Chapter 5: First night at Hogwarts
Ron was sorted into Gryffindor and came to sit with Draco, Neville and Hermione. Harry was also sat with them.
"Are you really a lord?" Hermione asked Harry. She was sat next to Draco with the other three boys opposite them.
"Yes. All the heads of noble wizarding families are Lords. I'm head of several wizarding families but my main title is Lord Potter. Then there's Lord Black, whose my godfather, and Lord Malfoy and Lord Longbottom. Quite a few others as well actually." Draco couldn't help shuddering at Harry's casual mention of his father.
"Lord Malfoy is in Azkaban. My mother divorced him so now we're Blacks."
"Inheritance magic doesn't care about divorce. You'll probably still inherit the Malfoy title. The book of blood inheritances should tell you that." Harry informed his new housemate.
Just then Harry noticed a greasy haired man staring at him with an expression of intense dislike from the teacher's table. Harry asked a prefect with the same red hair as Ron who the professor was.
"That's Professor Snape. He's the potions master." Percy the prefect responded.
"Oh." Sirius had mentioned a Severus Snape in several of his stories. Harry knew that Snape hadn't gotten along very well with his father and godfather. It seemed the potions master intended to carry the feud onto the next generation of Lord Potter.
The young lord was broken from his reverie as the headmaster rose to his feet.
"As I'm sure you're bellies are all rumbling and you are eagerly anticipating the feast I won't keep you. Let me just say welcome, or welcome back. And now," Dumbledore clapped twice, "let us eat." Food appeared on the tables. The first years had never seen such a sumptuous banquet before though Hermione couldn't help noticing that the boy-who-lived-and-vanished didn't have the same look of awe in his eye that the other first years all seemed to have, and she was sure she must have too. The dentist's daughter wanted to know more about this mysterious young lord.
"Lord Potter," she began but was interrupted by Harry who requested she call him by his Christian name as he hoped they could be friends. Ron asked if he was allowed to address the boy as Harry too and Harry replied that they all could.
"Harry," Hermione began again, "I was wondering, I mean, where exactly were you? I've read lots of books about the Wizarding world and all the ones that mention you say you disappeared ten years ago."
"Well you see, my aunt – she's not really my aunt, I just call her that. Anyway my aunt, she's a fairy and she knows how to travel to other worlds. That's where we were – another world. I grew up in the castle of Cair Paravel in the land of Narnia."
"I thought fairies had all killed each other hundreds of years ago?" questioned Neville whose mother had favoured stories of the fairy wars as bedtime tales.
"All but one. My aunt is the last fairy in existence." Harry explained. The rest of the feast passed quickly as Harry answered question after question about his life in Narnia. All too soon Dumbledore was standing once more.
"Mr Filch has asked me to remind you that fanged Frisbees are not to be used in the corridors. The full list of banned objects is on the door of his office if anyone wishes to use it. Also please can first years, and certain returning students, please be aware that the forbidden forest is forbidden. And finally, this year the third floor corridor is out of bounds for anyone who does not wish to die a very painful death. And now, prefects if you could please lead your houses back to the common rooms. Thank you."
The students rose noisily.
"Gryffindor first years, follow me please." Percy Weasley raised his voice to be heard over the chatter, then turned and led the way out of the hall. Harry held Ron, Draco, Neville and Hermione back.
"Why don't we go exploring?"
"We'll never find the common room without a prefect. The entrance is hidden." Ron explained.
"Well yes, but I have a map." Harry showed the others a blank sheet of old parchment. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."
A/N: So for the purpose of this story each marauder had his own map. Peter's was confiscated by Filch and the twins now have that one. The one Harry is using belonged to Sirius. Remus still has his copy. The copy James had is somewhere in the ruins of Godric's hollow.
