Title: Of Eagle and Lion
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: None.
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.
Summary: In an act of desperation, a young Harry Potter's magic goes wild and gives him something that will change everything.
Minerva McGonagall sighed. One more trip to go. As Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts she had a lot of important duties, but one of the most arduous and, on occasion, interesting duties was to take the new Muggleborn students for their first trip to Diagon Alley. Now the only ones left to escort were a Miss Granger and Harry Potter.
'Now that was an argument to remember.' She thought, as she Apperated to the Granger residence.
Headmaster Dumbledore had wanted to send the Groundskeeper Hagrid to collect Harry. Hagrid was a friendly bloke, but not someone to entrust with this kind of responsibility. True to her Scottish heritage, she had let the Headmaster know that it was her duty and she would perform it or he would regret it.
The meeting with the Granges went well and soon she was escorting young Miss Granger, letting her Side-along Apperate to Privet Driver.
"You'll feel better in a second, dear." She said to the decidedly green looking young Witch, as she appraised the street.
In ten years nothing had changed. They walked up to Number 4 and she knocked. The boy who answered the door was not what she expected. Oh, she instantly recognised him as Harry Potter, with his father's looks and his mother's eyes, but there were drastic differences. Unlike his father's wild hair, Harry's was cut very short, the back and sides were only a centimetre or so long and the fringe was only a few centimetres, leaving his forehead and the famous scar exposed. His eyes were hard, with little of the warmth she so remembered in dear Lily's and no glasses.
"Mister Potter. My name is Professor McGonagall, I am here…" She began.
"Yes Ma'am. Supplies. I will be right with you." Harry replied, before turning sharply about on the spot.
He ducked into the cupboard under the stairs and emerged less than a minute later. He was now dressed in long tan cargo pants, a tan shirt and a black jacket. As he emerged his hands seemed to automatically check something at his waist and under his left arm.
"I'm leaving." He called to someone inside the house, before turning to the Professor. "Ready, Ma'am."
"Hi. I'm Hermione Granger." the young Witch said.
"Se… Harry Potter." The boy replied simply.
"Both of you take my hand." Minerva said, earning a sideways look from Harry and a queasy look from Hermione.
Once they both held her hand she Apperated.
"Urgh, that was not fun." Harry groaned, looking around where the Professor had taken them.
It was an alley, normal and slightly dirty. Harry was suddenly glad he had gotten contacts last year. Loosing his glasses in a transition like that could be deadly.
"I don't like it either." The girl, Hermione, added.
"You'll get used to it." The Professor said. "It's perfectly safe."
"Yeah, that's what they said about the Teleportarium until Weston got turned inside out." Harry muttered to himself. "Messy."
Out of habit he checked the combat knife at his hip, sheathed inside his pants, and the laspistol in its shoulder holster, as the Professor lead them out onto the main street and along into a dingy pub that most people did not seem to notice. The pub, called the Leaky Cauldron, was sparsely populated with strangely dressed people.
"Another pair of youngen's?" the bar tender asked as the Professor walked through.
"No Tom. I'm training Midgets to take over Hogwarts." The Professor said, sarcastically.
"Blimey, it's Harry Potter." One of the patrons said, staring at Harry.
Harry automatically fell into a combat stance as the patrons rushed in, which was hampered by Hermione scuttling behind him and burying her face into his back, scared. This meant he had no room to manoeuvre.
"All of you. Back off right now." The Professor said sternly. "You are scaring Miss Granger."
The crowd backed off, most of them former pupils of Professor McGonagall, and the others knowing her by reputation.
'Worse than a Liberation Celebration.' Harry thought idly.
Then the Professor led them out into Diagon Alley.
This was the last stop of the day. Bank, done. School Uniforms, done. Potions ingredients, done. School Books, done. Dragging Hermione out of bookstore, done. Magical Chest, done.
Now they were getting their Wands. Hermione was matched fairly easily. The fourth wand she tried had reacted positively to her. Harry himself was a completely different story. They had been here almost an hour and he had tried almost every wand in the shop. Only two were left. Both Hermione and the Professor were sitting by the front window now intrigued as to what wand he would get.
"Holly, Phoenix Feather, Eleven Inches. Nice and Supple." The Wandmaker, Ollivander, said.
The Professor sat up slightly more with interest. Harry gave it a wave and nothing happened. With a shrug he put it back down.
"Unusual. Well this is my last Wand. Alder, Thestral Hair and Tail Feather from the Italian Two-Headed Eagle, Ten Inches. Sturdy." The Wandmaker said.
"Aquila." Harry whispered as he reached for the wand.
The instant his hand wrapped around the wand it started to glow. It felt good in his hand. Familiar, like his Lasgun.
"Harry!"
He turned, recognising the voice, and waved to Hermione and her Parents as they emerged through the billowing steam around the Hogwarts Express.
"Mum, Dad. This is Harry." Hermione said, introducing her new friend.
"Sir. Ma'am." Harry said simply, nodding to Mr Granger. "Hermione, we should really embark."
Harry lifted his trunk onto the train and then proceeded to lift Hermione's trunk as well.
"The boy's a trooper." Mr Granger said, after they had disappeared inside the train.
"Yes, he's very brave coming here alone." Mrs Granger replied.
"No, I mean he is a Soldier."
Mr Granger was a retired Army Captain and he had recognised a fellow soldier. Mrs Granger looked at her husband in surprise until Hermione leant out the window and waved as the train pulled out.
Hermione felt blissfully guilty. She had her feet tucked up under her on the seat of the Hogwarts Express. Sure she had kicked off her shoes and tucked them under the seat, but still this was probably the biggest guilty pleasure in so far in her life. Harry was the only other person in this cabin, and he had locked the door once they were inside. While enjoying the feeling of being naughty, Hermione also watched Harry in rapt fascination as he moved up and down the narrow passage.
Step. Short little step and strike. Step and double strike. Pause. Double high strike, backwards step and a downward strike while moving. Reverse of direction without stepping and a crossways strike.
"That's amazing." Hermione said after almost an hour.
"Want to learn?" Harry asked.
Harry finished his Kata with a sideways high blow with his left hand and a sweeping move with his right hand which held his wand in a reverse grip with about two thirds out the bottom of his hand. It took Hermione a second to realise that the wand represented a knife.
"Are you sure?" Hermione replied.
Harry nodded as she got up. Harry held out his hand and told her to strike it. Hermione curled her fist and punched like she had seen on TV. In a fast move, Harry dropped the target hand and grabbed her extended wrist in a firm yet gentle grip.
"Never punch like that. You can do serious damage to your hand." Harry said.
He turned over her hand, opening her fist.
"Strike with an open palm hitting with this part here at the base." He said, running his fingers over the fleshy pad that ran across the base of the palm from the bottom of the thumb to the other side of the palm. "If you do use a fist then use this part."
This time he ran his fingers on the outside of the palm below the little finger. This contact, although innocent, caused Hermione to blush. For most of the rest of the train ride, Harry showed Hermione a basic stance and a few basic strikes.
Harry and Hermione shared the boar ride across the lake, lead by a giant of a man called Hagrid, with a girl called Susan Bones and a boy called Neville Longbottom. The first year students were congregated at the top of the stairs that lead up from the lake when a blonde haired boy made a nuisance of himself.
"So, the rumours are true. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts." The blonde boy said.
"Were you taught to state the obvious, or had the bleach killed all of your brain cells?" Harry replied.
"My name is Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. You'll learn that some Wizarding families are better than others. I can help you with that." The blonde said.
"I am a servant of the Emperor, and none other." Harry responded, getting totally confused looks from all the other first years. "Any who ignores that fact will learn they are wrong. Painfully."
A few seconds later Professor McGonagall entered from the Great Hall, and proceeded to first give her speech on the four Houses, and then lead the First Years into the Great Hall. They walked down the central of the Hall and stood in front of a stool and an old hat, which started to sing. Harry waited while others were being sorted. Susan Bones, the girl they had shared the boat with, was sorted into Hufflepuff. Neville and Hermione were both sorted into Gryffindor, while the arrogant Blond, Malfoy, was sorted into Slytherin.
"Harry Potter." Professor McGonagall called, after a set of Indian Twins.
Harry stepped forward formally as if walking to post, sat on the stool and had the Sorting Hat placed on his head.
"Interesting" The sorting hat said, to which only Harry could hear. "This certainly explains a lot, like the sorting last year."
Harry saw an image of a familiar face flash through his mind.
"So she's here?" Harry thought back at hat.
"Yes. She became convinced I was a conduit of the Emperor. I have a feeling I will meet him one day." The Hat replied.
"You really think you will. I guess he could have started at a Wizard." Harry considered.
"Maybe, maybe not. It's just a feeling. I once had a feeling that the Headmaster would get pants in front of the entire school. Hasn't happened yet."
Harry chuckled to himself at the Hat's comment.
"So, where are you going to sort me?" Harry said after a moment.
"Strait to the point. Typical Guardsman." The Hat joked. "Brave, Tactical Genius, Loyal and Determined. Oh how the founders would have fought over getting to teach you. But let's be honest, there is only one house for an Imperial Guardsman, by the Emperor."
"GRYFFINDOR!" The Hat shouted to the Hall.
TBC…