James POV

"Now, before we sort our newest first years we will await the arrival of some very special guests. Expected shortly are some transfer students from Durmstrang, Mahoutokoro, Beaubattons and other notable schools!" Minerva announced via a sonorous spell. Gossip erupted as soon as she made the announcement.

I looked around the room, taking in the sight of the most unruly gathering of children I'd ever seen. House benches were a mix of every color as students chattered and whispered about the incoming transfers. Even the headmistresses requests for silence were ignored. Argus Filch, the aging caretaker, came into the great hall only to issue a curt nod towards the podium and faculty table.

"They're here!" A girl shouted, bursting into the hall behind Filch. I nearly withdrew my wand in alarm at the stampede of children who barrled out into the courtyard. Not a single professor could maintain order as even Hagrid was pushed back by the oncoming throngs.

"Might as well follow them." Connor offered. Katie tilted her head towards the commotion and grabbed my hand. She pulled me quickly from my seat and into the current of bustling students.

I heard gasps erupt as everyone cleared the castle entrance and peered upwards into the cloudless sky. The colossal salamander hung peacefully in the darkness of night, its red branched protrusions glowing around its head.

"Did they have to make such an entrance?" I spat to my girlfriend.

"Don't be jealous James."

"I'm not! I was invited with them this morning. You saw that I declined... It's just... its kind of tacky i guess..."

"That's Ariana Dumbledore! She's transferred for her last year from Beaubattons academy for girls!" A first year boy shouted, flashing a camera into the sky at a Pegasus that descended from the immense floating fortress.

The headmistress pushed her way to the head of the crowd and moved to embrace the young auburn haired woman. "Minerva, it's good to see you."

"Ohhhhh how good it is to see you too dear. To think I get to teach Professor Dumbledore's niece after all this time. Aberforth shouldn't have hidden you away these years." The headmistress gushed, looking at the witch with obvious fondness.

"Alexander Greengrass! He's coming from Durmstrang. His mother owns the Daily Prophet!" A group of girls whispered longingly at the arrival of Al's childhood friend. 'He's not available' I thought smugly. 'Not to you anyway.'

I looked into the sky and for a moment I thought I spied a massive armored griffin, regal and imposing. As the object neared, I realized I'd been right.

"Who's that?"

"I don't know?"

"Maybe nobody?"

"If he's traveling with the Royals then he's obviously somebody."

"Is that Lily Potter sitting behind him?"

I chanced a glance back up to the majestic feathered creature and true as the students had noted, there, her arms wrapped around a young man, was my little sister. She had opted to travel with Al and Lou this morning. Who this older boy was I couldn't say.

"Headmistress. Nice to meet you in person, finally." He offered, greeting McGonagal after he'd helped lily descend their mount. To my very obvious shock, our headmistress did a small curtsy upon his words.

"Markus Maxus! Well met indeed. We look forward to getting you up to speed on your magical education."

"I know virtually nothing so I'm certain I'll pick up at least a tidbit or two under your watchful eye."

"That's Prince Maxus! His family used to be the Archons of Rome." Someone whispered farther back.

A strange winded tone blew from the flying fortress and a series of bells and humming voices added their sound to the air. 'They're announcing their arrival? Who do they think they are?'

Floating down from the beast were two of the foxes i'd spied this morning, each bore one of the Japanese twins i'd met outside my house. Surrounding them were six lunar moths with warriors mounted on each. They wore demon masks and japanese armor with wand staves slung across their backs.

This time even Connor and Katie noticed as the entire staff of Hogwarts bowed for the Japanese Royals.

"I'm the son of Harry Potter and I don't get a greeting like this. They're not even the emperors children, they're his grandchildren." I grumbled angrily, failing to see the point. "Suddenly we're all so class conscious?"

Almost everyone in attendance quieted their gossip down to a hushed whisper for the Japanese twins. They descended the foxes after their guards, waiting until the warriors had made two rows like an aisle for them to walk up to the school staff. Half of slytherin house bowed and every pureblood I recognized save Benjamin Longbottom did too.

Before I realized what had happened, the beautiful Izanami's eyes spun to find me in the crowd. She observed and then smiled, dipping her head slightly in recognition.

Katie looked at me and then elbowed me in the ribs. "Your father and brother are Princes now whether you like it or not! If you won't bow then at least incline your head! Everyone is watching." She hissed. Before I could, the silver haired woman turned away, walking on through the courtyard towards Marcus and Lily and Ariana.

The music stopped but I caught the outline of several brooms departing the back of the salamander.

Louis, Al, Scor, Rose, Aurora and the Scamander twins flew down together. They were trying to make as little a scene as possible in the wake of their companions performance.

No use. Ninety percent of the students bowed for my brother, making him blush scarlet at the attention. They all knew he was now the long lost Prince Rhoyne. How they hated him before. How they feared him for his crushing dueling feats. Now he was even more of a curiosity it seemed.

'Freak' I thought to myself.

Why can't he just fit in? He'd be so much happier if he hadn't drawn so much attention to himself. When the school inevitably found out he was the summer sensation artist known as The Asp, things would be even worse. How could they not get worse?

"This time you must bow James." Katie hissed obnoxiously into my ear, shaking me from my thoughts..

"I will not bow for my brother!" I barked back at her under my breath.

"Even Lily has lowered herself. Do you think you are exempt from—"

"No no! Please everyone! None of that! I've been to the school before as just Albus Peverell, save your enthusiasm for the new comers!" He shouted, startling the onlookers. He pointed a hand towards the Japanese twins and Dumbledore's niece where Lily and the Italian Prince stood also. The crowd began to cheer eagerly and Al was happy to be back in the shadows once more, slipping discreetly into the throng of students with Scor and the others.

"Why don't we bow for the Scamanders?" I asked as we all began to file back into the great hall. Longbottom looked at me in curious confusion.

"Their grandfather is Arcanis Hecate the supreme mugwump." He began. As though that were explanation enough.

"Aren't the Hecates the royal house of Nature?"

See even I am learning!

"Yes, but Arcanis is a twin, born four minutes after his brother Hermeus. Since Hermeus has no children, the principality will make its way to Luna Lovegood or directly to Lorc and Ly… but not until Hermeus dies."

Katie physically spat into the space in front of her, her vitriol apparent in the gesture. "I haaaate that man. He should be shot or hanged or both for his treason. Hermeus began supporting the British ministry as soon as it fell under the control of Voldemort. It was Hermeus and Augustin Valois's father that tried to lend legitimacy to Tom Riddle's government even before the purge was finished. Even while Voldemorts rats were lining up loyalists and killing them against the walls of White hall. Rather awkward for the French scum when your father kicked the dark lords ass and restored the rightful government to power." My girlfriend explained.

Her aunt, uncle and mother were muggle born and had sought refuge in France upon the fall of the ministry to the Dark Lord…

"So it was Hermeus who refused them sanctuary… Hermeus who had them turned back over for torture?" I asked, watching her nod her head in disgust. I put my arm around her and felt her hand tighten over mine.

"Arcanis did everything he could to oppose his brother, and finally took over the ICW when the elections were next held. This was after the war ended and the purebloods lost."

Longbottom wasn't a particularly bright student, but he was more up to date on current affairs than I.

After the first years were sorted, the deputy headmaster made the announcement that the new transfer students were to be sorted next.

"Ariana Dumbledore!"

The elegant woman strode forward and sat with a smile. No sooner had the sorting hat hovered to within five inches of her head did it cry out the word:

"RAVENCLAW!"

An explosion of cheering as the entire hall erupted into a frenzy of elation. The radiant witch however did not move to her table, she merely waited on the dais for her fellow newcomers to be sorted next.

"Alexander Raven Drake Greengrass" The professor called. Again the hat barely reached the pretty wizards head before it shouted:

"SLYTHERIN!"

Less cheering although the excitement of the night had many of the other houses joining in their applause.

"Prince Markus Maxus!"

This time the hat did reach the transferee's head and waited a good long moment before announcing its decision of:

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"WOOOO!" I cheered, happy that there might be one fewer Slytherin. The two transferees on the dais laid welcoming hands on the Italian when he stepped back into line with them.

'How do they all know each other?' I wondered to myself. 'The Carnival maybe?'

"His excellence the marquis Izanagi Muramasa!"

Quiet overtook the room once more. The hall had taken up a rhythm of cheerful din followed by silent apprehension as the energy of excitement ebbed and flowed for each name.

The hat hovered over the short silver hair of the Japanese royal and to my wonderful surprise blasted:

"GRYFFINDOR!"

His twin looked surprised but smiled at him when he turned back to face her.

"Her excellence the marquise Izanami Muramasa!"

The hat did not leave the professors hand before the word "Slytherin!" was called. The beautiful girl pursed her lips and tilted one shoulder upwards as if to say 'of course darlings, where else.'

A heat rose in my collar when again she found my face in the crowd. She winked at me this time, and I forced myself to look away.

"Well, if you would all take your seats, the Headmistress has some announcements to make…" The professor broke off when he noticed that every newly sorted transfer student moved in a straight line for the Slytherin table, finding seats as close to or across from Al as they could. Al and Scor were surrounded already by Louis, Rose, the Scamanders and Aurora and now the newcomers also. The entire hall went wide eyed at the obvious disinterest in their respective houses. They had traveled together, knew each other from outside the walls of the school. They were already a weird freaky little house it seemed. Albus blushed when he realized what was happening, how many close friends he had gained over the years. Their loyalty was rather something… even I had to admit.

"As I was saying. This year at Hogwarts will be a special one! We have a few new teachers joining us from…"