attention to him, besides I'm really happy where I'm up to with my homework."
"Me and Sasha?" Harriet waved her hand dismissively, "No, no, he's nice, and handsome I guess, but a platonic friend," Harry could feel herself blushing and gave up when Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"Fine, I might like him, a little, but he's more interesting than anything else."
"Vho?"
Harriet had never blushed more in her life. Hermione just giggled.