A/N: I don't own Harry Potter
Chapter 10: The Trip to Hogwarts
The last weeks of August flew by in a blur for Harry. During that time, he continued to build upon the relationships he formed with his new family. Needless to say, the family was delighted by the presence of Hedwig. Hedwig, in turn, seemed to feel the same for the family, and she would often come whenever one of them would call her name. The only one who had so far been banned from reaching for her anymore was Padfoot.
Apparently, Hedwig was not thrilled by his calling her to help him pull off a prank at the Ministry. When she realized what he wanted her to do, she cuffed him to the back of his head with her wing and disappeared in a blaze of blue fire. To this day, she refused to answer any more of his calls.
Eventually, September 1st arrived, and the family found themselves at platform 9 3/4, bidding Harry and Alex goodbye.
When Harry saw the tears falling down his mother's face, a part of him felt horrible for leaving her side. If it weren't for the tasks he needed to complete to keep everyone safe, nothing could have torn him away from the mother he spent his later life dreaming about.
"Don't cry, mum," Harry said as he tried to calm the older woman. "I promise I'll write you all of the time. Before you know it, a few months will be over, and I'll be home for the Yule break."
Lily tried her best to be strong for her son. She just dreaded the thought that the distance between them would change the relationship they now shared. She had already lost so many years being estranged from her eldest child, and she never wanted to feel the same again.
Not wanting to ruin her son's special moment with her own insecurities, Lily forced a smile onto her face and said, "I'm going to miss you a lot, Harry, but I always knew this day would come. You've grown into quite the remarkable young man, and I want you to know how much your father and I are proud of you. I know you will study hard and do well in school, but I also want you to take some time and make some friends. Hogwarts is a wonderful experience, but it's even better when you have someone to share it with. If you give it a chance, I just know you will end up with friends that will be with you for the rest of your life."
Harry nodded his head and promised himself that he would get to know more people this time around. He always hated how quickly everyone was ready to believe the worst about him in his old world, but now that he was older, he realized a part of that was because no one really knew him except Ron and Hermione. This time he would make sure things would be different.
"I promise I will, mum."
After the hug with his mother was complete, Harry moved down the line to say goodbye to his father.
James hated that the son he only recently reconnected with was leaving the family so soon, but at the same time, he was happy Harry would have a chance to experience Hogwarts. For the longest time, he feared his son would never get this chance, and now that it was here, he was happy to see him take advantage of it.
James felt his heart skip a beat when Harry made his way towards him. Since the moment his eldest son was born, he often dreamed of this day, and in those dreams, he always saw himself handing Harry the invisibility cloak his father had given to him. Now that the moment had finally arrived, it pained him to think he couldn't give the cloak to his son anymore.
As the rightful heir to the House of Potter, it now belonged to his younger son Daniel. As soon as he realized that fact last night, it broke his heart to know he wouldn't be able to give his eldest son the gift that he imagined. Luckily, he was married to the brightest witch of her age, and she reminded him of another heirloom he still had in his possession.
His musings were interrupted when he felt Harry's arms wrap around his waist. Holding his son in a tight embrace, he said, "I'm going to miss you, kiddo. I know you probably have every intention of taking full advantage of the education that Hogwarts can provide for you; just do your old man a favor and stop and smell the roses every once in and while. Don't work so hard that you forget to enjoy yourself."
When he pulled back from his hug, Harry nodded his head in agreement and smiled. "Don't worry, dad. I have every intention of being a good student while I'm at school, but I also know that I'm the son, godson, and nephew of a Marauder. I won't let you down."
James was thrilled to hear Harry's declaration, and his chest puffed out with pride at the thought of his son following in his footsteps. After spending the past two months getting to know his estranged son, James was pretty sure he had lost the boy to his wife and her books. But hearing that his son would now continue with the Marauder tradition made him want to jump up and down in joy.
"That's good to hear, Harry," he replied with a grin. "I have just the thing to help with such a noble cause."
With that, James pulled out the Marauder's Map from his pocket and handed it to his son.
As soon as Harry saw the Map in his father's hands, he felt his throat suddenly constrict. His own copy was lost during the Battle of Hogwarts, and despite how hard he looked for it afterward, he was never able to find it again. In this world, he expected to have to require it from the Weasley twins, and he was thrilled he wouldn't have to make an effort to do that anymore.
"Is that really the Marauder's Map, dad?" Harry exclaimed, his fake awe masking the happiness he felt at having the Map in his possession again.
"Yes, it is, son. Now, to activate it, you just have to say the password...I Solemnly..."
"Swear I'm Up to No Good," Harry finished for his father.
James grinned when his son finished saying the password for him.
"You're absolutely right, kiddo. I guess you won't be needing any instructions on how to use it."
"Very clever, kiddo. You keep this up, and in a few years, Padfoot and I will have to do something special to get you your own Marauder name."
"Thanks, dad. I can't wait."
"Me either, kiddo. Now go on. The five-minute bell is about to ring. If you don't hurry up, you'll miss your first ride to Hogwarts."
After he promised his dad that he would write a letter about the sorting tonight and send it with Hedwig, Harry turned to say goodbye to his three siblings. The last few weeks of August had gone a long way towards winning the trio over and improving their relationship with him. When he realized how much he actually cared about each of them now, Harry was glad this new world had given him a chance to become an older brother.
Grabbing all three of them in a tight hug, he leaned down and whispered, "When you guys get back home, I left you each of you few presents under the bed in my room. There's a box of Zonko gags for Rose, my old Nimbus 1800 for Daniel, and an Owl order form for Violet."
Harry grinned when he saw two of his siblings begin to cheer quietly in his embrace. Once he pulled back and saw the confused look on Violet's face, he realized he forgot to mention the account he created at the bookstore for her.
Pulling her closer to him, he said, "I know how much you love books, Vi. I set up an account at Flourish and Blott's for myself, and I added your name to it. You're restricted from any advanced or dark books, but other than that, feel free to use them whenever you want. Just don't tell mum, or she'll kill me for spending money uselessly."
Violet nodded dumbly as she saw her brother walk towards her uncle Padfoot. For so many years, she hated being related to Harry, and now it felt weird that she actually liked being around this new version of him.
The old Harry was always angry and mean, and she hated having to spend any amount of time with him. This new Harry was the complete opposite. He was kind and caring and, for once, considerate of her feelings. At first, she didn't want to believe that he would really change; she was starting to think that man could vary, but when the truth came out, she could see the difference in his personality, she realized how much she cared about her "new" older brother.
As Harry made his way to say goodbye to his godfather and Aunt, he saw the pair finishing their hugs with Alex. When he saw her turn around, Harry was about to wave to her, but he stopped as soon as he saw her blue-grey eyes make contact with his own. The look on her face was so cold and unwelcoming, he knew it would be pointless to say anything to her now. Instead, he watched as she walked by him, completely ignoring his presence the entire time.
By the time he turned around to bid his uncle and aunt farewell, he could see the looks of sympathy on both of their faces.
Apparently, his reaction to his betrothed snub was evident on his face because he saw his aunt rush forward to envelop him in a hug.
"Don't you worry, kiddo," Amy cooed into his ear. "None of this is your fault. My daughter just needs some time to get used to the idea of being engaged. Ever since she found out about the contracts, she exchanged a flurry of letters with the Greengrass girl. I have no doubt once the two of them have the time to adjust, things will get better between the three of you."
"I just hope you're right, Aunt Amy," Harry replied sadly. "I hate the position my idea has put Alex and Daphne in. They really do have a right to be angry with me, but at the same time, I hate that they're blaming me for it."
Harry's pity party was interrupted when he felt his godfather's hand gently grip his shoulder and squeeze. "Do you really want things to change between the three of you, pup?"
"Of course, I do, uncle Padfoot."
"Than just be yourself, pup," Sirius replied, his ordinarily mischievous eyes suddenly full of knowledge and wisdom. "You're a remarkable young man, Harry, and I, for one, have no doubt that if you continue to be yourself, both your future brides will eventually see how great a catch they really got."
Harry had to force himself not to blush at his godfather's praise and quickly reached out to hug the man he had gotten so attached to. The differences between the Sirius of this world and the one from his old world were many.
Fourteen years in Azkaban had done a number on his other godfather. Thankfully the one thing both men shared in abundance was the unyielding love they had for him. It was that same love that Harry felt as his godfather's arms held him on to him tightly, and he silently thanked Death and Fate for letting him have his godfather in his life again.
Harry knew the Hogwarts Express was moments away from departing when the platform rang out with another warning whistle. He quickly pulled away from his godfather and gave his new family a final wave goodbye with his hand before boarding the cherry red train. Without medicine for the moment, he closed his eyes and slowly recalled all the happy new memories he had made over the last two months. The gentle rocking of the train helped to calm him further, and soon he found his way to the land of dreams.
Su Li walked down the corridor of the Hogwarts Express, refusing to let hurtful words make her cry again.
When she first learned about the existence of Magic, she was finally able to explain all the weird things that happened throughout her childhood. Between her own massive intellect keeping people at bay and the myriad of strange events that always seemed to follow her, Su was no stranger to being alone and made fun of.
A part of her truly believed all of that would change as soon as she entered the Magical world. She was so thrilled to meet other Witches and Wizards that when the train left the platform and her compartment suddenly filled with fellow first years, she was eager to introduce herself to the others.
Unfortunately, no sooner was her name out of her mouth than her fellow peers began to shun her. One, in particular, a blonde-headed boy, was very mean and hurtful with his words. She wasn't sure what "Mudblood" meant, but Su was no one's fool. She knew the name was somehow derogatory towards her, and when the other kids started laughing, she chose to leave the compartment.
After five minutes of checking through various compartments, Su finally found one with only two people in it. Not wanting to spend the entire trip waiting out alone in the corridor, she summoned all of the courage inside her and gently knocked on the door.
When she heard someone call out for her to come in, Su cautiously opened the door and walked into the cabin. As soon as she was inside, she quickly took note of the two other occupants in the compartment. The first was a beautiful girl with silky black hair and alluring bluish-grey eyes. Despite the robes she had on, Su could tell the 4'5" girl was in decent shape for an eleven-year-old.
The second occupant was just as pretty but had strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes that mirrored the sky in their color. While slightly shorter than the other girl, the blond wore robes that accentuated her petite frame. So, with her coarse and dry hair with white among her black hair, Su suddenly felt intimidated by the beautiful pair.
Once she realized both girls were now staring at her, Su forced herself to say, "Hi, my name is Su li. I'm sorry to bother you, but I was hoping I could share the cabin with the two of you."
Alexandra Black looked at the new arrival, and she immediately noticed the coarse and dry hair with some white among her black hair that seemed to take away from the girl's natural beauty. Her searching gaze took in the girl's blue jeans and cream-colored shirt, and it didn't take a genius to deduce the new arrival was a muggle-born witch.
It wasn't until she noticed Su's red and puffy eyes did she realize the girl had been crying. With the number of pureblood bigots currently on the train, Alex had no doubt that some arrogant arse had probably insulted the girl for being a muggle-born.
Just the thought that someone had called her a Mudblood made Alex's blood boil with anger. She had grown up with her favorite Aunt, a muggle-born witch. Unlike the past generations of Blacks, much like her father, Alex refused to let blood status dictate who she would hang out with. She knew such an ideal made her an anomaly in the Magical World, but she didn't care. Both of her parents taught her to treat everyone the same, and that's precisely what she intended to do.
When she looked over to her soon-to-be sister-wife, Alex instantly recognized the same expression on Daphne's face. Despite being the same age as her, she really didn't know the girl before finding out Harry had ruined both of their lives. She felt happy to know that her fellow pureblood didn't follow in the footsteps of the majority of the community.
As soon as her eyes met the crystal blue of Daphne's, the pair seemed to have a silent conversation and, with a nod of their heads, came to an unspoken agreement. The pair turned to face Su and introduced themselves.
"Hello, Miss Li," Daphne said in greeting. "My name is Daphne Greengrass."
Alex had to force herself not to roll her eyes at the coldness of her future sister-wife's tone. Even though she only knew the girl for a few weeks, she knew that this Icy persona was just an act that she reserved for those she didn't know or didn't like.
Hoping to make Su feel more at ease, she smiled warmly at the girl and said, "Hello, Miss Li. My name is Alexandra Black, and you're more than welcome to share the cabin with us. It's not like we don't have enough room."
Su was thrilled with the invitation to sit down, and after getting some help from the girls to store her trunk, she took a seat next to Alexandra.
Daphne watched as the new girl made herself comfortable, and she was unsure how she should act around her. While she was proud of her pureblood heritage, she was in no way a blood purist. Other than 6she was a firm believer in maintaining the Statute of Secrecy; she had no issues with muggles or muggle-borns. Her reticence came from her inability to let go of her Icy persona around people not from her immediate family and her jealousy at seeing her only friend be friendly with someone else.
Two years ago, her best friend through childhood Tracy Davis betrayed her trust and told all her secrets to Pansy Parkinson, just so the purebloods would look past her half-blood status and pretend to be her friend. Since that day, Daphne created her Icy persona to deal with Tracy and the others. Over time persona became a part of her, and now she uses it with anyone other than her parents, sister, and brother.
Alex was the first person she left behind her Ice mask, and Daphne was sometimes stunned at how quickly it happened.
Even though the pair knew each other for only a few weeks, they bonded over their hatred for the boy whose greedy actions bound them into unbreakable contracts that were forcing them to marry him.
While she was happy with the relationship she'd forged with her future sister-wife, Daphne was uncertain if she was ready to trust letting the mask go with someone else. Her mum and dad had encouraged her to look past Tracy and try to make some friends at Hogwarts, but Daphne was afraid of being hurt by someone she trusted again.
When she saw Su and Alex laughing in front of her, she had to squash the feelings of jealousy that erupted within her.
She knew she couldn't control who her sister-wife could speak with, and if she ever wanted to have friends of her own, she would have to take the chance.
Daphne was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Su ask, "What does Mudblood mean?"
Before Alex could respond, Daphne answered, "It means someone who has bad or dirty blood. Pureblood bigots often refer to muggles and muggle-born Witches and Wizards. Did someone call you that, Miss Li?"
Su was taken aback by the sudden arrival of Daphne into the conversation. By the cold greeting she received from the girl, she wondered if she shared the same views as the bigots she described. Not wanting to be rude, she replied, "Yes. Just before I came here, a group of first-years joined my compartment, and after hearing my name, a blonde boy called me that and told me to leave."
Daphne's eyes narrowed at the mention of the blonde boy, and her first assumption was that it had to be Draco Malfoy. "Did he have grey eyes, slicked back blonde hair, and a permanent sneer plastered on his face?"
When she saw the answering nod from Su, Daphne shook her head in disgust. "That boy is Draco Malfoy. His father is a former Death Eater named Lucius Malfoy. He somehow managed to evade Azkaban by claiming he was Imperiused and probably bribing half the Ministry. Since his dad is an important person in the Wizengamot now, little Draco likes to throw around his family name to get what he wants."
Between memorizing all her books for her first year and researching the world, she was about to enter, Su recognized Azkaban as the Wizarding prison and the Wizengamot as the magical community's governing body. But she was confused by what a Death Eater was.
"I'm sorry, but what's a Death Eater? I didn't come across it in my reading yet."
As soon as she heard Su mention reading, Alex had a good inkling that the girl would probably join her in Ravenclaw.
"They were soldiers for he-who-must-not-be-named during the last blood war."
When she saw the still confused expression on Su's face, Alex reminded herself that the girl was muggle-born. "A few years ago, there was a movement based on blood purity that was led by a man named Lord V-V-Voldemort. He was considered one of the worst Dark Lords in the past several centuries, and he was obsessed with blood status. It was his belief that Wizards should rule over muggles and that pureblood should form the ruling class of this new world. He killed thousands of muggles, muggle-borns, and pureblood families that spoke out against him during the war. His name was so feared that it was considered taboo to say it aloud. My dad was an Auror at the time, similar to a muggle policeman, and he said the war was going badly for the Ministry. If Neville Longbottom hadn't destroyed him that night during Halloween, it's a good chance that the Dark Lord would have won."
"You keep mentioning blood status," Su said. "What is that?"
Daphne could see the curiosity clearly in Su's grey eyes, and it reminded her a little of herself. "Blood status can be separated into three categories," she answered, her voice almost similar to her mother's when she was explaining something.
"Purebloods are Witches and Wizards who can claim a purely magical family for at least 15 generations. After that, you have half-bloods. These can be split between three different types. The first type has one pureblood parent and one parent being a muggle-born. The second type has one pureblood parent and one parent that is a muggle. The third type is considered the worst kind of half-blood, and it is made by having one parent that is a muggle-born and the other being a muggle. The next stage is formed by muggle-born Witches and Wizards, with muggles being considered the absolute bottom of the chain."
Su was absolutely horrified by the blatant bigotry that seemed to run rampant throughout the magical world. Professor McGonagall never once mentioned any of this when she came to tell her family about Hogwarts. Suddenly realizing why the kids from her last compartment hated her, she was curious about the blood status of her new acquaintances.
"If you don't mind me asking, what are the two of you?" Su asked hesitantly.
Alex saw the worry and unease her potential new friend felt, and she quickly tried to put her at ease. "Daphne and I are both purebloods, Su, but neither of us believes in blood supremacy. My favorite Aunt is a muggle-born witch, so I've spent a lot of time in the Muggle world. Daphne's parents were neutral during the last war, and I know they don't have anything against muggles or muggle-born Witches and Wizards."
"Since I'm a muggle-born, how will this blood status affect me at Hogwarts?"
"A few purebloods might be a little rude to you, but as long as you don't end up in Slytherin, it won't affect you too much,"
Daphne answered politely. "The number of muggle-born and half-bloods is actually greater than Purebloods, and since not every pureblood is a bigot, you should be all right while you're there. You shouldn't really face any problems until you graduate and look for a job."
"How so?" Su asked, furious at the thought that her blood status might affect her future career.
"Unfortunately, not only is the Ministry a male-dominated place but it's also steeped in traditions," Daphne replied with a slight grimace. "This usually means purebloods get the best jobs. If you're brilliant and score high on your O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s, as a muggle-born, the best you could hope for is a job as a senior undersecretary to a department head. If you could secure the backing of a powerful pureblood house, several more options will open up for you, but you will never be considered for any of the high-ranking positions in the Ministry."
"THAT'S HORRIBLE," Su raged in response. "Why is this allowed? It's completely unfair."
Alex winced at the anger she could hear in Su's voice, and she felt terrible for the Witch. "I'm not going to lie to Su. It is unfair. But until we can get people to make a difference, we're stuck with the stupid laws and traditions we have in place right now."
Su could see that both of her cabin mates were not at fault for the laws of the Magical world, so she did her best to reign in her anger and frustration. She wondered if Professor McGonagall didn't mention all of this to her parents on purpose. Su was optimistic that if her father knew how the Ministry was run, he would have refused to let her go to Hogwarts.
While a part of her desperately wanted to learn everything she could about magic, it still hurt her to know she would never be properly recognized for her talent in the magical world.
Daphne could see the multitude of emotions flash across Su's face, and she decided it might be best to change the topic. "So, Su. Do you know about the houses at Hogwarts? Any preference?"
"I'm not sure," Su replied cautiously, still trying to gain control over her frustration. "I know about the houses, but I think I'd be best in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. I think I would be happy with either one."
Daphne arched her eyebrow at the answer, and she was surprised the girl would think of Gryffindor as an option. From the second-year text she had in her lap, it was apparent the girl was intelligent and belonged in Ravenclaw. She considered the house since her first choice would leave her alone in the snake pit. Sometimes her mother shared stories of her time at Hogwarts, and the rumors behind what happened in the Snakepit were awful to hear. Daphne really didn't want to be in the house of the cunning and ambitious without someone she trusted watching her back.
"How about you two?" Su asked.
Alex shrugged her shoulders and replied, "My dad was a Gryffindor, and my mum was a Ravenclaw, so I guess I would be happy with either one. If I had to choose, I'd like Ravenclaw over Gryffindor."
When Daphne saw Su look towards her, she replied, "I would like to be in Slytherin since I think I'm both cunning and ambitious, but I really don't want to be in the Snakepit by myself."
Alex shivered at the thought of being in Slytherin. Until her father, most Blacks usually fell into the house of cunning or, in some cases, intelligence. Anything else would have led to dire consequences for past Blacks. After hearing stories about Slytherin from her mum and dad, she had no intention of ever being part of that house.
The rest of their conversation was interrupted as the door to their compartment opened, and two older Hogwarts students walked in. Daphne and Alex immediately recognized the P on each of their robes, and they knew the pair were prefects. The boy was from Ravenclaw and the girl from Hufflepuff from their robes.
"Is there something we can help you with, Prefects," Daphne asked, her Icy mask firmly in place and her piercing blue eyes glaring at the pair.
"Ah, ah, yes," the male Prefect replied dumbly. "We have to need to discuss an important school-related matter, and we need to use your compartment. I'm going to have to ask you three to move to another cabin until we reach Hogsmead."
Daphne's eyes narrowed with anger at the response because she knew the boy was lying. "If that's the case, Prefect, it would be more appropriate for you to use the Prefects cabin at the front of the train."
Alex grinned when she saw the male Prefect wince and the female Prefect roll her eyes.
"Look, girls," the female Prefect said as she tried to explain the situation. "My name is Kaitlin, and this is Jeff. We're actually going out, and know that our scheduled rounds are complete, we would like to spend some time together. We've checked the rest of the train, and the only two compartments that aren't filled to the max are this one and the one next to it.
We tried that one first, but the damn kid in there is out like a log. I would really appreciate it if you could give us the cabin. We haven't seen each other all summer, and we'd like the time to catch up a little bit."
Daphne grinned at the tomato red color that Jeff was turning. She knew both of them wanted the cabin to snog, and she appreciated Kaitlin for at least being honest with her. When she looked to Su and Alex and saw them shrug their shoulders in response, she turned back to the Prefects and nodded her head in agreement. "Fine. You can have it. Just leave our things alone."
The pair happily agreed to the arrangement, and the moment the girls were out of the cabin, the door slammed shut, and the blinds dropped.
Alex glared at the shut door since, as the last one out of the room, it nearly closed on her arse.
"Seriously, how good can snog be? Those two couldn't even wait for us to leave to close the door."
Su snorted at the question and replied, "My mum says if it's done right, it feels like heaven."
When her two new friends began to stare at her, Su blushed and threw up her hands. "What? That's what she told me. It's not like I've actually tried it."
Su could feel her face burning at their continued stare, and she sighed happily when the two nodded and continued to the next cabin. No sooner were they through the door that she heard Alex yell, "Merlin's balls. Of all the people it had to be, why did he have to be the one that was here?"
Daphne gasped at the curse and said, "Language, Alex. Your mother would be furious if she heard you now."
Alex was instantly embarrassed by her outburst. "Sorry, Daph. Just seeing him makes me furious enough to curse."
Once she finally made her way into the cabin, Su was curious about who the girls were talking about. The only person she saw was a raven-haired boy sleeping in the corner of the compartment and snoring softly.
Su couldn't be sure of the exact measurements because the boy was still sitting, but she could tell that he was pretty tall for his age. The black jeans and blue shirt that he was wearing made her think he was a muggle-born like her, but the fact that Daphne and Alex both knew him, she knew it made that assumption false. Overall, she thought he was very handsome for a boy, and she wondered why the pair was enraged at his presence.
"Who is he?" she asked the pair of girls that were staring daggers at the boy.
"He's the sorry excuse of a Wizard that Daphne and I are betrothed to," Alex snarled. "His name is Harry Potter."
Assuming neither of her new friends would want to sit next to him, Su was just about to take a seat when she heard.
Alex's response. "WHAT?! How can both of you be betrothed to the same person? That's barbaric. Besides, we're too young to be married."
Su shut her mouth as soon as she saw the angry pair turn their glares from the raven-haired boy to her. "Sorry," she apologized. "It just took me by surprise."
Alex softened her glare when she saw the repentant look appear on her new friend's face. A part of her could realize the reaction because she did the same thing when she learned about the contract.
"It's not common anymore, Su." Alex patiently explained to the muggle-born Witch. "Much like Muggle law, Magical law prohibits polygamy except when the Lord in question has numerous lordships. Since that hasn't happened in a long time, it wasn't really something that concerned most people."
Alex could see her friend had a question, and without it being asked, she knew what it was. "The Peverell family was absorbed by the Potter's around 150 years ago, Su. At the time, the Peverell's only had a daughter, so the Lord of the House knew his line was about to end. Once he realized the family that his daughter married into would carry the last of the Peverell blood, he arranged with the Lord Potter of the time. In return for receiving the majority of the Peverell wealth, if a future Lord Potter had two sons, the elder son would be allowed to take the Peverell Lordship if he first agreed to give up the Potter one. Harry somehow managed to talk his parents into doing that, and a month ago, he claimed the Peverell Lordship and his younger brother became the Potter heir."
"So, he got the Peverell Lordship through his dad," Su stated, trying to understand the crazy world she was now a part
of. "Did the second Lordship come from his mum then?"
Alex shook her head and said, "No, long back war was going on, and daughter of Godric Gryffindor ran away from family on the instructions of her father changed her last name and later fell in love with a Potter and no one except William Potter (her husband), and goblins knew the truth. She had set some conditions on the lordship, and he fulfilled the conditions. He is also Lord Emrys, and he will need one more wife for the Lordship."
Su's brilliant mind raced to understand everything that she was hearing. While it was now apparent how Harry got three Lordships, she was uncertain why her friends were betrothed to him so early. "But even if he does have multiple lordships, why did your parents agree to marry you two so young?"
Daphne rolled her eyes at the question. She knew Su didn't know anything about the Magical world, but the questions still grated on her nerves. "They really didn't have a choice, Su," she replied with a perfect sneer. "Unlike modern contracts that are only made once a relationship has been formalized between the boy and the girl, Alex and I were dragged into pre-existing contracts."
Still confused by the entire situation, Su asked, "Isn't there a way for you two to get out of it? I mean, do you really want to marry someone that was picked out for you by a contract?"
Frustrated, Alex threw her hands in the air and answered, "Of course, we don't, Su. That's part of the reason why we're so angry with him. But we really have no choice in the matter. My contract was written between the House of Black and the House of Gryffindor a little over 600 years ago. The contract between the House of Greengrass and the House of Peverell was made 150 years ago. As they were both written to be unbreakable, should either one of us refuse to fulfill the contract, we would risk losing our magic and maybe even our lives."
Su was stunned by the news. The magical world was so backward she almost found it disgusting to be a part of it. Her two new friends were literally being forced by Magic to marry someone they apparently couldn't even stand to be around. The whole situation was just so unfair; she felt like ranting on behalf of Daphne and Alex. The only thing that still confused her was why Harry was the one they blamed.
"I'm so sorry, guys, that's just awful. But I'm still confused why the two of you are so angry with Harry. From what Alex said, he wasn't even aware of the second Lordship, let alone about the marriage contracts. If he's being forced into this marriage as well, wouldn't he be just as much a victim as the two of you?"
The silence that enveloped the cabin was answer enough for Su. By the way, her two friends were staring straight ahead; she could tell they were deep in thought. While she understood their reason for being angry, she realized the pair blamed the wrong person.
Apparently, they were just now realizing that fact for themselves, and she was more than willing to give them the time to understand it. Opening the second yearbook of spells she had in her lap, Su found a way to keep herself entertained.
Harry was happily dreaming about spending time with his new family when his mindscape suddenly blurred, and he found himself once again in the Gryffindor common room. As soon as he recognized the place, he heard the now familiar voice of Death says, "Hello, Mr. Potter. It's good to see you again."
When he turned around, Harry saw Death sitting behind the desk she was so fond of and bowed gracefully at the waist. "The pleasure is all mine, Lady Death. To what do I owe the honor of this visit, my Lady?"
"Relax, Mr. Potter. You're not in any trouble, at least not from me. As my Champion, the rules permit me to meet with you periodically."
Harry wasn't sure how to take her statement, so he ignored it. "What can I do for you, Lady Death?" he asked politely.
Death stared at her Champion, unsure how she should deal with the current situation. This meeting was much earlier than initially planned because her Chosen One hadn't done anything yet. But the future was too important for her to allow Harry to return to Hogwarts with his preconceived notions about the people he knew from his old world.
"You will need allies for the coming war, Mr. Potter. I cannot afford to let you return to Hogwarts expecting people to act like the versions you knew of them in your old world. While in some cases it might be true, in others the personalities can shift quite drastically."
Harry was uncertain why she was telling him this. He was already aware of this and planned on interacting with people all over again.
"Thank you for the warning, Lady Death, but I already decided to give everyone a fair shot."
Death stared at her Champion, uncertain if he genuinely meant what he said. "Are you sure about that, Mr. Potter? Will you also give the Weasleys a fair chance?"
Harry felt his anger erupt at the thought of spending time with the family that pretended to love him. "Is that what this is about?" he asked, his voice laced with the cold fury he was barely suppressing.
Death sighed when she heard the rage in her Champion's voice. She didn't want to anger the man, but she couldn't risk him shunning an ally just because of his problems with them in his old world.
"To be honest, Mr. Potter, I have no idea if the Weasleys are important. Now that my future is a part of this, the rules prohibit Fate from letting me see any part of what could happen. Since my sight is limited to the past and the present, I have no way of knowing who or what you will need to succeed. The help we already received from my sister was all we could expect to get. As such, I can't afford to let you throw away a potential ally just because you hate them in your old world."
Harry wanted to rage against the idea and refuse to have anything to do with the Weasleys, but when he thought about
Death's warning, he knew he couldn't afford to make such a mistake.
Once he finally accepted that he couldn't judge people by their counterparts in his old world, Harry sighed and said, "I understand, my Lady. I will try my best to judge each person on their own merits. Even Dumbledore and the Weasleys."
Death smiled when she looked into her Champion's green eyes and saw that he meant every word. Now that she was assured he wouldn't waste a chance at a potential ally, she decided to end her meeting on a lighter note.
"How go things with your betrothed, Mr. Potter?"
Harry winced at the question. "Not well, my Lady. It seems they're quite angry with me at the moment. I've been told to have patience with the situation, and that's what I intend to do."
Death nodded her head in agreement with his plan. "Patience is good for now, Mr. Potter, but do not wait too long to get to know both girls. Fate took an interest in your life, and that is something my sister has done for only a select group of people in the past 5000 years. If she has picked these girls to be your mate, then rest assured that they are meant to bring you happiness. As long as you remember to do the same for them, I have no doubt life will be pleasurable for all three of you."
When she saw her Champion deep in thought, Death allowed him a brief moment of reflection. As soon as she saw him look up at her, she asked, "Why have you not shifted into either of your Animagus forms?"
Harry was surprised by the question. He thought about making an attempt several times during the past two months, but he always decided against it because of his age. Self-transfiguration involved having the magical power to
change, but the body needed to be strong enough to survive the transformation. This is one of the reasons that it is forbidden for children to learn how to become Animagi.
"I have resisted the urge to try, my Lady because I assumed my body would be unable to handle the change."
Death rolled her eyes at his overly cautious attitude and replied, "Mr. Potter, when will you realize that you are not a normal eleven-year-old? Not only are you already taller and stronger than most children your own age, but your body is equipped with some natural advantages. The Phoenix tears in your blood are enough to negate any concerns about your body's ability to survive the transformation."
The young Lord grinned at the thought of using his Animagus forms again. Now that he knew he would survive the transformation, he couldn't wait to make an attempt. "Thank you for the advice, Lady Death.
I look forward to changing into my forms again."
"Thank you again for all your help, Lady Death," Harry replied politely.
Death just shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "No thanks are necessary, Mr. Potter. All of this is to help you succeed against Voldemort, and a victory for you is really a victory for me."
Suddenly Death saw a vision appear through her Sight. Luckily, she was still allowed to know about it since it was present.
"I do believe our meeting is over, my Champion. It's time for you to wake up and deal with the current problem."
Before he could ask what the problem was, Harry felt Death's palm slam against his forehead, and suddenly he was thrown out of his own mindscape.
Draco Lucius Malfoy, the heir of the Most Noble House of Malfoy, walked down the Express corridor surrounded by the friends his father's money had paid for. Walking in front of him for his viewing pleasure was Pansy Parkinson and the half-blood Tracy Davis. Walking behind him to protect his back were Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. The latter two didn't talk much, but Draco knew they were the perfect type of muscle to help him take over the Snakepit.
As he looked in yet another compartment, Draco failed to find the person he was looking for. Knowing he was almost at the end of the train, he felt his frustration begin to grow with each failure.
Just when he was about to yell at his "friends" for not doing a better job, Draco heard Tracy say, "I found the compartment, Draco."
As soon as he looked inside the cabin, he saw the object of his search; Draco opened the door without knocking and made his way inside. The moment he entered, he immediately searched for any further people of importance, and he shook his head in disgust at those that were present.
"There you are, Greengrass," he drawled, with the famous Malfoy arrogance oozing with each breath. "I've been looking everywhere for you. What are you doing here with a Mudblood, a squib, blood traitor? Gather your things, and we can return to my compartment."
Daphne was startled when she saw the door to the compartment suddenly open. As soon as she recognized the ponce that walked in, it was all she could do to not hex the bastard on site. Ever since they were children, Draco had been infatuated with her. It's part of the reason that he allowed Tracy to join their little group. He thought learning her secrets would make it easier to get her to like him. Little did he know that nothing in the world would get her to like an idiot like him.
"That won't be necessary, Draco," she replied coldly. "I am quite comfortable where I'm at. You can go ahead and return to your own cabin. Just make sure to take your goons with you."
Draco's eyes narrowed in anger once he heard the casual dismissal from the blonde. "You should watch how you speak to your future betrothed, Daphne. Upsetting me could cause you a lot of problems in the future."
Daphne couldn't contain the smile that suddenly graced her lips. Now she couldn't wait to put the Malfoy heir in his place.
"What are you talking about, Draco? I will never become your betrothed. In fact, I'm already engaged to someone else."
As soon as he heard the lie come through Daphne's lips, Draco snarled his displeasure at the apparent fabrication. "That's not possible, Greengrass; you're lying. Father looked through betrothal contracts earlier in the summer, and your name didn't appear on any of them. You'll be happy to know that my parents chose you to be my wife earlier this week. I have no doubt father will be contacting your parents soon."
Daphne smiled smugly as she replied, "My contract didn't become active until August 1st, Draco. Besides, why would I want to lower myself by marrying into a Noble house like the Malfoys when I'm already contracted to marry a Lord from a Most Ancient and Most Noble house. Now, be a good boy and run along, heir Malfoy."
Draco might not have the cunning of a true Slytherin, but he was definitely cunning enough. By the way, Daphne was acting; he had no doubt she wasn't bluffing about the marriage contract. What bothered him was the Lord that she was contracted to be with. As far as he could remember, the heads of all current Most Ancient and Most Noble houses were already married.
Furious at the thought of losing his prize to someone else, Draco demanded to know who the future groom was. "There is no single Lord of a Most Ancient and Most Noble House, Greengrass. Who could you possibly be contracted to marry?"
Daphne just couldn't stop the grin from disappearing off of her lips as she watched her private stalker continue to turn red from jealousy and rage. After all the trouble he'd caused her over the years, she just couldn't resist taunting him even further.
"He's right behind me, Draco, and guess what? He's already taken up his Lordship."
Draco looked behind to see who Daphne was pointing at, and suddenly all his anger was abated. When he realized the boy was the Potter squib, Draco couldn't stop himself from laughing. He knew it wasn't very lordly, but at that very moment, he didn't care. He was sure that Daphne was telling the truth, but apparently, she was a better actress than he could have imagined.
Just the thought of the Potter squib having a Lordship was just too funny for him to hear.
When he finally got a moment to gather himself, Draco looked at his blonde prize and said, "Enough with the games, Greengrass. Everyone knows that Potter is a squib. I'm sure his presence here is just a favor from the old goat to his parents. I seriously doubt that half-blood will even finish the year. Now I won't ask again...get your things and let's ago."
As soon as she heard Draco's command, Daphne's smugness was replaced by ice-cold fury. "I knew you were stupid, Draco, but I didn't realize you were a complete idiot. Take your goon squad and leave before you cause a problem that will cost your daddy a lot of money. I'm engaged. Get used to it."
Unable to control his fury any longer, he lashed out and slapped Daphne as hard as he could. When he saw the blonde fall to the ground and noticed the trickle of blood that appeared from the cut on her lip, he was happy with the results of his actions.
His father always taught him that a Lord should be in charge, and any who dared to defy him should be punished swiftly and harshly.
When he saw the stunned expression turn to rage on Daphne's face, Draco had his wand out faster than she could get to her own. His actions caused the rest of his "friends" to do the same thing, and suddenly the trio of girls had four wands pointed in their direction.
As he was about to show his prize to who she really belonged to, Draco suddenly heard the Potter boy growl. When he looked in the squib's direction, he was stunned by the glowing green eyes that stared back at him. Like the color of the killing curse, they were enough to give him pause.
Before he or any of his friends could even react, Draco watched in awe as Potter jumped up from his seat and had his wand out in a flash. He was stunned when the supposed squib banished Crabbe and Goyle into the corridor and then moved fast enough to grab the wands that were held in Pansy and Tracy's shaking hands.
When he realized he was being attacked, Draco felt Potter rapidly jab his two fingers into different spots on his neck, and his whole world suddenly erupted in pain. Draco looked up at his assailant with nothing but fear in his eyes between gasping for air and feeling like his entire body was on fire.
When he saw Potter lean forward towards him, he lost the last of his control over his bladder and felt the warm liquid flow down the side of his leg. He shivered in fear as Potter began to whisper into his ear, "I have just shut off the flow of blood to your brain, Malfoy. That pain you're feeling right now is just the beginning. In three minutes, the pain will be almost unbearable for you to handle. In five, you will have irreparable brain damage. And in ten minutes, Malfoy, you'll be dead. The best thing is, no one could ever say it was me since it would be a ruptured blood clot that actually kills you. Now, nod your head if you understand what's happening to you."
As the pain continued to increase, Draco felt the tears fall from his eyes, and he forced himself to nod his head in answer.
"Good," Potter continued to whisper, just loud enough so only the two of them could hear. "This is your only warning, Malfoy. If you ever hit or harm any of the girls in this cabin, I swear that your death will be as slow and painful as I can arrange it. Do you believe me, heir Malfoy?"
When he looked into the green eyes of his attacker, Draco could see no remorse or fear. He didn't doubt for one second that the boy would ever hesitate to kill him. Shaking his head in response, Draco continued to cry, praying the pain would stop soon. Suddenly he felt Potter jab his neck with his fingers again, and his body was once more under his breath.
Draco looked up to see everyone staring at him as he lay panting on the cabin floor. His face flushed at the thought of his public humiliation, and he quickly got up to leave. Just as he reached the door to the cabin, he heard Potter's voice come from behind him, "Malfoy, I do believe you owe the ladies in the room an apology before you leave."
Hating himself for the weakness, he was about to show, Draco turned around and bowed slightly at the waist. "My apologies for my earlier actions, ladies. I was wrong, and I hope you can forgive me."
The moment he saw the girls nod their heads, Draco left before Potter could think of anything else for him to do. His fear was so great at his departure the last thing on his mind was getting some revenge.
As he walked away in defeat, Draco realized if there was one thing he didn't want to do while at Hogwarts, it was to make the Potter boy angry again. He had no doubt the boy would kill him the next time, and he didn't want to do anything that would rile him up. At that moment, he decided to forgo any more attempts to win Daphne over. As far as he was concerned, the blonde girl was dead to him.
When the last Malfoy goons left the compartment, Harry slammed the door shut and used his wand to Scourgify the mess Draco had just made. As soon as he turned around and saw the trio of girls staring back at him, he mistook their silence for anger at his actions.
"Look, I'm sorry for getting involved," Harry tried to explain. "I know that girls are more than capable of taking care of themselves, but I am not about to sit around and watch as someone tries to hurt you. I know two of you don't particularly like me right now, and once again, I'm truly sorry for binding you in that contract. Regardless of how you feel about me, know that I'll never let anyone harm you."
Harry sighed in frustration and saw Daphne and Alex staring back at him. Uncertain whether he should say anything else in his defense, he turned his attention to the last girl in the group. That's when he realized the girl was Su. When he looked into her familiar grey eyes, it took all of his willpower not to run over and crush his best friend in a hug.
Knowing he needed to introduce himself to this new version, Harry reached out a hand and said, "Hi, my name is Harry Potter. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"It's good to meet you too, Mr. Potter," Su replied shyly. "My name is Su Li, but please just call me Su."
Despite the conversation he just had with Death, the moment her hand connected with his own, Harry just knew she was the same as his Su. The thought of having his best friend back in his life made him almost giddy with happiness. It was all he could do to just smile at her politely.
As soon as the trio finally took their seats, Harry sat down next to his Su and again closed his eyes.
He wasn't ready to deal with any of the girls he found sitting in his compartment, but he was happy they were all safe.