Hogwarts: September 1, 1990:
Severus stood at a high window looking out over the Black Lake, the forest and the town of Hogsmeade. The fortress walls put in place around the edge of Hogwarts grounds when he was a boy still stood. The centaurs approved and told tales of ancient walls from long ago. Now they were back and Hogsmeade was once more a bustling town. It came right up to the fortress or outer walls. Severus saw the train tracks and the station a good mile and a half away. It was just outside Hogsmeade as none of the town wanted the train running through the ancient settlement. McGonagall came up and looked out with him.
"So, looking forward to having Mr. Potter here?" She asked.
"Yes, he is well grounded and it will be nice to have him here." Severus replied, "I never really thought I would be teaching, but defense is good to teach."
"Quirinus has decided to be the history teacher." McGonagall said, "do you know why he has taken to wearing a turban?"
"He became a Sikh." Severus replied, "this last year in fact."
"Oh, I thought they had beards."
"They do, but he has a condition that makes it so he has no hair." Severus replied.
"Oh, well what do Sikhs believe?" Minerva asked.
"There is very little time to tell you now." Quirrell said walking up, "but perhaps later I can tell you all about my faith."
He was a young, a bit younger than Severus and had ended up with a bad curse that took all his hair. This did not bother him as he stated that it was his fault and all. He had gone to India and visited the golden temple and the Sikhs there and found a new faith that he loved. He tied his turban perfectly (as his friends stated) and his was purple as he did love the color purple. He was clad in a loose white tunic, baggy purple trousers and brown boots with a sleeveless open purple robe. Severus was clad in his curse breaking clothing as he was not going to wear robes to teach. Perhaps if he was teaching potions but he was not.
"So any idea what house Mr. Potter will go into?" Severus asked, "I have my bets on Slytherin, he has talked about how he is going to get into that house."
"Gryffindor, no doubt." Quirrell said smiling.
"Oh?" Severus said.
"I am with Severus on this one." McGonagall said, "he wants to be Slytherin and as much as I want him in my house, well he should get what he wants."
"Well, we will see." Quirrell replied.
All too soon it was time to head down to the feast. The headmaster would great the children as he found he loved doing that. This meant that the heads of houses would be waiting near the hat. The other professors would be seated, all forty of them at the head table watching and waiting. Everyone wanted the first years to feel included here though they would be afraid they were sure.
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Hogwarts Sorting Ceremony: September 1, 1990:
Harry knew where he was going of course. His friends did to and even Ron was resigned that Harry was going to Slytherin. Or that was the plan, the train ride had been so much fun. Harry, Neville, Hermione and Ron had a blast playing games and Harry had decided that Dudley needed a present. If Mrs. Weasley had not said what she had well, he would have a couple of twins to talk to. Which was going to be easy, stupid hat. He was supposed to go to Slytherin, had it all worked out until the hat dropped on his head.
What have we here? The hat thought to him.
Harry Potter at your service, now Slytherin my dear hat. Harry thought back, I have a world to change.
Oho, oho, oho. The hat thought at him, you are a bold one, so very bold and only one house for you "GRYFFINDOR"
It was not even funny, but at least Harry was with his friends. Friends who were laughing now. Oh well at least he would have fun and on Marcus across the room toasted him, oh he was going to be pranked that Marcus Flint was! How had this gone so well different? He saw Severus slip something to the turban wearing professor, had Severus bet on him? At least someone believed in him and his new head of house had to pay the turban professor too! Oh, well he hoped she liked having him in her house.
"Who is the turban bloke?" Harry asked.
"That is professor Quirrell, he is a Sikh." Fred said.
"Yes, we found out, and know things." George added.
"Good, I need to send a gift." Harry said, "a certain item, your mother told you not to send one home am I correct?"
"Yes, oh for whom is this?" Fred asked.
"Yes for whom?" George added.
"My brother." Harry replied.
The feast was amazing and at the end each student was welcomed back with the school song. It was sung in tune and to one tune despite Dumbledore wanting it done another way. Harry was tired happy and full and looking forward to learning here at Hogwarts. He headed up to the Gryffindor dorms and here things were different. No-one shared rooms in Hogwarts anymore, as it was a magical school rooms were created for each student no matter the house. Harry had a small dorm room big enough for a small four poster bed, nightstand, a wardrobe for his things and a small desk under the window. A door led to a small full bathroom that even had a shower along with toilet and sink.
Harry was going to enjoy Hogwarts for sure and there was one thing he had that was gong to help. His godfather Sirius Orion Black had died, this was fact. However before he died he had been working on creating a likeness of his Animagmus form, he had not finished it but Dora Tonks had. Now Harry enlarged the "dog" and smiled as it pranced around, yawned and crawled onto his bed. It was to be a guardian for him and he liked that. It was like a real dog, warm and soft but would require no food and did not need to be let out. Harry fell asleep at once to the sounds of "breathing" from the dog secure and safe as could be.
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Crawley September 4, 1990:
Dudley came back from school sad that Harry was not there with him now. He saw a package and Harry's name on it. Grinning he opened it and stared and stared again in shock. Harry had done it, how he had done it he did not know but Harry had done it! There, in all it's glory was a Hogwarts toilet seat. Clean of course, so very, very clean and here. Petunia came in and saw it at the same time Vernon did. Vernon was trying so hard not to laugh and he was turning red from the effort. He took a few careful breaths and walked over to stare down at it.
"I see my son decided to grace us with a gift." Vernon said.
"Yes, your son." Petunia replied, "look what he did, I am going to, where is, I need Molly, I am going to floo her."
"Do that, that would be a great idea." Vernon said.
Half a hour later Molly came over with some very red paper. Petunia sat down and without yelling told her son what he did was not proper. Once done she sent the howler off and it would go down as scarier than any other parent in recent memory had sent. She did not yell but got her point across very well and Harry knew she was not amused. His next letter home included his mum's favorite sweets and an apology. He did end up a legend in his own house and though he did not serve detention nor did he end up with lost points, McGonagall was not impressed. She was not impressed when that same toilet seat was returned and somehow ended up green and silver, in the Gryffindor dorms.
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Black Castle, November 1, 1990:
Severus stood watching Regulus walk around his solarium taking in the plants there. Regulus was dangerous, as dangerous as Rookwood who was here too. Both men it was rumored were unspeakables. Severus did not want to find out, he had felt something off here today coming in but it had left quickly. He knew there was something going on and that was the reason he was here, now. Voldemort was not gone, Harry would sadly have to face him, but he would win, Voldemort was too weak to fight wherever he was.
"We need Mr. Potter's help." Regulus said, "you are his magical guardian."
"I am, it better not be dangerous." Severus warned him.
"Not fully, all we need him to do is put an orb through a curtain." Rookwood said.
"You are having me on, the veil of death, we state we put criminals through but use other magic…" Severus trailed off, "it's real, a real veil of death?"
"Yes, we need Harry to do this." Regulus, "finish a prophecy and all."
"When?" Severus asked.
"Winter solstice, sooner the better." Rookwood replied.
"Good, then what do we do about the ministry?" Regulus asked.
"Gentlemen, it is best not to talk politics with me,, you know my stance and such." Severus said, "I support you but cannot know your plans, the ministry hates me back here and would do anything to get rid of me."
"You have been back as it were for nearly ten years." Regulus said. "And are a world renowned curse breaker and potions master!"
"My father is still a wanted man here, oh sure on paper he could come back but he does that and his life is forfeit. He is freer where he is and safe. MACUSA makes sure he is protected and he is." Severus replied.
"Still not fair at all." Regulus retorted.
"Life rarely is, I was accused of being a death eater." Rookwood said, "as if I would join that monster. My oaths would have killed me if I had."
Rookwood was a dark, violent and very dangerous man. He was not what he would call a good guy at all. He liked mystery and such and so that was what had drawn him to the unspeakable ranks. It saved his life too as he had decided to take the full oaths to see how far the rabbit whole went. It made it so he could not join Voldemort and took an edge but only an edge off his rather dark tendencies. He dressed poorly some would say, a simple brown robe, no shoes and long brown dredlocks in a pale pock marked face with copper eyes. He looked mad, probably was but was one that would defend what was right and good. Severus found him a good friend.
Soon, if all went well then Voldemort would be gone for good. This meant so much but even if Voldemort was gone there was a very corrupt ministry to deal with. So many did not trust them and went back to the muggle world not because they did not like the magical world, they did, but because they felt they would be treated fairer there. The ministry could do nothing about it at all and they had limited control over Hogwarts and the communities directly surrounding it.
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So Harry has started Hogwarts and yes he wanted Slytherin. I thought it would be funny if the hat said "no, too bold, next" sort of thing. And gets sent to Gryffindor, and yes, someone had to send a toilet seat home. Oh and Voldemort is going down but there is still a very corrupt ministry to deal with.
Anyway, Do Review Please!