Again, another AU. Who doesn't enjoy a good fantasy RP adventure once in a while? And with children brimming with emotion-driven, wild magic, this could so easily happen. I'm going to enjoy this…
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It started as a game, played by a group of lonely, outcast children with nowhere else to go. Their only escape was the one offered by their imaginations. Each was alone, separated from others their age due to both their uniqueness and their fears.
Su Li, the new girl from China, mocked for her accent and her different customs. Dean Thomas, an artistic black boy, teased for his eccentric beliefs and behaviour. Tracey Davis, a pale, blonde girl, more comfortable with animals and nature than with people. Kevin Entwhistle, a blonde boy who was mute around strangers and preferred to stay out of sight. Megan Jones, a redhead with a temper easily riled by bullies and adults. Justin Finch-Fletchley, a tall, gentle brunette, shunned for being a giant sissy. Hermione Granger, a highly intelligent girl with brown hair who was academically brilliant but socially awkward. Harry Potter was a quiet boy that was hated by his relatives and ridiculed by his peers for his poor clothing.
None of these children were any stranger to the term 'freak', so casually tossed like an epithet at them by classmates and relatives alike. So they banded together, seeking comfort and solace with others who could understand. And they played a game, a game where they could be as powerful and 'freakish' as they wished. Guided by Hermione and, surprisingly, Kevin, they took on the traditional roles found in fantasy quests.
Su Li, small and quick, became their invisible assassin and thief. Quirky Dean became the light-fingered bard and pickpocket that was rather handy with a sword. Tracey Davis, the nature-lover, chose to be a druid and shaman. Silent Kevin decided to be a ranger, both an expert tracker and a top-notch marksman. Fiery Megan was the obvious warrior, skilled with any weapon she wielded and quick to both attack and defend. Justin, gentle but firm in his resolve, chose to be a cleric, both a healer and a slayer of the undead and the damned. Hermione, always the scholar, became the group's wizard, expert with potions, magical artifacts and runes. And Harry, overlooked and seemingly harmless, was the sorcerer, a being of magic that manipulated the energy of the universe, bending it to his will with a simple word or gesture.
And what started as a game began to be real as the children developed abilities and powers to match their chosen paths; unconsciously becoming the people they so wished to be.
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They all sat in one compartment, enlarged by Harry with just a wave of his hand. They were an odd group, even for the magical community that they were about to join. Having spent so much time as their characters, their inherent magical abilities had shifted to adapt to their new styles. Therefore, although they all had what was required of them by the school, their wands had been specially crafted by Ollivander to match their skills and techniques, which were too far developed to reverse now.
Su Li's 'wand' was actually a fan with bladed edges that she kept tucked in the sash wrapped around her waist. Her dark hair was pinned up with two bodkins and she had both a coiled whip and a set of darts attached at her waist as well. Lock picks were hidden in her boots and a poison ring decorated one hand. She also had the ability to fade into the shadows, which she was doing now as she sat in the corner of the compartment with her poisonous frog, Belladonna.
Beside her, Dean was humming cheerfully, his black hair artfully windswept. His 'wand' was split between his flute and his guitar, which were attached to his belt and slung across his back respectively, allowing him to create magic both literally and musically at the same time. His own set of lock picks were kept in a hidden pocket of his tunic and his short sword was sheathed at his waist. He had no pet, being a tad irresponsible at the best of times.
Tracey's wand looked more like a twig, the wood rough and unpolished, with leaves and even a flower growing from one end. It was tucked behind her ear. She had pockets filled with pouches of crystals and herbs and her long hair had flowers braided through it. Coiled up her ankles, as well as her wrists and along her brow, were her shaman symbols, a pale green that shimmered in the sunlight. Her toad, Demetrius, sat quietly in one of her pockets.
Kevin's wand had been built into his collapsible bow, allowing him to shoot both spells and his numerous types of arrows. A hunting knife was strapped to his thigh and he wore a green, hooded cloak over his clothing. It was both water and magic resistant, as were his sturdy boots. His blonde hair was pulled back into a low ponytail at the base of his neck and his constant companion was a smoky grey cat he called Ash.
Megan's wand was crafted into the handle of a small dagger that she had strapped to her left forearm, matching the holstered dagger on her right arm. Two more daggers were tucked into her boots and a set of matching swords was sheathed at her hips. She wore her customary leather jerkin as well as her greaves and her red hair was tied back with a leather band. She, like Dean, had opted not to get a pet, having little patience for them.
Justin's 'wand' was actually a carefully constructed glove that he wore on his right hand, the one he used for healing and banishing creatures of darkness. A golden medallion bearing the symbol of his clerical order, a dove in flight, was hung around his neck. From his belt hung a small book, several vials, and pouches of herbs, incense and a silver dagger. In his trunk was packed his slaying kit, his candles and his chalks. He too wore a hooded cloak, his order's symbol decorating the edges. His barn owl, Bartholomew, sat quietly on the back of his seat.
Hermione, as their wizard, had not a wand but a staff, taller than herself and beautifully carved. Her belt was hung with various amulets, rune stones, powders, potions and charms. The sleeves of her robes were lined with pockets in which she stored more of the same. Across her shoulder was slung a pack that contained a spell book, a telescope and a collapsible cauldron. Her own hooded cloak was embroidered with powerful runes and she was followed everywhere by an orange cat with a superior attitude called Crookshanks.
Harry, as a sorcerer, had no need of a wand, but found that having one did make it easier to channel the magic for his more powerful spells. He wore his in the form of an amulet, into which a large emerald had been set, around his neck. Strange symbols snaked their way up his left arm, over his chest and up the left side of his neck and face, their silver swirls glittering strangely in the light. A small, silver snake-shaped armlet was coiled around his right wrist, ready to spring to life at a hissed command. His hooded cloak was a plain, undecorated black and contrasted sharply with the white owl perched on his shoulder that answered to the name Hedwig. He wore plain black clothing under his robes and had a small, emerald ring on his right hand.
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Severus Snape eyed the first-years waiting patiently for the sorting curiously. He'd instantly spotted his godson, who was looking sulky about something, but his gaze had been drawn to the group of eight that stood slightly apart from the rest. They wore strange clothing both under and over their school robes and carried various objects, some of which he was familiar with, and others he wasn't. A shiver of foreboding crept over him at the sight of them and he resolved to pay close attention to their sorting.
When Minerva called for a 'Davis, Tracey', a distinctly pure-blood name even if the girl was only a half-blood, the first of them came up. She was tall and blonde, flowers braided in her hair and strange symbols decorating her forehead. It was with some surprise that the hat sorted her into Slytherin. Some of her friends seemed equally surprised, but all of them clapped regardless.
The next to come up was the blonde boy, in response to the call for 'Entwhistle, Kevin'. He wore a strange, green cloak over his school robes and ended up in Ravenclaw, where once again his friends clapped for him, as they did for each of them that went next.
Another boy, named 'Finch-Fletchley, Justin', this time in a white cloak with gold trim was next. A gold medallion gleamed from his neck and he ended up in Hufflepuff.
It was when Minerva called 'Granger, Hermione' that another girl stepped forward, this one a brunette. Her cloak was deep blue and decorated with runes while she carried a large staff in her hands. When the hat sent her to Gryffindor, Snape began to grow concerned. So far, their odd group had been evenly split between the four Houses. He looked around, but nobody else seemed to be aware of or concerned about this fact. Even the headmaster was still twinkling benignly at the first-years. It was with some misgiving that the Potions Master turned back to the sorting, just in time to see another one get called up as 'Jones, Megan'.
She wore no cloak, but had strange-looking guards on her arms and she was scowling fiercely underneath the mass of coppery curls that had been drawn back harshly from her face. She joined the Finch-Fletchley boy in Hufflepuff.
A short Asian girl was next, her black hair pinned back in a severe braid and her face expressionless. Her name was 'Li, Su' and she made no sound as she walked. She ended up in Ravenclaw and seated herself beside the Entwhistle boy. The next one surprised Snape, though.
'Potter, Harry', was a name that caused the hall to erupt in whispers, but Snape could only stare as a small boy with feathery black hair, large green eyes and silver symbols covering the left side of his face made his way to the front. He wore a plain black cloak over his school robes. And when the hat placed him in Slytherin, Snape felt his jaw drop. Seemingly unbothered by the mass shock he had just induced with his sorting, the Boy-Who-Lived casually sauntered over to the Slytherin table and seated himself beside the Davis girl with a small smile.
It was with some difficulty that Snape managed to focus his attention once more on the sorting, taking note that there was just one more of 'them' left. He thought he already had an idea of where the boy was going to go, and was not surprised when the youth with the guitar on his back was sorted into Gryffindor. He still felt uneasy at the fact that eight unusual children, who all seemed to know each other, were evenly divided into each House. And as he glanced at a still-smiling Potter, seated comfortably as a Slytherin, he just knew that the coming year would be hell.
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By the time Halloween drew near, everyone knew of the eight strange first-years that performed magic like no-one else could and seemed uninterested in fitting in with the rest of their peers. They whispered of the silent Ravenclaw that haunted the Forbidden Forest with his spell-shooting bow. He was frequently joined by the dreamy Slytherin that spoke to animals and trees alike and wandered the grounds barefoot, no matter the weather. They gossiped about the odd pair of Hufflepuffs, the boy that seemed gentle and sweet but who the ghosts and even Peeves avoided like the plague, and his vicious companion that appeared to pull bladed weapons from thin air and took down anyone who tried to bully them with a psychotic laugh. They spoke in hushed tones of the elusive Ravenclaw girl that could vanish into the shadows like a wraith and get into any room, often accompanied by the charismatic but sticky-fingered boy from Gryffindor that sang his magic and played it musically on a flute. And they talked openly of the Potter boy in Slytherin that used magic as easily as he breathed, with no wand in sight, nearly always in the company of the muggle-born Gryffindor girl who wielded a staff and could recite any book in the library off by heart. Their year-mates were both in awe of and jealous of their clear talent and unique skills, resulting in several confrontations and skirmishes. Eventually, all but the most dim-witted or antagonistic of their peers gave up trying to approach or cause trouble for them. And the year continued.
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"That was horribly easy and I'm quite disappointed in our professors," Su said, shaking her head.
"Agreed," Dean hummed, as the rest of their group nodded.
"Well, let's get on with it then," snapped Megan, but she was grinning. The fight with the troll had been hugely exhilarating for her. Justin sighed and rolled his eyes, avoiding her half-hearted swing at him with a laugh.
"Well, I'm guessing that the stone can only be accessed through the mirror, therefore it will take a specific kind of desire to obtain it. This is the mirror of Erised after all," Hermione spoke up, examining the object and the spells around it intently.
"Well, we take it in turns then," Dean said brightly, and stepped towards the mirror, only to be pulled back by a frowning Harry.
"Hold on, I think I have an idea. This is Dumbledore's defense, after all, and spending all that time in his office this year, due to the fact that I'm not the pliable little hero he wanted, has given me a pretty good idea of what he would do," the sorcerer explained. He moved in front of the mirror and frowned into its depths. A moment later, he smiled in satisfaction and reached a hand into the pocket of his robes, withdrawing a small object.
"Philosopher's Stone, anyone?" he asked smugly.
"What was the trick?" Hermione asked curiously as the others passed the stone among themselves, each getting a good look at it. Harry snorted derisively.
"The only way to get the stone was to want it, but not to want to use it. Since I don't particularly need the stone for gold and I'm not all that interested in living to the age of 600 or so, it was easy to get. Typical Dumbledore, though, trying to create a protection based on a person's goodness, or lack thereof."
"I see. Well, come on, we better get going before someone realizes what we've done. No traces were left behind?" Hermione turned to the group enquiringly and they all shook their heads. With that, Tracey clapped her hands and a house-elf wearing a tea towel that bore the crest of the Davis house appeared with a crack.
"Sniffle, kindly take Kevin and Su back to the Ravenclaw common room please. When you're done, you can pop Hermione and Dean to Gryffindor, Justin and Megan to Hufflepuff and then you can come back for Harry and I," she said gently and the elf nodded, large ears flapping. Within moments, all of the students were back in their own common rooms. And as Harry made his way to his dormitory, he pondered over the little adventure they had just had.
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Part 2 will show how the group found out about the philosopher's stone and how they handled the challenges. They are so entertaining to write, it's like they created themselves. Definitely going to see more of this lot.