A/N: And here we are again. Chapter 2 of Living Without Colour.
Now in the review a member called Kyouki no kitsune said he/she would be willing to help my with story as my beta. I sended her/him a PM 1.5 days ago but have yet to recieve an answer. Please check your inbox :)
Another reviewer daithi4377 asked some good questions, which I will answer in chapters yet to come. One question that he asked I will answer now:
If they dropped Harry Potter off the night of his parents murders why would Minerva have been watching the Dursleys for days...that would lead to speculation that Dumbledore and thus Minerva knew that the murders were going to happen that night and did nothing to prevent it. I'm pretty sure that's an accomplish to pre-meditated murder:
You have to remember that the Potters went into hiding with the Fidelius charm. The Fidelius charm is thought of being invincible with the right secret keeper. Of course Dumbledore and the Potters were in full believe that Wormtail was secure and that the Fidelius charm was invincible. The only weak point of the Potters at that moment were... The Dursleys. They assumed that Voldemort not being able to penetrate the Fidelius charm, would come after their closest of family to lure them out of their hiding. That is why Order members and trusted persons of the Order and Potters kept watch over the Dursleys, since the moment they knew the Potters were in danger. Hence the fact that Minerva McGonagall has kept watch over the Dursleys for a longer period than 1 day.
Okay enough talking, let's continue the story:
On a hill an very old manor stands proud watching the town of Godrics Hallow. If stumbling upon the scenery of the manor and the town, one would think this manor stands guard protecting this little town. The manor even though centuries old shows no sign of decay. In fact, the manor is in pristine condition and looks more lively than ever. The iron gate, giving entry to the manor grounds, shows no sign of rust. The large garden in front of the manor is filled with lively green and plenty of other coloured plants. On the large front door of the manor an family crest is proudly displayed. The family crest, a flower with white petals and a blue centre surrounded by green, gives off an aura indicating that this family residing in the manor, is old, very old.
If someone would walk through the door and entered the manor, they would arrive in an entrance hall made out of a marble floor with the ceiling hold up by beautiful white pillars. Opposite of the wooden front door, straight through the entrance hall, a large staircase leads up to the second floor of the manor. This large staircase leads to a hallway filled with various doors leading to bedrooms.
In the morning of 1 September 1991, inside the last room to the left in the hallway, a young eleven year old girl awoke in her bed. On this particular morning the face of the young girl displays an excitement her face never before had displayed. This young girl would step onto a train in 2 hours to start her 7 years lasting education in the wonderful phenomenon called magic. The young girl's was given her name Daphne on her birthday 6 December 1980. Her name has its origins found in Greek mythology, Daphne was the name of a nymph that in her desperate attempt to escape the love-struck Greek god Apollo had her body changed in a Laurel tree. Ironically the story of her name comes very close to home of her own fear.
Daphne is the perfect example of why the family crest is a flower with white petals and a blue centre surrounded by green. The white petals reflect upon her shoulder long white hair, and the blue flower centre resembles the enchanting sky blue eyes Daphne uses to look at the world.
Daphne steps out of bed and leaves her bedroom through a door on the right side of her bed to prepare for the day. A half hour later Daphne freshly showered steps back in to the room, dressed in a blue blouse and a white skirt. Grabbing her, already prepared and shrunk, trunk and wand from her nightstand beside her bed and she steps out of her room to go and have breakfast.
Arriving in the breakfast room she sees her parents sitting at the breakfast table eating breakfast.
The Daphne's father, a tall man with the same hair and eye colour as the girl, going by the name of Steffen Greengrass, is reading the Daily Prophet while eating his breakfast. Her father reads the Daily Prophet every morning to keep himself acquainted with all news and events of Great Britain. Her father, holding a seat in name of House Greengrass on the wizengamot, considers it his duty to keep himself as most up to date as possible on everything happening in Great Britain and beyond. 'If you want to rule over something you need to know what you rule' her father always says. A king cannot rule effectively over his farmers if he doesn't know the slightest thing about the farmers.
Her mother, an elegantly shaped woman with beautiful flowing black hair, sits opposite of him eating her breakfast with smooth elegant movements, giving that she's a pureblood lady. Roxandra Greengrass knee Rosier married Daphne's father after they both graduated from Hogwarts. Many outsiders think the marriage was for political gains, as both families are part of the sacred 28.
Yet the opposite is true, they married for love. The Rosier family is commonly thought of as a dark family, with many Rosiers having followed dark lords. Many people assume because of the marriage between Daphne's father and mother, that the Greengrass family commonly known as a Grey house, finally made the step towards the dark.
Her mother is probably her most trusted person in her life, while Daphne's little sister Astoria is more drawn towards her father. Yet in the Greengrass family is no favoritism to be found though, both children love their parents equally as much, as both parents love their children equally as much. Yet this doesn't stop you from confiding in one of your parents a little bit more than the other.
"Good morning Daphne" Roxandra says when she sees Daphne.
"Good morning mum" Daphne replied as she walked towards the table and sits beside her father.
"Excited for your first school day Flower?" Daphne's father asks her turning his attention away from the newspaper and to his daughter.
"Very excited dad, I can't wait to start using magic!" Daphne replied excitedly "I hope I get sorted in the same house as Tracey! I can't bare the thought of being separated from her"
Her father chuckled and said "Everything will be alright Flower, I am most sure you two will not be separated. If it wasn't from your different hair and eye colour I would probably not even be able to keep you two apart"
The door of the breakfast opened up and in walked a little black-haired girl with grey eyes.
"Good morning " the little girl said as she sat down in the chair beside her mother. "Excited for Hogwarts Daph?"
" Of course, such a shame you can't come with me. You will have to wait a whole year before you get to go" Daphne teased her little sister.
This started a conversation of teasing and bickering back and forth between the two Greengrass children until their father cut across "Girls! Finish your breakfast! We will have to apparate to the platform in 20 minutes"
Once breakfast was finished the Greengrass family prepared for their departure and apparated to King Cross Station Platform 9 3/4 .
The platform was filled with children pushing forwards trolleys with their trunks and animal cages and saying goodbye to parents and/or family members.
Daphne searched through the crowd trying to spot a hinge of black hair that is owned by her best friend Tracey Davis. She saw a group of red-haired people standing close to each other and Daphne instantly knew that was the Weasley family. The Weasley family are commonly thought as Light pureblood family, the Weasley family was by no shred an wealthy family. Easily seen by the hand-me-down clothing and other possessions. Daphne pulled back her gaze from the redhead family, and continued her search for her best friend. Eventually her gaze fell upon a blond tall man and a black haired woman saying goodbye to a young boy. The young boy, she knew, was Draco Malfoy Heir to the Malfoy house.
Daphne hates the Malfoys, they are arrogant and think they are the most important family of Wizardry Britain. Everybody knew that the Malfoys had a history supporting the various dark lords that rised throughout history. Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy, supported the last dark lord Voldemort. Lucius was able to escape being send to Azkaban by claiming he was under influence of the Imperius curse, everybody knew that was a lie of course. Recently the Head of the Malfoy house managed to capture the Minister of Magic's ear by bribes Daphne heard from her father.
What Daphne hates the most about the Malfoy family is the persistent attempts to getting Daphne betrothed to Draco. Lucius Malfoy took the newly dark reputation of the Greengrass family in stride and has attempted since the birth of both Draco and Daphne to attempt setting up a betrothal between the two.
Daphne's father has cut of every attempt from Lucius and many other families that asked for her hand. Daphne's greatest fear is her father finally giving into the chase after her hand and signs her of to somebody. How ironic her name is.
Disappointed that she could not find her best friend in the crowd, Daphne tried to turn around back to her family for only to be drawn to a particular sight. A boy with unruly black hair, judging from his length probably a 3rd year walked alongside a cloaked figure towards the train. The boy walked elegantly with nice even steps and was dressed in a very nice expensive looking black robe. The cloaked figure beside him was dressed in a cloak which made it unable to see the figure's face. The cloaked figure walked in the similar elegant way as the boy did, giving away that the cloaked figure taught him how to walk. The boy upon reaching one of the doors leading into the train turned to face the cloaked figure bowed and stepped into the train. The cloaked figure immediately apparated away as the boy stepped into the train.
For some reason Daphne was interested and curious of what happened. Who is the boy? Surely this is a pureblood by the way he walked, but I never saw him on any important events. Even more important, who is the cloaked figure? And why is he cloaked while all other parents are dressed normally? Is the figure even the boy's father? Daphne wondered to herself.
A voice behind Daphne broke her out of her thoughts "Not even on the train yet Daphne Greengrass and you are already checking out the boys"
Daphne jumped a little from getting broken out of her thought and finally turning around saw a young girl with black hair and brown eyes standing in front of her with a knowing smile on her face. Daphne started smiling and stepped towards the girl to hug her. As she stepped back from hugging the girl she said "I wouldn't want you to walk away with the best ones eh Tracey"
Daphne greeted Tracey's father and mother, David Davis and Patricia Davis. The Davis and Greengrass family exchanged pleasantries about their summer on the platform until a train whistle blew indicating that the train will depart in 10 minutes. Daphne said goodbye to her parents but just couldn't resist teasing her sister before leaving and said to Astoria "You see all those handsome boys Tory? It's a shame you will have to wait a whole year to meet them" Daphne quickly grabbed Tracy by her right arm and hurried off to the train before her sister could retaliate. Behind her she could hear the chuckles from the 2 families, probably caused by the reaction of Astoria to her teasing.
"Daph do you think we will be sorted together?" Tracey asked halfway through the train ride to Hogwarts. Daphne and Tracey were sitting in their own compartment and discussing various topics of their interest, mainly about Hogwarts.
"My father was positively sure, he said that only by our different looks he can keep us apart" Daphne chuckled back. "I mean we are definitely very alike, you and I have more in common than me and Astoria. We could see ourselves as sisters."
"As long as you don't call me Tory" Tracey replied and began chuckling "Now onto more serious topics than school, who was that boy you were eyeing at?"
Daphne sighed, of course Tracey would start about what happened on the train platform. "I don't know Trace, I just saw him walking with this figure in a cloak. He walked and was dressed like a true pureblood. Yet I never saw him on any important events"
"Hmmm" Tracey said while thinking "That sure is interesting, we'll just have to find out this year. Maby we get sorted into the same house as him. Or maby he is a first year like us, but from what I glimpsed he did look tall for a first year. Luckily the year is long so you'll have plenty of time to flirt with him as you clearly-" Tracey never got to finish her sentence as Daphne leaned forward and swatted her on her knee.
"I most definitely DO NOT fancy him Tracey! I don't know him! He just intrigues me for what happened" Daphne claimed loudly
"Uh uh Daph, that's how all things start. Just being 'intrigued' as you call it. Before you know it you are head over your heels on him and following him like a lost puppy"
"That is NOT going to happen Trace, I'm not some scamp luring about on all the handsome and rich boys and falling for them when they appear to be just a little bit mysterious"
"I never said you were Daph" Tracey calmly said "I just mean that fancying a boy can happen with a snap of the fingers."
"I know Trace" Daphne replied while sighing "But you know my situation, with me being a heiress of an old family, I'll probably just end up with some pureblood idiot like Malfoy. To be just paraded about like a trophy wife on events and to sit at home to do nothing"
"You don't know what the future holds Daph. Your father isn't someone to send his precious 'Flower' away to some idiot" Tracey said while grabbing one of Daphne's hands and eliciting a smile from Daphne by mentioning her nickname.
"I'm just afraid Trace. Outside of this compartment I have to be the heiress again. Hiding away my emotions and thinking about my family reputation. I can never just be me, Daphne Greengrass"
" Then find yourself a boy Daphne, with whom you can be who you want to be. Who doesn't give a damn about how the other people think about you or him! Where you can be just Daphne Greengrass with, the fun loving friend I have come to know since we have been in diapers."
"The world isn't that black and white Trace, I just can't be with whoever I wish. Society demand me to be with a boy of decent statute. And all those boys are like Malfoy or just a little worse." Daphne stated
Silence reigned for a few moments in the compartment while both girls were deep in thought until Daphne stood up and said to Tracey "I'm going to go to the toilet real quick"
"that's fine Daph, you want me to come with you?"
"I'll be fine"
Daphne stepped out of their compartment and walked towards the toilet room she spotted as they searched for their compartment when they had entered the train. While walking she glanced inside various compartments, seeing other Hogwarts students playing games or talking. Most students were already dressed in their robes coloured after the house they were sorted in.
In one of the compartments she walked by, she saw a boy with unruly black hair sitting alone in the compartment sleeping. Wait?... What? Unruly black hair? Daphne immediately turned around and walked back towards the compartment. Looking inside the compartment she saw the same boy from the platform sitting there, lumped against the compartment wall, sleeping.
Daphne took the moment to study the boy in more detail. She saw on the left side of his face the boy had a scar, running from just beside his mouth up to over his cheek. His face looked roguish, you could even say handsome. The boy was stilled dressed in his black robes, that hugged his form elegantly. Unlike most wizard robes, the one he wore was not super wide and such revealed a little bit of his broad form. Noticing for the first time Daphne saw that he wore boots of what looks like snake skin boots.
In Daphne's mind an image popped up of them walking across a field, arms linked together. Wait? What? Daphne quickly shook her head to clear the image. 'Where did that come from?' she thought to herself. Giving one last glance at the boy, she quickly walked away before more images popped in her head.
"First year's over her'!" a loud voice shouted the moment Daphne and Tracey stepped out of the train onto the platform at Hogsmeade. "First year's to me!" the voice shouted again.
"It seems that we have to go to whoever is shouting Daph" Tracey said while nodding in the direction of where the voice seems to come from. Daphne nodded and she and Tracey started moving towards the direction through the crowd of older students.
Upon reaching a path, they saw a huge bearded man standing with a lantern still shouting "First years to me!" The man was dressed in old dirty cloths and beside him stood a large dog barking at everybody coming near.
After a few minutes of the man still shouting for first years to come to him, he started counting the numbers of everybody gathered around him "twenty five – twenty six – twenty seven – twenty eight… Ah yes everybody is here. Please everybody follow me!"
The huge man lead the gathered students down the path. At the end of the path they stood on a shore of a lake amongst boats. The huge man turned around and said "Alright, we are here! We are taking a boat across the lake to Hogwarts! No more than four persons per boat!"
Daphne and Tracey quickly took a boat and were joined by 2 girls that introduced themselves as Padma and Parvati Patil.
"Everybody in a boat? Okay! Let's go!" the huge man shouted and at once the boats shot forward and moved across the water. The 4 girls talked amongst themselves while enjoying the boat trip across the lake. Padma and Parvati were apparently twins and came originally from India.
At some point during the boat trip, Hogwarts came into view and everybody couldn't just not be in awe of the castle. The castle was huge! At the end of the boat trip they went inside of a cavern under Hogwarts and departed from the boats. Again the huge man counted their numbers to see if he lost someone on the way, as this was fortunately not the case, he led the group of first years up a path that ended by a door.
The huge man knocked on the door and after some moments it was opened by a stern looking older lady.
"The first years Professor McGonagall" the huge man said
"Thank you Hagrid, you may leave. First years with me please!"
Professor McGonagall lead them to an chamber and gave them a speech about Hogwarts.
"In a few minutes you will be lead into the great hall where you will be sorted in one of the 4 houses. Griffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin. They will be your family for the next 7 years. Treat them like so and you will surely make friends for life at your stay at Hogwarts. Now if you may all excuse me, I'll return in a few minutes"
And at that Professor McGonagall left the chamber.
All at once students started talking amongst each other. Daphne heard a redhead boy tell everybody who wanted to hear that he heard from his brother they had to wrestle a troll to be sorted. Draco Malfoy stepped towards the boy and said "Don't be ridiculous you idiot. Hmm, read hair, rubbish clothes, you must be a Weasley eh. That can only explain your dumbness"
Before the Weasley boy could react a few first years screamed as they saw a young boy come through the wall above them and float in the air while holding what looked like water balloons in his arms.
"A ghost!" someone yelled
"Yes! It is me! Peeves the best pranker of Hogwarts!" The ghost exclaimed while growing a mischievous grin on his face "You must be the firsties eh! Oh we will be having fun!" And at that he threw all the water balloons in to the air.
As the water balloons fell, they halfway stopped falling and started floating in the air.
"Peeves leave!" And at that a boy with unruly hair and a scar on his left cheek stepped from behind with his wand drawn
Daphne immediately recognised him and turned to Tracey and whispered into her ear "It's him! The boy from the platform!"
"Go away Peeves, you are not welcome here" the boy said again.
"And how do you think you are going to make me do that ickle firstie?"
"simple" The boy said as he raised his wand. Before Peeves could react a silver light shot out of his wand and hit Peeves full on in the chest and send Peeves flying through the wall.
With another wave of his wand, the still floating balloons vanished from the air
The chamber was dead silent. Everybody stared in awe at the feat of magic the boy just used.
The boy, either oblivious of everybody or just didn't care, put his wand away and stepped back in the back of the first years.
"Did he just…." Daphne began
"I think he did" Tracey said back both still watching the boy in awe who just looked around the chamber with an expressionless face.
A few moments later Professor McGonagall returned into the chamber and lead them to the entrance of the great hall. Everybody was in awe of the great hall when they entered, all except one. That one person in the back of the row of first years, wore an scowl on his face directed to 3 persons in this hall. Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape.
While everybody was staring at the ceiling as it projected the weather from outside, this one person was still looking at the 'king' sitting on the head table in his 'throne'. This very king was searching through the first years for one specific person, yet he was unable to find him.
As the first years stopped between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw table, they saw a hat sitting on a stool. The hat in question began singing, singing about the different houses and house unity in Hogwarts.
When the hat stopped singing an applause spread through the great hall, as the applause died down McGonagall opened up a scroll an began listing off names of first years to step forward and place the hat on their head to be sorted.
The name started with Hannah Abbot, a girl from one of the sacred 28. She quickly was sorted in Hufflepuff, alongside her friend Susan Bones that was sorted a few moments later. The first test of tonight was in which house Tracey would be sorted. And when McGonagall announced Tracey to step forward, Daphne started to become anxious. The fear of not being sorted in the same house grew the moments Tracey stepped forward and placed the hat upon her head.
Few moments later she was sorted into Slytherin. Daphne did not know if she should be relieved or scared. The house of Slytherin is very narrow-minded on blood purity, Daphne as pure blood had nothing to fear inside the house. But Tracey as a half-blood would not be greeted particularly warmly. On top of that there is a 100% guarantee that Draco Malfoy would find himself sorted into Slytherin.
Then the moment came, when her name was called upon. Daphne took small steps to the hat, she could feel every person fixating his/her gaze on her. She sat down and took the hat and put it on her head. The hat gave the strangest feeling, like someone was gazing at your mind, reading your thoughts like an open book. The worst yet, it can talk, you hear him as a second voice in your head. It tells you your qualities and which house would fit you. Like the best personality test in the world.
Ah yes, Miss Greengrass. An interesting mind you have. Intelligence in abundance, and not a fear to use it. You are certainly brave and can use cunning if necessary. But above all you have loyalty, loyalty for your friend Miss Davis, but even more for your family and loved ones. You see things and observe, like the young man on the train station, the same young man that is standing over there waiting to be sorted. I give you a fair heed Miss Greengrass, that young man is destined for great things. He is similar to another young man that sat on this very stool 53 years ago. That young boy grew to do great things, great but terrible things. But the young man in front of you will need help.
Now of to the sorting, you possess all traits admired by each house. Yet your loyalty breaks through. Remember Miss Greengrass, some people in time of need, find their saviour in their best friend. And the worst betrayal of those in need are of those close by. Now I think I will sort you in SLYTHERIN
Daphne stood from the stool puzzled, the young boy is destined for great things? And did the hat just tell him that because of her loyalty she will have to help him reach it? Still deep in thought she sat down beside Tracey. Only half noticing that her best friend hugged her.
Tracey noticing after the hug that Daphne was in deep conflict asked "Daph what's wrong?"
"It's something that the hat said, I will tell you later"
The sorting continued but Daphne only half listened, she was still deep in thought and kept glancing towards the young boy in the back. The tall boy with unruly black hair, nice robes and snake skin boots. The boy with a great destiny.
After Padma and Parvati were sorted, Padma into Ravenclaw and Parvati into Griffindor. An name popped up that Daphne in the excitement of the day completely forgot that would attend in her same year; Harry Potter.
But nobody stepped forward when Harry Potter was announced. People were still excitingly talking about him when they too noticed that nobody had stepped forward and the talks soon died down.
Professor McGonagall was at a loss for words, and just announced his name again. Yet nobody stepped forward yet again. Frowning McGonagall turned around and looked at Albus Dumbledore.
He too was surprised and Daphne noticed worried, very worried.
"Please continue the sorting Professor McGonagall, we will sort this after the feast" Dumbledore said after a few moments of thinking.
McGonagall nodded and continued down the list, and with people stepping forward and getting sorted the line of first years grew thinner. Yet still with every name called the young boy in the back never stepped forward. And with the last boy Blaise Zabini called forward, he stood there alone.
McGonagall looked surprised when she saw the young man standing there, she looked at her list and then back. "What is your name young man?" McGonagall asked
Instead of answering he strode forward, ignored McGonagall and looked at Dumbledore.
Then in a loud and clear name he spoke "Remember the letter Dumbledore"
Dumbledore looked confused for a brief moment, then understanding dawned on him. "Mr Potter" Dumbledore said "Why did you not stepped forward when your name was called for?"
The great hall grew loud again. Talks about the boy in front of Dumbledore being Harry Potter grew throughout the hall. Yet the boy stood there, and… started to laugh. Not a nice laugh, used for when you're amused. No this laughter was filled with cynical thoughts, this laugh is used to mock someone.
The great hall grew quiet again as the young boy kept laughing. And at once he stopped and turned around to face the great hall. With a loud and clear voice he spoke to the great hall "I was once called Harry James Potter, but now I am Hadrian Arcturus Black, heir to house Black and heir to house Potter.
