What if Harry disappeared the night of the attack on his parents' home? And though Dumbledore looked for him, he searched in vain? What if Harry was raised under another name, and not by the Dursleys, but by another family? A wizarding family. And not a family Dumbledore would approve of. All will be explained in this story, a very alternate universe. Not sure how far I'll go with it, but possibly all the books eventually, if I get a good response.
This is NOT Harry Potter as you know him. This will start off with the same basic premise, but I intend to go off in a very different direction. Feel free to explain why you think what I've got is incorrect, but don't expect me to change things unless I tend to agree with the point you're making.
The characters are not mine, they all belong to her, so I promise I won't hurt them…too much.
So, what do you think of Orion? Do you like him with the Malfoys? Is it believable? I really want to know what people think, so, if you like it, leave a review at the bottom of the page, or email me at sorting hat song was copied straight from the book, just so everyone knows.
Finding Harry
«--3--»
Off to Hogwarts
Draco and Orion were in a frenzy. How could they possibly fit everything they wanted to take in one trunk each? And not only that, but all the new stuff that they were required to bring as well? By the time the family went to Diagon Alley to get the boys' school supplies, they had pared it down to the utter necessities: their six most favourite sets of robes, twelve sets of shoes, several stacks of books each, their favourite chess sets, their brooms, and a big box of sweets each.
But once they got to Diagon Alley, they knew that they were going to have to get rid of more. There was so much stuff to take with them. Cauldrons, potion making supplies, books, new robes, and of course their wands. They spent a good half-hour at Madam Malkin's, getting a full wardrobe, and discussed whether these new clothes should replace all of the robes they had already packed. Then they went to get their wands, and spent half of their time snickering behind their hands at the bizarre shopkeeper.
But their amusement was somewhat dampened when Orion finally found the wand suited to him. The shop-keeper, Mr. Ollivander, had looked at Orion oddly when they had entered. But when he finally found the wand for him, his behaviour became even stranger. "How odd…how very odd, indeed." He turned to Narcissa. "You say he is your son, madam?"
Narcissa looked down her nose at him. "Of course he is. Why would you ask such a thing?"
"Nothing, madam. Never mind." But Draco and Orion shot each other a look. Was this about Harry Potter? The boys had not showed their parents the letter that Orion had opened. But it didn't stop them from wondering. Their parents were the same as always, but now the two boys watched their mother's reaction to Ollivander's odd behaviour with curiosity. She seemed annoyed, but completely honest in her reactions to his odd statement. Perhaps it had simply been a mix-up.
After that, they met up with their father who had bought them near-identical eagle owls that they had named after stars in the constellations they were named for. Draco's had been named Thuban, which meant "snake," and Orion had named his Saiph, which meant "sword." They also decided to try to connive to each get Nimbus 2000s out of their father, and were horrified to discover that they wouldn't be allowed brooms at school at all this year.
The rest of the day went swiftly, and that night, despite the fact they had so much to talk about, they fell asleep almost immediately.
Summer passed, and soon it was September first. They boys spent almost no time sleeping the night before. They packed and repacked their trunks several times, each time finding something new that just had to go with them. But eventually, they were satisfied, and settled down on Draco's bed, discussing what they would do once they were sorted into Slytherin, and discussing how they could sneak their brooms into Hogwarts.
When morning came, they had as much energy as ever, and drove the house-elves crazy ordering them around to make sure everything they needed was packed into their father's enchanted car. Then they had to wait for hours while their parents slowly got ready, and they were forced by them to eat at least some breakfast before they left for the station.
It was ten thirty when they made it to the station, and Draco and Orion were horrified not to be the first students there. They quickly got onto the train, brushing off their father's admonitions to be good and their mother's hugs so that they could find the best compartment possible. They made themselves comfortable, and soon their friends began to appear. Blaise was first, lugging his trunk, and complaining about how his mother hadn't even bothered to come with him to say goodbye. She was too busy with her latest suitor. Vince and Greg were next, and they immediately slumped in a corner, gazing off into space unless anyone talked to them.
Theodore arrived with news. It seemed he had been studying up on wizarding history, and had noticed that Harry Potter was the same age they were, and would probably be attending this year, if his letter had reached him. He tried to get the other boys worked up about this, but Draco and Orion, having already discussed the possibility that someone would know Harry Potter was their age, managed to dampen the other boys' enthusiasm by suggesting that Harry Potter had probably been raised as a Muggle, and did they really want to hang out with someone who was little better than a Mudblood?
The other boys quickly shook their heads, and soon they were engaged in rounds of exploding snap, which lasted until a woman with a trolley full of sweets came by. Draco and Orion quickly stocked up, and soon the compartment was filled with the contented sound of boys eating.
Afterwards, Draco became stir-crazy, and convinced Orion, Vince and Greg to accompany him on a tour of the train. They glanced into the other compartments, but didn't stop until they reached one where two boys sat quietly together. One was a chubby-faced boy who looked as though he had been crying, and was holding a toad. They had no idea who he could be. Probably some Mudblood. But the other…him, they knew. Perhaps not his name, but his red hair made it obvious. He was a Weasley. Their father had told them all about how the Weasleys had no pride, less money and far too many children.
Draco and Orion looked at each other and grinned. This should be fun. Orion slid open the door, and he and Draco stepped into the compartment, flanked by Vince and Greg. Ignoring the Weasley, Draco stepped up to the chubby-faced boy. "I'm Draco Malfoy, and this is my brother Orion, and these are Crabbe," he gestured to Vince, standing beside him, "and Goyle," he gestured to Greg, standing beside Orion. "We just thought you should know that there are some wizarding families that are better than others." He glanced at the Weasley. "And that if you want to make it very far in the Wizarding world, you would do well to cultivate friendships in the right circles."
The boy spluttered, but his companion jumped to his feet, his fists clenched, his ears a bright scarlet. "Are you implying something, Malfoy?" he snarled.
Draco smirked and turned to his brother. "Orion, did I imply something?"
Orion grinned back. "I didn't hear any implications, Draco."
Draco turned back to the Weasley. "So, no implication. Satisfied?"
"For your information, Malfoy, Neville here knows at least as much about old wizarding blood as you do," he sneered. "His Gran is one of the most powerful witches of her generation."
Draco turned from Weasley and back to the boy he had called Neville, a calculating look on his face. "Neville? Neville Longbottom, perhaps?"
"Yes," squeaked the boy, nearly strangling the toad he held in his terror.
"I've met your Gran. But I've never seen you before."
Neville flushed. "I don't…go out much."
Draco smirked. "I believe I heard that you were a squib. Is that true?" But he pushed on, not waiting for the other boy's response. "Of course, if you were, you wouldn't have gotten your letter to Hogwarts, would you?"
Neville's eyes were wide as moons as he shook his head.
A sneer spread across Draco's face. "I guess we'll find out, won't we, Longbottom?"
The Weasley, who, if it were possible, was growing ever more incensed by this conversation, had finally had enough. "You leave him alone, Malfoy!"
Draco turned back to him. "You make that sound like a threat, Weasley. Do you really want to fight us?"
Weasley took a step towards Draco. "Try me."
Just as Draco was about to raise his wand, the door to the compartment slid open again. A girl with loads of bushy brown hair stepped in. "Ron, Neville, I found…" She stopped suddenly as she took in the scene. All the boys turned to look at her. "What's going on in here?"
Orion narrowed his eyes. "Who are you to question us?"
She pulled herself straight. "I'm Hermione Granger, and this is my compartment, too, so if you're causing a ruckus, I most certainly have the right to question you." Her eyes glinted with annoyance.
Draco opened his mouth to respond, but Orion waved him away, as if to say, 'This one's mine.' "Granger. I don't recognize that surname. What house were your parents in at Hogwarts?"
Her chin raised. "My parents didn't attend Hogwarts. I'm Muggle-born."
Orion felt the sneer spread across his face. "Oh," he scoffed. "A Mudblood."
There was an explosion behind him, and he found himself on the floor, Weasley over him, pressing his wand to his throat. "You take that back!" the boy snarled. Greg and Vince pulled him away after a few minutes of tugging at him, but the boy still thrashed towards Orion. "I'll get you, Malfoy. You'll be sorry!"
And then another red-headed boy, this one much older than the boy who had attacked him, appeared in the compartment. "Ronald! What are you doing?" Hermione hurried in after him, obviously having gone to fetch him when Weasley had attacked.
Weasley turned to the older boy. "They called Hermione Mudblood, Percy! I couldn't let them do that!"
The older Weasley glared at the four boys, then back at his brother. "I understand your anger, Ron, but you have to learn to control your temper!" He looked at Draco and Orion. "Malfoys, I presume?" Draco nodded for both of them. "Your father will be receiving a very strongly worded letter from me tonight. Now get back to your own compartment."
Draco stepped forward, sneering. "You can't tell us what to do, Weasley."
The older Weasley thrust his chest out at them, and for the first time, Orion noticed the shiny silver badge there. "Yes, I can, Malfoy. I'm a Prefect! Now, get back to your compartment, or I'll make sure you have points taken off, no matter what house you end up in."
Draco, quite annoyed at having his fun cut short, sneered at the older boy, then turned to his brother and their friends. "Come on, I'm sure there are much more interesting people on this train to talk to. Let's get out of here." Then he turned and stormed from the compartment. Seething, he led the way back to their own compartment, and after Orion, Vince and Greg had entered, slammed the door behind him.
"Weasleys." He looked crossly at his brother. "I can't believe it. We're going to have to deal with seven years of them!" He flung himself into his seat, and Orion moved to sit next to him, patting him on the arm reassuringly.
"Well, look at the positive side, Draco. There's almost no chance we'll be sorted into the same house, right?"
Draco looked at his brother, calculatingly. "I suppose. I mean, I heard all those Weasley brats have been sorted into Gryffindor so far." He sighed and looked out the window. "I guess we'll just have to see, hm?"
Orion nodded.
The rest of the train journey was quiet. Theodore had gone off in search of another boy he had been hoping would show, Blaise was lost in his book, and Vince and Greg had fallen asleep, snoring loudly. Orion wondered how he would be able to stand sleeping in the same dorm as them for seven years, but maybe he'd get lucky and they'd be sorted into Hufflepuff.
Theo came back shortly before they reached the Hogsmeade station, and the six boys changed and pulled their trunks to a pile in the center of the compartment, then made their way to the exit in the corridor. The platform was a confusing mill of students, most of which were taller than the six of them, but soon they heard a voice calling for the first years, and made their way to the end of the platform where a huge man was gathering all the first years together. Once the platform was empty of everyone but the first years, the giant led them down to a lake, and settled them into boats. The students sat, enraptured by the view of the castle that would be their home for the large part of the next seven years as the boats glided across the lake.
Both Draco and Orion had seen castles before, had even been in it a few times. But this was nothing like that. Seeing it this way showed them just how immense the castle was. It was quite impressive. The two boys grinned at each other, just imagining all the trouble they would be able to get into.
The boats bumped against the shore, and the first-years got out, stumbling a bit from still straining to see the castle, which had mostly disappeared behind the camouflage of an ivy-coated wall. The Giant led them up a staircase, and to a large door set into the wall. He knocked on the door, and it opened to reveal a stern, grey-haired witch. "Ferst-years, Professor McGonagall."
"Thank you, Hagrid, I'll take them from here." She motioned the students to follow her and led them into a small room. When they had all entered, she turned to address them. "Welcome to Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. In a moment, you will be sorted into your houses. While you are here, your houses will be like your families. You will be able to earn points for your house, and any rule-breaking will cause you to lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the house cup.
"I will be back in a moment to lead you into the hall where you will be sorted." She glanced around the room, glaring at a few, slightly messy students standing here and there in the crowd. "I suggest you smarten yourselves up while you wait." She then turned and left the room.
The students rustled around nervously, and they were all startled when a flock of ghosts entered the room, quickly gliding out through the opposite wall taking little notice of the students. Once they had disappeared, they noticed that the Professor had reappeared. "Follow me," she said. The students lined up behind her in two rows. Draco and Orion walked next to each other, Vince and Greg in front of them, and Blaise and Theo behind them.
They entered the hall, and Orion found himself horrified by the number of people already seated. He had never seen so many people in one place at one time. Certainly, he had attended a few of his parent's parties, but most of those were intimate gatherings, and even the larger parties had never had this many people attending. Draco, hearing his brother's breathing grow shallow, glanced at him, then took his hand and whispered under his breath, "It's okay, Orion. You'll be fine."
Orion smiled over at his brother. "Thanks," he whispered.
When they reached the front of the hall, the professor lined them up facing the rest of the students in the hall, and for the first time the first-years noticed an old, ragged hat on a stool. The rest of the school stared at the hat expectantly. And then they found out why when a rip in the brim opened into a mouth, and it 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 Hufflepuffis 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 folk 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 hall applauded, and then the Professor began to call out names. As students began to be sorted, Orion's stomach began to churn. What if he didn't get into Slytherin? Worse, what if he and Draco were in different houses? Or the sorting hat decided that he wasn't Orion Malfoy, but Harry Potter, and yelled it to the entire school?
Draco watched his brother as the sorting continued. He had never seen Orion this shaken before. Orion was always quiet, but after receiving the letter for Harry Potter, he'd been much more quiet than usual. And if Draco knew his brother, he was probably worrying himself to death. Perhaps he could bribe the hat to make sure they ended up in the same house? He didn't know what would happen if they got separated.
Vince was called, and sorted into Slytherin, and shortly after, Greg was as well. Draco could see Orion tensing as the last names got closer to the M's. Part of Draco was glad that he was going to be sorted first, so that he couldhave a little talk with the sorting hat, but another part of him wanted to stand here and hold Orion's hand until he was sorted, so that he could follow after and tell the hat to put him in whatever house Orion ended up in, even if they did end up in Hufflepuff.
And then there was no more waiting. "Malfoy, Draco!" the Professor called. He hurried to the stool and pulled the hat onto his head.
"Oh, a new Malfoy."
"Yes, but I have something to ask you," Draco said to the hat.
"You really are a Slytherin, aren't you?"
Draco braced himself. "Not if my brother's not."
"Brother? There's another Malfoy this year? That's unusual. And unexpected."
"My twin brother, actually. What will it take to get you to sort him into my house?"
He could feel the hat chuckle. "And how do I know that he would fit into your house? Perhaps he would do better in another?"
"He wouldn't! If he's not in Slytherin with me, they might as well send him home. And me, too." Draco braced himself for refusal.
"I will give it some thought." Then, Draco heard the hat call out "Slytherin!" to the rest of the school, and he jumped off the stool, but didn't move off to his house table. He refused to move until he heard the hat's decision on Orion. If it didn't sort him into Slytherin, Draco would insist upon being re-sorted.
Orion stepped carefully to the stool, and placed the hat on his head. It was there for a long time, and Draco's heart began to pound. Slytherin, Slytherin, Slytherin, he began to chant to himself. And then it was over. "Slytherin!" the hat shouted, and Draco ran towards his brother, a grin on his face, and the two boys ran to sit next to Vince and Greg.
Theodore soon followed them, and eventually Blaise did as well. Then it was time for the feast. The boys stuffed themselves, and brothers felt as though nothing could go wrong, now that they were in Slytherin.
