A/N: The warnings have changed.

Warnings: AU after GoF. Original Characters introduced.

Pairing: Harry/Sally-Anne

However, any romance involved will not take place until much later in the story. I don't know how that will affect any readers of the story but I felt that since I had made a decision I should let you all know.

Rated: M for violence, language, adult content

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or concepts of the Harry Potter verse. All rights belong to proper owners and no profit is made from this writing.

Summary: With the Ministry of Magic against him and Voldemort seeking his death, Harry Potter knew his only hope was to leave everything he had come to love and seek sanctuary in another land.

What he found went beyond anything he could have imagined.

What he found would help him win a war.

7

Memory

Dear Snuffles,

When I bought this journal, my original intention was to try to keep an account of the next year so I would be able to tell everyone back home everything that happened.

I sat down to write just now and I think I started and stopped three or four times because everything sounded like utter rubbish. I guess I'm just not a journal type of bloke.

Eventually, I decided I would just write letters to everyone. I'm not very good at putting my thoughts and feelings down on paper, especially when I know someone is going to read them but it was either this or toss the idea entirely.

I started my letters with you because you were on my mind most today. It sounds silly, but I do worry about you, you know. You're my godfather and I want to make sure that you're safe and maybe even a little happy.

I hope you're not still stuck in the house and are getting out and about. Perhaps you'll be able to tell me about the city. It always looks pretty interesting when I get a chance to see bits of it. As you've probably guessed, the relatives weren't very big on taking me places when I was younger. I did happen to get to the zoo once, remember I told you about the snake I accidentally set free.

When I'm older, I think one of the things I'd like to do most is travel and see the world. Just being here for this short time has shown me how much I've been missing, especially of the magical world.

It's so beautiful here. And that probably makes me sound like a girl but it really is. When I arrived, I felt like I had been here before. Like a Déjà vu. Or a memory of a life I had previously lived. The sights and sounds and even the scents in the air were so very familiar and comforting. I wonder if everyone who arrives here for the first time feels that way.

The Headmistress greeted me from the other side of a puny bridge that I had to cross to get through the wards. And Snuffles, I have to say, she was terribly lovely. When I met Emmy for the first time, I thought, wow she was pretty but Headmistress is beautiful like out of a dream or something near.

She was very kind to me and was willing to answer any questions that I had which was great considering how often adults say that but don't really seem to mean it. There was just something about her that told me, she could be counted on, if that makes any sense at all. I'll trust my instincts for the moment, until she proves them wrong. I really hope she doesn't.

Did I mention that her eyes are like mine? I hear a lot about how my Mum's eyes were like mine, so that's what really struck me. They're the same green, the same shape, everything is virtually identical. Except she has these really long and thick eyelashes that you can't help but notice. Mine are nothing like that. Right?

The Opening feast is tomorrow night, so I'll get to meet the other students here. I'm nervous about that, you know. I've never been very good at making friends. When I was younger, my cousin made it very difficult for the other children at school to get to know me due to his harassment and threats. No one wanted to get on his bad side.

Why is it that he got away with that, Snuffles? Why didn't a teacher notice and make him stop? I think about stuff like that sometimes when I'm stuck in my head for company. How my cousin could create a hunting game of me with his friends and no one said anything to him. How he would take the bits of my lunch that he wanted because he knew I wouldn't say anything because he would tell my Uncle when we got home and I would be punished.

No one noticed how he wore the best clothes but yet I was stuck in clothes too big and clearly his cast offs. No one questioned how I was smaller than everyone, even some of the girls. No one cared about me, Snuffles. Not at all. I was just that weird boy that it was best to ignore.

I think that's part of the reason why it's so hard for me to trust the adults who always say I should seek out help. Years of blind eyes make it difficult to reach out again, especially when most of those times resulted in me getting swatted by my Uncle or locked in my room. So I guess I just learned it was best to handle my problems on my own.

So.

I'm a little worried about classes. I've never been much of a book learner and the help I got from my friends probably saved my grades these last years. Magic is wonderful and I love casting spells. I wish that was all I had to worry about instead of revision and papers to write. This is OWL year and I dread them.

I picked up a new class, Ancient Runes, so I'll be revising three years of information in one year which I find bloody impossible to believe. And there are some other classes I have to take as well but at least there won't be OWL's for them. At least, I don't think so. That's something I'll have to ask the Advisor who is assigned to me.

Oh, and you'll never guess who Dumbledore sent along to school with me! Bloody Slimy Ponce himself! I was all set to hex his arse and ask questions later. He had to have lied or something to get here.

It really shocked me when he explained himself. I won't say what happened, as it is his personal business. I believe the only reason he told me anything was because he was forced to due to the Vow Dumbledore made him swear to. I had heard Unbreakable Vows were powerful but I didn't realize how it would affect my magic to have one in place concerning me. Are they all like that?

Probably just another thing that makes me different from everyone else.

I feel bad for the git. And sometimes it makes me furious that I have any sympathetic feeling toward him at all. He was a total bastard to us over the years. Always insulting us, or trying to get us in trouble. But no one deserves what happened to him even if they're not good people.

He challenged me to learn more about Wizarding traditions and laws and stuff like that. Said it would help me navigate through society and it was something all pure-bloods learned when they reached a certain age.

You know how I felt about that. Part of me wanted to take his challenge and shove it back down his throat. I had no inclination to learn how bigots thought and acted. Then I realized, how much more effective it would be to know how to deal with fools like the MOM. The Headmaster must know some of these things given how revered he is by so many in our world. I guess it's all about your own personal convictions and how you apply these things you learn.

Besides, I don't see the harm in learning more about the law. Muggle children are taught the laws of their world in school. Maybe even the etiquette stuff could be helpful, so I don't feel so uncomfortable.

For his part, he challenged me to make him see that muggle-borns deserved to be treated the same as pure-bloods. Of course I immediately thought of my Mum and all the times he's insulted her.

Then he practically turned it into a dare and you know how I reacted to that.

Couldn't resist.

I guess my problem is how do you change a person's beliefs? He's been raised all of his life to be proud of his heritage and disdain those of lesser blood and revile those who are without magic. I won't even start on his father.

It's like my cousin really. His parents taught him it was okay to bully other children by not punishing him when he did and looking the other way and even encouraging him when he turned that behavior on me. They taught him to throw a tantrum to get what he wanted by not reprimanding him when he did it the first time and merely giving in to his demands or placating him with even more indulgences. So they formed him into the fat, bullying prat he is and he doesn't know any better.

But at the same time, he knows right from wrong. We aren't children anymore and at some point those actions became conscious choices.

It's the same with the Git. He was taught all of these things by his parents and now his world has been upended and he finds himself questioning his beliefs and forced to ally with people he had previous claimed to hate.

He has this sense of entitlement because he was born to wealth and has magic. He thinks little of others feelings and if he does consider them, it's more in relation to what they can do for him. His contempt for anything he believes beneath him is palpable. How am I supposed to change someone like this, when I can barely stand to be around him?

We've claimed truce to get along here at school and so far we haven't killed each other. It's strange because there are times when he's not so bad and others when I want to shove him in a trunk and owl him back home. I guess the points in his favor are that he's being reasonable.

He still insults my friends, though he has not used the word mudblood once. He probably knows I would hurt him if he did, regardless of the rules here. I despise that word, Snuffles. I hate the very thought of someone using that filthy word in relation to my Mum, when she was worth millions of those bastards.

Yet, I can't demand that he be nice to my friends. It's his prerogative to not like them, as long as his insults are about them personally and not about blood or wealth or prejudice.

I don't like his friends, not because they're pure-bloods but because they're morons.

I have requested that he keep his insults to himself. In turn, I try to lead by example and not question aloud the close genetics of his friends being the cause of their mental deficiencies.

I'll know I've made some progress in him when he manages this feat. Sometimes all you can strive for are the small victories and hope they lead to bigger ones.

Wish me luck.

8

Haunted

"I….back…Keep...dawn."

The grunts of agreement were overshadowed by the pounding of the hooves of the group Abraxans they rode. The snow storm came on fast, just as they were leaving Valmont for winter break, so they kept to the ground. He had stayed behind for six days because he hadn't wanted to leave before the mare he had bred Aristas with foaled. Now he was suffering the consequences as they rode through the heavy snow home.

The fur lined leather gloves he wore kept the chill from sinking into the fingers that gripped the reins he snapped once to urge the winged palomino on. He leaned into the ride, thrilling at the speed and power of the animal between his legs. There was only one thing he loved more and that was the brush of air on his face as Aristas flew through the sky.

Just as the sun peaked over the horizon, he caught his first glimpse of the imposing structure built into the side of the mountain. Home. A wonderful contentment unfurled in his stomach as he realized just how much he had missed being here during the last months of school.

The Citadel would be decorated, of course, leaving behind the scents of evergreen and holly. The joy of the holidays would have infected everyone. Mother would have instructed the Brownies to begin the exorbitant amounts of baking of biscuits and cakes and other confections that all would enjoy through the season. Father would have had the tree brought in but would wait until the entire family was together for decorating.

By the time he reached the gates, a groom was greeting him, taking the reins to lead his mount to the stables to tend. "I'll see you later this evening, so behave yourself." He rubbed a hand over the neck of his friend, brushing aside some of the snow that had fallen there. Aristas rewarded him with a butt of his muzzle at his shoulder. The men who rode in with him waited to have their own mounts taken care of but he raced inside giving them a quick wave of farewell.

The heavy doors opened under the thrust of his hands. His boots were soundless as he stepped inside, took a deep breath and allowed the sense of welcome to fill him. Everything was just as he knew it would be and he couldn't help the wide grin that spread across his face.

"You were cutting it quite close, little master."

"Fritz!" He looked down at the Brownie who had served as his valet since his eleventh year. "You didn't have to wait up for me."

The look he received in return said more than any words could have ever conveyed. Fritz would always wait for him. He saw it as his sacred duty to care for him and Merlin be warned to any who dared try to stop him. Including the 'little master' himself.

He removed the sable ushanka, shaking it free from snow, and ran a hand through his shaggy hair. The sable trimmed cloak and gloves he wore were next and he passed it all to Fritz who banished the entire damp bundle to his bedroom. "Unfortunately, my armor will need cleaning again," he told the Brownie, who had already surmised this given the stains of blood and birth that covered the black basilisk skin breeches and fitted coat.

"I will see to it immediately, sir."

"So, is she still awake?"

"She always is."

Harried steps carried him upstairs to the bedroom across from his. It was ornately decorated in shades of soft cornflower and magnolia, a marked contrast to his own but he expected nothing less. She had been contradicting him for as long as he could remember.

The door was open and he could see the soft glow of light proving Fritz was correct, that she had waited up for him. As he stepped inside, he was struck by the lack of warmth in the room and the sudden differences. The fireplace was cold and the bed had not been turned down.

A woman sat on its edge, not the girl he had expected, with a silver frame clasped in her hands. Her hair was the same dark auburn as his and cascade in long graceful waves over her shoulders and down her back. She was gentle, serenely regal and so beautiful it made his heart ache with love. But her eyes, they were so profoundly sad and he didn't know what had caused her such pain.

What drew his eye was the cobalt stone hanging from the golden chain around her neck nestled between her breasts. It was luminous and for one strange moment shimmered with an inner glow. She visibly jerked, as their eyes met. Identical. Her shocked gasp echoed through the silence as slender trembling fingers covered her mouth in disbelief and a tear slid down her cheek.

"Hagan?"

Just the sound of that melodic voice had snapped him awake and Evan found himself still in bed wondering what the hell had happened.

9

Ceremony

"Good Evening, all, and welcome to a new year at Valmont Academy."

The Great Hall was much smaller than Hogwarts, there was no enchanted ceiling to give the illusion of the sky and all the faces were virtual strangers. Instead of floating candles, there were hanging fixtures that held large candles. Banners were strung from the ceiling in shades of blue, white and maroon decorated with Valmont's colors .

The Hall had windows opened wide to bring in warmth of a late summer evening. Behind the platform and the two tables where the professors were seated was a large stained glass window with a large depiction of Valmont's coat of arms, crossed swords behind a royal blue shield emblazoned with a Dragon with Pegasus and Gryphon supporters.

The bite of homesickness these realizations brought him was sharp and painful.

He tried to look on the positive side of the situation. Valmont would be his home for the next year. He would be spared the Ministry of Magic's harassment. He wouldn't have to tolerate Snape's belittling comments about himself and his father. And he would have a year of being only himself without the expectations that came with his name.

He had been through all of this before and this waffling back and forth was just foolish. A little homesickness wouldn't kill him.

The eager applause after the Headmistress' words gave Evan the opportunity to observe his new classmates without notice. The students sat at circular tables which created a personal atmosphere so they could talk freely as the meal progressed. Each year had two tables, sitting no more than eight. The number of students was much fewer than Hogwarts, there couldn't have been more than one hundred students if that many but it was quite eclectic.

Dinner dress rules had all the students in evening finery but as it was technically the opening feast, the night seemed to have been unofficially dubbed a special occasion and most were clothed in their finest. Even the little Novice years were attired in their best.

Alexei had donned traditional Wizarding robes in a deep indigo that seemed to accentuate his blue eyes. It was still strange to see him with the golden brown hair. Part of him hoped Alexei would keep it this way, as it helped him to forget the Malfoy of their past interactions and focus on the Alexei he was getting to know. That was unfair but these were his personal feelings after all. They needn't be spoken aloud.

His own robes were much more modern, adopting a muggle military inspired design in deep rich burgundy, especially with the silver cords across his chest. There was more silver embroidery at the mandarin collar that sharpened the austere tailoring.

The look earned him a sneer and a muttered, "Gryffindor," from Alexei that he found amusing rather than offensive.

The other students in the hall had chosen to wear a wide variety of styles that ranged from everything from the wealthy traditional like Alexei's to muggle attire to clothes that looked medieval. Even the Professors had worn their finest; he noted them up on the platform. Headmistress Yvaine was resplendent in a pale gold medieval gown.

"I would like to take a moment to welcome our new students and to greet our returning ones as well. Before we begin our meal, let us all stand and pay tribute to our hallowed halls." He rose, just as the others at his table did, casting a look over to Alexei to see if he knew what was going on. The brow lift he received in return told him that the other was just as clueless.

"For those who unfamiliar with our opening feast tradition, each student has a place card before them. There you will find Valmont's creed which we recite each year as a reminder of the gift and responsibility magic is."

Just as she said, he found the card, printed on maroon parchment with white font. "Let us begin."

"By Skill and Valor, we are magic." The others around him began and he caught up on the next line.

"Integrity, perseverance and fidelity are the standards of Valmont. We humbly serve as guardians to all magical creatures. We defend those unable to defend themselves. Magic is a privilege and our wand is a symbol of honor and heritage. The legacy of Valmont strengthens my resolve and guides my wand."

The following silence was solemn. The younger students were just learning the meaning of those words while the older were reaffirming their commitment. He had never really thought of his magic in that way before, so this was something he would have to ponder later when he was alone.

"Let the feast begin."

A wave of her wand and the food appeared on the tables, one thing that Valmont had in common with Hogwarts. The food was traditional fare, roasted chicken and leg of lamb each with an accompanying gravy, mashed potatoes and sweet corn with courgettes and bacon, carrots, brussel sprouts with chestnuts and fresh rolls.

Feeling decidedly peckish, he helped himself to some of everything and a brimming goblet of punch. He had come down for breakfast with Alexei so they could get their class schedules but decided to skip the afternoon meal, preferring to spend the time in his rooms contemplating the dream he had.

It made absolutely no sense. At first it felt like he was standing to the side watching the dream unfold but then suddenly he felt like he was the very person he had been observing. Their bodies felt the same, he could sense the excitement of returning home for the Winter holidays. He felt the affection for the little house elf Fritz.

The love for the woman sitting on the bed.

For some reason, he had expected her to be younger and the name she called him. It was so close to Harry and he didn't know if it was the actual sound of her voice that had startled him awake or hearing that name.

He wished Hermione or Ron were here, he really needed to talk to someone about this. He didn't feel comfortable enough with Alexei to confide in him about, well anything, so he was left with scribbling his feelings down in the journal written as a poorly disguised letter to Hermione.

"You two are new here."

Evan looked up at the question, and into the dark eyed girl across from him. The other two on either side of her looked at them expectantly, waiting for a response.

"Yes, we are." Alexei answered.

"I arrived late, so I missed breakfast and neither of you were at lunch," she went on to clarify. "But these two saw you this morning but you sat at one of the other tables."

Breakfast had been a relaxed meal, since all of the students had yet to arrive. So he and Alexei had grabbed a table near the front and sat alone observing the cliques who greeted each other after the summer break.

"Oh, pardon me, you must think I'm terribly rude." She grinned, wrinkling her nose as she laughed at herself. "I'm Marisol Alvarez and these are my friends Rhosyn and Steffon Bleddyn."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Alexei answered, then gestured to him. "This is Evan Hawthorne and I am Alexei Prince."

"We don't usually get transfers," Rhosyn spoke up, though he had to strain a little to hear her timid voice. She had blonde hair like her brother with wide guileless blue eyes and an honest face. The boy, Steffon, placed an encouraging hand on her shoulder and she gave him a smile in return.

Evan wiped his mouth with his napkin before speaking. "I went to a really small local school but my parents thought it best if I attended a properly accredited school for my OWL and NEWT exams. I was pleased to receive the invitation to Valmont." It was the story that Remus and Emmy put together for him and he was glad for it because he should have expected to be questioned about why he was coming to Valmont in his fifth year.

"And what about you, Prince," Steffon asked.

"My godfather and I had recently relocated from Greece when we received the invitation from Valmont."

"You don't sound Greek," Marisol said.

"We aren't, I'm originally from England but my godfather's career as apothecary requires a great deal of traveling. We lived in Karpathos for two years collecting ingredients and selling them."

"So how do you and Hawthorne know each other?"

"You can call me Evan," he told them. "And they opened their new apothecary in the village where I live. It was a surprise to see Alexei here, actually. I hadn't told anyone I was leaving for school because I didn't want to make an affair of it."

Alexei glared at him but Evan just raised his eyebrows. How else would they explain the fact that they were acquainted with each other? He was sorry if that was a problem with the story Alexei had concocted. They could fix things later back in their rooms.

"Steffon and I are originally from the village," Rhosyn said.

"You family owns Bleddyn Apothecary in the village?" Alexei queried, and Evan could practically see the ideas forming in the other's head.

"It's been in our family for many generations," Steffon told them proudly. "Our father runs the store now but our uncle Maxen is the Potion Master of the village."

"I look forward to exploring it further. I'm sure there are many things that would interest my godfather that we have not found on our travels elsewhere."

"What about you, Marisol? Are you from the village as well?"

"Oh, no. My family is from Cerbere, Spain." Which accounted for her mild accent, Evan reasoned. "My parents thought I would receive an invitation from Beaubatons but I think they were pleased with my decision to attend Valmont."

After more conversation about how they liked the school and their favorite classes, dinner was eventually taken away and dessert of sticky toffee pudding and apple crumble with hazelnut ice cream was served.

"Hmm, I love hazelnut ice cream," Marisol sighed as she licked her lips and took another taste.

"Is that why you're molesting that spoon?" Rhosyn giggled, shocking both him and Alexei. He had pegged her as too shy to have even thought something so suggestive let alone speaking it aloud. It seemed he hadn't been alone in that belief.

"I'll have you know, I'm enjoying myself, seeing as we begin bright and ridiculously early with our chores in the morning." Marisol explained.

"Don't remind me," Steffon grumbled into his own serving of apple crumble. "I hate working in the stables."

"You hate the Abraxans," Marisol teased. "But Rhosyn and I are fortunate. The Intermediate girls work in the greenhouses in the mornings," she explained at his questioning look. "The boys are in the stables."

"Is it difficult?" And he knew Alexei was thinking of his desire to purchase that husbandry book the other day.

"No, it's just tiresome," Steffon explained. "Especially during breeding season."

Before he could continue, the Headmistress rose from her seat to get everyone's attention. "I'm glad we're all enjoying our meal, feel free to continue while I make a few short announcements. First, class schedules were handed out today. For our new students, Novices will meet at afternoon break to discuss their scheduling for their duties. Intermediate and Advance students will meet in their common room in the morning. If for some reason you find a conflict with your class and duty schedules please do not hesitate to go to the Administrative offices in the first wing so they can be corrected as soon as possible."

He was still concerned about how they would fit so much in the day and how he was going to get through this next year without Hermione reminding him to get his work done.

"Trips to the village are scheduled for the third Saturday of each month. Novice years are only allowed to visit with a chaperone. Students fifteen and older are welcome to visit as their schedule permits. If this privilege is abused, it shall be revoked."

It was a freedom that he planned to take advantage of when he could.

"Our clubs will begin meeting next Monday after classes end for the day. Also, I know many students bring their brooms to school, please note the fields are not a Quidditch pitch. Please remain in the allocated areas for flying or brooms will be confiscated."

"Are there Quidditch teams?" he whispered to Steffon.

"No. But we set up some intramural teams to play in the spring."

Alexei looked almost as shocked as he felt. No Quidditch? What else was there to do?

"A reminder, Advisor meetings will take place this week and please remember to make an appointment with our Healer Clover for yearly exams. I have it on good authority that forgetting is not an acceptable excuse." The students who were familiar with Healer Clover laughed. "And of course, our Temple is always available for anyone who needs guidance. Again, I want to welcome everyone back. Let's have a wonderful and productive year."