AN: Nothing new, here's a new chapter. Of course, no one has been so kind to drop constructive criticism.

Harry walked onto Platform 9, pulling his trunk and carrying an owl he had named Hedwigl. It had been three weeks since his trip to Diagon Alley, and though he hated to admit it, he was excited for the first time in his rather short life. The entirety of his life had been spent with an unloving family, with no chance to learn or even prove himself.

Luckily for him, that was about to change.

Harry arrived at the transition, pushing past Muggles who crowded the station, from Platforms 9 and 10, confused. He rechecked his letter.

Platform 9¾.

What the fuck?

He glanced around, confused, when he heard a voice behind him.

"Looking for Platform 9¾?"

Harry spun around, eyes narrowing. The owner of the voice of a young girl, around his age. She had long, lustrous black hair that reached all the way down to the middle of her back, with ice-blue eyes, a small nose, and lips turned up in a smirk.

"Yes," he replied affirmatively

She smirked. "The entrance to the Platform is disguised. The pillar over there is no solid object. Rather, it is a portal. Try running through it the first time. It helps."

Harry nodded, signifying his thanks before running full pace into the pillar. Right before he hit it, he closed his eyes, expecting to be transported to somewhere else...

Only to hit a real wall. Harry gritted his teeth and brought his hands to his forehead. He felt blood trickling down his face. Harry looked up at the girl, who had made a fool out of him in the middle of a populated Muggle train station.

He stood up, waving his hand once, and the wound that opened up on his forehead closed. Harry smirked as he saw the look of surprise on the girl's face.

Ignoring the previous event and deciding that retaliating would do no good, he said, "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss...?"

"Greengrass. Daphne Greengrass," the girl, even more surprised at the lack of a response.. "And you?"

"Harry. Just Harry."

Daphne raised one eyebrow, but didn't say anything. "Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise."

The two newcomers to Hogwarts went to the next pillar, the one several others were running through, and entered the portal.

Harry blinked in surprise at the new change in surroundings. The screams and shouts and noise of the entire general area nearly overwhelmed him. A red and gold train, one that seemed as if it belonged in the earlier part of the century, was the obvious landmark on the scene.

"Move, dumbass."

The voice of one Daphne Greengrass shook him out of his reverie. Harry walked on, refusing to listen to the happy screams and shouts of family.

Family.

The one thing he would never have.

Harry crushed his jealousy, flattening them with his fair, if a bit crude, Occulemency shields. A state of calm enveloped him, though he still felt the emotion lingering in his mind.

The young wizard stalked up to the train, shoving those in his way, earning him a few annoyed looks. A wave of his hand and his trunk levitated in front of him. The first empty compartment Harry found was opened, before being shut and locked with a complex locking charm he learned from his books.

He opened his truck and wordlessly summoned Defending your Mind by Severus Snape and began to read. Apparently, there were two main types of Occulemency. One was active, the other passive. Passive Occulemency was the art of constructing an impermeable mindscape that prevented invasion of the mind. Active Occulemecy was the art of hiding memories behind less important ones, or fake ones altogether.

It was obvious that the second type of Occulemency was a lot harder to master.

A faint tapping on the compartment door distracted him momentarily. Outside, the girl, Daphne, and an unknown straight-haired blonde witch with hazel eyes were waiting, an exasperated look clear on both faces.

With a lazy wave of his hand, the door unlocked and the two shocked witches entered, albeit after a short period of gawking.

"How the fuck did you do that?" asked the blonde.

Harry glanced upwards, annoyed. "Magic."

The witch glared at him. "Who are you?"

"Harry."

"Harry who?"

"Just Harry."

At this Daphne smirked. "I don't understand why you are so touchy about your last name, Harry. Anyways, since my friend's manners are obviously lacking, let me introduce her. This is Tracey Davis, half-blood. Her father is part of a minor pureblood line."

The other witch, Tracey, glared at Daphne. "I can introduce myself quite well, thank you."

Harry smirked.

The irate witches both glared at him, but failed to instigate a response. The next few minutes were laced with tension, the two girls glaring heatedly at Harry and at one another, until another tapping on the compartment door distracted them.

Harry, this time without even looking up, released the locking charm.

"How the hell did you do that?" a lower, male voice asked him.

"Just go fuck yourself, Zabini," the witches said in unison, though it was obvious that they were playful.

"Now now, play nice."

Harry lifted his gaze, switching his focus from the Occulemency text to the newcomer. In front of him stood a dark skinned, probably Italian, dark haired boy. Hazel eyes completed the figure's face.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Zabini."

"Likewise...I never caught your name. What is it?"

"Harry." Before Zabini could interject, he said. "Just Harry."

The Italian boy raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. "Blaise Zabini."

The two boys shook hands before sitting down. A quick wave of Harry's hand and the compartment door shut and locked itself before another obnoxious dunderhead could enter.

The rest of the train ride was spent in a rather awkward manner, with Harry reading, Blaise staring outside the window, and the two girls talking.

Bored to tears of Goblin Wars and the terrors of the Nordic Vikings (he had finished the Occulemency text halfway through the ride), Harry finally decided to break the ice. With a sudden move, he slammed the book he was reading, gave his best charming smile, which brought a slight blush to the girls' cheeks, and asked, "So what house do you think you'll be in?"

"Slytherin."

Harry shrugged at Blaise's conviction. "And you, ladies?"

Daphne spoke up first. "Two of us are purebloods and the other is still a first generation half blood. What do you think?"

Harry inwardly smirked. "Hufflepuff of course."

He sighed while Blaise snorted at Daphne's incredulous look. "No shit, Greengrass. Slytherin."

Daphne glared at him. "I knew that."

"Sure you did."

Blaise spoke up. "Are your parents pureblood, Harry?"

At once, the occupants of the small compartment knew it was the wrong question to ask. Harry clenched his fists tightly, tight enough to draw blood. His eyes were closed, but when they snapped back open, the three others recoiled.

"My parents," he said softly. "Do not exist. They deserted me for a chance of fame, deluding themselves into thinking that it was best for me to be left ignorant and stupid. For the supposed greater good."

Harry closed his eyes again. This time, no hate resonated off of him. He sighed.

"What is your last name?"

Harry smiled bitterly. "You'll find out soon enough."

Suddenly, a voice crackled on the intercom. "We are approaching Hogwarts, and therefore it should be time to change from your current clothes to appropriate robes for Hogwarts."

Smirking, Harry said, "Now, should the boys leave, the girls leave, or should we stay in the same compartment?" With a slight grin, he added, "I'm sort of leaning to the last option, just saying."

With two indignant girls behind them, Harry and Blaise were forced to move to another compartment. Harry sighed. "I'm pretty sure we had a chance back there, Blaise."

The other boy smirked. "Same here."


The foursome stood outside the train in Hogsmeade. Harry cast his eyes around, before pointing at an enormous man who was busy crying, "Firs' years o'er here! Firs' years o'er here!"

Harry raised his eyebrows and asked Blaise, "Who's that man?"

The other boy replied, "I think his name's Rubeus Hagrid. He's the Hogwarts Gamekeeper, and believe it or not, my father told me he was expelled from Hogwarts in his third year."

"Damn."

The entire body of first years followed the half-giant, as Harry inferred by the man's impossibly large size, to the edge of a large lake, where a bunch of boats were waiting.

"Three people to a boat, firs' years! Three people to a boat!"

The girls split from Harry and Blaise and took another boat, while the boys went into the one in front of them with one Amadeus Richards. Harry inwardly smirked as he noticed the gamekeeper needed an entire boat to himself to stay afloat, and even then, it was low in the water.

To Harry's slight surprise, the boat jerked forward on its own. He growled when he heard Blaise laugh behind him. "Magic. Impressive, no?"

Harry simply glared at the Italian boy before turning back around when a sudden movement caused him to flinch, before realizing the movement was not threatening. Rather, it was...waving?

Harry raised his eyebrows again as he saw said movement belonged to a tentacle. The loud laughter of Hagrid signified that the tentacle was innocuous.

Harry yelped in surprise as he as yanked off his feet.. The young wizard began to laugh as he heard the horrified shrieks of the first year student body and Hagrid shouting, "NO! BAD BETTY!"

The amusement was brought to an end when the face of the giant squid surfaced, the enormous yellow eyes of the creature making Harry feel as if he was being judged.

For a long time the squid looked at the young wizard, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

"Please put me down," Harry snarled.

He swore he saw the Giant Squid's eyes twinkle in amusement before the entire beast rose from the water and the tentacle that held him placed him on the squid's head. It then took off, keeping pace with the boats.

Exhilaration filled Harry, replacing the initial shock, as he felt the wind blow past his face. He felt free, free of the world, free of obligations and promises, free of his burdens, his jealousy, his troubles, for the first time in his life.

As they rounded the bend, a beautiful sight lay beholden. Harry couldn't help but let his jaw drop as the castle, illuminated against the night sky, towered above the Black Lake. Towers soared high into the air, massive walls and ramparts impervious to attack. The Main Gate, approaching rapidly, was by itself a good eighty feet high.

The Giant Squid suddenly stopped, before a tentacle emerged from the murky water and wrapped around the young wizard. Before it lifted him, Harry said quietly, "Thank you."

Again, Harry swore that the squid gave a imperceptible nod before he was lifted onto the shores. Immediately, the crowd of first years ran towards him, each one asking how awesome it was to be riding the Giant Squid to Hogwarts. Harry shook his head in disgust. He waved his hand, drying his clothing before following Hagrid up the path that led to the Main Gate.

He dropped back a bit, ignoring the questions, and resumed walking with Blaise, Daphne, and Tracey. Each one knew that he was annoyed by the continuous questions, so they politely talked amongst other things.

"Who are the ghosts?" Harry asked.

"Well, the only one that would really matter would be the Bloody Baron, because he inhabits the Slytherin house," replied Daphne. "But the other ones include the Grey Lady for Ravenclaw, Nearly-Headless Nick for Gryffindor, and the Fat Friar for Hufflepuff."

"I heard from my brother to watch out for Peeves," Tracey frowned. "Peeves the Poltergist. Have ou guys heard of him?"

Blaise nodded. "He's the resident prankster. My sister has been terrorized multiple times by it. However," he added with a grin. "The only thing that can scare him away other than the Headmaster is the Bloody Baron, and he's Slytherin's resident ghost."

Harry smirked. "Lucky for you. I have not a clue what house I will be in."

Further conversation was stopped by the sudden opening of the gates. Boom after boom could be heard as the locks behind the Main Gate unlocked. The gates opened inwards, revealing one Professor McGonagall.

She began to speak. "Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor McGonagall, the Deptuty Headmistress and Transfiguration Professor at Hogwarts. Now, in a few moments you will pass through these doors and join your classmates, but before you take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Now while you're here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points. Any rule breaking, and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup."

McGonagall took a good look around the new crowd of first years. She found Harry and gave a small smile. In return, Harry inclined his head ever so slightly.

"Follow me please."

The first-years followed the Professor into a small antechamber off to the side of the entrance to the Great Hall. There, they waited.

"I heard we have to fight a troll to get Sorted," said one red-headed boy, along with who Harry presumed to be his identical twin.

Harry was about to snort when he noticed the mischievous grins on their faces. Smiling slightly himself, Harry decided to play along.

"Yeah!" he said, wide-eyed. "And you get sorted into the houses depending on the way you beat it! If you fight it straight on, you go to Gryffindor. If you persuade it to become peaceful, then you go to Hufflepuff. If you outwit it, you go to Ravenclaw. And if you wait in the shadows for the right time to strike, you go to Slytherin."

Pausing dramatically, he added, "The survival rate is only five percent!"

One of the first years moaned in terror and fainted.

"Mr. Potter! What is going on here?" an irate Professor McGonagall asked, making her way over to the collapsed first year.

Harry mustered a charming smile. "I'm sorry Professor. These two," he gestured at the red heads. "Decided it would be funny if they spread lies on the Sorting. According to them, we would be facing mountain trolls as a way to Sort. Due to the fact that trolls are extraordinarily scary and dangerous, this student fainted. I apologize on behalf of those two clutzes."

Professor McGonagall turned her glare on full to the scape-goats, who were busy attempting to convince the Professor of their innocence. "Don't get me started, Misters Weasley. I have heard enough about your antics from Charlie. This will be your one and only warning. Do you understand me?"

The twins nodded ruefully, before whispering to Harry, "Good one, mate!"

Harry merely smirked.

"Follow me, first years."

After being in the dim glow of the torches, the room was bright, as so far it went to physical discomfort. He could distinctly see four different tables, each with its own set of colors, and one table in the very front. Harry scanned the Head Table.

On the very left, in front of the green and silver table, which Harry knew was Slytherin, sat a dour faced, pale, hook nosed man with obsidian eyes. Next to him sat a few other unknown teachers, then a short, probably Half-Goblin man who sat in front of the Ravenclaw table. From the right and onwards, a puffy nosed woman with kindly eyes sat in front of the Hufflepuff table, as well as a few other unknown teachers. An empty chair next to the center of the table probably belonged to Professor McGonagall. And in the very center sat an old, kindly faced man with annoyingly twinkling blue eyes.

Harry's eyes widened. He had seen him before, but where?

An old man.

Bearded.

Glasses.

Piercing blue eyes.

Harry's eyes widened. It was the man that had dropped him off at the Dursely's! He stiffened. Did this man send him there, or was it merely the wishes of his so called "family." His eyes narrowed. The truth would soon be found.

A sudden voice that cried, "Abigails, Adam!" shook him out of his thoughts.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" was the return answer from a mangy old hat that rested upon the boy's head. The grey eyed boy with ratty brown hair blushed an scurried to the Hufflepuff table while said table erupted in applause.

Harry took the moment to notice the ceiling, which was probably charmed to resemble the night sky. The stars seemed bright and hopeful, the way he felt right now. It was a pity that he could no longer stare up into the sky, wishing for a better future as the way he had at the Dursely's.

A familiar name was read off. "Davies, Tracey!"

Harry watched with interest as the girl seemed to argue with the Hat, judging by the facial expressions of the Hat. This Sorting took about a minute, longer than all previous ones, but it finally cried out...

"RAVENCLAW!"

The girl sadly walked over to the Ravenclaw table, morose and glum. Harry pitied her, but just for a moment, as another familiar name was called right after.

"Greengrass, Daphne!"

This time the hat took even longer, seemingly arguing more heatedly then previously.

Finally, "SLYTHERIN!"

The black haired girl looked relieved as she walked to the leftmost table of green and silver, sitting down and mouthing what looked like "Sorry" to Tracy.

"Piper, Thomas!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Here it comes..., Harry thought, dread filling him before it was mercilessly crushed by his shields. The moment where my disgraceful heritage will be revealed...

"Potter, Harry!"

Immediately, whispers broke out across the Great Hall.

"Potter as in them Potters?"

"Adam Potter has an older brother?"

"He's the brother of the Boy-Who-Lived!"

"Do you think I can get Adam's signature through him?"

Harry clenched his fingers so tightly he drew blood. Hate flooded through him, yet he did not show it. With an impassive face he walked towards the Sorting Hat. Even the goddamn professors took an interest to him!

He met Daphne's gaze of shock as he strolled to the stool, smirking at her incredulous look. The last thing he saw was the weary face of Professor McGonagall before the hat covered his gaze.

My, my, my. Look at what we have here...Harry Potter, the elder of the Potters, a voice said in his mind. Excellent Occulemency shields at such a young age, a pity it won't work on me.

Goddamn you hat, won't Occulemency shields prevent all foreign intrusions on the mind?

Yes Mr. Pott-

Don't call me a Potter. I am not a Potter. I haven't been one for eight fucking years, hat.

The Hat shook its head sadly, You still are in blood.

Harry let the rage course through him. They abandoned me, you stupid hat. They left me in a loveless family where I was forced to be their slave for three years, until I finally used my magic to make them shut the fuck up. I've been cooking for myself for my entire life. I've been working my entire life. I never had a childhood, Hat, it was all pure pain because of my fucking dimwit parents. And you have the audacity to question that? Or was it the Headmaster that sent me there?

Calm down, Mr. Potter. No, it was not him who decided that you would go to the Dursely's. He merely did what was requested of him.

Don't even try lecturing me.

I am sorry, Mr. Potter, that is all I will say. But onto the Sorting now, eh? We've wasted enough time debating on your status as a Potter or not.

Fine. Get on with it.

Hmmm...you have great bravery, but not so much it borders on foolishness. Rather unlike your kin. Loyal, but only to the ones that deserve it, and you will drop it if needed. Very hard working, diligent, and you believe knowledge is a key component in power. But your ambition and cunning is just as great, if not greater.

Harry inwardly sneered, Can't decide Hat?

And...what's this? Your magical core is right now about half the size of Dumbledore's, and its still growing quite rapidly. Your multiple powers have not awakened yet, but don't worry, they soon will. You have a great future, Mr. Potter. You will become great, the Hat said solemnly.

It continued, Your hate yet your wish to be recognized by your parents is admirable, but I will leave you with a warning. Hate is a powerful tool, and for you, it is a good thing. Never let go of it, because there will always be some that you can never forgive. But never let it control you either. Mr. Potter, you will become great in...

"SLYTHERIN!"

Before you leave Mr. Potter, I will add a piece of advice. Go to Gringott's in the summer and do an Inheritance Test to unlock your powers. Good luck. The next couple decades will be very interesting with you...

The Hat was suddenly raised off his head, and Harry blinked rapidly in the re-exposure to the light. He looked around, and saw awed silence. Never before had a Potter been sorted into Slytherin.

Harry glared at the closest gaping students, causing them to look down, fearful. He stalked over to the leftmost table before sitting down next to Daphne.

Daphne whispered to him, "I had no idea you were a Potter."

She frowned, then added, "I can see why you didn't want to give your last name. But its ok, I won't judge you for it, though others will."

Harry gave a small smile in his thanks.

The two watched the next few Sortings in silence, the applause subdued due to the Sorting of Harry. He watched impassively as the twins were sorted into Gryffindor.

Finally, there was one left.

"Zabini, Blaise!"

The dark skinned boy stalked up to the stool. The Hat barely touched its head before it shouted, "SLYTHERIN!"

The green and silver table erupted in polite applause as Blaise walked over to Harry and Daphne. Harry greeted him with an inclination of his head, Blaise returning the gesture.

Before anyone could engage Harry in conversation on his newly identified last name, the Headmaster stood.

"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!"

With that the Headmaster sat back down onto his chair and began to eat.

Harry raised an eyebrow before asking Blaise, "Is the headmaster always like that?"

"Yep. He may seem barmy, but my father said that behind that mask he's as scary as fuck."

Harry gave a calculating look at Professor Dumbledore before returning to his food. The old man hid it well, but the grandfatherly look was too friendly to be a legitimate character. He would never be manipulated by such a man, even if his intentions were good.

The banquet passed by quickly, with Harry bombarded with questions from others in his house. In all, Harry's impression of Hogwarts was middling.

At the end of the feast, the Headmaster stood. "Now that you have all been fed and watered, it is time for our school song! On a count of three please...one...two...three!"

Harry scoffed as ribbons flew out of Dumbledore's wand, forming into words, the lyrics. He didn't bother to read them as most of the school sang, each to his or her own tune and tempo.

"Excellent! Most excellent!" cried Dumbledore after the song had mostly ended, pointedly ignoring the Weasley twins who were singing at a funeral choir pace. The Headmaster wiped a tear from the corner of his eyes. "Every year it brings a smile to my face. Off you go to bed now! Good night everyone!"

With that, the feast broke up. Two burly prefects, one male and the other female, growled menacingly, "Follow us. Keep in order!"

Then the prefects as well as other upper years made their way down to the dungeons, to a seemingly blank part of a wall.

"Pureblood," barked the male prefect.

The "wall" suddenly opened inwards, eliciting squeaks from the less knowledgable first years. The older students merely glared at them before stepping in.

Harry walked through the opening to meet a hostile at best description

"Good evening, fellow Slytherins. For those of you who are new to here, welcome to the noble house of Slytherin, the house of cunning and ambition. I am here to introduce you the rules of the Slytherin house. The first of which is that we are all Snakes. If one of us needs help, you help them."

The prefect droned on and on until he finally said, "Now, to Professor Snape."

A greasy haired, sallow faced man stalked into the room, his mere presence enforcing strictness and discipline. Those who had previously dared to whisper to their neighbors were now as silent as the others.

"Welcome to Slytherin," Snape spoke silkily. "Here, we have high expectations that some of you may not meet, and therefore, will be punished."

His eyes focused on Harry for a moment and the young wizard could feel pressure on his Occulemency shields. Harry held out, however, if only just.

Snape continued. "However, there is no need to fear, as we are a house where everyone helps everyone. It does not impose the obligations of friendship on one another, but here we treat everyone with the proper respect."

The Potions Master continued his speech, going over already well-known rules, judging by the bored looks of the upper-years, until the Professor bid them good night.

"Boys on the left, girls on the right!" a prefect said. "Go to the dorm room with your corresponding year, get a bunk, and sleep. You'll need it."

Harry bade good night to Daphne and trudged up the steps, Blaise following. Harry opened the door with a large silver 1 emblazoned on it. He chose a bunk on the right side, ignoring the chattering of his fellow Slytherins, and warded it with a few nasty jinxes. Tired after a long day, Harry crashed on the bed, getting the best sleep he had in ages, ready for the new school year to start.


AN: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Summer Camp with 2 AP level courses isn't fun and they monitor the computers so...yeah.

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-The Teutonic Knight