Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. It belongs to J. K. Rowling, Warner Bros and Bloomsbury. I only own the original plot ideas and concepts that I implement in this piece of fiction to make it a bit more original and entertaining. Make sure to read the A/N at the end of every chapter to catch any news about the story. Enjoy!
A few pointers before we start the chapter.
AU: Magical cores are a thing. Not everyone has the same magical potential. Wizards and witches can tap into the ambient magic for the most powerful rituals and spells, but it is extremely difficult and very few can do it.
AU: There are ancient and noble houses. The Sacred Twenty-Eight are such houses. House Malfoy is not one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight since they are originally from France, and the Sacred Twenty-Eight refer to the founding British families of Magical Britain. The Potters, however, are a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, since their ancestry can be traced back to the Peverell Family, who were one of the many that led the foundation of Magical Britain.
AU: Britain's Wizard/Witches Population is slightly over than 20,000, instead of just a few thousand.
I believe that's all for now. If you are not put off by the summary nor by what I established above this final message, then I truly hope you enjoy the story.
Identity's Worth
Harry pressed a finger into the shrinking rune of his trunk and channeled magic into it. When the trunk shrunk until it was just smaller than the palm of his hand he put it on the pocket of his pants.
He turned towards his owl, whom he had named Aura, after the Greek goddess that personified the breezes. For some reason, Harry thought that his owl felt that name was perfect for her and befitting of her station.
"Would yo like to come with me or do you think you'll be able to find your way to Hogwarts on your own?"
The sharp peck she gave his hand and the indignant turn of her head his answer.
Harry chuckled. "Yeah. Sorry. See you there then. Be safe, girl."
Aura somehow huffed, nodded graciously at him before she flapped her wings and rose to the skies through the window. He watched her for a few seconds before he shook his head and walked out of the room he had used in the past months. The only thing he took from there were the books his owned and his more decent clothes. He left everything else. Hopefully, he won't be needing them anymore.
Harry walked into the living room and his gleaming eyes rooted Vernon, Petunia and Dudley in place as they paled and shrunk into themselves.
"I'd like to say that it has been a pleasure, but you lot aren't worth even my lies," began Harry, voice as even as his face. "You aren't eve worth my hate and disdain. You have treated me like I was worse than a rabid animal for reasons outside of my control and because of your own idiocy and bigotry."
Harry then smiled lightly. "But I suppose that I have to thank you. Hadn't you treated me the way you did I wouldn't have learned to take care of myself nor would I have been able to find about my magic before I was supposed to. This is a farewell Vernon, Petunia and Dudley. I sincerely hope that we don't see each other again."
Harry inclined his head at them and when he saw the relief, glee and happiness brimming in their eyes he couldn't help but make a final comment. "I also hope that with me gone the protection wards that Headmaster Dumbledore put around your house don't fail due to a lack of a magical human in the vicinity. That'd be unfortunate, wouldn't you think?"
Harry smirked at the horror on their faces, gave them a mocking way and disappeared as if he never was there in the first place.
Petunia fainted.
XXXXXXXXXX
Harry appeared in a nondescript alley that was close to King's Cross Station. He checked the time on his silver pocket watch, which he had bought in one of his three other trips to Diagon Alley that he had made on the pass month and a half.
10:32.
"Hm, just in time," said Harry as he pocketed his watch and walked out of the alley.
He needed to be at Platform 9 ¾ just before 11:00 AM and board the Hogwarts Express, which would take him to Hogwarts Castle that was located somewhere in the Scottish Highlands. Since they were leaving from London, the trip was going to take eight to ten hours. It didn't make too much sense when you took into consideration the distances, but, well, magic.
Harry reached the station and quickly walked towards the platforms 9 and 10 but he had to pause when he heard a piece of conversation.
"This station is full of muggles, I tell you! Where is Platform 9 ¾ again, Ginny dear?"
"It's between Platforms 9 and 10, mum."
"Thank you. Fred, George, Ron, Percy. Let's go."
Harry stared at the gaggle of redheads, wondering if they were stupid or they just had a wish of going to Azkaban for breaking the Statute of Secrecy so blatantly. He also wondered if the plump woman that was obviously the mother suffered of memory loss, as she had older kids that had to have assisted Hogwarts many times before. That was the only explanation as to why she had to confirm where the station was.
Not wanting to possibly deal with them, Harry sped away and went promptly went through the barrier. He was immediately assaulted by the noise of conversation, laughing and crying of adult and not-so-adult wizards and witches as they crowded next to the magnificent crimson and red locomotive.
Smiling, and without anyone noticing him, Harry quickly slipped into one of the carriages and just as quickly found an empty compartment. Thanks to the power of magic, the compartment was bigger than what the size of the carriage would suggest, being able to fit six people comfortably on comfortable looking chairs, there was also a table and a lever on the ceiling where you could put your luggage.
Thankfully, Harry only needed one chair and he choose the one next to the window, so he could enjoy the view. He pulled out his watch and checked the time again.
10:54.
Six minutes left before the Hogwarts Express left. Harry got himself comfortable and with a bit of focus he wandlessly conjured his book of Hogwarts, A History. Out of the three extra books he bought from Flourish and Blotts, this was the only one he had yet to finish. The other two had obviously taken priority due to the knowledge they imparted on the political and social history of Magical Britain, a society of which he was secretly a prominent member.
He was glad that he could render his Heir Ring invisible to anyone, since he didn't want to promote his status until he felt it was the right time. And more importantly, he couldn't learn Headmaster Dumbledore know that he knew what he now knew. He had decided he was never going to trust him. The goblins had found powerful wards around the house that prevented any kind of magical communication not coming from Hogwarts from reaching him, meaning that Dumbledore wanted to keep him ignorant of the Wizarding World, for one reason or another.
Harry had decided to take a waiting approach to see what was the Headmaster's plans regarding him and he would act accordingly, and for that he needed to keep a low profile and not gather more attention to himself than what was necessary. He already had enough attention as it was for being the Boy-Who-Lived, something that annoyed him to no end. Thankfully, the goblins were helping him take legal actions against that Lockhart fellow for using his name on his books and make huge profit with them without his consent.
Thinking of what he had set in motion with the help of the goblins, Harry smiled with some strain. While he had to pay Sharpclaw a significant number of galleons in order to convince him go through with his plans, he felt that he was on right path to make the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter the force to be reckoned with that it was before Voldemort began his reign of terror. It was going to take a few years, but Harry felt that his plans will bear fruit by the time he was ready to claim lordship when he turned seventeen years of age.
Just after the train began to move, Harry heard the door of the compartment opening and he turned away from his book to see a brown-haired boy his age shifting nervously from side to side, shoulders slightly hunched forward and a slightly pudgy face holding an ugly toad on his hand. His trunk was at his feet.
Harry smiled at him. "Good morning."
The boy averted his eyes. "Go-good morning. Um, the other compartments are full and I was wondering if me and my friends could use this one."
Harry nodded. "Of course. There is more than enough space."
The boy smiled. "Thanks. Erm, Susan, Hannah. I found us a compartment!"
Harry watched with amused eyes as the boy dragged his trunk into the compartment while still holding onto the toad. After him, two girls stepped in, also dragging their trunks. One of them had red hair, but a darker shade than that of the weird family he saw at the station, and hazel eyes. The other one had blonde hair and honey brown eyes. They were both very pretty.
"Would you like some help with that?"
The boy smiled sheepishly and nodded. The girls blushed and nodded gratefully. Harry chuckled and flicked his wrist, his ebony wand shooting from his holster that was hidden by his long-sleeved shirt into his hand. He flicked his wand and pointed at each of the trunks. "Wingardium Leviosa."
He hadn't really used the first-year levitation spell but he was going to follow Professor McGonagall's advise on not advertising the skills he had acquired before he learned of the nature of his power. He made a show of using his wands to levitate each trunk into the lever in the ceiling while in reality, he was using psychokinesis to do so.
When he was finished he flicked his wrist inwards and his wand disappeared back into his holster. He smiled at their wide-eyed looks.
"That was wicked, mate!"
The two girls nodded in agreement as they took seats in front of him.
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Hm, that isn't that impressive in my opinion. It's literally one of the very first spells we learn in Charms. It's supposed to be the easiest one we learn this year," said Harry, his voice not sounding smug nor arrogant. He was just stating a fact.
"That's true," chimed in the redhead. "But it takes a decent amount of practice to get that level of control with the levitation spell," she said before she smiled at him and presented her delicate hand to him. "My name is Susan Bones. These are my friends Hannah Abbot and Neville Longbottom. Pleased to meet you."
Harry's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he schooled his features and he smiled at Susan, who blushed a little as he stood up and gently grabbed her hand. "The pleasure is mine, Heir Bones, Heir Abbott and Heir Longbottom." The eyes of the three of them widened as Harry proceeded to kiss the back of the hand of Susan and Hannah while he grasped Neville's hand.
"How… who are you?" Asked Neville, a little defensive and pale faced. The girls weren't faring any better.
Harry smirked. "I believe our families have been allies for more than a hundred years. My name is Harry James Potter, Heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter." Their eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as their eyes flicked to his forehead, where they finally managed to see his scar that was hidden behind his messy black hair. Their eyes then flicked downwards to his hand when the Potter Heir Ring blinked to existence. "And I believe we have much to discuss."
They gaped at him for almost a minute before they turned towards each other, gulped and then focused on him again.
Neville nodded shakily. "In-indeed we must, Heir Potter."
'Who would have thought I would encounter the three Heirs of the three Light families that had the strongest alliance with my family?'
Lady Luck must've been on his side.
XXXXXXXXXX
"I… I can't believe Headmaster Dumbledore would do something like that."
"Me neither. Wasn't he supposed to be the Leader of the Light?"
Susan scowled. "We should write to my aunt and have him arrested for attempting against a Most Ancient and Noble House."
Harry shook his head. "That would be unwise, Susan. The Headmaster is a figure with a too high profile to get him successfully arrested, prosecuted, trailed and incarcerated with just suspicion against actions which he could claim were just intended with my safety in mind and that I was just reading too much into it. The entire Magical Britain worship the earth Dumbledore walks on. Attacking him in this matter would be suicide."
Reluctantly, Susan nodded. "So, what do we do?"
"We observe, wait and look out for each other. Our families have been allied for a long time and it is the least we can do to make sure that the sacrifices our families have made don't go in vain. I am sure that Dumbledore is not as good as he portrays himself. His actions speak for themselves. What we need to do is prepare and increase the power of our families and our standing in our society."
Neville lowered his head and the others looked at him with sympathy. While Hannah and Susan had lost their parents and most of their family members entirely to the previous ward, Neville's parents faced a fate worse than death. They were comatose in St. Mungos, having being victims to the Cruciatus Curse by Death Eaters seeking revenge for the Dark Lord.
"That is going to be extremely difficult, Harry," pointed out Hannah. "The Dark Families are stronger than ever after You-Know-Who's reign and the Light families are weakened. Thankfully, the Neutrals still have the most power and standing, and they are reasonable, unlike the Dark families. It will take a lot of time and galleons for it took work. And we are just the Heirs to our Houses. There is nothing significant we can do until we can do until we become the Heads of our Houses."
"That might be true, Hannah. But I have already taken steps to increase our standing. With me activating the Potter Vaults by claiming Heirship, I am only behind the Noble House of Malfoy and the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black in wealth, and it is not by much. I have convinced the Potter Manager to restore and reacquire all the properties and business that belong and belonged to the House of Potter. By the time I am ready to claim Lordship, House of Potter should have the wealth and influence it had before the Dark Lord had his joyride."
Their eyes widened. "How did convince a goblin to do that?"
Harry's smile strained. "A monthly salary of 200 galleons plus interests within al business under the Potter name."
Susan snorted. "Figures," she said with shake of her head. Then she beamed at Harry. "But that's wonderful Harry. While your wealth would have a significant decrease due to all the investments it should increase back in no time. The Potters had a lot of businesses across Britain and a few on France, Spain and Switzerland. Aunt Amy will be happy to know that the House of Potter is back with a vengeance. I just wish my family could do more. Unlike Neville and Hannah, we are not members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight and we are not as wealthy."
Harry smiled assuredly at them when Susan and Hannah shared the sentiment. "Your family might not be wealthy, Susan, but they are influential. Your aunt is the head of the DMLE. And while Neville and Hannah can't do anything themselves directly, their Regents can. The only thing I ask of you is that you prepare yourselves as much as you can as formidable wizard and witches. Also, I'd like you to inform your regents of my plans, of Dumbledore's actions concerning me and my suspicions about his intentions. I would also like them to help in the endeavors of House Potter in regaining its position."
Neville nodded. "Um, Gran will probably take a while to convince but if she becomes aware of the actions you have taken I am sure she will give you all the support of House Longbottom can afford. She really doesn't like Dumbledore that much, to be honest."
Hannah nodded her head too. "Uncle Jacob should be easy to convince. He was always bitter that Dumbledore forbid him from taking you in. I am sure he will support your plans once he becomes aware of your plans and suspicions against Dumbledore."
Susan smiled. "Aunt Amy will be pleased. I don't think she will be able to do much since her department is facing cus in its founding since there haven't been need of many aurors in the past years, which is dumb to say the least. But I am sure she will fall behind anything she set out to do as long as it is within the law and is done for the betterment of Magical Britain while following the ideals of the Light."
"I'm glad to hear that," said Harry before he shifted slightly and locked eyes with the three of them. "About our ideals, I feel that we need to modify them if we want the Neutrals to support us against the dark families."
Hannah frowned. "What do you mean?"
Harry sighed. "If there is one thing the Dark Families have right is that purebloods, specially the Sacred Twenty-Eight, should be at the head of our society." He raised a hand when he saw the outburst about to start. "Let me finish, would you? The Sacred Twenty-Eight and the other purebloods families founded and constructed Magical Britain with their blood, sweat and tears. It is their right to lead it and be at the head of legislations and judicial bodies. That doesn't mean, however, that what they call half-bloods, mudbloods, half-breeds and creatures should be subjugated."
Harry breathed for a second before continuing. "To appeal to the Neutral families, I think that we should preach about giving muggleborns fair opportunities to integrate into our society. To teach them how to live like wizards and witches, instead of preaching about them having the same right as the wizards and witches that have been part of this society for hundreds of years. To be truthful, I find that more unfair. Muggleborns should have the same opportunities as 'Purebloods', but by no means should they be allowed to change a society that take them in allows them to learn the wonders of magic."
A few minutes of silence followed Harry's short speech and it was Susan who broke it. "Your… your point makes sense, Harry. And it is pretty sensible and since the interest of the Neutrals falls on keeping their positions, wealth, influence and traditions and the expansion of Magical Britain, for which muggles are needed. They should see the merit of backing us up against the Dark Families."
Neville and Hannah nodded in agreement eventually, as they also saw the merit in Harry's words.
Harry smiled at all of them. "Thank you for seeing my point of view. I'd like if you also informed your regents of what I am proposing to get the support of the Neutral families so we can meet during the winter holidays to flesh them out and organize ourselves further."
Neville, Susan and Hannah nodded in agreement.
"Now, enough serious talk, let's get to know each other better and enjoy our trip."
XXXXXXXXXX
Harry and Neville were goading Trevor to jump all over the table using dead flies while Susan and Hannah looked on with amused disgust as they chatted with each other when the door to their compartment was opened sharply.
Four heads turned towards the door and Harry groaned internally when he saw the blond ponce he saw at Madam Malkin's standing there looking smug. He was being flanked by two boys that looked as stupid as they were big.
"Word on the train is that Harry Potter is here," said the ponce smugly. His eyes landed on Harry and he smirked. "Oh, so you are indeed here. My name is Draco, Draco Malfoy, Heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Malfoy. These are Gregory Goyle, Heir to the Noble House of Goyle and Vincent Crabbe, Heir to the Noble House of Crabbe. Let me be the first true wizard to welcome you." He extended his hand towards Harry and sneered in the direction of Susan, Neville and Hannah, the girls glaring black while Neville frowned and averted his eyes. "You could be doing better than sitting with a bunch of blood traitors."
Harry crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the ponce. "That's not very polite, Heir Malfoy." He mocked, making Draco lose his smug smile. "Also, the last I heard House Malfoy was just a Noble House. Announcing your house with titles far above their actual station is punishable by law, didn't you know?"
Neville smiled while Hannah and Susan giggled with glee.
Draco scowled. "Now listen here you filthy half-blood! I was doing you a favor by allowing you to associate with me and mine but I can see that you are nothing but another pawn for the blood traitors! You'll end just like your fool of a father and your whore of a mudblood mother."
Neville's eyes widened.
Susan and Hannah gasped as they gave Draco an incredulous look.
Harry stilled for a second before he smiled.
It wasn't a nice smile and his eyes, chips of the coldest emerald, pinned Draco in place as he slowly stood up from his seat.
" You know, Malfoy, my overweight muggle cousin bullied kids just because he thought himself better than the others. You are no better than him right now."
Draco became red with rage. "You dare-!"
"Shut up…" Harry hissed. Draco closed his mouth, eyes wide and face pale. "… and listen. I'm talking. This is not the first time I have seen you, Malfoy. I saw you when you were getting fitted for your robes at Madam Malkin's and you were making so much of a fool of yourself that you were kicked out. I thought to myself: 'Ugh, that moron looks my age. I will probably have to deal with him the sane way I dealt with my overweight cousin since they aren't that different from one another.' Do you want to know how I dealt with my cousin, Malfoy? How I showed him not to mess with me?"
Before Draco could respond Harry put his palm on Draco's chest almost gently. "I made him piss himself, of course."
Vincent and Crabbe would've moved to protect Draco but that have been also pinned in place by the terrifying aura that was surrounding Harry Potter along with his dangerous eyes.
There was a moment were everyone stood still and the next one Draco was thrown back as if by an invisible force. So much force was he thrown back with that when he smacked into his glorified bodyguards he pushed them back until the three of them smacked into the opposite wall that faced the door of Harry's compartment.
He looked down at Draco, who was groaning, trembling and looking up at him with fear. "Let this be the first lesson you know from me, Malfoy. I don't like bullies. Now, kindly fuck off, will ya?" He smiled and closed the door with a resounding bang.
"That was scary. Impressive, but scary," commented Susan, looking wide eyed at Harry. Her eyes shone with gleeful approval though.
Hannah nodded in agreement.
"That was bloody wicked mate! How did you do that?"
Harry sat back on his chairs, smiled teasingly and wiggled his fingers. "Magic."
Naturally, groans were the response to his horrible pun.
"While I think that you dealt with Malfoy in a suitable manner, we will now have to actively watch out for him and his retaliation. His father is the Leader of the Dark Families and his family is the wealthiest in Magical Britain right now. He is not going to let this slide, and I am sure he will have the backing of the Heirs of Houses Parkinson, Goyle, Crabbe, Nott, Flint and Bulstrode, all of them Dark Families and of which only the Flint Heir isn't in our year."
Harry frowned. "Figures that so many families of the Sacred Twenty-Eight will be dark. Are those the only Dark Families that belong to the Sacred Twenty-Eight?"
Susan shook her head. "Those are the only Dark Sacred Twenty-Eight families, Malfoy not included obviously, that have Heirs currently attending Hogwarts. The other Dark Families from the Sacred Twenty-Eight are the Houses of Avery, Lestrange, Rosier, Rowle, Selwyn, Travers and Yaxley. Thankfully, most of their Heads were either sent to Azkaban or were killed for willingly following You-Know-Who. The other families are Neutrals, of which only the Greengrass and McMillan Houses have Heirs in our years and the Carrow heirs are in the year above us."
Harry rubbed his forehead and sighed. "At least silver lining to all of this. Most of those families are weakened and have lost most of their influence and wealth, meaning that while we are the minority, we have time to grow and get the backing of the Neutrals. In the meantime, we will have to deal with the Heirs of the families that will assist Hogwarts with us."
Hannah nodded. "Just another motivation to become the best witches and wizards we can be."
Harry and Susan smiled confidently at her while Neville just laughed awkwardly and nervously. He hoped his father's wand worked with him, otherwise he might disappoint his new friend.
"Thankfully dealing with Malfoy and his clique won't be that hard and annoying. I know their type. There are bullies. More bark than bite. And they will be too pissed off to do barely more than plan and scheme their petty revenges. We stay of out of their way, keep an eye on them and prepare in case they try something moronic."
Two sharp nods with confident smiles and a more hesitant nod with a nervous smile were his answers.
XXXXXXXXXX
"Firs' years over 'ere! Firs' years over 'ere!"
Harry blinked. "Is that a giant with a candlelight calling for first-year students?"
Susan shook her head, chuckling. "No. That's a half-giant with a candlelight calling for the first-year students. A pure giant is twice his size both in height and width."
Harry blinked again. "How did that work?"
Hannah heard his muttering. "Excuse me?"
"Nothing."
Harry, Susan, Neville and Hannah, wearing their uniforms and robes, followed the half-giant towards docks in Hogsmeade. When they reached the docks, they marveled at the dark water of the Black Lake before they boarded one of the boats, which had capacity for only four people conveniently.
When all the first years were on the boats, the half-giant addressed them all. "Good evenin' to all o' you! My name is Rubeus Hagrid. I am the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at 'Ogwarts and I welcome all o' you to the best school for witchcraft and wizardry!"
Hagrid smiled at all of them from behind his bushy beard, trying and succeeding to put them at ease. Standing on his own boats, Hagrid turned around and raised his candlelight. " 'Ere we go!"
And the boats began to move on their own.
Harry looked down at the boats with a wondering smile. "I can only imagine the charms that were put to these boats to make them move with wind and go against the wave movements of the lake without resistance," commented Harry.
Neville looked confused while Hannah and Susan exchanged amused smiles, rolled their eyes and chuckled.
They enjoyed the short journey mostly in silence, joking and laughing when they were about to cross under a bridge and Hagrid had told them to duck only for him being the only one who needed to duck. A few minutes after that, Hogwarts Castle came into to view and there more than one gasp, Harry included.
Hogwarts, A History didn't give the castle the credit it was due. Harry could feel the powerful magic of the castle from where he was. According to the book, Hogwarts Castle was built in 993 a.c. by a wizard architect who to this day remains unknown, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. It was also enchanted to be bigger on the inside than what the outside would suggest, though the actual castle was massive already. One of Harry's wishes was to explore the entire castle, find all of its secrets and map it out. He might even make a project out of it.
They eventually reached the docking area that was attached to the cliff on which the castle rested next to the Black Lake. When all of the first-year students stepped out of their boats, Hagrid pointed them towards some stairs that lead up to a door connected to the castle. "Go up them stairs and y'all meet Professor McGonagall. She'll take you from there!"
They thanked him and Hagrid watched them go with a smile. His eyes widened when he caught a glimpse of emerald eyes and messy black hair. His smile widened. While he had been disappointed that he wasn't the one to welcome Harry to the Wizarding World, he felt that McGonagall probably did a better job than he could ever do. Besides, he could always introduce himself whenever he had the opportunity during the term. Harry wasn't going anywhere until perhaps Christmas after all.
The group of eleven-years-old went up the stairs in silence, too nervous to attempt to talk to one another. They eventually reached the top where they found the stern visage of Professor Minerva McGonagall waiting for them. Harry smiled at her in greeting and she inclined her head slightly at him.
When the students settled she addressed them all. "Good evening to all of you. My name is Minerva McGonagall and I am the Deputy Headmistress at this school along with being the Transfiguration teacher. It's a pleasure and an honor to be receiving you all here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardly."
Her stern visage never dropped as she continued. "As first years, you will all now be sorted into one of four houses to which you will belong for the rest of your years in Hogwarts and will treat as your family. The houses are Gryffindor, the house of courage and chivalry, Slytherin the house of cunning and ambition, Hufflepuff the house of loyalty and dedication, and Ravenclaw, the house of intelligence and wit. I must tell you that, even though we separate you in houses, you are all students of Hogwarts and as such you must be willing to help each other in the practice of magic. Understood?"
When they all nodded, with a few expected exceptions, she smiled slightly. "In that case, follow me."
The group followed Minerva towards a gigantic set of doors that opened inwards imperiously letting them walk into a gigantic room. Harry first noticed the large four tables that took most of the space and he immediately realized that this tables separated the houses of Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. The next thing he noticed was that there was apparently no ceiling, as he could see the starry night sky above him without interference.
Harry then heard the excited talking that was coming from the tables and he looked around to see the older students giving all of them encouraging smiles and nods. Well, the students wearing red, yellow and blue were, while the ones wearing greens were only staring at them with judging looks on their faces.
Eventually they reached a portion of the room that was between the four tables and the Staff Table, were all professors and personal of the school sat. The first one to gather Harry's attention was Dumbledore, who wearing quite effeminate and extravagant robes. He saw the blue eyes of the old man twinkle and he raised an eyebrow before shrugging his shoulders and focusing his attention on the other adults. He missed Dumbledore's prominent frown that disappeared as fast as it appeared.
Minerva cleared her throat and the students noticed that she now was holding a big classic looking wizard hat on her hand. She looked slightly annoyed as he put the hat on a stool that Harry swore was not there before. Suddenly the material that made up the hat contorted into a distinct pondering and frowning expression of a person... and the hat, with a raspy voice, began to sing:
"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
The entire hall, except for the bewildered first years, exploded into extravagant applause and whistling.
The Sorting Hat even somehow bowed in thanks.
"What in the world…" muttered Harry, a strained smile on his face as he didn't know whether to laugh at the silliness of it all or deadpan until his face became stone.
"That's it?! I thought we were going to have to wrestle a troll!"
Harry deadpanned.
Minerva cleared her throat and the annoyed expression of her face was more prominent. "Since that is out of the way..." she trailed off as she pulled out a parchment from her robes which she rolled open. "I will now call you by name to begin the Sorting Ceremony. After you are sorted by the Hat, you will head towards your table. Understood?" Nods. "Excellent. Abbott, Hannah!"
Hannah gulped but she squared her shoulders and walked towards the stool after Susan and Harry smiled encouragingly at her while Neville showed his support with a short nod of his head. The hat was put on her head and after a few seconds…
"Hufflepuff!"
From there on, Harry did his best to see where the members of the prominent families were sorted. Hannah and Susan were sorted into Hufflepuff as was Ernie MacMillan, which spoke well for them. Also, it was a good thing the McMillan Heir was sorted into the same House as Susan and Hannah, since they could befriend him and slowly get him on board with their plans.
Surprisingly, Draco Malfoy was sorted into Slytherin. It was surprising since he had not shown the cunning that defined the members of that house. Pansy Parkinson, Theodore Nott, Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, Millicent Bulstrode were all sorted into Slytherin though he wasn't worried. They were all glaring at him with hate and weren't subtle about it.
Daphne Greengrass was also sorted into Slytherin and he felt like she was the only one of their year, along with Tracey Davis, that were true Slytherins since they didn't give anything away with their facial expressions when they were sorted. He would need to find a way to befriend them and get Daphne on board with their idea, since the Greengrass family was the leader of the Neutral faction.
He was pleasantly surprised when Neville was sorted into Gryffindor. That meant that his skittish and nervous demeanor was probably because he found himself in a new environment and didn't know how to act. Harry would help him find bring out his true self. The Heir of the Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom could not be allowed to be a scared kitten. Much less if he was a Gryffindor.
And then it was his turn.
"Potter, Harry!"
Almost immediately all sound ceased and Harry felt every eye on him as he walked towards the stool. He noticed how Dumbledore pushed himself forward in interest as he sat on the chair and the Hat was put on his head. He saw was the expectant and wide-eyed looks of the other students. It annoyed him.
His eyes widened when his wring burned almost searing hot before it became deathly cold.
The mental shields of the ring had been passed.
"Ah, Harry James Potter. I would appreciate if you stopped doubting what the creating of the four greatest wizards and witches in history can do against a measly rind with a mind trick, otherwise, I'd feel insulted. Also, it took me the entire year to compose that song. It insults me that you think the tradition as silly."
Harry relaxed and chuckled. "That makes sense, I guess. I apologize, on both accounts. I trust that you can't divulge anything you learn from the mines of the students, right?"
"Of course not."
Harry smiled. "Good to know."
"Now, onto your sorting. I'm very tempted to put you on Slytherin. Everything you have done ever since you began to think for yourself is worthy of the ideals Master Salazar preached and practiced."
Harry frowned and shook his head. "While I can agree on that being true, me being in Slytherin would be a disaster. I am the Boy-Who-Lived, the so-called Champion of the Light. While being cunning and ambitious doesn't have anything to do with being evil, Voldemort gave the House that fame. If I want to make the change in the Wizarding World that I want to make, I cannot be put in Slytherin."
"Of course, of course. Tou tell you the truth, you have all the traits to belong to the Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor Houses. Enough cunning and ambition to see you through those dark years with your relatives and enough courage to do it what it needed to be done to go with the pans on your head. And finally, willingness to work hard for what you want and any true find you find will get a staunch supporter that would go through fire and brimstone for them."
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I'm fine with either Gryffindor or Hufflepuff to be honest. Just not Slytherin."
The hat chuckled. "Ah, but I wasn't finished, Harry James Potter. You see, the reason why you have all of these traits, why you have cultivated them is because you are intelligent enough to realize that all of those traits are needed to become someone great. Because you embody the true mindset of Mistress Rowena, I sort you into RAVENCLAW!"
Harry realized that the last word was also said out loud instead of just his mind and feeling pleased, he took off the hat and put on the stool. He noticed that Professor McGonagall looked a little disappointed, but not that surprised, meaning that she had been expecting this. He also noticed that the Hufflepuff table and Gryffindor Table were groaning and moaning in disappointment, the Slytherin table showed no reaction but the Ravenclaws were clapping and hollering with glee.
He turned towards the Staff Table and smiled amusedly when he saw a diminutive Professor with goblin features clapping enthusiastically and almost crying. He also noticed a greasy haired man sneering at him next to a turban wearing man that was looking away from him. His ring burned and he narrowed his eyes and he looked away. When he did the ring turned back to its normal temperature.
Finally, Harry turned towards Dumbledore and the old man was clapping politely with an even expression on his face. His inspection had taken less than ten seconds but he quickly made his way to the table that belonged to his new House, his robes and uniform changing to match the blue and bronze colors of the Ravenclaw House.
He was received warmly and with enthusiasm and while he returned the greetings and introductions with an earnest expression, his mind was still focusing on the sorting of the rest of his fellow first years. He took a seat next to pouting bushy brown-haired girl and waiting for the sorting to be done.
He was surprised to learn that the red head boy that made the comment about wrestling a troll was Ronald Weasly, a member of the poorest and least influential family that belonged to the Sacred Twenty-Eight. He was acting smug as he walked towards the Gryffindor Table, though he kept sending what he thought to be discreet glances to his table. Interesting. And he added Blaise Zabini to those he considered true Slytherins since he had acted the same way Daphne and Tracy did when he was sorted into the house of the snakes.
Dumbledore picked up a silver spoon and tapped his golden goblet slightly.
The resounding clang was at odds with his actions but the entire hall quietened down and he stood up, a welcoming smile on his white bearded face and blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon glasses. "Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"
Harry deadpanned as the Hall exploded into a thunderous applause.
The expression left his face, however, when tons of food and drinks appeared in front of him. He smiled with wonder as he began to fill his plate with small servings of everything he could reach so he could try everything without making his stomach suffer.
He paused when he noticed the girl next to him wasn't reaching for the food. "Aren't you going to eat, Hermione, was it?"
"Yes, Hermione Granger, pleased to meet you…" she responded automatically but she posed and gasped when she realized who was addressing her. "Harry Potter! Um, I mean! It's nice to meet you! I've read everything about you!"
Harry chuckled. "Nice to meet you too, Hermione. And let me be the first one to tell you that nothing in those books is remotely real. I was raised by my muggle relatives and only learned about magic about one month and a half ago."
Hermione looked scandalized. "But those are books written by Gilderoy Lockhart!"
Harry shook his head. "It doesn't change that he is lying. Why don't you confirm it yourself and pay close attention to the dates he claims he did everything he claim to have done. You can reach your own conclusions that way."
She nodded her head, knowing that it had merit to confirm it if the subject of those books was telling her that what was said about him were lies. And if they truly were, she was gpoing to be extremely angry and disappointed. Books shouldn't lie.
"So, you aren't hungry?"
Hermione sighed. "It's not that…" She looked around and leaned forward slightly to whisper so only he could hear. "It's just that I wanted to be sorted into Gryffindor just like Albus Dumbledore was. He is the greatest wizard in the world, after all. But the stupid hat insisted that Ravenclaw suited me best."
Harr frowned. He decided to give her a piece of advice. "While trying to emulate great wizards and witches is not a bad thing, I think it is better to be your own person and become someone great for things you did yourself based on how you think and what you excel. The Hat decided to put you here in Ravenclaw because you value knowledge and intelligence more than anything else. Instead of trying to become like Headmaster Dumbledore by lying to yourself, you should try to become better than him using your own, true ideals."
While he had admonished her gently, she was still rendered speechless, so he continued. "For example, I have deep admiration for Professor McGonagall. She was a Gryffindor. That doesn't mean that I want to be just like her and grow to be just a teacher, as respectable and important as the position is." Harry paused before he chuckled sheepishly. "Well, that's not entirely true. I'd love to have half of the talent she has for Transfiguration at least."
Hermione stared at him for a few seconds with wide eyes until she recovered and she gave him a small smile. "I… erm, thank you, Harry. I think I needed to hear that. You have been given me a lot to think about."
Harry inclined his head. "You're welcome. We are housemates now and we have to help each other deal with our issues if we can do it on our own. If you ever need any help with anything, I'll be glad to help."
Hermione's smile widened. Harry noticed that her front teeth were slightly bigger than the rest but that didn't detract from her cuteness. "In the meantime, can you pass me the cherry and tomato salad and the chicken pie?"
Harry smiled. "Of course."
XXXXXXXXXX
Harry, Hermione and the other first-year Ravenclaws, which included Padma Patil, Terry Boot, Anthony Goldstein, Sue Li, Amanda Brocklehurst, Michael Corner, Isobel MacDougal and Lisa Turpin, followed the fifth year Prefect Penelope Clearwater as she led them up a tight spiral staircase.
Eventually they reached a door that had a bronze knocker in the form of an eagle. Penelope turned towards them with a smile. "This is the entrance to our common room. Due to House rivalries and such it'd be best if you kept this tidbit of information to yourselves, yes?"
They nodded.
The prefect seemed pleased. "Excellent! Now, to gain entrance to the common room, and through it your rooms, you will have to knock and answer the riddle it gives you. If you can't answer it you'll have to wait for someone to come out of the common room so you can enter or get someone else to solve the riddle for you. Anyone wants to give it a try?"
The first years exchanged looks. Harry shrugged and stepped forward.
Penelope smiled at him and stepped aside. Harry walked up the door, knocked and stepped back.
"What belongs to you but other people use it more than you?"
Harry raised an eyebrow at the fairly thought inducing riddle. He stopped for a few moments and thought about it. It took him almost a minute but eventually he smiled. "My name."
Penelope's smile widened as the door opened. She nodded at Harry with approval who just inclined his head. Hermione also smiled at him while Terry patted his back. The other girls smiled at him too but Michael and Anthony didn't acknowledge him. He shrugged and followed after Penelope.
The stepped into a circular, wide room that had graceful arched windows, and the walls were hung with blue and bronze silks. The domed ceiling was painted with stars, which were echoed in the midnight-blue carpet. Tables, chairs, and bookcases covered the expanse of the floor, and a white-marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw sat next to a door that lead to somewhere else within the common room.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Asked Penelope rhetorically as she saw the first-years appreciating room. "This will be your common room from now until the day you graduate Hogwarts. You can pass the time here doing whatever you want as long as you respect others if they are studying, though we recommend you use your individual rooms for such things."
She then pointed towards the door that was next to the marble statue. "That door will lead you to a set of stairs which you will use to reach your dormitories. There are seven floors above this one. As firs years, your rooms will be on the first floor. On your second years your rooms will be moved to the second floor and so on. The right side belongs to the girls and the left side belong to the boys. You'll find that your rooms will have your names carved into the doors and all your belongings will be in your respective rooms. I suggest you go rest since you are expected here at 7:00 AM sharp to talk with Professor Flitwick, who is going to give you your formal introduction to the house and your schedules."
With that said she smiled at all of them before she walked towards that same door. Harry shrugged decided to follow her advice. He was followed by the other first years. When they reached the first floor he gave Hermione a little wave, who returned with a smile before she was pushed away by giggling and chattering girls towards their rooms.
Harry chuckled and made his way towards his own room. He noticed that there were only four rooms on the corridor, likely meaning that the floors were adjusted accordingly to the number of students belonging to that year, taking into account the amount of males and females there were too. Magic was awesome.
Harry nodded at his fellow first years goodnight and just when he was about to step into his room, Anthony spoke.
"I don't know what's so great about you, Potter. Yes, you supposedly beat You-Know-Who but I bet it was just a fluke or some freak occurrence. And don't think that you are the best shite to have graced Ravenclaw House for solving such an easy riddle either!"
Terry's eyes widened as Michael nodded in agreement.
Harry turned towards Anthony and pinned in place with his cold gaze. "Are you, perhaps, jealous of me, Mister Goldstein?"
Anthony's nostrils flared in rage. "Why you!"
Harry maintained his even tone and expression. "Do you know why I am called the Boy-Who-Lived?"
"You are the only one to have ever survived a Killing Curse! You don't have to rub your fame in our noses!"
"Exactly," said Harry flatly. "Last two questions, Mister Goldstein. Do you have your parents? Did they raise you with love and care?"
"What? Of course I do and of course they did! What's your point?"
Harry shook his head. "I think the one that should be jealous is me, Mister Goldstein. Good night."
With that said, Harry slipped quietly into his room, his door closing gently behind him.
Terry glared at Anthony. "Arsehole." He then slipped into his own room.
Anthony had a confused look on his face for a few seconds before it downed on him. His face paled and his eyes were wide. He looked towards Michael who wasn't faring any better.
"Shite."
XXXXXXXXXX
"Potter was sorted into Ravenclaw."
"I noticed, Severus."
Professor Severus Snape, former Death Eater, renowned Potion Master and admittedly unpleasant human being, raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't that worry you?"
Dumbledore sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Of course it does. The boy wasn't acting any way near I was hoping he would act after being subjected to the psychological abuse I arranged for the Durley to give him. He was confident and sure of himself. He wasn't even sorted into Gryffindor or Hufflepuff nor he has the wand I arranged for him to have so I could monitor him through Fawkes. Where did I go wrong?"
Snape sneered. "Perhaps you underestimated the arrogant genes of his father."
"Perhaps," allowed Dumbledore. "In any case, I need to cultivate his self-sacrificing nature. He is the one prophesied to kill or be killed by Voldemort. I'd rather Voldemort dies only but if Harry Potter needs to be sacrificed then so be it. I, however, cannot compromise my standing so we will have to mold him into making the decision himself."
Snape shrugged his shoulders. "I don't care either way as long as the Dark Lord dies," he said with hate for his former Master, the man that had promised to not kill the woman he loved only to do so any ways.
Dumbledore nodded. "Whatever it takes shall be done. That's why I want you to subtly target him to bring his confidence down. Use the members of your House if you must. I believe I saw the Heirs of the Dark Families glaring at him from the Slytherin Table with a fair amount of contempt so it is possible that he has already clashed with them during the trip here. Use that to your advantage."
Snape's pleased and eager smile wasn't nice. "It'll be a pleasure. I will make sure that Potter doesn't grow up to be as arrogant and insufferable as his father. I will make sure he will be someone my dear Lily could be proud off."
The fact that he was going to have his revenge against James Potter through his son, was just the icing to the cake.
"See that you do that, Severus. The wellbeing of Magical Britain depends on how well we can adjust our original plans to counter what Voldemort and his Death Eaters have set into motion to prepare for his return."
After that, Snape and Dumbledore adjourned for the night.
None of them noticed the disappointed black eyes of Fawkes, who looked at his chosen partner with sadness.
XXXXXXXXXX
A few minutes before seven the next morning, Harry found himself sitting next to Hermione in one of the couches of the common room, waiting for Professor Flitwick. Last night altercation was not something he really cared about but thanks to it he had seen the true nature of his male dormmates.
Anthony, and Michael who had silently supported him, had made their bed regarding him and they could lay in it. No matter who ashamed they looked, he doubted he would ever be friend with them. He was willing to be cordial and help with their subjects if they needed it, but further than that there was no chance.
He was willing to give Terry a chance since he had heard him insulting Anthony for what he did, which could mean that he was truly a nice person. He was willing to make friends with him if he continued to demonstrate a good, solid character.
Hermione had impressed him yesterday with her politeness, intelligence, knowledge and willingness to listen to advice from those that knew better or more than her. He was ready to consider her a friend if she was truly like this and so far he didn't suspect otherwise. He had not told her what had happened yesterday as it was unimportant but she seemed curious as to why Terry, Padma, Sue and Lisa were glaring at Anthony and Michael, who looked ashamed.
He was not going to stop her if she wanted to find out on her own, however.
"What do you know about Professor Flitwick, Harry?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Not much, admittedly. He is the Charms Professor and also used to be a Profesional Dueling Champion before he settled for teaching Charm at Hogwarts. Also, he is half-goblin, which could mean that he has a secretly vindictive, nasty side to him. I doubt it since he seemed very nice last night but that's what I got from the goblins at Gringotts."
There was a high-pitched chuckle from their side and they turned to see Professor Flitwick walking towards them with a jovial smile on his face. "While that might be an accurate assumption in most cases, Mister Potter, you'll find that the only thing I inherited from my goblin ancestry is a quite unhealthy love for battle that hasn't quite settled even in my old age."
Harry smiled and inclined his head. "Good morning, Professor Flitwick. To be honest, I have quite an interest in dueling, I was excited when I heard that our Head of House was a Dueling Champion."
Flitwick's eyes gleamed happily. "Is that so? It's extremely rare when a Ravenclaw has an interest in dueling. That's mostly found in Slytherins and Gryffindors much to my disappointment. Perhaps we can address this interest of yours in the future, Mister Potter?"
Harry's smile widened. "I would like that, Professor."
Professor Flitwick then cleared his throat and produced a wand, which he used to conjure ten sheets of paper that floated towards them with just a flick of his wrist. Impressive, but not surprising. "Those are your schedules. Attached to each schedule sheet are directions on how to get from here to the Great Hall, from here to all the classrooms and from the Great Hall to the classrooms. The sheets will disappear after a month, so it would be within your best interest to learn them. I expect you not to miss any of the classes. I also expect you to not fail any of your subjects, get more than decent grades in your classes and excel in those that hold your interest. We are Ravenclaws and we pride ourselves in our knowledge. We have to prove that."
After that, Professor Flitwick proceeded to explain a few more rules of conduct and such. He then told them to go the Great Hall in order to have breakfast now so they had time to calmly eat, let their stomachs digest the food and reach their Defense Against the Dark Arts class, which was their first one of the day, without hassle. He then bid them goodbye, told them that his office was open for them at any time that he wasn't imparting a class and left.
Harry put his schedule and direction sheet on his mokeskin pouch, which had all of his books, parchments, quills ink pots and materials that he was going to use through the term. He stood up and smile at Hermione. "Shall we?"
Hermione stood up and returned his smile. "We shall."
And thus, Harry Potter's first year at Hogwarts begun.
Author's Note:
After seeing how well the first chapter did, I decided to hell with it and give you the second chapter right away. It was the least I could do in thanks for such an amazing feedback. I couldn't be more grateful. Like we did in previous chapters, let's address a few points.
Petunia might want to see a doctor about her fainting issues. I promise that this will be the last we see of the Dursley family.
Yes, Aura is Hedwig. I decided to change her name to one that truly embodies the magnificence that she possess. Besides, while she has a different name, she is still here and she will let Harry know who is the owner of whom very soon.
While the Weasley Family isn't going to be necessarily bashed, some of its members will find that Harry doesn't care much about those with secretive, ulterior motives. He is willing to strike friendship with those that are upfront with him with their intentions. He despises those that insult his intelligence. Ron, Percy, Ginny and Molly, prepare yourselves. For obvious reason, Bill will also resent Harry in the future, but that doesn't mean he will back his family on whatever is that they are planning.
I decided that the first friends Harry makes in the Hogwarts Express are Neville, Hannah and Susan. It seemed appropriate and it made sense since the three of them wanted to seat together and by that time most of the compartments wouldn't be able to house them. The reunited with Harry by pure chance… literally. It was a coin tossup between them or Hermione… and they won.
Draco is dumb. His friends are dumber. Enough said.
Yes. Hermione in Ravenclaw. I did that. It never made sense to me that she was made a Gryffindor because her defining characteristic was her intelligence, love of books and desire for knowledge. In canon, I feel that she became "courageous" because of the (bad) influence Harry and Ron had on her. In my story, that isn't going to happen, and she will be an even more brilliant witch because of it.
Yes. Harry in Ravenclaw. I did that. You read the Sorting Hat's reason and I am not going to repeat them. I'm sure that Harry's intelligence hasn't be show cased properly but I promise that it will become apparent from the next chapter onwards. You also saw that there is more to his character than a desire to learn everything that could be learned about magic. He wants to take House Potter higher than ever. I am inclined to believe that he will succeed.
Anthony and Michael won't be antagonistic towards Harry from now onwards, but they won't be friends. To be completely honest, I don't think Harry will be very with other members of his House other than Hermione and Luna when she joins. We will have to wait and see how the story develops.
Dumbledore isn't necessarily evil, but his views have made him so pragmatic and ruthless that his actions might be considered evil. In the end, Dumbledore wants to off Voldemort at any cost without compromising everything he has achieved. That way of thinking, and the possibility that he might've gone slightly senile in his old age, might come to bite him in the ass later down the line.
Snape is messed up and downright evil. I won't be pulling any He-was-secretly-a-hero's out of nowhere.
Harry has expressed an interest in Dueling, which shouldn't have come on as too much of a surprise due to the wand that chose him as its wielder. This will also make him closer to his Head of House, which is going to work in Harry's favor in the future even though the closeness with Flitwick will be achieved without ulterior motives. Harry isn't a hypocrite. Just as he wants those that want to be his friends to be upfront with him, he will also be upfront with those he considers his friends.
And finally, I have decided to only add one more girl to Harry's amorous group: Nymphadora Tonks. Her pairing with Remus falls in the same category as Hermione's pairing with Ron. It didn't make sense and felt forced. Because of how I planned things, Tonks becoming interested in Harry in a romantic sense will make sense at least and won't feel forced at best.
See ya! Remember to lock your cabinets and cupboards or I will be eating your muffins.
