Disclaimer: I am merely playing with other people's creations, I don't own the game/book/anime/TV-show I am borrowing from, nor am I making any money with this. I am writing for fun and practice, as fan-fiction to be shared with others if I feel like it.
Chapter 3: Heading to Hogwarts
Young Harry had spent his time well after having bought his new books, and prepared for his coming lessons with a fair share of practice. Though the books mentioned the reasonable restriction to underage sorcery, his wand was not from Ollivander's store and did not have a pre-set trace within it. He had checked, the wand-crafter had not placed one on it. Of course, if he got caught and his wand examined they might well place such a trace on it, but given Harry's abilities that trace would only last as long as the adults were watching him and his wand.
So he had practiced his spellwork, with a fair bit of discretion of course, and already made sure he had the basics somewhat down. The first attempts had been disastrous as the wand-crafter had warned him, with the wand channeling too much of his power at once and raising havoc. He was fairly sure the big rock he meant to levitate out at the abandoned park bad been banished right up into the orbit by his levitation spell, a shock that made him wary of casting anything on himself.
Taming the wand hadn't taken him a whole month though, it came under his control in two week's time and by then, he'd learned a fair share of theory already and been practicing his spellcasting where it was possible to do so without interference. He had made his aunt very happy when he presented her with the 'secret ingredient' for making her garden a source of envy for all the neighbors. After Harry had applied some of it once, Petunia was sold on its effect. Given it could be sprayed from a bottle as necessary she didn't even have to get on her knees and dirty with the soil to maintain a good garden.
The little thing had bought him time off from his chores and a chance to practice a lot, but he knew time was running out already. After his birth-day, he was aware someone had attempted to come meet with him, but given the harmful intentions the wards had banished the said person a few blocks away, and they had not been gentle about it. Whoever it had been, had undoubtedly spent a fair bit of time recovering from broken bones and a magical burn, but they had apparently taken the hint and not attempted it again.
The message from Gringotts had arrived to his address soon after that, stating that his proxy had been changed, and that the Gringotts had employed the services of a witch in their service to present Harry and Gringotts alike in the Wizengamot in that meanwhile, as well as letting him know he could request a change of proxy at any time but that the goblins believed it best the wizards were not pushed too hard by having an actual goblin sitting in Wizengamot, no matter how much fun it would have been for them to bloody the purebloods metaphorical noses by doing so.
The guest that had been banished so violently hinted at an attempt to find out what was going on and perhaps change his mind before the school year properly started, but it had been repelled effectively and he was merely wondering what the year would bring. Those thoughts had circled around in his mind during the trip to the King's Cross station, and even as he got out of the car to wave for his uncle he wondered about the coming year and the challenges that lay ahead of him.
Crossing through the mundane side of the platform, he recalled his mother's instructions walking right into the right pillar, the magic making his disappearance from the platform seem like he'd just walked off somewhere else to the mundane eyes. To his own senses, walking through the stone pillar was like stepping through a doorway to a chilly room for a second and then crossing through it to another larger open space, the platform 9 and three quarters. It was a bit unpleasant chill to him to cross over so, but he wasn't about to complain.
It was still half eleven, and the Hogwarts Express would not set out before eleven so he figured he had plenty of time to find a proper seat. Getting into the train, he began to look around a little curious, noticing a few others apparating to a marked spot on the platform nearby as well and guiding their children to the train.
There were plenty of empty compartments, but Harry did see a couple of people here and there, already chatting together. Figuring he'd have a chance to get to know people over at Hogwarts as well, he walked along until he came across a compartment with a pair of familiar faces. Smiling, he knocked on the door and then opened it to step in and bow his head slightly to the two seated girls.
"Nice to see you two again." He smiled, noticing the two of them had already changed into their robes and nodded their heads in return. "Hey Harry, nice to see you made it on time." Parvati, he thought to himself seeing the Teen Witch Weekly on her lap.
"Hey Harry." The second twin smiled while covering up the title of her book with her hand as she nodded her head to him. Padma liked to read a fair bit, and Harry found she had some interesting books too, but it seemed some of them were not meant for him to know about and unfortunately this appeared to be one of them.
"Would you two mind if I sat down with you? I'd rather not be alone for the journey." He was met with a synchronized nod and a smile from the two. "Not at all, have a seat." Padma said calmly, while Parvati chuckled. "You know, you are on the cover of Teen Witch Weekly. Someone took a shot of you out shopping, and we got on the cover too."
Grinning she presented the magazine to Harry who opened it only to groan loudly at the image. It was about him being measured up for the new clothes, and chatting with the twin Indian witches. Nothing really bad about it, but the headlines the magazine had come up with made him both blush and shake his head.
"Mr. Harry James Potter has emerged, and he has definitely inherited both his father's handsome good looks and his mother's intense green eyes a girl could get lost gazing into. Not only is this young gentleman charming in looks but he is also learned in the proper manners as evidenced by this by-play of his shopping trip and subsequent conversation with a pair of young witches. Obviously young Mr. Potter is not worried about cooties but is an example of what a finely maturing young gentleman should be like. These two lucky witches got the first-hand experience of Mr. Potter's charm as he engaged them in a lengthy conversation showcasing a brilliant mind behind those dreamy green eyes. Smart, wealthy, polite, and good looking, Mr. Potter ranks number one on the most eligible bachelors of the Teen Witch Weekly this week and we expect him to maintain his position for many years to come."
The blush on his face must have been hilarious sight as both girls were laughing joyfully at the embarrassed look he had, but then smiled to him while teasing him a bit further. "They are right about those dreamy green eyes, but I think it is a bit insulting to put someone as young as you at the first place already, no offense Harry. I am sure you'd get there in a couple of years but right now, I think you should be a little young to most teen witches." Parvati grinned amusedly, while Padma chuckled.
"They made a big deal about such a mundane little thing as shopping though. I guess they really have wanted to write a piece on you for a long time, seeing as you have been out of reach for a decade." Padma smiled a bit apologetically, earning a reassuring smile from Harry in turn. "Well I was left with my relatives when my parents died, and I grew up away from the magical world thanks to that. I only came back when my letter arrived so I guess that helped me stay away from photographers before."
"Makes sense. So, have you given any thought about what House you are going to end up in?" Padma asked a bit curiously, and though Parvati pretended to be reading the magazine once she got it back it was apparent she was listening in as well. This earned a short chuckle from Harry who leaned back a bit and hummed.
"I think most people are assuming I will be a Gryffindor like my parents. From what I understood from my mother's diary however, its more about what you are like than who you are related to. You can plead your case to get into another house if you wish, which explains why some people get into a house that is unsuited for them but which their family has been in before. Personally, I plan to see where I go by my own merits rather than ask for any particular one." He smiled, earning a nod from the two as they looked at him curious to hear more. Padma was always eager for more information, and Parvati liked to know more about people as well.
"Gryffindors are characteristically brave, daring, and believe in chivalry. Unfortunately they can also act on instinct and impulsively move ahead, earning them a reputation for acting before thinking. Slytherin are said to value ambition, cleverness and cunning, but the recent years have painted them in a dark shade because many believe that all the death-eaters came from Slytherin, though that is false. There were some from all houses, even Gryffindor." He saw the look of surprise on the two witches faces, but continued on his explanation.
"Now the Ravenclaws are considered witty, creative, and wise. Unfortunately they also have a reputation as bookworms and teacher's pets who only care about books and not the world beyond them. Lastly, the Hufflepuff are loyal, hard-working and dedicated according to the Hogwarts, a History, but they are also considered the house of leftovers, people that didn't get picked by a 'better' founder." He sighed heavily at this.
"I'd see them more as the house for the want-to-be-heroes, the ones that want power and think they are better than everyone, the ones that are wanting to get the best education they can, and the ones that believe in making connections with other people and learning things together. " He smiled slightly at this.
"Personally, I'd avoid Gryffindor and Slytherin, the two groups seem to have a rivalry that gets bloody from time to time. Hexing in the school corridors isn't supposed to happen but at least according to my mother's old books that was a regular occurence when she was a student and well before that time too. So I hope to get into either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. I like learning and study hard, but I am also happy to make new friends and I am happy to work together just as well as I would be to work alone, both are valid methods to go about, different experiences make for a better chance to learn." He smiled amusedly, seeing the two girls look at him and each other thoughtfully.
"When you put it that way, it does sound like getting picked into Gryffindor would be bad for you. I mean, you have a reputation for a hero already but you'd make enemies of all the Slytherin probably, well beyond what might already be there since some of them are children of the supposedly imperioused death-eaters." Padma said this entirely seriously while Parvati shivered visibly at the thought.
"Yes, and I think even if I got picked for Slytherin I would face scorn from them, and I have no intent of getting in the middle of that school-yard fight. I am happy with Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, I will listen to the arguments for Gryffindor or Slytherin but given the amount of information available in the books I consider at least somewhat trustworthy it seems that those two would be the worse choices for study environment. Ravenclaw provides support for lone studying, and the Hufflepuff for study groups."
Shrugging his shoulders a little and leaning back Harry pulled his trunk from his pocket to set it down and open it, pulling out his robes and setting them down on the seat next to him, planning to go change in the nearby bathroom soon. It was when he switched over to the book-compartment when he heard the twin gasps from the twin girls who were staring at the wealth of tomes he had stacked up there already. Granted, he had plenty of room left but he had more than twice the usual books for first year in there.
"You got multi-compartment trunk? And a shrinking one? Wow, that must have cost a lot." Parvati said this before blushing a bit, realizing what it sounded like. Padma chuckled and shook her head. "Forget about that, all those books, oh Harry please tell me you are willing to share?" She asked him with pleading eyes that made Harry blush a bit and chuckle. "Uh, sure I guess I can loan out one, but not the ones I am currently reading."
Looking over at Parvati's embarrassed face he then continued. "Don't worry about it, and yeah it cost a bit more than I guess most people want to pay for their children's first trunk but I wanted a trunk I could use even after the schoolyears are over, and I got some useful charms because I want to study them and enchanting too at some point. The name Potter does originate from the ones that made pots for both display and use, and imply working with one's hands. I wouldn't mind learning a bit about some manual crafts, like herbology, potions and enchanting as well. I believe that it could be fun creating things for myself and others."
"Well..." Parvati looked at Padma and after a subtle nod she looked at Harry seriously. "Look, I am going to let you in on a secret but I am going to ask that you promise not to tell anyone else." Harry nod his head and raised his wand a bit, nodding his head solemnly. "I promise to keep your secret." It wasn't an oath but it was about as formal as one could make a promise without actually making an oath out of it. As much as he enjoyed their company, if they had something outright criminal planned he didn't want to be bound in an oath about it and charged as accomplice later on.
"The two of us have been planning to attend Hogwarts separately, I mean, both of us will pick a House that suits us and broaden our circle of friends and contacts that way, as well as get comparative views of Hogwarts. We were thinking of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, but after hearing all that I think it would be wiser if the two of us went to Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Whichever side you might end up in, if we really can decide for ourselves I mean, then seek out the one of us in the same house and we'll all get together now and then. We've already had plans to meet now and then."
In truth, they had even planned to switch around and see if anyone noticed a difference, but they weren't going to let Harry in on all of their secrets. Of course, Harry noticed some subtle signs between the two of them, and even without legilimency he could pick up they had more plans than what they had stated but it didn't seem malicious so he smiled warmly at that. "I think I would like that. As long as you don't mind hanging out with a boy." He smirked a bit teasingly.
"As long as you don't start acting like a little piggy." Padma smirked in turn, while Harry chuckled. "No worries, my aunt would put me over her knee despite my age if she heard I'd been acting that way." He saw the two of them laugh and grinned slightly. He might have been embarrassed about something like that if he hadn't thrown it off as an absurd joke, but it got them smiling. Besides, Harry saw no sense in acting like a total pig. Sure, he could burp out loud in private if he chose to but that didn't mean he had to try and make some public contest of trying to out-gross others. Dudley had tried that at school and Harry had a warning example of the repercussions of such behavior back then.
They had not yet gotten on the move when the door to their compartment opened and they turned to see a pair of young girls look in the compartment curiously, a young red-headed girl standing beside a blonde girl who seemed to be staring at Harry in surprise. "Hi, would you mind two more in here? I am Susan Bones, and this is my best friend Hannah."
"I don't mind." Harry smiled and looked at the Patil twins who nod and smiled. "Come in, the more the merrier." The two girls made their way inside, when Harry stood up and stretched out slightly. "I think I'll go in the bathroom to switch into my robe and be back, best get that out of the way while there's not a rush of people here yet." He smiled to the girls and headed out, making his way towards the bathroom.
While he did plan on changing, he had a feeling that at least Hannah had recognized him already, and they would likely have some questions for the Patil twins while he was gone. He'd introduce himself when he got back, but he really figure it was better he got changed before they were on the way already, and it was ten minutes till they would have to get on the move.
Pulling on a school robe Harry soon returned to the compartment finding the girls whispering to one another excitedly and chuckling even as he pulled the door open and stepped inside. They smiled to him as he moved in and took a seat besides the Patil twins opposite of the two newcomers, waving a hand. "Back, sorry about that but you came in about the same time as I had already began to get ready, taking my robes out of my trunk. I'm Harry Potter, it is nice to meet you two."
Hannah stared at his forehead a bit intently, and Harry felt slightly uncomfortable with this but ended up lifting the bit of hair off his forehead, to show the faint scar. He did notice her blink in surprise. "That is the scar then? Um, it's a lot less prominent than in the books." She looked a bit apologetically at Harry while Susan cast her a scolding look. "Ah, sorry about that."
"It's alright, I guess people would be curious about it. It's been a decade since that day though, and while it did look ugly for a while it began to heal away eventually and its almost gone by now. I imagine before Hogwarts ends there's no signs of it there anymore." He smiled in a relaxed manner, and saw Hannah relax a bit too. She had got her foot in her mouth with her hurry, but he wasn't going to hold it against her.
A little while passed in some comfortable chatting, when a young red haired man pulled open the compartment door and looked inside. Harry had picked up a book earlier and was reading it with his head a bit cast down at the time, not paying it too much attention except at the corner of his eye.
"Uh, sorry wrong compartment." The red-haired youth said, heading off again, just as the train started to move. Silently blinking at the strange interruption, Harry chose to stay quiet. Nevertheless he continued reading, and it seemed that Parvati had taken up asking about things from Susan and Hannah by now about the Hufflepuff house, while Padma was reading on one of Harry's books, more specifically, the guide to Occlumency and organizing one's own mind.
Harry himself was going over the potions book he had bought after being warned the potion book suggested by Hogwarts was a bit poor for newcomers, and expected the students to have the basics down and yet still failed to convey useful information very well. He had picked up another that contained the same recipes and a few more, but it was less respected book because unlike the school reading list that included a potions book by a Pureblood, the one Harry was reading was written by a half-blood.
Then again, both of the writers had been potions masters, but the Pureblood had one after years of apprenticeship while the half-blood had tested out and received her mastery for outstanding work even without a master-apprentice bond, and had gotten hers in half the usual time.
Potions and Herbology were a good starting point for his idea of crafting things for his own use, and he had made sure to have some practice with a variety of things. He also carried a few vials in a small pocket within his robes that had been spelled to protect its contents and hard to find unless the one seeking them was wearing the robes. That had been part of his mother's little tricks, something she'd shared with his father and the group that James had belonged to.
Having a couple of healing potions at hand for any emergencies might be useful and he had found a few others that worked well when one had to defend themselves against a surprise, even if they lost their wand. He believed in being a bit over-prepared rather than being caught unprepared, but he did hope he'd not need those potions anytime soon.
"That was Ronald Weasley wasn't it?" Hannah spoke up, and the last name made Harry pause. Weasley, that was the same name as in the invalid marriage contract in his vault. "Weasley?" He asked a bit surprised, seeing Hannah look over at him and nod before she hurried to explain. "They are part of an old family, a quite poor but usually nice family, and well, they are pretty numerous. Six brothers and a sister, can you imagine that?"
Harry shivered. That was big numbers, certainly. If they were involved in things with Dumbledore, he'd have to watch his back around them then. "Oh, I thought I'd heard the name somewhere before but I didn't realize he was one of them." Harry remarked briefly but shrugged, while Susan nodded a bit. "Well I wouldn't be surprised, Mrs. Weasley is famous for her howlers, she really has quite a nasty voice when she gets mad and the word is she's even driven her two oldest sons to leave the country behind as quickly as they could get away. Ron's the youngest son, and my aunt told me to watch out for his two older twin brothers, Fred and George, because they already have a file with the Aurors about their pranks that could, if done by someone who wasn't underage, be considered an assault." This made Harry's eyes widen a bit.
He believed in having a bit of fun with pranks now and then but going that far was certainly not a nice sign. If they were on Dumbledore's side, it could mean they might try and get to him in a variety of ways. His father had done a lot of pranks, and his mother's notes listed out many of them involved a number of potions and other surprises in the food. He'd have to feel his food through with his magic before he ate then, just in case.
"Thanks for the warning. I appreciate it." He bowed his head a little to the girls, before drawing a breath and briefly wondering about telling them about that invalid contract or not, but something made him wonder about what Susan had said earlier. "How come your aunt knows that they have a file with the aurors?" He asked in a puzzled manner, earning a smile from Susan. "Well she is the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
His eyes widened a bit before he nod and smiled. "Oh, well I think she'd be a reliable source. Well, I hope you don't spread this around too much, but if your aunt wouldn't mind finding out about this... my proxy, one Albus Dumbledore, apparently tried to enter an illegal marriage contract between me and one Ginevra Molly Weasley before I even came to Gringotts for the first time in a decade."
He said this completely seriously, and then leaned back to observe. Seeing the look on both Hannah's and Parvati's eyes, he figured the secret would spread out like a wildfire through the castle, making it hard for Dumbledore to suffocate the truth about it, and if Susan sent a word about it to her own aunt and she asked the goblins, then Dumbledore could try and protest and claim innocence on the matter all he wanted but it would be common knowledge soon enough that Dumbledore had at least tried to force such a contract.
Given that proxies or guardians were not legally permitted to make any such contracts for the heirs of any Houses that would raise a nasty stink, and that it was done without his input would make it worse, and given that he was Harry Potter it would result in some rather interesting questions being raised quickly. "The man left me at my relatives doorstep in a basket alongside a letter ten years ago, if I hadn't come across my mother's journals and diary there I wouldn't even have known about the magical world before I got my letter. My aunt didn't want to talk about it until I had the journal as proof."
This bit of revelations had Hannah and Parvati practically bouncing on their seats wanting to spread the word quickly, but Padma looked thoughtful and frowned on the implications, while Susan looked suitably horrified. She swallowed briefly and then addressed him in a serious manner. "Mr. Potter, I would like to inform my aunt in her official capacity about what you have shared with me. Would you give me your oath this is true so I do not embarrass her on a silly prank? I apologize but I must check this."
Harry nodded his head, finding the request very well thought out and respected Susan for it. He raised his wand quickly and swore on it. "I, Harry James Potter, here by swear on my life and magic that everything I have told you in the last few minutes is true. So mote it be." He immediately followed this by casting lumos, and smiled.
The girls seemed pleased to see him actually perform a bit of magic, even if it was a small charm that they'd all be learning, and might well have been practicing already in the past too, and the confirmation that he wasn't just pulling their leg on it made the matter all the more interesting for them. It was a show of trust he'd tell them this, and if the House Bones acted to help him then it would bring them prestige in its own ways. Harry would make sure to show proper gratitude if that happened, and he had a feeling that having Susan's aunt on his side would be a tremendous asset in the future.
Susan immediately began to dig for some parchment and a quill from her trunk, writing down a letter before opening the cage her little owl had been resting in during the journey so far. Whispering to the little owl, she tied up the letter on its leg before opening the window and nodding to the bird. Rising to its wings, the little owl was gone in a quick rush once it got past the window, heading back towards London.
They weren't far away yet, so it would not be a long way to the DMLE office, but the little owl would probably have a long flight back, unless of course Madame Bones chose to appear at Hogwarts herself and bring Susan's owl back with her. It was very possible she would though, given the seriousness of the news that Harry had just disclosed to Susan. Of course, he did realize that by letting the cat out of the bag he would likely tarnish not only Dumbledore but the Weasley family with the hidden attempt, but given that it took approval from at least one of the girl's parents their family wasn't entirely innocent in this either.
All of a sudden, a bushy haired witch pulled the door open and looked inside at the group. "Excuse me, but has any of you seen a toad in here? One of the boys lost him, his name is Trevor." She explained while looking at the group of people a bit curiously, while Harry blinked.
"Sorry, no, but wouldn't it be best to look around in the compartment he was in, or that train car? A toad wouldn't be able to hop from one train car to another I think, at least I'd be very surprised. Well, if all else fails I'd ask one of the older students to use a summoning charm or to cast a 'point me' spell for it?" He saw the girl's eyes widen before she quickly smiled. "That's a good idea, thanks!" She hurriedly closed the door and rushed off, while Harry looked at the others.
"Did anyone catch her name?" He asked a bit stunned at the rush the girl had been in, but as he saw everyone shake their heads he shrugged and sighed, slumping down on his seat. They had a bit of way to go still before they'd reach Hogwarts, and then they'd be facing the sorting. He wondered whether he would find himself in Ravenclaw, as his appetite in books was considerable, or in the Hufflepuff, as he was keen to try and build a circle of friends to study and work with as well. He did consider himself a bit chivalrous in his behavior, but that could just be good manners his aunt insisted on. He did have his ambitions, and cunning, but he tempered them down and kept them from becoming obsessive.
Of course, he had his own grim thoughts on some of the parts. He was more Ravenclaw than Hufflepuff in that he'd be happy to study the forbidden lore if it opened paths for him to understanding more about the magic beneath, even though the studies themselves could be used for dark purposes did not mean he shouldn't explore them, it would still be his call whether to ever actually use them or just seek to understand them.
He was also more Hufflepuff than Ravenclaw in his recognition that knowledge had more worth when one was willing to put it to use, and the fact he believed some knowledge had to be learned in life rather than found in the pages of a book. He also held loyalty and firm resolve in some things. He would be willing to kill for his friends, he wasn't looking to die for them but if it came down to it he would not hesitate to kill someone if the situation warranted it, and they were threatening his friends.
Given that he had been raised in a decent manner, such thoughts might have been troubling from a boy that young, but the curse used on him and the manner of dark wards wrapped around his neighborhood and binding his own power at a young age had taught him about the darker side of things as well. He had shattered those obstacles, but he did not survive the experience pure and white, his colors were more grey than they were light. In his eyes, light could not exist without darkness, and darkness served its purpose as well though it must never consume the light.
Harry had chosen to be grey from a very early age on, and though he might act in a more Light-side manner usually than dark or grey, once push came to shove it would not be stunners that he would be throwing. Enemies were obstacles, and obstacles were made to be destroyed. Woe to the vanquished, he thought to himself grimly as his thoughts came to roam about the people awaiting at the castle, and the deeds they'd already committed.
End Chapter
A/N: Alright, next chapter should get past the sorting and start the lessons. I am not planning to play out the whole sorting scene, it has been written many times in many ways, but I do plan to write a bit. I just don't plan to make a huge production of it. Beyond that, Harry's year at Hogwarts will begin and some of the reactions will start to show.
I focus more on Harry in this story than in some of my other stories, not showing how people elsewhere are acting and reacting, but I hope there's a decent feel of things living in the background as well despite that.
daithi4377, you've been reviewing a lot of my stories chapter by chapter. It's pretty encouraging to hear your thoughts, you are not alone in doing that but I have enjoyed reading your small replies now and again.
magitech, thank you for sharing your thoughts as well, I've seen your replies a few times and it makes me think about what I've got written and what I've got planned when I read your thoughts on things, and that sometimes helps me refine ideas a bit further as well.
I've been amused by this little bit of tale so far, and intend to keep going at it, but I also plan on posting in my other stories (like Warlock's Throne) on the side as well. Still, I'll update as often as I can pull it off.