Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognise. I'm just someone messing with someone else's characters. They belong to J.K. Rowling

I'm a new writer so please leave feedback to help me along.

Chapter 2

Koli sat in the last compartment of the Hogwarts express. No one else had arrived yet as he had been very early. He roughly checked for monitoring spells. He had learnt you could never be too careful. Finding it spell-free he relaxed and lifting his hand casually music filled the compartment

"I belong to the blank generation and I can take it or leave it each time" sang out and he closed his eyes. He loved this song. It sort of summed him up. He had the music as loud as he could bear it and laughed when he saw the other passengers arriving looking confused when they could hear music.

Koli was wondering which of his many names the hat would call him. To his Dad and the vampire clans he was Koli, to his Father he was Orfeo. This name was of course also used by his Father's associates and enemies. The Headmaster would see him as Orfeo but this was supposed to be a new start. He was curious as to what the hat would feel was his real name. He was still musing when the compartment door opened and black haired man and a blonde child bustled in. They were immediately assaulted by the music which Koli quieted. "Yes?"

"What was that racket?" the man asked sharply.

"That was 'Blank Generation'."

"Well it sounded like someone screaming to me".

"Then you didn't listen. What can I do for you?"

"Who are you? You are new".

"Very astute … I am starting school later as I was home tutored previously."

"Name?"

"Yours first".

The man looked annoyed but replied anyway.

"I am Professor Severus Snape and this is Draco Malfoy. Now, what is your name?"

"You'll find out soon enough".

"What is your name?" Snape spat angrily.

The boy simply met his gaze and fought not to smirk.

"You will hear it later tonight I believe."

"What year?"

"I would imagine second year".

"Well… Draco will be in your year, then. Look, I'm sorry Draco but you know I can't stay with you. I am needed at the castle immediately. I trust you can handle yourself."

The blonde stood straighter. "Of course I can".

"Very well. Don't hex anyone". Snape withdrew from the carriage and Koli saw him walk through the barrier into muggle London from the carriage window.

"So what is your name?" asked the blonde.

Koli looked over the boy. "You're a Malfoy, son of Lucius?".

"Yes".

"Hmm. Interesting. Different people call me different things".

"Well, what should I address you as?"

"For now … Raven".

"Raven… why do you call yourself that? It is a nickname right?"

"Yes. My hair is black, like a raven's. Similarly some call me Jet, Nyx, Nox, Noir and many other related names."

"Oh. Ok.What are you interested in?" the blonde asked. He was determined to find something out about this boy!

"A great many things: spellcasting, spellmaking, potion making, the dark arts and its protections, magical history, magical creatures and beings, weaponry and muggle defence to state a few."

"Why bother with muggle defence?"

"Why not? What happens if your wand is taken? Poor little Draco Malfoy, all alone and defenceless. I simply don't want to be helpless. I make myself as strong as I can. End of".

More students arrived and although a few people opened the compartment, on seeing Malfoy, they stepped back out.

"It would appear you're not very popular Mr Malfoy". Koli commented.

"Yeah, all but the Slytherins hate my guts and they think I'm going to send them as fish food to the Dark Lord. It doesn't help with making friends as I'm sure you can imagine."

"I'm sure". Koli drew his wand and conjured a thick book. "I hope you don't mind", and began reading. After a few minutes he realised the Malfoy boy was staring at him.

"What is it?"

"I was, er wondering if perhaps you could make another book. I didn't take one out of my luggage and so I have nothing to do."

"Any particular book or genre?"

"Er, Potions or Defence, please".

Koli raised an eyebrow at the added 'please'.

He conjured a Defence book that he knew dealt with muggle defence as well as magical and hoped the blonde would read it. The two read in silence all the way to Hogsmeade with Koli's music playing in the background.

"Firs' Years" came a loud bellow. Koli growled assuming he was included in this rabble. He said a polite goodbye to his blonde companion and made for the boats. He sat down in one with ease and watched as the younger ones panicked on seeing them. He sat still and waited for this journey to be over. He briefly checked over the small glamours he had cast. He hadn't changed much. His hair was longer and fell tro his shoulders. It was still as jet black as it had always been. His teeth looked normal and he had a tan. His eyes were fierce blue and had been ever since he had been honoured with vampire blood. He couldn't remember what colour they had been before. If he was honest with himself he didn't really care.

As they entered the castle they were met by a grey haired witch with a stern look who took them to be sorted. Koli noticed she looked at him with interest. He wondered how much she knew about him. Nothing was said. They were finally allowed entrance into the Great Hall and he glared as he saw the mass of students that were going to bear witness to this bout of foolishness.

The hat began its song that was politely clapped and then the name calling began.

Koli waited to hear something that sounded familiar so that he could just get up, be

sorted and pick a seat. He saw the blonde over on the Slytherin table. He was sitting next to two large boys who looked rather thuggish and he didn't appear to relish their company. He looked around checking out the enchantments used. He looked at the staff table to see who would be teaching him. The Snape professor was there, glowering, and looking at him with hostility. He smirked and bowed his head slightly. The professor looked surprised and looked away quickly.

The Defence Against the Dark Arts professor had been one of the ones lost in the blaze. Koli recalled his name being Quirrell. There had been an ongoing report on the happening at Hogwarts in the Daily Prophet lately and he remembered they had appointed a famous explorer Gilderoy Lockhart. He had supposedly killed off vampires, yetis and werewolves amongst others. It was already enough to make him dislike him. On first glance however the man looked utterly pathetic. He grinned constantly, and winked at the female students. 'Probably a perv' he thought.

The entire collection of first years had finally been sorted and so Koli was left standing alone, feeling decidedly stupid. He looked up and met eyes with the Headmaster. 'I wonder if he recognises me. Of course he does; he just doesn't know how to react".

McGonagall frowned. "And, finally, Dragomir"

'Well that's a new one', he thought 'Still, it has to be me. I cannot imagine anyone else having such a name'.

Koli stepped up to sit on the school and the hat was placed on his head so that it covered his eyes. He could hear the mutterings of the hat in his mind. 'A brilliant mind - but where to put you'.

'Get on with it'.

'Patience is a virtue Koli'.

'I thought it was Dragomir at the moment'.

'Yes Dragomir is your birth name but you see yourself as Koli and so I am addressing you as such. You have the strengths of all the houses but you have weaknesses not attributed to any of them. I am going to suggest Slytherin. Is that acceptable?'

'Since when do students get a say in it?'

'Since I found an awkward one'.

'Very well. Slytherin will do just fine'.

"Slytherin!"

The Gryfindors groaned and with a quick glance he saw the Headmaster look slightly panicked. 'Good decision hat', he thought as he walked over to the green table.

Draco made one of the boys move aside and Koli sat down.

"Hello again … Dragomir. What does that mean anyway?"

"I believe it means 'Precious Peace' in Romanian, but I am not entirely sure".

The Headmaster stood up to speak and Koli blissfully ignored him and watched the students. The Gryffindors were all paying rapt attention. The Hufflepuffs looked bored but listened attentively and the Ravenclaws listened and nodded to show they understood everything. Only the Slytherins had wandering minds and were smirking at each other and whispering. Koli scowled as he realised what nonsense the man was rabbiting on about.

The food finally appeared and Koli looked at it in disdain. He drew his wand and summoned some vials of blood from his trunk, thankful he had brought plenty with him. He was not a full vampire yet and he could stomach some human food but this was just not the right sort of food. He hoped by drinking the blood with it he would be able to manage it. The blood was disguised as pumpkin juice and so whilst he ate little it avoided notice and only one person saw the summoning charm, and that person was Severus Snape.

Koli's first lesson of the year was Defence Against the Dark Arts and he was left unimpressed. Lockhart clearly had no idea what he was talking about was deeply in love with himself. His first lesson had consisted of a pop quiz. The questions had absolutely nothing to do with the subject but of him and his life. Koli had read all his books thoroughly and had had to force himself through Lockhart's so he remembered some of the irrelevant information that he hadn't immediately dismissed. The girls seemed to do much better. Lockhart had then gone onto lose control of Cornish Pixies. Pixies! Almost the entire class ran away. The teacher himself ran away. It was absolutely pitiable. Koli quickly immobilised them and he and a Gryffindor girl stuffed them back in the cage and left. Lockhart did not reappear.

The Gryffindors, aside from the girl from Defence, seemed to have taken an instant dislike to Koli. He had had to evade jinxes, hexes and punches within the first couple of days.

He wondered whether it was because he was good in his lessons or because of his name or because he was simply the new Slytherin.

Koli disarmed the boy who was about to hex him. "Mr Weasley I believe, yes? Kindly do not attempt to hex my person or you will find yourself cursed into the next century. I assure you I am only thinking of your health". The boy glared and snatched his wand back. He waited for Dragomir to walk away before sending a well-aimed jelly legs hex at him behind his back. He was rather astonished when the spell hit and reflected straight back onto him. "You git!" he yelled. He heard a dark chuckle but then Koli was gone.

Snape watched the scene from the shadows. This boy, Dragomir, was intriguing. He had seen him summon his own drink every meal time and still no one else noticed. He had seen him cast wandless magic when he was with no one else but was careful when other people were around. When he questioned Draco he was told that the boy would, or could not, explain his name and that he was interested in almost everything. That was all he got from him. It left Snape frustrated. He got the impression Dragomir was an unsolved mystery and he didn't like the unknown. He was determined to find out what he was hiding.

Draco and Dragomir had spent almost all of their time together. Although the latter seemed to be perpetually bored he was always polite, especially with Draco. He had prevented Draco getting caught up in the Gryffindor's pranks. Dragomir always seemed to know what was coming when it came to their pranks and made sure that he and Draco were nowhere near them. He told the other boy about his life, albeit a rather vague version. He said he had more than one father figure and travelled a lot getting into many adventures and dangerous situations. Draco listened in amazement wishing that he led such an interesting and apparently joyful life. Draco was unhappy. He was shunned at school and his home life was rather miserable with his father too busy being the personal slave to the whims of the Dark Lord. His mother didn't dare speak to him anymore in case it got her into trouble with Lucius. She had once been a fearsome witch but Lucius had killed her. Narcissa was a shell and Draco felt he had no one. He often found himself thinking of Dragomir as his friend, his first and only friend. He doubted that Dragomir felt the same way but he didn't mind. He didn't feel alone anymore.

At the end of the first week Snape decided it was time to speak to Dragomir and so Koli was summoned to the dour professor's office on the Friday evening and Koli went, making sure he was on time. Snape had seemed surprised to see him. "I've never had a student arrive on time straight away. You are something of a peculiarity Dragomir. You excel in Potion making yet you work against all the set rules to it. You work instinctively and I have seen only 2 others ever achieve that skill. You are obviously more powerful than you let on. Yes… I have seen some of your handiwork and if you had got caught I assure you punishment would have been served for rendering Mr Weasley unconscious on Wednesday. But you weren't; you are the perfect Slytherin. You have your secrets as we all do. Yours, however, are different. What is it you drink at mealtimes?"

"At mealtimes Professor? Pumpkin or orange juice"

"Not at all, you summon your own drink every mealtime."

Koli decided that if Snape had been observing him so closely he wasn't going to be able to lie his way out of this but why not give it a shot?

"Yes, I summon my own drink. It is just pumpkin or orange juice though. One of my friends was poisoned. I drink only my own stuff since then".

"Really?" It was obvious Snape didn't believe him; he was Head of Slytherin.

"Yes. She was a very gifted witch. I missed her terribly."

"You don't now?"

"That isn't what I meant Professor".

"You don't seem all that fazed by it. You eat the food and that is more likely to be poisoned than the drink. You are lying to me and I will not tolerate it".

"What is you wish to hear Professor Snape?"

"The truth! I am your Head of House! Any Slytherin with issues can come to me, and any student that requires special requirements should come to me. You obviously have special requirements since you are forced to summkon your own drinks".

"Would this epitome of Slytherin trust anyone, sir?"

"Very few but yes! Everyone needs to confide in someone. Draco won't bloody tell me anything! You're a puzzlement!"

"Ah, so you don't like not knowing. Perhaps I can tell you something to put your mind at rest. My name is Dragomir. You won't have heard of that but you will have heard of me. I travel a lot. I keep returning to Romania and I have learnt the language. Even so, England is my base. I keep coming back to it. I have been home tutored in all subjects since I was little. My Dad lives in Romania now and my mother is dead. It is my mother who named me. She was Romanian.

So this boy diudn;t see much of his father? He obviously cares for him but is that where his ambition comes from, the need to please his father?

"Professor Snape, are you worried about where my loyalties lie or simply my general behaviour? I know that you trade secrets"

"I have played a part on all sides oif this war but I work only for myself. Tell me, where would you like my loyalties to lie?"

"You've worked with the Dark Lord?"

"Yes. I believe you will remember Orfeo. The Headmaster was rather annoyed with my presence. I am Orfeo. You realise then that I am a very dangerous person. Age is not always marked by years. I am very old in many ways. My loyalties are not with the snake master. They never will be. I agreed to work with him because my Father wished it. He wanted me to experience both sides of this war you know and others".

"The others?"

"My true loyalty lies with the Fallen. They are my kin. I hope to lead them through this war. I am here to experience Dumbledore's tactics and so far I am unimpressed. He is a fool, but a clever one. He thinks he knows everything and yet is ignorant of so many things. The more you find out the less you know. He is no better or worse than your Dark Lord. Tom is eccentric but is not evil. Albus does the same things just out of sight. My loyalties lie to the ones who abhor this treatment of other people. My friends have a respect for life like no other. I believe I have told you enough."

Snape closed his mouth. "Who are the Fallen?"

"Yet you are still curious? The fallen - they have faded from memory. They have slipped into dark times; they have lost the pride they once bore but it will be returned to them again."

"Who are they?"

"My kin".

"You are a 'fallen one'?"

"Not quite".

"Right, so Orfeo is your real name?"

"It is just a different one. It is real enough. It is what my Father calls me. Here, I am Dragomir. At home I am Koli. I will tell you no more of my names Sir. Be grateful you have heard any. I have told Draco of Koli but I think telling him I was his father's master's protégé might undo the work I've put into befriending him."

"So your friendship to my godson is a lie, a sham?"

"Not at all. I like him. He just doesn't do friendship very well. It takes a lot to get through his barriers. He cares about you a lot. He's told me how worried he is with your spying. I told him that you would be kept safe but he doesn't believe me."

"He told you I was a spy!?"

"In a way, but I noticed very quickly where the leak was in Tom's ranks. But fear not; he thinks you are wonderful. There are two spies in the ranks, yourself and someone else. If you decide to become faithful to Tom you could pass the blame onto him. Tom would believe you."

"Another spy? Who?"

"I'm not going to tell you that! I, of course, worked for myself and so kept all information I gathered to myself."

"Are the Fallen going to make a third side?"

"I think so. They live in peace and although they are prepared for battle they are not eager to begin one. I will form the third side. I have already seen enough of Albus Dumbledore to know I will never trust him enough to join forces with him. You have been honest with me, Sir. You can call me Koli, if you would like to."

"Koli … who gave you that name?"

The boy smiled. "My Dad".

"You've switched. You have so far called him 'father'. Why change the term now?"

"Very observant… perhaps they are different people?"

"Nonsense. It's not … how?"

"Neither is my real father. 'Dad' is my blood father and 'Father' adopted me. They work together but are not related in any way and lead very different lives."

Koli glanced at the clock and sighed. He was about to make his excuses when the fireplace erupted in green flame.