Disclaimer: Harry Potter not mine, Vlad is as is Mark's parents, his owl and… Lord Fate plot. Not Orlando Bloom sigh never Orlando Bloom.

Chapter 5: Back to Hogwarts we go!

Mark Evans scowled as his mother, Alex Evans, fiddled with his shirt, tried to fix his straight brown hair and was about to clean his face with her hand when he moved out of the way.

"Mooom," Mark moaned, readjusting his clothes (a blue shirt and jeans) and grabbed his trunk. His father, Kevin Evans, chuckled at his wife's codling of their son.

"Now Mark," Kevin said, grabbing the owl cage off the trolley, "I want you to- what do they call it? - Owl us as soon as possible, we want to know how everything is, son." Alex broke in, her eyes watering slightly.

"Be careful! Don't get into to much trouble and-," Kevin placed a hand on his wife's shoulder, his deep blue eyes twinkling.

"I think he gets it sweetie," Kevin said. Alex nodded and looked around for the platform, 9 and three quarters, only not to find any.

"Where is the platform?" Alex said, searching the crowds. "You'll be late if we don't find it soon." She and her husband looked at the clock, 10:50, and sighed with worry.

"Looking for the platform ma'am?" A young man's smooth voice broke into the family's search.

Mark turned his eyes to the speaker to find a boy around 15, amber eyes and brown hair. His eyes twinkled with delight as he watched the family.

"Yes," his father answered, glad to have someone from the school helping his family.

"You go through the barrier to the platform's 9 and 10," he said smiling, before glancing over his shoulder. "I've got to go, see you at Hogwarts." He walked off to two older men, one with the same eyes as his the other with black hair.

"You think we can trust what he says?" Mark asked suspicious of the boy. He had dealt with bullies (and other types of people too) before -being one of Dudley's victims- and he knew they lied for their own pleasure.

"Yes," Alex said, but looked over the ordinary barrier, its stonewalls looking quite hard for her own liking.

Mark breathed in deeply before hugging his parents and dragging his trunk and owl with him through the barrier.

He felt a tingle pass over him as he walked through; he opened his eyes- he had not realized he had closed them- and saw the miraculous train, its red paint gleaming like new. Students scattered about, their parents frantic as they gave them last minute things.

"Ron your sandwich!" A loud red -head woman shouted at the window of the train far down from where he was standing.

"Seamus your underwear!" A Scottish woman shouted to her son, who was about to board the train. His friends around his laughed loudly. The boy flushed with embarrassment before shouting back, "Mum!"

Mark chuckled at the last one, boarded the train, and grabbed a compartment; he was surprised to see who was asleep in this one.

Harry Potter. The kid from St. Brutus's, the criminal etc,

Mark eyes widened, and panicked, he looked around thinking he was on the wrong train when he realized he had been stupid.

'What if that was a cover up. I mean he does not beat up people like Dudley or break property. Besides how would a normal school have an illusion like the barrier one?' Mark looked at the sleeping boy, who oddly had a C.D. player around his ears, and loaded his trunk into the top holder before sitting down and taking out a book from his bag.

Transfiguration: A guide for beginners was the book Mark had picked out for extra reading it had seemed interesting.

Mark opened the first page and began to read. He was anxious to learn spells, to transform Dudley into something so disgusting that even his parents would not like him.

'Transfiguration is not just the basic wand waves and Latin spells, it take mental toughness, imagination and power, however, if you want to learn how to…' Mark sighed and closed the book. It was not as straight forward as he had thought.

"Looking for a way to curse Dudley?" A voice not like the one that had helped him into the barrier asked him. Mark jumped and looked up guilty at the cousin of Dudley, only to find the boys shocking green eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Uh-well," Mark began, his voice sounding weak next to the older boy's voice.

"Because we can't use magic out of school," Harry began, his eyes dimming with an unknown emotion, before brightening again with laughter. "You won't find anything that'll scare the Dursley away from their precious Dudley-kins," His last words dripped with so much sarcasm it made Mark laugh. Harry smiled, and laughed along, his laughter seemed to light up the room.

"So a first year eh?" Harry asked once their laughter died down.

"Yeah…" Mark trailed off nervous for the first time as the bus speed around the corner, the scenery showed of trees and grazing cows in a pasture.

"Don't worry," Harry said causally, waving his hand, "It will be fine-the sorting- all you have to do is beat a troll but after that its fine!" Harry smiled at him but Mark could not see the 'smiling' situation. He was going to be crushed by a troll for heaven's sake!

Later Harry sat listing to his father's soothing voice sing him Christmas Day it always soothed his nerves. He had been away from his friends for so long he was frightened he would feel like an outsider.

''So, tell me Christmas
Are we wise
To believe in things we never see
Are prayers just wishes in disguise
And are these wishes being granted me
For now I see
The answering
To every prayer I've prayed

She's coming home this
Christmas Day

So tell me Christmas
Are we kind
More this day than any other day
Or is it only in our mind
And must it leave when you have gone away
It's different now
It's changed somehow
And now you're here to stay

She's coming home this
Christmas Day

All at once the world
It doesn't seem the same
And in a single night
You know it all has changed
And everything is now as it should be

I have the ornament
I have the perfect tree
I have a string of lights
I have a chance to see
Everything that my heart thought could be

For of all the dreams
You were the first I knew
And every other one
Was a charade of you
You stayed close when I was far away

In the darkest night
You always were the star
You always took us in
No matter who we are
And so she's coming home this
Christmas Day

1.
Merry Christmas
Merry, merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
Merry, merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
Merry, merry Christmas
Night


She's coming home
She's coming home
She's coming home
This Christmas Day

All together
She's coming home this
Christmas Day...'

"Harry?" Harry turned off his C.D player and, even before turning his eyes to the speaker; he knew it was Hermione, her aura of orange shown clearly with her knowledge.

"Hey 'Mione," Harry said, and then gestured to Mark who had been reading a Quidditch book Harry had leant him, "This is Mark Evans." Hermione smiled at him.

"I'm Hermione Granger." She offered her hand and Mark shook it back firmly, remembering what Harry had said about his friends, with much affection in his voice as he did.

"Mark, as you know," Mark said. Hermione nodded and turned back to Harry, who had been tucking away his C.D player.

"Ummm you think Ron, me and a couple others could join?" Hermione asked looking into the deep green eyes she knew every girl in their school adored.

"How many people?" Harry asked his eyebrow rose.

"I shouldn't have asked," Harry said, shaking his head as four other people moved into their compartment. Neville, Hermione Ron and Luna Loovegood, a seemingly far off girl but Harry knew better, she was a seer but not trained, as she should be.

"Yeah," Ron said sitting next to Harry and Mark. "How was your summer?" Harry blinked and thought over his first half of his summer than his second. All he could come up was, "Interesting."

Ron turned his attention to Neville and the younger boy, who were talking of plants, then to Hermione who was engaging Harry in a talk about her house elf campaign, which Ron could clearly see Harry was disagreeing with her.

"It's great to be back!" Ron declared. The others- besides Mark- made a gesture of mock toast before going back to their conversations.

Severus Snape scanned the crowd incoming crowd of second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh years. They bustled and laughed with their friends as they sat down at their respective house. Severus masked his emotions as he spotted Potter with his friends.

'More like fans,' he thought bitterly. Potter laughed at a joke one of the other fifth years had told him, his eyes sparkling unlike Ethans.

'I kept my promise Ethan but what about your?' Severus thought scowling inwardly as the conversation died down as the first years came in; each one had pale faces and wide eyes as they stared at the hat with wonder.

Back to Harry...

'My Lord,' Lady Fate's voice rang trough Harry's mind. Harry almost jumped but put on his Slytherin mask and went back to 'listening' to the sorting hat's song. If it were anything important, he would get the info from Hermione.

'Yes My Lady?' Harry asked.

'The High elves have calmed down but the vampire region about north of you is rioting; I guess after having their leader leave to teach they have been celebrating about having more freedom. Have Vlad talk to them 'kay?'

'Yes My Lady I will speak to him." Harry mentally sighed, he hated having to do something for the vampires. Yeah sure they were his friends but they always had parties when he wasn't allowed to have his party of dead people.

"Hermione," He whispered, turning to his brown-headed friend. "What did the sorting hat say? I tuned out." Hermione sighed and shook her head in exasperation. Boys.

"It said something about the founder's riddle and Hogwart's kin returning. I think he meant-," Hermione said, her face scrunched up in confusion at the sorting hats sing and words.

Harry tuned out her ranting and turned his head to watch his cousin is sorted.

"MARK EVANS!" Mark blinked and looked at the sorting hat and strode forward before putting the hat over his head.

"I wonder what he'll be in?" Seamus whispered. Dean and Ron smiled. This year they would be guessing what house each one would be in, and win money if they were the ones who got the most right.

"Harry you in?" Ron asked. Harry nodded before murmuring something they (Seamus, Dean, Hermione- who wasn't participating- and Ron could hear.)

"Gryffindor," Harry murmured, Seamus nodded and took the other votes. Ron picked Gryffindor, Seamus Ravenclaw and Dean picked Hufflepuff.

"GRYFFINDOR!" Mark took the hat off and Ron and Harry smiled at each other. They had won the first round. Seamus scowled slightly and wrote in down on the piece of paper.

"ALEXANDRA FLINFORD!" The young girl put the hat on; it covered her wide blue eyes.

"Ravenclaw," Ron said.

"Hufflepuff," Seamus said.

"Gryffindor," Dean said with a slight hope in his voice (she was hot).

"Slytherin," Harry said, and the other boys stared at him with disbelief.

"SLYTHEIRN!" The girl took the hat off and strode over the snake table. The other's raised an eyebrow and Harry's guess. Another for Harry.

"SARAH HALEN"

"Ravenclaw," Harry said, and before the other boys could but their votes in, the hat shouted, "RAVENCLAW!"

Seamus sighed and put this one down for Harry. Dean and Ron sat back and watched how many Harry could guess without making a mistake.

"JAKE INKLANCE!"

"Hufflepuff," Harry muttered, not taking his eyes off the hat.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat shouted. Once again Harry was right; the other members of the Gryffindor table were amazed.

"JAMES KINLING!"

"Gryffindor."

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted, before giving the audience a look (Harry knew the sorting hat hated having him guess; after all he had been there when Anastasias had been made)

Finally as the feat ended, Harry looked towards the head table where Vlad sat; his dark hair reflected by the light, his deep blue eyes sparkled as he drank his blood.

"This year," Headmaster Dumbledore started as the voices died down, "We will be having Professor Vladimir for our teacher, treat him with respect."

'Notice he didn't mention he was a vampire," Harry mused as Vlad bowed to the crowd and Dumbledore dismissed them.

Hermione and Ron were gathering the first years when Harry approached their group.

"Hey Mark!" Harry called out over the bustle of the older students. Harry reached the first years, and smiled at his cousin. The halfbloods and purebloods who knew of his story stared at him with disbelief.

"Hey Harry," Mark said but not to brightly, "I thought you said something about a troll!" He mock scowled at Harry.

Harry just gave him a mysterious smile as they moved out of the hall and walked toward the staircase.

"It's keeping up the tradition!" Harry moved over the trick step, but paused to think of when that had been invented; it had been a prank war between Sal and him... before they had become fairly good friends.

'Harry smirked as he added the last touches to the trick step; he waved his wand once more (not that he needed it but it was a good habit to get into once he got back to his tome) and hit around the corner in the shadows.

Sal walked down the staircase whistling as he planned a trick on Ethan when his foot was stuck in a fake step. Narrowing his eyes, he tried to pry his foot out of the step, only to have it sink further down into the mock step.

"ETHAN!" Harry stepped out of the shadows and laughed loudly, his mocking laughter filing the halls' he strode away to the sound of Sal's shouting.

"I'LL GET YOU BACK!" Sal bellowed. "YOU HEAR ME!"'

Harry blinked and came into focus as they rounded the last corner near their dormitory only to see the face of Godric Gryffindor instead of the normal Fat Lady.

Hermione, not to fazed by the changes, said the password with authority, "Ethan." Harry smiled softly. It must be honoring his memory, or taunting him But most likely doing both.

Harry lay down on the bed in his dormitory, his face nuzzled against the pillow as if he tried to smell his father's scent. He missed hearing his laughter and jokes. He missed Sirius and Remus teasing James about his fantasy's over Lily. Harry sighed and lay back in his right side; it would be a new day tomorrow and he hoped the founder's riddle would come into play soon.

Hey, I just wanted to ask you all.

Should Severus:

A. Learn of Harry's other disguise

B. Gibe Harry a detention and through some kind of way find out Harry is Ethan (tell me of ways)

C. Other

Just a standard survey, also what's anyone's saddest movie? Mine has to be Raise you voice.. thought Jay is hot! squeal! I love the British accent!

Bookworm622