Disclaimer: This story is based on the world of J.K. Rowling, anything you recognize belongs to that wonderful woman.
A.N.: Thank you all for reading! It makes me happy to know people enjoy my writing. On an unrelated note, I finally learned how to put the lines to separate parts of the story so I feel quite accomplished.
Harry Potter was lying down in a comfortable pondering the drastic changes his life had been subjected to. He had lived in an orphanage that by no means was able to cover basic necessities, now he lived in a castle with commodities he had only dreamt of. He once had the need to save every pound he was able to acquire; now he had money to throw away... Life was good but it was only beginning to get better.
The day after visiting the bank with his sister they portkeyed to the Potter castle, if he was honest with himself he had doubts about the place, seeing how magical people seemed to possess bizarre ideas on what consisted style and architecture. His fears were proved pointless at the end of the day because the castle was what sculptors and architects would have given an eye and a hand in order to have the opportunity to admire. Green fields with dozens of greenhouses, a large lake, and a deep forest crowned a pearl white building which almost shined with an ethereal glow; various sculptures adorned the grounds giving the place the last touches for it to look majestic. The building itself was colossal with ample doors that were exquisitely carved in dark metal,
The inside held the same aura of elegance to the point of decadence: attractive marble floors, elegant furniture, and tasteful ornaments. What surprised him the most however was their reception of excited little people, of who he had yet to learn all of their names. They had all requested to be bonded to 'Master Potter', process that had exhausted him but was worth the magic given. In total, the castle had a hundred and twenty-two house elves that were divided by duties: forty to take care of the greenhouses and gardens, forty dedicated to the cleaning, ten for the kitchens, twenty in charge of the security, and the others to help in business or as personal elves. At least those had been their original roles; considering only two people were living in the house, he coordinated with the head house elf to employ them in more appropriate tasks. Remembering his mother's cautious nature the first task he gave to his little workers was to strengthen the castle wards.
Their visit to Diagon Alley opened their eyes to what the magical world lacked, having this in mind and with the help of the house elves that had once served as business advisors for his grandfather and mother, he devised a solid business plan to begin a clothes store. The elves observing his distaste for the clothes the school requested and his reluctance to buy them had created clothing he would have paid hundreds of galleons for; having found the best seamstresses and tailors in his talented elves, he was ready to start the clothes shop. Finding a good location as well as buying it had been simple; making it look like a decent place had been the hard part. Finding fabrics in the muggle world along with different designs for the elves to emulate was easy, hiring a human to work at the store was less complicated than expected. The girl was desperate for a job after graduating Hogwarts and being rejected in most places for being a first generation witch; she had signed the strict magical contract without thinking twice and accepted with almost physical gratefulness the flat they offered above the store. All in all, the store was almost ready to open; only a few documents needed to be signed by the ministry, and with golden motivation, the process was sped up a considerable amount of time. The store would open under the alias of Charlus Evans, who a house elf would personify. He also had plans for opening a restaurant and there were possibilities of a café, all of them in order to drag the people out of their stagnation without them noticing or opposing too much.
Their personal affairs in the muggle world were also concluded. Taking his tests and receiving his title was almost too simple, as well as obtaining Elizabeth's guardianship under an alias after a bit of magical persuasion. Erasing their records in the orphanage and the system was trickier but a necessary hassle to leave the muggle world without traces or repercussions. Elizabeth now displayed carbon black hair thanks to the blood adoption, but that done she was a Potter to and through, a fact that facilitated her inscription to the "Sioux Academy of Magical Science" top school in the United North American Tribes. It was curious how different the magical and muggle sides were, as a matter of fact, the United North American Tribes had a chief and a council. Reading their curriculum, he almost regretted having accepted a place at Hogwarts; even the "McTavish Educators of Enlightenment" in Ireland had a better curriculum. It was fortunate Eliza was attending a school in a civilized society; for she was able to order the magical versions of notebooks, pens, and pencils. He had to conform himself with an elegant fountain pen and arduous hours of calligraphy practice. He would have left Hogwarts if not for the knowledge that his mother had left him, which was better than what any other school was able to offer.
As he stretched in his bed, he was unable to miss his old life. He now had a firmer grasp on his roots and he had never felt more motivated to accomplish his objectives. Thinking about his accounts he snorted in amusement, the little bastards had recommended aunt Eleadora as the enchantress, requesting a thirty galleon fee for the information, he admitted with grudging respect they were cunning. She had enchanted Eliza's trunk so now it emulated his, also enchanting two leather backpacks he had designed himself and had it made in the muggle world, to be feather-light and bottomless. It had been hard to convince the woman to accept the payment, which he deposited in her account anyways, but she was more than happy to accept books he bought for her. It was common for aunt Eleadora to have lunch in the castle, though it surprised him how fast his sister had bonded with the woman sharing their love for books.
Reading about the history of the magical world had been enlightening, it was true that the founding families have sweated and bled in order build the society and the pure-bloods had good reasons to be proud of their ancestry. However, the ideals the founders once valued were almost lost in the bigotry and ignorant fear of the people. It was a tradition to celebrate different times a year in order to thank magic for choosing them, a tradition that was deemed dark by an incompetent ministry. The few things that remained from the Old Ways were the names of the holidays and a few blessings and greetings that were practiced by old traditional families, which he considered a shame. It was heart-wrenching to see how much the magical people had perverted their marvellous traditions.
"Young master, it is time to wake up, do you wish to take a bath before or after breakfast?" his personal house elf, Ella, asked.
"Morning Ella, I will be down in twenty minutes," he announced and left his comfortable bed.
Looking at the shower he had to smile, it had taken a bit of explaining for aunt Eleadora to understand what it was but once she did, she loved the idea and wasted no time in installing it in her own house. Choosing grey fabric pants, a light, soft jumper and putting on the dragon hide shoes with distaste he left towards the dining room. He would also open a shoe store, or at least convince his elves to make him shoes that were easier to put on.
"Good morning brother," Eliza greeted him looking cheerful "Are you ready for the train ride?" she asked with mischief shining in her eyes.
"As ready as I can be. What about you?"
"More than ready, unlike you I only have to take a portkey at 9:55 in order to be there before five," she smirked.
"I also consider it rather ridiculous to take a train with so many means of magical transportation, but I will survive," he muttered starting to eat his breakfast which considered of fruit and yoghurt with a glass of juice.
"Aunt Eleadora should be here by now," she commented looking at the clock.
"Some people actually enjoy sleeping in," he provided. They finished eating in companionable silence and walked towards the library where they found their aunt immersed in a book.
"Since when did you arrive?" asked Eliza surprised, gaining the woman's attention.
"Couple of hours ago, both of you were sleeping so I had breakfast with the elves, visit the greenhouses that I must say look breathtaking, and I got bored so I came to read. By the way, dear, have you considered opening a potions ingredient shop? There is no way you will be able to use all those samples by yourself," the woman commented with her usual cheerful tone.
"I have not, but I will begin planning for one," he sighed; ready to be dragged into a conversation on which he would be ignored.
They chatted or better said the females chatted while the male nodded here and there while reading a thick tome until a house elf interrupted them in order for them to get ready. Once their aunt applied glamour on her appearance to not call unwanted attention, an elf handed him his lunch, snacks, and a water bottle plus a tasteful robe to put in his backpack along with his uniform. Deeming themselves ready Eleadora apparated them directly to the platform. Once they arrived he thanked once again his cautious nature because even arriving one hour early the place had people walking all over the place.
"Remind me to never doubt you again," the woman muttered.
"I will don't worry, I will also write. Charon is assigned to deliver your letters so please take care of him, though sometimes I will have to send Hedwig or she will rip my eyes off," he muttered the last part to himself. "You don't forget to write me, one of the elves will deliver the letter to my room in Hogwarts, and take care of Tyche," he sighed remembering the baleful grey owl that seemed to love his sister.
"I won't as long as you remember that Apollo and Hades also need to work out," she threatened referring to the two birds that seemed to enjoy all the attention they received.
"It won't be a problem, Hades will have no respite from Gringotts and Apollo has many future letters to deliver."
"Good," she pouted looking at the floor.
"I will write," he told her kissing her forehead and smiling to his aunt, with fast steps he left towards the train, uncomfortable with the show of affection.
Entering the last wagon in order to avoid human interaction as long as possible he chose the last compartment, which was considerably more spacious than any other compartment he had seen on the train he noted with curiosity. Shrugging he entered closing the door and the curtains on it; he got comfortable for a long ride.
He was lost in a book about runes when he was interrupted by the violent way in which a savage tore the door open and invaded his compartment. In the entrance were a bushy haired girl and a pudgy boy with teary eyes. Over the past weeks, he had pondered on how to act within the school walls, at the end he decided to wait and see, wearing his mask of distant politeness that had earned him the favour of authority figures in the past... Being interrupted by these savages, he regretted his decision to being polite.
"Have you seen a toad? Neville here lost his," the girl demanded. "That book was not in the curriculum. Will you lend it to me once you finish it?" she asked without giving him the chance to speak, a fact that annoyed him even further. "My name is Hermione Granger and I am a muggle-born, but I already memorized the school books. I, of course, tried many spells with perfect results, naturally" she stated and he decided that there was no reason to be polite to vermin.
"Good evening to you too miss, of course, you can get in my compartment, I have not seen a toad and I am sure you can get the book in a bookstore" he stated with a condescending tone and a stony expression, almost snorting at the sight of the savage flushing.
"You are being rude," she accused.
"I apologize, where I grew up people have the tendency to knock the door and wait for others to answer when they ask questions. Was it different where you were raised?" he asked, enjoying the way she flushed even further, readying herself to throw a tantrum. It was fortunate for her that the boy had common sense and dragged her out after stammering an apology.
He sneered when they left and locked the door just in case another idiot dared to interrupt him. Noticing the sun was setting he changed into his uniform, which had slight differences to the traditional; his were better looking and possessed a higher quality. Taking out his snacks he started eating with an absent air while he read until the train arrived at its station in Hogsmeade. Once again, he thanked his cautious nature when a voice announced to leave the entire luggage in the train. His briefcase and backpack now sported a plaque containing his initials, on which his aunt had put on tracking charms. He placed his belongings inside his backpack and left the train once the human traffic lessened.
He saw a gigantic man guiding the first years through a narrow, dangerous looking path, he could only sneer at how little thought the staff placed on the student's safety. He was one of the last people entering a boat on which two girls were sitting as far away as possible to a boy, he ignored them and took a seat. The view of the castle would have impressed him in the past, but after experiencing the magnificence of the Potter castle the view was rewarded by a fleeting glance and ignored once again. He entered in a trance-like state on which he critiqued the obvious lack of maintenance and the tawdry decor the castle possessed, the only remarkable features about the place was the enchanted ceiling and the worn hat. Once again, he ignored with apathy his surroundings until his name was called and every eye of the hall was directed at him.
He walked towards the stool with graceful steps, a posture that showed confidence and innate superiority and visage devoid of expression. He was the ideal image of what a pure-blood heir was meant to be and what few could emulate. Surprised eyes followed his steps; he was not what the wizardry world had imagined. He was not a carbon copy of James Potter... While some re-evaluated their opinion of the boy-who-lived, others were lost in his ethereal beauty so few noticed how long it was taking for him to be sorted.
"What do we have here...? A brilliant mind no doubt, hardworking philosophy, bravery to spare. But what is this... Pride and ambition... Yes, yes, such a fascinating mind. It has been a long time since I had such a challenge," the hat spoke in his mind.
"Won't you ask me where I wish to go?" he questioned.
"I could, but you have attributes that all the founders cherished. Where would be the fun if you were to choose? Let's see... Gryffindor will make you great, there is no doubt. In Hufflepuff, you will find loyal friends and devoted followers. You would rule Ravenclaw within the day with that mind of yours, I am sure... But Slytherin... If you are able to overcome the obstacles it presents will lead you towards a path of greatness that has never been seen before. So much potential..." it trailed off.
"You gave my mother the option to choose," he reminded the hat.
"She was the first one to threaten me with my eventual demise... Only because she wanted to wear her favourite colour. So where do you want to be Harry Potter?"
"Anywhere you decide. I have no preference," he stated.
"Very well, then better be... Slytherin!" the hat shouted and the hall descended into a sepulchral silence followed by tumultuous whispers.
He nodded, thanked the hat and professor. He walked towards the table ignoring all the curious and judging glances but paying special attention the people who glared at it with open disdain or even hatred. He would wait and see, however, the moment someone dared to try to cause him any problems he was going to teach them why vermin should never try to attack their superiors.
The headmaster gave a speech that he dutifully ignored, once the man finished food filled the table. He stared with a blank expression at the food in front of him. 'Are they trying to make me fat or perhaps their goal is to cause me a heart attack,' he thought seeing the greasy feast in front of him. He had never had the possibility of overeating thus he got used to reasonable meals and light dinners. Serving himself a few spoons of mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables, he took a sip of the strange juice in his goblet and had to control his desire to spit it out. When he was a child, sweets were a luxury, thus he never got used to sugar, thing that the juice had in excess. Once he finished his food, desserts replaced the feast in front of him, deciding that the juice had been sweet enough Harry ignored them and regretted not bringing a book with him. People around him were chatting, pretending he was not present which was perfect for him, he was not attending Hogwarts to make friends, he wanted to learn about magic and what had shaped his mother.
"I have a few announcements to make now that you are fed and watered," the headmaster declared once everyone finished eating. "First years should note the Forbidden Forest is forbidden to..." tuning out the old man he concentrated on his own thoughts.
Now that he arrived, there were things that needed to be done. First was writing to Eleadora and Eliza, next was evaluating whether his room was decent or not. He was not expecting the luxury he enjoyed at the castle but had certain requirements. If not he was sure one of his house elves would be able to fix the situation, now the problem lay on his roommates. He was no patient person but he could not get rid of every annoying person he found and sometimes fear was counterproductive, therein lay his conundrum. He did not notice they left the hall until they arrived at a stone wall.
"This is the entrance of the Slytherin common room," an older girl explained. "If you look carefully you will notice the snake in the upper left corner. Only Slytherins are allowed in, by no means you can bring any other person. The password changes the first of every month; it will be announced in the morning in the common room so you better remember. I hope is inferred that the password is not meant to be spoken nor told to anyone who does not belong in this noble house. Atropa Belladonna," she announced for everyone to listen and the wall parted allowing them entrance.
His first impression on the common room was that he should have chosen a house where his eyesight would not deteriorate for the lack of illumination. The place was quite elegant much to his relief, dark stone complimented the grey walls, there were plus sofas in dark shades of green and black carpets near every fireplace. However, the torches did little to illuminate the place and the wall that showed the depths of the school's loch gave a green tint to the room. It was not bad but it was obvious he would need another place to read.
"Welcome to Slytherin. I am Aciel Yaxley and he is Ander Rosewood, we are seventh-year prefects. I am sure you were told some rules already but I will repeat them. Only Slytherins are allowed here, don't share the password, don't lose points and don't get caught. The most important rule we have is whatever problems you may have with other Slytherin you keep a united front outside, understood?" she asked glaring at them.
"That said, that staircase leads to the rooms right side for the girls left for the boys, the first three years you will be in the lower levels, being first years your rooms are in the lowest level. You will share a bathroom with your year mates; however, you will have your own room. Each door has a plaque with your name that signals your room. It is your responsibility to secure it and I must warn you if you are found in someone else's room, the punishment will be severe. I want you here at 7:30 sharp tomorrow so we can guide you to the great hall for breakfast, you are free to go," the male announced and both left.
He sighed once again and walked towards his floor; he was pleased to note his room was the first which meant the closest to the stairs but the furthest from the bathroom, a location he approved of. He opened the door and examined his new quarters, like his first impression of the common room, it needed light. It was better than any room of the orphanage but had the same Spartan air of his room in the other boarding school: a simple bed with drapes, a desk with a matching chair, and a small wardrobe. What took the crown was the wall-sized window that showed the Black Lake depths, just like the common room, he approached the bed and opened his backpack which was at the feet of the bed in order to write his letter and wondering how his owl was supposed to visit.
"Ella," he called his house elf.
"Young Master!" the excited elf exclaimed popping in. "What can-" she stopped looking at his room with horror.
"Hello Ella, could you please install some drapes over that window, I don't fancy being observed by merpeople," he told the little elf.
"I will master, but first I need to change this room. Good Mistress Dorea would be horrified to know her grandchild is living in such a place!" she exclaimed, with an internal sigh he noted that the elf had higher standards than he did.
"I don't mind as long as you cover that window, but could you please wait until tomorrow?" he pleaded with as much dignity as he could muster.
"Do you wish me to wake you tomorrow young master?" the little elf asked after snapping her fingers, successfully blocking his view of the loch.
"No, I am used to wake up early, have a good night Ella."
"Good night sir."
Once the elf left he finished organizing his backpack with all the book subjects and other materials. That done he went to the bathroom to clean himself, changing to sleepwear he went to bed.
1st of September 1991, Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts
Albus Dumbledore was sitting on a couch, sipping firewhisky from the bottle pondering the last disastrous month and the obstreperous beginning of this. First, the Potter heirlooms had been stolen along with many irreplaceable books... And those were just a few: all the memories he had in the school's pensieve were gone, which consisted of dangerous information that could be used against him for few would understand that sacrifices had to be made. The artefact he created to track the saviour of the magical world, that device alone would earn him a long stay in Azkaban for taking the blood of a child, no one would understand how important or necessary it had been.
If that was not enough, there had been no signs of Harry Potter in Diagon Alley. No one had seen or heard about the child, except maybe Ollivanders, but he was tight-lipped about his clients. He had worried about him deciding not to attend Hogwarts, but there was no way of confirming his suspicions. If he went to the orphanage it would be revealed he was monitoring Harry so he took the next available option, he sent former members of the order, except for Remus and Minerva, to the muggle and magical side of the platform to look for him. He had been alarmed when none of them reported and he had no way of monitoring the train so uncertainty had tormented him for a full day. In his desperation, he went to the orphanage, only to be almost kicked out by the Matron who told him he had left early in the morning to a good boarding school and let before he could try to use magic on her.
Seeing the child at the feast had almost made him collapse in relief. The feeling showed to be ephemeral when the child was sorted in Slytherin, the resemblance between him a child he had met fifty years ago chilled him to the bone. However, it was done; there was not another sorting... Harry Potter was a Slytherin which meant it would complicate his plans mould him in order to ensure no other Dark Lord was created.
Observing the headmaster from his high perch, the Sorting Hat was lost in his own thoughts. The Potter boy was dangerous, of that he held no doubt. If he went to Gryffindor he would have an army at his disposal, an army that would have believed him if he said it was necessary to eliminate all the muggles. In Hufflepuff, he would have devoted followers who would murder their family if he asked them to in the name of loyalty. He would have the Ravenclaw house beguiled before the week was over; he would have willing slaves who considered his wishes their own just because of his sharp mind... But in Slytherin was where he would gain the most dangerous allies, after all, Slytherins tended to hold the characteristics of all the houses guided by a ruthless ambition... And he blamed the part of Salazar in him that could not wait to see what the future held. Harry Potter was an enigma with so much promise...
A.N.: sleshachoksi advised me to add Powerful! Harry to the summary and I agree completely, so I have to thank my dear reader in a public way. I would like to know if the story is going too slow, I have tried skipping some parts but tell me if it feels rushed or boring. Now that I am confessing my sins, I would also like to apologize for the OC characters and I know James' parents were Fleamont and Euphemia Potter but I don't like their names so I went with the traditional Charlus and Dorea Potter.