Disclaimer: I wish I owned more than the computer on which I am using, but I don't. Harry Potter belongs to JKR and the respective media houses.

AN: So now we have met a few of the Dramatis Personae and the Sorting, Welcoming Feast and getting settled will occupy most of the chapter. After that…well you'll see!

Previously:

After three more cars, he noticed that Hermione had stopped outside a door near the very rear of the train. He saw her pause as if nervous before she knocked and entered. He trudged along and tentatively peered inside. Inside he saw a tall athletic and rather good-looking young wizard flanked by none other than Daphne Greengrass and Tracy Davis. At least he was on somewhat friendly terms with the two witches, so he felt a little less anxious about meeting Harry Potter and having to face a few others whilst doing so. Dialing up his inner courage, Neville Francis Longbottom, Heir of the House of Longbottom, with a sheepish grin and a slight flush to his complexion, overcame his mild social anxieties and introduced himself to the first of those whom he hoped would be many of young wizards and witches to become his friend, something the poor boy was desperately in short supply. Thus the journey to his Hogwarts career had finally begun!

Harry found himself rather liking getting to know the young Longbottom heir. He was rather knowledgeable about many subjects and helped clarify certain principles that Daphne had been unable to explain or had not bothered to emphasize the same points when addressing the same subject. Hermione added a fresh perspective and her keen analytical mind began making itself known. Harry of course had to diffuse a few heated discussions between the witches, but all in all the rest of the trip saw the five of them excitedly discussing how they hoped the next term would pass. They discussed what spells they had attempted and Harry even conducted an impromptu occlumency session, as Hermione was naturally unaware of wizards having the ability to enter another's mind and was revolted by the thought of being violated in such a private manner. Harry found she was a natural and was able to skip past the memory sorting stage, and went right into helping her set up the defenses. He even linked a backdoor from his own mindscape to hers, though he kept it dormant, preparing for the future. He did the same with each of his friends.

While finishing with Hermione, her avatar, a mental representation of herself used to navigate her mindscape, turned to him and she asked, "Harry? Erm…I have a question I'd like to ask you. Are you and Daphne an item or something, because she seems rather possessive of you. It's as if she sees other witches as competition and she is competing for your attention. She seems nice enough- nicer than some of those other cows I met whilst looking for Trevor, anyways- just be careful. I've seen her type before, and they never form friendships or pursue relationships with others without an agenda of some type in place. She has some kind of agenda and you seem to be central to whatever it might be. I may sound a bit jealous, but I just thought I'd take the time to warn you."

Harry laughed as he responded, "Hermione, I appreciate you taking the time to warn me and looking out for me so well, despite our lack of history. I have a feeling you will prove to be a great companion and have much to offer those who will be blessed to call you friend. Daphne is a pureblood elite. She has been groomed for politics and society since birth, so her methods may seem a tad Machiavellian in nature, but she really is rather nice once you get past the icy demeanor on the surface. I'm not looking for romantic attachments, as I am barely eleven years old, but if I were to begin choosing potential partners, knowledge of politics and social etiquette will be a part of the equation, but not the game-changer. Plus, we are on a train, bound for a school of magic! How bloody spectacular is that! We have seven years to navigate our way to our futures, and there is no telling what direction our lives may take, or with whom we may or may not find ourselves partnered. Relax and be friends with everyone you are able. Don't let petty people distract you along the way. I'm your friend, as is Neville. If Daphne chooses to keep herself distant, then that is her loss, and if she tries to push me in any direction I do not agree, you will find I am a bit more difficult to cage than she might anticipate."

Hermione laughed to herself as much to Harry as she answered, "You are absolutely correct! I have been letting myself get all worked up without realizing it! I have been so focused on Daphne that I missed the fact that I just made two new friends! Thank you, Harry!" She said the last as she leapt at him, hugging him to herself tightly, secretly relishing, even mentally as his current form was an avatar as well, the feeling of his hard muscles and the scent of his hair, like sunlight, fresh cut grass and a hint of spice- rather manly- and she felt herself begin to float away, daydreaming of girlish fantasies before quickly regathering her awareness and breaking away the embrace with a high-pitched squeak and madly blushing. The two then returned their awareness to the compartment.

Hermione would occasionally glance at Harry and blush as she darted her eyes whenever he would make eye contact. She was certain of two things in life- death and taxes, but now she had found a third thing- Harry James Potter. She was going to marry that boy one day!

Daphne was inwardly pleased that Harry had yet to dismiss her advances. She did not care for the little chipmunk who had latched onto her future husband's coattails at all. The bushy haired little know-it-all was trying her best to monopolize Harry's attention ever since she had arrived, but Harry seemed oblivious to it all. Daphne found herself daydreaming various scenarios in which Granger was exposed to various conditions, some humorous and some fatal. Daphne didn't exactly wish the witch any ill-will, but if a herd of hippogriffs happened to stampede over her, Daphne was certain she would not find herself overly shaken by such a turn of events.

Sure, Tracey was also trying her best to garner attention from the young lord, but Daphne was not going to let anyone interfere with her future, and her future definitely now included and revolved around a certain green-eyed teen wizard. She reveled in a daydream of a lavish manor, with green-eyed children and her Harry holding her closely and peppering her with tender kisses and whispering sweet nothings as they watched the children zoom about the pitch on their training brooms. She had been nestled against Harry's arm as closely as she could be without being too obvious, since Harry had yet to declare himself to her, and they had only met on the train. These of course, were things she planned to remedy rather quickly. Harry was going to be mobbed by hordes of witches soon enough, so Daphne needed to progress things as quickly as she could before she had too many other rivals to contend for the prize of being Harry's girlfriend. Unlike in the muggle world, in wizard society, dating was not a serial contest. Generally, if a couple became serious enough to declare themselves, then they tended to become betrothed and then married after graduation. It was rare for a couple to reach their twenties without marriage and even more so to reach their thirties without children. Wizards and witches tended to date maybe two partners to three partners within a lifetime, maximum, and sexual activities were reserved for partners after declaration, unless the witch wished to gather a reputation of sorts. Daphne had originally planned on meeting a few different boys and keeping them close so that by third year, she would have narrowed her selection to the top candidate, and then she would spend the rest of third year consolidating her position. By fourth year at Christmas Break, she planned on having a boyfriend. By fifth year, she planned on declaring and by sixth she would be betrothed. Then by the summer of graduation, they would be wed. After a few years of establishing careers, they would begin a family and Daphne would groom her husband for the political arena. After having met Harry Potter, those plans became accelerated. She would have to secure him as her boyfriend much sooner, or suffer the indignity of losing to a witch of lesser breeding. No matter the cost, Harry Potter would be hers! She silently smirked to herself as she continued to listen to a story Harry had been telling to entertain the group. She gasped and sniggered in all the right places, her internal musings covered by the mask she wore in public. She gently squeezed Harry's bicep as she playfully swatted his arm after he made an outrageous impression of some storybook character that only he and Granger recognized.

The fun and games came to a halt when Harry suddenly came to a pause before the door slid open and a rather unwelcome visitor made his presence known. Daphne hated the blonde ponce known as Draco Malfoy. He was such an arrogant git, who took delight in flaunting his supposed superiority over others and his presence carried with it an air of insult and contempt. Whenever they had crossed paths at the various social events, Daphne found herself wishing she had a wand to hex his bits off. He seemed to think his family name and his father's status would make him the most eligible suitor to any unattached witch of suitable age, and he had set his sights upon her. Despite his delusions of grandeur and his numerous attempts to allude to some future romantic arrangements for himself and Daphne, Daphne's friend Pansy Parkinson had a huge crush upon the Malfoy scion, and so Daphne would never poach, even if she was receptive to such a proposal. The arrogant and piggish voice of Draco Malfoy began with its usual formalities and not-so-thinly veiled insults, "I heard Harry Potter is on the train this year. Have any of you lot seen him, yet?" He nodded his head as he addressed the occupants of the compartment- those he seemed to recognize, "Greengrass, Davis. Always a pleasure. Longbottom and- oh it's you, the mudblood and I do not believe we've had the pleasure of meeting." He gestured to his left and right to the two bookends that could only be Vincent Crabbe and Greggory Goyle, "The name is Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. This is Crabbe and Goyle. So have you? Seen him rather?"

Harry had gone icy cold at Draco's insult toward the bushy haired Granger. He simply looked over to us as if to beg pardon before standing. He put on a fake smile as he extended his right hand in a gesture of a handshake, "Draco Malfoy, is it? Well met, Heir Malfoy of the House of Malfoy. I have indeed seen the object of your search. I am Lord Harry James Potter of the House of Potter. I see you already are acquainted with my companions save Miss Granger here, who happens to be under my house protection. I am pleased to make your acquaintance and that of your associates. Is there something I or my companions may do for you, Heir Malfoy?"

Malfoy seemed to bristle at the mention of Granger being under house protection, but he kept his veneer of civility in place as he answered, "Why, no, Lord Potter, I simply wished to introduce myself and invite you to join my alliance once we are sorted. I must say that I am looking forward to life in Slytherin house, myself. Hope to see you there, and a word of caution, if I may: lose the riffraff. We individuals of position and authority must be charitable with our time and you'll soon find that some families are more…suitable for companionship than others. I can help you there!" He said the last as he returned the handshake Harry had extended to him.

Harry leaned in closely and whispered to Draco, "My thanks, Heir Malfoy, but I feel I have a fair grasp on selecting my friendships and acquaintances so far; however, should I find myself in need of direction, I will gladly seek the opinions of those better…equipped to assist me. I must say that I do not see myself using heritage as a means of filtering the worth of others, but if it works for you…"

Draco blanched for a moment before recovering, "Well, of course. I bid you welcome on your return to your rightful place Lord Potter, and again extend my hand in an offer of friendship between our two Houses. No need to answer immediately, just please do reflect upon my offer and let me know if ti meets your approval. Come Crabbe! Goyle! Let us return to our compartment as the train will be nearing the border and the Snack Lady will be coming soon. I'll buy you each some things when she arrives. Greengrass, Davis, Longbottom and…Granger was it?"

The blonde ponce spun on heel and exited the compartment, Goyle sliding the door closed and offering a blush, a sheepish grin and a wave as he looked to Tracey and Granger. Daphne let out a huff as she exclaimed, "Argh! I cannot stand that pompous arse! Who does he think he is, coming to our compartment and interrupting like he owns the bloody Express or something! Honestly!"

Harry chuckled as he returned to his seat, patting her leg in a gesture that was more than likely supposed to be comforting, but only served to light every nerve-ending aflame as the electric spark jolted straight to her core, "Don't let him get to you Daphne. He's not really so bad once you strip away the pompous posturing and the insulting demeanor. It is not his fault he has a few too many close cousins in his family tree now is it?"

Neville snorted, while Hermione just began guffawing and Tracey damn near slid out of her seat with her sides hurting and tears of laughter streaming down her face. Harry shrugged and looked to Neville, "What? He does look rather like eating raisins might not be good for his health. I wonder if he might be part vampire? Pale, pasty albino-like skin, slicked back hair, a cape…I wonder if he could pull off a Slavic accent? He'd be a shoo-in for Dracula's nerdy little cousin who gets beat up by the other little monsters."

The Snack Lady came by soon and Daphne selected a few chocolate frogs and some Bertie Bott's Beans. She went to pay, but Harry quickly pushed her hand back before gesturing for the rest of the companions to choose. Tracey snagged her full pound bar of Honeyduke's Finest along with a few Cauldron Cakes and Pumpkin Pasties, whilst Neville snagged a few chocolate frogs. Harry then grabbed his selections and ordered a round of butterbeers for everyone. He promptly paid for the lot and then they sat about, snacking and teasing playfully. Daphne blushed as she whispered, "Thanks for getting us the snacks, Harry. We could have paid for ourselves, but the gesture did not go unnoticed."

Harry simply smiled as he responded, "Think no further on it, Daphne. As the only Lord in the room, it is my sworn duty to provide for the less fortunate souls around me." He said the last bit with a raspberry. Daphne rolled her eyes as she responded with a playful smack to the arm, "Really? Did you catch something from Malfoy earlier, because you are really starting to spout similar garbage? I guess it must be contagious! We must summon the Mediwitch! Next thing you know; you will start turning into a pasty blonde ponce!"

Harry snorted, "Perish the thought! Save me Daphne! You're my only hope!" The group laughed at the antics of the two as they all took turns imitating Malfoy. As they finished the last of their snacks, the warning whistle blew, signaling their approach to Hogsmeade Station. Daphne sobered up and looked at the two males in the compartment, "Gentleman, we will be arriving in less than ten minutes, so I suggest we all change into our robes. Harry, can you and Neville please help us get our trunks down and then let us change? You two can change in the wc."

Harry did his best Igor impression, "Yes, mistress! Right away! Come Neville! We must prepare for our arrival."

Harry gestured and all the trunks deposited softly on the floor. He quickly grabbed his robes and then closed the trunk, returning the trunk to its shrunken state and then placed it in his pocket. He waited for Neville and then did the same for him. The two boys exited the compartment and quickly donned their robes in the wc. They returned to the compartment just in time to catch a commotion from within.

"Well, Granger, if you know what is good for you, you really should try to be a bit less abrasive. Everyone is aware you are a muggleborn, so flaunting your intellect and using it to establish yourself will only lead to more resentment for some of the more…insular members of this society. One thing witches and wizards cannot stand is poaching. When a witch or wizard stakes a claim or interest in another wizard or witch, the rest of us must back off and allow he or she the chance to approach the intended and pursue before they can try their own luck. When someone does not heed the tradition, things can get rather ugly for the transgressor. If you find yourself desiring a more romantic relationship with another, you had best learn the proper way to stake your claim or you may be accused of poaching. My suggestion would be to find a likeable boy, establish a friendship and then drop subtle hints along the way. Find a way to be near him, without being clingy and then occasionally make physical contact, all the while innocently flirting and keeping him focused. Boys are not as quick to develop as we are, so they must be properly educated as to what they want. If we left it up to chance, we could end up with someone like you and Draco Malfoy, perish the thought! FYI, I am letting you know now, Harry is mine. I will defend what is mine. I am aware you might find him attractive, and he is very much so, but I saw him first. Find your own wizard, Granger. Last and final warning. Aside from that, I think we can be good friends. Harry seems to like you, so if he wants to be your friend, then that makes you my friend too."

Neville and Harry exchanged looks as Neville whispered, "Wow mate! Seems like they are already started establishing a hen-pecking. Daphne is a catch, but Hermione seems rather nice too. Seems like they both have a thing for you. Although I do wonder why Tracey has been so quiet. Usually she is the chatterbox and Daphne is the quiet one. Not sure why that is."

Harry shrugged, "Who knows? Witches. Daphne is a rather attractive prospect for certain, as is Hermione in her own way. I will neither encourage nor discourage either of them, nor any other witches we encounter who may or may not join our little group. I am not looking for anything right now. We are both way too young for all of that, but be careful Neville. I may be a Lord, but you are going to be one also one day. I have a feeling you will have very few problems finding a bird once you overcome your social fears. I will help you with that. I happen to have read that physical fitness is directly tied to magical prowess. Give me until we get back from Christmas, and I can have them fighting over you too."

Neville blushed as he grinned, "Sure! I always wanted to train myself up a bit, but Gran thought it would be too dangerous."

Harry snorted, "Hah! Neville we are men! We laugh in the face of danger! Come Neville! Let us manly specimens wow the dainty females with our manly awesomeness!"

The two boys returned to the compartment. As Harry sat next to Daphne again, he mentally projected a thought to Hermione, "Nothing is set in stone, Hermione. Time will reveal all."

He nearly gave himself away as the bookworm startled for a second before realizing what had happened.

Her mental voice had a peculiar taste of chocolate laced with cinnamon, "So she has not 'claimed' you as she was stating before? That bitch! Does that mean you like me likethat?"

Harry suppressed a mental face palm, "No, not necessarily. It means I am not interested in pursuing romance. I am only eleven for goodness sake! But if I were to be interested you would be on a short list. I may not have known you for very long, but I can tell you have a kind and generous nature. That makes you attractive, in my mind, way more than any particular body type or looks. Daphne may be an attractive witch, but with me, personality is just as important if not even more so than looks. Just be my friend, for now. Eventually, if we are both ready for such a relationship and it is meant to be, then we will have that conversation then. I plan on delivering the same speech to her later by the way.

The train pulled into the station, slowly skidding to a halt, the brakes squealing softly as the engine slowed to a standstill billowing one last burst of steam before coming to a full stop. The whistle sounded and the passengers all disembarked. The prefects directed people to leave their belongings to the house elves and the upper year students began climbing into carriages. Suddenly Harry heard a booming voice call out "Firs' years! O'er here! Gather 'round will yer! Right you lot! No more than four to a boat!" They came around the corner to come face-to-face with a gigantic wooly man in a dark coat. He had bushy hair and a beard that allowed for his mouth nose and eyes to poke out of the dense black tangles. "I be Reubis Hagrid, Keeper o' Keys and Groundskeeper here a' 'Ogwarts! Firs' years climb into a boat, no more than four. I'll take the lead and we'll have yer up to the Sortin' Feas' in no time!"

The boats quickly filled with students and unfortunately for Tracey, she eneded up in a boat with Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and another witch who Daphne called Pansy Parkinson, whilst Neville, Harry Hermione and Daphne were in the one behind them. Harry wondered why Ron had not approached him this time around, but he could not help but laugh at his former best mate having fell in the lake. He stood sputtering like a fountainhead before Hagrid looped back and scooped him into the boat. All manner of fish and algae ran out of his pockets as water dripped down his nose. Harry felt bad for the young wizard and silently sent a drying charm and a cleaning charm his way. As the procession of young wizards and witches slowly floated across the surface of the lake, they came around a bend and all manner of small talk ceased, replaced by exclamations of amazement. There in the distance was Hogwarts, its bastions alight with mystical lights and wonder. Harry felt his throat tighten as he choked back tears, the sight being one of such a bittersweet memory for him. Daphne and Hermione each grasped one of his hands and each gave him a comforting squeeze, sensing his distress.

The moment passed and the young teens were instructed to exit the craft and make their way to a chamber just outside what appeared to be a set of gates. Just as the last boat arrived, Hagrid pounded his ham-sized fists on the door. The gate opened and the familiar sight of Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress, Head of Gryffindor House and Professor of Transfiguration set her narrow gaze about the crowd of first years. Her eyes softened as they fell upon Harry, and then Hagrid boomed out, "Prefesser, here are this year's firsties! All delivered safe an' sound, though young Weasley there took a bit o' a spill, but we righted 'im and fixed 'im up proper!"

Prof. McGonagall shook her head as she chuckled, "Well, as long as he got fixed up proper, as you said. Welcome students. I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress, Head of Gryffindor House and Professor of Transfiguration. Here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, we uphold the finest traditions and magical education one may find. Tonight you begin your journey into a world in which some of you may have been raised, whilst others have only begun to explore. Tonight you will be sorted into one of four houses, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindoor and Slytherin. Each of these houses have their own unique histories and traditions and can boast many famous witch and wizard belonged to its ranks whilst in school. Your house is your family and we support one another as such. I, as head of Gryffindor hope to see you there! My lions are known for their bravery and chivalry, whilst Ravenclaws are known for their pursuit of knowledge and academia, Hufflepuffs are known for hard work and loyalty, and Sytherins are the cunning and ambitious. Each house has a head of house, a faculty member dedicated to administering each house. I encourage each of you to get to know your Head of House and to report to him or her for any needs outside of class." As she spoke she had lead the teens through the gates and up a few stairs.

They passed through a hallway and some of the girls shrieked as they saw ghosts pass by, coming out one wall and passing through to the other side. Small talk began to buzz within the group as they began speculating who would be sorted where and how the deed would be accomplished. Ridiculous notions like troll wrestling and dueling competitions seemed to carry the weight of the conversations. Harry smirked to himself as his companions did the same. Daphne was about to ask his opinion before they were halted in front of a massive set of double doors. Prof. McGonagall waited for some pre-arranged signal and then opened the doors with a flick of her wand. She led the group of first years to an area to the left of center. Harry smiled as he saw the familiar tables of the Great Hall. He noted that every member of staff was the same as the last time. He grimaced slightly as he made eye contact with
Snape and almost had to stun himself from attacking Quirellmort. Prof. McGonagall turned to the assembled staff and students, "I give you this year's batch of first year students!"

As they approached they noticed an old stool and a ragged hat set upon it. As if on cue the hat straightened itself and began to rap. (AN: Sorry not going to invent a new song and too lazy to look up the one in canon)

I have a few start of term notices I wish to announce. The first years please note that the dark forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch," Dumbledore signaled to the ragged old man in tattered dingy clothes and carrying none other than bane of all rule-breakers, Mrs. Norris, the mangy red-eyed cat, whom the caretaker seemed to be absently stroking whilst he peered menacingly about the hall, as if daring someone to say something," has asked me to remind you that the 3rd floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you."

The audience applauded and then Prof. McGonagall turned to the assembled firsties, "As your name is called, please come forward and approach the stool. Pick up the hat, sit down and place it upon your head. The hat will communicate with you for a bit and then it will shout your new house name aloud. Nothing discussed with the hat is privy to disclosure, so do not be afraid of it revealing your latest crush for everyone to hear. Now pip, pip, cheerio! Let's be on with it!" She picked up a roster and began, "Abbot, Hannah!"

A young witch with powder blue eyes and golden blonde hair in braided pigtails that hung to her waist tentatively hastened to the dais and lifted the hat from the stool, sat down, and then placed the talking accessory upon her head, it's faded color exterior showed signs of being quite fashionable in its time, though that time was over a millennium ago. At one point in time, Harry speculated it must have been some shade of scarlet or orange, but now it simply looked as though it were a light to medium brown color. After barely a minute, the hat cried out in its disembodied voice, "HUFFLEPUFF!" The young girl sheepishly removed the hat smiled at the assembled student body and the remaining first years, particularly a rather curvy ginger girl with deep blue eyes and a smattering of light freckles across the bridge of her nose and cheeks. Her hair was secured by a ribbon into a loose ponytail, which flowed down her back in cascading waves reaching well past her pertly round posterior, almost to the middle of the back of her thighs. She had stunningly feminine features and rosy lips, which were currently smiling at Miss Abbot, as apparently the two were fast friends. The ginger gave a thumbs up as Miss Abbot replaced the hat on the stool and then made her way toward one of the long tables, the one with all the students with the yellow and black accents on their robes and ties. As soon as the young witch left the dais, her uniform transfigured itself, matching the other students at what had to be the Hufflepuff table. The students of Hufflepuff had left an entire side of their table empty for the first year students; Harry surmised this was so that they could integrate the new students into their house culture. Hufflepuffs were diligent and loyal by nature, so Harry estimated that their emphasis would be on presenting a loving and nurturing environment to help the new members feel supported and encourage them to blossom under the sense of comradery and unity that such a culture would most likely foster. Harry doubted highly that he would enjoy such an environment personally, especially having been independent for so long, but he did see the merit of such a culture and felt it would be great for those whom it was best suited.

McGonagall called out the next name, "Bones, Susan!" The ginger, Miss Bones, whom Harry silent wondered if she was any relation to Amelia Bones, the current head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement (DMLE), approached the dais without the anxiety that Miss Abbot had shown, but still was blushing at being the center of attention. She repeated her friend's earlier actions and before the hat had even securely rested upon her head the hat shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!" The witch in question quickly exited the stage and took the seat next to her friend at the Hufflepuff table.

Harry noticed the same trick with the school robes as had happened with Hannah. Usually in tune with his magic, Harry intellectually knew that the robes had been enchanted so that the sorting hat's cry would activate the final piece of the enchantment and permanently transfigure the robes to the house in question, whilst another part of the enchantment locked itself to the magical signature of its wearer, so future purchases, as the student grew and developed through his or her adolescence, would not need the sorting hat to speak. The student's magical signature was simply recorded in the Book of Names and his or her sorted house was listed, and an auxiliary book in both Gladrags in Hogsmeade, and Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions in Diagon Alley, simply listed the student's name and house affiliation. The enchantments would activate as soon as the magical signature keyed itself to the robe and after the sale was finalized, the enchantment would become permanent. The books were also enchanted so only the shopkeepers could see them.

McGonagall called out again, "Brown, Lavender!" A very curvaceous young witch took a deep breath as if to calm her nerves and then began to resolutely march up to the dais. She had blonde hair like Miss Abbot, but Miss Brown's hair was rather curly and a slightly lighter blonde, more of a goldenrod in hue. The girl in question had shoulder-length hair styled similar to Miss Bones, but her ribbon was lilac and she paused long enough to grin and flirt outrageously, using her eyes, with Harry, encouraging him to take notice of her and her grin only broadening and her eyes lighting up even further in intensity as he smiled back and gave a small wave. The young witch, after batting her lashes one last time and flipping her hair over her shoulder with a small shy glance back at Harry, blew him a kiss, winked and then sauntered to the dais, her hips swaying in that exaggerated female way that no straight man could ever hope to emulate, but loved to watch as they walked away.

Daphne seemed to be muttering under her breath and her grip on Harry's hand, which she was still holding, ever since he had helped her to shore from the boat. Harry kept waiting for her to tell him to let go or retract her hand from his, but he found the delicate and smooth texture of her skin intriguing and the warmth it provided made him feel a bit more comforted, as he was clamping his barriers down at full battle readiness from battling the complexities of the emotions swirling within his mind as he re-entered Hogwarts for the first time in almost three centuries combined with his efforts to block three of the most accomplished and skilled legimens in Magical Britain, Dumbledork, Snape and Tommy Boy himself, kiting a ride on the back of Quirrell's head. Harry simply smiled, and squeezed Daphne's hand slightly harder for a moment in an attempt to calm the jealous witch's raging desire for violence and revenge upon the little blonde slag who had somehow managed to slight her. Harry was not quite sure why Daphne was so ready to curse Miss Brown, but he was fairly certain that one Miss Daphne Greengrass had already started to 'stake a claim' upon him. In his previous life, Harry, Hermione and Ron were sitting around the table sharing after dinner drinks with Luna Lovegood, the Patil twins and oddly enough Lavender Brown. Lavender had teased Harry about his track record dating whilst at Hogwarts. She had informed him that quite a few witches had wanted to drag him a broom closet and have go at riding the "golden broom" as she called it. She had tried to explain that the reason none approached him was that everyone knew that either Granger or Ginny had put the word that stake had been claimed. Apparently witches had developed a complex system amongst themselves for selecting boyfriend material and guarding the wizard in question from being poached. It was all rather complicated and though Harry could repeat the conversation verbatim, he never quite grasped the nuance and meaning of some of it. He figured one had to be a witch to fully appreciate it.

Harry had decided that this time around, he was not going to necessarily be a manwhore or anything, but he would not let himself be tied down until after he had finished Tommy. He would not be a Catholic monk or anything, but he would not try to get serious with any one witch until then. That plan died the moment he saw Daphne and Hermione again. Instead, he decided that building close friendships with various witches and exploring the possible romantic involvement with each one without making unfair promises or leading them on would be best.

However, he found himself equally drawn between Daphne and Hermione. He found himself wondering how he missed his feelings for the bushy haired young genius the first time around. He was certain he loved her as a sibling and that was all, but he found himself attracted to her in a romantic sense this time around. True, he knew her so much better than he did Daphne, but he found it strange that the intensity of the feelings was about the same. When it came time to begin dating, he was uncertain as to how he was going to choose between the two. They were both brilliant and terribly scary to anger. Each witch had her own quirks and idiosyncrasies and each was undoubtedly attractive, though Hermione had yet to blossom to her full physical potential, whilst Daphne had already begun maturing and was definitely more aware of how to use her looks and that she even had looks to use. Hermione was unaware as of yet as to just how beautiful she really was and would develop into a knockout soon enough. Daphne had the confidence in her femininity and reveled in its effects, whereas Hermione was still rather socially awkward and not too focused on her outward appearance.

Miss Brown lifted the hat and joined the lions of Gryffindor amid cheers. Her tie and crest reflected the crimson and gold of Harry's alma mater. She sat at an empty spot across from a set of ginger twins that Harry would never forget nor be able to repay for the fraternity and friendship they had granted him the first pass, and Harry would be seeking out the terrible two to cement an alliance as soon as he could approach them. The Weasley Twins were almost as legendary as the Marauders, whom they idolized and Harry from which was descended. They were stalwart allies and friends to those who proved themselves worthy and their friendship was well worth the effort to obtain.

The list went on and the crowd of first year students began to dwindle as each name was called. Terry Boot, Mandy Brocklehurst, Millicent Bullstrode, Vanessa Carrow, Victoria Carrow, Vincent Crabbe, Michael Corner, Tracey Davis, Josiah Entwhiste, Justin Fletch-Finley, Seamus Finnegan, Anthony Goldstein- Boot, Brocklehurst and Goldstein went to Ravenclaw; Bullstrode, both Carrows, Crabbe and Davis joined Slytherin; Entwhistle and Fletch-Finley went to Hufflepuff; and Finnegan joined Gryffindor.

McGonagall called out the next name, "Granger, Hermione!" Hermione had been holding Harry's left hand just as Daphne had been holding his right one, a fact not missed by the collective witches in the Great Hall and a sight not all that welcome to them if the thinly-veiled looks of distaste and jealousy were anything to judge. The young witch did her best to present a regal and calm exterior, something she had much practice doing as the daughter of a powerful Duke and member of the Peerage. She ascended the dais and lifted the hat to her bushy head. The hat took a great deal of time before shouting, "Unable to sort! I will sort this witch at the end!" Hermione blushed slightly before returning to her place next to Harry and tentatively slipping her hand back into his. The entire Hall was shocked into silence at that proclamation and even Professor McGonagall seemed taken slightly aback before regaining her composure.

She cleared her throat softly and continued, "Well, we are certainly in for a few surprises this year I see! Nothing to be done about I surmise, so, pip, pip! Greengrass, Daphne!" Daphne released Harry's hand after a reassuring gentle squeeze, before firmly adopting her political mask and ascending the dais. She approached the stool and after lifting the hat, she sat poised upon the stool and cooly placed the hat upon her head. After what seemed like some sort of debate between her and the hat, the hat declared, "Slytherin!" Daphne removed the hat and replaced it upon the stool before joining her friend at the table of green and silver with the rest of the snakes.

The sorting then continued uninterrupted by any further strange happenstances until Harry and Hermione were amongst the last to be sorted. Gregory Goyle, Denise Hightower, Stephanie Jacobs, Jillian Kingston, Thurston Little, Neville Longbottom, Morag MacDougal, Ernie Macmillan, Draco Malfoy, Lily Moon, Esther Marchbanks, Cecilia Nightshade, Theodore Nott, Jennifer Ollivander, Brian Ogden, Stephen Oglesby, Pansy Parkinson, Pavrati and Padma Patil, and Sally Anne Perks- Goyle, Malfoy, Nott and Parkinson went to Slytherin; Hightower, Jacobs, Kingston, Macmillan and Ogden went to Hufflepuff; MacDougal, Ollivander, Oglesby and Padma Patil went to Ravenclaw; and Little, Moon, Nightshade and Pavrati Patil to Gryffindor.

"Lord Potter, Harry James!" Harry sent a reassuring pulse of magic and a gentle squeeze of his hand to each of the two witches currently trying to break the respective hand to which she was clinging, as his name was called, before boldly striding to the dais and lifting the hat to his head, not bothering to sit.

He felt the slight pressure of the hat trying to establish its mental link through his extensive occlumency barriers. Harry mentally opened a small portcullis in his wall and quickly welcomed the hat's consciousness into his mindscape before closing the opening and bricking it over like it was never there. He could not afford to leave it open with the likes of Dumbledore, Quirrell or Snape, who would undoubtedly sense the weak point and try to interfere or eavesdrop. He could not afford anyone to learn of his true secrets until much later in the game, preferably after Tommy Boy took his final dirt nap.

"Ah…Lord Emrys-Peverell-Slytherin-Gryffindor-Potter…so many titles for such a young…oh my Godric and Merlin's baggy y-fronts! You do not hesitate to surprise me…your hold over those two witches is already so strong…no matter. You are entitled to choose between Slytherin or Gryffindor lord quarters as a Founder's Heir, as well as a few other little fun things you may never have known from the last pass, which I will reveal to you at a later time. I see you have the mark of destiny upon you, but clearly sit outside of it. You will be destined for many great things! Be strong, as your future is still, once again, riddled with darkness and challenges, but at least the rewards this time around, should you be successful, will be much better. Heather told me to tell you to seek friendship with the Bones girl and the Weasley twins for the map early, that way you can find Peter and get him to the proper authority before someone of less scruples or a hidden agenda can silence him, thus freeing Sirius. The key to finding the first artifact may be hidden in the Black Library, though it is your job to find the clue and solve the first riddle yourself. So it better be… 'FOUNDING LORD CHAMBERS! Miss Greengrass and Dame Granger being under familiar protection of the Houses Potter and Gryffindor, will be under his care as Lord Protector. These students are exempt from the House Cup save for the quidditch competition, in which they are eligible to tryout and join a team if the team captain wishes to allow them. Once a member of a team if they are selected, any points they earn or lose will be attributed to that house as if he or she was a member of said house. Detentions, when or if necessary will be approved or declined by Lord Potter for Miss Greengrass and Dame Granger. If declined, Lord Potter must provide an alternative punishment in writing to the Headmaster or Deputy within a week or Lord Potter himself will be held accountable and the original terms of detention would fall upon his responsibility to serve! That is all!"

Harry mentally made note of the look of shock upon Dumbledore's face as the hat completed his speech. He also did the same of the thinly-veiled hatred and disgust which crept onto the face of Quirrell and Snape looked as if he had just tasted troll dung in his food. Good times…good times.

He then left the dais to sit a small round table that had appeared at the rear of the hall. Hermione and Daphne both joined him, their robes and ties reflecting the colors of House Potter and each bearing its crest over their left breast, whilst their own family crest appeared over the right, marking them as under House Protection. The rest of the student body was still stunned as they took their seats and waited for the few remaining students to be sorted.

Josias Selwyn, Zacharias Smith, Lisa Turpin, Ronald Weasley, Dean Thomas, and finally, Blaise Zabini- Selwyn and Zabini went to Slytherin; Turpin to Ravenclaw; Smith to Hufflepuff and finally Weasley and Thomas to Gryffindor.

At this, Dumbledore stood to speak, "Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

Upon that a lavish feast appeared in front of them and they began to sample the various dishes, some students making pigs of themselves, especially Ron. Harry inwardly chuckled to himself about how some things would never change. The ginger in question had heaped his plate full of so much food, that it barely fit, and was currently racing the house elves to see if they could keep the platters filled faster than he could banish the food down his gullet, in a complete disregard for anything resembling manners, a fact that Harry overheard Malfoy making a crack at, seeing how the Slytherin table was close to the Potter table and the first years had all been forced to sit at the front of the tables. Malfoy was never one for much subtlety when he was younger, so naturally he was not exactly quiet with his observation of how a family that wallowed in the mud as much as the Weasleys would naturally raise a wizard to be a pig or wondering if it were perhaps the other way around, and then loudly speculating as to the parentage of the boy in question due to his mother's reputed lack of restraint in all matters pertaining to the bedroom and allusion that poverty may have led to some of her "activities" even suggesting that for a bit of pocket change, even muggles could have a go. To that last statement, the majority of the Slytherin table either openly snorted or tried with little effort to hide or mask the amusement they had found at the young pompous pureblood's antics.

Harry had to clamp down on his barriers to keep from hexing the pathetic toerag and blasting him through the windows of the Great Hall, as Molly Weasley had been like a surrogate mother to him, and Malfoy was insulting the memory of someone whom in Harry's opinion was a cut above as a mother. He may need Malfoy's connections and family name to help him achieve his goals, but the blonde poncy git had a long way to go before he grew into the partner Harry had bled beside, joked with and befriended once the War had concluded.

The two had buried the proverbial hatchet as it were and remained close friends until Draco passed on from battle wounds from a demon the two had been forced to take down while investigating a group of dark wizards who had been kidnapping muggle virgins from nearby universities and secondary schools. They had used them in a dark ritual to summon a demon, but the demon had broken free of the containment diagram and turned on those who had summoned it. The gory bits and pieces of their remains were splattered on the walls or stuck rotting in its teeth. The demon was still rather weak, as the magical backlash from it being forced onto the new plane of existence made the demon incapable of surviving without consuming a vast number of mortal souls, though magical victims tended to be of a greater potency, thus witches and wizards were the ones most at risk from such an entity. Harry had used the Elder Wand to collapse the rune array powering the demon gate, while Draco had been firing Blizzard Hexes, Purification and Exorcism Jinxes, as well as a few family spells designed by an ancestor who had delved into necromancy and became a Dark Lord.

None of the spells had a significant impact on the demon, other than keeping it focused on coming after the annoying one. Harry had never quite been able to drive away his memories of how Draco had screamed when the Demon had ripped Draco's still-beating heart from the blonde ferret's chest and then after mangling it by squishing it in his scaly clawed hand, consumed the flesh, whilst simultaneous roasting Draco alive from the inside out. The demon seemed to swell as it fed upon its victim's agony, and even seemed to relish in the fact that the wizard was unable to die while held under the demon's mercy.

Harry had mercifully cast a silent cutter and then transfigured the decapitated corpse into stone. He then used his new and improved version of "Prongs The Patronus" to purify the evil from the demon. This effectively destroyed the demon altogether, though Harry had taken samples of various body parts and blood, as the ingredients could be useful in certain potions, rituals and warding schemes. He was careful to take all of the samples before Prongs had finished annihilating it as once the demon was vanquished, the parts would hold no value as their natural magical state will have been altered beyond repair, thus rendering them useless for the applications Harry had in mind.

After a while, the feast moved onward to the dessert portion and again Harry and the girls sampled a few dishes, but refrained from overindulgence. Dumbledore stood once again and the plates vanished as if they had never been present. The only clue that there had been a meal, was the goblets of pumpkin juice, water or in the case of the staff, a nice kip of brandy or wine.

Dumbledore stood again, his aged visage glowing with mirth as he grinned benevolently at the assembled students and staff, looking much as a kindly grandfather as he addressed the audience in the Great Hall, suddenly clapping his hands together loudly, "Settle down, children! Now," he waved a hand and the tables were completely clear and the torches flared briefly before settling to their normal intensities, lending a soft orange glow to Great Hall as the wizened headmaster continued his parting speech, "in all my long years, I have studied avenues of magic long forgotten or lost to many. I have, as an educator, politician and even as a leader of a small fraction of individuals who dedicated themselves to opposing the darkness, seen so many terrible, wonderful and even a few blends of both things which magic can accomplish. None, however, has quite the power of music. Let us now sing our school song, the tune is whatever you wish, the words are quite easy to follow. With that having been said, let us begin our year together by joining in making magic as old as time, music!" (AN: Again not looking to list the actual song as I found it a collection of nonsensical nothing and pointless to plot progression.)

After the song died down, the Weasley twins being the last to finish, as the two pranksters had selected a funeral procession to arrange as their tune, Dumbledore smiled again and then spoke, "Ah, nothing quite like the sound of youthful spirit to motivate these ancient bones…I bid you all welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and leave you with one parting request: the friends one makes in these halls could very well be the ones that mean the difference between walking the path of light or surrendering to the shadows of darkness. Be careful of where you may follow, and remember to trust in your instincts. Magic has a rather…interesting way of speaking to us and warning us of dangers which could lie ahead. On a lighter note though, have fun, learn to do your best and become the best witch or wizard you can be! Prefects! Take charge of the first years and escort them to their new dormitories. Staff! A general staff meeting will commence in approximately an hour. See to your new charges and welcome the others, then meet me in my office. Lord Potter and party, please remain here and we will see to your arrangements. Goodnight and Welcome to Hogwarts!"

Afterwards Harry was amused to see the chaos that was the Sorting Ceremony and Opening Feast was just as hectic when watching from the outside as it had been whilst actively being a part of it. Once all the competing shouts for first years to assemble, they had been escorted out of the hall to their respective common rooms. However, as the staff quietly faded from the room, Harry and the girls found themselves alone with Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall. Dumbledore and McGonagall seemed to be almost ecstatic seeing the trio together holding hands, whereas Snape looked as if someone had put dungbombs in his mouth and let them explode. He seemed torn between wanting to say something snide and keeping his mouth shut in an attempt to observe.

Dumbledore quickly began, "Lord Potter, it is a pleasure to see you amongst us once more. I apologize for having to place you with those awful muggles, but unfortunately I had no other recourse. The war had just ended and there were so many Death Eaters and sympathizers we had to try to root out. We were afraid if we let you live with a wizarding family, that one or more of those unscrupulous individuals may have sought to abduct you in revenge for your defeat of their master. I determined that the best way to keep them from their goal was to hide you amongst the muggles and I thought your aunt would have been more than happy to honor Lily by agreeing to care for you. I was, unfortunately wrong. The ancient wards I used to protect you were tied to your mother's bloodline as it was she who sacrificed herself to power whatever protections saved you that night. Whilst the wards did stop at least thirteen separate attempts to either abduct or harm you in the first three years, they did not protect you from the harm you received within the walls of your home. For that I am truly regretful. I did send people from time to time to check on you and make certain you were not being hurt, but none of the reported any signs of abuse, thus I never personally followed up, which again was a failure on my part. I only hope you can forgive an old man his arrogance and belief in family. I never thought she would have stooped so low. I assure you, Lord Potter, you will never need to see those monsters again unless you should so choose."

Harry took in the admission of guilt and processed it. The confession made his plans for dealing with Dumbledore shift to a more pleasant and workable one, to which Harry inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Having to alienate one of the most powerful wizards of all time was not something harry had been looking forward, especially since a part of him always looked up to the man as surrogate grandfather, and Harry liked to have thought Dumbledore saw him as a surrogate grandson in return. True, Harry was still upset over some of the manipulations he had lived through last time, but Dumbledore seemed genuine in his confessed remorse, so Harry decided to reevaluate his plans at a later date.

Harry simply dismissed it with a shrug, "No sweat, Headmaster. We all make mistakes, and you sound like you did everything you could to minimize what happened. You will find I am not really one to hold a grudge. You owned up to it and are making plans to make amends. Moving forward, I would like to just leave that past in the past. On a side note, I understand that all of you knew my parents quite well, and would love to schedule time to discuss anything you can remember about them as my aunt certainly never did tell me anything. She told me they were useless layabouts who died in a drunken car crash, leaving me to the tender mercies of Uncle Vernon. Hagrid told me about the truth, but there a few things I have questions about. Would you be willing to answer them at some point in the future?"

Dumbledore smiled, "Why of course, young Harry, I may call you Harry, correct?"

Harry nodded in acquiescence before the aged wizard continued, "Excellent! Ah and a welcome to both of you as well Miss Greengrass and Dame Granger. I see like his father, young Harry wastes no time. I must, however warn you that this turn of events may make it a bit difficult to make new friends, but I think we can find a way to counter that. I believe granting you permission to allow friends to visit the common room will sweeten the deal." Each witch thanked the headmaster and then kept silent in the background as etiquette demanded that only the Lord Protector address the staff unless directly questioned, and even then, Harry could choose to respond first.

Well Harry, my boy, Ladies! Let us escort you to your new quarters."

With that, they were escorted to a tapestry featuring the Potter Crest. The tapestry was enchanted like the platform at King's Cross, only Harry and the girls could enter with no one present, and guests could enter if permission was granted only when the quarters were occupied by their inhabitants. The witches' quarters were charmed so Harry could enter in emergencies, but an alarm would trigger in the headmaster's office and record the time and length of the visit. The headmaster did not mention that once the trio came to their fifth year, those protections would relax as the original purpose of the quarters was to house the various ladies of the house, be them mistresses, wives or siblings, thus making such protections invalid as they violated statutes pertaining to line theft, interfering in House governance and in the case of siblings were largely unnecessary, exceptions being certain pureblood families who tended to keep it all in the family, persay.

The staff then left instructions on how to set, update or invalidate passwords and permissions keyed to the level of trust or authority. For example, as headmaster, Dumbledore had unrestricted access, save during showering, dressing or undressing. That exception could be overrode in the event of danger, but for the sake of propriety protected the ladies from embarrassing moments. Similarly, McGonagall had the same access as Deputy. Professors had access only when accompanied by either the headmaster or the Deputy unless accompanied by two other professors and the Headboy or Headgirl. Headboy and Headgirl had access only when accompanying the professors or when someone was present in the quarters. Prefects could only enter in pairs and no one else could enter without permission being granted first. As lord Potter, Harry could alter the permissions of all save Dumbledore and McGonagall as security dictated otherwise.

Dumbledore and company departed for the night and the trio was left alone in their new common room. Harry could sense the tension in the room building to levels so thick, he could reach out and cut it with a knife. Daphne and Hermione were not happy to be forced to live together, or at least it seemed to Harry. "So…Ladies…I fancy we should have a bit of a chat before retiring for the night, wot?"

AN: What a behemoth! Sorry for the delay in posting, but last week was hectic in rl for me, preparing for surgery and all to repair my hernia. I would love to see a few more reviews, but seems how this my first project in almost 5 years and I failed to complete the first two…I promise now I will not abandon this one. I may go back and revamp the others but for now, my focus is on this work alone. No distractions. I will try to post once a week by Sunday evening. Reviews are welcome. Flames will be sent to the Rainbow Coalition, or a backyard grill where they belong.