CHAPTER FIVE
Harry wasn't as glad to leave the Hogwarts Express as she thought she may have been. She and Druella had changed into their uniforms together separate from the boys and discussed art, fashion, women's rights and about the people in their year. Harry also answered Druella's questions on Athenaïs. Harry's unstable magical outburst was almost completely forgotten. For the first time in her life, Harry had felt the closest she could get to an ordinary girl. After reassuring Athenaïs everything would be all right, Druella, Orion and Nott escorted Harry to meet Ogden the groundskeeper.
The man was dressed in a manner that made Harry think he had stepped straight out of a Charles Dickens novel. The man was middle aged with a friendly face, and he had a Victorian-era hat on his head. He was dressed in simple robes. Like Hagrid had, Ogden had a lantern with him that he used to guide the new students of Hogwarts to him. When Ogden spotted the three seventh years with an unfamiliar young girl, he raised an eyebrow.
"You must be Hera Evans," he stated to the newcomer. No greeting; just straight to the point.
"Yes, sir. Please call me Harry," the raven-haired and peridot-eyed girl answered.
The groundskeeper nodded. "Good. Miss Harrow had sent a rather panicked letter to the Headmaster a few hours ago, worried you may have been left behind in London. I am glad to see that it is not the case."
Harry flushed a little in embarrassment when some of the first years started giggling.
Druella Rosier embraced her new friend tightly, wishing her luck. Orion Black did the same. Altair Nott gave Harry a curt nod before he went off to follow Tom Riddle and his group of friends, who were hanging back a little further away, to the carriages.
As for Harry, she was trying to ignore the fact the younger ones were giving her odd glances and whispering. Some of them didn't even do her the courtesy of lowering their voices while gossiping. She resisted the urge to grumble out loud. Harry hated attention, despite the fact she seemed to be able to attract it without too much issue. Was she just born with a giant, invisible neon Notice Me sign above her head? At this point, Harry was beginning to doubt that her Girl-Who-lived status had anything to do with it.
Ogden had turned to the first years while Harry had been pondering. "Welcome new students, I hope everyone has enjoyed their journey here and made some new friends already on the way. Before we go, does anyone have a fear of water or get sea-sick easily?"
A slightly awkward silence descended, but Ogden barely seemed to notice.
"No? Excellent! Apologies, I simply have to ask. We are travelling up to school via the boats. It is an experience but one you will only get once. Next year, you get to travel in the carriages." The first years looked rather excited in an instant. "Everyone in the boats. Four in each one; we will be at Hogwarts soon and we will get you settled in and sorted. Harry, our only seventh year, you will be travelling in the boat with me."
Harry could have exhaled in relief. She really did not wish to sit in a boat with a bunch of midgets and feel like she was being ogled weirdly. It really did feel just wrong. The groundskeeper seemed to have sensed this because he grinned at her as she followed him to his boat; he gallantly helped her into the boat.
"I thought it best not to stick you with the pipsqueaks," he told her jovially as the fleet of small boats set off across the lake. "You are off-age and should be treated like an adult."
"Thank you, sir," Harry answered gratefully.
Ogden beamed. "Not a problem. A little bit of company will do me some good; Merlin forbid I become a grumpy old man. My late wife would never allow me to live it down when I join her on the other side. 'Patrick, how dare you leave a young lady to the company of small children!'"
Harry couldn't help but blush in embarrassment. She really wasn't used to anyone paying her compliments unless it was Hermione, Ginny, Ron, the twins, Luna or Neville, but they didn't really count. They usually tried to make her feel better with those godawful glasses that Harry had been cursed to wear. Dying had somehow fixed her eyesight!
Harry was rather glad to be travelling with the oddball groundskeeper; Ogden was rather blunt and by his own admission didn't seem much of a conversationalist by nature, and it seemed that the man did have a sense of humour. Harry decided that travelling with Ogden wasn't going to be all too bad.
Harry considered herself quite lucky; everyone only got to the make the journey across the Black Lake to the castle once, but she was getting one for the second time. The second time was just as majestic and awe-inspiring as the first time. Hogwarts Castle – with all her lights on, dancing in the windows, and backdropped by a stunning full moon – was as ethereal and Elysian as ever, glowing in the autumn moonlight like a beacon. Her old querencia; it was no longer in ruins, as it was on the battlefield and looked the same as ever. Likely it hadn't had much done to it since its founding. Normally Harry would have scolded herself for being so ridiculously maudlin but she had been through so much that she allowed herself a moment for sentimentality.
She didn't notice the single tear of joy that rolled down her cheek, but the eagle-eyed groundskeeper did.
"Are you all right, my Lady?" he asked in a low voice.
"Yes," Harry managed to answer, sniffing slightly.
"She's gorgeous, isn't she?"
"More than I ever thought possible," Harry replied truthfully.
"A little disappointed you came here so late?" the groundskeeper teased lightly.
"Yes," Harry breathed out. "Yes, I am."
Harry decided to distract herself from the melancholy in her soul by looking to her right. She caught sight of the carriages, pulled by the all-telling skeletal forms of the Thestrals, heading up towards the castle with their precious cargo. Harry smiled brightly; though she had been shocked when she had first seen those skeletal horses, Harry had found she quickly grew fond of them. Harry remembered how she and Luna spent an entire afternoon with the herd of Thestrals in her fifth year at the point where she felt the most alone and Luna had helped to put a lot of things into perspective. That had been one of the few moments in that gods-awful year where Harry felt she could relax for a moment. By Merlin, Morgana and Mordred, how Harry missed Luna and her babbling about Nargles and Wackspurts.
"Miss Hera?"
Harry snapped back to look at a frowning Ogden. "Yes, sir?"
"What did you say your surname was again?"
Harry cocked her head slightly. "Evans, sir."
Ogden raised an eyebrow. "I see. I could have sworn you could have been a Potter. You have the look of Fleamont about you."
Harry had never wanted to curse her damn Potter genetics more than ever. She felt her jaw clench. "I have no idea what you are talking about, sir."
The groundskeeper had a look of understanding in his eyes, and he smiled smally, realising he had stumbled on a student with a secret. "Of course not. Don't fret. I won't tell anyone. I have no one to tell it to, anyway. The students don't want to have anything to do with the dirty, unimportant groundskeeper."
Harry didn't like the way the man described himself. "I am sure that is not true, sir. Plus, I am sure being the groundskeeper is a very important job," Harry replied sympathetically.
"You are kind, but it is true for most of the children here. A lot of them come from traditional families who look their noses down on their servants, and that is how being a groundskeeper is viewed," Ogden answered candidly. "Thus, I am of next to no importance to them."
Harry gave him a sad smile. "I am sorry to hear that."
Ogden gave a small shrug and the young witch next to him a reassuring smile. "I don't mind. I have gotten used to it. Just, tread carefully at Hogwarts."
A serious expression came onto Harry's countenance. "I will."
Harry and Ogden fell into silence for the remainder of the journey. Internally, Harry was fuming at herself. Why was her cover so easily uncovered by two people already?! How was it that every plan she ever made fell apart so easily? If only she had Ron and Hermione's talent for planning and strategy. Hermione would have made a full proof plan and Ron would have created a winning strategy that would have kept him well away from the Slytherins, especially Tom Riddle. But then again, Hermione fell apart under pressure quite quickly and Ron's temper was very likely to get him into trouble. Harry was the one who thrived on thinking on her feet, who was able to adapt quickly to circumstances and survive. She would come out with a few scratches and bruises, but still breathing.
Harry's eyes narrowed and flashed silver with determination. She could lie, and she could keep her secrets. She had done it so many times before in the past that it was almost second nature to her. It was a matter of survival, and for now, it was still the case. Harry was the daughter of a Marauder, and the goddaughter of one – she knew how to be mischievous and how to escape and cause trouble, all in the name of defeating Voldemort. Now, she was here to … redeem him. Somehow. And she would need all her wits and talents to try and do so, considering the burgundy in his eyes were a tell-tale sign the boy had already split his soul.
Myrtle was dead, and perhaps so were Tom Riddle Senior and his grandparents as well. That also meant Tom Riddle's uncle was in Azkaban. That meant that the Hufflepuff Cup and Slytherin Locket were up next. Was it already too late?
Harry immediately tried to quell that thought in its infancy. No, it couldn't be. Harry would not fail. She would not let the world be condemned again. The future depended on it.
The boat Harry and Ogden occupied was the first to berth the harbour underneath the castle. As the boats of the first years soon joined them, the chatter and natter of the children was louder than it had been on the lake. Harry couldn't help but smile at them; to see the excitement of these young witches and wizards as they started their magical journey was always something she looked forwards to seeing at every feast. But these children were a little bit more remarkable. They seemed totally unaffected by the danger and precarious state of the time in which they were living and were simply focusing on learning magic. It reminded her of Hermione always focussing on the new knowledge to gather each year and Ron always wanting to catch up with the rest of Gryffindor while stuffing his face with food.
Once more, Harry felt a stab of pain in her soul.
Ogden led the group of first years and the single seventh year to the castle gates where a professor whom Harry had never met was waiting to greet them. The professor had dark curly bronze hair and bright blue eyes that danced with mischief. He wore glasses that reminded Harry of her own horrendous full moon glasses, and wore a fedora with a single hippogriff feather attached to it. With his long robes, he looked like an amalgamation of an out-of-place Auror and a mad professor. His features were soft and by no means ugly. The man had the kind of smile that could warm someone to their toes.
"Good evening, new students!" the professor exclaimed. He gave Harry a polite nod, which she reciprocated, before he turned back to the eleven-year-olds. "Welcome to Hogwarts! What a delightful new crop of students we have this year. I can tell you will become wonderful magicians, every single one of you! My name is Professor Aneurin Griffith, I am the Head of Hufflepuff House, and also the Herbology Professor. I am quite excited to see which ones of you will be joining my House this year!"
As Professor Griffith began explaining the Houses, Harry tuned him out. She almost kicked herself for already knowing more than what the teachers probably believed she did. The benefit of hindsight really wasn't a benefit for the small history lesson given by the enthusiastic Herbology professor.
Finally, Professor Griffith was finished with his explanations. "Follow me to the Reception Hall everyone, where you will wait before your Sorting Ceremony begins!" He spun on his heel and led the group up towards the castle.
Before she followed Griffith further, Harry turned to Ogden one last time. "Thank you again, sir."
The groundskeeper grinned. "Anytime, Miss Evans. And if you ever run into a problem, you are welcome to come to my little house on the grounds for a cup of tea."
Harry smiled. "I will."
"Good luck, Harry Evans."
Harry had to run a little to keep up with the group. Professor Griffith led the students up to the Reception Chamber via the Entrance Hall. Harry almost sighed nostalgically; the chamber was still the same cool sandstone with its zig-zagging stairs that she and her year had come into.
Professor Griffith left them alone for a moment to go into the Great Hall to see if everyone was ready for the Sorting Ceremony. It made Harry feel a little anxious; she suddenly felt as she did at eleven, only this time the fear of being sent away was replaced by a fear of not succeeding in her own personal mission. Hufflepuff was not going to be likely, Gryffindor could pose issues, Ravenclaw was a risk and Slytherin would mean being able to keep a close eye on Riddle and his Knights but it also meant she would likely be kept under close observation.
She was a new element, and if there was anything Voldemort didn't like, it was an element he could not control.
"Who are you?"
A young girl's voice had knocked her out of her train of thought. Harry turned around as was met by a honey-blonde haired girl with dark eyes that were as sharp as a hawk's. Even in her stance, the eleven-year-old girl was poised to strike like a bird of prey and had a haughty look that could have rivalled Draco's at that age. This resemblance alone made Harry smirk a little.
"Hera Evans, though everyone calls me Harry," Harry answered amicably. "What is your name?"
"Oizys Avery," the girl responded snootily. She then frowned. "Evans …? That's a Muggle name."
Harry smirked a little. "A very good guess! You are a sharp one. You aiming for Ravenclaw?"
This did not sit well with the eleven-year-old. "No!" she snapped. "I am going to Slytherin, just like my brother, my mother, my father and all my family, you Mudblood. What are you doing here?"
Up went an eyebrow. "Going to school, obviously," Harry replied sassily.
The girl was seething by this point. "Don't be smart with me, Mudblood!"
"Oh dear, I suppose Ravenclaw really isn't an option for you," Harry drawled in a manner Severus Snape would have been proud of. "You go to the trouble to ask my name, and you don't even deign to use it. You might as well. By the way, Mudblood really is not a very creative nickname."
Oizys Avery was set to explode but she was stopped by Professor Griffith returning and flinging the doors to the Reception Hall open with some really over-exaggerated dramatic flair. "Everyone, your audience is ready for you! Follow me!"
Harry gave the little Avery girl one more sickly sweet smile before following the professor into the hall. The troops were marched through corridors that were as ancient as they looked in 1997, and Harry relished in the familiar warmth of the place she called home for so long. The cacophony of voices of the students reached her ears before Professor Griffith led them into the Great Hall. Harry was suddenly jacked up with electric anticipation and felt her heart speed up her breathing.
Professor Griffith had a spring in his step the entire way and Harry decided to focus her mind on his infectious energy. It was rather soothing and entertaining, which is what she needed to calm her own nerves. Harry needed to prepare for more feelings of melancholy and soul-twisting nostalgia.
The Great Hall had been as lively as it had been in Harry's time. Students were conversing with each other, but – unlike in Harry's own time – the Houses were intermingling freely, though most stayed at their tables. Friends from different Houses were catching up on their activities over the summer. There was no interhouse tension, something that Harry had wished over and over again there wouldn't be while she had been at Hogwarts. The sight of the students were also something Harry had to blink at for a moment – the boys with their styled hairs and the girls with so many curls and clips that it made her dizzy. No one was remotely lazy in their appearance.
The uniform was something Harry could quickly get used to. Blazers, for all, shirts, waistcoat and trousers for the boys – and the few rebellious girls, and blouses, skirts and dresses for the girls in Scottish tartan in the colours of their House. Robes were still present, just not as omnipresent as it had been in her time. Harry quickly realised that was either Dumbledore's doing, or Fudge's.
Harry's eyes wandered unwillingly towards the Slytherin table. She couldn't help but smile when she saw Orion and Druella light up when she made eye contact with them, and they both gave her a quick but excited wave. They were sitting quite close to Riddle and his group of friends, who were all watching the new students like vigilant falcons. Harry felt her jaw clench in annoyance so she tore her eyes away from the Slytherin table to the staff table instead.
Professor Dumbledore was sitting at the staff table, watching the new students half measuredly. When he saw Harry, he gave her a warm and encouraging smile. Despite her anger towards his future self, Harry returned a quick smile.
Professor Griffith practically danced onto the dais and joined Professor Dumbledore and a stern-faced witch at the staff table. The white bearded man in grey and black robes that was the current Headmaster stood up from the golden throne and approached the podium to give the annual start-of-term speech.
"Welcome all of you to the academic year of 1944-45," he began. "I am the Headmaster, Armando Dippet, and I am looking forward to getting to know each and every one of you. This year is of paramount importance to many of you for different reasons. For some of you, this is the year you begin your magical education. For some of you, this is the year you leave us to venture into the wide world and begin your adult lives." He paused and looked at Harry. "For some, both is happening in one year."
As some chuckles arose, Harry bowed her head in subtle dramatic acknowledgement to the Headmaster. Dippet found himself smirking in amusement but soon regained his composure. Dippet continued. "We the staff will ensure that this year will be as important as ever. In terms of school news, no exams will be cancelled at any point."
This caused many sighs.
Dippet observed the tables of students before him. "You are all aware that there are two wars raging in our time. Regardless of this, we hold security above anything else. I want all of you on your best behaviour; I do not want troublemakers this year. There is enough grief in the world." There was a tense silence for a moment. "You are all safe within these walls. We shall not be attacked here. We must remain vigilant at all times, though. Support each other. This war has already taken more from some of us than we could have wished. Support those who may lose someone, or who already have lost more than they should have."
Harry felt all eyes back on her. She closed her eyes and tried to maintain a suitably stoic expression.
"Now," Dippet slammed his pulpit which made her almost jump out of her skin, "let the Sorting Ceremony begin!"
A rowdy cheer rippled throughout the Great Hall as the familiar stool and much-loved hat were placed upon the dais. Harry knew what that meant, and she braced herself for the Sorting Hat's newest lyric.
"Greetings to you, young witches and wizards,
I am the Sorting Hat who sorts just once every year,
I decide which of our fair Houses you belong,
Let me tell you about them while I am here,
Those of courage, might and pluck,
Gryffindor welcomes you with a cheer and open arms,
To give you fortune and luck,
Those whose hearts value hard-work, loyalty and kindness,
Hufflepuff is where you will grow dutiful and strong,
Where you are sure to find true happiness,
Those who seek mystery, creativity and new knowledge,
Ravenclaw will accept you into the nest,
To see you young hatchlings soar and fledge,
Those who know their goal, know how to survive and always have a plan,
Slytherin is the place for you,
Where others can come to aid you in the name of kin and clan,
Hogwarts, Hogwarts, oh dear old castle,
Keep us safe and sound,
Hogwarts, Hogwarts, oh shelter most dear,
Thy enemies confound,
We are one dream here,
Marked in different ways,
Unique powers we doth possess,
Can keep us safe all our days,
In Lady Magic's arms,
We shall never come to great harm,
Hogwarts is her favourite child,
Learning here is what sets us apart!
"
The obnoxious hollering of the Great Hall almost deafened Harry. She thought that the previous songs were bad that she heard, but this one was so nationalistic that it made her skin crawl. It had genuinely taken her off guard. Even in her own time, when the Hat sang a warning in her fifth year, it had never invoked unity between students. Yet, the pride of the students was on full display, especially at the Gryffindor table, which looked set to riot. Hufflepuffs were hollering, the Ravenclaws too and even the Slytherins were showing overt excitement. Harry's stomach twisted at this sight; she had no idea how to react to this.
Dippet had to call the students to order at least four times before they settled down. Once finally the children had been called to order, Dumbledore took out a long scroll with the names on it and proceeded to call names out alphabetically.
"Abbott, Dylan!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Adams, Caleb!"
Caleb Adams was promptly Sorted into Hufflepuff with not much hesitation from the Hat, which made Professor Griffith physically preen.
"Adler, Sophie!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Avery, Oizys!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
Oizys Avery hopped of the stool, looking unbearably smug and shot a poisonous look at Harry, who waved at her cheerily. Violet Brown was sorted into Gryffindor, Isaac Butler went to Gryffindor as well but his twin, Richard, went to Ravenclaw. Heather Bryant went to Slytherin.
As she watched the children with the surnames beginning with C being sorted, Harry realised it would soon be her turn. She was now high up on the list, due to her surname now being Evans. She had no idea if she should consider this a good thing or a bad thing. As it turns out, she didn't have much time to decide.
"Evans, Hera!"
People sat up right and Harry heard students begin to chatter animatedly or whisper. She saw a few of them begin to take bets. She tried to distract herself by focussing heavily on the steps she was taking to the stool. Harry took a few deep breaths before she looked up straight and the Hat was placed upon her head.
Well, well, well. What have we here? My, my, what a mind! I haven't seen the like of it in a while. Or perhaps … I already have. Hera "Harry" Elizabeth Potter, Lady Peverell. It seems we meet again, in the past?
Harry made sure to flinch quite visibly as though surprised to hear the Hat in her head. She gulped. Please keep that to yourself. If people find out, I will be hunted by the Dark Lord or locked up in Azkaban.
Fear not, your secret is safe with me. I am never permitted to divulge what I see in a student's head. Rowena made sure of that. But I must say, your mind is infinitely more difficult since the last time I had to deal with you. Or … will deal with you. Lady Magic, you are interesting! The courage and spirit of a Gryffindor, the cunning and resourcefulness of a Slytherin, secrets of a Peverell, and the thirst for a mystery and knowledge that is worthy of Ravenclaw.
Harry smiled a little. I wasn't always thirsty for more knowledge. That was my friend Hermione's influence. I was rather lazy – a bit too lazy sometimes.
And yet you have made it your own. Lazy you are not. Indeed, you have more restraint than she did. A love of knowledge is more than just a love of books. Every aspect of you is married to each other. Your Gryffindor traits bleed into your Slytherin ones, and your Slytherin ones also made you eligible for Ravenclaw.
What do you mean?It is true that you are a heroine to boot, but you have used some very underhanded tactics that would make you very unpopular with many Gryffindors. Holding a teacher at wand point, for instance. Not very Gryffindor of you and your friend…Harry smirked as Gilderoy Lockhart's scared expression flitted before her eyes. It even made her chuckle a little, which caused many who witnessed it to start whispering in confusion. He deserved it. The life of someone was at stake. More than one life was at stake.Undoubtedly. But you see, Slytherin valued nobility as well. He was a knight for a long time, after all. He would have more than approved of your tactics, and would have praised you for it. Whenever you have a goal, you will do whatever it is to achieve it – no matter what the cost. Gryffindor would not have approved as much.I thought that was a purely Gryffindor trait.You were misled, dear girl. You were misled from the very beginning. But I think you know that as well as I, since I see it in your head.Harry wanted to argue but found she couldn't, not without lying.
Slytherin valued the rights of all highly, but he did treat the Muggles with suspicion. A healthy dose of fear is needed, especially when dealing with beings who get scared by the unknown. Yes, Slytherin likes self-preservation but he also hated injustice and stood against it.
Harry smiled weakly. It sounds like you have made up your mind.Or you have, Lady Peverell. I wish you the best of luck with your mission.Thank you. You had a much better argument than your future self.I know. Merlin, the Hat sounded so smug! "SLYTHERIN!"
Harry let out a deep sigh as the Hat was removed from her head and she stood up. Her blazer and dress bled from black into the deep emerald green of Slytherin and the snake emblem took pride of place on the right side of her blazer. The Hufflepuffs had clapped politely, the Gryffindors had either looked at her with a certain amount of distrust or had clapped as according to convention and the Ravenclaws had applauded happily, since they were the ones who got along with the Slytherins the best. What Harry did not expect was there to be cheery applause from the Slytherins themselves.
As she approached the table, Orion and Druella immediately waved her over very enthusiastically. Nott and another Slytherin scootched up to make space for her. Orion was practically jumping out of his seat with joy as she walked over; Harry had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing. She had not been greeted like this in a long while, and it felt good when it came from motives other than befriending the Girl-Who-Had-Too-Much-Dumb-Luck.
"I knew it! I knew it!" Orion repeated giddily as Harry took the place opposite him and Druella. He grinned at Druella. "I told you she would be in Slytherin in the end! You owe me ten Galleons."
Harry regarded him for a moment in disbelief, her lips pulling into a grin. "Excuse me?! You betted on me?"
"Of course! The whole House did. Druella was sure you would go to Ravenclaw, Nott and Malfoy as well. Rosier, Dolohov and Mulciber all thought Gryffindor. Lestrange said Slytherin too and now we are both quite a good deal richer!"
"As if you need the money, you prick," Druella huffed.
Harry chuckled as Orion pulled a faux wounded face.
"Welcome to Slytherin." Harry steeled herself before she looked towards the direction of the burgundy-eyed boy. Tom Riddle grinned at her. "It seems my hunch was correct. You were indeed a Hat Stall."
Nott, who was sitting on Rosier's right and Harry's left, piped up before Harry could retort. "You were on that thing for two whole bloody minutes, maybe longer! What was the Hat doing that it took so long? And what was so funny?"
"Dissecting my mind," Harry answered macabrely. Then she decided to go for a half-truth. "It couldn't decide between Ravenclaw and Slytherin; something about the traits being married to one another and bleeding into each other. It made no sense to me, but then again I suppose I live with my own mind on a daily basis so it is normal to me. As for what's so funny, it reminded me of something my friend Ron and I did."
"Ravenclaw?!" Dolohov repeated in disbelief. "But your temperament-"
"Is a gift from my mother," Harry cut across brightly. "She was a right dragon." That was when the memory of her favourite account Sirius ever told her came to mind. "There was this one time when she was at school. She cursed my father and his friends with itchy boils for a week because they messed with her Potions coursework. They reportedly couldn't even take a shower without itching in some very nasty places!"
"She sounds like a Gryffindor," Abraxas Malfoy sneered.
"And yet she made Grindelwald's men piss their trousers in fright," Harry answered gleefully. Then she noticed something out of the corner of her eye and her face lit up in an instant. "Ooooo thank Merlin, Morgana and all the fairies of Avalon, there's treacle tart!"
Harry casually plated up two slices of treacle tart, completely ignoring the indignant or shocked looks she was getting – at the fact she was openly acting like an excited Hufflepuff and at her choice of dessert – and began to tuck in happily.
"Dessert before the main course? Really?" Druella teased lightly.
"No one keeps me away from treacle tarts and lives to tell about it," Harry warned her as she took another morsel of her dessert and sighed with contented satisfaction.
"You look like you have died and gone to Elysium," Orion commented, shaking his head fondly at his new friend. "I mean, I enjoy a treacle tart myself but you make it look like nectar and ambrosia!"
"Treacle tarts are life," Harry answered seriously. "How the world could exist before its existence is beyond me. Three things everyone needs in life: books, socks and treacle tart!"
Orion and Druella chuckled. Out of the corner of her eye, Harry noticed Nott bite his lower lip, Malfoy hide his amusement by his hand and even Riddle suppressing a snort. She saw some of the other Slytherins who had been in earshot relax their tense postures slightly. Comedy – easiest way to break the ice.
"So, Harry, how was your boat ride?" Riddle asked civilly, beginning to cut up his beef.
"It was stunning," Harry admitted after finishing another morsel of tart. "The castle is … beyond anything I could have imagined."
"Did you see the carriages as well?" Dolohov asked in a faux sweet tone. "It is such a shame you won't be able to ride in them as often as we do. It is quite an experience."
Great, Riddle and his damn Knights were still carrying out an assessment on her. Harry hated when her suspicions were correct. Plus, she already didn't really like Dolohov, Knight or not.
"I am sure," Harry answered coolly, digging further into her delicious tart.
"They are pulled by magical creatures called Thestrals, you know," Riddle added.
"Yes, I know. The skeletal forms and the giant bat wings kind of gave that away," Harry replied a little snappily, executing one of her poor treacle tarts and shoving the piece into her mouth in annoyance. A few of the surrounding Slytherins almost felt sorry for the poor dessert.
It was only when she was chewing on the piece for the third time did she notice all the Slytherin eyes on her in a not-so-covert state of shock. She finished chewing, swallowed and then frowned. "What?"
"You can see them?" Nott asked in a tone of disbelief.
"Yes," Harry answered curtly and went back to her treacle tart.
"You must have seen it then," Riddle stated almost breathlessly.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "I have seen a lot of things in my life – some of which, frankly I wish I could forget. Be more specific."
"Death," Nott clarified curtly. "You must have seen death to be able to see them."
Harry blinked for a moment before scoffing and then laughing shortly. "You're surprised I have seen death? My family was being hunted by Grindelwald and it surprises you that I have seen death first hand? You think I was being hidden in a cardboard box? I had to do my fair share of fighting. Death is an inevitability in war. Come on, do the basic mathematics. One plus one equals well-no-shit-Sherlock!"
There was an awkward silence while some of the Knights began silently berating themselves and each other for being so short-sighted. Harry tucked back into her dessert and before anyone could make a retort or a half-hearted apology, a new voice entered the fray.
"I know I baby her too much and that I should just let her solve her own problems. I was only cutting her meat though, so-" The new seventh year boy who came to sit in between Abraxas Malfoy and Orion looked eerily familiar to Harry, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
The boy saw the expressions of the people around him and then turned to look at Harry, and he cocked his head at her at an almost adorable angle. "Who is this?"
Riddle and Malfoy opened their mouths but Harry beat them to it.
"Hera Evans," she responded with a friendly smile, holding out her hand, "but anyone who wants to live calls me Harry."
"Oh," the boy's mouth went up in an attempt to smile and he took Harry's hand. "I am Malum Avery. Nice to meet you, Harry."
Oh so that explained it! This was the little shit's older brother. She did mention her brother was in Slytherin, but Harry didn't expect to meet him so soon. "Likewise."
Malum Avery was classically handsome; he had the same honey-blonde hair as his sister, which curled quite nicely. It could be said that Avery wasn't as handsome as Riddle but the package of face and athletic build really was not too much of an eye sore. His cheek bones were symmetrical and his eyes were the colour of violets. Harry hazarded a quiet guess to herself that Avery played Quidditch; he had a build similar to Oliver Wood, Marcus Flint and Cedric Diggory, three of her past crushes.
"Harry sat with Black, Druella and myself on the train. She was in our compartment the whole time Tom and Harrow were searching for her," Nott informed him before anyone could say anything else. "She also almost exploded the compartment because Dolohov couldn't keep his mouth shut."
Dolohov glowered at him.
Harry suddenly became fascinated by her treacle tart. Druella glared at Nott. "You really are inept sometimes, Altair."
Suddenly, Harry felt the hairs on the back of her head stand up on end and her magic was vibrating. Oh no, not again. Her eyes flashed silver and her hair began crackling with silver lightning; that meant only one thing. Someone was approaching her from behind and her magic viewed them as a threat. Harry closed her eyes, trying to calm her volatile magic, when whoever it was lay a hand on her shoulder. Big mistake.
Whoever it was exclaimed out loud in shock as several small bolts sprang out to attack them. Harry whirled around and recognised who it was immediately; she opened her eyes and whirled around to see Professor Dumbledore stand there, looking at his smoking hand in bewilderment.
"Sorry, sir!" Harry apologised profusely and immediately. "This happened to the night maid yesterday! I cannot stand when someone approaches me from behind or unannounced. I immediately go in defence mode."
"No, no, dear girl," Dumbledore reassured. "I should have known better, with what you went through. Tom informed me no damage was done to the maid either. Though I haven't ever had the experience of seeing silver lightning like that before."
Harry shrugged. "I always thought it had something to do with the scar on my forehead. That my magic adapted itself to suit this ugly thing."
"Your scar?"
Not caring whether the Slytherins saw it too, Harry lifted her fringe and revealed the intricate Lichtenburg figure-like scar that was in the shape of an intricate lightning bolt. Dumbledore took a few steps back in shock. "It's quite stunning," he breathed.
Harry smiled wryly and let her fringe drop.
Dumbledore nodded and then smiled warmly. "Well, apologies for giving you such a fright, Harry, but I just wanted to let you know that Professor Babbling has agreed to let you self-study Ancient Runes. She will be providing you with all the homework, and will give you a monthly assessment to see if you can take the exams at the end of the year."
Harry lit up in an instant. "Really?"
"I have also had a word with Madam Ellis about your other interest. She has given you permission to use our archive." Dumbledore pulled out a good sized folio of parchment and handed it over to Harry. "Here is your permission slip. Signed by myself and Headmaster Dippet."
Harry could have jumped up and down with glee but she controlled herself quite well. She beamed at her old mentor. "Thank you, sir."
"My pleasure, my Lady. Do come and see me if you run into any problems."
"Thank you. I will, sir."
Dumbledore gave her a curt nod and an apologetic smile and left quickly for the staff table. Harry turned back around and folded the permission slip up carefully.
"What the hell was that about?" Druella immediately demanded, leaning forwards and keeping her tone down.
Harry frowned. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Dumbledore looked set to flipping faint, that's what!" Druella hissed. "What is so bad about that scar on your forehead that made him pale in a second?"
Harry regarded the mother of Bellatrix and Narcissa for a moment, and then looked at Orion, who looked almost as serious as Druella. She then turned to Nott, whose eyes were bathed with a mixture of fear and interest. Harry took a deep sigh, cursed herself for being such a Gryffindor sometimes, and pulled up the fringe that kept her scar hidden from view.
Druella and Orion gaped in unison. Malum Avery tensed up. Nott could only simply shake his head at it. Harry couldn't read the expressions of Malfoy, Riddle, Dolohov, Mulciber or Lestrange but they were frozen into silence.
"What in the name of Merlin's sweaty socks happened?" Nott finally asked.
"Altair!" Rosier snapped. "That is none of our business."
"Who gave that to you?" Orion asked in a soft tone.
"Orion!" Druella hissed. Wow, the twins even sounded the same when snapping at their friends. "I don't think Harry wants to relive that, do you?"
Harry shrugged and began stabbing her last treacle tart with her spoon. "It was Grindelwald. He attacked my family when I was one, and I survived with this scar as a present. Happy Samhain, little Harry!"
That shut them up for a good minute.
"What was that about Ancient Runes self-study and archives?" Malum Avery asked, wanting to switch the topic to something safer.
Harry was rather relieved. "Well, I wasn't sure if I would want or could do an elective so I asked Dumbledore when I met him if it was possible to do it in my own time and perhaps do the exams if I am good enough. As for the archives, I may have mentioned I absolutely love history and old manuscripts. I didn't even know that Hogwarts had an archive."
"Neither did we," Riddle responded, sounding slightly bitter. Harry tried not to smirk at this. "When did you talk to him? Dumbledore?"
"About a month ago," Harry replied with a shrug. "When I escaped from Grindelwald's latest attack. I ended up in London. I thought getting to Diagon Alley was my best bet of getting some help. England is not caught up in the war yet, so it was my best bet. Dumbledore happened to be in the Leaky Cauldron that day. He had been marking summer essays, I guess, and overheard me tell the barkeep I was rather in a spot of bother. He helped me get into Hogwarts."
"Seriously?" Orion exclaimed, looking and sounding like he could not believe Dumbledore would help her.
Harry nodded. "Yeah. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him, probably. It had not crossed my mind to come here at all until he offered it."
"Did he know about your status as Head of your family?" Avery asked, leaning in Harry's direction, his eyes on Harry's ring.
"No. I didn't even know about this damn inheritance until I got to Gringotts," Harry answered with a shrug. The fact Avery was so friendly was quite a concern to her. Slytherins who are friendly always want something. "I originally thought about getting a job to sustain myself. But then the goblins made me take an inheritance test, which was when the whole thing came to light." Harry scoffed humourlessly. "It turns out my parents kept more from me than I thought."
"They never told you?" Avery frowned.
Harry smiled coldly. "They didn't think I would live long enough to inherit it."
The Slytherins tactfully kept their mouths shut, even Nott.
"Harry, would you please pass me the treacle tart plate?" For once, it was Lestrange who spoke up. This perked her up a little; Heron was a man of few words so the fact he addressed her directly was a win.
"Sure. I may be liable to eat them otherwise," Harry answered jovially and picked the plate up with both hands and passed it over to Rosier who handed it to Heron.
"Thank you, Harry."
"No problem, Lestrange."
"Heron. Please, call me Heron."
Harry grinned and gave a friendly nod.
"Hey, Harry," Orion grinned, his eyes shining mischievously, "if you ever put Dumbledore on his arse with your lightning, I will pay you three hundred Galleons."
"Orion Black, do not put ideas in her head!" Druella snapped. Curiously enough, she was the only one to look remotely indignant at that prospect.
Harry blinked in shock for a moment and then she smirked evilly and leaned forwards slightly. "Five hundred and you have yourself a deal."
Druella rounded on her. "Harry Evans!"
Chuckles ran around the surrounding Slytherins.
"What?" Harry held her hands up in mock surrender. "I am not going to do it, so stop putting your tartan in a twist."
"You have to admit it would be pretty funny," Orion added with a grin.
Druella pinched the bridge of her nose. "You two are beyond help."
"Yep!" Harry and Orion chorused gleefully.
Druella had her head in her hands at this point. "You two are going to give me grey hairs by the end of the year, aren't you?"
"Probably," Harry agreed.
"Definitely," Orion said at the same time.
Oh yes, Harry thought to herself, this was going to be interesting.
Death knew the rules, but that didn't mean he had to like them. He didn't especially like following them. It were these stupid rules that kept him from the great love of his being, Lanais, the being of Life. He also hated the fact he could barely do anything to help his Mistress, who was apparently utterly unaware of how her own heritage worked! And there was nothing Death could do until he was summoned. Harry doesn't know how to do that! He could only hope Harry would suss it out quickly.
Perhaps he could send some of his Reapers to keep an eye on her? That would not be breaking too many rules … Or maybe he could ask his brother Hypnos or his nephew Morpheus to keep an eye on her?
No, there was too much risk attached to it. Adopting the mortal identity and getting close to Harry was already pushing the rules far enough. But he couldn't help himself. Death had lost too many of his Masters over the years. He had seen too many of his friends … fall because they didn't understand their powers. And if they did, they abused them.
Thanatos was not about to let Harry make the same mistakes that her ancestors did. In order for her to truly grasp her powers as Mistress of Death, Harry needed to be in the past. This was – ironically – the safest time period for her to do it in, even with Grindelwald and Albus Dumbledore breathing down her neck.
For the first time in his eternity, Thanatos prayed for patience and some good luck.
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Harry has been Sorted – at least this Hat had some pretty decent ideas about why Harry is now fully suited to Slytherin House, possibly more than she had been when she was eleven! Her magic attacked Dumbledore – naturally there is a reason for her unstable magic but Harry is at present unaware as well. Which is why Death is panicking.
I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, and I would love to know your thoughts.
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