Dovewing

An alternate telling of Harry Potter

Book 1

Chapter 1

Rose and Harry entered the great hall with the other first years for the sorting ceremony and start of term feast. They followed professor Minerva McGonagall, a formidable witch that was the head of Gryffindor house, deputy head mistress, and professor of transfiguration.

She led them to the front of the room where a small stool stood with a torn and dirty old wizarding hat sat.

They all cued up in front of it then a rip near the brim opened up and it began to sing "Oh you may not think I'm pretty but don't judge on what you see. I will eat myself if you can find a smarter hat then me. You can keep your bowler's black and your top hats sleek and tall but I can cap them all. There is 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 chivelry set Gryffindors apart. You might belong in Hufflepuff where they are just and loyal. Those Hufflepuff's 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. Or in Dovewing for those of Purity, Clarity and Power there is no one rarer. So put me on, don't be afraid and don't get in a flap. You are in safe hands, though I have none. For I'm a thinking cap."

The hat ended his song and the hall burst into applause. Then McGonagall came forward with a parchment saying "I will call your name you will come up and sit down and put the hat on once you are sorted you will hand the hat off to the next person and take a seat at your house tables."

Then she started calling out the names and one by one the students were sorted.

Rose whispered to Harry as they waited for their names to be called "If there are five houses why are there only 4 student tables?"

Harry had not noticed until now but Rose was right there were only 4 student tables. Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor and Slytherin and the head staff table. Also so far no one had been sorted into Dovewing.

The Sorting was to the P's now soon it would be their turn. First Harry went and it took a few minutes but the hat put him in Gryffindor. Now it was Rose's turn.

She took the hat from Harry and sat on the stool then put the hat on and a voice spoke in her head "an exceptionally clear mind, plenty of courage, immeasurable potential for power, a pure heart and unmatched determination. There is only one place for one so rare."

Then loudly it called out "Dovewing!"

There were gasps and oohs and Ahs through out the great hall.

Rose got off the stool and took the hat off and handed it to the next student but she didn't know where to go and everyone was looking at her.

She looked around Dumbledore said "Miss Potter you may sit where ever you like perhaps you would prefer to sit with your brother."

Rose smiled and went to sit with Harry.

After the sorting Dumbledore started the feast and the food appeared before them.

It was during pudding that people began talking Percy Weasley the Gryffindor prefect and oldest of the Weasleys at school said "I have never even heard about anyone being sorted into Dovewing before you must be something special."

Hermione Granger said "According to Hogwarts a history the last student to be sorted into Dovewing was Penelope Dupont in 1291, 700 years ago. Cassandra Dovewing was the founder but her house was always small only a hand full of students at a time until slowly no one seemed to be sorted there at all. Until now that is. I think you are right there must be something special about Rose."

The desserts disappeared and Dumbledore made a few start of term announcements then conducted the school in the school song then he sent everyone off to bed.

Rose stood up with the others but she didn't know where to go until a dark figure appeared at her side.

Snape said "Miss Potter please come with me."

Rose smiled up at him and took his hand he was a bit surprised but only said "I will show you to your rooms."

So Snape took Rose to the Dovewing dorms. The entrance was on the second floor through a tapestry of a group of witch musicians in a forest glen. They entered a good sized room with a fire place table chairs sofa and books, tons of books. There was a bathroom and Dorms of course as well as her trunk had been brought up already.

Snape said "You will receive your class schedule at breakfast. The books here are not to leave these rooms and you are not to let anyone else read them they are strictly for Dovewing students. You will have all the classes your peers have but you will also have classes exclusive for Dovewing. You can sit where ever you like for your meals. Now it is late and I am sure you are tired so I will leave you to sleep. Good night miss Potter."

Rose smiled and hugged him and said "Good night professor"

Snape left he didn't understand why Rose was so affectionate toward him most students hated him.

Dovewing colors were white and gold and the animal was a dove the crest was a dove in flight with crossed gold wands beneath it.

Rose was tired but she was curious about the books she read the titles of a few of them. The natural cycle of the human zygote. 1001 positions to maximize power. The journey from pain to enlightenment. The subtle magic of music. Art and the history of magical portrait making. Wards, hexes, and curses and complete work of protection. Dovewing and the sacred 28 the plan to save us all an introduction.

Rose pulled out that one and sat down and read a bit of it. As she read it became clear that Dovewing was a house that focused on the ancient magics. Music, art, pain, blood, love, sex, Divination and even domestic magics. Things the rest of the world had come to view as to unpredictable, extreme, archaic, mundane, not powerful enough or just down right worthless. But part of it was sexual magic that she would be taught. As the sacred 28 realized that they were dyeing off they created magical items that could house their seed, their genetic material and had entrusted it to the house of Dovewing in hopes that someday the house would have a resurgence and their lines could be renewed. At least that was what she got from chapter 1.

This made Rose more then a little bit nervous. She was only 11 years old she was not ready to be a mother. Dumbledore had promised Rose and Harry that he would find a new home for them by the end of the year. Once he had found out the extreme abuse they were suffering at the hands of their relatives. Who in their right mind would want to take Rose in if she was supposed to have 28 babies and that was assuming none were multiples?

Rose shook her head and told herself "stop worrying Dumbledore will find a place that you and Harry will be safe and happy and if you weren't meant for Dovewing you wouldn't have been put here. You will do what you have to just like you always have. Now go to bed it is late and you have classes in the morning."

Rose laughed at herself and went to bed.