A/N: Hello everyone. Just wanted to say thanks for the support, 417 views and 10 favorites so far. Wow, I did not except that from this little idea when I first got it. I'll speak a bit more at the end of this chapter, but I'd like to apologize for the errors in chapter 1 that got pass me. I'm a novice at this, so please expect a few more here and there, that being said, I'm looking for a beta-reader.

Please enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own Nothing.

Chapter 2

Heritance, Plans, and Hogwarts at Last

William was still reeling with the revelation of having a sister, but used his magic to help him focus; there were things to be done at the present. After taking a calming breath he asked the goblin," Is it possible to meet the goblin in charge of accounts or are you the one I speak to in regards to that?"

With a quick shake of the head, the goblin replied," No, I will take you to your account manager. Please follow me, Lord Dagworth-Granger".

As the goblin led them out the door and into the unnaturally quiet corridor, Nymeria decided to speak up. "How are you feeling?" she questioned as she walked slightly behind William.

"Ecstatic. Jealous. Anxious. Worried." William stated out as he continued looking forward.

"Ecstatic and anxious, I can understand. But jealous and worried, why?" she asked curiously.

"She grew up with a family, I just recently found one. While I'm glad she didn't have to go through what I did, I'm still jealous. Worried, because she may be at more of a disadvantage when entering this world than I am" He replied.

"What makes you think that, she could have had the advantage you had while growing up. And if she is anything like you, when she finds out about Hogwarts, she'll demolish any books on it" Nymeria said, avoiding talking about his abilities with the goblin currently present.

William frowned in thought," That's the point. There's the possibility that she will be like any other eleven year old discovering something as amazing as magic, and get caught up in it, not thinking about the fact this is a completely different world", he then muttered under his breath to her," There's a bloody goblin, leading us in a bank ran by goblins. The culture shock of there being magic alone would be overwhelming without adding other species and their culture into the mix."

"Don't worry we'll find her in good time. I have a lot more to work with than I did with you." Nymeria said as the goblin came to a halt in front of a dark wooden door. With a knock, they hear a reply in a strange language and watched as the goblin opened it and addressed the occupant.

"Account Manager Blacktooth, I present to you, Lord Dagworth-Granger and… guest" he said.

"Ah at last, welcome my lord. Teller Griphook, you are dismissed." Blacktooth said to the now named goblin, as he bowed and close the door behind them as he left."Please take a seat; we have much to talk about". The room was finely furnished but Spartan in design. The walls however, he decorated with what William assumed was game, since they were of creatures he had never seen before. As both Nymeria and William took their proffered seats, Blacktooth addressed them. "Now firstly my lord, I'd like to talk to about your house or… of what remains of it".

"What do you mean?" William asked.

"A little history then…the House of Dagworth has been around since the Roman Empire, but came into power after the battle of Hastings in the eleventh century. They became Dagworth-Granger when the heiress at the time, fell in love with a magical who worked as a farm bailiff, and the decided to honor their union with the addition. Financially, they were one of the wealthiest Houses at the time, comparable to the House of Black and Potter. They had many holdings and specialized in making potions and menageries. Politically, They were a part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, which were the Houses that aided in the formation of the now Ministry after the Stature of Secrecy was created when muggles started to hunt magical and magical creatures alike." Blacktooth paused and sighed before continuing," That, was what House Dagworth-Granger was before it's collapse, which started with Lord Hektor Dagworth. Lord Hektor was and still is the pride of the House Dagworth, though he had many, his most famous accomplishment has been the formation of 'The Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers', which continues to fund and research potions to this very day."

"I don't understand," Nymeria interrupted, "what was this tragedy that led to the houses downfall?"

"He had no magical heirs" Blacktooth said simply," He had his magic for lack of a better term, sterilized; Due to a potion experiment before he made the Society of Potioneers and in essence he became a Squib. This became a problem when it became apparent that it was not just affecting him, but his offspring. He theorized that in order to counteract the potion, the House need an heir produced in a magically powerful generation, to hypothetically jump start the family's magic. So until that time as an heir was produced, he set a few safeguards."

"Magically powerful generation" William asked bewildered.

"Yes, magic is a very fickle thing. Where little nuances can create drastic results, one such nuance is magical numbers. However we will not get into that. Time is money after all". He replied, but before continuing he took out a dossier from a draw and putting it on the table," As I was saying, safeguards. Before his death, Lord Hektor added a few House Laws such as, upon his death, the clan of Blacktooth were to hold the account in stasis with all possessions held within the vaults to also be held in stasis until an heir is born. Upon the heir's eleventh birthday, he is to become Lord of House Dagworth-Granger." Blacktooth looked up and placed his hand on the dossier before closing it," the reason I only stated only those precautions, is because those are the only ones that worked, and kept the House of Dagworth from having nothing."

"What do you mean? All his plans were useless!?" exclaimed Nymeria incredulously while staring at the several pages thick dossier.

"It was not for the lack of trying. Many of both his plans and loopholes used by the clan Blacktooth held back both the ministry and rival Houses for centuries until they changed laws in order to circumvent them. First to go was the House's seat in the Wizengamot, the wizarding equivalent to parliament, in the ministry, and with that many of the house's protections. Everything else was distributed piece-meal to rivals and the ministry. The seat was taken by then Lord Draco Malfoy along with ten percent of any holdings that carried the Dagworth name. This in turn allowed the 'The Extraordinary Society of Potioneers' to reduce the ownership of the society to fifty-one percent, and the family's ancestral fortified manor to become what is now the ministries' Auror barracks and training facility. The reason you still control the society is due to magic, basically enforcing their oaths of having House Dagworth, the founder, owner in perpetuity, due to the original oath created by Lord Hektor. The only things now remaining are that which is in the vault: liquid assets of 41,168,579g, family heirlooms, tomes and the family's grimoire."

After Blacktooth finished his listing, William stared down at the ground in contemplation. Things were not as bleak as he had first thought when Blacktooth had started speaking. But compared to what was once a Great House, it had nothing but its name and a few scraps it had placed in a bolt-hole. He closed his eyes. It reminded him of his younger self. It was alone, had nothing, and the world was against it…But it now had found power…Him. A power that will see it standing tall in the sun; a power that will ensure no one forced it into a corner again; a power that will make its enemies rue the day they laid a hand against it. A power…that will make the world scramble for its favor.

Both Nymeria and Blacktooth had watched when William had become despondent at the news, but felt a sudden change; like the very air had become both lighter and heavier, like there was a fundamental shift in the very air around them. When William looked up back at them, there was a fierce determination in his eyes that seem to make them glow.

"We have work to do".

Nymeria, William, and Blacktooth were all standing in front of a large vault, which seemed to be made out of a brownish metal that made it look like the cavern walls around it, after a long lorry ride through the tunnels underneath Gringotts. William was now in possession of the Lord's ring around his neck, making him the Head of House Dagworth-Granger. He had been advised by Blacktooth to not but it on in order to prevent any notification of his Lordship to be sent to the ministry. While this would prevent him from having all the privileges as a Head of a Noble House in the eyes of the law and the ministry, It was due to the House laws enacted by the then Lord Hektor that allowed the still active familial magic to recognize him as Head and be able to access his vault and other possessions.

"Lord William, place the Lord's ring in that indentation there," Blacktooth said pointing towards a small depression in the center of the metal before continuing," That will deactivate the vaults security and open it. From there only you and your blood can enter the vault."

William stepped forward and fished out a silver ring with his House's coat of arms, that was attached to a likewise sliver chain, from around his neck, and placed it in the indention. The vault snapped suddenly inwards, and a rush of surprisingly fresh air came out, then the vault slowly opened more, allowing him to enter. What he found for lack of better term, was a warehouse filled with same hills of galleons, bookcases filled with tomes that looked slightly worn out instead of decrepit, like he thought they would be, suits of armor holding a range of weapons, and in the centre of it all, under an unnatural light and giving off an ethereal-like glow, was only what he could assume was the family's grimoire.

As he approached it, he could see that it looked to be made out of the skin of some reptile, and in relief of the cover was the House crest, that glowed silver when he stood in front of it, and snapped open to the first page, which seemed to contain a message on it. The language was unrecognizable to him, until it glowed briefly and become readable in Standard English:

To Lord of the House of Dagworth-Granger,

If all goes to plan, you are currently of your ten and one day of birth, you are born into the family of Dagworth aware of your heritage, in the third or seventh generation after my death. If not, then I fear our House is in more dire straits than I had anticipated. For that, I apologize, for it was due to my negligence that our house laid before you in ruins. But all is not lost. In this book contains the codex of Dagworth, created by the first Dagworth and handed down from Head to Head, each adding their own knowledge or the knowledge of those in the family they had deemed note worthy to passed down. The magic and potions found in this book is for family and family only. Techniques and teachings are allowed to be taught, but under oath of death to the recipient to not teach another. The rituals are only to be used by the head and taught to one other within the family.

The codex is semi-sentient from the magic that it has been endued with over the centuries and protects itself from any other attempting to read it except you, the Head of House, and will give knowledge when it deems you worthy. Now, I have taken the liberty of adding a spell on the page that follows, which will judge your occlumency, the ability to close one's mind from the mental probes of a legilimens. If you are not deem worthy, the book will close and I advise you to read one of the many tomes in the vault on the subject and put it to use. This is not only for your protection, but that of the families secrets. If you are, you will be able to continue on; to which my next spell will come into effect. The knowledge the book deems you worthy for will appear, but the spell I added will cut your hand at the turn of this page and prioritize spells, rituals, and techniques that will suit your innate magical talent or help you overall.

This, unfortunately, is all I can do for you as atonement of what I have caused you. Become strong young Lord...

Duc Populum,

Lord Hektor Dagworth-Granger

After finish reading the letter, William paused in a moment of silence, to the memory of his ancestor, before continuing on. What he saw was an intricate depiction of an eye with several strange symbols that circled it as the center piece and covered the entire page. As he looked, he felt a gentle caress just behind his eyes. It was the first time he felt it from this end of the spectrum, but he was sure the usual barrier of magic he had in his mind would hold up. It did, and the feeling disappeared after a short while of pushing against it. What happened next was akin to a battering ram against a reinforced door. His barrier held, but it had buckled enough that he had cringed in pain from the attack. What happened next were a series of battering, probing, distractions and prong attacks, that forced him to actively protect his mind with his magic until the attacks stopped abruptly and the eye seemed to close in on itself. The entire attack seemed to have lasted hours, it was exhausting and he leaned heavily on the pedestal on which the grimoire laid, but in reality it only lasted a minute. When he finally recovered, he turned the page, feeling it cut his hand as he did. At first the page was blank till it started being filled with words, with the heading: 'The Dagworth theory of Magic' .As he skimmed through the pages, he saw headings like 'The Mindscape and You', 'Familiar Ritual' and then various spells and a description of them. He left the chamber and walked back to the two waiting for him, but not before filling a pouch, charmed to be larger on the inside he received from Blacktooth, with galleons and placing the grimoire within it. As Nymeria saw him approaching, she noticed he looked haggard and sluggish and spoke up.

"What happened in there? You weren't gone long, yet you look dead on your feet" Nymeria said concerned.

"The book…it's a long story that I will tell you later. Right now we need to get my supplies and wand". William answered.

"Shopping can wait!" she replied forcefully.

With a sigh he nodded, too mentally exhausted for another one of her long arguments. He then said, "At least let me get my wand from Ollivander's. I will need it for training with wand magic in the grimoire and start practicing from my school books when I do get them".

"If I might make a suggestion my Lord," Blacktooth said, and continued when he had both their attention, "the wands produced by Ollivander are ministry approved. Meaning they have a charmed in placed to trace magic done by magicals who are underage. If you want a wand best suited for you and undetectable, I recommend another wand maker in Knockturn Alley at store called 'The Crow'."

"Very well, please give me the directions," William said, then turned to address Nymeria," I want you to stay at that ice-cream parlor we passed here. Before you argue," he said cutting her off before she protested against it," I need you to watch over the grimoire. I'm not taking something so important to what sounds like the wizarding equivalent to a black market when I'm not confident that it is protected, let alone when I'm exhausted, and I'll be able to protect myself without having to worry about your safety as well." With Nymeria forced to concede defeat and the directions given to him by Blacktooth as they rode up to the surface, Nymeria and William parted ways, with William covering his head with the robe Blacktooth had gifted him with for a galleon, in front of the darkened path that led to Knockturn Alley.

The path became darker as it went lower and it became covered by the shadows of the rising walls of the buildings in the setting sun's glow. The walls were covered in grime and the pathways silent as hooded figures walking through various side alleys or entering stores. William turned to the right and started following the directions he was given; he walked past an apothecary that he assumed deal with illicit or appropriated ingredients if it resided here, and a store called 'Borgins & Burkes'. After several more turns and passing different stores, he came upon a dead end. He was confident he went the right way, but started going over the directions and wondering if he had passed a store with the name 'The Crow'. To his wonder and amazement, before his very eyes the store seemed to form out of nothing at the end of the alleyway. The store was a generic looking building, with no name except it had a depiction of a large crow above the door in mid flight. As he entered the store, he heard a chime like noise reverberating throughout the empty store front.

"Well isn't this a surprise. Not many gain the confidence of goblins, let alone one so young, little one." He heard a voice to his right, and he turned to it.

There in the corner of the store was a woman. She had long black hair that was graying in long streaks in places, and she wore a black robe as she placed a jar containing…something, on the shelf before turning to him. As he took in her apparently youthful face that seemed to be unnaturally symmetrical, her skin was pale, he could probably compare it to porcelain and her purple eyes seemed to examine him as he did her, William spoke, "Outside, when I first came…your store was hidden from me, until I thought of the location and name. What was that?"

"The fidelius charm." She stated simply, while she examined him

"…and how does it work?" he asked, while internally curious about the close scrutiny he was receiving.

"It literally hides the existence of everything placed under its protection, with exception of the secret keeper and those told of the secret, who then become secret holders. However, for a powerful charm, it natural has stipulations: the one performing the charm cannot possess ownership of the target, the charm requires magic equivalent to the amount of effort required to erase the knowledge of the existence of the target, which means the longer an the target has existed and came into contact with others, the more magic is needed for the charm to work. And finally, with the death of the secret keeper, unless the secret was passed down to a new keeper, all holders become keepers." The woman continued to stare at him.

When she finished, William started thinking of the utility of such a charm, 'It could be the ultimate protection. All one needed was a location no one was aware of, had a trustworthy caster, and maybe a way so they could not give the secret without your know-'

"Dagworth." The woman stated, interrupting his thoughts.

"What?" he asked perplexed, trying not to prove the woman right by becoming defensive.

"You were plotting. Your eyes gained a faraway look and a gleam. It may have been a while since I last saw a Dagworth, but I can still remember. Your facial structured hinted it to me when you came in, but your inquisitive nature and that gleam gave it away. This would explain why a Blacktooth would give away my secret to a child." She said, then turned and walked towards the counter," You'll be wanting a wand fashioned then?"

"Yes…" he stated, caught flat footed at something like that giving away his heritage, "But, who are you? The last magical Dagworth was centuries ago".

"Ignoring the fact that you just called a Lady old in her face," she said, much to his embarrassment." Names have power, young one. And I have not been around this long by giving it to those I neither trust nor deem worthy of protecting it; as I will now do with yours. Become both, and you shall have it, but for now young one, you may call me crow" The now named Crow answered.

Deciding to shelf the discussion, he approached the counter." How will you make my wand?"

"Follow me" she stated as she lifted up a apart of the counter for him to walk, and started leading him down a set of stairs," Wands are tools used by your magic to do more…tedious tasks, without meeting resistance. It is a focal point; a brush used on a blank canvas to create a landscape. There are other focal such as rituals, but I digress. Now, you will have wand makers such as that decrepit fool Ollivander who believe: 'wands chose the wizard' ", she scoffed as she said that, reaching the end of the stairs, to which the area became blaze with light, showing different woods and strange objects in jars, before she continued her monologue," but the truth of the matter is that the magic within us chooses a focal that best focuses it. What better wand is there for your magic, than a wand in which your magic chose the ingredients to create it?"

"So, you want me to use my magic to choose my wand?" William asked looking around at the different woods and stored ingredients.

"Yes and no. you will walk along the row of wooden blocks, and when you feel the strongest pull, tell me" Crow replied observing him again.

William walked towards the aisle containing wand woods and allowed his magic to flood it like when he used his water manipulation, which caused one of crow's eyebrows to rise. As he walked down the aisle, he felt several pulls, some weaker than others, but he felt three very strong pulls. Pulls that were strong enough to have the blocks fly towards him until he used his magic to stop them in their tracks.

"Well, you Dagworths never fail to amaze me. Three different types of wood and you can perform magic without a focal to boot? I'll have to keep an eye out for you." Crow said as she approached him and examined the levitating blocks," My, aren't you the little rebel: ebony, blackthorn and red oak."

"So which one should I chose? They all have the same pull" he asked.

She shrugged, "Then why choose; your magic has deemed them to be suited as an extension of yourself. It'll be difficult to combine them…but it is doable. Certainly adds a new challenge to things. Now, go do the same with the next aisle to find your core."

"I thought you said the wand was just a tool? A focal point to which one can better shape their magic" He questioned with his brow furrowed. He was sure he understood her analogy of the paintbrush.

"Correct. And I shall explain fully when your wand is created." She said, shooing him towards the core aisle.

He began the same process again; however nothing came towards him this time as he walked down the aisle. He returned to Crow carrying two jars and a large dark blue feather; within the jars contained a dark green almost black substance, while the other contained a dark brown powdered substance.

Crow let out a loud but somehow graceful laugh," This certainly will be a challenge; a wing feather of a juvenile Thunderbird and the powder of horned serpent's horn; opposites. However, with the basilisk venom, everything will stabilize due to its cohesive effect; such an interesting wand, for such a young one. Wait here." She stated abruptly as she walked away to a side room he had not noticed. With her gone, he started realizing something…he had been relaxed in her presence. She was a stranger, and he was not his usual guarded self. He chalked it up to his mental exhaustion and excitement of gaining a wand. It would not bode well if he started trusting others so easily; not with so much riding on him.

He wasn't sure how long he waited, but Crow finally returned carrying a finely crafted rectangular box.

"Was the box necessary?" He couldn't stop himself from asking.

"Hush young one, the presentation is just as important as the wand itself. And now…" She said, opening the box slowly in front of him. In the box, laid on top of red silk linen, was a beautiful, well crafted and polished wand of what looked to be thirteen inches in length. The wand started out completely black at the handle until it became a dark shade of brown near the middle of the shaft, before becoming a couple shades lighter brown color. The handle had three symbols craved into on opposing sides that showed the inside of the wand to be a shocking lime green with dark blue spider like cracks running through it. When he took up the wand, he could feel a rushing sensation unleash like a flash flood within him, and the purring he'd occasionally hear was a roar, which emanated from his wand, and the air drop degrees to the point they could see their breaths in the air in front of them. "Such closeness to your magic young one; you must have had an interesting childhood to have such connection and bond with your magic" She said in surprise, not expecting such a reaction.

"What do you mean?" he asked, not taking his eyes off his wand that was emitting a gently purring sound that he felt more than heard.

"While the wand is just a tool to better operate your magic, it is more than just a simple tool. It is your sword, your shield, your guide. A wand is the manifestation of your magic and gives a physical representation of your inner personality." She said in amusement as he continued to focus on his wand.

He looked up at her, "I don't understand how a wand can show what my magic is like and my personality is."

"The wood and core of a wand represents certain personalities, traits and facets of magic. When your magic chose the ingredients, it chose what it was most compatible to, as I've said before. With that, we can get an insight to your inner personality, the real you." She replied.

"What does my wand says about me and do wands normally make sounds?" he asked

"Your wand wood is made of ebony, blackthorn, and red oak. What that tells me is that you're an individual who won't be deterred from whatever goal you have, you're adaptive and reactive to situations around you, but you're also fighter or at least the personality of one, that you won't back down just cause there'll be opposition. In terms of potential in the branches of magic; you'll find transfiguration spells and combative spells easier to form with your magic. The reason for the sound from your wand is due to your core, more specifically the horned serpent part of it which emits a sound when it perceives danger around you."

"So is there danger around me?" He asked, curious of her answer.

"You are in Knockturn Alley young one, danger is everywhere for one such as you, or are you implying that your wand is warning you against me, the one who created it," she stated amused.

"You're someone whose motives and abilities I know nothing about. Of course you're dangerous." He deadpanned.

She laughed melodiously," A proactive wand for a paranoid young one, how cute." She turned away from him and walked to a box in the corner before reaching in and throwing something towards him. Reacting, he raised his wand and felt his magic form a translucent barrier. The object still past it however and hit him in the face lightly. "An instinctive protego, for future reference that only defends against magically offensive attacks not physical attacks, like the wand holster I threw. However, I commend your caution, it will keep you alive. As a reward, you shall get that free of cost; the wand however, will be three hundred galleons."

After taking out the money to pay, and strapping the holster on his right forearm and learning how to use it from the Crow, he looked at it deep in thought, before asking her," This is now considered mine correct?" she nodded with a smile on her face, knowing where this was going." Will you cast that spell on it for me?"

Weeks had past from the time he had collected his wand from Crow and his new holster that could not be seen except by himself, Crow and Nymeria, whom was given the secret by reading a small piece of parchment. Both Nymeria and William had celebrated Christmas as they usually did, locked away in the manor with only them and Sashet, as all staff were usually sent away, at the request of William, However he was forced to attend a New Year's party with Nymeria at her request.

It was now the middle of February. The air had freshness to it as it blew coolly into William's private study, which was located next to his bedroom. It was Spartan, containing bookcases lined with some tomes, which had been collected from his vault, regular books that had caught his interest or had been used as an aid for his then believed 'power', and a large oak desk and a comfortable chair, which he sat at reading a book on exercises to improve his transfiguration sent to him by Crow, with whom he kept an almost casual correspondence with. Over the past few months, Nymeria had been a godsend to him; while he had buried himself into the grimoire, improving himself, Nymeria had taken it upon herself to return to Diagon Alley and carry out his shopping for him, after he had allowed her access to his vault by way of a newly commissioned key. She had not only got his school supplies and placed an order for his robes for later on down the year; she purchased an updating book on wizarding laws, a book on the nobility of the wizarding world, a history book about Hogwarts, and past dark lords & Ladies, and had made a subscription to the magical newspaper in order to be aware of current events. What they had learnt did not impress either; laws were biased and favored heavily towards 'purebloods', the magical world was stuck in the eighteenth century, and the magical overall were very sheep oreintated that followed the loudest voice. Nymeria came to that opinion after reading through the 'Daily Prophet's' archives on the time of Voldemort.

While Nymeria had been running amuck in Diagon, William had learnt from the grimoire. His family's perception of magic, from what he could understand, made it seem to have some form sentience in certain circumstances, which coincided with what he had experienced so far, that either took form when one used their intent on what they wanted to happen and the incantation, which helped further shape it to what the castor wanted. He was still trying to work out how it had sentience when it came to phrases when making oaths and the magical nuances that Blacktooth talked about. He had also created a proper mindscape and stored his memories in a replica of Cunningham manor, after he read the chapter on it. It had no defense yet like the book had recommended in the event of a legilimens breaking his barrier, as he had been focused on making it detailed, but he had time to complete it. Hektor's spell and Crow's interpretation seemed to rang true, as most of the spells the grimoire deemed him worthy of were related to transfiguration, like turning objects into weapons, offensive & defensive spells, such as a to create fire, a shield to block physical attacks, bind an enemy in chains, and other useful spells, but he was taking his time to master each before moving on. The codex also spoke of dueling tactics that his ancestors had used, and their recommendations of using a combination of legilimens and non-verbal casting to be able predict and to be unpredictable, and learning to chain-cast spells in his repertoire. In regards to rituals, he was not yet deemed ready by the book, with the exception of the Familiar Ritual. It had required both the consent of the creature, in his case Sashet, it to be performed on the night of a new moon, and his sharing of magic when Sashet bite him while he cast a short incantation. He was bedridden for three days, but it was worth for Sashet had gained intelligence, to the point that she now had a strong memory and thoughts, and also gained the ability to communicate with him with vague emotions, but as the bond deepen he was receiving them clearer, and an ability to completely blend with shadows and travel short distances with them, which he had her practice whenever she wasn't hunting or basking.

As he sat reading about a spell that works in conjunction with conjured objects to make them attack, He heard the door open and the voice of Nymeria as she walked in," Will, I found them. Took longer than we thought, but I have here a completely history of your sister and father. So who first: Hermione or Daniel?" She said she sat on the edge of his desk, opening a folder, as she saw him feinting disinterest by continue reading the book in front of him," Hermione then: Let's see…Born September 19 1979. Ha, she older than you by four months dear looks like you'll have to become the annoying one. She's currently four feet seven, bit on the short side, makes up for you being younger don't you think?, grades: exceptional, but with continuous teacher comments of being antisocial, logical and well-mannered. Sounds familiar doesn't it? However, she has a history of school changes and lack of friends; sounds like she was being bullied and her parents decided it was easier to change schools don't you think?"She paused to allow him to gather his thoughts, and then continued." Now your father: Daniel 'Call-me-Dan' Granger; graduated Liverpool Dentist School in 1975, and started a practice with his future wife the following year. Married Ms. Emma in 1978 and was asked to guest speak several times throughout that year until his wife became pregnant mid January 1979, and he stopped at the end of that semester. Now, He and his wife run a successful practice with an only child in a cozy five bedroom house." Nymeria finished. While she skimmed on many things, she wanted to finish after she read William's slight change in demeanor.

"He was married and had a pregnant wife at home when he made my mother pregnant." William stated.

Not liking where he was going with this, she slid off the desk and crouch beside him, turning his head to her, making him look into her eyes," It was a crappy move on his end dear, and your mother may not be innocent in this either, but you are not a mistake. Even if you want to believe that, I am glad it happened. Cause I now have a wonderful, powerful, potentially sociopathic son, which has and will continue to make me proud as he reaches goal after goal that he sets for himself." She said pulling his head into a hug.

After awhile, William muttered a thanks to her and pulled his head back, and exhaled to get his breathing under control and occlude his mind," Now that I know more about her, I have my plans for her and the school year."

"Oh? And when was I going to find out about these plans" she teased, getting him focused off what happened awhile ago.

Ignoring her teasing, he continued," I'll be spending my time building a power base in the school. The details are sketchy at the moment until I know which house I'll be in and how well protected the minds of my fellow students are and what drives them. I'll also get to know Hermione when I get the chance. In the mean time, you and Blacktooth will be buying out ownership for the apothecaries, while selling potions using Dagworth techniques. Hopefully, I can find a way to get control of the 'Society of Potioneers' without becoming Lord Dagworth-Granger in the legal stand point…maybe…I'll have to research it further in the grimoire" He said thinking to himself.

"What about the Squibs and Muggleborns? They'd be an excellent addition to the legion, a magical branch perhaps?" Nymeria asked as she got up and leaned against his desk.

"Yes, that would be helpful. But until I become a Lord, we'll run into opposition and legal red tape…find us a solicitor would you? And a bodyguard for you; until I have a way to protect you and your mind, I want someone oath bond to protect you. Blacktooth can draw up a contract and I'll do the screening when you have applicants. We can use Cunningham's Legion as a front for hiring Squibs and Muggleborns to train them for when we create a Magical version for it" He said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"You make to sound like you're going to be a good young man, now" she said curiously.

"For now, Rome wasn't built in a day and I want to see what kind of challenges we'll be facing in the magical world. They may not have the same checks and procedures as we're used to, but they have magic. We'll move when we learn more, for now we'll just build our strength.

It was the morning of his departure to King's cross and later, Hogwarts. Over the past few months, Nymeria, with Sashet acting as her guard from the shadows for the time being, started working on William's plan, although with a few minor changes. She had bought an abandoned store in Knockturn Alley, and was in the process of getting it refurbished into an apothecary, while carrying out William's plan of buying out the other apothecaries in Diagon and Knockturn Alley. When it was time to act, the owners' supplies will be experiencing a series of unfortunate events. With Blacktooth's help, she had a list of potential squibs and muggleborns to hire, and was working on finding a solicitor and bodyguard from among them. While this was happening, William had continued his training and studying, while researching the purebloods and halfblood families, the political climate, and their alignments in the Wizengamot. His sources were limited to public knowledge, something he would have to rectify later, but it seemed they were divided into three factions: Dark, Light and Neutral. The dark and light alliances had political giants in the form of a Lucius Malfoy and Albus Dumbledore, while the neutrals were made up of pockets of different blocks of power that voted for what they deemed fit. If he could undermine them in the future, or maybe even remove them, and unite the neutrals, he'd have political power to make things for his house much easier. As he waved his left hand and willed his entire packed trunk to follow him as he walked down to meet Nymeria before taking a portkey to the platform, given to him by Blacktooth at a cost. As she say him walk into the day room she spoke," Are you sure you don't want me to see you off at the train station?"

"I'm sure; you have meetings with all those squibs and muggleborns. Your time is better spent there, than gushing over me leaving for a couple months till the holidays" he said rolling his eyes.

"You're such a spoilsport" she said, eyes glistening.

Seeing this, William stepped forward and hugged her, causing her to stiffen slightly, before relaxing and hugging him back," Now, none of that. You'd have to start telling all our workers I'm a dreadful son if you start crying…mother".

She chuckled stepping back and gently removing the tears from her eyes." You would simply have them believe I was lying"

"True." He said, not debating his moral integrity when using his magic. "Please be careful, and I want bi-weekly reports from you." He took out a rubber ball, noticing it starting to glow. § Sashet, it's time.§ The now nine foot long and five inches around, pitch black snake, rose out of Nymeria's shadow and made her way into his.

"And I want weekly letters from you about school" She said sternly, not giving him any chance to argue, as the portkey activated.

It was a myriad of colors and swirls passing him by, before he crumpled down onto what looked to be a slowly filling train station with a large red train with several carriages behind it, standing proudly in the center of it all on the tracks. As he got up and carried his trunk by hand into one of the carriages, he noticed he must be early, given the complete lack of other students. He chose a random compartment, and sat down to read a book Nymeria bought that spoke about the wizarding dueling circuit and styles used, he was curious how his ancestors' style of dueling differ from what was used currently. He wasn't sure how long he sat there reading, but he heard a knock on the compartment, and then saw it open to a short girl. She looked of Asian-decent, with long silky-black hair that framed her face, her eyes were a very dark brown, almost black, and she was a wearing black jacket over a dark blue blouse and jeans.

"Hello, may I sit here?" She asked so softly that he almost didn't hear her, while looking down at the compartment floor.

"Sure. I'm William Cunningham." He said as he offered the seat across from him.

"Su Li," she mumbled as she sat down, and then went on to looking out the window, at the now crowded train station as families said their goodbyes. Seeing that she wasn't looking for conversation he decided to give her peace, and went back to reading his book as the train soon started its way down the track.

Further down the on the train sat an excited girl; She was going to Hogwarts and finally learn magic! She remembered the day last year after her birthday, when professor Mcgonagall came to her house and explained to her and her parents about all the strange things that happened around her was due to her magic, and she even showed them some by turning the teapot into a cat and back!

When she was able to go to Diagon Alley, the place was so…magical! It made her feel like she had finally found the place where she belonged. And the books! There was some much she needed to know if she was going to fit in. When she got her school books and a few about Hogwarts and on great wizards of the ages, she had used her eidetic memory to devour them to the point in which she knew each book and paragraph line for line. She was prepared, and maybe this time she could make friends, especially since they were like her…

She heard a knock on the compartment and saw a chubby nervous looking boy around her age enter the doorway and spoke hesitantly," H-Hi, my name's N-Neville Longbottom. H-Have you since my toad, Trevor, around h-here" Neville managed to finish.

"Hi, I'm Hermione Granger and no I haven't. Sorry," Hermione said to him with a frown. And she was, it must be hard for such a young boy as nervous as him going around asking strangers for his pet, though not a pet she would wish on anyone," how about I help you then. Where else have you looked?"

Neville seemed slightly relieved and answered," This was the first carriage I've checked."

"Right then, you check the ones at the back and I'll head up the train, it'll be faster and we can meet up with the other on our way back." She said as she started heading in the direction she stated. At first there were simply replies of no, but as she went along they started becoming very rude and a blonde haired boy even called her a 'mudblood'. While it hurt to see that there were people who are just like the ones from her old school, she did not show it and held her head high like she always did, and continued looking for this bloody toad.

The next compartment she went to had two other students that looked her age. The small Asian looking girl with long sleek black hair, that made her feel a tingle of jealousy, had turned to her, from watching the scenery outside the window, when she entered, but the tall boy continued reading his book. "Yes?" the small girl asked her.

"Hi, my name's Hermione Granger, have you seen a toad around here, a boy named Neville lost one" Hermione said. She noticed that when she had said her name, the boy had stop reading and was looking at her fully. With her able to properly look at him, she saw that he had a short dark brunette hair, an athletic body and bright hazel eyes that seemed to combing over every inch of her. She felt slightly flustered that such a cute looking boy was staring at her. It was after that thought she noticed that he seemed to blush slightly and turned his eyes slightly away from hers to over her right shoulder.

"No we haven't Ms. Granger, but maybe you could find a prefect, I believe they'd start patrolling the corridors about now, there must be a spell to find lost things; my name William Cunningham by the way." The boy named William said to her.

"Su Li" The girl who was sitting down said softly.

"Thank you, I'll do that. But if you don't mind my asking William, what are you reading?" Hermione asked, curiosity getting the better of her. However, she noticed William was now sporting a slight frown and was looking directly at her again.

"I'll answer your question, but as a fellow muggleborn to another; I must advise you to not use the first name of a person unless they give you permission. It's a faux pas in this society. And the book I'm reading is about the dueling circuit and techniques" he said to her, while Su Li looked back towards him. While she had heard him, and was intrigued about the book, her mind was going through what she had read. None of the school books had said anything about this! She wasn't prepared! Her sudden shift must have been noticeable since William spoke up again," Don't worry too much. The school books didn't say anything about the customs of the magical world, but I can help you. Better yet, I'll loan you a book I bought on it with the notations I made, and when you're through, we can discuss it sometime at school." He said to her as he got up, opened his trunk and took out a book, handing it to her with a smile.

"Really, thank you! I'll make sure to read it completely and get it back to you as soon as possible, Mr. Cunningham" she gushed, holding the book tightly against her chest.

"Please, Ms. Granger take your time, and call me William, I hope over the school year you and I can become friends" William replied.

"Hermione then, I really must be going, I still have to help Neville. I'll see you at school." She said to both William and Ms. Li, and then walked out, with a smile painted on her face, to go find that lovable toad.

As William watched her leave, he hissed softly to Sashet, §follow her. Protect her but do not be seen unless necessary, you're too important to be caught now. §

Sashet formed by his outstretched shadow in the passageway, §She will be safe pet. Worry not.§ she replied before slithering into Hermione's shadow.

After seeing this, he closed the compartment door and sat back down, to find Su Li looking at him, "You like dueling?" she asked softly.

"Yes, it interests me, especially the circuit; I'd like to see what that is like."

"I do to. My father was a champion duelist before he met my mother. He's pushed me to try out in my third year" She said with a small smile, but then looked down with it turning into a frown," but I don't think I'll be good enough"

"Well, I'm not sure how well I can duel, but maybe we can both benefit from having someone to go against" William said curiously.

"Sure." Su replied with a small smile before looking back out at the passing countryside.

Hours had passed and the sun had long set, when they had reached the train station in Hogsmeade. Su and William had spent most of the journey in companionable silence, but spoke and asked questions occasionally about the other. William hadn't told her much nor had she told him, but that was more due to her shy nature than the caution he had, though his wand was silent the entire time he was with her, and she seemed to be getting training in Occlumency since her mind had a strong enough barrier to stop him interpreting her mind unless he was forceful. They had taken turns changing into their uniforms and had joined the other first years to a very large and tall man, which towered over them all, who was calling them. The man then led them down a set of crudely made steps that brought them down to several boats in a banking that led out to a water expanse, which was blocked by a tall outcrop of rocks. At the instruction of the large man, they had gathered in fours to each boat; his seated himself, Su Li, and two girls, one with long golden blonde hair and a cold look on her face, and another with brown bob cut hair and wore glasses on her face. None of them talked as the boat took off at the command of the large man, and allowed them their first glimpse of the school.

Across what looked to be a great lake, standing proudly on top of a large hill, in sharp relief to the full moon behind it, was a majestic castle, with its several high towers and battlements looking both formidable and daunting, but its windows alit with lights, bidding them a warm welcome. As they passed a certain point, he felt his magic being caressed by something else, it was warm and filled with love and protection; it reminded him of when Nymeria hugs him. If he had ever needed proof that magic had sentience, he would use this…castle, if he could call it that. It felt too alive to just simply be a castle in his mind.

When they reached the other side and exited the boats, the large man led them up a pathway and to the castle, to where he saw professor Mcgonagall standing by an open doorway of two massive metal double doors.

"The firs'-years, Professor McGonagall," the large man said to her.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." The professor said, before turning and addressing them all.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall with a stern face, "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours." She paused, giving them time to think about what she had said," The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarted yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." Her eyes lingered for a moment on certain students. William followed her eye and saw her looking at nervous-looking boy with his cloak fastened under his left ear, a red haired boy with a large bit of dirt smudged on his nose, and a short boy nervously trying to flatten his hair that looked like he had just gotten out of bed.

"I will return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall, "Please wait quietly."

The professor left and headed to the right towards another set of large doors that were open, and had the noise of several people speaking that it became a jumble of words. As he waited with Su Li, who was just looking around at the castle's entrance hall, he heard rumors filtering around about how they would be sorted. The most outrageous one he heard was that they would probably have to fight a troll to know which house they belonged to by the red-headed boy.

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." Professor McGonagall had returned.

As she lined them up and led them into the large hall, he noticed four long tables parallel to each other from left to right had the colors green, blue, yellow and red; at the end of the hall, perpendicular to the four tables, was another long table that seemed to host the professors of the school; with one in particular that sat on a golden throne, The Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.

The Deputy Headmistress and walked ahead of them and stood next to a stitched and old looking hat, which then seemed to open at the brim and sang:

Oh you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!

The students of the great hall clapped politely and the Deputy Headmistress addressed them," When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted" she said.

"Abbott, Hannah", Mcgonagall called out.

A girl with pigtails stepped forward and sat down on the stool as the hat was placed on her head, covering her eyes. There was a short pause before the hat shout:

Hufflepuff

He watched as student after student had their names called, until he heard his name called," Cunningham, William" Mcgonagall called out.

He walked calmly up to the stool, and head the hat placed on his head. 'My, what a remarkable barrier, do you mind letting me in for your sorting', he heard a voice said in his head.

'How well I know you won't use this as a means to divulge my secrets' he thought back.

'Ah, every year I get at least one of you, usually from purebloods. I've been charmed not to hand out the secrets of those put under my brim, no matter how messed up their minds are.' The hat replied.

Sighing, William let the hat in, and heard it said shortly after, 'My, what an interesting life you lead, and such a goal; Difficult, very difficult…You're brave, but it's tempered by caution and risk calculation. Gryffindor would have bashed his head against a hard wall if he had you as a travelling companion. Loyal…but only to those that have earned it, even then you watch them to see if they would betray you. Hufflepuff would shake her head in pity. But your thirst for knowledge, your ambition and cunning would have Ravenclaw and Slytherin going to war to adopt you. Which to choose, which to choose'

'Choose the house that will help me make my House great again.' William thought back.

"Very well then," The hat said out loud to the waiting teachers and students, who had started whispering about the long sorting," Better be…"

A/N: And that's it for now. Feel free to ponder whichever house I'll be sending him.

I'll be taking certain liberties with Su Li, since she's a background character in canon, and I had this idea of her becoming the 'Robin' to his 'Batman'...maybe more?

Please send me a review or PM on Hermione. I have this fear of making the main characters one dimensional, so please let me know what you think.