Harry turned around and found himself near the middle of the train. It seemed crowded toward the front, so he made his trunk small, this time in only two tries, and started wandering towards the rear of the train. He saw two older students looking at him weirdly. He didn't know why.
"You know that it's illegal to do magic outside of Hogwarts, right?" one of the students said.
"Oh, yeah. That's right, I forgot. I'm sorry. I promise to do it more discretely from now on." Whatever they expected Harry to say, that wasn't it. Harry ignored them and continued on his trek to find a compartment which had an available seat. As he neared the end, he found a compartment where a bunch of four girls were chatting amiably, and a slightly overweight boy was standing in the doorway.
"Are you sure no one has seen my toad?" the boy said, obviously distraught. He looked as if he was on the verge of tears. Some people got attached to animals, what are you going to do?
"I believe I saw a toad near the middle of the train. About this big, baize, with a brown wart on its back?" Harry said. The boy nodded and ran off very quickly up the length of the train. Harry turned and smiled at the girls.
"You can join us" one of the girls said. Upon closer inspection Harry saw she had a twin. But there were already five girls in the compartment, and not much space. Plus Harry wanted to practice turning into his panther. He was so close last time. He just couldn't get the face. But there was no time to think about that now.
"I wouldn't want to intrude" Harry said politely as he kept moving. He finally reached the end of the train, and with a hopeful look on his face, he opened the door to an empty compartment. He silently thanked god, and slid in. He tossed his matchbox sized trunk onto the seat, and tried to transform. He got fur on his face, just his face bones wouldn't move into the right position. He went back into his human form and tried again. He noticed with his improved eyesight as a panther, that the doorknob began to turn. He let out a soft snarl and leapt into the door, stopping it from opening. A girl on the other side made a grunting sound as he heard her fall over. He turned back into his human form immediately and opened the door. A girl who he assumed was a first year like him was lying on the ground with a large trunk.
"Terribly sorry" Harry said while lifting her up onto her feet. She was flushed with embarrassment. "I was just reaching for the door when you opened it. A thousand apologies" Harry continued. The girl had a mass of honey brown hair, and large brown eyes. It reminded him of that stone which used to be tree sap or something. He'd seen it on the tele one night.
"It's alright. I really don't know whether I was the one at fault or not" She said in a soft voice. Harry saw her wince as she touched her wrist
"Are you hurt?" Harry asked while looking at her wrist, it seemed a little red, but nothing looked broken.
"Just a measly rug burn" She said while she kept touching it and wincing.
"Come in here, I can fix it up for you" Harry said while guiding her into his compartment. He pulled her trunk in behind him and closed the door. She said a warm thank you, and she quickly regained a smile. It faded as Harry took her arm in his hand, and pulled out his wand.
"What- what are you doing?" She asked in a worried voice.
"Well, how else do you expect me to do it?" Harry asked. He couldn't help himself from smiling at her.
"You're not allowed to do magic outside Hogwarts" she whispered as if she said it too loud she'd get in trouble.
"Can I let you in on a little secret?" Harry asked her, she nodded. "I've been doing magic for most of the last year, and I haven't gotten in trouble yet, so don't worry about me. If anything happens, I'll take the blame, I swear it." Harry finished with his winning smile. Whenever Sirius couldn't get anything from a woman, he always sent Harry to do it. Sirius always joked that Harry could charm the scales off a snake. That wasn't a pleasing thought, but when Sirius sometimes said that Harry could charm the clothes off a woman, that usually made Harry pay attention.
The girl seemed a little unsure. "Do you even know what spell to use?" She asked. She hadn't gotten to her 'Medical Maladies' book yet, but she was sure it was going to be her next one.
"Yes. When you spend ten or so months running from people in a hotel, who, incidentally, you recently played a small joke on, you learn the spell quickly" Harry smiled. He put his wand above her skin, and she became very tense. "Relax, otherwise it may turn into a particularly nasty bruise. Just relax" he began to rub her arm gently. She nodded and closed her eyes. She listened intently as he muttered a few words. She didn't really feel anything, but when she touched her wrist, the burn was gone.
"Wow," she said wide-eyed. Harry only smiled. "I didn't think it was going to work" she said rubbing her wrist, waiting for the pain to return.
"I take it that you're muggle born" Harry said. She tilted her head, vaguely resembling a confused dog.
"Oh, oh muggle born. Yes, both of my parents are muggles, as the books say. Is that a bad thing?" She asked, all of a sudden very panicked.
"Not at all, it only means that you have a little farther to go to make the grade. You'll do fine though, I'm sure" Harry said. "What house do you want to be in?" Harry said. He felt so goofy. He'd never really talked to anyone his age before. He was secluded in school because he was quick, so the teachers made him work out of the textbooks. He was also known for his pranks on people who bothered him, so people left him alone, afraid to get on his bad side.
"Um, well I read Hogwarts: A History, and from what the books says, I think I would do well in Ravenclaw, but I suppose Gryffindor wouldn't be so bad either" she explained. Harry nodded in understanding.
"I want to be in Gryffindor. Both of my parents went there. Oh, by the way, I'm Harry"
"I'm so sorry to have been so rude as to not introduce myself. Hermione Granger. Thank you for letting me in your compartment. Another minute with the empty head I was with and I would have grown dumb" she stated while examining his face. "Where'd you get that?" she asked while tracing his scar. He liked the way her finger felt.
"From a car accident. My parents died in it when I was one, I came away with this scar" Harry said. It was what Sirius had told him to say. Shit, he was supposed to say that he and his father had survived. Damn, he had been too comfortable. He hadn't been thinking. He was such an idiot.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't think that wizards would be hurt in… so, since your parents are, you know, who do you live with?" she didn't want to make him uncomfortable, he supposed she noticed his uneasiness.
"With my godfather. He's a wizard too, a spanking good one at that, but we lived in the muggle world for the most part. He didn't want to stay in the magical world, and I don't blame him" Harry said. Hermione seemed to buy it. "So, you read Hogwarts: A History? I did too. I found it a bit boring and drawn out. Had it not been written so well I don't think I would have finished it" Harry finished. This making friends part wasn't so hard.
"Oh, I loved it. It was very informative. I can't wait to start searching for the hidden passages, and there are so many secrets in it, I would be happy to just wander the halls, if the book is at all accurate with its description. However, I really wanted an owl to be able to talk to my parents, but I was foolish enough to tell them that Hogwarts had school owls I could use. So they wouldn't get me one. I can't wait to send out my first letter" Hermione said her, voice full of excitement.
"When you go to send it, tell me and I'll come along. I have a letter to send myself" Harry described.
"Already?" she asked.
"Yeah, I couldn't often send out letters when living in a muggle world. Besides, this is a very important letter, and I need a reliable owl" Harry said while he looked to the last car of the train, which housed the owls. He couldn't send Mercury. Mercury was only to be used between himself and Sirius, no exceptions.
"Who is it to?" Hermione asked. He could judge from her questions this was a smart one, wanting to know everything. Harry just learned everything because he had to, she actually wanted to.
"I shouldn't say" Harry watched her face fall. "But, I can tell you it is a friend of my Godfather's" she seemed to beam to be trusted with such sensitive information. Harry didn't know why he trusted her, but she seemed nice enough. The door opened up, and Harry and Hermione both realized how close together they were. The slid apart as a conceited looking blonde boy walked in with two large and lopsided looking kids.
"Who're you?" He asked blandly, staring like ice at Harry.
"Why, of course you may enter our compartment here. Don't even ask" Harry said, getting a giggle from Hermione. "And since you're entering our compartment, shouldn't you introduce yourself first, but wait, I already know who you are, Draco Malfoy. I know a bit about Malfoys, nearly all of them turn out dark. Your father was way up in Voldemort's ring wasn't he?" Malfoy's two goons stared with their eyes agape and stepped back in fear. Malfoy just quivered. "I know all about you and your quest to rid the world of everyone but the purebloods. Next time you come in here, you'd better have a decent attitude, and a better demeanor. I personally don't like people who have make up for their small genitalia by picking on others. Especially when those people are spoiled little children. So why don't you leave here, and don't come back." Harry never had to raise his voice, he never even needed to stand up. His unmoved face was all that was needed. The boy stepped back and closed the door. Harry let out a sigh.
"Do you know him?" Hermione asked. If the questions ever ended he would think something was wrong.
"I know of him. The genitalia remark I have to admit I stole from my Godfather" Harry returned to his chipper face and looked back at her. She was a cute girl. He would be afraid to take her to see Sirius. Sirius would say things that would make Dumbledore blush.
"Who is Voldemort?" Hermione asked, "I've never heard him mentioned before." She saw Harry's face loose its smile, but she was glad to see his eyes still glowed. They were very green, like those crystals in some of her parent's jewelry.
"Yes you have. Every calls him You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Everyone is still afraid of him. If you don't want to stand out as a target, I suggest you do the same. I just grew up calling him Voldemort. You saw how white they got when I said his name. He was the darkest wizard in modern times. Killed muggles and muggle-born wizards and witches alike. Even pureblooded wizards and witches who got in his way" Harry said solemnly.
"What happened to him?" Hermione asked. A grin flashed across Harry's face before he turned towards the window. She saw his face become very sad in the reflection.
"He went to kill a family. The Potters. He killed the father, and the mother, but the baby somehow stopped him, and the curse he used rebounded, and killed him. Many don't think he's really gone, me being one of them, and they still fear him. The baby was kidnapped by one of his followers, and no one know what happened to him" Harry turned back to her his face more calm and composed. "His name was Harry Potter, and is if he's still alive." She could tell from his eyes that his thoughts were going differently. He was hiding something, but she left it at that.
She quickly changed the subject to the classes they would be taking. Hermione remembered that family members usually were in the same houses, so Harry was probably going to become a Gryffindor. He described the houses to her from the real life description he'd gotten from his Godfather. Her opinion began to lean more toward Gryffindor, especially if he was going there. She did notice, however, that h never mentioned the name of his Godfather, always referring to him as 'my Godfather.' She knew, despite only knowing him for a few hours, that he was holding back. Harry looked around and outside the window.
"We should be getting into our robes now, I expect we'll arrive soon. Do you want to go first?" Harry asked. He was getting hungry. Hermione had mentioned before that a kind lady was rolling a trolley around with sweets. She never stopped at his compartment. Hermione nodded, and Harry stepped out of the compartment closing the door behind him. He looked up the train and saw that the boy had indeed found his toad. They were feeding it jelly beans, as they appeared, and the toad was very content to hop around after them. Two knocks on the door told him she was done. He entered and smiled at her.
"Do I look alright?" she asked anxiously.
"You look just like a first year witch, I have no complaints" Harry said kindly. He liked this girl, and secretly wished they would end up in the same house. He wanted Gryffindor, and from what he understood from her intelligence and reading habits, she was Ravenclaw all the way.
"I suppose I should leave and let you change" She muttered as she put a few more things back into her trunk. He should have guessed that it was perfectly organized.
"It doesn't matter to me, I'm only taking off my shirt, there's nothing to see, and not much to hide either" He said as he tossed off his shirt. Out of respect she turned away, but she couldn't help from blushing. "I'm done, see? No damage" Harry stated. She turned around, and he was amused by her slight blush. She looked cute.
As if on cue, the train lurched a little as it slowed down. Harry tossed his shirt into his trunk. He would attempt to neaten things up later. As the train drew to a stop, Harry made his trunk small and pocketed it. There was a booming voice outside.
"Firs' years follow me. Firs' years over here. Leave yer trunks on the train. They'll be taken up by themselves. Firs' years over here…" The voice yelled. Harry wasn't about to trust anyone to his trunk, and slipped it in his pocket. He followed Hermione out of the compartment and out to the station. They flocked over to a gigantic man, white a beard large enough to hide a Christmas turkey. Thinking of Christmas turkey made Harry sick. Every year Sirius would get the biggest turkey he could find, and they would eat the leftovers for weeks. Harry was convinced he would never eat turkey again. Harry huddled next to Hermione around the giant of a man. Harry noticed a few of them noticed each other. Maybe they were friends from before Hogwarts. He guessed this much and followed the man down a short path a little away from the hissing train.
"Welcome, firs' years te Hogwarts. We'll be taken the boats 'cross. Hurry up and don't git stuck behind, don' wanna be late fer yer sortin', now do we" The man said. He seemed jolly enough. Harry saw the glimmer of pride he had in his job. He wondered if this was a professor. They suddenly came across a beach with a number of small boats. Harry helped Hermione in before hopping in himself. A red haired boy entered their boat too. He seemed a bit upset that all the other boats were filled. They sat and watched in wonder as they rounded a peninsula to come into full view of the castle in all its majesty. Its lights twinkled on the lake like stars flickering in the sky. The navy blue behind the black castle created a godly silhouette which Harry could only describe with awe. Sirius was right; 'as soon as you round that rock and the castle comes into view, you forget about anything else. It truly is a magical place.' Harry was suddenly very glad to have such a good mentor. And father. They continued towards the cliffs, and Harry saw a thick growth of vines. Something that thick was hiding something. No sooner had he had the thought than the vines lifted, allowing the boats to go into a cave, which took them to an underground beach, complete with a staircase up, into the castle. Harry leapt out and help Hermione get out. She stumbled a little on the sand, but he didn't let her fall, and she whispered a thank you as if the cool dripping sound of the cave was not meant to be disturbed. He followed her up the stairs until they came to a stern looking old woman with a lit wand. In the flickering light of the torches, she looked very mysterious.
"I am Professor McGonagal, Head of Gryffindor House, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In a few moments we will enter the Sorting Ceremony. I expect that you all will behave properly during the entire ceremony, and I hope you enjoy your stay. I will come back in a few moments to get you. Do not, under any circumstances leave the places you are standing" She said, before turning, sliding through the doorway, leaving them in the torchlight.
"I heard we have to wrestle a troll" said one very anxious girl.
"It's a hat. All we have to do is put on a hat, it'll tell us where to go. Don't worry about it, I assure you it's painful, I mean, painless" Harry said. Hermione saw him wink at her. Many of the other students started panicking more. It was very amusing to watch. Suddenly, the door opened revealing the silhouette of the professor.
"Follow me" she stated firmly. They all obeyed. They crossed, what Harry assumed, was the Entrance Hall, by the large double doors. They went to another pair of smaller double doors, and entered into a room larger than was possible with such thin stone walls. Everyone was marveling at the starlit ceiling, reflecting the sky. Harry still had to find a way out of the sorting, so his mind was occupied as they stopped near the front of the hall, in front of the teachers table. The professor pulled out a stool with an old, patched, and dirty hat. She tapped it with her wand and it began to sing a song. Harry didn't pay attention. He was too busy trying to formulate a plan in his head. He sensed that someone was watching him, and he met their gaze. It was the Headmaster with his sparkling blue eyes. He was indeed staring at the one child who instead of paying attention to the song was obviously deep in thought. As the song ended, and the professor took out a book, knowing he had to do this before the sorting, he took action.
"Now, to begin the sorting-" Professor McGonagal started, and stopped as one of the first years walked up onto the elevated box, but instead of going for the hat went right up to the Headmaster. There was a wave of confusion as the boy walked out from his place in the crowd of first years. It was simply unheard of. He didn't want everyone to hear, but in the growing silence, he had no choice.
"I need to speak with you, alone" Harry said, as respectfully as he could to the man with a really long white beard.
"Surely this can wait until after the Sorting Ceremony, my dear boy" Dumbledore said. The stone-like gaze of this boy was beginning to make even him feel awkward.
"No, it can't. If it waits, I may have to leave" Harry said. He knew he was getting confused glances from everyone, especially Hermione, but now was not the time to be worrying about his social life. Dumbledore was now very confused, and looked to all of his colleagues, who just shrugged. He sighed and stood up.
"I apologize for the delay, but it seems I have important business to attend to. I humbly ask you all to sit still until I return, shortly" The man said. He could even make an apology feel like warm butter. The Headmaster signaled for Harry to come along.
"She should come too" Harry said pointing to Professor McGonagal. Dumbledore waved for her to come too, and they entered a door near the side of the staff table. Harry waited until they were in and shut the door. To say he was nervous was an understatement.
"Now, my dear boy, what is so important that you needed to see me immediately?" Dumbledore asked.
"How many first years are there here, including myself?" Harry asked in return.
"Twenty five" the professor said.
"That doesn't strike you as strange?" Harry asked Dumbledore. Dumbledore shook his head wondering what the boy was getting at.
"How many names are down for this year, Professor?" Harry asked McGonagal.
"Twenty five" she said. Her annoyance was getting the better of her.
"Can you please read those names?" Harry asked politely. She consented after a nod from the Headmaster She finished the list quickly and Harry stared Dumbledore in the eyes. Dumbledore was quite surprised by the confidence the child had. He would not be fooled with.
"There is one name on that list, which stands out doesn't it?" Harry said. A look of shock crossed the Deputy Headmistress's face. Dumbledore looked doubtful.
"So you say you are Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore asked as he took a seat next to Professor McGonagal.
"In the flesh" Harry said while taking a mock bow. "Oh, I almost forgot. Sirius wanted me to give this to you" Harry said while handing Dumbledore a sealed envelope. Dumbledore started to open it.
"It could be a trap!" McGonagal said firmly. "You never know what Black would do" She spat. Harry walked forward and snatched the letter he had just given to Dumbledore. Dumbledore was taken aback.
"If you think he booby trapped it, I'll open it. Sirius wouldn't get anything from hurting Dumbledore, I mean the Headmaster. His death list is very short" Harry explained while breaking the wax seal.
"Really, and do you know the contents of that list?" Dumbledore said innocently. Harry knew he was pressing for information.
"Of course, he tells me nearly everything. How do you think I learned to protect myself" McGonagal started to scoff, but stopped as soon as she found a wand in her face. "He taught me how to draw quickly. Speed is everything in a getaway. Oh, his list. The first named is Peter Pettigrew, but I'm sure the letter will explain that, next is Voldemort, (McGonagal shivered), that goes without saying. Next is Hitler. It turns out that Sirius's grandparents were stuck in Germany during the Holocaust, and they happened to be Jewish. And last is Severus Snape, but Sirius never mentioned why. I think it has something to do about the time Sirius went here." Harry said as he handed the open letter to Dumbledore. Dumbledore adjusted his half moon spectacles and read, mumbling to himself as he went along. Occasionally he lifted his eyebrows. He finished quickly. Harry was amazed at the man's reading speed.
"Tell me, Harry why didn't Sirius come forward after the night your parents died?" Dumbledore asked.
"Because who would have believed him? He said that you, Moony (Dumbledore raised his eyebrows), Remus Lupin, and a few others were told that he was the secret keeper. Peter disappeared, because no one would believe Sirius, but if Peter was caught, then he could easily be indicted. So Sirius took me and ran. We spent the last eleven months together. He taught me tons of stuff. Oh, did you get Voldemort's (McGonagal cringed again) wand. Ollivander said he'd send it to you" Harry said.
"Yes I received it, he also told me the strange parameters in which he acquired it. Am I to guess it was you and Sirius, under disguise?"
"Yup, Polyjuice potion. I hated the taste of the stuff. Went down like old chunky oatmeal. Nasty, really. Anyway, so he decided I had to come here, and I did. And don't ask, I have no idea where he is, he is off gallivanting across the country until the school year ends. Oh, and he didn't teach me dark magic. He really avoided exposing me to dark magic. That was the entire reason he took me to Diagon Ally to get me my own wand. He didn't want me using Voldemort's (McGonagal looked away to hide her cringe). I hope I didn't miss telling you anything. Oh yeah, I made you stop the sorting because I don't want to be sorted as Harry Potter. The entire ministry will come after me and try to get him if you make me get sorted that way. If you could just write me in that nice little book as Harry Mutton, I would be very happy indeed" Harry said. He noticed that the Professor looked violated at suggesting they alter the book. Dumbledore looked pensive. He was looking at Harry very carefully.
"You do have Lily's eyes, and you look very much like James. It seems that you could only be their son. However, this is what grabs my attention, yet I do not know why" Dumbledore said while pointing at Harry's scar.
"Sirius said I had it on me when he found me. He thinks I got it from stopping Voldemort. Something about dark magic, even when it fails, always leaves a mark." Harry wondered why this made Dumbledore smile.
"It is nice to know that he remembers some of the things I taught him" Dumbledore said with his gleaming smile.
"He said he'd trust you with his life, but only you. That's why he never came to see you. He knew that someone would talk, and we'd get separated" Harry described.
"Well now, I believe that you are indeed, Harry James Potter, and I will have you sorted under the name of Harry Mutton. However, we will speak later, at a more convenient time about this. I do not wish to keep the students waiting any longer." With those words Dumbledore stood up, and led them out into the Great Hall. The quiet tension was heavy, but Harry shook it off as he took his place amongst the other first years.
"What was that all about?" Hermione asked as he stood next to her.
"Nothing too important" Harry responded. It was another lie, but she could tell from what she knew of him that he only lied for a good reason. The sorting started, and students began being sorted. Harry ignored much of the proceedings until 'Granger, Hermione' was called. He smiled at her as she anxious grinned at him and went up to put the hat on. It was silent for about two minutes. Harry sensed it was one of the longer sorting times.
"Gryffindor" echoed throughout the Hall as she took the hat off and went over to the table which was standing and waving to her. She sent a smile over to Harry and Harry returned it with glee. He turned his attention back to is own thoughts. In reality he was trying to figure out what Dumbledore would ask him. He had to know what his answers were beforehand.
"Malfoy, Draco" The hat yelled. Harry knew he didn't need to see this. He knew it already. Almost as soon as the hat covered the boy's head, it shouted out "Slytherin!" Harry saw the Headmistress look unsurely to the Headmaster, who signaled for her to go on.
"Mutton, Harry." Harry wasn't expecting to be called so soon. He had forgotten that his alias last name started with an M. He walked up and grinned as he heard the words being muttered around the Hall. "That's the kid!" "He's the one who stopped the sorting" "Trouble, he is."
Hermione listened to the conversation between a few of the boys seated near her. "I hope he doesn't come to Gryffindor." One said. He looked older than the other two, and the other two appeared to be twins. All three had blazing red hair.
"Come off it Perce, he's a troublemaker if I ever saw one" said one of the twins.
"Yeah, we need a prodigy to pass the gift down to. I really like the kid" said the other twin.
"You don't even know him" said the eldest.
"But he stopped the entire sorting, we never even had the courage to try that one. I'd like him even if he followed You-Know-Who" said the first twin. The second nodded in agreement. Hermione turned back to the sorting. Harry seemed to be taking a while.
Meanwhile, under the hat, the conversation went a little bit like this.
"My, my, Mr. Potter, nice to finally meet you" the hat said.
"No way, the pleasure's all mine" Harry thought.
"Well, now, where should we put you? You have a desire to learn, a strong trait of the Ravenclaw's-" the hat began.
"Wait, don't the Ravenclaws study to get good marks?" Harry asked in his head.
"Yes-"
"I think I'll do more damage to them than good. What else do you have for me?" Harry asked. Sirius told him to enjoy it, and that was exactly what Harry was going to do.
"You wouldn't really suit Hufflepuff-" The hat continued.
"Why? Am I not good enough for the Hufflepuffs? Why can't I be a Hufflepuff?" Harry pressed.
"I suppose you could go with Hufflepuff if you really want to. The choice is yours in the end. I just feel you have too strong of a personality to be in Hufflepuff, however upon further evaluation, you do have that hardworking nature-" the hat attempted to move on.
"Good, I'd like to think I'd fit in anywhere. So what's the next deal you're going to present me with?" Harry asked.
"Well, you could be great in Slytherin-"
"Great? At what? Murder? Torture? Purebloodedness? You seem to have really terrible taste. I don't you have the qualifications to guide me into my future house. You make me sick" Harry thought. He thought he almost heard a groan from the hat.
"And then, there's Gryffindor-" the hat said, its enthusiasm replaced with sighs.
"You say it like it's a bad thing. Is it a bad thing? Is Gryffindor boring? Arrogant? Tell me, you pretty little fedora. What's Gryffindor like?" Harry knew he was putting the hat over the edge.
"Gryffindor is great. It is the perfect house. You'd love it. I swear" The hat said, going to any means to end this.
"Sure sounds great" Harry thought back.
"GRYFFINDOR!!!" the hat screamed before Harry could change his mind. Harry stood up and handed the hat to Professor McGonagal, before strolling over to the table where everything was red.
After the ceremony was over, Professor McGonagal took her seat next to Dumbledore.
"I know it doesn't mean anything that he went into Gryffindor, but I can't help but feel that it is very important that he got there" she turned away in humiliation when she realized she contradicted herself.
"I can't help but agree with you, Minerva" Dumbledore said with a grin. The food appeared on all the tables.
Harry sat down next to Hermione and turned to speak with her when she was pushed to the side and a very excited boy. Another one who looked identical took the seat to the other side of him.
"Fred-"
"And George Weasley"
"At your service" they said alternating between themselves.
"We're third years"
"And we couldn't help but notice"
"Your incredible skill with jokes"
"Wonderful job, old chap"
"Now, if you need any help"
"Finding secret passages"
"Finding pretty girls"
"Playing pranks"
"Playing with people's heads"
"Just come to us." Harry took this in very quickly.
"How many passages do you guys know?" Harry asked. They exchanged a look.
"Lots"
"Lots and lots"
"More than you thought existed" they said.
"Does filch still work here?" Harry asked.
"Yes" they said simultaneously.
"Right, so am I right in guessing you stole the Marauder's map from him?" Harry said quietly but with enough punch to have one of them step backward tripping over Hermione and falling over.
"Who told you?" They asked together. It was weird, like talking to one person with two faces. He didn't know which one to look at.
"Well you're what? Fourth years?" Harry asked.
"Third" they said together.
"Good. Well I naturally assumed that you weren't old enough to have found all the passages on your own, so I assumed you stole the map. I'd like to see it when I have a chance. My father and godfather both helped write it. Padfoot and Prongs, if you need to know. My dad is dead, but if you lend it to me, I can send it to my Godfather and he could copy it for you, that way you each have one, and I get one too. Plus there are some passages they never added. It needs to be edited. If you ever want to know about it, just come and ask. I should be available after dinner. We can talk a little then. I'd like to eat now, though. I'm simply famished" Harry said with a kind smile. The boys looked at him wide-eyed, and walked off. As they passed Percy, shock still on their faces, he just had to ask.
"So, what do you think of him?" Percy asked, on his way over to see the boy and other first years himself.
"He-" Fred started.
"Is God" George finished. With that they sat down to have some of their own dinner. Harry barely listened as Dumbledore spoke about the Forbidden Forest, and something about the corridor on the third floor. Something about death. Nothing too important. Finally the feast ended, and everyone followed Percy Weasley, as he introduced himself, up to the Gryffindor Common Room.
Thanks for reading. Want more of this? Leave a review. Thanks to everyone who does, and did, and will.
Liedral- Yes, Malfoy's mom is Narcissa. I needed someone very different in personality in my fic, and just changing her traits, people still would have thought of the Malfoy from JKR's books. I needed someone totally different, so, being an AU, I changed her name, and character. Sorry for any confusion.
DaBear- Yup, I had to do a monkey. If there were going to be multiple animagus shapes, and humor was a big part of Harry's persona, I had to give him an amusing animal. A monkey fit perfectly. I couldn't think of any other animal, other than a dog, that had a sense of humor. I explained the whole Narcissa thing in Liedral's response^ it's up there. Hope you liked the chapter.
Adam Johnson- Yup, Hermione and Harry have now met. And what a pair they'll make. I'm glad you enjoy the fic.
Jarvey- Glad to see you're still around reading and reviewing, nice to see ya.
Nappa- Happy to see your name in the Reviewer's box once again. I hope this chapter gives you as much heartwarming pleasure.
Poacher- Who ever said Adrianna was in Slytherin? Of course it'll have an effect on Ron. Ron isn't going to be the same guy in my fic. I personally (don't hold it against me) dislike Ron. He and Harry will have some troubles to work through. It took Harry five months to become an animagus. Five months of straight training. From then on, everything else becomes easier. Delighted to see you again. Hope you enjoyed this one.
Quis- No, I am not the first with the general idea, although I am pretty sure my plot and characters are unique. As there are so many thousands of fics out there, it is nearly impossible to have an entirely unique fic. I hope this is rare enough to gain acclaim from reviewers.
Time Twins- Harry's hair isn't green, it was Sirius who made his own hair green. I know about Narcissa. I have my explanation in my response to Liedral up there^.
Everyone, thanks for reviewing. I hope to have another chapter out soon. Drop me a review and I swear I'll work extra hard for all of you. Thanks for your support, and Happy reading.
