Chapter One – Diagon Alley, Journey to Hogwarts and the Sorting Ceremony
Harry and Nadia travel to Diagon Alley via Floo followed by Nadia's mother. Both have left their appearances as normal and Harry gets a few curious looks but as his hair is chin length and it's natural red colour (Nadia thinks his hair went black as a sign he was mourning his parents) and his fringe covers his scar no one makes any comment. His glasses are also a thing of the past; a present from Lady Longbottom for Christmas saw Harry getting his eyes magically repaired by the best eye specialist in the country. Nadia makes it a point to deliberately bump into Neville prompting the conversation about Hogwarts that sees Neville and his grandmother join the three as the walk to the bank.
After carrying out separate withdrawals from their accounts; the first stop is to the trunk shop where the Hogwarts students get a trunk, each one gets a blood warded multi-compartmental trunk with built in feather-light charms strengthen and anchored by runes.
In the trunk shop while Harry is paying for his and undergoing the blood warding process, Nadia strikes up a conversation with a girl. The girl is brown haired with eyes an unusually rare shade of purple, Nadia catches the girl's eye and changes her eyes to match. The girl grins and rolls her eyes coming over from where her mother is examining the same style trunk as the one Nadia has just bought.
"You're a metamorphous then" The girl states.
"With an attuement ability like you." Nadia adds.
"Yes, you're right. I've had my gift since I was born. You?" The girl questions.
"I've had both since birth, hours after I was born I starting going through the colours of the rainbow on my hair. Been commenting to my mother about colours since I could talk." Nadia answers.
"What house do you think you'll be in?" the girl asks.
"I've been told that I could end up in any but my brother think that I'll be in Ravenclaw. What about you?" Nadia inquires.
"Whole family has been in Slytherin for as long as anyone can tell. Guess that is where I'll be going. What's your name by the way?" The girl demands.
"Violet come here we need you so we can ward the trunk to your blood." The girl's mother calls.
"Well see you at Hogwarts then." She states before sauntering off to her mother's side.
"Yeah see you at Hogwarts Vi." Nadia responds unheard.
Nadia recounts her meeting with Violet to Harry and Neville as they head to get their potions ingredients. After that they get their telescopes and other odds and ends. Harry gets a wizards chess set and a pack of exploding snap cards. On their way to get their robes Nadia points out Violet on the other side of the street heading towards Florean Fortescue's. A boy maybe two years older, 13 comes out the shop with a towering ice cream cone and walks straight into Violet sending both of them sprawling to the floor.
When Violet stands her face is red in anger and there is ice cream dripping from her head and covering her clothes. "You fool, you absolute fool, I'm covered in sticky, cold ice cream and still have more than half my things to get. Are you blind or just oblivious you should have been watching were you're going?" Violet yells.
"Calm down, it was an accident surely your parents can vanish it and it will be like it was never there." The boy reasons.
"That's not the point it shouldn't have happened in the first place." Violet shouts stomping off to her mother who whips out her wand and sets her to rights.
Harry and the rest of the group walk on. About a minute of silence later Harry pipes up "She's charming" Harry states.
"I'd be angry to if someone bumped into me like that, he should have just said sorry and be done with." Nadia comments.
"She still over-reacted a bit." Harry responds.
"Bet she's an only child." Nadia states.
"No bet, you've got your gift going." Neville laughs. The three laugh and make jokes as they head to the robe shop, Nadia tells them about the Swallows and Amazons book series that she has started reading and Neville tells them about a new plant he is growing in his greenhouse. Given the space in the shop, Lady Longbottom and Nadia's mother all wait outside.
Harry is the first to be prepared for a fitting, standing on the other spot is a boy our age with white-blond hair. "Hogwarts?" The boy asks.
"First year, what house do you think you'll be in?" Harry asks.
"Slytherin." The boy answers. "What about you?" he questions.
"I could end up anywhere, my sister Di thinks I'll be in Gryffindor or Slytherin. She's like me and could go anywhere but I think she'll be in Ravenclaw. Our friend Neville is going to be in Gryffindor." Harry answers.
"Ah that them just there?" the boy asks pointing at Neville and Nadia.
"Yes, Nadia and I are both metamorphous and Neville has an earth affinity." Harry states explaining about the abilities we agreed to broadcast.
"Metamorphous abilities are common in the Black family you related to them?" the boy asks.
"Through my grandmother, Nadia's ability runs in her family to, she's not blood but she is my sister in every other way. I look out for her and she looks out for me. Neither of us have blood sibling so it's nice to have that sort of connection with some even if they aren't blood." Harry answers.
"I don't have any siblings either but I don't have anyone that is like family that isn't." the boy states.
"That's you done dear." The shop owner states to the boy who hops down and after finishing up, he leaves with a nod to Harry, Neville and Nadia.
They get their robes fitted and then loaded them into their trunks and all head to get their books. Nadia gets several extra like beadle the bard, books on snakes and a book on the rules and tactics of Quidditch. Harry also gets a copy of beadle the bard and Quidditch through the ages.
Before going to get wands Harry and Neville want to go and get owls, Harry gets a beautiful snowy owl and Neville gets a barn owl. Nadia gets distracted talking to the snakes and buys herself a runespoor. The three heads get named, Loki, Thor and Balthazar.
After that they go to get their wands. Ollivander recounts the wands sold to their parents and Neville, Harry and Nadia get their wands. Neville's is 13 inches, cherry wood and unicorn hair. Harry's is the twin to Voldemort's, 11 inches, holly and phoenix feather. Nadia's is 10 inches, silver lime with phoenix feather core.
After the shopping trip to Diagon Alley the group head their separate ways, Nadia and her mum. When the time comes to go to Hogwarts; Neville, Harry and Nadia manage to get onto the platform and get a compartment together. The start of the journey passes uneventfully, the trolley comes and the trio get a few snacks before settling down to read.
The boy from the robe shop enters and asks about Harry Potter causing a minor confrontation when the boy (Draco Malfoy) is a bit insulting, Nadia's snake startles his friends and the pair runs off so Draco follows after Harry rejects his friendship.
"Why do I feel that is going to cause problems down the line?" Nadia pounders.
"Maybe we'll have a chance to befriend him later." Harry offers.
On the way to the toilets to change Harry bumps into a pair of red haired twins, Fred and George Weasley – Harry notes the slight difference in auras so he can tell them apart later which no idea why he thinks it is important. Harry instantly likes the twins and their humour and makes a point of always using the right name for the right twin.
Harry wonders briefly what they would have thought of the Marauders map, a map that Harry's dad and his friends created – the one that his dad talked about in the letter that had been left in the vault. The one from his mum and dad that told him they loved him and they miss him and they will always be proud of him. It makes Harry wonder what they'd think about him being an animagus.
After that the rest of the train ride is uneventful, the first years get called at the station by a being that can only be a half-giant therefore is probably Hagrid. They travel across the lake, four in a boat – the girl from the alley Violet joins Harry, Neville and Nadia in their boat. Once across they meet Professor McGonagall whose speech to the first years makes Nadia nervous of her yet earns her respect. The ghosts float though arguing about Peeves and then notice the students. "New students hope you end up my old house Hufflepuff" the fat friar exclaims.
"I have no doubt that some of us will." Nadia responds politely.
McGonagall comes and collects the first years, after a few names "Nadia Cane".
Nadia walks up confidently while actually being very nervous and sits.
Nadia's POV
The brim of the hat slides down over my eyes and then 'Ah I've been waiting for you to come to Hogwarts since the day Rowena foretold your birth. Now where to put you' the hat exclaims. I think "I don't mind, even if everyone has the wrong impression of the houses; put me where I'll most belong. Sal really wants me in Slytherin but then Rick, Ro and Helga are all equally the same when it comes to wanting me in their house." The hat seems to pounder this 'You'd do well in Slytherin or Gryffindor, Hufflepuff would no doubt see you excel socially but I think the place for you really better be, "Ravenclaw" the hat calls allowed, there is the usually applause as I take the hat off, pass the hat to McGonagall and take a seat at the Ravenclaw table. Ro will be thrilled that she got me, no doubt Sal and Rick will argue if both Harry and Neville are in Gryffindor – they are really competitive and argue like the best friends they've always been.
All ready I can feel an awareness of the wards and have to fight to hide my surprise; half are non-functioning and others are working at less than half capacity. The wards feel like there is a block somewhere, the wards stones must not have been cleansed properly or recently. I must consult with the founders and find out how to fix them to the best of my ability.
Violet's POV
"Violet Duquesne" McGonagall calls. This is it, my sorting. I walk to the stool and take a seat; the hat covers my eyes as it slides down my head. 'Very interesting, were to put you. You'd do well in Ravenclaw that's for sure and you'd be very successful in Gryffindor but I think you'll do best in "Slytherin" the hat calls.
Relieved I take a breath, stand and hand the hat to McGonagall and take a seat at the Slytherin table, a few seats up that obnoxious boy with the ice cream sits well I'll just ignore him this year till I get on some of the teams, definitely Quidditch. I love flying and love studying broomsticks and enchantments.
Neville's POV
So Harry was right Nadia is a Ravenclaw, I don't want to let my gran down by I don't think I can live up to being a Gryffindor like my dad, mum was in Hufflepuff that's where I'll go and gran will be upset. "Neville Longbottom" beside me Harry gives me thumbs up and I walk up to be sorted. The hat just and no more blocks my view of the room. 'Well, well, well, where do we put you' the hat mutters, 'Not Ravenclaw, though you'd like to be with your friend but where to put you, Slytherin won't work' the hat continues. "Hufflepuff like my mum" I think desperately. 'Hufflepuff you say, why you'd do much better in Gryffindor' "I want to be in Hufflepuff" I think harder. 'Most of the folk that argue with me are usually the ones who do best when put in Gryffindor' the hat argues. "I still want to be in Hufflepuff" I argue back. 'I disagree and I don't doubt that you'll find friends in either house but I still think Gryffindor' the hat huffs.
Memories of meeting the Founders in their portraits with Harry as Nadia chats away to her ancestors before introduction us. "I suppose Gryffindor isn't a bad place to be" I conceded remembering the wild red haired man who laughed easily with us and make jokes at Salazar's expense and laughed when Salazar made jokes right back. 'In that case better be "Gryffindor" the hat calls. I stand and almost forget to take the hat off but just before I moved remember to hand it to the professor before I go and take a seat at Gryffindor table.
Harry's POV
So Neville didn't persuade the hat to put him in Hufflepuff then, probably made it more likely to put him in Gryffindor. I figured I'd avoid being pointed out as much if I made my hair more like my mum it didn't really help but I feel better having a more solid connection to her than just her eyes. "Harry Potter" the professor calls. The whispers start as soon as she calls my name. I walk to the stool looking over the teachers as I do, one looks rather surprised by my appearance but masks it quickly with a look of distain – I wonder who that is and why they seem to dislike me. Instinctively I tighten my shields.
I sit on the stool and the hat goes over my head. 'Very, very difficult, almost as hard as your sister Mr Potter' the hat muses. "Di was hard to place then, if it's all the same to you I'd rather avoid being in Slytherin to be on the safe side, many of the students have a parent who lost a lot when Voldemort was defeated and I'd rather not live with a target on my back" I think. 'You make sense sad as it is and Di was rather difficult but then she really does take after the founders in a lot of ways. Ravenclaw will suit her but I don't think you'd do as well there, you'd be great in Slytherin but as you say it might not be safe, bit like your mother there lad, I'd have put her in Slytherin if the war wasn't going on as bad as it was. She'd have done really well there and it might have been better for her friend Severus too but it wasn't to be the whole war was over blood purity and I'd have been painting a target on your mum to put her there. Ah well you'd better be "Gryffindor" the hat calls aloud.
Reeling for the insight into my mum I vaguely remember taking the hat off and walking to sit at the Gryffindor table, the Weasley twin's voices register calling "We got Potter" over the cheering. I sit and watch the rest of the sorting.
3rd Person POV
The sorting concludes and the feast beings Nadia talks with her fellow Ravenclaws and Harry and Neville talk to the Gryffindors. Over at the Slytherin table Violet observes the girl from the trunk shop, Nadia Cane if her mother's lessons are right then little is known about the origins of Nadia's mother only that she married into the pureblood Cane family and produced Nadia. Widowed she apparently took her daughter and raised her in the muggle world, maybe Nadia would be able to get her more of the hair dye stuff she had found.
Violet remembers the incident when she had gone with her uncle to the leaky cauldron but he had stopped to talk to a friend, she'd wandered into a muggle shop and since she outside she'd found a muggle note thought she might buy something. The shop keeper had looked at her funny when she bought the blond dye, "It's for my sister" she'd sneered to wipe the stupid look of the muggles face. She'd left without the change and stuffed the box in her bag. She found it a month later just after her ninth birthday and decided to give it a shot, it had turned out rather well and shocked her parents to boot so it had been worthwhile especially since her parents thought maybe it was accidental magic and would undo itself after a while.
The dye had lasted for ages but after a while her mum made her cut her hair when the roots started to show really badly. Still maybe there was a way of doing just that bit or maybe she could do streaks. Nadia had seemed nice enough so maybe she could be persuaded to get her more of it. Violet made a note to ask and find out what other colours there are, wouldn't it be novel to dye her hair Violet – then she'd really live up to her name what with her eyes and her hair matching.
After the feast the students sing the school song and are then sent off to bed. Violet follows the prefect to the dungeon where they are shown the concealed entrance and given the password. Harry and Neville follow their prefect to their
tower where they meet the guardian and are given the password.
Nadia follows her prefect to their tower where the door asks them a riddle: 'What has roots as nobody sees, Is taller than trees Up, up, up it goes, And yet never grows?' the group pause to think about it, "Oh I know, a mountain." Nadia declares. The door opens and the prefect congregates her on being the first, first year in 12 years to answer the riddle before an upper year student. "It's not really that impressive, I've heard it before in a book that I've read. It was in The Hobbit, Bilbo had to answer it in a game of riddles with Gollum." Nadia explain.
"You remembered it and knew the answer it is still the first time in 12 that a first year has done that one the first night." The prefect answers cheerfully.
