Chapter 2 – Assignments and Sortings
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, J.K Rowling does. Though I am willing to break a wishbone with somebody for ownership of it…
My beta and I talked the other day about my story and my update frequency… he walked away muttering something suspiciously sounding like "spoiling the readers" and "they should have to wait a week between chapters at least" No idea what that meant ;) I decided to follow up with this chapter so early because of the sort-of-like-a cliffhanger I had at the end of the previous chapter.
So on with the show!
"Get out! I never want to see you again traitor! You killed Harry! You killed James; your best friend! M-My h-husband!" Lilly broke down into sobs as Snape tried to comfort her. Sirius stumbled out of the medical room located in St. Mungo's. The door slammed shut behind him, almost as if sensing the emotionally charged air and trying to keep it contained. Glaring despondently at the bench sitting across from the closed door Sirius kicked it in the middle, cracking it in half.
"Reparo." Said a tired voice. The bench slowly came together, mending itself. A haggard looking man sat down in it.
"I'm an idiot Moony." Sirius moaned to the man, his longtime friend.
"I have to take some of the blame too." Remus replied rubbing his eyes.
"One hour. One hour until I remembered Harry! How did I forget him? How could I forget him! I'm his Godfather."
"Sirius stop."
"James's own son. What would James think?"
"He's my honorary nephew you know."
"Which makes it worse." Sirius mourned.
"The Aurors have already brought back any evidence they could. Dumbledore believes Voldemort's spell back fired off the ward Lilly put on her children."
"They won't find anything. Lilly blames me for the attack."
"She's just lost James and, from what these papers and the Healers say, Harry too. She's distraught."
Sirius looked up from his despondent leaning position on the wall, "What papers?"
"These. The Healers told me what happened. They were dead Sirius. All three of them. For ten minutes. Lilly from the loss of blood, and the twins because their magical cores were overwhelmed."
"What do you mean?"
"They died Sirius. They're only alive because, with such a large amount of magical energy in the room having nowhere to go, it healed Lilly's wounds and restarted the twins' magical cores The Healer told me that Lilly and the twins were dead for a full ten minutes. The Healer told me that the amount of magical energy it would take for such an occurrence would be equal to the energy in a young child's magical core."
"Wait… you mean that Harry was already… dead… when we…" Sirius's voice trailed away.
"Yes. That's what I've been told."
"I-"Sirius was interrupted as Lilly's wails bypassed the silencing enchantments on the door. Twitching slightly he stood up.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm going to find the person responsible for my friend's death."
"Are you mad?" Remus said as he grabbed Sirius's arm. "Voldemort is dead!"
"Not Voldemort, Peter. I'm going to find Peter. Lilly blames me for James's death. I'm going to find him and when I do, I'll finish him. Let go of me Moony. Don't look at me like that! I have to do something! I can't just sit here while my best friend and his son cry out for vengeance!"
Flinching at the hard edge in Sirius's voice Remus watched helplessly as Sirius stalked out of the hospital wing.
The thirteen year-old boy walked slowly into the large study. His raven-colored hair contrasted highly with his emerald green eyes which glinted brightly from the fire crackling behind the desk. Everything in the boy's manner portrayed a presence of confidence except his eyes, which were darting everywhere in nervousness. Looking at the brown-haired man sitting behind the desk he coughed softly. Nothing happened, the man still continued to study the papers on desk. Shuffling his feet the boy coughed again, slightly louder than the first. When nothing happened the boy closed his eyes in frustration only to notice the man grinning.
"Uncle Adam!"
Grinning more openly Adam gestured for the boy to sit down in a chair in front of the desk. With a sigh of relief the boy sunk down into the soft cushion.
"How is school?" Adam asked.
"The tutors are very challenging Uncle."
"As they should. I've asked them to." At the boys inquisitive look he smiled, amused. "You're just like I was when I was your age. Always inquisitive and asking questions. Although you do have more restraint than I did."
The boy stared pointedly at him when he didn't continue after a minute. The boy shifted and folded his arms. He gave up and sighed, "What did you need me for?"
Taking a serious expression Adam stared the boy directly in the eyes, "The council has agreed to induct you within the week even though you are young. You will be going through the initiation with a few other promising candidates that are around your age."
"Is that it?" the boy asked, his excitement clear.
"No. In return for inducting you as part of the group of candidates so early, the council has decided that if you pass, you will be part of a long-term assignment they've been conducting. You've studied about the Tri-Wizard tournament correct?"
The boy nodded slowly. "It was discontinued years ago. Wasn't it?"
"It was but our sources in the ministries have determined that it will be put back into effect in," Adam paused, double checking his facts, "Four years. It will be the perfect cover for the Society to get to the bottom of England's infamous Dark Lord; Voldemort."
The boy flinched at the name and almost imperceptibly tightened his shoulders. Narrowing his eyes, Adam looked at his nephew. "You've had more dreams haven't you Harry?"
Lowering his head slightly Harry nodded. "Yes sir. It was just one dream."
"And?" Adam prompted.
"It was different from the ones I had when I was younger. He doesn't feel as lost as he was in the beginning. It's as if he's finally stabilized and able to think clearly again. He was in a dark forest when I had the dream, it seemed like he was looking backwards the entire time."
"Get Marcus to reexamine the wards around your mind. I also think you're ready for more Occlumency training." Adam said, his eyes softening. He continued, "You start at Beauxbatons in a week. You'll need to be able to concentrate."
Harry glanced up quickly, surprised. "I thought it was an all-girls school."
"That's what they'd have you believe but they accept a few boys. Good thing that you'll be able to pass the entrance exams with the training you've received. You'll start in the third year. Officially, if you pass the initiation, your assignment will be to integrate yourself into the school with three other Guardians who are around your age. In four years, when the Tri-Wizard tournament happens, you will be one of the candidates to attend. More details will be discussed as the tournament draws closer but I already know that you'll need a new identity so I took some liberties."
Adam pushed a stack of papers on his desk in Harry's direction. "These are for you to sign."
Glancing down Harry raised his eyebrows, "James Ravencroft? That's the best name you could do?"
Adam laughed, "Congratulations nephew, you're formally a member of the Ravencroft family.
Adrian Potter kept his head down as he passed the other first-year students. He wasn't doing it out of shame or shyness, it was out of anger. How dare that prince of ponces insult him and his family name. Who was he to tell him who he could or couldn't talk to? Of course his sister probably hadn't understood all the allegations the boy had made but he had. Oh yes he had. Adrian Potter was the wrong boy to have hold a grudge against you, after all, he had been holding a grudge for nine years.
Rose Potter followed her brother as he made his way to where Hagrid was calling them. She stepped lightly trying her best to avoid the puddles of water that had formed on the ground.
"What's wrong with him?" the girl who she had met on the rain, Hermione, asked.
Rose shrugged, "I don't know. He's been that way ever since that blonde haired boy burst into our cabin." She paused and added, "Well more surly than he usually is."
"Is he always so surly?" the bushy haired girl asked. Raising her eyebrows Rose looked at her. Hermione blushed and muttered an apology.
"You'd have to ask my twin himself for the answer to your question." Rose replied, slightly annoyed, as the pair climbed into a boat on the lake. They were joined by two Indian-looking girls who remained silent during the entire boat ride across the lake. Rose was awed at the sight of the castle that came into view. Bright lights seemed to drift on the dark lake and added to the mystical aura.
"Did you know those lights are called wisps? They're from-"
Rose stopped listening as the girl droned on about the magical lights. As her boat neared the castle she saw the ones at the front impact the rock wall in front of them and disappear. Several student started screaming and Rose nearly joined them when her boat passed through the wall and appeared in a place that looked as if it was under the castle. After climbing out of the boats Hagrid led the first years up a flight of stairs and through a corridor until they arrived in front of two great big doors.
"Wait here." he commanded before marching into the room and closing the door behind him. As soon as he left, the blonde boy who had barged into Rose's compartment stood up in front of the crowd. He began a seemingly prearranged speech about how all the first years needed to make sure that they hung around the right crowd but was stopped as Adrian stepped forward.
"What's your name?" Rose's brother asked.
The boy paused, "Draco Malfoy. Surely you've heard of me?"
Adrian smirked. "Nope. I just wanted to know who I was kicking."
"Wha-" Draco yelped as Adrian's foot hit his shin. Narrowing his eyes Adrian pulled the wounded Draco to him by his school robes.
Rose, who was standing the closest to the pair, heard the whispered threat which followed, "Don't ever insult me again, understood?"
Without waiting for an answer he pushed Draco away from him just as the Great Hall doors opened and a professor walked out. Rose recognized the stern looking women as Professor Mcgonagull who her uncle Moony had told her about.
"Mr. Malfoy," she said in surprise. "Get up! That is certainly not the correct way to enter the Great Hall."
She straightened everybody's robes before giving them a lecture on how their house would be their family here at the school. Rose shook from the nerves. She didn't think she'd be nervous at having to be sorted but now that the time had come she was feeling really antsy. She wiped her sweaty palms on her robes before following her brother in the single file line into the Great Hall.
The first face she noticed was her Mom sitting at the staff table. Her Mom had elected to take on the muggle studies position during the summer and was beaming brightly at her. Rose smiled back but then looked questioningly at her Mom's frown. Her Mom tilted her head to Adrian who was in directly in front of Rose. Rose gave a sheepish grin and replied with a shoulder shrug.
"Abbot, Hannah!" Professor Mcgonagall called out.
The names passed by in a flash until it was suddenly Adrian's turn. He frowned and stalked towards the hat.
As Professor Mcgonagull placed it on top of him a voice sounded, "Well what do we have here? You're father and mother were both Gryffindors but you seem to be different from them."
"Don't mention my father." Adrian spat back mentally.
"Easy there young man." The hat replied. "I apologize. I can see that the subject of your father and brother are very painful."
"They are."
"You want to change the world. Make something of yourself. You have a lot of power and are not afraid to use it when needed. You're not afraid to lie in the shadows like a snake and wait for the prey. But you also rush into situations without a second thought of the consequences. How very… Gryffindor of you. Noble even."
Adrian tensed but relaxed as the hat laughed.
"Fear not young one, I will not reveal your secret. You will do well in SLYTHERIN!"
Rose's eyes widened as the hat shouted out the name Slytherin. Her twin was a Slytherin? She glanced at her mother whose eyes had widened and nearly missed her name being called. She walked over to the stool and sat down as the hat was placed over her head.
"Why did you sort my brother in Slytherin?" she immediately asked.
"Now now Rose Potter. I am bound not to tell a student or teacher about another's sorting. Do not worry about your brother, this is about you. You have your mother's brains and even her skills in charms! You believe knowledge is a tool to be used, not abused, interesting. You're also very courageous. You stand up for your friends. I believe the house that will best suit you is Gryffindor!"
Well what'd you think? Yes, there's a time skip of 9 years after the first line-break? (I think that's the word) I'm sorry about all the point of view switch-arounds with the twins but I thought it was the best way to tell the story from their point of view. I'll keep the point of view switches on a minimum from now on. On some more advice from my beta *cough, the one that didn't want me to update* I have a couple of important author notes that I have to deal with.
The story rating – It is rated (T) mainly for the violence in the story. I don't use foul language and my writing will reflect that. I also won't be writing any of the other kinds of scenes you see in M-rated stories either. If that's what you're looking for than I suggest you stay away.
Reviews – I love them! Keep them coming, please! I just ask that you leave foul language out of them.
Betas – Thank you for the offers but I have one already, though he is kind of a shady character…
Thank you for reading! See ya next time readers!
~ Φverwatch