This story had been moved onto this account from Wyvern03. For posterity's sake, the original will remain on that account, if you'd like to read it.

Please keep note that this story is an AU, or Alternate Universe.

As of 01/01/2024, there is no planned pairing. Romance ain't exactly a strong suit of mine and not what this story is about.

I'll be using American mannerisms, spellings and grammar, since, surprise, I'm American. Sorry to all the European folks out there if I butcher something that's British or otherwise. I don't mean it.

Please read the AN for further information!


October 31st, 1981

At 9:00 P.M., Hadrian "Harry" James Potter didn't know what was going on. Sure, he knew the gist of it. A Dark Lord forced his family into hiding, His parents out with some order of people while his grandparents, in his case supervised, and in his brother's babysat.

Within the next minute, he was quickly ushered into his brother's nursery by Dorea Potter nee Black, his grandmother, whilst under the withering spell-fire being traded by Charlus Potter, his grandfather, and a group of people that apparently ate death.

He didn't see much of the fight, nor did he know much about the fight, but he did know that his grandfather was some mage if he could fully contend with eight adult wizards that were seeking to kill him.

For approximately three minutes, Harry was hunkered in his brother's nursery, standing vigil over the crib attempting to calm the crying Charles "Charlie" Evan Potter, when he heard a resounding explosion, a scream that sounded distinctly like his grandmother's and then followed by another explosion.

It was two minutes later, during which he hadn't heard the sound of spellfire. Harry had turned to fully face the door when it opened at exactly 9:07 P.M. where a tall man with black locks and red, serpentine eyes revealed himself.

Hadrian Potter heard a deep chuckle reverberate throughout the room on that infamous night. He remembered it chilling his bones and causing the hairs on his body to stand in alert.

It was at 9:08 P.M. when the red-eyed man lashed out and backhanded the older Potter brother onto the floor with the following motion being the drawing of a stick pointed at baby Charles, a sickly, emerald light at the tip.

Despite all attempts by Albus Dumbledore, a famed leader of the Light, and Charms Master and prodigy that was Lily Potter nee Evans, not even the obtaining of a memory from either of the boys could determine what happened after that point.

The only thing that could be agreed on was that at approximately 9:09 P.M. on Halloween night (or Samhain for those of the more traditional and magical of the populous) of the year 1981 at Godric's Hollow, the Dark Lord was defeated.

What remained of the Dark Lord was a smoking heap of black robes and a splintered wand.

Hadrian Potter suffering from magical exhaustion from the ordeal and Charles Potter knocked unconscious with a distinct, bleeding lightning bolt cut adorning his forehead.

Charlus and Dorea Potter as well as several members of the terrorist group known as the Death Eaters lay dead in and around the supposed safehouse.

It was at 9:13 PM on the same night where Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, proclaimed Charles Potter as the Boy-Who-Lived.

It was at 9:13 PM on the same night where Fate threw a pair of dice and allowed Chance to play.

It was at 9:13 PM on the same night where the future of the magical world would forever be changed.


July 31st, 1985

"Come on!" A man with tousled raven hair and spectacles with brown eyes shouted over the commotion that was the dinner table. "Blow out the candles already!"

"Patience, James!" A woman with wavy and maroon near blood red hair and distinct shining emerald eyes, replied in a scolding voice. The smirk on her lips betrayed her annoyance, though.

A shaggy haired man with a beard to match adorned in grim brown robes and an easy-going smile almost fumbled the camera, self-appointed as he was to take the picture. He exclaimed his annoyance loudly however and did so with a grand gesture of the hands he lifted into the air.

"Oh come off it, Sirius. It's the kid's birthday!" A pale faced man with bedraggled robes that looked incredibly worn out, if the various patchwork and griminess it had. The sullen man was smiling, happily entranced as he watched the two parents fuss over their child.

"Remus is right! You can't rush perfection!" Elder hands clasped on one of Remus' shoulders. The sullen man smiled good-naturedly at the man above him. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled over his half-moon glasses in delight as he observed the scene unfold. The Weasley's were due any minute now as well as the Longbottoms.

From a distant corner though, at the other side of the room, in fact. A pair of calculating emerald eyes analyzed the exchange. Not with happiness nor coldness. Nor any emotion, really. Just a mild aloofness at the event. Harry could not understand the effort they went through in organizing his brother's party.

He meant that in the most respectful way possible, considering they were still technically in hiding. He didn't care that they didn't throw a party for him, the excuse being that it would be drawing too much attention to them should they do so. To him a birthday was just that. A birthday. A commemoration to one's age may have appealed to some people but certainly not to him. Harry just didn't see the justification of counting the years when they would go by regardless if one paid it any attention or not.

Of course, if he voiced that he would probably be forced to have a party by his parents. He just hoped they wouldn't come a month from now, the particular excuse of 'still in hiding' seemed to have run its course.

Granted, that was just him. He idly wondered if others thought as he did as he moved his eyes back to the book in his hand.

Dumbledore probably didn't, he was what? A hundred plus years of age? Didn't look any closer to keeling over. Harry would be decently surprised if he did have parties for his age. Then again, he was probably breaking modern records for his advanced age so the wizened, if a bit eccentric (in Harry's opinion), old man probably did. Muggle records though. If Dumbledore ever reached the age of Nicholas Flamel, which he doubted, Harry would happily learn how to bake a cake just for the old man.

A raspberry blow signaled his brother's attempts at blowing the five candles out and Hadrian had to bite back the disgust before it showed on his face. I guess I'm skipping on dessert for tonight.

Having had enough of the blatant disregard for health, he silently stood while closing his book and made his way to his room. That was before getting almost run over by the Weasley Clan. A young boy of about five, shoulder checked him and, as a result the Weasley was sent sprawling across the floor. The red haired boy clearly paid it no mind as he merely shook the daze away and kept going.

Two older boys, the twins Fred and George were casually passing him by and by instinct made Hadrian check his pocket for any loss of the galleon given to him by Sirius as a gift.

They might've moved on from petty thievery but the mischievous glint in their eyes did little to dissuade the notion.

Hadrian quickly went up the stairs before he was stampeded by the rest of the mob.

After closing the door behind him, he set the book down on the small bookcase on the far wall and laid on the bed staring at the ceiling.

A knock was quickly heard at his door and a mumbled "Come in." was uttered by the nine year old boy.

His mother was holding a slice of the infected cake in one hand that was stabbed through with a fork. "Would you like some cake?" She asked.

At the expected blank expression, she nodded and regarded her son for a moment. "Now I know you don't like parties." Or any social gathering really. Lily added mentally. "But you should really come down and socialize."

"They're not here for me." Harry stated simply. It wasn't said with any scorn nor malice at all. Just mere truth.

Those five words did cut Lily deeply though as she set the cake down on the nightstand next to the bed before sitting at the foot of it. No kid should display that much lack of emotion. She remembered the lively five year old that plagued their home before they went into and during the duration of the war.

On how he would be laughing jovially alongside James as he transfigured objects for the amusement of their firstborn or how Harry would stare wide-eyed and full of amazement when she would perform her charms work with nary a thought even though they were so simple and basic.

After it though, the whole Voldemort incident that is, Hadrian had changed drastically and as much as Hadrian denied it and how much she and Dumbledore confirmed it, Lily knew her son was hiding something from that night.

It wasn't possible. It couldn't be possible but something tugged at her instincts to figure it out. Lily suppressed the urge to question him though. He may have given them permission to check his mind, they acted on it but nothing after that emerald light of the killing curse ever amounted to anything but darkness, he would always shut down and lock himself away in his room where she would find him simply staring at the walls around him.

She rested a hand on his leg for a moment before standing.

Hadrian watched her leave, taking the infected cake with her.


September 2nd, 1987

Harry stared into the entrance of the shop of the world-renowned Ollivander's shop with James and Lily at his side. The streets of Diagon Alley seemed desolate. Harry figured it was because the craze of newly minted eleven years olds' being shipped off to Hogwarts had ended just the other day.

Though technically, the eldest Potter son was now eleven. His birthday being the day after enrollment seemed to bother his parents the most. They had attempted to get him enrolled for this year and granted, he would've wanted nothing more for his birthday.

James and Lily were quite irate when the Headmaster, or rather the Board of Governors, had dissuaded such a notion that he be enrolled.

Harry was still confused on who to blame there. James and Lily had specifically said it was the Board of Governors on plenty of occasions. Though they ranted as well that it was specifically Dumbledore who had rejected the request and that the Board of Governors were more than willing to bend the rules for them.

Though Hadrian didn't mind. Can't be seen doling out favoritism, even for the Potters. Of course, he was a little put out by having to wait a whole year just because his birthday was a day after the fact of departure. He figured he would just get a headstart on all of this years materials a year early. A little solitary, if supervised, study would negate or rather outweigh any forced socialization. It still sucked that he had to wait a whole year.

Back to the matter at hand, however, no one seemed eager to step foot inside the renowned wand maker's shop even though that was the reason for this whole trip.

"Well, uh Harry." James started though none still seemed to have gathered the courage to go in the shop. "I know we discussed this. At length even. But are you sure you want to go in there alone?"

There was a hesitant nod from the new eleven year old.

"Are you sure?" Lily persisted. "I mean Ollivander can be a bit overbearing at times."

Harry took a single step forward and then another and another until he had opened the threshold to the wandmaker's shop.

"Damn your stupid pureblood traditions." Lily spat scornfully yet it held a tint of playfulness. She had always thought that Wizarding Society was steeped in too much tradition and backwards thinking. She had since grown accustomed to it but it still grated on her. However, this particular tradition seemed rather stupid in her honest opinion.

James shrugged at her remark with a smirk on his lips. "It's always been like this. A wand is a direct reflection of the person that wields it." It sounded like the old prankster was reciting a lecture verbatim. Not something she heard unless he was talking about Quidditch. "It's a private thing."

She acquiesced. When Harry asked and James subsequently informed her it was almost taboo for others to know the makings of another's wand, she had looked over a book of wand lore; the tradition in particular. She quickly realized that she didn't know all that much about any other people's wands if she knew anything at all and that it was an extremely personal matter.

Only on few occasions does the nature of one's wand get apparently revealed for others in magical society.

In an official capacity by an Unspeakable if someone was on trial and convicted or if the person had passed on where the make up of their wand would be transcribed as if it were some sort of writ or holy passage.

There was one other time where it was during some sort of ancient tournament but it had since been discontinued for reasons she didn't bother learning or researching about but she had briefly skimmed over it. Something about a weighing ceremony with the other competitors to level the playing field if she remembered correctly.

She was shaken from her thoughts when Ollivander opened the door and the two adults were able to catch a glimpse of young Hadrian being visibly uncomfortable with all the poking and prodding from a levitating meter stick and a tape measure. Lily and James quickly thought the worse though they both hid their concern rather well. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, not at all! Lord and Lady Potter!" Both the adults internally cringed at the title. Even after all these years they had yet to still get used to the titles. Ollivander either didn't notice or more likely didn't care, His thoughtful face quickly morphed into one of excitement. "I believe your eldest and I may have quite the day ahead of us. I came out here to inform you that it may be a little bit before the young Mr. Potter is fitted with the wand that chooses him."

James thoughts morphed into ones of even more perturbed concern as did Lily. Though the former hot-headed Gryffindor was the first one to voice them. "Are we talking about a week? A month? A year?" Leave it to James Potter to think of the worst case scenarios.

Lily couldn't say that she wasn't grateful for it though. His paranoia had saved their children.

The aged and ancient wandmaker chuckled and shook his head. "No, no Lord Potter. I do not believe so long." His eyes flicked upwards and squinted at the afternoon sun and bobbed his head from side to side as he contemplated a time frame. "An hour, maybe two at the most."

There was a visible deflation of stress from the couple as they sighed in relief. They shared a look. "Maybe we can get some shopping done? I don't think Harry would mind us going." James tentatively suggested while glancing at his wife who looked conflicted at whether they should stay and support their eldest son or run a few errands.

Hadrian could take care of himself. He already did.

Eventually, she nodded at James request and they left together and had all but forgotten Ollivander's presence who was watching the two like a hawk would scrutinize its prey until they turned the corner and out of his sight.

The ancient wandmaker turned on his heel and faced his shop and in one fluid motion opened the door flipped the Open Sign to Closed and shut the door.

But not without first peeking through the beige blinder as if wary of any would be spies.


September 1st, 1988

"Hadrian Potter!" The weathered Scottish voice announced from the raised dais at the front of the famed great hall of Hogwarts. The hall went silent as the grave as, Hadrian noted, watched him go and sit on the wooden stool.

Harry had always wondered about the ancient Sorting Hat. It didn't make sense that it would divide children into houses based on attributes or traits a person had. What if they developed out of them during their time here at Hogwarts?

Maybe the Sorting Hat had some sort of scrying abilities or rather enchantments?

It would make sense. Perhaps it wasn't selecting houses based on traits rather it selecting based on where to cultivate strength? Or maybe it selected it based on your weakness to cultivate your lackluster attributes? A combination of the two?

He mentally shrugged, he probably wouldn't ever know, but he didn't particularly care either.

Harry thought the Sorting Ceremony to be a rather dull, unneeded and outdated affair. It would be much more simple to separate just by year and by male and female. His own methodology seemed much more efficient at the very least. Still though his attention turned towards the wooden pedestal and the tattered and worn leather hat that sat upon it.

He felt the ancient hide hat weigh down his head. "Ah, A Potter. Haven't had one of you in a while." The hat's voice, in his head that is, sounded raspy and ancient but held a bit of snark in it as well.

"Well shall we?" Harry felt the hat run through his mind and memory. "Hufflepuff is definitely out." If he didn't know better he could've sworn that he heard a distinct tone of disappointment. "Ah yes, all you Potters are anything but Hufflepuff."

That explained the disappointment.

"Hmm. Most curious." The hat remarked. "Gryffindor is out. I wouldn't call it courage. More like…" There was a distinct pause. "Desperation. Yes, desperation is a most apt term. So Ravenclaw or Slytherin. That is the dilemma. You don't lack intelligence, ambition nor cunning." Hadrian could feel a smirk from the malformed hat. "And that is where the two houses differ. Cunning." It seemed the hat had made a decision. Though for some reason it didn't say Slytherin.

"Even with all of my capability, Mr. Potter, I cannot deduce something. It as if it is on the brim of my visor but I can't quite…voice it." Was the Sorting Hat tongue-tied? "I believe you and I will have to talk again in the future." The hat spoke in an unamused tone before it announced in an ancient booming voice his house for the next seven years.

"Slytherin!"

Silence greeted him as he stood up other than polite applause and congratulations from his new housemates. As soon as he sat down, however, the mumblings began in earnest. Until an Adrian Pucey was called forward and he was quickly sorted into Slytherin as well. The mumblings began in earnest once again. Pucey was, after all, the last one to be sorted.

Harry noted that the other snakes did not partake in the whisperings. Instead they either ate in silence or the only six first-years sorted into the house conversed amongst themselves or rather spoke quietly to each other while Hadrian ignored them in favor of eating his fill. He would later learn their names to be Peregrine Derrick and Lucian Bole both brutish but also intelligent. Adrian Pucey who seemed to be a normal and decent enough friend to have. While the two others would be girls by the names of Isabelle Durand, a half-blood who would later prove to be a good friend, soft-spoken just like him and just as intelligent and one Daphne Greengrass, a pureblood with a prideful aloofness that seemed to easily mesh in with his own unsociable manner. Not entirely, as a few times in the coming years they would often butt heads on who was better but a good friend nonetheless.

After dinner Hadrian and the other five were escorted to the Slytherin common room, in the dungeons.

Snape wasn't kidding when he shared that fact to Harry on the rare occasion he did visit the Potter household, usually at the insistence of both Dumbledore and Lily. Even then the reclusive man hung onto the walls like a bat and left the moment he was given an opportunity to do so.

"Slytherin. Your home for the next years of your life." Snape announced. The two prefects flanking him on either side both the girl and boy seemed to look like they would like to be anywhere but there. "Whatever happens within these walls, stays within these walls. Whatever squabbles or differences you have with each other, you settle them here. Outside of these walls, we are united, we stand together."

Adrian, Isabelle and Daphne nodded their acknowledgement at that while Lucian and Peregrine both looked at each and shrugging. Hadrian was the only one that seemed indifferent at the declaration if the lack of any reaction was to go by. Judging by what the others were discussing over their dinner, he was older than all of them by a year (he would be twelve in a couple hours) and it sort of showed when with their wide-eyed expressions of magic. Even the aloof Greengrass heiress, although he attributed it to the fact that an eleven year old would have a hard time concealing any emotion, was impressed by the magic displayed thus far.

"The girls dorms are on the left while the boys are on the right. They are both spelled to never allow one of the opposite gender to either side. So do not try as the consequences from both myself and the Headmaster will be dire." That went without saying and the threats left hanging left them all in silence.

"Since you are in Slytherin, you represent the house as a whole. There will be zero tolerance in laziness and poor marks. There will be zero tolerance towards malicious or degrading behavior. Do I make myself clear?" They all nodded their heads fervently at that given the seriousness in his words. Even Hadrian gave a minute nod to the man even though he felt it unneeded.

Who in their right minds would want poor marks?

"Your timetables will be set at the entranceway of the common room tomorrow in the morning. That is all from me. Good night." And with a billowing and dramatic sweep of his robes, he left. The prefect took his place.

"You will all have your own rooms. It will be up to you to bring it up to your preference. Remember, in Slytherin everything costs. Should you want help with something, the older years are more than willing to help. For a price, that is. Be it money or favors. Note that Professor Snape's and school rules still stands."

It went without saying that the prefects would escort them to breakfast the next morning. They were all escorted to their own rooms, where Hadrian wasted no time in falling asleep.


September 2nd, 1988

Hadrian was, officially, twelve. Well, he was twelve approximately three hours before he had woken up but that was besides the point. He was exact like that. Something that Lily had attributed to his OCD.

Hadrian attributed to it being a neat little fact.

He took a moment to take in his room. The day prior had been an exhausting one, mentally at least. He had already packed his things in his trunk days before the departure but he had did one last check because he felt that he had forgotten something. Hadrian had even a checklist on a small notepad to ensure he did have everything and had ran through it several times before packing up once again.

Back to the room, however, it was quite the simple one. Basic furnishings just like back at home. A desk, a four post bed, and a door leading leading into a personal restroom. Other than that, his trunk was in the corner of the room. The trunk wasn't anything special as it only had a simple space expansion charm on it.

Of course, he had done his research on how to get one with all the other space expansion charms on it. Who wouldn't want a full portable suite complete with amenities?

For one, they were heavily restricted and required a licenses that were only given and reviewed by the Department of Mysteries, those licenses did not come cheap. Said trunks were tracked and monitored and if his mother was to be believed, they were incredibly volatile with the amount of magic that went into such a small space.

In short, it was less expensive and less of a hassle to simply purchase an estate.

He figured that was for the best. If any random could buy a full on suite, complete with laboratory equipment, the rate of lethal magical accidents would skyrocket.

After freshening up and getting dressed in the green and silver livery of his new House, Hadrian made his way to the common room where he found himself to be the first among the first years there. There were a couple older students as well, looking to be writing on bits of parchment. None looked up from their doodling to him.

Harry sat on a couch, fiddling with the hem of his robe. Again, the conservative nature of the Wizarding World seemed to rear its ugly head. There were quite a few things he agreed with the mundanes on. The wardrobes of Magical society left a lot to be desired. Luckily, Hogwarts had already adopted those practices considering a large population of the students were in fact from that side of the world and Lily had been adamant that they not look like clowns when out in the mundane world.

Hadrian stood straight when he heard a flourish of billowing robes. Snape had entered the common room from an adjacent door that Harry hadn't notice existed before, he stalked forward with purpose ignoring the students, who were doing likewise in the common and only glancing at Harry. Seven stacks of parchment sheets trailed after him, floating as they were set down on a central ornate dark wood table, near the entranceway.

Snape left as quickly as he came.

None of the students went for the table.

So Hadrian shrugged and decided to be the first to do so.

He quickly found the stack for first year Slytherins and commandeered his schedule.

Huh…Potions first.

Breakfast was a dull affair. At least, to him. The hum of conversation and laughter rang throughout. Owls flew in and deposited letters, some brave or perhaps even uncaring avians had absconded with food of their own before leaving.

Hadrian took a sip of the goblet that was his.

He cringed at the taste…whoever thought that pumpkin juice was a good idea…

Setting aside that travesty to humanity, he let his thoughts drift to letter that had appeared in front of him.

Say what he will about the Hogwarts Rumor Mill, but his parents did not lie about its efficiency.

He wondered who told his parents.

Hadrian had good money on it being either Dumbledore or his own Head of House.

A quick scan of the letter told him all he needed to know.

Seeing as he was the first Potter in generations to have been sorted into Slytherin and the inherent stigma that his House carried with it, he expected it and it was understandable really. Most of the prominent and infamous Death Eaters had come from the House of Snakes after all.

Hell, they had fought and killed each other not a decade ago.

They were supportive at least and had told him to change the house for the better.

He knew those to be Lily's words even if it was his father's handwriting.

The 'sabotage it from the inside' bit was definitely from James though.

It was funny, to Harry at least, when he was told their views on Slytherin and, almost always, the answer would stray to future dark wizards and witches. They were right for the most part though in a roundabout way that only the more elder of the families understood.

You couldn't be brave and stupidly courageous to be a Dark Lord, no one has ever heard of those. You couldn't be humble and loyal to be a Dark Lord or otherwise be taken advantage of. One had to have an ambition that eclipsed all others. Be studious to foster that ambition to make it a reality, be cunning, charismatic and capable of crossing lines should the need the arise.

That was what it took to be a great wizard that stood. It just so happened that those traits had a tendency to be found and cultivated in the House of Salazar Slytherin moreso than any other house.

And all these people of modern times have perverted the House of Slytherin into something evil and taboo. All that ambition had to be focused somewhere after all; ambition was nothing if not selfish and people had a tendency to view selfish people as evil and bad.

He wasn't excusing the Voldemort or Grindelwald and their followers though. Those people were just plain assholes.

Hadrian fully believed that had Merlin existed in this time, he would be viewed with that same skepticism and ostracization. Guy was self-serving to be sure. He may have heroic intentions but no one got that much knowledge or power without wanting it. Of course, no one ever commented on it. Harry guessed if they did, they'd be accused of being a crackpot conspiracy theorist.

His personal mantra paralleled the ancient ideas of their ancestors rather than this modern classification of magic.

In Hadrian's mind, no magic should've had a label like those of today. There is no Good nor Evil. No Light nor Dark. There is only knowledge and power, and those too weak to seek it.


'Knowledge is power. Power to do evil…or power to do good. Power itself is not evil. So knowledge itself is not evil.'

-Veronica Roth, Allegiant


Been wanting to revive this story for awhile. It should flow better now and most continuity errors should be fixed from the previous version. To clarify, a couple changes to this timeline include James, Lily and all pertinent characters being a little older to accommodate Harry being five years older than his brother.

Also I would like to reiterate that this is an Alternate Universe and while we'll be observing some canon events, we'll be following Harry most of the time.

This story will also be a little darker and more realistic when it comes to characters and their actions. Mostly, with the exception of Harry, who as you can see has some…issues, kids will be kids and adults will be adults, but most importantly of all they will be human. Something that is rather difficult to portray in words and something that I want to experiment and work on here.

I don't expect much bashing, if any to be done here. The concept of 'Unreliable Narrator' will play an integral role of this story so keep that in mind.

And on that note, (and as always), you can you can find me on the Emerald Library Discord! It's a fantastic place to interact with other writers and readers where we just chill and chat about ideas, future works and generally just have a good time! I don't currently have an update schedule for this, unfortunately so updates will come out when they do!

The link to that is on my profile!