Hello Lovlies! Sorry for the long wait. Midterms are eating up my time! Anyway, here's the new chappy. Also, I received a review wondering why Henry hadn't figured out who Harry's parents were, that's because Harry hadn't described them. So that's in here, also this is second year, and I am keeping the basilisk. Also, I don't believe I let you know what happened to Quirrel; Voldemort soul jacking his body damaged the "vessel" to the point of death. So the poor sod died; not before stealing the fake stone, though. He didn't get far, he died in the forrest, because people can't apparate on school grounds, and Dumbles retrieved to stone. No one realized that it's a fake, and Ole' Nick Flammel and his Mrs will die thinking Dumbles stole from them-which may become important later on. Haven't decided yet. Also! I have the first results from the poll. These are the most popular pairings:

Neville/Luna-no surprise, so that's gonna be a thing

Harry/OC-I'm making a new poll and you all can vote on male or female OC

Henry/Hermione-so that'll also be a thing

Like I said, making a new poll for deciding male or female OC. BTW, which ever genderOC doesn't get paired with Harry winds up with Draco… Mostly cause I don't think it fair to leave him all alone. Please vote! TA

Chapter 6—Unexpected

Hogwarts—September first, second year

The group sat in a back compartment of the train. The summer had gone well for them all, and Neville was now brave enough to sit with Draco Malfoy.

"I went with Madame Longbottom to the Ministry this summer, and talked my way into the records room," Hermione began. She had explained to Neville what Harry had discovered and Neville agreed to help the group.

"I suppose you found a birth certificate for one Harry Potter," Draco drawled. Hermione nodded before rooting around in her bag and withdrawing a folder.

"I found one with the name Harry Potter, and had a copy made for your records," she said to Harry. "However, I couldn't find any corresponding birth certificates between the date you were 'born' and any boy besides Neville from the week prior… Either you aren't British born, or you were snatched before a certificate was made."

"Professor Snape said much the same when he visited the manor this summer," Henry said.

"It'd be too suspicious if we looked abroad. We'll leave that to Uncle Sev," Draco said as he tapped his fingers. Draco had his own suspicions about Harry. His godfather had told him that there were other worlds with magic, and powerful mages with the right ritual could travel to them. Hell, Henry, his adoptive brother was from such a world. Sev had stated the possibility that Harry had also come from a different land.

"I've looked through much of both the Malfoy and Hogwarts libraries looking for places or times where their clothing would be common… I got nothing, it doesn't even match historical records," Harry said. He was beginning to think his parents weren't from this world. He'd overheard Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape talking about the possibility. I'll talk to Sal and the Bloody Baron about it. I'm sure one of them will know… They must be alive, the mirror wouldn't have shown that scene if they weren't… Of course, it begs the question why was I taken? Harry thought to himself anxiously. He'd shown his new skills to Draco and Henry this past summer and both were now taking lessons from him. However, they weren't catching on as well as he had, perhaps it had something to do with his strange looking father.

Could I possibly have creature blood in me? Is that why magic comes easier to my fingers? Harry thought before Henry interrupted his thoughts.

"Which reminds me, you never told us what it was you saw," said his friend. "Was their dress so different that it could be a clue?"

"Yes, I mean, they were obviously magical, which narrowed it down quite a bit," Harry mused splaying his hands. " My father was doing some form of transfiguration and my mother has at his knee watching. They were in a stone manor, or castle, one of the two; it was sunlit and old. Very old in fact. Their clothes looked like the styles worn centuries ago but the style it was cut, and the colours, were not like any I could find."

"What did they look like?" Hermione asked leaning forward.

"… My mother is beautiful. I have her face and skin, so pale and clean, and her eyes are the brightest, clearest blue. Her hair is the colour of rich dark wood and its got soft curls. She tied it back with a ribbon. My father… I have his dark, unruly curls for hair, and his nose. I have his eyes too, but his are a bit different. I've got his hands, long fingers, but strong. His stature too, thin and short, but strong. I think I've got his lips too, but I couldn't be sure… I think he's some form of magical creature."

"You think that's why you're so good at magic? Because your father may not be a wizard?" Neville asked. Harry nodded.

"Your mother loves him though, even though he may be monsterous looking?" Draco asked his dear friend. He'd heard of girls marrying such beings, but it was not usually of their will. Harry nodded.

"When she came into the scene she sat at his knee and rested her head against his leg. He definitely looks like a beast or monster, but she seemed so relaxed and happy to just sit there and watch him work," Harry said as he pictured the scene. It was difficult for him to describe how his mother looked, mostly because to she such a look of happiness and love, it tightened his chest in a way he'd never experienced before. He thought the feeling might be happiness mixed with longing. He couldn't be sure.

"Her expression… The way she smiled, it was… I think she was very happy and content to just watch him work. I think she does love him deeply."

Hermione sighed. It was so romantic, a beauty like Harry's mother sounded, falling in love with a beast. It was just like that story her mother had read her when she was little. The boys looked at her.

"What?! Harry's mum sounds like she fell in love with his dad because of who he is, not what he looks like. It proves love isn't skin deep and I think that's very sweet," Hermione said in defence. Henry looked at her funny for a moment. Something had clicked in his mind when she spoke, but he couldn't figure out what.

" Professor Snape said he'd be investigating this summer and he'd contact us when he found something. Anyway, Draco, do you know if Lucius is going to punish Dobby for stalking Harry this summer?" Henry asked changing the topic. Hermione huffed. She'd met the Longbottom elves and Neville's grandmother had spent a good portion of June explaining why wizards had house elves. She'd heard Malfoy worrying about one of his family elves because it seemed to have followed Harry around like a lost puppy.

"I don't think so, but the elf seemed very worried about something my parents had argued about this summer. I think the Black Madness is finally catching up to my mother," Draco said. Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"Lady Malfoy's maiden name was Black," Neville explained. "They were notorious supporters of You-Know-Who and a dark family. Rumour had it that they'd intermarried so often, and practiced such dark magic that they were cursed with a family wide madness. Black Madness its called, and every member is supposed to get it at some point in their life. Do you really think your mother's got it?"

"…I don't know… There are some seriously Dark things in my house, and some from my father's time serving the Dark Lord. He's locked all of that away so we can't get into it, and he tends to leave it alone as well. Mother, of late, had been spending a lot of time around those objects. Father and Mother argued about some strange book in specific. Mother acted like she'd given up, but I'm not too sure. She can be more Slytherin than Father," Draco said. He didn't tell Hermione or Neville about what specific book it had been, but Henry and Harry had weedled it out of him once they realised he knew about it.

"Really, I'm not supposed to say," Draco pleaded as they all sat on his bed in their night clothes. Henry gave a snort.

"If Lucius thought it dangerous enough to tell you, then we should know too," said the Ravenclaw. Harry nodded.

"I could always sneak in and investigate myself," suggested the youngest of the three. Draco Paled.

"NO! Alright, I'll tell you, but you have to swear not to tell anyone or go near it after you learn," Draco said. Harry didn't make idle threats and his fellow snake was the absolute last person who should go near the damn thing.

"We swear," the boys said in unison. Draco let out a breath.

"When Father was serving the Dark lord he'd been in the inner circle, those most trusted by their lord. The Dark lord had given some of the circle members certain items, very dark and powerful items. My Aunt Bellatrix was given some cup and put it in her vault. My Father was the only other one to have such a responsibility, and was given a little black book. It was a diary belonging to someone name Tom Marvolo Riddle. Father told me the diary was one of the darkest items in creation and I was never to go near it. He said it had a mind of its own and he didn't want me under its thrall. So that's what my parents are arguing about, now can we get on with our homework?'

The boys hadn't discussed the book after that, but it was clear that Henry and Harry had gone researching after that. Henry hadn't found anything, but Harry seemed to be forming a theory. He wasn't talking about it though, and that made the two boys nervous.

"We'd better get changed, we'll be there soon," Harry said startling everyone from their own thoughts.

Malfoy Manor, 1st September

"How could you do it?!" Lucius shouted at a shocked Narcissa. He was losing his composure, quickly.

"I don't know, I don't know who it happened. What is that book, Lucius?" Narcissa asked in a quiet voice. She hadn't been able to think her own thoughts around that book. It must have been because of the Black Madness, it made me more vulnerable to it somehow, she thought with horror. She didn't even know what it was. She remembered Lucius scolding their son about it once when he'd snuck into the hidden room.

"I don't care you gave it to the Weasley girl in the Alley, it's at Hogwarts, Narcissa! It's with OUR SON, it' with his friends, Merlin, it's with HARRY POTTER!" Lucius had never been so angry and terrified as he was now. Who knew what it would get that little chit to do, hell if it managed to gain corporeal form of its own they'd all be doomed. He should've warned his wife as well his son.

"Lucius, what is it?" Narcissa was terrified because she'd never seen her husband like this. Lucius looked at her.

"It's a Horcrux of the Dark Lord's, and it's now at school in the hands of an idiot Weasley," he said before leaving. He needed to warn Severus about this. He couldn't go to anyone else, only Severus could know about this. He didn't even register Narcissa's gasp of horror before she began to sob.