Harry Potter
The Heir's Ring
Chapter Two
The Bones
Harry looked at the girl and his heart seemed to flip. She was very pretty, with bright blue eyes. Her red hair was in a long plait, which hung down her back. She was wearing light blue robes, and had a white scarf around her neck that seemed to be made of silk.
"Please, follow me," the goblin said and started walking away.
Susan smiled as she looked at Harry. Reaching out, she took his hand as they started following the goblin down the hall.
Harry had a silly look on his face as they stepped onto a platform with the goblin. Seconds later a cart rolled in, and the goblin climbed onto the front seat. Harry let Susan get in first and then he sat beside her on the other seat, behind the goblin. As the cart started up, Susan gripped Harry's hand.
The cart dropped into the darkness. Every few moments a torch whipped by as they took turns that had them sliding on the seat. Susan wrapped her arms around Harry's waist, and hung on as Harry stiffened at the hug. He then relaxed, and draped his arm around her, as the cart shot across a bridge and then plummeted two hundred feet to another level.
Susan screamed at the sudden drop, and whimpered as Harry laughed. The cart slowed down and came to a stop. The goblin hopped out and waited for Harry and Susan to climb out.
"Mr. Potter, go to the lectern and press your hand to it, with your ring inverted so as to place it in the depression in the lectern. If you are the true heir, you will be granted limited access to the vault of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter."
Harry nodded, and stepped up to the lectern and looked at the flat surface. Turning the ring on his finger, he placed his hand on the lectern. Pain shot through his hand, as if a hundred needles had stabbed it. Before he could pull his hand back, a grinding sound was heard.
Harry's jaw fell, as the doors opened. He could see piles of coins. Gold, silver and brass coins went from the floor to over eight feet high. The doors locked open and Harry stepped up to the edge and looked inside. Trunks sat along the walls with several openings leading back into more rooms. Behind the stack of coins was a large cabinet.
"Wow!" Harry said as Susan stepped up beside him.
"That's a lot of coins," Susan said.
"Yes, it is. I wonder how many?" Harry asked.
"23,736,736 Galleons, 3,837,937 Sickles, and 28,903 Knuts to be exact," the goblin said.
Harry looked at the goblin and replied, "Yes, that is a lot."
"That doesn't include what's in the chest, nor the paper bonds in the cabinet. Which neither can be removed," the goblin said as he stopped at the vault entrance.
"Thank you. Susan, want to come in with me?" Harry asked as he stepped inside.
"Oh no Harry, that's not allowed. Only family are allowed into the vaults," Susan said.
"Nonsence, if Mister Potter wants you to enter, all he has to do is allow it," the goblin replied.
"Come in with me Susan, you may see something I will want with me," Harry stated.
"Are…" she started to say and looked into his face, and added, "If you're sure. Then I'll come."
"I am," Harry replied and turned to the vault.
Susan followed Harry into the vault. They wandered into the other chambers. They found chests of gems, potion ingredients under stasis spells, weapons, armor, books, and more. Harry walked into another room and found a pair of trunks. One had LP on it. The other had JCP on the top.
"Those must have been your parent's trunks, and look, there is a letter here from your mom," Susan said as she picked up a letter off a small table.
Harry took the letter and opened it.
My Dearest son
If your reading this then it means your father and I didn't survive the war. I want you to know we both love you, and we're sorry we were not there for you. I have prepared these two trunks for you. Mine is a normal trunk holding your fathers and my journals, notes and photo albums. The second trunk is a 'seven-chamber' trunk. The first chamber is for your school clothes and normal clothes. The second is a potion storage room, and the third is for parchment and writing material. The fourth is a library. Now the library and the potion storage room connect to two of the rooms here in the vault. The library room and the potion storage room, each has a master list. If you check the items you need, they will appear in the trunk. The fifth chamber is a four-bedroom apartment with five baths, a kitchen, study room, game room, exercise room, and a living room. The sixth is a spell practice room, which connects to the apartment, as well as to the seventh room. Your father set the seventh room up as a jail. Your father was an aurors, and would go on long missions, undercover. He would take the trunk with him so he had a place to stash prisoners that he captured. By tapping your wand to the trunk, you can shrink it down to the size of a matchbox, so you can take it with you.
The last item, Harry, I must warn you that there is possibly a prophesy about you. It was made before you were born and it could refer to you, or to Neville Longbottom. It goes like this:
"THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD APPROACHES...BORN TO THOSE WHO HAVE THRICE DEFIED HIM, BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES...AND THE DARK LORD WILL MARK HIM AS HIS EQUAL, BUT HE WILL HAVE POWER THE DARK LORD KNOWS NOT...AND EITHER MUST DIE AT THE HAND OF THE OTHER FOR NEITHER CAN LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVES...THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD WILL BE BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES..." (HPOotP)
Now, Harry, don't worry about anything. It doesn't mean it's you. It could be Neville. If it is, please stay friends with him and support him. I loved watching the two of you play together when you were infants. Now, son, you are off to Hogwarts for your magical education. It will be lots of fun for you. When you get there, you will be led into the great hall, and your name will be called. You will go up and sit on a stool, and then a hat… called the 'Sorting Hat'… will be put on your head. The hat reads your mind, and looks at your character, to decide which of the four houses you will go into. The Hat will take your wishes into consideration, as well, as it decides what house you will be in.
"There are four houses. They are Gryffindor (your father's house) Ravenclaw (my house), Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Each house has its own characteristics, so choose wisely. There is a book in the library on the four houses. It explains each house and their inner workings. Son, your father told me the other day… when I told him I was going to write this letter, just in case something happened… that you must learn Occlumency.
What is Occlumency you ask? It is a way to protect your mind from others who would look through your memories, for a way to hurt you. I should let you know, Headmaster Dumbledore is one person who can do this. So, if you're alone with him, do not look him in the eyes until you learn it. There are three books in the library to teach it to you. Also, take our family Grimoire, for the spells in it belong to you and our family. No one else is allowed to look at it, or touch it. It can kill them. So be very careful with it.
Your loving Mother,
Mum
Harry stood there crying and then he handed the letter to Susan who quickly read it and took him into her arms.
"It's ok, Harry, let it out," Susan said as she rocked him in her arms side to side.
"She loved me! No one has ever said they loved me, before," Harry cried out and went down to his knees.
Susan followed him down, still holding him and gently kissed his forehead on the center of his scar. Her nose wrinkled as she smelled something horrible and when she moved her face away the smell dissipated.
'Odd! Why is there a foul smell coming from his scar? I'd better ask Auntie about it,' she wondered as Harry stopped shaking.
"Are you ok?" Susan asked as the shaking stopped.
"Yes. Let's see if we can find anything else of my parents'. I want to take them all with me in my trunk," Harry said as they stood up.
Susan and Harry went through the rest of the vault, not knowing that up above in the bank, decisions were being made about Harry.
ooOoOoo
Amelia watched as the two children followed the goblin, then turned back to Ragnok and said, "Ragnok, first I want to say thank you for contacting me about Harry. Next, I want you to have his guardianship transferred to me. I'll sign the papers, and then you will enact the reading of his parents' will. Also, can you have your goblins lock down all his properties? Please initiate full inventory checks of them all, and of his vaults. If anything is missing, I want them recovered, and the items stored in his vault. Next, I want a full health check on him. His size worries me. He should be taller than he is, and he is way too thin for his size, even now. If he's been abused, I want to know."
"It will be done. Also, I will have them check his blocks to see if they've been removed. I know two were put on him, when he was a year old. One was on his magic because he was showing signs of accidental magic. The other was on the Metamorphmagus ability he received from the blood adoption to Sirius Black…"
"Blood adoption?" Amelia asked.
"Harry's father James, and Sirius Black, were what the American Indians call 'blood brothers'. When Sirius left his family and moved in with the Potters, James and Sirius came into the bank. They had us initiate a blood bonding ceremony, for the both of them," Ragnok said.
"I see. Yes, Harry shouldn't have his magic blocked, especially with him starting at Hogwarts in a month. If he has the blocks they should be removed," Amelia replied as she signed a confidentiality paper to have the medical procedure done.
For the next hour they talked about the young heir to a Most Noble and Ancient House, and what he has been denied, as Amelia signed the paperwork that Ragnok slid across to her.
"You do know that Headmaster Dumbledore will try and block you from taking custody," Ragnok said as he continued going through the Potter account paperwork.
"Let him, I will have his bony butt in Azkaban for failing to follow a legal will…" Amelia stopped talking as the door opened and Susan and Harry walked in.
"Welcome back. Did you find anything intresting?" she asked.
"Yes, I found my parents' journals from school… swords, an awesome trunk my dad owned, pictures, paintings… swords, books, swords, and papers, and swords… oh, and armor, including a set of robes that shrank down to my size when I touched them…" Harry replied excitedly.
Amelia snickered over Harry talking about the swords. Typical boy, see a sword and his eyes went wide with imaginary sword fighting. "Well, Harry, how would you like to come live with me?" she said as she knelt in front of him.
"Really? I won't have to go home to my aunt and uncle?" Harry asked with eyes that pleaded for her to say yes.
"You should have never gone there. In your parents will, I should have had custody of you. But the headmaster went against your parents' wishes…"
"I know. I found a letter from my mum, and she mentioned that. She also mentioned a prophecy that was made about me…"
"We'll discuss the letter, later. For now, let's get you to Bone Manor and situated," Amelia said as she stood up.
"Ok, but what about my stuff at the Leaky Cauldron?" Harry asked.
"We'll go pick it up and then floo to my home," Amelia replied.
"Madam Bones, the healers are ready to see Harry, and I've dispatched a guard to pick up Lord Potter's belongings," interrupted Ragnok from his desk.
"Good, let's get down there and let your healers do their magic," Amelia replied as she walked to the door and stepped out.
"Thank you, Ragnok," Amelia said.
As they opened the door to the outer office, she pulled her wand out. Harry followed his new guardian and watched in awe as she shrank his trunks and handed them to him.
"I love magic!" Harry stated as he looked at his shrunken trunk.
He put the trunks in his pocket, and started following Ragnok out the door.
Amelia and Susan laughed as they followed Ragnok and Harry out the door and down a long a hallway. Every twenty feet there was a door on each wall, with a goblin guard standing in front of it. They were wearing full armor, and held a spear. Harry fell back to walk beside Amelia and Susan.
"So what are they going to do to me?" Harry asked.
"They are going to do a full medical check-up on you, and remove the blocks on your magic. After that, we'll head for your new home," Amelia replied as Ragnok opened a door and they went inside the medical wing.
Harry stopped and looked around the bright room. A single bed lay in the center with cabinets mounted to two of the walls. A single door was across from the one that they had used to enter. Just as Amelia closed the door, the other one opened, and a man walked in. He was wearing white robes with a red symbol on his chest above his heart.
"Good morning, I am Healer White. Who is the patient?"
"Mister Potter is," Amelia said.
"Hello, Mr. Potter. Please lie down on the examining table, and we'll check you out," White ordered.
Harry climbed onto the medical bed and lay back. Harry watched as the healer walked over and held out his wand. He started at the top of Harry's head and slowly drew it down his body to his feet. To the left, an image appeared of Harry's body without his clothes, skin, or muscles. A dozen red spots started flashing on the image, as his skeleton glowed a bright yellow.
"What does that all mean?" Harry asked.
"The yellow says your skeleton has been neglected. The red spots show broken bones. You have also been malnourished, and your eyes need to be corrected. What is this? Your cursed scar has never been treated? By the goddess, this will be rectified immediately! Let's get started. Ragnok, send for a curse breaker to remove this curse, while I start the healing of young Mister Potter," White ordered as he started casting healing spells onto Harry.
Harry drifted off to sleep, as one of the spells that Healer White cast was a sleep spell. For the next two hours, the healer worked on Harry. Broken bones were mended, and potions poured into and onto him.
Then the curse breaker came in. Within ten minutes he diagnosed that Harry had a soul fragment in his head. Several goblin curse breakers were called in. It was removed and destroyed. As the curse was broken, the scar faded. Soon, it was barely seen by the naked eye. Harry's eyes were then fixed, and Harry was awakened.
Harry opened his eyes, and blinked in surprise. He looked up at Amelia as she smiled down at him.
"How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Better! My head doesn't hurt, and for some reason I can see without my glasses," Harry replied as he sat up.
"That's because the curse breakers were able to remove the curse that was in your scar. It was something that should have been done years ago. They repaired your eyes, as well," Amelia said as she helped Harry sit up.
The door opened, and Healer White walked in with a potion holder. The holder held six potions, and each was marked. He set the holder down on the counter, he pulled out his wand, and did a quick scan of Harry. Several of the red spots were gone. The eyes were healed, and the larger curse icon was gone, as well.
"That is good news," White said as he banished the charm.
"What is good news, Sir," Harry asked.
"The spells have started the healing processes. Now, Mister Potter, these are your potions for the next month. You will take all of each of them, when you go to bed, tonight. The vials will refill by morning. After the month is over, you will take the red capped ones only for the next three months. Now the blocks on your magic have been removed as well as four monitoring spells that were on you. We also removed two unknown spells that were on you as well as a compulsion spell, which seemed to be dormant for some reason. We also vaccinated you for all wizard world childhood diseases, as well as the muggle ones," White said as he handed the vials to Amelia.
"Thank you, Healer White. I will have a bonus sent to you, and to all your staff for what you did. Also, please keep what happened quiet. Harry doesn't need more publicity," Amelia ordered. Seeing Harry yawn, she said, "Let's get you home, Harry. Tomorrow, Susan and Hannah can take you clothes shopping."
"I'm fine," Harry stated as he slid off the bed and stood up.
"Your clothes are not fine…"
"I would suggest two sets of clothes until the end of the month. The nutrient potions, along with the bone and muscle growth potions, will not run their course until the twenty-fifth," White suggested.
"Thank you, we'll do that. Come, Harry, Susan… it's time to go home," Amelia ordered.
Harry followed Amelia, with Susan at his side. They stopped in front of a large fireplace as Amelia pulled a pot off the mantle.
"What's going on?" Harry asked.
"Floo," Susan replied.
"Floo? What is that?"
"It's how we can go from one place to another until we can learn to apparate on our own," Amelia replied as she held out the pot and said, "Now take some floo powder, toss it into the fire and say 'Bone Manor!' and then step into the fire. You will appear at your new home. Susan, you go first and help Harry. Being it is his first time, he'll probably trip or land on his face."
"Ok, Auntie," Susan replied.
She reached in, grabbed some floo powder, and tossed the powder into the fire.
The yellow flames turned green, and she stepped in as she said, "Bone Manor!"
She vanished.
"I love magic!" Harry said.
He reached into the jar and followed Susan's directions. Harry spun out of control and landed on his back at Susan's feet. He was looking up her robes, and he turned bright red as she stepped back.
"Are you ok? Why are you turning red? Are you hurt?" Susan asked as she knelt beside Harry.
"I'm fine," Harry replied.
He rolled over and stood up, just as Amelia came out of the fireplace. Amelia led Harry up the stairs, and down the hall to a bedroom. Across from it was another room. It had a nameplate on the door that said 'Susan'.
Amelia opened the door to Harry's room. Inside the room were a large four-poster bed, a dresser, an armoire, and several bookcases. Another door led off to the left, and a third, to the right.
Amelia had Harry set the two trunks down, and enlarged them as she said, "The door to your left is your private bath. The other door is to your private study, where you can do your homework. You can use the bookcases for books you want or bring up from the library. In the library, there is a book sitting on a pedestal. Do not touch that book. It can kill you, it is the Bones family Grimoire. Only Bones' family members can use it. Just like only Potter's can use your family Grimoire, which should be in Potter Manor."
"Actually, I have it in my chest. My mother told me to take it with me, in her letter," Harry stated.
"Did she warn you about other people using it?" Amelia asked.
"Yes, Ma'am," Harry replied with a yawn.
"Good. Now here are your potions. Remember, before you go to bed, take them. Now, are you hungry?" she asked.
"Not really. I'm just really tired," Harry replied.
"Then we'll let you get some sleep. If you wake up, and you're hungry, just call for Lipsy. She'll get you something to eat. Now, so that you know, Lipsy is a house elf. A house elf is like a butler or maid. They have their own magic. We treat them right, but some families don't. We'll let you get some sleep, now. Come on, Susan," Amelia said as she turned and walked for the door.
"Thank you, Aunt Amelia," Harry said.
He went to his chest. Pulling out his pajamas, he quickly put them on, and then drank his potions. Climbing into bed, he was asleep in minutes.
ooOoOoo
It was two weeks since Harry had come and joined Amelia's house. She had formally adopted him. His muggle guardians had given him up with no problems, due to having a choice of either going to jail for child abuse, or giving him up. She also set them up in a new home and had her house elves pack everything and take it to the new home. On the fifth day of Harry coming to live with them, she had signed the papers and the wards fell without Dumbledore knowing because he was out of the country on ICW business. Setting her cup of tea down, she looked out the back window at the pool. Harry and Susan were in the pool and Susan was teaching Harry how to swim and with the way he devoured books, she knew that he would master it within days. With a smile, she went back to her paperwork when the fireplace flared.
"Hi, Auntie Amelia! Is Susan home?" the head asked floating in the fire.
"Hello, Hannah. Yes, she is. How was Brazil?" Amelia asked as she smiled at her best friend's daughter.
"Was fun. We went to the magical and the muggle shopping areas, while Mum was at the meetings for her job. I got a gift for Susan, can I bring it over?" she asked.
"Sure, bring your suit. Susan is teaching a friend how to swim," Amelia replied.
"Ok! I'll be there in five minutes," Hannah said and the flames went out.
Amelia went to the glass door and opened it, "Susan, Hannah is on the way over," she shouted.
"Ok, thanks. I think Harry is getting the hang of swimming," she shouted back.
"Good, I'll have Lipsy make lunch," Amelia replied and closed the door as the two preteens climbed out of the water. Amelia looked at the fading scars on the boy's back, and a shiver went down her spine. How he had survived ten years abuse with those scars, and yet had kept his polite attitude, she would never know. She was glad that the wizard world had creams and lotions that would make the scars fade, in time. Otherwise, had he continued to live in the muggle world, he would have had them for life.
The fire roared to life, and a pink-faced blonde girl with her hair in pigtails stepped out, holding a wrapped gift.
"Hello, Hannah. They are on the patio, having lunch. Why don't you go join them, then you can go swimming," Amelia said with a smile.
"Thanks, Auntie Amelia," Hannah replied.
She walked to the door and stepped outside.
ooOoOoo
Harry set his sandwich down and picked up his drink as the door opened and a girl walked out.
"Hi Susan, who's this?" Hannah asked as she set the gift down beside her best friend.
"Hannah, this is Harry Potter. Harry, this is my best friend Hannah Abbot," Susan said as she introduced them.
"Harry Pottter?" Hannah stuttered as she held out her hand, and then asked, "Do you have the scar?"
"Not anymore. Aunt Amelia had it removed," Harry said with a smile and then added, "It's nice to meet you," as he held out his hand.
Hannah reached out and shook Harry's hand and felt a warmth run up her arm and into her chest. The warmth made her heart race and she smiled at the boy-who-lived.
"Hi, it's nice to meet you, as well. Susan, this is for you. I'm sorry, I didn't get you anything, Harry."
"That's ok. There was no way you could have known I was here," Harry replied with a smile.
Susan grabbed the package and tore it open. Inside was a box. She opened it, and it was a blowgun, with a dozen darts as well as a shrunken target board that enlarged when she pulled it out.
"Wicked," Susan said as she loaded a dart and blew it across the patio. The dart hit one of the shade trees and stuck.
"Ouch, that looks like it would hurt," Harry said.
"I agree," Susan replied as she hugged her friend and went to retrieve her dart.
"The store I bought it at, said the natives use them for hunting with a powerful sleeping draught on the needles," Hannah said as she sat down and grabbed a sandwich.
"Wicked," Harry said as he looked at the needles and then asked, "Can I try?"
"Sure," Susan said and handed the blowgun to Harry.
Harry loaded the gun, held it to his mouth and blew. The dart flew through the air. It hit a tree, but bounced off and flew in another direction, where someone cried out.
Auror John Dawlish appeared with the dart stuck in his left arm, "Damn that hurts!" he said as he pulled the dart out and walked over to the table.
"Sorry Uncle John," Susan said as she took the dart, wiped it off and put it away in the box with the blowgun.
"Who are you?" Harry asked.
"Auror John Dawlish, I am one of Amelia's guards. Please be careful with that thing, it could put an eye out," he said, and then vanished as he reactivated his 'notice-me-not' spell.
"Guards?" Harry asked.
"Aunt Amelia is a target because she is the head of the law enforcement division. She has four aurors permanently assigned to her as guards," Susan says as she took a bite of her sandwich.
"Oh, so what are we doing this afternoon?" Harry asked as he drained his glass.
"Shopping, I think. You need clothes, now that you have reached your height. Plus, you'll need new robes for school. I heard Aunt Amelia say to Jasmine, her secretary, that you will wear your house crest on them, just to piss off Dumbledore," Susan said with a giggle.
"Susan, language," Hannah snapped.
"Hey, those were her words, not mine!" Susan replied with a smile and another giggle.
That afternoon saw Harry dragged from store to store in the muggle world, and in Diagon Alley. New robes were made in a dozen colors, with the Potter Crest on the left, over his heart. He also picked up a birthday gift for Susan, as her birthday was coming up on the twenty-seventh of August.
While in the muggle world, the three kids found calligraphy pens at a stationary store. They each bought a dozen of the pens, with boxes of nibs and ink, as well as spiral notebooks to keep notes in. Harry also picked up books at the Foyle's bookstore, including a new series just started by an American author named Elizabeth Moon. He had started reading book one of 'The Deed of Paksenarrion', and was enjoying them.
Harry studied the books his mum had told him to work on. On the thirtieth of August, Amelia tested his defenses regarding Occlumency. She said his shields were adequate, but told him to continue training. She asked what monster he had used as his primary attacking weapon and was surprised by the answer. She started laughing as she imagined Dumbledore trying to get by the creature, and left him to continue packing his trunk.
The morning of September the first rolled around. Harry, Susan and Hannah were ready to floo to platform 9 and ¾s, for their train ride. With their trunks shrunk down and in their pockets, and their backpacks on their back, they carried their owls in their travel cages. They stepped into the floo, and appeared on the platform.
Harry stared at the scarlet steam engine that was waiting next to the platform, with a few people milling about. A sign overhead said: 'Hogwarts Express - 11 o'clock'. Harry looked at the clock and it said ten after ten.
Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every colour wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to each other in a disgruntled sort of way, over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks. Amelia led the three kids onto the train and to one of the middle compartments. They went in and she unshrunk Hannah and Susan's trunks. She then levitated them up into the magical rack, as Harry pulled his trunk out. He tapped it with his wand. As the trunk grew to its right size, she levitated it into the overhead rack, as well.
"Now you three kids have your lunch and drinks. Do not eat too much from the trolley when she comes by. Have a good year and send me a letter every week on how it's going and let me know what houses you're in," Amelia said as she kissed all three of the kids and gave them a hug.
"We will, Aunt Amelia. We will miss you, and we'll see you at Christmas," Susan replied as she hugged her Aunt tightly.
Harry gave Amelia a big hug with tears at the corner of his eyes, "Thank you for everything, Aunt Amelia."
"You're welcome, Harry. I just wish I had been there sooner, for you. Now you take care of the girls for me, and don't let anyone get to you. Remember, you're a Potter, and they stand for loyalty to their friends," Amelia said with a smile and left the compartment.
The three kids watched as Amelia apparated to the platform and turned back to their discussion on the story 'The Deed of Paksenarrion'. Harry was into book two, while the girls had just started book one. The door opened and a blond haired girl stepped in with a black haired girl behind her.
"Hi Susan, we missed you at the ball," Daphne Greengrass said as she looked at her friend. Behind her, her best friend Tracey followed.
"I know, but we had an emergency come up. We were out of town, dealing with it. Hi, Tracey. Good to see you, too," Susan replied.
"Hi, Susan. Hi, Hannah. Who's your friend?" Tracey asked.
"Come in and join us. I'll introduce you," Susan said and the two girls dragged their trunks in. Harry helped them get them into the rack as the door opened and Harry shook his head as he looked at the two twins standing there.
"Can we join you Susan?" Parvati asked.
"Sure, come on in Parvati, Padma," Susan replied as a dark haired girl with frizzy looking hair started to squeeze by and something made her step out and ask, "Hi, I'm Susan Bones. What is your name?"
"Hermione Granger," Hermione replied.
"Want to join us?" Susan asked.
"Can I?" Hermione asked excitedly.
She was hoping to make friends at the new school and seeing all the girls in the compartment, she desperately hoped so. In her last school, she had been ridiculed for being a bookworm.
"Yes, you can! Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone," Susan said as she dragged the girl into the compartment. Harry was lifting the trunks up into the storage racks as the girls sat down. Seeing the girl with the last trunk, he tapped the trunk with his wand, and lifted it up into the rack, along with everyone else's.
"How did you do that?" Hermione asked in surprise.
"It's called the feather-light spell. Susan's mum taught it to me, so I could get the trunks up into the racks," Harry said as he shut the door to the compartment, and sat down in his spot.
"Ok, everyone. First let me introduce you all," Susan said and then pointed at the first person. "This is Daphne Greengrass, and her friend Tracey Davis. Next to Tracey are Parvati and Padma Patil. Beside them is Hermione Granger. To my friends left is Hannah Abbot and this," she said as she touched Harry's shoulder, "is Harry Potter, my semi-brother."
"WHAT!" Daphne asked in shock.
"Yes. It seems Harry was supposed to come to my Aunt after his parent's death and the incarceration of Sirius Black… which was illegal, by the way, as he hasn't had a trial…"
"Impossible, he is guilty, he was the Potter's Secret-Keeper. He was tried…" Tracey said.
"No, he wasn't. Another person was the Secret-Keeper, but without finding that person, all we have are some old letters from my mum saying who was the Secret-Keeper. They need to find him to clear my godfather. Until they do, my godfather has to stay in prison. Aunt Amelia did have him moved to a minimum-security ward, on his oath that he wouldn't try to escape while they look for the Secret-Keeper.
Hermione sat there listening, she wanted to ask Harry so many questions about his life, but was afraid to, because she was scared she would be asked to leave.
Harry stood up and walked over to Daphne and Tracey, holding out his hand, he said, "Daphne, Tracey, its nice to meet you."
Daphne smiled and took his hand and was surprised when Harry turned it over and kissed it. She felt a warm feeling run up her arm and to her heart, which seemed to melt as she looked into his green eyes. She watched as he turned to Tracey and did the same thing.
Tracey shivered at the warm feeling racing through her body and she smiled at Harry, "Nice to meet you."
"The pleasure is all mine," Harry replied as he turned to the twins and said, "Parvati and Padma, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintances," and he kissed both of their hands.
Both twins smiled and stared into Harry's eyes as he kissed their hands. They sighed as he turned and walked to Hermione and repeated his words.
"Thank you, Harry," Hermione replied as she felt the warmth go through her body.
"You're welcome. Now, I need to use the loo, so please excuse me while I go find it," Harry said.
He left the compartment and wandered up the isle to the end. As he was coming back from the loo, he heard a boy talking.
"Anyone seen a toad?"
"No! Now go away, squib," a voice said.
Harry looked in and saw a pudgy looking boy being browbeat by the blond git he had seen, when he had gotten his first robes. The boy turned and left the compartment.
Harry said, "I'll help you. What's your toad's name?"
"Trevor."
Pulling his wand out he said, "Accio: Trevor the Toad."
A brown mass flew through the air, and slapped into Harry's open hand. Looking at the toad, he said, "Here you go…"
"Neville, Neville Longbottom," Neville said.
"Here you go, Neville," Harry replied as he handed the toad to the boy. They started walking down the passageway when another conversation stopped them.
"I have to find Harry Potter, he and I are going to be best mates. We're going to do everything together, and then he's going to buy me lots of stuff in the years to come."
Harry looked in the open compartment door and saw a redheaded boy talking to two other boys, who seemed to be listening to him.
"Kind of a shallow friendship," one said as he sat down.
Harry dragged Neville away from the door, saying, "Hey, Neville, want to join me in my compartment? We have one opening left," he asked desperately, because he didn't want anything to do with that git!
"Sure, let me get my trunk," Neville said.
They stepped into the compartment across from the one Harry was in. Grabbing the boy's trunk off the rack, they carried it into the other compartment, and put it away with the others.
Harry introduced Neville to the girls, after they sat down and closed the compartment's door.
They talked about Hogwarts, and which houses they would be in. The girls wondered how they'd be sorted, and Harry told them what his mum had said in her letter. They all said Harry would probably be in Gryffindor and Harry shook his head no.
"No, I don't want to be in Gryffindor nor Slytherin. Reason is, Slytherin has a hatred of all Non-purebloods and Gryffindor's would use me as a figure piece. I figure I want Hufflepuff because of their loyalty. I know I'm not smart enough for Ravenclaw," Harry said.
He then looked at the girls, and pointed at them, "Susan, and Hannah, I see you in Hufflepuff with Neville and I. The rest of you girls should get into Ravenclaw, because I just know your wicked smart."
"I'll probably be in Slytherin," Daphne replied sadly.
"Why?" Neville asked.
"My family has always been in Slytherin," she said.
"Tell the Hat you are not your family. Tell the Hat you want Ravenclaw, I would be worried about you in Slytherin. From what my father and mum said in their letters and journals, you would hate it," Harry said.
He stood up and walked to the girl and gave her a hug. Daphne smiled, looked up at Harry, and nodded.
"Ok, I will," she said with a smile.
"Good, then its settled," Harry said as he sat down and the train started moving. The door opened and they looked at the redheaded boy standing there.
"Can I sit here? Everywhere else is full," Ron asked as his eyes fell on Harry Potter.
"I really doubt that there is no room everywhere else. And, as you can see, this compartment is full," Harry replied.
Ron tried to pull Neville up. Harry stood and pushed the redhead out of the compartment.
"Hey, make the squib leave," Ron said as he pointed at Neville.
"This is Neville Longbottom, of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom! They are an ancient ally of the House of Potter. Now I don't know who the hell you are, but Neville is our friend. Now, goodbye," Harry snarled.
He slammed the compartment door closed, locked it, and sat down. Neville smiled at Harry's words.
Edited By
Bill Lewis, Deenara2000, Futurist. TeNderLoin