A/N: Thanks to all the reviewers. I agree with duo, and so I will use
"Junior" from now on. I will pay special attention to your reactions to
the characters--hint, hint :-)
Butterflies flew around in Junior's stomach when he heard the Hogwarts Express come to a screeching halt. He had a lot to live up to, but fortunately the only problems in the world for his generation had to do with political issues that he couldn't really affect. His father had specifically told him not to look for trouble. Junior had agreed with his father on the outside, but deep down he suspected that he had inherited his father's thirst for excitement. Of course, he never mentioned these wild dreams; his Dad knew that Sirius had told them stories, and Junior didn't want Sirius to take any blame. So Junior kept quiet.
Junior looked at his friends. Will was doing a poor of job of hiding his excitement. Jenny was making no such effort; she kept whispering out loud to herself, "We're finally here, finally here . . . " Harry suspected she had had too much sugar on the train.
The screeching sound stopped, and Junior heard students in his and nearby compartments noisily picking up their bags and chatting animatedly.
"Have you heard about the unmanned carriages? The moat that surrounds the school?" Melissa asked eagerly to no one in particular.
Everyone voiced the same wonder, especially Charles, who, considering his parentage, had never heard of any of it before.
They disembarked together, with Junior bringing up the rear; it was silly of him to be so gentlemanly, he thought. He stepped out into the light after his friends and acquaintances, squinting at first despite the sky being gray outside and hinting at imminent rain.
They could see the stone castle from there; its towers rose high into the sky.
"Isn't it glorious?" said Jenny.
"Bit of a strong word, Jen," said Will. "I'd say it looks drab and depressing."
"I'll tell you what's drab and depressing," said an unseen and unfamiliar voice, "the fact that this place will be overrun by ignorant Muggles, turned into some tourist attraction for the impotent and mystically challenged, a symbol for the worldwide patronizing of Muggles we're sure to see in the near future."
Junior and the others turned to see a tall, dark, athletic looking boy about their age. The boy observed them for a second, and then continued to Junior and Will and Jenny, "I'm Pallas Moore."
"You're not welcome here," said Jenny coldly. "I'm Jenny Weasley, and I don't appreciate your criticism of my father's work."
"And I'm Harry Potter, Junior, and my parents are working towards the same thing," said Junior, defending Jenny and his parents but somewhat interested in learning about this different point of view. "Unless you can be more civil about it," he added awkwardly, not really wanting to close the door on a friendship so soon. Jenny looked at him strangely, and then so did Pallas.
"Your parents' work may have good intentions, but they're a bit misguided." He sighed. "Maybe we got off on the wrong foot," Pallas said with a strange expression on his face that showed that he was obviously not used to apologizing.
"Appears so," said Will, whose face had been like steel for the last few seconds.
"We can't all agree," said Julie as she entered the conversation. She took a quick glance at the castle, and Junior stole a look at the hair cascading down her back. "I'm Julie White," she said, extending a hand towards Pallas.
Pallas took it. "Pallas Moore. It's a pleasure, Julie," he said formally.
Junior watched Pallas introduce himself to Melissa. The new acquaintance was more stoic than Will, a bit aloof and radical maybe, but quite intelligent. The tall kid had broad shoulders, a short athletic haircut, and a strong looking jaw. His eyes were brown and revealed little emotion.
Pallas outstretched his hand to Charles. "And what's your name?" he asked politely.
Charles paused for an agonizing one second. "I'm Charles Chapman," he said finally and coldly as he shook Pallas' hand, "and I'm a Muggle-born." Charles eyes were visibly harboring anger.
Pallas stared back, his eyes narrowing. "Ah," he began as they released their handshake. "Perhaps you misunderstood me. I don't hate Muggles; I just disagree with the way we're trying to blend our societies."
"That's not what you said at all," said Charles coldly. Junior was watching the situation carefully, knowing that he would have to intervene before things got violent. "You said that you don't want wizards stepping down to their level."
Pallas didn't flinch. "I said that it's patronizing to rub it into the Muggles' faces that we're more powerful than they are--we can do things they could only dream of--and then trying to make them feel better about their lack of ability. It's just soothing our consciences, because we feel guilty about our own powers."
"That's not the point at all," said Jenny, understandably losing her temper over a criticism of her father's motives. "It's about a partnership, becoming a common community, putting our strengths together, taking care of each other."
"I'm sorry," said Pallas slowly, "but that sounds like the same old rhetoric."
"I'm sorry too," said Will angrily, "but that sounds like the very same patronizing that you hate so much."
"Doesn't mean I can't use it to get my way," said Pallas without hesitation, "but as you can see, that doesn't make it noble. Same thing goes for the Ministry."
Junior looked at the others, who seemed temporarily lost for words. He saw hundreds of students mounting the black, unmanned carriages on the lawn.
"You're not noble at all," said Charles finally in a sharp tone, "but disguising a bigotry tolerable 15 years ago under the guise of playing the concerned citizen."
Pallas had had enough. "I'm not going to hit you for being a Muggle-born," he said slowly as he rolled up his sleeves to reveal muscular forearms, "but because of that accusation." Pallas clenched his fists and moved to quickly close the gap between him and Charles. Junior made a move to step between them. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Will about to jump into the fray.
"Hey!" shouted Julie angrily to them from a distance. "Do you want to go to Hogwarts or not? The last carriages are about to go."
Junior breathed a sigh of relief. He had been intimidated by Pallas' obvious strength, and was not looking forward to trying to stop the fight.
Charles hadn't flinched at all, and he was still staring at Pallas' back as Pallas made his way to the other carriage with Julie and Melissa.
***
"The nerve!" said Jenny as soon as they had sat down in the carriage, with Will and Jenny sitting next to each other opposite him and a silently fuming Charles. "Who does he think he is?"
"He's an idiot," said Will derisively. "Muscle-bound, pea brained idiot. It's as simple as that."
Junior felt like defending Pallas, who was definitely not stupid. But Junior knew that Pallas did seem to have a prejudice and was planning to beat up a Charles who would have had no chance defending himself. "Yeah, he's an idiot," said Junior. He looked at Charles, who was staring at the floor red-faced.
"Forget about him," said Will to an upset Jenny. "Look, we're almost at the moat. People are boarding the boats already."
Junior saw Jenny look up outside the window, and then she turned her head a bit. For a brief second her eyes met his, and he quickly turned away to look outside the window as well.
***
The carriage neared the edge of the water and came to a halt. Junior disembarked with the rest and they promptly rushed to get to a boat. They sat down in silence and let the boat take them across.
"There's the Forbidden Forest," said Jenny, who seemed to be trying to get them to think of more pleasant things.
Junior looked and his eyes lit up.
"No way, Junior," said Will.
"What?" asked Junior defensively.
"I saw that look in your eyes. You're not adventuring, Junior. Look, I'm your friend, and I've been meaning to say this. Before you get any crazy ideas in your head about continuing our parents' traditions, I want you to know right now that I won't be any part of it."
"Whatever you say," said Junior mischievously. "I am not going to just learn and make friends here; I'm going to do more."
"Sounds like a Slytherin," said Charles, startling them all by saying something for the first time in a while.
"Maybe . . " said Jenny uncertainly. "You know, it's not like when our parents used to go here. The Slytherins have different priorities from the rest, but a lot of them are good people."
"Of course they are!" said Will with irritation. "My father--and your uncle--was one of them," he said with a tone of finality. Jenny must have forgot about Will's sensitivity to any anti-Slytherin statements.
Charles looked a bit uncomfortable, but he continued uncertainly. "Harry, aren't you supposed to be a dual heir?"
"I don't know, Charles," said Harry. "A few witches have said so, but they've all been full-blown loonies." He saw Jenny and Will's looks of disapproval. "Well, it's true," he said defensively.
The boats stopped. Junior and his friends disembarked, and they arrived on the green grounds of Hogwarts itself. It smelled of freshly cut grass and it had started to drizzle. Junior looked up to see a large man in the distance who could only be the current groundskeeper, Rufus Cronus, a bearded fellow with a gruff expression on his face.
"First years with me!" the man bellowed easily. Junior and his friends migrated to where he was attracting little children like a police station attracts runaway criminals. He looked at them sternly, and not one of them dared to make a sound. "Hmmph. Follow me," he grumbled, and the First Years obediently did so.
The students entered the castle through the thick, wooden front doors. Everyone seemed to gasp at once. Junior observed the stone floors, took in the musty odor, and craned his neck to look at the concave ceiling overhead with its wooden planks.
Jenny was talking animatedly now, pointing out various things she had recognized from her reading of Hogwarts, A History. "Do you see the paintings? The characters inside them actually move!" she squealed.
Junior had already noticed that, and had only found it mildly creepy. He looked at Will, and they both rolled their eyes behind her back.
When Junior saw who would be leading them into the Great Hall, he gasped--it was no other than Headmaster Severus Snape. Cronus stepped aside, and the children stopped without being told. Snape looked down his nose at the children with what looked just short of a scowl, and then he nodded at them. They nodded back. "Two lines, children. Follow me." He turned abruptly without waiting for a response, and the kids fell into two lines behind him. His hands pushed the door open, and he led them through the doors.
The sounds of gasps--one from Junior's own mouth--surrounded Junior. He saw rows of long, wooden, rectangular shaped tables arranged on the same stone floor that Junior had seen throughout the castle. Golden candelabras hung suspended in the sky, and, speaking of the sky, Junior saw that the high ceiling was completely black save white spots that shone brilliantly like--
"Those are the stars," said Jenny excitedly. "The ceiling is enchanted to look just like the sky outside," she said importantly.
"Ah," said Will, who was unable to hide his amazement. Harry almost chuckled. Did she think she was the only of the three whose parents had gone to Hogwarts?
In the confusion, they and a recently silent Charles had separated themselves. Junior was too amazed by his new surroundings to pay attention to much else. Several hundred children chatted excitedly about this and that, likely catching up on summer experiences and just enjoying the chance to see these friends of theirs again.
Snape pointed to a set of about 150 chairs, and the children promptly sat down. Junior saw Will sit down on his left and Jenny sit on his right. Snape walked briskly past the staff table and headed for the short staircase on the left side that would take him up to the raised platform.
Junior excitedly looked for his parents and found them smiling at him and his friends. Junior's parents waved, and Junior and his friends waved back.
A large, tattered black hat rested on top of a chair in the middle of the podium.
The voices hushed at once as Snape reached the podium. "Welcome students to the start of another year at Hogwarts. I am Headmaster Snape. We will begin with the sorting. Professor Concolor?"
A large man with a beard and long, brown hair mouthed something to the other faculty at this table, rose from his chair, ascended the stairs on the left, and reached the podium. He would have dwarfed the children had he stood next to them, and he was almost as tall as Cronus.
Concolor! Now Junior remembered. His parents had mentioned the other teachers on a few occasions, but Junior had always gotten their names mixed up. Concolor had been an Auror and was quite helpful in the defeat of Voldemort. This was a man that Junior instantly admired.
Snape yielded the microphone and returned to his seat. While the headmaster descended the short staircase, Professor Concolor pointed to the hat. To the surprise of many First Years--with the exception of Junior, Will and Jenny--a tear in the front of the hat opened up, and the hat burst into song:
More than a Thousand Years Ago
Four did this school devise
Gryffindor favored the brave,
And Ravenclaw the wise
Slytherin's chosen power did crave
Hufflepuff's: loyal ties
Before the Founders did part
To sort the future kids by heart
Gryffindor plucked me off his head,
The four enchanted me
So that every year I said
To them where they will be!
[A/N: It was an off year for the Sorting Hat].
The Great Hall erupted in the applause of a thousand students. Junior felt a bit more relaxed. He already knew everything the hat had said, but it was quite entertaining to watch.
"First years," Concolor then said in a tone anything but gentle after clapping respectfully, "please put the hat on after I call your name, listen as it assigns you to a house, then sit with that house for the duration of the feast. When the feast is over, your house prefect will take you to your dormitory. Questions?" He stared at them, and Junior almost cringed. Junior knew that Concolor would be an interesting teacher. "All right." He grinned, but it looked more like he was baring his teeth. He unrolled a piece of parchment on the podium and took out a quill and ink bottle. "Appas, Karl."
A small, blonde boy in front of where Junior was seated rose uncertainly, trembling slightly. He made his way to the hat and stuffed it on his head, his eyes disappearomg under the brim The hat shouted, "Hufflepuff!" The first student had been sorted.
***
Junior and his friends whispered nervously to each other throughout the ceremony. Soon enough, they heard Concolor call out the name of one of their friends.
"Chapman, Charles."
Charles rose from his seat and walked, head down slightly, to the sorting hat. He picked up the hat, sat awkwardly on the short chair, and then stuffed the hat over his head.
"Gryffindor!" it shouted immediately. This surprised Junior somewhat. Charles was an enigma--frightened and shy one moment, furious and defiant the next.
Chapman was the first to be sorted to Gryffindor. He saw the cheering table that could only be the Gryffindor's. Junior had been watching the main tables and had judged that these kids were social and would be easy to get along with.
***
"Malfoy, William."
Will rose and made an effort to walk proudly to the hat. He stuffed it on, and Junior and Jenny watched on the edge of their seats. And the hat stayed on Will for a twenty second period that seemed like an eternity. "Gryffindor!" it shouted finally. Will looked relieved, and he flashed a smile at Junior and Jenny before he headed towards the cheering Gryffindor table, where Charles was clapping energetically. The Gryffindors seemed to have no problem accepting a Malfoy into their house, but Will was of course a Weasley as well; all the Weasleys went to Gryffindor. Junior looked at Jenny and smiled nervously. Was it a certainty that she'd go to Gryffindor, too? Then what if he wasn't also sent there? He wouldn't get to see his two best friends nearly as much. Suddenly, Junior desperately wanted to go to Gryffindor.
***
"Moore, Pallas." Junior heard the room fill with whispers as Pallas rose from his seat and walked to the platform.
Junior turned around to a stranger on the right. "How does everybody know Pallas Moore?" he whispered. "By the way, I'm Harry Potter."
The boy's eyes lit up. "You're Harry Potter?" he asked incredulously. "Wow! I'm Jason Sargone." He held out his hand and shook Junior's vigorously.
"Everybody calls me Junior," Junior said.
"Okay, Junior. Now what were you asking?" continued Jason. "Oh right. Pallas Moore's family was attacked last month when the fact that they were wizards got out. Pallas and his mother escaped, but their father was killed."
Junior glanced back and saw Pallas put the hat on.
"And then what?" pressed on Jenny, surprising Junior with her interest.
"Oh, the attackers were caught, but as Muggles they were prosecuted under Muggle law. They're in a prison somewhere in London, but Pallas wanted to give them Azkaban. Of course, a few weeks ago, Azkaban no longer existed. Pallas' Mum has sent some articles to the papers criticizing the global conferences and demanding the return of Azkaban."
"Slytherin!" bellowed the Sorting Hat. Jenny actually gave a weak wave in Pallas' direction, and then Junior decided to do the same. Pallas was slightly startled, but he nodded towards them slightly.
"I feel so stupid," said Jenny as they watched Pallas go to the Slytherin table. "I didn't know he lost his father to Muggles."
"Um, didn't you see the conference?" asked Jason tentatively. "There were a lot of questions about the Moore incident around noon."
"I haven't seen the Prophet in the last few days," said Junior. "And I was eating lunch then!" he exclaimed with realization.
"So was I," said Jenny.
"Ah," said Jason. He looked curiously from one of them to the other.
Junior and Jenny turned bright red. "Not together!" they both exclaimed.
***
"Potter, Harry." Junior heard murmurs and felt all eyes in the hall turn towards him, but he partly expected it. He walked stiffly up to the hat, sat down, and stuffed it over his head.
Interesting, said the voice of the Sorting Hat in Junior's head. I see mischievousness, quite a bit of intelligence, high loyalty, some ambition, but, well, not much courage.
That was not what Junior wanted to hear. I have courage, he mentally pleaded. Somewhere inside me! I have to! he was thinking it so hard that he wondered if others could hear him.
No, I don't see it, said the Sorting Hat. What have you done that's brave? You've had the ideal childhood.
Was this a game? Exactly, thought Junior to the sorting hat, determined to win if it indeed was a game. No acts of bravery yet, because they haven't been required. But I'll show courage someday. It's inside of me. There was no response. Come on, he begged.
There was another agonizing pause. I suppose you do have some say in the manner. You're an exception after all, with Godric's blood running through your veins. Hmm. Your wish is granted. There was a short pause. "Gryffindor!" it shouted loudly.
Junior took the hat off and headed towards the Gryffindor table in a daze.
"What happened?" Will blurted out. "It was on your head forever!"
Junior looked at Will tiredly. "We had a disagreement," he said.
Will was staring at him. "You're not . . . a dual heir?"
Junior sighed. "It didn't tell me if I was, and I forgot to ask." Will looked extremely disappointed. "And Will," continued Junior. "Remind me to tell you what I heard about Pallas Moore. You too, Charles," he said sternly. Will and Charles nodded while looking at him suspiciously.
Junior saw the approving looks of his parents at the staff table and smiled back. He then met the other students at the Gryffindor table. Third year Andy Glassman was a sensible kid, but his friend and fellow third year Daniel Samuelson was a jokester who considered himself hilarious. Tall fourth year Patrick Stone was another friend of theirs, and he played beater for the team.
"We placed second to Ravenclaw last year," said Patrick bitterly.
Linda Miller and Jolina Taylor were cheerful first years. Scott Jones and Marcus Hickleby were also first years, and they both excitedly asked Junior if he was going to try out for the team. Junior said that he definitely would, and Will said that he would as well.
"You'd better," said Patrick solemnly.
The prefect was a sixth year named Richard Weasley, who Junior and Will already knew really well. Richie was a tall, freckled, red-headed boy who used to have a tendency to lecture and fuss over the tiniest details. Recently, however, he had irritated his father Percy Weasley by becoming a bit more laid back. Penelope Clearwater Weasley, Richie's Mum, the one who always told Percy to relax, was probably a factor in Richie's personality shift.
***
"Sargone, Jason."
Jason rose and hurried to the hat. It stayed on for a minute, and then it shouted "Hufflepuff!"
That wasn't so bad, thought Harry. He'd have a few classes with Jason in the upcoming years.
***
"Thompson, Melissa."
Melissa was sorted into Ravenclaw, to the bewilderment of Junior and Will.
"She's really that smart?" asked Will as he and Junior waved at her.
"Appears so," said Junior uncertainly.
***
"Weasley, Jenny."
Jenny got up nervously. She looked at Junior and Will for encouragement, and they gave her the thumbs up. She smiled weakly and headed towards the hat.
As soon as she had put it on, it bellowed "Gryffindor!"
'Yes!" Junior and Will exclaimed almost simultaneously. The hat had messed up her already disorderly hair. Her eyes were suddenly bright, and she looked like she was resisting the urge to skip over to them.
"There's a surprise," said Daniel. "Another Weasley." The Gryffindors all laughed.
Jenny sat next to Will and met the others. "What are the odds?" she asked, amused.
Junior's eyes wandered to the remaining unsorted First Years. Her name would be up any minute now.
"White, Julie."
Junior's eyes stayed fixed on her as she rose gracefully and headed toward the hat. She put it on her head without any hesitation, and the hat decided to spend some time deliberating with her. Junior felt like biting his nails while waiting. "RAVENCLAW!" it shouted finally. Julie managed a smile at Junior and the others and then went off to sit with the cheering Ravenclaws. It wasn't fair, thought Junior.
***
The sorting finally ended, and then Snape thanked everybody and made a few comments about their hopes for the year. Then he waved his hand, and in front of each of a thousand students and faculty appeared the feast. There were large portions of roast chicken and potatoes and green beans off of silver plates, and they began to drink out of jeweled goblets. Junior and his friends stuffed themselves, praising the food and the castle as a whole to each other. The first years couldn't wait for their first classes, despite the older students' efforts to scare them with horror stories.
"So how are the teachers here?" asked Junior, trying to sound casual.
Will looked at him with mock disdain. "You really have no tact," he said.
"Oh, you want to know what we think of your parents," said Andy. "They're two of the school's favorite teachers. Them and Concolor."
"Your Dad knows his stuff," said Patrick. "He's very tough on us, but we enjoy his class immensely."
"I don't think he'll go easy on you, Junior," said Will.
"And I don't want him to," said Junior quickly. "I'm going to be treated the same as everybody else," he said in a tone of finality.
"The girls think Professor Potter's so cute," said Scott mockingly.
"Oh he's divine," said Linda shamelessly.
"Cuteness personified," said Jolina.
They started giggling, and Junior hid his irritation. Then he thought to himself, Well, if they think my Dad's good-looking, then I must look pretty good. He wondered what Julie thought.
"And Professor Chang? Or is it Chang-Potter?" asked Jenny awkwardly. She and her best friends would have to get used to calling Junior's Mum by another name.
"She doesn't mind either way," said Andy. "Or simply Professor Potter, unless they're both in the same room."
"But it's hard to concentrate in her class, because all the boys tend to get lost in her eyes," said Daniel. Several other boys nodded with him.
"You just have to focus on something else," Andy said casually in Daniel's direction. "And then try not to enjoy the sound of her voice too much," he added mischievously.
"And I mean, that figure--" began Daniel. His friends burst into laughter and put their hands on top of their heads in frustration, as if Daniel had just dimwittedly mentioned the one thing that they had been trying not to bring up.
"You are really grossing me out!" exclaimed a red-faced Junior. The new acquaintances only laughed harder. They regained control of themselves a little bit later.
"We were just trying to annoy you," teased Andy.
"Well, you succeeded admirably," said Junior with irritation. He forced a chuckle and an apology about losing his temper, but he still thought it was pretty disgusting.
"And Felix Concolor, who teaches History of Magic," said Patrick, who was obviously trying to change the subject. "He'll keep you awake, and he's really tough."
"So I've heard," said Will.
"And potions . . " began Andy. He shuddered.
"What's so bad about potions?" asked Jenny nervously. Junior had relayed to Will and Jenny what his parents had told him about the staff, but Harry Sr. and Cho hadn't warned him about the potions master.
"You'll see," said Daniel. "Snape made sure to get someone like him to replace him. Tyrus Spate is not to be trifled with."
***
The banquet ended, and Junior and his Gryffindor friends, feeling like they were about to explode from eating so much, rose slowly to follow Richie as he led them out to the hall to the dormitory. They walked down the wide, main corridor, ascended myriad winding staircases, and walked through one musty secret passage along the way to the dormitory.
"This was the long way," said Richie when they finally arrived at the portrait hole, but it's the easiest to remember for now." There was an old lady at the portrait hole who looked much like the description that was in his father's books of their portrait lady.
"Phoenix song," said Richie casually.
The lady in the portrait swung open to reveal the common room.
"Oh Richie," inquired Jenny just before she and Junior and Will went through the portrait hole, "who's our head of the house?"
"I almost forgot!" exclaimed Richie. He looked at his first years. "The head of the house is Felix Concolor."
***
A/N: It took me forever to invent all of those students and teachers. I hope the next part won't take so long for me to write. May I remind you that I will pay special attention to feedback on the characters?
Approximate age of Hogwarts obtained from Cassandra Claire's Draco Sinister.
Concolor's name is derived from the Latin name for the mountain lion, or cougar: Felis concolor. Name obtained from: http://www.desertusa.com/may96/du_mlion.html
I found the names for the Greek titans Pallas and Cronus on http://www.pantheon.org/areas/mythology/europe/greek/articles.html.
--4/28, Philip "Pottermaniac" Gonzales
