Author: CelestialDrgn, aka Celeste
Rating: PG-13
Category: AU, Drama/Romance
Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me, so don't sue! All you'll get is pocket lint. All my money goes towards my anime and Harry Potter possessions. Harry Potter is owned, however, by J. K. Rowling, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, and Raincoast Books publishing companies. Aside from Luke, none of the characters are mine, only the idea of my story. St. John Vianney school is also one of my creations. This is a work in progress, and is my first HP fanfic (that I will attempt to finish.) Send all comments/suggestions/flames to padfootmoonbellsouth.net.
Author's note at the end!
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A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes (6/?)
The London Under 18 soccer league was undefeated and the new regional champions. The team celebrated by eating out at a local restaurant along with family and friends. Draco, Ron, and Hermione attended the game along with James, Lily, Luke, Remus, and Sirius, and had been there when Harry scored the winning goal, 2-1 against Canterbury. Harry's group was seated at a separate table from everyone else and were talking excitedly about the game, and the upcoming school year.
"John Vianney has a house system too?" Harry asked between mouthfuls.
Hermione nodded. "There are four houses which are named after saints: Aloysius which is red, Gertrude, green, Hedwig, white, and Ignatius, which is purple. We're all in Aloysius except Draco, he's in Gertrude."
Harry swallowed his food before answering. "Hedwig? That was the name of my owl!"
Everyone stared. Ron spoke up. "Er... Harry? You don't have an owl."
"I know that, you twit, but I had one in my dream, a snowy owl."
"Wouldn't that be illegal?" Draco pondered.
"Not in a dream," replied Hermione.
They continued eating, then Harry asked, "How are the teachers like?"
"Well, there's Father Snape for one," Ron counted off on a finger.
Harry coughed, nearly choking. "Snape? A priest?!" He then burst out laughing, drawing the attention of all the surrounding tables.
"What's so funny about that?" Draco asked defensively.
Harry caught his breath, wiped his eyes, and composed himself. "I would have never pictured that grease ball to be a Catholic priest. He was a sadist toward all the students except those in his own house, Slytherin. He taught Potions, but he wanted the Defense Against the Dark Arts position for years. He would also take off points at the drop of a hat."
Hermione frowned. "Father Snape's not like that here. He's actually really pleasant, and he teaches Chemistry, that's probably where you got that he taught Potions. He also substitutes for Theology class, that's probably the Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"What about McGonagall? She taught Transfiguration."
"Who?" they asked in unison.
"You know, she has small round glasses, about Hermione's height, brown hair with some gray, very stern..."
"Do you mean Sister Catherine?" Draco asked. "She's the Chorus and Art teacher."
"She's a nun? Now I've heard everything..." Harry mumbled. "Why isn't she Sister Minerva or something like that? Minerva was her first name."
"First off, she's a sister, not a nun. Nuns are cloistered. And, sisters and nuns change their names after they earn their veil. They choose three saints they want to be named after, and those names are given to Mother Superior. Mother Superior prays, then she gives them one of the three names," stated Hermione. (A/N: this is how it works with the Dominican order, I'm not too sure if it's the same for Carmelites.)
"So, is everyone Catholic or what?" Harry inquired.
Ron grinned. "Nope, I'm Jewish. 'Mione's Catholic and Draco was agnostic the last time I checked."
"I'm Wiccan now," replied the blonde while playing with his silverware.
Harry frowned. "Wait, isn't that witchcraft?"
"This coming from someone dreaming of attending a school of witchcraft?" Draco smirked. "Yeah, but it's not Satanic. Wiccans don't believe in a devil because he's a character from Christianity. We believe in the Lord and Lady." Draco then pulled out a chain that was tucked into his shirt. A silver star within a circle dangled from the end of the necklace. "This is a pentacle. It's the sign of Wiccan belief, kind of like a cross is for Christians and the Star of David for Jews."
"Awesome," Harry breathed. He fingered the pentacle. "It's beautiful."
"Do you remember anything having to do with Catholicism?" Ron asked Harry.
Harry laughed. "No, my mum had to tell me really quick how to receive Communion during Mass. It's just really weird how I've lost all memory of my past. Hogwarts just seemed very real to me, more real than the present."
Their group finished eating and went home.
======
Soon, September was at their doorstep and Harry was preparing for school. He had his uniform which consisted of a white oxford shirt, khaki trousers, a tie (either school or house tie) and either a black vest, cardigan, or blazer that had the house crest over his heart, folded neatly in his trunk. The crest of Harry's house, Aloysius, had a red background and a cross with a silver crescent moon resting where the crossbeam met the upright beam of the cross. Harry also had a sweatshirt with the school crest on it, which was a shield split into four parts by a brown cross; in the upper left corner of the crest was a miniature copy of Aloysius' crest. The upper right corner had a green background with a traveling staff and a white rose wrapped around the base; this was Gertrude's crest. Ignatius was in the lower left corner; this had a purple background and had an open book with a dove flying upward, and Hedwig was in the lower right. This crest had a white background with a cross and a crown resting atop the crossbeam. Harry learned that all the people who were sorted into the four different houses at Hogwarts were all in the same houses at St. John Vianney, the only difference being the name of the houses.
Harry finished packing his trunk including his art supplies and sketch pads, along with extra clothes and his school books. He wished he could have placed a featherweight charm on his trunk as he lugged it downstairs and into the car. Harry leaned against the door, panting, as his family scurried around inside the house. After tying Luke's shoes, finding his Dad's keys and his mother's purse, they were on their way to King's Cross. Harry's ticket was for platform 10, but he patted the wall separating platforms nine and ten where the barrier would normally be that concealed the scarlet train that was the Hogwarts' Express. The wall was solid.
Draco and Ron were about to board the train when they spotted Harry by the wall.
"Oi, Harry! What're yeh up to, mate?" Ron asked, looking at him peculiarly.
"Oh, you got your cast removed!" Draco noted, nodding toward Harry's pale arm.
"Yeah, it feels lighter, not to mention the skin's about five shades lighter than the rest of my body," Harry stated.
"Really now?" Draco said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Mind if I take a look?"
Ron burst out laughing as Harry flushed beet red. Draco had made it clear three weeks prior he had no interest whatsoever in the opposite sex. Hermione and Ron were an item, but they entirely encouraged Draco's attempts at hitting on Harry. Harry would play along good-naturedly, but when Draco would try to stroke Harry's hand or cheek, Harry would immediately pull away and pretend nothing happened. It was not that Harry was straight, he knew he was bisexual, but he was not ready for a relationship.
Hermione appeared at their side a minute later, and told them they had ten minutes until the train left, so they loaded their luggage into their compartment and bid goodbye to their families. Luke begged for Harry to take him with him to school, but Harry promised instead to write every week, and Luke promised to remind his parents to include sweets in his care packages. Harry then kissed Lily on the cheek and hugged James, who gave Harry a voucher for a cab and his dorm key, then boarded the train. Harry opened the compartment door to the sounds of Draco singing "So Long, Farewell," from the Sound of Music. Hermione rolled her eyes as Ron joined Draco in singing. Harry sat beside Draco, laughing.
Draco perked up and enveloped Harry in a tight hug and sang "I'm so happy, oh, so happy!" Harry pushed Draco off and Draco pouted. "And here I thought you loved me, dearest," he huffed.
"And, pray tell, where did you get that idea?" Harry asked.
The train ride to Northumberland continued in much banter and games. An hour before they reached their destination, everyone changed into their uniforms, Harry wearing the cardigan, Ron, the vest, and Draco wearing the vest under a blazer.
"Dressing smartly, are we?" Ron asked Draco.
"But, of course!" he replied in a perfect French accent, adjusting his navy and deep green tie.
Hermione returned dressed in a white oxford shirt, a navy and red tie, a black cardigan, and a light gray skirt. She had on white knee-high trouser socks and black shoes.
"And here we have the poster-child of Catholic schooling, Hermione Granger! Show your stuff, Ms. Granger!" Draco said, earning a thwap on the head. "Hey now," he protested, feeling his hair to make sure she didn't mess up his immaculate hair style.
The train arrived just as the sun was setting, and everyone loaded their luggage onto their trolleys and wheeled them out of the way.
"What now?" Harry asked.
"Now we hail a cab to take us to the school. You and Draco share a cab, and Hermione and I will get another," Ron said.
"Okay," he replied.
Draco and he successfully hailed a cab and made the twenty minute drive to the school. They handed the driver the vouchers that paid for their fee and made their way to the school. St. John Vianney looked almost exactly like Hogwarts, but in place of the Quidditch pitch was a soccer field. A regular weeping willow stood at the same place as the whomping willow was planted. As they came closer, Harry saw an extension of the building that was not part of the original Hogwarts.
"Er, Draco? What's this?" he asked as they entered the building. An air conditioned breeze hit their faces, cooling their bodies from the humidity of the September atmosphere.
"These are the dormitories. One floor is dedicated to each house. The left side is the boys' dormitory while the girls' is to the right. My house is on this floor, yours is on the fourth floor. Just find your room number, and you'll find your room. Good luck dragging that," he said, nodding toward Harry's trunk, then promptly wheeled his trolley down the hall.
Harry managed to carry his trunk up three flights of stairs and found the room assigned to him on his schedule. He pulled out the key to his room and opened the door. The room was lay out simply, two beds were in the room along with two desks. There was one walk-in closet and chest of drawers. A single bedside table separated the beds, and there was a single washroom. No one else was in the room, so Harry chose the bed that was closest to the loo. Shortly after Harry hung his uniforms, the door opened and Neville Longbottom walked in, dragging his trunk behind him.
"Hello, Neville," Harry greeted.
"Hey, mate, looks like we're sharing a room again," the boy said, putting his trunk at the foot of his bed.
"I'm guessing it's alphabetical order, then?"
"Probably. Hurry now, we're going to miss dinner."
Harry followed Neville down the winding hallways to the familiar Great Hall, now called the Dining Hall.
The seating arrangements in the hall were set by houses with Gertrude to the far left, Ignatius, Aloysius, and to the far right was Hedwig. Harry sat by Ron and Hermione, who were sitting in the usual places they sat at Hogwarts. Looking around, Harry figured that students in Hedwig were Ravenclaw students and Ignatius were Hufflepuffs. Food was sitting in front of everyone, but no one was touching it. Harry glanced at the Head Table and had to do a double-take. Indeed, sitting in the same order as they did in Hogwarts, were Harry's teachers. Snape was dressed in the typical black outfit a priest wore complete with a small, white 'collar' that signified the position of a Diocesan Catholic priest. His hair was cut short above his collar, but was long enough to be tied back. Professor McGonagall, or Sister Catherine, was sitting beside Snape. Sister Catherine was also wearing her habit which was all black, with a black and white veil ((A/N: if you must, refer to the Sister Act movies, the Mother Superior character that Maggie Smith plays is the image I'm going for.)) Harry found it a weird sight to see the other entire faculty dressed in Muggle clothes rather than wizarding robes. One seat was empty at the Head Table, and that was the headmaster's seat. A minute later, Albus Dumbledore walked into the Dining Hall with a flourish. He wore a coat and tie, his normally long hair and beard trimmed short and hair pulled back into a small tail. All of the students stood respectfully as their headmaster stood before his seat. He gave them all a kind smile, his blue eyes twinkling excitedly.
"I would like to welcome you all back to school here at St. John Vianney. As you should have by now noticed, there are new students who have all ready been sorted randomly into your houses. I ask for you to welcome them kindly and help your fellow classmates if by chance they get lost. Now, before we say the blessing for our food, I would like to remind you of a few mandatory school rules: curfew is at eleven. All students are to be in their dormitories by that time, no later. Anyone caught roaming the halls after that time will get weekend detention unless there is an emergency.
"Also, as you should know, cheating and bullying of any form will not be tolerated in this school. While this school is predominantly Christian, we have a few students who are not Christian. Everyone is to treat everyone civilly and with utmost respect, because only in this way is it returned. There is also a Mass every morning, but an all school Mass is every Wednesday before lunch.
"All other rules will be acknowledged in your classes and are included in the handbook, but for right now let us pray." All the students bowed their heads, and Harry followed this example timidly. Dumbledore prayed for unity within the school and within each house, and everyone said the blessing for the food. After the prayer, everyone sat down and served themselves their food.
"So, how's your memory?" Seamus asked Harry while reaching across the table for the ham.
"It's not any better, this is all new still to me," he replied.
Dean mumbled something while chewing his food.
"What was that?" Seamus asked.
Dean swallowed. "I said, 'maybe you have permanent brain damage.'"
Harry blanched. "I hope not, but nothing is ringing a bell here. I couldn't even remember that prayer we did for the food."
Hermione glanced at Harry with a concerned look. "Dean may be right, though. It's been nearly a month since your injury; you should at least be getting some of your memories back."
Harry shrugged. "I guess I should be thankful that the keeper didn't damage anything aside from my memory. I mean, I could always re-learn everything that I've forgotten, if I lost anything else like my sight, there would be no way for that to return."
They all nodded sagely and continued with their dinner. Afterward, Neville and Harry went back to their room. Harry changed into pyjamas as Neville finished unpacking.
"Neville, what do we do first in the morning?"
"Well," he said, pausing in folding his extra clothes. "Breakfast is from seven to eight-thirty, and classes start at eight-fifty-five sharp. We have lunch at twelve-thirty, a twenty minute break at three, and school ends at five. After that, you do whatever you want until your activities. Oh, and the Activities Fair is tomorrow after school, that's where you sign up for whatever activity you want."
Harry walked to the bathroom and grabbed his toothbrush. "What will you sign up for?"
Neville closed his trunk, placing his school books on top of his desk. "I normally sign up for Science Club for the Biology part of it, but that's about it."
Harry finished brushing his teeth and settled into his bed. "Well, g'night Nev."
"Good night."
======
Harry awoke to the sounds of his roommate getting ready for school. Harry pulled his glasses on and glanced at the clock on the bedside table, which read seven-thirty. He sighed and sat up, blinking sleepily for a few seconds. Sighing again, Harry greeted Neville good morning and entered the bathroom. He took a quick shower which woke him up fully, brushed his teeth, then changed into his uniform. Harry straightened up his tie and glanced at his appearance in the mirror one last time before he left for the Dining Hall.
Hermione was all ready sitting at their table as Harry sat down beside her.
"Good morning, 'Mione."
"'Morning, Harry. What's your first class?"
Harry thought for a moment, trying to remember the schedule he left on his desk. "Um... I'm pretty sure it's Chemistry. And yours?"
"Algebra II," she answered, finishing her breakfast.
"Has Ron been here already?"
She snorted. "Ron, willingly awake before double-digits? I think Dean was right, you did suffer brain damage."
Harry laughed. "I didn't know if he was still like that."
Ron stumbled sleepily into the Dining Hall fifteen minutes later as Harry and Hermione were getting up to leave.
"'Morning," he yawned.
"About time you got up," Hermione chided. "Hurry up and eat, class starts in thirty minutes."
Ron nodded tiredly and sat down at the table. The remaining two walked back to the dormitories to retrieve their books and bags. They parted in the main hall, Hermione walking up to her Algebra II class and Harry walked down to the basement level of the school. The halls all looked the same, the statues and paintings of famous wizards and witches were replaced by Catholic icons and statues of saints. Harry paused by a statue of a serene looking young woman carrying a book and what looked to be a quill. He squinted at the name at the bottom of the statue. The plaque read "Saint Catherine of Siena."
Maybe this is the saint McGonagall was named after, Harry thought. He kept walking and entered the classroom that he had always dreaded entering his past four years at Hogwarts.
The classroom was clean and brightly lit. Lab tables stood at the opposite end of the classroom and regular desks were set up in the front of the classroom. At the side were two evaporation stations, and a blackboard was at the very front of the room, with another blackboard beside the lab tables. Harry sat down at one of the desks in the back row and took out his Chemistry book, a few sheets of paper, and a pen. A few minutes passed with Harry flipping idly through the book when another student walked into the room.
"Hey, Harry!" Draco greeted, sitting beside the raven-haired boy.
"Hello, Draco, did you sleep well?"
"Yes, actually. I love being back here, this school is a second home to me."
"And for me, as well." Harry glanced at the clock on the wall. "When do people start coming in here? I've been here for nearly ten minutes already."
"Oh, you know, the first bell rings at eight-fifty, then the second bell rings five minutes later to start class."
The two boys heard footsteps approaching the classroom and looked up in time to see Snape enter the room. Snape smiled when he saw the two boys sitting in his classroom.
"Good morning, gentlemen," he said to them as he set his bag on his desk and began unpacking papers and books. Snape's hair was tied back away from his face, which was one of the rules of the chemistry lab for people with longish hair.
Harry gawked at Father Snape, the complete antithesis of Professor Snape. Draco nudged Harry's arm.
"You okay?" the blonde flower child asked.
"Um... yeah, I'm good. This is just so different... I'm used to a Snape that was almost menacing, not a decent, cheerful person," Harry replied.
Draco laughed softly, his gray eyes shining with mirth. Harry had to force himself to look away from his classmate's pleasant face as the first bell rang for class.
The effect was almost instantaneous; twenty-some-odd teenagers poured into the room, chattering away. Harry recognized most of them immediately.
Everyone took their time walking to their seats and after the second bell rang five minutes later, Snape looked up.
"All right, everyone take a seat, preferably in a chair, Mr. Finnegan," Snape said.
Everyone sat down and looked attentively to their teacher.
"As you should all know, I'm Father Snape-"
"Sevvie!" someone called out. The class laughed.
"Yes, but you shall address me as either Father Snape or just Father. I don't even want to know what you call me in the corridors, and I'd prefer you keep it that way.
"All right, everyone take out some paper and a pen, you all have notes to take."
The class grumbled but obeyed his directions. Snape wrote the percentages of homework grades, tests, quizzes, participation, and similar things on the board along with passing out papers regarding the safety regulations and rules of the lab.
The rest of the school day passed quickly, with the classes shortened so that the students were able to meet all their teachers in one day. Professor Flitwick, now known as Deacon Flitwick, taught Latin class. Harry nearly panicked when he saw all the charts demonstrating the declensions of the different nouns, such as puellae and amicorum until Ron swore to him he would tutor him. Chamber Chorus was almost as bad as Latin class, as he had no clue he was a tenor and was one of the best singers in the mixed group. Professor McGonagall was indeed Sister Catherine, and taught almost the exact same style as she did at Hogwarts. Geometry was pretty easy, and Theology would take getting used to as he had no memory whatsoever of his past. Harry was pleasantly surprised when he walked in and saw Remus sitting at the desk, re-arranging papers. Harry was also delighted that his three friends were in the same Theology class. History with Mr. Binns (Professor Binns) was extremely interesting. Mr. Binns was an elderly man who still had much spirit and vigor in his 70 years, his complete attitude alert and awake and ready for the next surprise. Shakespeare class was almost a drama and literature class rolled into one, as they would be performing parts of Shakespeare's plays in front of the class as well as analyzing the text.
The bell signaling the end of the final class finally rang at five, amidst the cheers of the teenagers. Soon the whole student population was gathered in the Dining Hall for the Activities Fair. Harry automatically signed up for soccer, which was a year-round event including conditioning and training. Most of the people who had signed up played for the London Under 18 league that Harry played in. The one that caught Harry's eye was the Art Club, so he signed up for it. Quickly scanning the list, Harry saw that Dean Thomas was also signed up for the club. He did not get to see Ron and the others until dinner.
"Hiya, Harry!" Ron greeted, scooting over to give Harry room on the bench.
"Hullo, Ron. What clubs did you sign up for?"
Ron chewed his fingernails thoughtfully. "Ah... I signed up for tennis, that's in the spring, and I also signed up for Chess Club."
"I signed up for newspaper and volleyball," stated Hermione from the other side of Ron.
"I'm doing Art Club and soccer," Harry said.
Ron sighed exasperatedly. "Again? Harry, mate, you have no variety whatsoever."
Harry laughed. "What, is it a crime to do what you love?"
Dumbledore then stood up, indicating that it was time for prayer, after which everyone was allowed to eat.
During the middle of dinner, Neville shouted for Harry's attention, succeeding in drawing the attention of half the table.
"Hey, Harry! Harry! Isn't that your godfather up there with Mr. Lupin?"
The dark-haired teenager looked up to the Head Table and indeed Sirius was there, casually leaning against the table and chatting languidly with Remus.
"What's Sirius doing here?" he asked, getting up and approaching his godfather.
Remus noticed his advance and nodded in his direction, causing Sirius to turn around. Sirius' face broke out into a wide smile and he enveloped his godson in a giant hug.
"How are you, Harry? How's school?" he asked, patting him on the back.
Harry grinned. "I'm pretty good, and school will take some getting used to. Oh, and I'm in Remus' Theology class," he added.
"So I've heard! Well, I have business up here in Northumberland, so I'll be stopping by the school occasionally, and I'll see you when I do. Keep Remy in check for me, will ya?" he said, tilting his head in his lover's direction and winking.
Remus playfully hit Sirius' arm. "More like I'll be checking up on your 'Mini Me' here, Siri," he retorted.
"Excuse me," Sirius laughed. "I'm proud of my 'clone' here, how else can the Marauders live on?"
Remus shook his head. "Go back to your dinner, Harry. I assure you Sirius will be here tomorrow, you can probably play soccer against him."
Harry smiled. "Okay, I'll see you both later," he said, walking back to his table. He knew one thing at least, even if he could not remember a bit of his past, that he would enjoy this school year.
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Author's Note: School is in session, both for me and for the HP characters. : Thanks goes to Sardidus-Sky ((Dude, I have a fangirl... cool!)), Trempush ((glad you enjoy this ficcy!)), Bandit-Lone-Wolf ((heh, thanks!!)), Jade Maxwell ((thanks!!)), and Emerald Malfoy ((arigatou!)). For all you slash fans out there, a really good shounen-ai manga/graphic novel by Tokyo Pop is FAKE, by Sanami Matoh. It's about two NYC cops who have it in for each other. The story's full of drama and comedy, Dee reminds me of Sirius, and Ryo reminds me of Remus. Check it out! You can go to www.tokyopop.com for a summary. Anyway, updates will be less frequent, so you're going to have to have patience with me. I promise I'll be working on this fic in my spare time, and may even spend lunch in the computer lab to further develop this story. I learned from my friends in England that the grading system there is different than the one in the US, so Harry's gang would be in year eleven, not year ten. I edited the last chapter so that they were going into eleventh year. Also, the schedule is kinda weird because they only have seven classes rather than the usual 10 - 12 classes an English school takes, because I'm American. : I also was not aware that the arithmetic classes in England were not individual classes like they have here in the US, with Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, etc. so this fic is not accurate according to the English schooling system. Thanks Lhara and Elle for this info!! Until next time!
Rating: PG-13
Category: AU, Drama/Romance
Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me, so don't sue! All you'll get is pocket lint. All my money goes towards my anime and Harry Potter possessions. Harry Potter is owned, however, by J. K. Rowling, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, and Raincoast Books publishing companies. Aside from Luke, none of the characters are mine, only the idea of my story. St. John Vianney school is also one of my creations. This is a work in progress, and is my first HP fanfic (that I will attempt to finish.) Send all comments/suggestions/flames to padfootmoonbellsouth.net.
Author's note at the end!
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A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes (6/?)
The London Under 18 soccer league was undefeated and the new regional champions. The team celebrated by eating out at a local restaurant along with family and friends. Draco, Ron, and Hermione attended the game along with James, Lily, Luke, Remus, and Sirius, and had been there when Harry scored the winning goal, 2-1 against Canterbury. Harry's group was seated at a separate table from everyone else and were talking excitedly about the game, and the upcoming school year.
"John Vianney has a house system too?" Harry asked between mouthfuls.
Hermione nodded. "There are four houses which are named after saints: Aloysius which is red, Gertrude, green, Hedwig, white, and Ignatius, which is purple. We're all in Aloysius except Draco, he's in Gertrude."
Harry swallowed his food before answering. "Hedwig? That was the name of my owl!"
Everyone stared. Ron spoke up. "Er... Harry? You don't have an owl."
"I know that, you twit, but I had one in my dream, a snowy owl."
"Wouldn't that be illegal?" Draco pondered.
"Not in a dream," replied Hermione.
They continued eating, then Harry asked, "How are the teachers like?"
"Well, there's Father Snape for one," Ron counted off on a finger.
Harry coughed, nearly choking. "Snape? A priest?!" He then burst out laughing, drawing the attention of all the surrounding tables.
"What's so funny about that?" Draco asked defensively.
Harry caught his breath, wiped his eyes, and composed himself. "I would have never pictured that grease ball to be a Catholic priest. He was a sadist toward all the students except those in his own house, Slytherin. He taught Potions, but he wanted the Defense Against the Dark Arts position for years. He would also take off points at the drop of a hat."
Hermione frowned. "Father Snape's not like that here. He's actually really pleasant, and he teaches Chemistry, that's probably where you got that he taught Potions. He also substitutes for Theology class, that's probably the Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"What about McGonagall? She taught Transfiguration."
"Who?" they asked in unison.
"You know, she has small round glasses, about Hermione's height, brown hair with some gray, very stern..."
"Do you mean Sister Catherine?" Draco asked. "She's the Chorus and Art teacher."
"She's a nun? Now I've heard everything..." Harry mumbled. "Why isn't she Sister Minerva or something like that? Minerva was her first name."
"First off, she's a sister, not a nun. Nuns are cloistered. And, sisters and nuns change their names after they earn their veil. They choose three saints they want to be named after, and those names are given to Mother Superior. Mother Superior prays, then she gives them one of the three names," stated Hermione. (A/N: this is how it works with the Dominican order, I'm not too sure if it's the same for Carmelites.)
"So, is everyone Catholic or what?" Harry inquired.
Ron grinned. "Nope, I'm Jewish. 'Mione's Catholic and Draco was agnostic the last time I checked."
"I'm Wiccan now," replied the blonde while playing with his silverware.
Harry frowned. "Wait, isn't that witchcraft?"
"This coming from someone dreaming of attending a school of witchcraft?" Draco smirked. "Yeah, but it's not Satanic. Wiccans don't believe in a devil because he's a character from Christianity. We believe in the Lord and Lady." Draco then pulled out a chain that was tucked into his shirt. A silver star within a circle dangled from the end of the necklace. "This is a pentacle. It's the sign of Wiccan belief, kind of like a cross is for Christians and the Star of David for Jews."
"Awesome," Harry breathed. He fingered the pentacle. "It's beautiful."
"Do you remember anything having to do with Catholicism?" Ron asked Harry.
Harry laughed. "No, my mum had to tell me really quick how to receive Communion during Mass. It's just really weird how I've lost all memory of my past. Hogwarts just seemed very real to me, more real than the present."
Their group finished eating and went home.
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Soon, September was at their doorstep and Harry was preparing for school. He had his uniform which consisted of a white oxford shirt, khaki trousers, a tie (either school or house tie) and either a black vest, cardigan, or blazer that had the house crest over his heart, folded neatly in his trunk. The crest of Harry's house, Aloysius, had a red background and a cross with a silver crescent moon resting where the crossbeam met the upright beam of the cross. Harry also had a sweatshirt with the school crest on it, which was a shield split into four parts by a brown cross; in the upper left corner of the crest was a miniature copy of Aloysius' crest. The upper right corner had a green background with a traveling staff and a white rose wrapped around the base; this was Gertrude's crest. Ignatius was in the lower left corner; this had a purple background and had an open book with a dove flying upward, and Hedwig was in the lower right. This crest had a white background with a cross and a crown resting atop the crossbeam. Harry learned that all the people who were sorted into the four different houses at Hogwarts were all in the same houses at St. John Vianney, the only difference being the name of the houses.
Harry finished packing his trunk including his art supplies and sketch pads, along with extra clothes and his school books. He wished he could have placed a featherweight charm on his trunk as he lugged it downstairs and into the car. Harry leaned against the door, panting, as his family scurried around inside the house. After tying Luke's shoes, finding his Dad's keys and his mother's purse, they were on their way to King's Cross. Harry's ticket was for platform 10, but he patted the wall separating platforms nine and ten where the barrier would normally be that concealed the scarlet train that was the Hogwarts' Express. The wall was solid.
Draco and Ron were about to board the train when they spotted Harry by the wall.
"Oi, Harry! What're yeh up to, mate?" Ron asked, looking at him peculiarly.
"Oh, you got your cast removed!" Draco noted, nodding toward Harry's pale arm.
"Yeah, it feels lighter, not to mention the skin's about five shades lighter than the rest of my body," Harry stated.
"Really now?" Draco said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Mind if I take a look?"
Ron burst out laughing as Harry flushed beet red. Draco had made it clear three weeks prior he had no interest whatsoever in the opposite sex. Hermione and Ron were an item, but they entirely encouraged Draco's attempts at hitting on Harry. Harry would play along good-naturedly, but when Draco would try to stroke Harry's hand or cheek, Harry would immediately pull away and pretend nothing happened. It was not that Harry was straight, he knew he was bisexual, but he was not ready for a relationship.
Hermione appeared at their side a minute later, and told them they had ten minutes until the train left, so they loaded their luggage into their compartment and bid goodbye to their families. Luke begged for Harry to take him with him to school, but Harry promised instead to write every week, and Luke promised to remind his parents to include sweets in his care packages. Harry then kissed Lily on the cheek and hugged James, who gave Harry a voucher for a cab and his dorm key, then boarded the train. Harry opened the compartment door to the sounds of Draco singing "So Long, Farewell," from the Sound of Music. Hermione rolled her eyes as Ron joined Draco in singing. Harry sat beside Draco, laughing.
Draco perked up and enveloped Harry in a tight hug and sang "I'm so happy, oh, so happy!" Harry pushed Draco off and Draco pouted. "And here I thought you loved me, dearest," he huffed.
"And, pray tell, where did you get that idea?" Harry asked.
The train ride to Northumberland continued in much banter and games. An hour before they reached their destination, everyone changed into their uniforms, Harry wearing the cardigan, Ron, the vest, and Draco wearing the vest under a blazer.
"Dressing smartly, are we?" Ron asked Draco.
"But, of course!" he replied in a perfect French accent, adjusting his navy and deep green tie.
Hermione returned dressed in a white oxford shirt, a navy and red tie, a black cardigan, and a light gray skirt. She had on white knee-high trouser socks and black shoes.
"And here we have the poster-child of Catholic schooling, Hermione Granger! Show your stuff, Ms. Granger!" Draco said, earning a thwap on the head. "Hey now," he protested, feeling his hair to make sure she didn't mess up his immaculate hair style.
The train arrived just as the sun was setting, and everyone loaded their luggage onto their trolleys and wheeled them out of the way.
"What now?" Harry asked.
"Now we hail a cab to take us to the school. You and Draco share a cab, and Hermione and I will get another," Ron said.
"Okay," he replied.
Draco and he successfully hailed a cab and made the twenty minute drive to the school. They handed the driver the vouchers that paid for their fee and made their way to the school. St. John Vianney looked almost exactly like Hogwarts, but in place of the Quidditch pitch was a soccer field. A regular weeping willow stood at the same place as the whomping willow was planted. As they came closer, Harry saw an extension of the building that was not part of the original Hogwarts.
"Er, Draco? What's this?" he asked as they entered the building. An air conditioned breeze hit their faces, cooling their bodies from the humidity of the September atmosphere.
"These are the dormitories. One floor is dedicated to each house. The left side is the boys' dormitory while the girls' is to the right. My house is on this floor, yours is on the fourth floor. Just find your room number, and you'll find your room. Good luck dragging that," he said, nodding toward Harry's trunk, then promptly wheeled his trolley down the hall.
Harry managed to carry his trunk up three flights of stairs and found the room assigned to him on his schedule. He pulled out the key to his room and opened the door. The room was lay out simply, two beds were in the room along with two desks. There was one walk-in closet and chest of drawers. A single bedside table separated the beds, and there was a single washroom. No one else was in the room, so Harry chose the bed that was closest to the loo. Shortly after Harry hung his uniforms, the door opened and Neville Longbottom walked in, dragging his trunk behind him.
"Hello, Neville," Harry greeted.
"Hey, mate, looks like we're sharing a room again," the boy said, putting his trunk at the foot of his bed.
"I'm guessing it's alphabetical order, then?"
"Probably. Hurry now, we're going to miss dinner."
Harry followed Neville down the winding hallways to the familiar Great Hall, now called the Dining Hall.
The seating arrangements in the hall were set by houses with Gertrude to the far left, Ignatius, Aloysius, and to the far right was Hedwig. Harry sat by Ron and Hermione, who were sitting in the usual places they sat at Hogwarts. Looking around, Harry figured that students in Hedwig were Ravenclaw students and Ignatius were Hufflepuffs. Food was sitting in front of everyone, but no one was touching it. Harry glanced at the Head Table and had to do a double-take. Indeed, sitting in the same order as they did in Hogwarts, were Harry's teachers. Snape was dressed in the typical black outfit a priest wore complete with a small, white 'collar' that signified the position of a Diocesan Catholic priest. His hair was cut short above his collar, but was long enough to be tied back. Professor McGonagall, or Sister Catherine, was sitting beside Snape. Sister Catherine was also wearing her habit which was all black, with a black and white veil ((A/N: if you must, refer to the Sister Act movies, the Mother Superior character that Maggie Smith plays is the image I'm going for.)) Harry found it a weird sight to see the other entire faculty dressed in Muggle clothes rather than wizarding robes. One seat was empty at the Head Table, and that was the headmaster's seat. A minute later, Albus Dumbledore walked into the Dining Hall with a flourish. He wore a coat and tie, his normally long hair and beard trimmed short and hair pulled back into a small tail. All of the students stood respectfully as their headmaster stood before his seat. He gave them all a kind smile, his blue eyes twinkling excitedly.
"I would like to welcome you all back to school here at St. John Vianney. As you should have by now noticed, there are new students who have all ready been sorted randomly into your houses. I ask for you to welcome them kindly and help your fellow classmates if by chance they get lost. Now, before we say the blessing for our food, I would like to remind you of a few mandatory school rules: curfew is at eleven. All students are to be in their dormitories by that time, no later. Anyone caught roaming the halls after that time will get weekend detention unless there is an emergency.
"Also, as you should know, cheating and bullying of any form will not be tolerated in this school. While this school is predominantly Christian, we have a few students who are not Christian. Everyone is to treat everyone civilly and with utmost respect, because only in this way is it returned. There is also a Mass every morning, but an all school Mass is every Wednesday before lunch.
"All other rules will be acknowledged in your classes and are included in the handbook, but for right now let us pray." All the students bowed their heads, and Harry followed this example timidly. Dumbledore prayed for unity within the school and within each house, and everyone said the blessing for the food. After the prayer, everyone sat down and served themselves their food.
"So, how's your memory?" Seamus asked Harry while reaching across the table for the ham.
"It's not any better, this is all new still to me," he replied.
Dean mumbled something while chewing his food.
"What was that?" Seamus asked.
Dean swallowed. "I said, 'maybe you have permanent brain damage.'"
Harry blanched. "I hope not, but nothing is ringing a bell here. I couldn't even remember that prayer we did for the food."
Hermione glanced at Harry with a concerned look. "Dean may be right, though. It's been nearly a month since your injury; you should at least be getting some of your memories back."
Harry shrugged. "I guess I should be thankful that the keeper didn't damage anything aside from my memory. I mean, I could always re-learn everything that I've forgotten, if I lost anything else like my sight, there would be no way for that to return."
They all nodded sagely and continued with their dinner. Afterward, Neville and Harry went back to their room. Harry changed into pyjamas as Neville finished unpacking.
"Neville, what do we do first in the morning?"
"Well," he said, pausing in folding his extra clothes. "Breakfast is from seven to eight-thirty, and classes start at eight-fifty-five sharp. We have lunch at twelve-thirty, a twenty minute break at three, and school ends at five. After that, you do whatever you want until your activities. Oh, and the Activities Fair is tomorrow after school, that's where you sign up for whatever activity you want."
Harry walked to the bathroom and grabbed his toothbrush. "What will you sign up for?"
Neville closed his trunk, placing his school books on top of his desk. "I normally sign up for Science Club for the Biology part of it, but that's about it."
Harry finished brushing his teeth and settled into his bed. "Well, g'night Nev."
"Good night."
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Harry awoke to the sounds of his roommate getting ready for school. Harry pulled his glasses on and glanced at the clock on the bedside table, which read seven-thirty. He sighed and sat up, blinking sleepily for a few seconds. Sighing again, Harry greeted Neville good morning and entered the bathroom. He took a quick shower which woke him up fully, brushed his teeth, then changed into his uniform. Harry straightened up his tie and glanced at his appearance in the mirror one last time before he left for the Dining Hall.
Hermione was all ready sitting at their table as Harry sat down beside her.
"Good morning, 'Mione."
"'Morning, Harry. What's your first class?"
Harry thought for a moment, trying to remember the schedule he left on his desk. "Um... I'm pretty sure it's Chemistry. And yours?"
"Algebra II," she answered, finishing her breakfast.
"Has Ron been here already?"
She snorted. "Ron, willingly awake before double-digits? I think Dean was right, you did suffer brain damage."
Harry laughed. "I didn't know if he was still like that."
Ron stumbled sleepily into the Dining Hall fifteen minutes later as Harry and Hermione were getting up to leave.
"'Morning," he yawned.
"About time you got up," Hermione chided. "Hurry up and eat, class starts in thirty minutes."
Ron nodded tiredly and sat down at the table. The remaining two walked back to the dormitories to retrieve their books and bags. They parted in the main hall, Hermione walking up to her Algebra II class and Harry walked down to the basement level of the school. The halls all looked the same, the statues and paintings of famous wizards and witches were replaced by Catholic icons and statues of saints. Harry paused by a statue of a serene looking young woman carrying a book and what looked to be a quill. He squinted at the name at the bottom of the statue. The plaque read "Saint Catherine of Siena."
Maybe this is the saint McGonagall was named after, Harry thought. He kept walking and entered the classroom that he had always dreaded entering his past four years at Hogwarts.
The classroom was clean and brightly lit. Lab tables stood at the opposite end of the classroom and regular desks were set up in the front of the classroom. At the side were two evaporation stations, and a blackboard was at the very front of the room, with another blackboard beside the lab tables. Harry sat down at one of the desks in the back row and took out his Chemistry book, a few sheets of paper, and a pen. A few minutes passed with Harry flipping idly through the book when another student walked into the room.
"Hey, Harry!" Draco greeted, sitting beside the raven-haired boy.
"Hello, Draco, did you sleep well?"
"Yes, actually. I love being back here, this school is a second home to me."
"And for me, as well." Harry glanced at the clock on the wall. "When do people start coming in here? I've been here for nearly ten minutes already."
"Oh, you know, the first bell rings at eight-fifty, then the second bell rings five minutes later to start class."
The two boys heard footsteps approaching the classroom and looked up in time to see Snape enter the room. Snape smiled when he saw the two boys sitting in his classroom.
"Good morning, gentlemen," he said to them as he set his bag on his desk and began unpacking papers and books. Snape's hair was tied back away from his face, which was one of the rules of the chemistry lab for people with longish hair.
Harry gawked at Father Snape, the complete antithesis of Professor Snape. Draco nudged Harry's arm.
"You okay?" the blonde flower child asked.
"Um... yeah, I'm good. This is just so different... I'm used to a Snape that was almost menacing, not a decent, cheerful person," Harry replied.
Draco laughed softly, his gray eyes shining with mirth. Harry had to force himself to look away from his classmate's pleasant face as the first bell rang for class.
The effect was almost instantaneous; twenty-some-odd teenagers poured into the room, chattering away. Harry recognized most of them immediately.
Everyone took their time walking to their seats and after the second bell rang five minutes later, Snape looked up.
"All right, everyone take a seat, preferably in a chair, Mr. Finnegan," Snape said.
Everyone sat down and looked attentively to their teacher.
"As you should all know, I'm Father Snape-"
"Sevvie!" someone called out. The class laughed.
"Yes, but you shall address me as either Father Snape or just Father. I don't even want to know what you call me in the corridors, and I'd prefer you keep it that way.
"All right, everyone take out some paper and a pen, you all have notes to take."
The class grumbled but obeyed his directions. Snape wrote the percentages of homework grades, tests, quizzes, participation, and similar things on the board along with passing out papers regarding the safety regulations and rules of the lab.
The rest of the school day passed quickly, with the classes shortened so that the students were able to meet all their teachers in one day. Professor Flitwick, now known as Deacon Flitwick, taught Latin class. Harry nearly panicked when he saw all the charts demonstrating the declensions of the different nouns, such as puellae and amicorum until Ron swore to him he would tutor him. Chamber Chorus was almost as bad as Latin class, as he had no clue he was a tenor and was one of the best singers in the mixed group. Professor McGonagall was indeed Sister Catherine, and taught almost the exact same style as she did at Hogwarts. Geometry was pretty easy, and Theology would take getting used to as he had no memory whatsoever of his past. Harry was pleasantly surprised when he walked in and saw Remus sitting at the desk, re-arranging papers. Harry was also delighted that his three friends were in the same Theology class. History with Mr. Binns (Professor Binns) was extremely interesting. Mr. Binns was an elderly man who still had much spirit and vigor in his 70 years, his complete attitude alert and awake and ready for the next surprise. Shakespeare class was almost a drama and literature class rolled into one, as they would be performing parts of Shakespeare's plays in front of the class as well as analyzing the text.
The bell signaling the end of the final class finally rang at five, amidst the cheers of the teenagers. Soon the whole student population was gathered in the Dining Hall for the Activities Fair. Harry automatically signed up for soccer, which was a year-round event including conditioning and training. Most of the people who had signed up played for the London Under 18 league that Harry played in. The one that caught Harry's eye was the Art Club, so he signed up for it. Quickly scanning the list, Harry saw that Dean Thomas was also signed up for the club. He did not get to see Ron and the others until dinner.
"Hiya, Harry!" Ron greeted, scooting over to give Harry room on the bench.
"Hullo, Ron. What clubs did you sign up for?"
Ron chewed his fingernails thoughtfully. "Ah... I signed up for tennis, that's in the spring, and I also signed up for Chess Club."
"I signed up for newspaper and volleyball," stated Hermione from the other side of Ron.
"I'm doing Art Club and soccer," Harry said.
Ron sighed exasperatedly. "Again? Harry, mate, you have no variety whatsoever."
Harry laughed. "What, is it a crime to do what you love?"
Dumbledore then stood up, indicating that it was time for prayer, after which everyone was allowed to eat.
During the middle of dinner, Neville shouted for Harry's attention, succeeding in drawing the attention of half the table.
"Hey, Harry! Harry! Isn't that your godfather up there with Mr. Lupin?"
The dark-haired teenager looked up to the Head Table and indeed Sirius was there, casually leaning against the table and chatting languidly with Remus.
"What's Sirius doing here?" he asked, getting up and approaching his godfather.
Remus noticed his advance and nodded in his direction, causing Sirius to turn around. Sirius' face broke out into a wide smile and he enveloped his godson in a giant hug.
"How are you, Harry? How's school?" he asked, patting him on the back.
Harry grinned. "I'm pretty good, and school will take some getting used to. Oh, and I'm in Remus' Theology class," he added.
"So I've heard! Well, I have business up here in Northumberland, so I'll be stopping by the school occasionally, and I'll see you when I do. Keep Remy in check for me, will ya?" he said, tilting his head in his lover's direction and winking.
Remus playfully hit Sirius' arm. "More like I'll be checking up on your 'Mini Me' here, Siri," he retorted.
"Excuse me," Sirius laughed. "I'm proud of my 'clone' here, how else can the Marauders live on?"
Remus shook his head. "Go back to your dinner, Harry. I assure you Sirius will be here tomorrow, you can probably play soccer against him."
Harry smiled. "Okay, I'll see you both later," he said, walking back to his table. He knew one thing at least, even if he could not remember a bit of his past, that he would enjoy this school year.
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Author's Note: School is in session, both for me and for the HP characters. : Thanks goes to Sardidus-Sky ((Dude, I have a fangirl... cool!)), Trempush ((glad you enjoy this ficcy!)), Bandit-Lone-Wolf ((heh, thanks!!)), Jade Maxwell ((thanks!!)), and Emerald Malfoy ((arigatou!)). For all you slash fans out there, a really good shounen-ai manga/graphic novel by Tokyo Pop is FAKE, by Sanami Matoh. It's about two NYC cops who have it in for each other. The story's full of drama and comedy, Dee reminds me of Sirius, and Ryo reminds me of Remus. Check it out! You can go to www.tokyopop.com for a summary. Anyway, updates will be less frequent, so you're going to have to have patience with me. I promise I'll be working on this fic in my spare time, and may even spend lunch in the computer lab to further develop this story. I learned from my friends in England that the grading system there is different than the one in the US, so Harry's gang would be in year eleven, not year ten. I edited the last chapter so that they were going into eleventh year. Also, the schedule is kinda weird because they only have seven classes rather than the usual 10 - 12 classes an English school takes, because I'm American. : I also was not aware that the arithmetic classes in England were not individual classes like they have here in the US, with Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, etc. so this fic is not accurate according to the English schooling system. Thanks Lhara and Elle for this info!! Until next time!