I own nothing. If the spell is not from the books, it's the Latin translation.
Chapter V
August 1989
Harry stumbled out of the fireplace and did his best to hang onto the number of bags and parcels he had carried through the floo. Lily followed him but without the stumble. She too had a number of bags, including one slender box that contained Harry's new wand. She immediately set the bags down and retrieved her wand and waved it over herself and Harry.
The two of had been in disguise while they did Harry's school shopping in Diagon Alley. Harry's hair, which had been bright red and lied completely flat, returned to black and windswept. Lily's hair went from brown and curly back to red and straight. They also had had various glamour charms to change their facial features which dissolved off their face. Harry had thought it was a little ridiculous that they had to change their appearance so drastically but that changed when they had entered Flourish and Blotts and saw the dedicated section for just his family which included many photos that would have exposed the duo if they hadn't been disguised. The disguises had worked though and no one had recognized them, except for Ollivander but that was only because he had remembered Lily's wand (10¼" willow with a unicorn hair core). The old wizard, though, wasn't concerned with their family's fame; he was more interested in finding Harry a wand. The process took awhile until an 11" holly wand with a phoenix feather core chose him. Harry marveled at the serendipity of getting a phoenix feathered wand just days after he had met an actual phoenix. Harry didn't know why but Ollivander gave him many strange looks after he received his phoenix wand. It was the only strange occurrence the two experienced as they navigated the cobbled streets of Diagon Alley.
Back to their original appearance, they went through the bags and separated what Harry needed now and what could be stored away in his trunk until he got to school. About a minute into their task, they heard Danny's bounding steps as he came running into the living room. Danny had been really excited about their trip off the grounds, even though he wasn't able to go. Harry already prepared himself for a thorough conversation on what the outside world was like. Danny sat among the pile of supplies and helped organize them in different piles. The one thing that both Danny and Harry were the most interested in was Harry's new wand.
Neither of them had ever been permitted to use a wand. After Danny's first accidental magic, James and Lily didn't want to risk an amplification of Danny's power. And since they couldn't justify allowing Harry to use a wand during training and not Danny, they enacted a strict "no wand" policy for both children. In the end, it helped Harry and Danny to focus on the theories and techniques behind spells instead of using shortcuts with direct wand-use.
Harry had been itching to get his hands back on the slender piece of wood. When he first held it, it was like he had discovered an extra limb he never knew he had and the power felt extraordinary. Harry knew he had an above average magical core from his hours of mediation with Remus but he could never access it, until now. Harry wasn't practiced in any spells but it still felt exhilarating to simply hold it. Danny was excited too, though; he doubted he would be allowed to hold it. Despite how close he and Harry were, it was still considered extremely taboo to handle someone else's wand. Lily simplified the situation when she decided that it was best to keep it in Harry's trunk. Harry and Danny then excused themselves and grabbed Harry's stuff and went to his room. Lily smiled after them; she was glad that Danny wasn't still depressed that Harry was leaving soon.
Harry and Danny entered Harry's room and dumped the stuff on Harry's bed. Danny then sat down and pulled his knees up and rested his head on them. He watched as Harry stored the extra knick-knacks he had convinced Lily to buy for him. It didn't bother him that Harry had gotten some much stuff since he had just received a number of gifts for his birthday a few days ago. Besides, the two of them had a pretty open policy on sharing.
Feeling antsy, Danny got up and grabbed a few of Harry's custom snitches and activated them. The snitches immediately began to fly in random patterns around the room, "Come on, Harry, let's play."
Harry grinned and stood across from Danny and closed his eyes. Danny did the same and both waited for the start of their little game.
The way they played was that they would stand across from each other with their eyes closed and whoever caught the most snitches in 30 seconds won. Harry had never lost but Danny had gotten close a few times. Harry started the clock on his desk and the game began. Immediately the two moved throughout the room performing graceful acrobatic moves as they snatched the snitches from the air. It was truly a sight to behold, especially how the two moved without their sight. They never once ran into each other or any of Harry's furniture. They continued to dodge each other and jump across the room until the alarm went off and the game was over.
They opened their eyes and observed each other's haul. Danny had caught eight while Harry had twelve. Harry grinned smugly and Danny scowled, "One of these days…"
Harry chuckled softly and put the snitches back into his desk, "In your dreams, little brother."
Harry then grabbed one of the new quidditch magazines he got and plopped down in his arm chair and started flipping through it. Danny sat on the bed and proceeded to ask question after question about Diagon Alley. Harry answered them all and didn't leave out any details, especially about the various creatures he had seen. Danny always liked magical creatures and couldn't wait to see them for himself. He had gotten particularly excited about the dragon Harry swore he saw when he was in Gringotts.
After about thirty minutes, Harry had explained all he could about what he saw on his outing. Danny lay out on Harry's bed and starting leafing through the extra course books Lily brought Harry. Harry looked over the top of the magazine and observed Danny's facial expression as he looked at one of his Charms guide. Harry had noticed a slight change in Danny's expression as he told his stories and looked enviously at his school supplies. Harry then decided that it was good time to give Danny a late birthday gift. He closed his magazine and opened his cupboard and retrieved a wrapped parcel. Danny hadn't been paying attention and was startled when a heavy bundle fell on his stomach. He lifted the book to see what hit him and then put it aside and examined the gift. He looked questioningly at Harry who motioned for him to open it. Danny unwrapped the package to reveal two antique mirrors.
He looked confused so Harry decided to explain, "When Dad and Uncle Sirius were in school and got put into separate detentions, they would use these to communicate." Harry then grabbed one of the mirrors and lifted to his mouth, "Danny Potter."
Suddenly, the one Danny was holding started to vibrate and feel warm in his hand. Danny jumped slightly and lifted the mirror to his face but instead of seeing his reflection he saw Harry smiling back at him.
"Now, we can talk to each anytime we want," Harry said, though Danny could also hear him through the mirror. Danny traced the mirror along its side before he put it down and gave Harry a firm hug. Harry wrapped his arm around him, he knew that Danny was going to miss him and vice versa. Harry then grabbed Danny around the neck and gave a Danny a playful noogie. Danny swatted at Harry's hand and pulled away from him.
Danny patted his hair and glared at his brother, "It's not like that does anything."
It was true; nothing could stop a Potter's hair from sticking out in all directions. Harry looked back smugly and grabbed him again around the neck and escorted them out of the room to head downstairs for dinner.
September 1, 1989
Harry stood anxiously next to Hagrid on the platform at Hogsmeade Station. Soon, the train would arrive and Harry would have his first encounter with other children. But what made Harry the most anxious was the fact that he didn't have his wand with him, it was still in his trunk. Harry felt sort of naked without his wand but felt a little better when he found that Hagrid didn't have one either, though he did carry an umbrella.
The two of them had spent the last ten minutes with idle chit-chat. Their conversation remained light and it really helped Harry feel relaxed about the new experiences upon him. Harry found out real quick that Hagrid loved rare and dangerous creatures though he knew just about everything by any type of creature. He knew right then that Danny and Hagrid would be fast friends. When Harry asked if he ever thought to be a professor in the subject, Hagrid became quiet and changed the subject.
Harry checked his watch; the train was due at 6:15 which was just a minute away.
"Hagrid, the train is due soon."
"Aye an' stick close. This can get a little hairy, Harry." Hagrid replied as he lifted his lantern from the ground.
Harry chuckled a little in his head at his choice of words and mentally prepared himself for the mad-house of hundreds of kids disembarking all at once. The imminent train also served to return Harry's anxiety about meeting his peers. He hoped that his home training would measure up to their academic training. He would have to wait for the morning to see what they could do.
'I wonder if they get started at 5 AM or 6,' he thought.
The minute passed quickly and the billowing red steam engine slowly rolled into the station. Immediately, the doors opened and wave after wave of students emptied out. All of them were dressed in their school uniforms and most of them immediately headed towards the exit where the carriages awaited them. Harry could instantly tell which ones were first years and which were not by their confused and slightly fearful expressions.
They were assuaged, though, by Hagrid's booming voice, "Firs' years, over here! Firs' years!"
Harry's peers all scurried as quickly as possible to Hagrid's voice only to shrink back slightly at the massive man they had just hurried to. Some of them, though, sent inquisitive looks towards Harry, probably wondering how he had gotten there so fast. Harry did notice two redheaded boys, who were obviously twins that looked anything but nervous, in fact, they were bouncing on their feet as if they couldn't wait to get to the castle. Hagrid corralled the first years and escorted them to the fleet of boats by the lake. Harry stepped into the first one he got to and was quickly accompanied by the twins.
"A fine vessel, isn't it, Fred," one of the twins said.
"Indeed, George, indeed," Fred replied. He then rocked left and right to test its sturdiness. "How unfortunate," he observed when he noticed that there was no chance of capsizing.
"Yes, unfortunate. A perfect opportunity wasted by proper craftsmanship," George commented as he stroked the side of the boat. The two of them continued to mutter quietly to each other and mostly ignored Harry's presence. Harry didn't mind, it was clear that these two were unbalanced. The twins suddenly stopped their conversation and turned fully towards Harry but before they could speak.
"All righ', everyone in," Hagrid boomed. "Ok, FORWARD!"
The boats immediately began their journey towards the castle. The twins stopped their attempt at conversation to start testing the boat again just in case movement meant that it could tip over. Thankfully, Harry did not have to intervene because the boats rounded the bend and Hogwarts came into view. A collective ooh's and ahh's spread across the boats at the impressive sight. Harry tried to remain impassive with his admiration as to not draw the attention of the crazy twins.
The boats eventually moved into the harbor where Hagrid, who was in the first boat, stepped off and helped each person onto the deck. They all pooled together at the base of the stairs until all of them were there. Hagrid then escorted them up the long set of stairs to the main door where Professor McGonagall stepped out to greet them.
She was dressed in a splendid emerald robe and her hat had two long eagle's feathers extending from the side. Harry immediately locked eyes with the old Transfiguration teacher and couldn't help but notice a small glare directed towards him, no doubt in response to the prank he pulled the last time they met. In a true moment of daring, Harry decided to playfully smirk and gently shrugged as if to say, 'What did you expect, you know my family?' McGonagall slightly scuffed and looked away. Hagrid then introduced the children to Professor McGonagall before he descended down the stairs to store away the boats until they were needed for next year's flock.
"Good evening and welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In a few moments you will walk through these doors into the Great Hall where you will be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. While you're here your house will be like your family. Your accomplishments will earn you points; any rule-breaking will lose points." She gave a quick glance at Harry that told him, 'Try it in my house and see what happens.' Harry softly smiled and continued to listen, "But all of you are now connected; don't allow house loyalties to keep you from the friendships you have already created."
Harry casually looked around but really he was gauging people's reactions to what McGonagall had just said. Some of them, Harry assumed to be muggleborns, looked bright eyed and a little frightened. They were about to enter a world they had never seen or experienced before. Others pondered on her words and looked at the people they met on the train and the friendship they had already created. The remaining students looked as if McGonagall hadn't said a word and Harry quickly distinguished them as the ones he had to keep an eye on. They were the scions of the pureblood families and likely had already formed their opinions on who were worthy of their time.
"Please follow me," McGonagall instructed as she escorted them to another set of great doors.
The doors opened to reveal the Great Hall and the students and teachers that waited within. Candles floated throughout the air and the magnificent roof that mirrored the night's sky illuminated the room. Placed at the head of the room was another table where the teachers sat and at the center, in a chair fit for a king, sat Headmaster Dumbledore. Positioned in front of the table on an old stool was an old leathery hat that looked like it had seen quite a few heads in its day. Harry had an idea on what it was for since he had often overheard his parents discuss what the hat had told them. Harry felt prepared and knew exactly what he needed to do.
McGonagall then went up to the hat and lifted it up and a piece of parchment.
"When I call your name, you will place the hat upon your head and be sorted into your house." She then proceeded to call name after name until finally. "Harry Potter!"
"What!? Potter!?"
"There's a Potter here?"
"Is it him, is it him!?"
Many excited whispers followed Harry up to the stool: no one had heard of the Potters for nine years. Ever since the prophecy had been made public, the world had had to come up with their own stories as they waited for their hero to return. Harry ignored them though he did notice the shocked look on the twins' faces when they realized that they had shared their boat with a Potter. Harry made his way to the stool and with a slight nod to Dumbledore turned around and sat down. McGonagall lowered the hat and waited for James and Lily's son to be sorted into her house.
'Ah a Potter, just like your parents, I know exactly what to do with you,' the hat said in Harry's mind. 'Better be Gryf…'
'No!' Harry stopped the hat, 'You will put me in Slytherin.'
The hat stopped mid-bellow and paused to consider Harry's request, 'Slytherin, you say? Mmmh…alright, you will do well there too.'
"SLYTHERIN!" The hat announced.
The room was in shocked silence. 'How could a Potter be in Slytherin, the house of the Dark Lord?' Harry ignored them again but did a feel a pang of regret when he saw the look of shocked disappointment on McGonagall's face. He too wished he could have been in her house and the house of his family but he had to join Slytherin House. Harry had a plan that highly relied on his membership in Slytherin House and as the old saying goes, 'Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer.'
Harry stepped down and made his way to the Slytherin table. No one clapped for him as they were all still too stunned to acknowledge what had just happened. His new housemates sent him many nasty looks and glares. It was his family that had caused the Dark Lord to disappear and, thus, caused their parents to hide, be imprisoned or bribe their way out trouble. Harry knew he had put himself into hostile waters but he was confident he could handle himself.
Harry made sure not to look around too much in order to ignore the looks he was getting from around the room. Harry, though, made quick eye contact with Dumbledore and received a pointed look. It was as if Dumbledore knew what he had done but he couldn't tell if the Headmaster approved or not. The sorting continued and Harry focused on each of the remaining names and put them to memory. It was then that he discovered that the twins' full names were Fred and George Weasley and were clearly members of a large family by the response they got from the Gryffindor table. Finally, the last name was called and Dumbledore rose from his chair to address the hall.
"Welcome, welcome, to another year at Hogwarts. I'm sure many of you have emptied out your heads of last year's material and eagerly await filling them back up. Now, before we commence with our feast, I have a few announcements: first years, please note, that the Forbidden Forest is coincidently forbidden. Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch," Dumbledore motioned to the back of the room where the grimy old caretaker stood, "has asked me to remind you that the list of prohibited items is posted outside his office and that magic is not allowed in the corridors. But now, to more delicious matters, let the feast begin."
Harry couldn't help but feel that Dumbledore was a little over-the-top with his speech but he was dealing with children.
For the rest of the evening, Harry sat by himself at the end of the table. The tabletop had been cleared of most of the food since his housemates felt he didn't need anything to eat. It seemed that they were not going to make things easy for their newest member. Harry didn't mind, since he didn't have to spend seven hours on a train he was able to have one last home cooked meal before he left for Hogsmeade Station. He just sat there and carefully observed his surroundings.
The hall was brimming with activity as his peers caught up with each other and discussed their summers. There were a few that gave him an occasional glance but Harry was mostly ignored by everyone. At his table, though, Harry noticed one boy, who looked to be a second year, would often glance at him with interest. Harry didn't know him but he heard those around him call the boy, Adrian Grey. Harry recognized the last name from his lessons with his Uncle Sirius but he was sure that the Grey's had been wiped out after the first war: Adrian must be the last. Harry didn't know what his motivations were but, thus far, he was the only one in his house that didn't look like he instantly hated Harry; well, him and a quiet first year girl with raven hair and piercing blue eyes.
With dinner finished, Dumbledore excused himself and instructed the prefects to escort the students to their dormitories. Harry was pushed and shoved to the back of the group and had to follow after them as they made their way to the dungeons. Harry had to use a lot of restraint to keep himself from retaliating and show off some of his physical training but it wasn't time yet to establish himself in his house. He had to wait for the opportune moment to put his plan into action.
They walked slowly so that they could memorize the route to a section of the dungeon wall that had an engraving of a giant snake. The prefect stood in front of the snake and they watched as the serpent came alive and stared at them.
"Who approaches?" it hissed.
"Kevin Sterndale of the Noble House of Sterndale" he pronounced clearly.
The snake sized up Sterndale before it hissed in approval and the prefect stepped through the stone. The first years looked at each other for a few minutes as they waited for someone to go first. Harry decided that it was time to announce himself a little more clearly. He pushed his way through the crowd, adding a few extra shoves at those that had pushed him before, and stood in front of the snake.
"Harry Potter of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter," Harry said confidently and placed extra emphasis on the "Noble" and "Ancient."
The snake bowed his head and Harry stepped through. Once through, he saw Sterndale waiting impatiently for the first years to figure it out so he could finish his duty and go to bed. He looked a little surprised that Harry was first but appreciative that someone had finally come through. One by one, each first year made their way into the common room. Harry took the time to examine his surroundings.
The common room had a low-ceiling and looked very much like a dungeon. It had greenish lamps, chairs and multiple low backed black and dark green leather sofas with buttons and skulls. There were also many tables tucked on the sides for studying. The green tinge to the walls told Harry that the dorms must partially extend under the lake. It was a grand atmosphere but it only had one fireplace and it did very little to remove the frigidness.
Sterndale quickly got their attention, "As you can see, this is the common room. Through that hallway," he gestured behind him, "are the stairs to the dormitories. Down the stairs and to the right are the girls' and the boys' are to the left. Each of you has your own suite with your own bathroom." Many eyes perked up so Sterndale decided to elaborate, "In Slytherin's time, it was important for the elite pure-bloods to maintain their privacy, thus, the dorms were designed differently then the rest of the houses. That is what sets us apart from the rest of the school. 'What a Slytherin wants, they find a way to get it.'"
Many of the first years smiled at the motto and puffed out their chest to make them feel more important. Harry wasn't so egotistical but he did appreciate the private room.
'At least I won't have to worry about getting hexed in my sleep,' he thought.
"Excuse me for a moment, our Head of House wishes to speak to you before you retire." Sterndale then walked to the north wall and disappeared through a hidden passageway behind a painting.
The first years took this moment alone to look around and whisper to each other about the different features of the room. Harry just stood quietly and waited for Sterndale to return. He didn't have to wait long as Sterndale and a short man with an enormous belly appeared from behind the suit of armor. He had very little hair left, except for the large walrus mustache, and had a large toothy smile as he observed the newest members to his house.
"Hello, hello. My name is Horace Slughorn but that's Professor Slughorn to you. I am the Potions Master at Hogwarts and your Head of House. I just wanted to welcome you all and congratulate you for being accepted into Slytherin. I expect all of you to live up to the expectations of our house and ensure that the House Cup remains in my office. If you have any needs, my office is just down the hall. If any problems should arise, I expect them to be resolved in house. We do not broadcast our affairs for all to see, though; I can't imagine any problems arising, correct?"
Many gave a Harry a quick glare but collectively replied, "Yes, Professor Slughorn."
Slughorn's smile grew even bigger, "Good, now, off to bed with ya. Tomorrow, you begin your path to greatness." Slughorn then turned to Sterndale and gave him a firm pat of the back before exiting through the same passageway. Sterndale shooed them down the hallway before disappearing down the stairs to his room.
Harry walked behind the rest of the first year boys and watched as each of them moved into their room. Harry had to walk all the way to the end of the hall before he saw his name. He opened the door to reveal a queen sized bed, a desk, wardrobe and another door that led to the bathroom. Rested at the foot of his bed was his trunk. Harry immediately went to it and retrieved his wand and a book on runes. He then walked to his door and engraved multiple runes into the doorframe that were designed to ward off unwanted visitors. Harry had never done them before but his mother had taught him the basics of rune-scribing. Once he finished his work, he put his stuff away, got into bed and went to sleep.
The next morning at 5 AM Harry woke up and dressed in his workout clothes. He figured that everyone probably started their routines at six so he didn't want to be late. He left the deserted common room and spent some time exploring the castle. He walked by Dumbledore's office and the Great Hall while also keeping an eye out for any possible hidden passageways. He really wished his father and uncles had at least given him a basic layout of the many secret passages throughout the castle but all they did was tell him that they had made a map years ago and left it in the castle for future generations.
When he felt it was close enough to six, he made his way out onto the grounds. Harry looked around a bit and walked all the way to the lake but he didn't find anyone. Visibility wasn't that great as the sun was just rising and a heavy fog still lingered in the air. The only activity Harry could see was smoke billowing out of Hagrid's hut.
'Maybe they don't start training until after classes start,' he thought. Figuring that since he was up already, he decided to run a few laps around the lake and explore the rest of the grounds until breakfast.
An hour and half later, he walked back to the castle to get some breakfast and shower for his first day of classes. He stepped into the Great Hall and saw that only a handful of students were awake and most of them looked to be prefects. They all stared curiously at Harry and checked their watches. Harry did the same; it was about 7:45. He went and sat down in the same spot as the night before and grabbed some eggs and toast. After his first plate, other students walked tiredly into the hall and sat down at their respective tables.
About halfway through his second plate Harry noticed Adrian enter the Great Hall and take a seat a few spaces from him.
As Adrian assembled his plate, he spoke from the side of his mouth. "You shouldn't have done that last night. You should've gone to Gryffindor."
Harry maintained the charade and kept eating. "What's it to you?"
"Nothing, but the 6th and 7th years were talking and they're going to make an example out of you," Adrian said as he buttered his toast.
Harry was going to remark but Adrian's friends had arrived and their conversation was over. Harry then got up and made his way back to the dungeon to shower and prepare for class, all the while pondering over what Adrian had told him.
Harry walked cautiously from his last class of the day. His mind, though, wasn't on the new spells he learned but Adrian's warning. Harry had been on alert and made sure to remain in sight of other students. He was trying to avoid the exact situation he was currently in, walking alone down a quiet hallway. He had a firm grasp of his wand, despite the fact he didn't know any offensive spells, and was ready to move if someone attacked. Harry secured his bag over his shoulder and was prepared to use it if he had to as an extra weapon.
Harry then heard footsteps coming fast behind him. He quickened his pace and looked ahead where there was a slight bend in the hallway. He turned the corner, took his bag off his shoulder and prepared to confront his potential attacker. The person turned the corner and was met with Harry's wand in the face: it was Adrian.
Adrian raised his hands in surrender and stared expectantly at Harry's wand. Harry dropped his wand but didn't put it away. Just because he warned Harry that the upper years wanted to hurt him didn't mean he trusted him.
"What do you want?"
"We didn't get to finish our conversation this morning."
"I heard what I needed to hear," Harry said and started walking away.
Adrian hurried to walk beside him. "And…what are you going to do?"
"Why do you care?" Harry needed to know Adrian's motives for helping him. From what he knew of the Greys, they usually kept their heads down and waited it out on the sidelines.
Adrian was getting a little annoyed with Harry's indifference. "Because you're in my house and people don't survive in Slytherin without having a few allies."
Harry stopped. "Then why are you talking to me, you've already got friends."
Adrian scoffed and turned to face Harry. "Those guys? They're just in my year. They don't even really like me. My family was never really popular among the other pureblood houses." Harry noticed the morose tone in his voice when he spoke of his family.
Harry dropped his shoulders and let his guard down a bit. What he said about the Greys was consistent with what his uncle had told him. "So, how does this work, then? You watch my back and I watch yours?"
"Something like that, yeah," Adrian had visibly brightened and smiled as he spoke.
And just like that Harry had his first friend.
"You're out of your mind, you know that right?" Adrian was about ready to collapse. His breath was ragged as he rested his hands on his knees.
"I'm not making you do this." Harry breathed a little harder than normal but was still ready to go.
The two were up early for a morning workout before classes. Harry was still a little disappointed that no one else thought it was necessary to train their bodies as well as their magic. In fact, Harry found his peers to be extremely lazy. They didn't like to work, would procrastinate to last minute, and then complain that they had too much to do. They only ones Harry respected were the Ravenclaws but they mostly spent their time inside and in the library.
Harry took a moment as Adrian caught his breath to think about the last few weeks. His new friendship was more like an alliance. They never associated publicly but found ways to back each other when they could. Things were only made worse by the power struggle going on in Slytherin. The current leader of Slytherin, Radbert Rosier, was in his seventh year and was Head Boy. His upcoming graduation meant that someone would have to take his place. Unfortunately for Harry, people thought the best way to establish themselves was to be the one that got Harry Potter.
Adrian had already intervened a few times when some of the sixth years had cornered Harry. It was important that it wasn't obvious that Adrian was helping Harry so his excuse was usually that a professor wanted them or that someone was coming. Sometimes, though, there was nothing Adrian could do and Harry would end up with a few bruises. Harry never fought back and would use his own supplies to heal himself instead of going to the Hospital Wing.
Harry, in turn, helped Adrian with his confidence by teaching him a little of his fighting techniques. Adrian even started to get up with Harry in the morning and participate in Harry's workout regiment. Harry found that Adrian had a quick temper if provoked and would often give excuses when things wouldn't go his way. He was nothing like Danny which only made Harry miss him more. But as far as workout partners went, it was nice to have a new personality to interact with and learn from. Harry did, though, have to hold back a bit until he got Adrian up to his level but he noticed a steady change in Adrian's physique and mentality.
Harry looked at his watch, "Alright, that's enough for today and you need to shower." Harry scrunched his nose a bit at the odor.
"Sod off."
Harry laughed a little and watched Adrian disappear into the castle. He then started stretching, something Adrian constantly forgot to do, and looked around the grounds. Harry loved all the open space and beautiful lake and mountains were wonderful backdrops for his workouts. The one thing that made him uncomfortable was the proximity to the castle. He didn't like the idea that people could watch him without his knowledge.
Harry noticed smoke from Hagrid's chimney and decided to pay a visit. As soon as he knocked, Harry heard barking and scratches at the door.
"Down Fang, get back!"
The door opened and Harry saw a large boarhound being held back by the even larger Hagrid.
"Harry! Good ter see yeh, come on in," Hagrid boomed. "Come on, Fang, outta the way."
Harry scooted through to see only one room that was packed full with crates and cages. Some of them had small animals in them but most were empty. Tucked in the corner was a large wood frame bed with a large patchwork quilt. Settled in the fire, a large kettle pot filled with Hagrid's (or Fang's) morning porridge.
Hagrid gestured for Harry to seat in the large chair by the bed. "Sorry 'bout the mess, I wasn' expectin' company." He started picking up many of the empty cages and threw them out his back door. "Would yeh like some tea?"
Harry nodded, "Yes please."
Hagrid smiled and prepared another kettle. "So how are classes?"
"They're going well. Some of it is a little boring since my mom taught us a lot of it already."
"That's Lily for yeh, smar' as a whip she was." Hagrid grabbed two mugs and poured the two of them some tea.
Harry took a sip, it tasted weakly of ale. "So Hagrid, I've been wandering about something and I figured you'd be the best to ask," Harry paused and noticed Hagrid looked very pleased. "What sort of creatures are in the forest."
"Well, all sorts. Yeh got centaurs, unicorns, acromantulas, thestrals." Hagrid seemed really excited but then paused all of a sudden. "Why do yeh ask?"
"Oh, my brother has a thing for magical creatures and I wanted to let him know what he can expect. He was kind of upset with me leaving so I want him to have something to look forward to." Harry wasn't entirely being truthful. He did want to tell Danny about the creatures but there was another reason he was asking about the forest.
"Is tha' so?" Hagrid was genuinely excited. He and Daniel Potter had something in common.
"Both of us actually." Harry could tell that he had Hagrid exactly where he wanted him. "You remember my Uncle Remus right?"
Hagrid nodded without saying anything, he understood completely.
"Well, I was really hoping I could look around and maybe meet some of them, well, the nice ones at least." Harry looked as innocent as possible.
"Yeh know that the fores' is off limits ter students, righ' Harry?"
Harry nodded. "But you go in all the time."
"Aye, but I'm not a child and I have experience," Hagrid countered.
"So you could show me around. With you with me, no one could hurt me." Harry had to be careful, he almost had what he wanted. "You could show me the areas that are safe."
"Most of it ain't safe." Hagrid breathed in deeply and stroked his beard. "But if yeh're with me then I guess it'll be alrigh' and there are some patches that they stay clear of."
Harry leaned in. "Where?"
"I was wrong, you're not out of your mind; you're bloody insane." Adrian stood at the tree line of Forbidden Forest and stared dumbstruck at Harry.
"And I'll say it again; I'm not making you do this." Harry was already a few yards into the forest and hadn't looked back.
"Yeah I know but I wanted to start working out: on the grounds, not in the Forbidden Forest," Adrian said with emphasis on the 'Forbidden' part.
"Are you coming or not?"
Adrian sighed and abandoned his argument to follow Harry in the forest. After a few outings with Hagrid, Harry had discovered a clearing that most of the creatures avoided due to the dangerous nature of the foliage. Most of the plants were poisonous so the herbivores didn't eat there so the carnivores didn't bother with it. Just to be careful, though, Harry planned to carve some protective runes in the trees. Harry, though, hadn't told Adrian any of this so he could understand his hesitancy at entering the forest.
"Why do you want to train in the forest, anyway?" Adrian said as he carefully followed Harry's exact footing.
"It's too exposed on the grounds, this way, no one can see us."
"You're paranoid, you know that right?"
"I just don't like the idea of people knowing what I can do, that's all."
"Yeah, about that, I don't get it. You could take any of the upper years, maybe not magically, but physically they wouldn't stand a chance."
"It's not time yet."
"Time for what?"
Harry stopped and turned. "Look, I know we have this partnership going, but I'm not ready to reveal everything about me, ok?"
"Why? I've told you stuff. I told you how my family was killed because they refused to take His mark. How I had to go to an orphanage until a magical family found me and took me in. How everyone thinks I'm a joke because my family name means nothing."
It was clear that this had been bottled up for awhile and his tone shifted harshly. "And what have you told me? Nothing. You in the most famous family in Britain and I don't know a thing about you, bloody hell, no one knows anything about you."
Harry started walking again, this was not a good time to have a heated conversation and he wished that Adrian understood that. They were still in a dangerous part of the forest and still had about twenty yards until they reached the clearing. He looked behind him and Adrian hadn't moved. Adrian stared expectantly and folded his arms.
Harry sighed. "Look, there are things about me, about my family that I have to protect and if that's a problem then it's better that we just end this here. Go back to castle; I've got things to do." Harry didn't want to do it; he was really starting to like Adrian. They two had worked well together and it was nice to have someone to rely on but if Adrian couldn't handle that Harry had secrets then it was for the best.
There was moment of silence before Adrian laughed a little. "Wow, I didn't think the hat had done the right thing, but you really are a Slytherin."
Harry smiled a bit and took it as a compliment. "So we're good?"
"Yeah, we're good."
Harry started walking again but when his back was turned a hateful sneer appeared on Adrian's face as he tightened the grip on his wand.
October 1989
Time passed and Halloween was soon approaching. The castle was decorated with a multitude of pumpkins and live bats flew across the ceiling. The many ghosts that resided in Hogwarts would roam the halls and pop out of the wall whenever there was a group of unsuspecting students. Peeves, the resident poltergeist, would wait around corners and throw hard candies at student's faces and many ended up in the Hospital wing with chipped teeth. For Harry, things were progressing nicely. After months of observing his peers and listening to Adrian's accounts of the culture within the student body, Harry was confident that his plan would have the desired effect. But still, there was one aspect that had yet to be resolved. While he was sure his plan would work within his own house, he needed to be sure it spread to the other houses as well.
To do that he needed the assistance of two people that he was very reluctant to associate with: the Weasley twins. Apparently, the mental imbalance Harry perceived from them was in actuality a well fueled engine for creating chaos. It didn't take long for them to begin their mission of terrorizing the school with their pranks. Most were simple and didn't require that much effort but others were extremely elaborate, well beyond the skills of their first year peers. They were, of course, no where near the Maruader's level but they were certainly heading in the right direction. What's more, everyone seemed to love them, until they became a victim, but the twins only seemed interested in attacking those that weren't well liked in the first place. For that reason, their assistance was required and Harry knew exactly how to get it.
His search for the twins took him near the Astronomy Tower where he finally found them huddled together around a statue of an old witch. They were whispering excitedly to each other and didn't notice Harry's presence. Harry approached cautiously and was able to hear a little of their conversation.
"Open Simsim"
"Alohomora"
"Reveal your secrets"
"That's not even a spell."
"Well, nothing else is working."
"We'll figure it out."
"It's definitely from them, right?"
"Of course, it's just like the other one."
Harry couldn't see what they were looking at but it was clear that they had been searching for it. When they continued to fail at noticing his presence, Harry loudly cleared his throat and gripped his wand, which was hidden inside his robes, just in case they attacked in surprise. The twins went rigid and immediately straightened up and slowing turned around. They visibly relaxed, though, when the realized it was only Harry and not a professor.
"Blimey, that sounded just like McGonagall, thought she had us for a moment."
"But instead it's Potter, I wonder what he wants?"
"Maybe he wants to curse us for that prank we pulled last week."
"Too true, fine work that was, if I don't say so myself."
"Please do."
"I do."
Just as it appeared that they would continue to speak as if Harry wasn't present, they stopped and looked at him. Harry just rolled his eyes at their antics and reached into his robes. The movement caused both twins to flinch, probably expecting Harry to pull his wand. Instead, though, Harry pulled a small journal, opened it, and scanned through the pages. The twins confusingly stared on until Harry finally started to read.
"Journal Entry #35: entered the kitchen and replaced the entire supply of pumpkin juice with expired gillywater resulting in numerous bladder issues for students and staff during dinner." Harry leafed to another page. "Journal Entry #72: hogtied Mrs. Norris." As he turned another page, he caught glimpses of recognition of the twin's faces. "Journal Entry #103: changed the Halloween songs sung by the suits of armor to something more 'festive', i.e., vulgar." Harry then closed the book and stared at the smiling faces of the twins.
"Look George, we have a follower." 'Fred' said with a look of pride in his eyes.
"I always knew we would, I just never expected so soon." 'George' said as he pretended to wipe a tear from his eye.
"First off," Harry interrupted. "He's Fred, you're George." At the twins shocked faces, Harry continued, "Secondly, those entries weren't about you."
"What'd you mean, of course they were?" said the real Fred.
"Yeah, we did those a few weeks ago," said George.
Harry opened the journal again.
"Journal Entry #1: Created our name, enchanted the Great Hall ceiling to display our symbol." Harry then procured his wand and traced an elaborate M in the air that rose to the ceiling before disappearing. "You didn't do that, did you?"
The twins were still staring at the place were the M had appeared. Their dumbfounded expression returned to Harry.
"You know about the M," they said together.
Harry didn't say anything and instead just waved the journal in front of them, displaying the same symbol on the cover. As he did so, he got his first glimpse of what the twins had been looking at before he arrived. Harry immediately pushed passed them, avoiding their attempts to grab the journal, and knelt down by the statue. Etched on the back side of the witch's leg was the image of a large dog in full sprint. Harry lightly brushed his had over the image and smiled softly to himself. Harry stood back up and turned around to find the twins still eyeing the journal.
"Where did you get that?" asked Fred.
"The M were pranksters?" asked George.
Harry hadn't expected that. "You're telling me you don't know what these mean." He motioned to the journal's cover and the statue.
The twins shook their heads in unison. "No, we just found the M carved in our common room," said George.
"It was hidden but we stumbled upon it when we were up late writing the new songs for the suits," said Fred.
"We could sense that there was something hidden behind it but we didn't know how to open it."
"We figured there might be more of them and hopefully some clues on how to open it so we started looking."
Harry had to admit, he was stumped. He had expected the twins to at least know about the Marauders but what he didn't expect was that they knew about the markers. He now found himself having to explain the opposite of what he thought he would. With a quick look around to make sure they were alone, Harry began.
"The M is the symbol of the Marauders, the greatest pranksters this castle has ever known. This," Harry held up the journal, "is an account of ever prank that they ever did and how they did them and this," he motioned to the dog, "and the M in your common room are two of five markers they left behind for the next generation." Harry paused to let the information sink in; he also didn't want to reveal too much.
George stepped forward to speak but Fred held him back. "Why are you telling us all this? It seems like you know more than enough about them."
Harry was glad they were skeptical; it proved that they were the right people for the job. "I have a proposition for you. You help me find the rest of these, perform some pranks and spread some rumors when I need them and I'll give you all you need to surpass the Marauders."
The twins put their heads together and whispered furiously to each other. After a moment, Fred turned back to him. "How do we know you can deliver on your end?"
Harry smiled, the question meant they didn't have a problem with their end of the deal. "I'll give you this," Harry waved the journal, "and tell you how to activate the markers."
"What's to stop us from just taking the journal and leaving you with nothing? We can probably figure out the passwords for the markers ourselves," countered George.
Harry's smile grew and he tossed them the journal. Both of them went for it but Fred ended up with it.
"Open the first page," instructed Harry.
Fred did so and his shoulders dropped. "'The Accounts of the Marauders: Year One.'"
George grabbed the book from Fred and started leafing through it. "But this is filled cover to cover."
"That's right," confirmed Harry, "though; they didn't really break out of their shell until mid third year." Harry reached into his robe and pulled a larger journal with the same M on its cover.
There was a moment of shocked silence before the twins furiously started to leaf through the journal, making a comment here and there about how similar their own ideas were to what the Marauders did. Harry waited patiently at first but he didn't like to be ignored, especially with his offer still on the table.
"So, do we have a deal?"
The twins stopped their study and stared at Harry.
"How did you get these?" asked Fred.
"I inherited them," he replied simply. He was really getting annoyed by all the questions.
"You mean…" they said in unison.
Harry nodded and took a step to the statue. He then made a show of kneeling beside the etching of his Uncle Sirius's animagus form.
"Padfoot."
Immediately the dog came to life and ran in circles before it ran down to the bottom of the statue and scurried across the floor and disappeared down the hall.
George tried to follow but it was too fast. He whirled around. "Why'd you let it get away?"
"Because I already know where it went and so do you?" The twins looked confused which made Harry roll his eyes. "The M."
"Ohhh!" they said together.
"So, do we have a deal?" said Harry again, a little more firmly this time.
The twins looked to each other and then outstretched their hands. "Deal."
Harry shook each of their hands and mentally checked another item off his list.