Chapter one – An Auror called Bateson
Harry found his Salvaged possessions at the foot of the stairs leading to the dormitory. He'd had some problems getting past the Fat Lady who'd seemed more distracted trying to think up this year's password, but eventually he'd managed to get her attention for long enough to convince her to let him in.
"Prima Donna, no too obvious…hmmm…what about Vibrato, perhaps. No, wait what about…"
"Ahem"
"Oh its you, I guess you want to get in, don't you dear?"
"Err, yes please."
"Well what's the password then?"
"Password, but I thought you hadn't thought of one yet."
"You don't get in without the password."
"But you let me in yesterday, and the day before that"
"Password?"
"Oh, it's like that is it? Err… what about Virtuoso"
"Um, no I'd never remember that"
"Oh, well what about Vermicelli?"
"That's a type of sea food isn't it?
"Oh, right. Err… Bella Donna?"
"I like it, reminds me of myself, ok you can come in"
He trundled the heavy suitcase halfway up the stairs before coming to his senses and using a levitation charm to move it the rest of the way. The dormitory was as it had always been, perhaps a little bit tidier than it was in the middle of term time, the only mess in the room emanated from Harry's bed which was littered with parchments and text books. He set the trunk down at the base of his bed and opened it up, inside was the few trinkets that remained from Privet drive – a buffered wizard's chest set, several feet of parchment, including most of Harry's homework (Much to Harry's relief) and Hedwig's battered birdcage. Moving all of this aside he found the Invisibility cloak and the Photo Album of his parents, the two heirlooms that he had of his parents. He opened up the Photo Album as he had done thousands of times before and glanced at the friendly but distant pictures of his family. Pictures of Sirius and Remus standing with his father, pictures of himself in the arms of Friends and relatives, Harry shut the book it brought back memories of better times, fleeting memories of his family and the unrelenting memories of remorse and pain.
"It hurts, doesn't it Harry?" enquired a voice from the door, a shadow was lurking there. Harry was torn from the book; it was a voice he didn't recognise.
"Who are you?"
"I am an Auror, I know you know, what an Auror is. There aren't many of us Harry, even fewer since your parent's unfortunate demise. It takes a certain type of mind to be an Auror, Harry we have to anticipate anything, investigate anything. Harry Potter I am here to test you, I want to see the extent of your power and your resilience to Dark magic Harry."
Harry was confused, he knew who the man was, he had seen him in the corridor minutes earlier, but why was he here now, how did he get into the Gryffindor common room.
"What do you mean, you still haven't told me who you are. How did you get in here?"
The man stepped out of the shadows, his brilliant blue eyes sparkling in the candlelight.
"Who I am doesn't matter, you will know soon enough, as for getting in here, I was once also a Gryffindor, the passwords are easily guessed once you get the common theme. As for what I am going to do with you, Harry, is find your potential, it is well known that he fears you Harry, even though you would stand little chance in actual combat. He is drawn to you Harry and he doesn't know why, you feel it too don't you Harry, you feel the connection?"
"I don't know what you're talking about?"
"Don't you Harry? I know you do"
"But I don't know what you mean, I don't even know who you are?"
The Auror drew back his coat and lifted his shirt so that Harry could see what was underneath. Clearly burnt into the Auror's skin was a deep blood red scar in the shape of the dark mark. Harry's lightning scar filled with pain and Harry crashed onto the bed, clutching his forehead. Harry could sense the malignant evil radiating from the mark and was filled with the anger he felt when Voldemort or his magic was near him.
"You're one of them" stuttered Harry grabbing for his wand. The man was faster his wand was already out, "Expelliarmus" Harry's wand was sent flying.
"LISTEN TO ME POTTER, I AM NOT YOUR ENEMY" the man was very loud. "If I was, I could have killed you minutes ago. This scar is indeed from him, but I am no servant of his. This scar is very old Harry, it has always burnt and I am afraid it always will. He tortured me, Harry, destroyed my mind, burnt my flesh, made me watch as he killed my friends. That is why I am here Harry, I have felt the extent of his power, terrible and great as it."
"When you were born Harry, your birth was of great importance, I do not know the full story and I suspect there are very few in this world that actually do, I do know this though, on the night of your parents death, you were Voldemort's target, not your Father, not your Mother. Now though you have a Banquet to prepare for, we shall speak again Harry Potter."
With that the Man strode from the dormitory, leaving Harry alone. Harry rushed from the room and looked for the Auror, but the man had disappeared from the tower completely.
About an hour later Harry was still busy finishing putting on his Robes. Meeting the Auror had shaken him, did the pain he felt really mean there was a connection between himself and Voldemort and if so what did it mean. Harry already knew that when Voldemort had tried to kill him as a child he'd given Harry some of his powers, such as Parseltoungue, which allowed Harry to speak to snakes, but Harry knew little more than that. What had the mysterious Auror meant when he had spoken of Harry's potential. Out of the window Harry could see faint lights moving across the surface of the lake in the moonlight, which meant that the Hogwart's Express had arrived from Platform 9 ¾. He rushed downstairs to the Great Hall.
Everyone else was already seated at the tables when he got there; Ron had saved Harry a place between himself and Neville, Harry took the seat quickly and waited with everyone else for the first years to come in and be sorted. At the high table sat Dumbledore, on either side of him sat Cornelius Fudge and the mysterious Auror. Fudge was waiting impatiently for the things to occur, whilst the Auror simply kept his eyes firmly fixed on Harry, following him as he took his seat.
Ron turned to his friend and Harry turned his attention from the brilliant emerald eyes fixed on him from the high table.
"Harry, where have you been? We were dead worried when you didn't reply after me and Hermione sent you a letter inviting you to stay at the burrow on your Birthday. And then dad came home and told us about Voldemort and the battle at your house. He said the battle could take a long time to win and that you'd been removed from the vicinity, although he didn't know where to. We should have guessed you were here, but we were still really worried about you."
"Yeah, Harry. Ron nearly had a heart attack when you weren't at the Train station" Added Hermione who was sitting across the table from Ron.
"What's been going on Harry?" asked Ron pleadingly.
"Whatever happened to hello?" asked Harry, joking. "Really" said Hermione, "Here we are completely concerned about our well being and all you can do is joke." "I'm sorry, Hermione. But you two look so funny when you're concerned."
"So what's been happening Harry? We're dying to know as you can no doubt tell."
"Well it's a long story" said Harry.
"That's ok," said Neville, joining the conversation. "We're not going anywhere for quite some time."
The looks on the faces of Hermione and Ron echoed Neville's statement.
"Well, ok" said Harry "But when I'm done you must tell me how your summers went."
"Deal" the others said in unison.
"Ok, where to start…" said Harry
"The beginning's normally good" said Ron.
Harry gave him the kind of look that reeked of sarcasm.
"Right, after the end of term not very much happened for a very long time. I stayed with my Uncle and Aunt and my fat stupid excuse for a cousin Dudley, it was a pretty normal holiday with the Dursleys, until the night before my Birthday. That night I when I fell asleep I had a nightmare. It was the last in a long succession of bad dreams that I had been having and by far it was the worst. Anyway I woke up from the Nightmare, tired and short of breath…"
Harry would have continued, except at that point the new first years entered and Harry fell silent with everybody else for the sorting process. Professor Mcgonnagall led the long line of first years across to the hall, and showed them wgere to stand and wait, when all had entered the sorting began. The sorting hat was placed in front of the first years and every pair of eyes came to rest upon it, in the silence of the Hall, there was a rustle of ancient material and a tear in the top of the hat opened widely. Harry leaned in expectant and many others joined him, with a clearly pitched note, the silence was broken and the song began to ding.
"In times of old, when wizards of great valour did live
And noble deeds where done,
Did four wizards conspire, a gift to give
Of knowledge to the young,
Tall and fair, sweet and cunning,
Gryffindor, Ravenclaw,
Hufflepuff and Slytherin,
The great school of Hogwarts did found,
Each of the Founders did form a House
Their virtues to maintain,
And to them did they give their names,
Bold Gryffindor gathered the Brave,
Sharp Ravenclaw the cleverest did take
Diligent Hufflepuff prized those of hard work,
And Shrewd Slytherin great ambition did seek,
For many years they did divide their wards
But when all was said and done, I was left,
Helm of Gryffindor, my task to decide
To look into the mind
And find the person inside,
Do not fear, I'm never wrong,
I'll put you where you belong"
The Great Hall filled with applause, around the room, people around the room muttered to each other and then fell silent with every one else. Professor Mcgonnagall addressed the first-years, in her hands she held a large scroll of parchment, "When I callout your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool. When the Hat announces your house, you will go and sit at the appropriate table."
Without pause she immediately began to read from the top of the list,
"Ackerby, Daniel!"
One of the first years tentatively moved towards the stool, placed the Hat upon his head and sat down.
"Hufflepuff!" the Hat cried
Daniel rose and joined his table, which was cheering and wildly clapping the first year.
"Beatty, Jenny"
"Ravenclaw!"
Harry watched the young girl walk over to her table. But instantly looked away when he caught the look on Cho's face. It went from happy and cheerful to evil and spiteful in the second that her gaze caught Harry's, Harry recalled slightly, overwhelmed by the force of emotion in that look.
Cho obviously blamed Harry for Diggory's death, she wasn't the only one, and Harry still blamed himself too. Voldemort had been after him that day Cedric had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time, because Harry had agreed to share the Triwizard cup with him.
Professor Mcgonnagall continued to read out names until every first year had been sorted. When the last one had taken it s seat, Professor Flitwick, a tiny wizard who taught charms gathered up the hat and stool and carried them from the hall. Professor Mcgonnagall took her place next to Minister Fudge at the staff table, and everyone looked expectantly to the Headmaster.
Dumbledore rose to his feet, spread his arms in a gesture of greeting and the tables suddenly bristled with all kinds of wonderful food and stuff to eat.
"Let the feast commence" he said, and around the room people followed his instructions.
In the short gaps between mouthfuls, Harry managed to recount the rest of the story, stopped briefly here and there, by the other three, asking questions. When he ahd finished the story, the Questions continued.
"Is Hedwig ok?" asked Ron,
"Yeah, she flew in two days ago, still grasping your letter. I'm sorry Ron that I left you guys in the dark for so long, but Dumbledore and Snuffles thought it would be better if I stayed here where it was safe."
"Is Snuffles still here Harry?" asked Hermione,
"I don't know, he went to hide at Hagrid's hut when the ministry of magic got here earlier" Harry said indicating Fudge and the mysterious Auror, "but I haven't seen him since Maybe we should pop in on him later, Neville can come too."
"Really?"
"Yeah, sure. After all you are a friend."
"Great, it's just that its normally you, Ron and Hermione that get to go adventures. While I sit in the dormitory and worry about how you guys can lose points for Gryffindor. I suppose last year it wasn't as bad, what with there being the Triwizard competition and everything, but maybe this year I could keep you guys out of trouble."
"Neville, you're Rambling" said Hermione
"Sorry" said Neville, and all four of them burst into laughing.
Soon everyone had eaten there fill, and the noise had begun to die down as everyone became lethargic from eating so much, well nearly everyone, Ron much to some peoples disgust, was on his fourth helping of spotted dick.
"Ron, you'll get podgy if you eat more" chided Hermione
"I 'ont 'are this 'eacle tarf is delish"
Dumbledore rose slowly to his feet, and said "If you've all quite finished eating and drinking, Mr Weasley." He glared at Ron, who dropped his spoon and sat up straight.
The entire hall rang with laughter. "I have a few announcements, firstly, everyone present in this room, excluding some of the younger students will know that Lord Voldemort has returned. Which mean that this year there will be no visits to Hogsmeades," the room filled with groans, Harry was amongst them, "And also as of the end of next week the school will become host to an Auror training facility." He paused slightly to let this sink in before continuing.
"Under no circumstances is anyone to interrupt the Aurors without invitation or permission. Some of the older students will be invited over the next couple of weeks to be tested on voluntary terms as Auror initiates, those students if chosen by the Auror's may however freely move amongst the Aurors. As most of you will know from dealing with professor Moody last year that Auror's are the Anti Dark Magic Enforcement arm and will therefore be conducting dangerous training exercises including the use of simulated dark magic and creatures, you are strongly urged to stick to the warning.
Thirdly, as always no student is to enter the forest at any time. Mr Filch, the Caretaker has reminded me that this year, with the official opening of Weasleys' Wizardly Wheezes there are 227 new additions to the list of items forbidden in school grounds, the list may be viewed in Mr Filch's office." At the far end of the table Harry could see Fred and George smirking to themselves "Also as of this afternoon, this school is no longer under official Ministry rule and does not have to conform to Ministry standards, however any student found to be in breach of any rule previously laid down by the Ministry of Magic will be in breach of the new Hogwarts rules and will be subject to punishment as directed by me or any other member of staff. Finally, you will no doubt join me in congratulating our new professor of Defence against the Dark Arts, Professor Bateson." The blue-eyed Auror rose to his feet and everybody in the room applauded, standing next to Dumbledore, Harry suddenly realised that the bright twinkling in their eyes was the same.
Harry applauded with everybody else until silence once more returned to the room. Snape, Harry noticed hadn't applauded, but in fact looked a little bit put out by the fact the Defence against the Dark Arts job had yet again fallen to someone else.
"Who will be commencing teaching in the spring term as he will be very busy over the next few weeks with the Auror training camp. Therefore your temporary Defence against the Dark Arts teacher for this term will be Professor Snape."
The potions master also rose to his feet, the Slytherin table broke into furious applause whilst the rest of the room, except for Dumbeldore and Hagrid applauded nervously. Dumbeldore then continued to address the Hall, with jokes and humorous stories he had heard over the summer, until a look from Professor Mcgonnagall told the Headmaster that he had started to ramble. He finished his Address by sending them all to Bed, and they did as they were told.
Back at the dormitories, everyone fell quickly to sleep. Ron, Neville, Hermione and Harry, felt it would be better to wait till the following evening to visit Hagrid, before going to their separate Dormitories. Harry fell asleep with ease and fell into strange dreams about Voldemort and the blue-eyed Professor Bateson.
A/N
Phew there was a lot in that Chapter, after the mistakes in the Prologue I decided to make this chapter stick to the books as much as possible.
Hope you enjoy it. Not much exciting happens, but a few things do get explained.
Next Chapter – More revelations as they visit Hagrid and just what was that last bit in the prologue about?
Ok, Thanks to those who reviewed:
Tincerbell – Wow, big thanks, lots of constructive criticism. More like that are fine.
TeethShaver – Thanks for the correction, (that could have been embarrasing)
Yoda – Thankyou very much, sorry there wasn't any action in this chapter but there'll definetly be more coming, Strange beasts and Quidditch in later chapters
Jona – Well you know what I think about you and your story too. Lots of love for all the recent support. But hurry up with the conclusion to your own story, it'll drive people insane and then you'll complain at me and then I'll tell you that you should have done the next chapter. Gets hit on head by frying pan wielding muse
oh and everybody else as well, sorry if I've missed your name I didn't mean too.
Thanx for reading. R+R please. ( please please please pleeeaaaaase)
Bob