A/N: I don't own Harry Potter.
Chapter One: The Boy-Who-Lived Returns
A young man, about eleven years old, leaned against one of the sturdy, steel beams that supported the high ceilings of Kings Cross station. He tucked a long strand of midnight hair behind his ear as he surveyed the muggles and wizards commingling with one another.
"Pathetic creatures; the lot of them."
"Harry, calm yourself." an older male voice commanded.
"Sorry Uncle, forgive me." Harry replied turning to the wizard that just appeared from the shadows. "Where is my mother?"
"Morgana will be here shortly Harry; you know she wanted to see you off."
"I wish she'd hurry up, these muggles are beginning to annoy me."
"I know, but you'll be dealing with many mudbloods once you arrive at Hogwarts, so you'd better learn to interact with them at least civilly."
"Of course, just because I don't like them, doesn't mean I can't use them; deception is quite a marvelous tool."
"Lord Xanatos has taught you well Harry,"
"As has mother; she had better hurry, the train will be leaving soon."
"Remember it was I who taught you how to fight."
"Yes uncle Seth, I'll remember to give you credit if anyone asks."
Seth smiled warmly at his adoptive nephew and placed a hand on his shoulder, which Harry attempted to shrug off, but couldn't; Seth's tight grip left no room for rebellion. He shifted and finally relaxed as he saw his mother's tell-tale blonde locks permeate the dull colors of the crowd.
"Harry! Darling, I thought I might miss you!" Morgana shouted above the background muttering produced by mixed voices. Once she reached the boy-who-lived, Morgana wrapped her arms firmly around him, squeezing him to her chest.
"Mom! I can't breath!" he hissed, trying to push her away. Harry hated it when his adoptive mother so publicly smothered him in parental love. Not to say he didn't love his mother, because he certainly did, however; he would rather express affection in private.
"What am I going to do with you, silly boy." Morgana beamed. Age had been kind to the dark witch. Her golden hair now hung in tendrils around her heart shaped face, which was accentuated with bright, almost shimmering eyes.
Harry knew that her appearance was mostly deceiving, after all, he had seen her deal with an insubordinate member of Xanatos's order... they were still trying to spell away the blood on the walls.
" Where are my things?" Harry asked expectantly.
"I've already sent them to Hogwarts." Morgana said smugly. "They should already be in the headmaster's office; Albus Dumbledore owes me a favor, so all you have to do is go pick them up after you are sorted."
"What did you do for the headmaster, mother?"
"If you get all Os on your work, I'll tell you the story over Christmas break, deal?"
"Deal." they shook and she hugged him again, kissing him on the top of his head. "Is my wand there as well?"
"No, I have it right here." Seth reached into his robes and pulled out a polished ebony box with a sliver dragon head carved into its surface. With a flick of his fingers, the box opened to reveal an ten inch oak wand.
"You had it polished." Harry muttered taking the magical instrument in his hand, feeling the surge of warmth flow through his fingertips.
"Ten inch oak, with a core of dragon heartstring coated in serpent venom." Morgana commented with a whimsical smile. "I remember the first time I received my wand; eleven inch holly with a core of thestral hair."
" I suppose I best be going, the train will be leaving in a couple of minutes."
"Remember, don't draw suspension to yourself, no advanced magic in public and definitely no dark magic."
"I know mother, can I go now?" with one last hug and a handshake from his uncle, Harry walked through the barrier to the Hogwarts express. "Impressive." he muttered, getting on the train behind a family of red-heads. He sneered at their common attire, but said nothing.
He glanced at other students with mild interest as he tried to discern a free compartment. He stopped at one that looked fairly empty and stepped inside, noticing that there was in fact another person sitting next to the window.
Harry gazed over the girl closely. She appeared to be around his age and had long, dark hair with blonde highlights. Her piercing azure eyes bored into him as she nodded to the seat across from her. She watched him intently as he sat down.
"Pansy Parkinson." she stated neutrally. Harry noticed this behavior with many pureblood families in America. He knew that all ancient families were shrewd diplomats and it seemed the Parkinsons were no different.
"Harry Potter." he replied evenly, noticing her eyes widen briefly, before returning to normal. She smirked slightly and nodded silently to herself.
"You're a half blood." it wasn't a question but an amused statement. "Yet you exhibit the manners of a pureblood." this was coated in curiosity.
"Yes, I was raised by the Silvas, a pureblood family in America."
"My parents have done business with them in the past; if you were raised by them I suppose you are worthy of respect."
"Just because of their family name?"
"Heavens no, the Silvas are well known for producing brilliant heirs, you should be no different, even if you were adopted."
"I'll consider that an invitation to stay then."
"Please do, I've been so utterly bored since Draco started hanging out with Crabbe and Goyle." she sighed. "Best friends for ten years and he runs of with the first tough guys he comes across."
"Bodyguards?"
"Yes, but not very bright I'm afraid." she rolled her eyes. "So which house do you think you'll be sorted in?"
"Either Ravenclaw or Slytherin, I would dread Hufflepuff and Gryffindor."
"I agree, overly loyal badgers and self-righteous lions, makes me want to gag." the both looked out the windows to the rapidly passing countryside. " I'm surprised, your parents were in Gryffindor."
"Well my 'true' parents were both in Slytherin when they attended there." Harry retorted smiling. "I like snakes myself, in fact I have a pet one waiting on me at Hogwarts."
"What's his name?"
"Her name is Persephone, after the Greek queen of the underworld."
"A very lovely name, I think." Pansy said. "So you'll be using the Hogwarts owls for mail?"
"Yes, I just didn't want a bird, they hold no appeal to me."
"I have a cat, but I had my mother promise to send it to me later on in the year." she explained. "Her name is Sabrina."
Suddenly, there came a sharp rapping at the door and it slid open slowly to reveal a frantic, bushy-haired brunette.
"Hello, I'm Hermione Granger, have either of you seen a toad around here?"
"Why are you searching for a toad miss Granger?" Harry asked politely, even though her entire body language screamed 'mudblood'.
"A boy, Neville Longbottom, lost it earlier and now we can't find it." she glanced at his scar and nodded. "Oh, you're Harry Potter, I've read tons of books about you, though I believe some to be exaggerated."
"They probably are seeing as how I never gave an interview for any of them." Harry said. She seems intelligent, I may be able to use her, but I'll wait and see before I make a decision. Pansy, however; was not quite as restrained.
"Please leave the compartment now you mudblood filth!" she practically shouted. Hermione's eyes welted up with tears and she turned to leave.
"Wait a moment Hermione." Harry called using her first name to establish familiarity. She stopped and looked at him uneasily. "Please forgive Pansy's outburst." he glanced over at Parkinson and gave her a warning look. "She is simply having a rough time right now, if you need help finding the toad, come back and get me."
"Thank you Harry." with that she quickly left. Leaving the two new friends alone again.
"What was that all about?" Pansy asked indignantly.
"I could use her, she seemed a brilliant mind." Harry replied. "If I had driven her away, I could have given up a valuable resource."
"So you'd allow your inferiors to believe they are your equals?"
"For the sake of subterfuge? Absolutely," Harry smiled. " I may not like them, but I can use them." he chuckled as he repeated his words to Seth earlier that day.
"It seems logical, I suppose; perhaps I should disguise my prejudice like you do." Pansy mused.
"I don't expect you to, but please don't ruin my investments."
"I'll try not to." she said, insulted at his insinuation. The compartment door slid open again as a platinum blonde wizard walked in flanked by two large boys.
"I heard Harry Potter was in this compartment; is that true?" he asked with a clipped tone.
"Yes it is Draco." Pansy stated capturing the boy's attention.
"Pansy, what are you doing here?"
"Sitting and having a wonderful conversation with Harry."
"So, you're Harry Potter then?" the boy called Draco questioned, raising an almost translucent eyebrow. Harry nodded and extended his hand. Draco took the offered palm and they shared a firm shake.
"A pleasure."
"May I join the two of you?"
"If you want." Pansy said sarcastically. "I thought you'd rather be around Crabbe, Goyle, and Zabini."
"Pansy, are you still mad at me?"
"What would give you that idea Malfoy?"
Harry sat back and watched the exchange with lacking enthusiasm. He really didn't feel like listening to passive aggressive bickering the entire ride.
"Ah Pansy, just let him sit." he smiled at the flustered witch, who continued to give him a burning glare.
"Crabbe. Goyle. Leave me." the two wizards turned and walked out, not saying anything. Draco sat next to Pansy, who shifted farther away from him. Harry rolled his eyes and rested his forehead against the glass. His thoughts left the Hogwarts Express and traveled back to his conversation with Lord Xanatos shortly before he left for England.
"Harry, my child, come here." Xanatos hissed in a time-worn voice. Harry looked up from one of his dark arts books and made his way to the American dark lord.
"What is it milord?"
"As you are aware, you will be attending Hogwarts this September first."
"Yes."
"I want you to promise me something then."
"Okay."
"When you are at the school, do not ever use any of the dark magic spells your mother, Seth, and I have taught you."
"But..."
"No 'buts' Harry. We can not have Dumbledore interfering."
"I understand."
"Excellent. Now return to your studies."
"Yes milord."
"You will do fine Harry." Xanatos said reassuringly. Harry nodded and once again buried his nose into his dark tome.
"Harry." Pansy called, jolting him from his thoughts. Apparently, Pansy and Draco had made up as they were now sitting closer, carrying on a conversation while Harry had been out of it.
"Yes Pansy?"
"The train will be pulling in soon, so I need both you and Draco to leave for a moment to change."
"Of course." with that both wizards rose and left Pansy to change into her robes as they did the same. Once fully clothed, they maneuvered through the crowd of students to the front of the train. The doors slid open and they all filed out. A giant of a man greeted them and said his name was Hagrid.
Harry, along with the other first years, followed Hagrid to a large lake where they all entered several rowboats. Harry shared the boat with Pansy, Draco, and the muggleborn Granger. Pansy and Draco made it a point to scowl at Hermione, while Harry gave her a smile of faux sympathy, which she returned with a genuine one.
"Now first years, we'll be comin' up to the castle soon," Hagrid shouted above the nervous students.
Harry sighed and folded his arms across his chest. He leaned back against the end of the boat and closed his eyes. He could still feel the eyes of the other students on him and growled softly in annoyance. They had been staring at him ever since they left the train and it was sorely testing his patience. Suddenly the focus of the student shifted from him and a combined gasp echoed over the lake.
"Oh my! Harry look!" Hermione called in an awed voice. Harry's eyes snapped open and he looked up. Perched high above the lake was Hogwarts castle. The mammoth structure rose high into the clouds that blotted out the stars and moon, casting an eerie glow upon the churning waters below.
"Amazing." he muttered, having seen nothing like it in America. He was certain that Lord Xanatos's compound was quite a bit more massive than the castle, but it was underground and Hogwarts castle was right there in your face.
"There you are children!" Hagrid yelled. "Castle Hogwarts!"
"Beautiful." Pansy stated.
"Neither mother or father told me it would be this impressive." Draco said. "It's bigger than the manor."
"I've only read about Hogwarts." Hermione gulped. "The books didn't do it justice."
"They never do." Harry replied. He noticed they were about to dock and braced himself for the initial impact. The expected jarring came and while Harry was secure, the other students nearly toppled over. He chuckled as Draco, Pansy, and Hermione shot him angry glares. He shrugged as they got out of the boat.
They were met by an elderly witch with dark, graying hair who identified herself as Professor McGonnagal, the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts and head of Gryffindor house.
"I'll take them now Hagrid, thank you."
"No problem professor." with that Hagrid left.
"Now follow me to the great hall for the sorting feast."
"Trevor!" a plump boy shouted and reached out to grab a toad, presumably the one Hermione had mentioned earlier. Once he had the toad firmly in his possession they continued on for the feast.
"I wonder how they're going to sort us." someone in the crowd said.
"My brothers told me that we'd have to fight a troll." one of the red-heads Harry had seen while boarding the train shouted.
"How could anyone think that?" Hermione asked rolling her eyes. "Idiot."
"I take it you don't like him?" Harry queried.
"We met on the train while I was searching for Neville's toad." Hermione explained. "He was so rude as was the rest of his family; I hope to God that I'm not in the same house as that ponce."
"You seem to be a smart girl Hermione." the boy-who-lived stated. "I'm sure you'll be in Ravenclaw."
"That house has appealed to me since I read about it in Hogwarts: A History."
"Well, there you are; don't worry about it."
Large oak doors opened to reveal a crowded great hall and one lone hat seated atop a chair. Harry looked above the hat to see an ancient looking wizard with a long flowing pearly white beard and twinkling blue eyes. He noticed that the old man smiled even more when he laid eyes upon him.
Harry shifted his attention to the other professors. Something seemed off about the one in the turban, but he couldn't quite place it. They one that was most interesting however, was the man seated at the far left. He had long black hair and burning charcoal eyes that seemed to look through every student to their very soul.
Their eyes met and Harry felt a prickling sensation in his scar, but made no move to touch it, for he knew that would be a sign of weakness; he had no intention of showing weakness to anyone let alone this man. The hat had begun singing, but Harry and the man didn't notice. They continued to watch each other curiously.
You're waiting for something, aren't you? Harry thought. You know ligemency.
The man's eyes widened as if he heard Harry's thoughts.
I thought so, please be kind enough not to do it all the time, some thoughts are best left private.
The professor nodded and broke eye contact just as the hat finished it's song. Professor McGonnagal stood and began calling out names. Harry didn't pay attention to the sorting, but saw that the red-headed boy was sorted into Gryffindor.
"Not surprising." he muttered disdainfully.
"Granger, Hermione." the deputy headmistress called. Hermione shot Harry a worried look and smiled when Harry gave her a thumbs up. She walked up to the hat and placed it on her head. It took a few moments before the hat shouted,
"RAVENCLAW!"
Hermione beamed at Harry and quickly joined her classmates at the Ravenclaw table. Harry continued to watch the sorting until Draco was to be sorted. The hat barely touched his head before it shouted,
"SLYTHERIN!"
Draco smirked before joining the cheering slytherins. A few more students became part of the various houses and Harry smirked when Pansy became a Slytherin.
"Potter, Harry!" this time there was a hitch in McGonnagal's voice and she appeared to be on the verge of tears. Harry frowned at this odd behavior, but went to put on the hat nonetheless. He scowled when the entire great hall became silent and all eyes were on him.
The man he had the mental conversation with leaned forward in anticipation as did the other professors. The hat was placed on his head and his sorting began.
Well, well mister Potter, I wondered if you were even going to return to England. I see you've led quite a fruitful life, however I see that you already know a great deal of advanced magic, some spells more questionable than others. Oh, Lady Ravenclaw would love to teach you, but your manipulative personality is more suited to Salazar Slytherin. Godric is disappointed that you are not more like your mother and father. No matter, it is clear which house you belong in so better be...
"SLYTHERIN!"
Harry rose and gave a satisfied smirk to the entire great hall. He turned to the professors and gave a small nod before joining his fellow slytherins for the feast. McGonnagal's jaw hung open for a moment before she began calling students again in a slightly shaky voice. The man with charcoal eyes seemed surprised, but it only shown through in his eyes; his face continued to be impassive.
"Draco."
"Yes Harry?"
"Who is that man right there? Do you know him?"
"Yeah, that's professor Snape, the head of Slytherin house and my godfather."
"Really?"
"Why do you ask?"
"No reason; just curious."
"Students and faculty!" the old man, who Harry now knew to be headmaster Dumbledore via Pansy. "I'd like to welcome all of you to another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Now I have a few announcements to make. First I'd like to remind you all that no one is to go into the Forbidden Forest. Also, the third floor corridor is out of bounds to all who do not wish to suffer a most painful death. Now tuck in."
"Does he really mean that?" Pansy asked incredulously.
"I think he does." Harry laughed, amused. They ate and Dumbledore closed the feast by having every student and teacher sing the Hogwarts song. Harry, of course, kept silent. As the great hall emptied, Harry made his way to Dumbledore.
"Ah, Harry my boy." the old man greeted. " I had your things sent to the Slytherin common room when you were sorted."
"Thank you sir and what about Persephone?"
"She is in a cage waiting on your bed." Harry nodded to the professors and left with the other slytherins down into the dungeons. Professor Snape watched him with interest. "What are you thinking Severus?"
"Nothing sir, nothing at all." with that Snape stood and left the great hall wondering about the boy with Lily's eyes.
A/N: I know I haven't posted in a while. My apologies. I ran through several scenarios for this story before I finally decided on this one. I'm still not sure who I want to pair Harry with so if anyone has any suggestions please share them with me. I'll be sure to update faster from now on.