So I changed something minor in the first chapter. Instead of being told about the connections and Animusparticeps at the end of year two, they are told at the beginning.

Harry didn't want to admit he was as excited as he felt. Though he was a wizard and fully embracing the wizarding world, the idea of being magically connected and sharing a name with someone was beyond exciting: it was to the point of scary. He tried to play off he was fine, but, even with dangerous murderous Sirius Black on the loose and looking for him, Harry was more consumed with the idea of his Animusparticeps than anything. His name had appeared on his arm, much to his horror, because apparently Muggles could see the name, even if they couldn't see the ears and tails. His aunt and uncle had thought he'd gotten a tattoo and been absolutely appalled, forcing him to wear long sleeves even in the heat of the summer. It was strange. He had thwarted Voldemort twice now in his past years, gone through a maze of various tests, and even battled and slain a Basilisk, but his greatest fear was who his Animusparticeps was. He had this overwhelming feeling in his gut that it wasn't going to be someone he liked.

"Boundless?" Ron said as the Hogwart's Express chugged along. The conversation about Black had long ago morphed to the names and each of them was showing off their new names...except Hermione. She absolutely refused to. "I wonder what that means."

"Well, clearly it means 'without bounds'." Hermione huffed, her ears pinned back and her tail frizzed. "The real question is 'what kind of bounds does it mean?' I mean, it could mean magical bounds or emotional bounds or physical bounds or maybe it's hinting at a forbidden relationship that others would look down upon and..."

"Hermione." Ron griped. "You talk too much."

Harry was thankful for the interruption. His stomach had disappeared and he felt a bit clammy. Hermione was smart, so there was always a hint of truth to her words...

"Well, I'm sure his name will make sense later." Ron rolled up his pantleg to look at the word on his leg. "Why am I "Arrogance"? I'm not arrogant!"

"Well, it could be a hint of your Gryffindor pride." Hermione said quickly. "I'm sure 'pride' has already been used."

"Then how are there any names left?" Ronald asked, shoving down his pantleg again. "If 'pride' has already been used, what about other names?"

"First off..." Harry could hear the tone of voice she was using: it meant Ron should already know this. "English has only been in use for a short period of time and it's changed a lot over the centuries. Secondly, names are almost always in the language of the Animusparticeps, except for cross-country connections when it is in the language of the eldest of the pair. And, third, after a pair dies, the name becomes available again. So there's a chance you're 'Pride', but the closest available would be 'Arrogance'. That's how the naming systems work usually."

"Complicated."

"It's magic. Of course, it's complicated."

"But it sounds like a system." Harry pointed out. "Are we sure no one's behind it all?"

"Animusparticeps is a completely magical system." Hermione stated. "No one is behind it."

"Don't worry, mate." Ron gave Harry a grin. "I was thinking the same thing."

Harry hated it when Ronald said this because he knew it was a lie meant to make him feel better, only it didn't. All it did was serve to remind him that he was still very naive about magic and the magical world he was now apart of and he was really sick of feeling so out of it. The Slytherins reminded him enough and he didn't need his best friend doing the same...

He had become very irritated over the summer after blowing up his aunt. He had been so sure he'd be with either Ron or Hermione, but the three of them all had seperate names from each other, leaving Harry wondering and worried.

"Just show us, Hermione." Ron was saying and Harry tried to return his mind to the conversation.

"NO!" Hermione's frustrated shout caused the teacher to stir, his ears twitching, and they all stilled as he sat up, rubbing at his scarred face.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Hermione apologized as soon as his tired eyes set on her. "I didn't mean to wake you, Professor."

"It's quite all right. Quite all right." The man smiled at her.

He looked at Harry and instant recognition flooded the man's eyes. "My name is Remus Lupin Cherished. Might I ask for your names?"

"Ron Weasley Arrogance." Ron didn't hesitate.

Hermione cleared her throat. "Um...Hermione Granger...uh...Ascend."

"Ascend?" Ron asked instantly. "That's your name?"

"Well, it's actually in...a different language." She admitted. "But I can't pronounce it...or, I've tried, but it always sounds funny...anyways, it's Bulgarian and it means 'Ascend', so that's what is, isn't it?"

"Not really." Lupin said calmly. "Names are power. If it's in another language, this is important. 'Ascend' is not your name."

Ron was grinning at hearing Hermione being corrected and the bushy-haired girl was blushing profusely.

"But I can't pronounce it right." She mumbled. "V-uhz-k-ah-ch-ih...ee...um...it's either ih or ee..."

"What seems right?" Lupin asked, his smile completely patient and genuin.

"V-v...vuh-z-kah-chih." Hermione answered after a long moment. "Vŭzkachi."

"Wow, Hermione." Ron finally commented. "This must mean you're partnered with a foreigner."

"Did you work that out on your own?" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"And you?" Lupin turned to Harry before the two could start fighting.

"H-Harry Potter..." He hesitated, uncertainty evident in the flicking of his tail. "Boundless."

Abruptly, the train started slowing down.

Harry, Hermione, and Ronald exited the Great Hall, nervous, excited, and scared. Hermione seemed the least bothered as it was clear her partner was in another country and therefore wouldn't know for a long time. Harry on the other hand was full of jitters and solved this problem by asking a lot of questions.

"So is it normal to introduce yourself with your other name?"

"Not to a potential enemy." Ron said.

"Why?"

"Names are power." Hermione seemed to be quoting a textbook. "Giving out your name to someone can give them power over you."

"Explain."

"I don't really understand it exactly." Hermione's anxiety had suddenly risen. "Uh...for example: my name. It means 'ascend', so a weakness to me would be the opposite, or 'descend' or 'falling' basically."

"That's not a good example." Ron muttered.

"It gets tricky." Hermione snapped, suddenly irritated. "Names can have many meanings, some more hidden than others. Like...boundless. Using 'boundless' it would be possible almost to be invincible."

Ron's mouth dropped. "How?"

"Because nothing 'binds' Harry. He can't be bound...by spells...by ropes...by a lot of things...but it could also mean he and his particep aren't bound together, which means their power is cut in half."

"Cut in half?" Harry almost yelped. "Wait! So our partners can help us gain power?"

"You are always stronger when you and your particep duel together, side-by-side." Hermione continued. "An un-bound pair can actually be weaker than a bound pair, but this is all speculation!"

"Did you read the whole book about it last night?" Ronald asked with furrowed brows.

Hermione blushed. "And what if I did?" She quickly changed topics. "Look. We have five years to sort out our name meaning and what kind of weaknesses it would have. In the meantime, we have a whole week before we find out who our particeps are. I suggest you keep up in school work."

"Right, right." Ron yawned, ears pointing back. "Who cares? This is way more important."

Harry was doing his best not to frown, but it was difficult when his ears would always fold back whenever he was upset or angry or...well, feeling anything other than happy. He focused on his ears, trying to keep them straight rather than pointed backwards all the time. Ronald was oblivious, but it seemed Hermione noticed, though she had the decency not to mention anything about it. He was grateful. He was stressed enough without Ronald making a big fuss about it and making him feel even more pathetic.

The third years were back in the Great Hall, but they were not alone. It was breakfast, Monday, the second week of school. Tension had filled the air. It spread like wildfire across the tables until no one was talking except at the top table where the Professors sat and then even they fell silent. It seemed everyone was waiting for the little piece of paper that would get passed to them and they would find out finally who their particeps was. As if of one mind, the Heads of the Houses stood and started moving along their tables.

Professor McGonagall passed a paper to Ronald, who tore into it and gaped at it in open-mouthed shock before whipping his head around to look. She then gave one to Hermione, but Hermione had already told the boys that she'd get a paper just so she wasn't left out and become a target for ridicule right off the bat. Finally, she passed a piece of paper to Harry, but she held onto it when he had grabbed it and he looked up at her stern face.

"Remember that fate knows what is best for you, Mr. Potter." She said in barely a whisper before releasing the paper and moving on to pass one to Lavender.

Sweat had begun to spread over Harry's neck and he was visibly shaking. Gingerly, he opened the piece of paper and stared at it's contents.

Your particep is Theodore Nott.

He continued to stare at it, speechless, and then said, probably louder than he should have, "Who is that?"

Hope you don't mind the jumping around. I'm super tired and had a hard time writing this...:D