The Academy of Magical Excellence

AN: I'm very sorry for the delay in uploading this chapter, and I hope I can be forgiven. A more detailed explanation will be available at the end of the chapter. Suffice to say, I do not own Harry Potter & this work remains a non-profit work. Without further waffle, Chapter Four!

Chapter 4: The Academy of Magical Excellence

Harry spent the next few weeks past his trip to Diagon Alley reading his schoolbooks when he could. He had named the snowy owl he bought Hedwig after a witch he found in his History of Magic textbook. He had also used a spare scrap of parchment to make a calender of sorts to count down the days to the first of September. Aside from studying his fascinating textbooks (his favourite so far was Defensive Magic by Frederick Faraday) Harry spent his time keeping the Dursley's happy by doing his chores without complaint. Uncle Vernon seemed to have decided that the best way to bring Dudley out of his sulk over the room situation was to bury Harry in chores. Harry was doing so much around the house lately and Dudley did seem to be happier knowing that Harry was being 'punished' by his father for getting his other bedroom. Harry kept his chin up through it all knowing that in September he would be going away from all of this for a whole year.

He woke up one morning, with about a week to go and realised he hadn't responded to the Hogwarts letter. Since he now had an owl he felt it would be a good idea to let Hogwarts know he wouldn't be attending. He wrote out a polite note carefully, not yet used to writing with a quill, and tied it to Hedwig's leg.

"Come straight back okay?" He said to his beautiful snowy owl, stroking her head gently. A soft hoot in response and Hedwig took off through his window.

Sighing Harry changed into some jeans and a T-shirt, before heading downstairs for what would undoubtably be another long day of chores.

Several days later, as Harry was pruning the roses in the Dursley's front yard he observed a very strange man appear out of thin air at the end of the street. Quite aside from the fact he appeared in the same fashion Professor Garrick had disappeared, Harry knew the man was a wizard because he was dressed in robes. Not just any kind of robes but robes of a deep plum colour embroidered with silver moons and stars. The man's long white beard and hair made Harry think of a wizard he had read about in The Lord of the Rings (he had read it over several afternoons the previous summer while hiding from Dudley's gang in the library) and Harry had a horrible feeling that the wizard was here about him. He wasn't wrong. The wizard took a moment to gain his bearings and headed down the street towards Number Four. Knowing that the appearance of someone who very clearly was a part of Harry's 'other' life would cause him a lot of problems so he straightened up, shears in hand and stepped on to the path that lead to the front door. As the wizard stepped past the open gate Harry had placed himself squarely in the way. The elderly wizard looked him up and down and seemingly satisfied extended a hand.

Harry didn't take it instead fixing the wizard with a piercing stare.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Who am I? Mr Potter, I am Professor Albus Dumbledore" said the wizard "Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry"

"Well, good afternoon, Professor" replied Harry "I would guess you're here to talk to me, so perhaps we can talk somewhere that isn't my Aunt and Uncle's front drive"

"Excellent idea!" exclaimed Professor Dumbledore moving towards the house, only to be stopped by Harry's raised hand.

"Sorry, Professor" Harry said, "I didn't mean inside the house, my family aren't keen on my magical life so we'll have to talk somewhere else. There's a park a couple of streets over that would be okay"

Professor Dumbledore's eyebrows raised a little at Harry's explanation but nodded his agreement. Harry put the shears down and led the old wizard to the park that he mention and they took opposite seats at a small picnic table. Dumbledore rested his elbows on the table and lightly pressed the tips of his fingers together, surveying Harry over his half-moon glasses. Harry sat there feeling as though he was being x-rayed by that twinkling blue gaze. Neither spoke for a while and Harry's patience was being stretched. He wasn't too happy to have received a personal visit from Professor Dumbledore. Especially because it was likely to do with him declining his place at Hogwarts in favour of The Academy. He hoped the elderly wizard would get to the point quickly.

"It was brought to my attention that you have declined your place at Hogwarts, Harry" Professor Dumbledore finally said.

"I have" answered Harry "And I would prefer it if you called me Mr Potter"

"Very well, Mr Potter" replied Dumbledore "May I enquire as to why you have declined to attend Hogwarts? The school where your parents attended?"

"I did consider both of my options very carefully, Professor, and the thought of attending the same school as my parents was a comforting thought" Harry responded "But in the end I had to take the option I felt would give me a better education, magically speaking."

Professor Dumbledore had been shocked on very few occasions but he was today. To be told by the Potter Heir that he felt that Hogwart's curriculum was inferior was not something he had expected. He had expected Harry's relatives to be stopping him from attending, though in hindsight that wouldn't make sense since Minerva had received an owl from the boy earlier on in the week. He hadn't expected that Harry would make the cut for the Academy. Of course Dumbledore knew about the rival school and it's methods of selection. It was a sore point that the students of the Academy were often better equipped at the end of their schooling than most Hogwarts students, scoring higher in both OWL's and NEWT's, but because their class size was so small every year the standardized grading meant Hogwarts consistently came out as the superior school. He knew without a doubt that the boy before him would not change his mind, and so he stood offering his hand once more. This time Harry shook the offered hand and smiled.

"I'm sorry Professor" said Harry "I didn't mean to cause any trouble"

"It's quite alright, Mr Potter" said Dumbledore "No harm done, though I feel I must return some items to you, items that were left in my possession by your parents. I will owl them on to you if that is agreeable to you?"

"Yes, Professor" answered Harry, wondering just what the old headmaster could have that belonged to his parents.

"I wish you good luck, Mr Potter" said Professor Dumbledore with a little smile, before he turned on his heel and vanished leaving the young boy alone in the park. Harry trekked back to his home of eleven years and quickly finished up the work he had been left to do, before heading in and preparing dinner yet again.

The days slid by in much the same fashion after that, with Harry spending his days doing chores and his evenings reading his schoolbooks. He found a branch that was a lot like his wand and spent a whole afternoon trying out the different wand motions described in The Standard Book of Spells: Grade One, which was apparently the closest to the mundane idea of a spell-book. He tried hard to wrap his head around the ideas presented in Theory of Magic by Arcturus Holt (though the later chapters ventured into the more abstract theories on magic). He read and re-read One Thousand Magical Plants and Fungi and his two texts on potions: Magical Drafts and Potions and The Potioneer's Art. One was formed of recipes and methods while the other went into detail on why those methods were used and the potioneering properties of many common ingredients. Harry devoured Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which was a great read even if Harry couldn't quite work out why he would need the book. His last books covered Charms (Charms: Grade One) and Transfiguration (A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration).

He did get a surprise with five days left to go. He was sat in his room one evening, going over his trunk and making sure (for the fifteenth time) that everything was in place when a large barn owl tapped it beak on his window. There was a package attached to its leg so Harry opened his window to let it in. It swooped in and deposited the package on the bed and Harry offered it some water and the owl drank gratefully before taking off and soaring away into the encroaching night. Harry saw a letter peeking out and he pulled it out. It was written in an unfamiliar hand but Harry opened it anyway suspecting who it was from. He wasn't disappointed. The short note read simply:

Your father left this in my possession before he died, I return it to you. Use it well.

Professor Dumbledore

Curious, Harry regarded the neatly wrapped package. It wasn't overly large or heavy but he was unable to gain any insight into the nature of the gift. He pulled open the paper to see a shimmering cloak. Harry could tell it was something special though even he was surprised when he put it on. Looking at himself in the cracked full length mirror in the corner he saw his head suspended in mid-air. He pulled the hood up and watched with amazement as his head vanished too. He removed the cloak and carefully folded it into his trunk. He didn't know just how much use he would have for it but he definitely would be keeping it a secret.

The remaining days wound down without incident with Harry reading and re-reading his books as many times as he could. Now he was attending a different school to Dudley he would finally get to apply himself properly and it was with a sense of rising excitement he went to bed on the 31st of August. The following morning he got up early, packed his trunk and shrank it with a tap of his wand before stowing it in his pocket. Making his way downstairs he was surprised to see breakfast being made by his aunt. Hesitating at the kitchen door Harry waited until his aunt noticed him.

"Sit down, Harry" she said, as she set a plate of bacon, eggs and beans on the table.

Harry did so, picking up his fork and starting in on his breakfast. His aunt seemed content and continued bustling round the kitchen the way Harry usually did. Harry had been steadily working his way through breakfast and neatly set down his fork and knife. He was feeling jittery, as if he had eaten too many sweets and he didn't really know what to do with himself. He knew he couldn't leave yet as he had, through further correspondence, found that the school required the students to arrive at 1pm and sign in with the front office. Having packed already Harry couldn't head back into his room to do that and was left without chores as everyone would be busy.

"Is it alright if I go out?" he asked.

Aunt Petunia gave a curt nod before walking out into the hall and making her way upstairs. Harry followed and slipped on his trainers before stepping out into the morning sun. Harry wandered around Privet Drive, saying some temporary farewells to his favourite spots. Half the morning had passed by the time he meandered back to Number Four. Noting the family car was missing Harry knew that the Dursley's had gone to take Dudley off to Smeltings. He also knew that he wouldn't be getting back in the house today, so it was lucky he had his trunk on him. He checked his watch and as it was 11am decided he may as well get on his way to The Academy. He stepped to the edge of the curb and stuck out his wand hand. This time he wasn't surprised by the loud bang that accompanied the appearance of the Knight Bus. Stan Shunpike hopped off the bus and started to deliver his little speech, only to stop when he recognized the area.

"Oh, it's you again" he said, wiping his nose on his sleeve.

"Yeah" Harry replied as he stepped onto the bus. "I'll need to get to The Academy of Magical Excellence please"

"Righ' you are" said Stan, "That'll be 8 sickles"

Harry counted out the coins, noting with dismay his pouch was getting a little light but deciding to worry about that later. He turned to head up to the stairs but Stan put out a hand.

"You're not the only one travelling to the Academy, there's another family on board" he said

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Just thought you migh' want some company is all" Stan explained, before grabbing hold of the nearby bar.

"Thanks" said Harry as he made his way to the second floor. Seeing few people he headed up to the top floor of the bus as he was curious to see what it would be like to look out as the bus travelled. He stepped out onto the top floor and saw a family, looking a little nauseous, near the back of the bus. Making his way carefully down the aisle, Harry plopped down in a seat just before them. Then came the familiar bang and they were off. Harry was entranced by the view whipping past the window fast enough to turn it all into a blur, trees jumping out of their way as they rocketed down a country lane. Harry was getting used to the Knight Bus and laughed happily as the ever-present excitement reached a crescendo. He looked back and saw a boy his own age cowering between his parents, who looked fairly frazzled themselves.

"Hey, you okay?" Harry asked.

"Not really" said the father.

"I know what you mean, I was like that the first time" replied Harry "I'm going to the Academy too"

The boy perked up his head and gazed at Harry.

"How did you know that's where we're going?" he asked

"Stan told me there was a family heading there too" explained Harry "I guessed that was you. My names Harry Potter, nice to meet you"

Harry extended a hand over the arm of his armchair and shook hands with the other boy, before making the same introduction to his parents.

"Shawn Bolton, nice to meet you too" answered the boy.

They spent the rest of the journey comparing their experiences of magic so far, the conversation taking everyone's mind off the erratic leaping and speeding of the Knight Bus. Shawn was a first-generation wizard it seemed, and so had no idea that magic existed until he got the letters. They had both been visited by Professor Garrick. Shawn was keen on Potions and was eager to start making several of the brews in the books and Harry shared his own interest in Defence. They were so absorbed they nearly missed the magically amplified voice of Stan announcing their stop. Harry jumped up, eager to get his first look at The Academy and Shawn followed. His parent's herded the still chattering boys down the stairs and off the bus, where they said their farewells to their son and how nice it was to meet Harry. They heading back in to the bus and it disappeared, the noise of it's leaving echoing across the grounds.

The Academy rose in front of them behind large wrought iron gates, and across a huge lawn. I t was a large building, Victorian style with many wide windows facing out towards them. It looked refined, elegant and brilliant. Harry approached the gates and he and Shawn gasped when they swung inwards silently. They saw a figure crossing the grounds, and as they stepped onto the school grounds, several things happened at once. There was a distinct crack from behind them, and the noise of a car pulling up and the figure reached them. Turning to face the noise, Harry saw the girl he met in Diagon Alley frantically waving to her parents as she dashed over to them, and a tall silver blond man was stepping away from a boy who could only be his son. Harry recalled he had seen the boy in Madam Malkin's though they never actually spoke. The boy walked over to them with an easy grace, though he stopped a few paces away.

"Good afternoon, new students" said the witch "I am Geneveive Sawyer, Deputy Headmistress and I would like to welcome you to The Academy of Magical Excellence"

"Good afternoon" chorused the group

"If you'll follow me, we'll get you all signed in and introduce you to your fellow first years" said Professor Sawyer. "Then the rest of the day will be spent on a tour with some time allotted for questions afterwards, and a check up with a school nurse to vaccinate any of those who grew up outside of wizarding Britain"

Professor Sawyer lead them across the large lawn and the school seemed to loom over them as they got closer. It was unnerving how large the building was and Harry couldn't help but be grateful they were getting a tour. The Academy seemed like exactly the kind of building you could get lost in. They passed through the large double doors to find a modern reception, with a rather bored looking young woman at the desk. She perked up at a slight 'ahem' from the deputy headmistress and indicated the large book on the desk where they should sign their names. As they did so, the professor started to explain the procedure.

"As you sign your name into the book it makes a note of your magical signature, which in turn allows us to ensure you remain on school grounds except in circumstances where prior permission to leave has been granted" Professor Sawyer said.

As the blond finished signing his name, with a looping scrawl that Harry couldn't read despite his efforts to do so, the Professor led them into an adjoining room, already occupied by several students and a rather dark, dour looking man with straight black hair and a goatee. He was stood stiffly against the far wall, which only served to emphasise his tall, thin frame. At the deputy headmistress's instruction, the group took seats around the room.

"Thank you Mordred, I can take it from here" she said to the man, who bowed slightly and left the room in a swirl of robes. Professor Sawyer took a seat and looked around.

"Well, say hello to the last four first year students everyone" she said. A small muttering of hellos ran around the room and she frowned. "Now this won't do, we all need to get along with each other. Your here for seven years after all. I'd like to go around the room with introductions like so: Hello, my name is Genevieve Sawyer. My favourite sweet is Honeyduke's dark chocolate. You don't have to share your favourite sweet, any little bit of information about yourself will be fine. Who'd like to start?"

Silence filled the room, broken only by soft fidgeting and shallow breathing. Harry shook his head slightly and opened his mouth to speak only to be cut across by a haughty voice.

"My name is Draco Malfoy, I love to fly and have my own broom" said the blond.

After that everyone seemed to relax, and the introductions went smoothly until:

"Hello, I'm Harry Potter, and I'm really eager to learn magic"

The reactions he got would have been funny if they weren't directed at him, Harry thought. The Patil twins gasped loudly and clutched on to each other, Hermione raised a hand to her mouth in surprise. Arthur Anderson fell out of his chair and Lance Knight actually did a triple take. Blaise Zabini's eyes widened while Draco's narrowed. Shawn was obviously unsurprised and Shing Chang seemed inscrutable. The remaining students were all somewhere in between.

Seeing Harry's discomfort, Professor Sawyer decided to step in.

"Well now we've all been introduced properly, let's have a tour" she said as she rose from her chair. She led them out of the small sitting room and into the school properly for the first time. The tour seemed to go on forever, but Harry got the general gist of classrooms being on the ground floor, common rooms and the library on the second and dormitories on the third. The assembly hall was located directly behind the reception and a grand staircase rose up on either side of the doors. The second to last stop was the Nurse's office (which Harry had been dreading, though having to drink a potion to be vaccinated against interesting ailments with names like Dragon Pox or Flurgitosis) and then they were led to their dormitories, which actually consisted of individual rooms around a common room, the girls's rooms being charmed against boys getting in and vice versa they were warned. Harry felt that the dimensions of the school didn't really allow for this kind of configuration for seven year's of students but chalked another one up to 'magic'. He was started to get overwhelmed by all the possibilities and was glad for the mercifully short question period to be let off to bed. Entering his room, he caught the little plaque on the door changing to show 'Harry Potter, 1st Year' and smiled. Closing the door he locked it with the bolts and unshrunk his trunk at the foot of his bed. Setting an alarm for seven-thirty (They were instructed to be at the assembly hall at eight) he changed into his pajama's and climbed into the most comfortable bed he had ever laid in. It wasn't long before tiredness overwhelmed his excitement and he drifted off to sleep.

AN 2: There are several reasons why this chapter is so late in coming, the main one being that I changed what was a key key plot point kinda of last minute and I needed to re-plan the remainder of the book. I'm re-writing a lot of chapters now to account for this decision and I've had a hard time finding the will to edit this chapter for posting. But it's here now and normal service should resume.

AN 3: Feel free to ask questions in reviews, or to continue submitting student OC's for second year and up.

Lastly, thank you for reading, thank you for sticking with the story (if you have) and welcome to those who have newly found it.