Chapter Two

"Don't forget to write, Harry," the gentle man said and Hadrian could not help but smile at the werewolf.

"I will, Moony," he replied as he gave him another hug. He was still confused about the how and the why he was so fond of Remus and Alex but he had decided to go with the flow for now. He wrapped an arm around the three year old boy who had latched onto him no sooner had he and Lily joined their group. Yes, he did not know but for now he did not care…

As the big red train whistled, Hadrian and Iris said one last goodbye before boarding, not wanting to miss the train. Their trunks had been spelled feather light by James earlier, so they had no problem dragging them alongside. Hadrian waved quickly before dragging his trunk behind him as he tried to find a compartment for himself. He was in no mood to share his space with some ignorant, half-witted mortals.

Halfway through the train, he was getting frustrated. Students blocked his way as they all tried to find the Boy-Who-Lived, whispering excitedly among themselves. And the train had only just started to move! Hadrian had to fight his way through and if another mortal child bumped into him without apologizing, low profile be damned, he would go on a killing spree.

Finally he found an empty compartment and he promptly entered and closed the door behind him. If his stay at Hogwarts was going to be like this, he had half a mind in asking James to transfer him to Beauxbatons or Durmstrang. After all his main goal while going to school was to train his magic enough until he would be ready to face Tom, though being at Hogwarts was advantageous in the fact that he would be close to where the most interesting events were going to take place. Still, it was an option if he ever needed one.

His training during the summer had gone as well as could be with his pathetic human body but at least nothing went to smithereens again since the first few times… well, mostly anyway. Hopefully the magic of Hogwarts, being as ancient as it was, would help with centering his huge power better. When he trained at the manor, the magic was so saturated around that when he tried something, everything went opposite to what he wanted to do… or some kind of explosion happened. He even started to become a slight pyromaniac with all the explosions and accidental fires occurring. At Hogwarts, the concentrated magic would weight down on Hadrian's core – his worked differently than the normal wizards and witches – and his magic would go in a straight line instead of just exploding. this would help his body in adapting to channeling his large power.

He settled in his seat, ready for the long hours of solitude until they reached Hogsmeade when he heard a commotion outside the door before it burst open and in rushed Iris and – surprise, surprise! – Neville Longbottom and Ron Weasley. If Death was watching him, Hadrian was sure he would be laughing at his misfortune, the bastard.

The three panted as Iris slammed the door close behind them before they simultaneously released a relieved sigh. When they finally caught sight of Hadrian, they started in surprise and Iris let out an 'oh'.

"Er… Sorry, we did not know this compartment was not empty," Neville apologized. He seemed very uncomfortable. Well, at least he was polite, Hadrian mused.

"Bah! Don't worry! That's my brother," Iris was quick to dismiss the young celebrity's concern. "He won't mind."

'Thank you for asking for my opinion,' Hadrian commented silently to himself. 'I just so happen to actually mind.'

"Mate, you've got rapid fans," Ron was quick to enter the conversation, seemingly eager to not be forgotten.

"Yeah," Neville winced. "Thanks for helping me out there. I'm Neville Longbottom by the way, but I guess you already know that," he finished with a sheepish laugh.

"Ronald Weasley," the red-haired grinned, shaking the Boy-Who-Lived's hand. "Call me Ron."

"Iris Potter!" the red-haired girl chirped happily. Who would have believed she had been drooling at the other boy earlier? Really pathetic, if someone asked Hadrian. When they turned to him, his gaze turned even more annoyed. He was slightly pleased when he saw Neville shift uncomfortably. "That's my brother, Harry," Iris decided to say.

"Hadrian, actually," said boy snapped.

The girl rolled her eyes, "whatever."

"Erm… Nice to meet you," the shy celebrity added hesitantly. Hadrian leveled him a glare before he stood up and stalked out of the compartment.

"What's got his knickers in a twist?" the red-haired male grumbled as the three took a seat, Neville and Iris sitting opposite him where Hadrian had previously been sitting.

"Don't mind him," Iris rolled her eyes again. "He's like really weird. And sometimes I swear he's more of a girl than I am."

"Well, if you had not pointed out that he's your brother, I'd have thought he was a girl," Neville admitted softly, his cheeks flushing slightly. "I mean, he's really pretty for a boy."

Iris scoffed. "You must be kidding! True, he looks like a girl, but he's not pretty!"

"Er… I mean…" Neville shifted uneasily.

"Why the hell are you even talking about if Iris' brother is pretty or not?" Ron asked bemused, though he silently agreed with Neville. He had never seen a boy as pretty as the other Potter. It was almost… unnatural the amount of beauty the other boy exuded.

The other two blinked.

Hadrian fortunately had not heard the three discussing whether he was pretty or not, or he would have thrown a fit worthy of the Potter girl herself. Instead, he squeezed his way between the crowds gathered in front of his once own compartment feeling very grumpy and annoyed.

'Not a moment of peace,' he grumbled to himself. 'Bloody mortals and their bloody stupidity.'

Now to find another compartment where he would have peace and quiet … Easier said than done. Most of the compartments were either full or filled with mudbloods. As he reached the last car, he found a compartment with two surprising older students: Cedric Diggory and Percy Weasley. In his previous world Hadrian would never have thought of those two together, but there they were.

He opened the door and poked his head inside. The two older students turned from where they were putting away their trunks up in the racks.

"Hello," Diggory greeted with a friendly smile.

"'lo," he grumbled. "I'm going to stick around here for some peace and quiet," he said as he already entered the compartment without prompting, closing the door behind him with his foot. "Hope you don't mind? Good." He did not wait for the other two to so much as open their mouths as he plopped himself in a seat and closed his eyes.

"Er… It's fine," Cedric said as he shared a bemused look with the older boy.

"I need to go to the Prefect compartment," the red-haired informed after a moment of awkward silence. "I am Percy Weasley, by the way," he added as an afterthought.

"Cedric Diggory," the other added.

A moment of silence later and Hadrian cracked an eye open and sigh as he saw the two staring at him expectantly. He straightened in his seat and huffed. "Hadrian Potter."

"Pleasure," the red-haired fifth year said before he added, "I shall be back later." With that, he sauntered out of the compartment, leaving the two younger students behind. Cedric shifted uncomfortable, glancing at the strange new arrival before looking away, flushing when he saw the other staring at him.

Hadrian rolled his eyes before he asked the question that had been bugging him since he had seen the two together. "It is not exactly common to see two students of different ages, from different Houses at that, together," he said as he raised an expectant eyebrow at the older boy. Hadrian usually could care less about the matters of mortals but he was exceedingly curious for some reason and he was not one to dismiss his instincts. His instincts were screaming at him that the two had potential; potential of what, he had no idea.

Cedric practically sagged in relief at having the younger boy start a conversation. At least there was not going to be an awkward silence. He sat down opposite the Potter boy and could not help taking in his appearance. The first year, for he could not be anything else, was really pretty. He had messy short black hair with a few strands falling over his bright green eyes – a colour he had never seen in that particular shade; they were practically glowing. He was small for his age but it oddly fitted him. There was something about the boy that made Cedric feel strange though; he almost felt like kneeling in front of the younger boy and proclaim his eternal loyalty to him. It was actually really scary… and made Cedric feel like some kind of rapist.

"Actually it's the first time we talked," Cedric said finally. "I was trying to get away from my overbearing housemates and Weasley was already alone here. I asked if I could stay and he said 'yes' and that no one was going to sit here besides him anyway. So…" He shrugged. Hadrian merely hummed and closed back his eyes, his curiosity satiated. Cedric shuffled uncomfortably, his eyes darting around, hoping to find something to break the awkward silence that had again descended on them.

His shifting started to bother Hadrian who opened his eyes into slits and glared at the older boy. "What?"

"Oh – Um – Nothing! Sorry!" Cedric spluttered.

Hadrian could only sigh and rolled his eyes. 'I don't even know why I bother,' he silently thought to himself before he asked, "you're in third year, right?" The other nodded. "What subject did you choose for your electives?"

Cedric blinked in slight surprise. He had not expected a first year to be interested in third year classes, except if said first year was a Ravenclaw, which he did not think the younger boy belonged in. The boy was strange, different from anyone he had ever met before and he was unsure if it was a good thing or not.

With that, the two started to talk and Hadrian was surprisingly entertained by their conversation, especially when Percy joined them later. It was an unexpected development but not an unwelcomed one. At least those two would be able to keep him entertained for a little while, he thought as he softened slightly in their presence.

In another dimension, Fate and Destiny shared a satisfied smile as they watched the three talk. Yes, they had both arranged for Dark's path to meet those two humans and they could not be any more pleased with themselves. With time, those two human boys would become loyal to Dark and would give their lives for him.

When he would regain his memories, he would not be pleased with them but he needed to have a group of minions to do his bidding like the rest of them did. And Fate and Destiny would feel better if there were others watching Dark's back. It may not alleviate their guilt from when they had abandoned him at that time, but they would at least feel better knowing that he would not be completely vulnerable when he would go after Dark. They could only hope that when that time did come, Dark would have already regained his memories and total control of his power.

After all, Light would do anything to get back what he considered his.

Father might have forbidden any of them from going to Dark, but that did not mean they would not send others in his path to help him unwittingly. They would not abandon him this time; not like the last time.

As he waited for McGonagall in a small chamber off the Hall, Hadrian looked around at the different students around him. He could recognize all of them, though they were younger than he remembered, from the other world. He had realized over the months since he had changed worlds that there were not much difference between the two. The only differences he could find were those made after Tom's downfall all those years ago. People had taken a few different choices or, like Lily and James, had a different fate that changed the timeline.

Screams rang behind him making him turn to find the commotion. He stared. He rolled his eyes. He should have known…

"Mudbloods," Hadrian clicked his tongue. He only realized he had said it aloud when the boy beside him glanced over. The boy was small and quite familiar with his straight brown hair and brown/green eyes. It took him a while to put a name to the other boy and when he did, he realized why. Theodore Nott; someone he had never really talked to before in the other world.

Hadrian raised an eyebrow at Nott who tilted his head slightly. "You are a Potter, are you not?" the other boy asked, his face not changing one bit. It would have been a little unnerving if Hadrian had been anyone else.

"What about it?"

"Nothing," Nott replied, turning back to the other students. The muggleborns and muggle-raised half-bloods stood out of the crowd as they kept at a fair distance from the ghosts. "I was just curious, since it is a known fact that your mother is a mudblood and yet…" He shot Hadrian a look.

Said immortal did not reply. Usually he would have wrinkled his nose in disgust or something, but since he was trying to blend in until such a time he was able to control his power, he decided to take the passive approach for mostly everything: to remain silent when he wanted to make a point without actually saying anything. Let's go along with this. Hadrian was not one to think things through anyway; too boring really. He was more of an act-first-think-later person, but he needed to not stand out for a bit so he was just going to go along with things when they came along. For now.

"Well, come along now," McGonagall said as she reentered the chamber. Everyone was arranged in a line before they were carted off to the Great Hall.

The Hall was just as he remembered it to be: a gigantic room, the four House tables, the Head table, floating candles, and the enchanted ceiling. Behind him, Hadrian heard the mudblood who had once been his friend whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside; I read it in Hogwarts: A History." And he promptly rolled his eyes.

The Sorting Hat was placed on a stool, it sang and the sorting began. He paid no real attention, completely bored out of his mind. 'Why am I doing this again?' he grumbled to himself. 'Oh, yeah. I'm not strong enough to leave yet on my own and I'll most likely miss the real fun when it comes… Darn! Death must be laughing at my misfortune, knowing him. That bastard!'

"Potter, Hadrian!"

'Well, here we go.' Hadrian walked up to the stool and sat down. The Hat was dropped on his head. His vision went dark as the piece of fabric fell half-way down his head.

"Ah, what do we have here?" he heard a voice in his head and shifted slightly. "Yes, yes. Very intelligent and with a thirst for knowledge, but I don't think Ravenclaw is the one. Hm… not exactly a hard worker. Loyal, but only to a select few… No, no, not Hufflepuff material. Hm… Cunning… Oh, yes, yes. But not exactly sneaky… More foolhardy than anything else, and it doesn't matter if things go into a bang…Where to put you? Oh… Oh! I know! Better be…"

The Hall was silent, wondering what was taking the Hat so long into sorting the little first year. Up at the Head table, the resident Potions Master sneered. Of course that year Hogwarts was going to be polluted by a disgusting Potter spawn; arrogant and self-centered, just like the father. Severus Snape sometimes asked himself why pure, gentle Lily had married such a douche. The children were sure to come out as rotten as the father.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the Hat shouted and the table in red and gold clapped politely. It was not as loud as when the Longbottom child had been sorted. Severus scoffed. As if the half-witted child would go anywhere else than the House of Lions. He felt some vindictive glee as he watched the child stand up and walk to his new House table.

Let's see how the spoiled brat would react at being second best with Longbottom in the same House.

He silently snorted. The child would most likely clamor to the child celebrity for a little of fame. The Potters; they were all the same.

"Potter, Iris!"

His attention was caught as he turned and saw an exact replica of his dear, loving Lily – except for those despicable hazel eyes belonging to Potter Sr – walk up to the stool. He felt a slight pain in his chest as he watched the little girl get sorted. She could have been his child instead of that Potter. If only he had not called his beautiful Lily that despicable name in his anger and humiliation.

"GRYFFINDOR!" was called, just like his Lily. Oh, he could already see it. The girl would be just as gentle as his Lily, and excel in her classes. He could not wait to have her in Potions… at the same time he dreaded it. He was going to be tortured with what he could have had.

Then he saw her sit down beside the Longbottom boy, her brother not far, sitting beside one of the older Weasley boy; Percival if he was correct. The Potter boy did not even look at his sister as she sat down, still staring at the sorting, his head resting in the palm of his hand, his eyes half-lidded. He seemed bored out of his mind. Severus sneered. Arrogant, self-centered boy. Thinking he was better than everyone else.

Severus silently fumed.

At the Gryffindor table, Hadrian was bored, bored, bored. He felt twitchy and frustrated. He wanted something fun to happen. He had half a mind to go and find Quirrelmort after the feast and strike a deal with the half spirit. Thankfully he quickly dismissed that idea, knowing Tommy would not take him seriously if he showed himself now. He was too weak and it was too early in the game. He distracted himself with thinking about his objectives for this new world.

1. Harness his magic and get himself stronger, if not invincible. It would not do for those pathetic mortals to think they could best him.

2. Show them just how much better than them he was. He inwardly grinned wickedly. Starting with the Hogwarts classes.

3. Maybe make himself out to be some sort of prodigy… Tommy boy would be more inclined to listen to him if was already known to be powerful but he did care to stay discreet though, so, more like doing everything perfect without showing himself to be a Know – It – All. Not do it Hermione style then.

4. Oh! Show the Mudblood just how much better he was than her. Payback for all those times she was condescending with him in the other world. He mentally cackled.

Oh, it was going to be fun!

I'm going to try and focus a bit on this.