I do not own Harry Potter, only any OC that may appear in my stories.

Hello guys, Badger here. People seemed to enjoy the first chapter of this story, so here is chapter 2. I'm not sure why, but this chapter was a pain in the ass to write. I don't know if it was everything that needed to be included in this chapter, or if it was because my arm is still in pain after I recently got a tattoo but, either way, the chapter is done now and I hope you guys enjoy it. As annoying as it was to write, I quite like what I have written up for you all today. There may also be a surprise or two, in terms of characters, in this chapter.

Anyway, I'll leave it there. You know the drill. I'm sure some of you are long term fans of my work who's been around since the very first day I posted on this site. So, read on, enjoy and I will see you at the very end.

Chapter 2

An Unsettling Feeling At The Sorting

As the Hogwarts Express made its way to Hogwarts, the rattle of the tracks caused the compartment Harry was sat in to gently rock back and forth, ever so slightly, as he and his friends sat together, talking. Even though Harry believed it was unnecessary, Dumbledore made him ride the train along with the rest of the students. Harry had tried, at first, to argue that there wasn't much point in him being on the train but the Headmaster, gently, said that his word on the matter was final. Harry immediately stopped trying to convince Dumbledore otherwise. Once the Headmasters word was final, there was no longer any point in trying to convince him otherwise. Harry was certain that the reason why Dumbledore wanted him to ride the train, was to further keep his location secret. Hogwarts may have been the safest place in Wizarding Britain. However, that didn't mean someone wouldn't try to break in, if word got out that Harry had been living in the castle ever since that Halloween Night. To ensure Harry's safety even more, Dumbledore made sure that Harry's room was close to his office. A room that Harry was to remain living in, no matter which House he was sorted into.

Sometimes Harry felt like Dumbledore was a little bit too protective at times. It made him roll his eyes slightly, as he turned his attention away from the window, and back onto his friends. Along with James and Ginny, Harry was joined by Aila, Neville, Susan, Astoria and Michael. As they were all chatting amongst each other, Aila, James, Neville and Michael were dabbling in the Muggle card game called Black-Jack, with Aila acting as the card dealer. Judging by their 'winnings' so far, James was winning the game by a long shot, much to Neville's and Michaels frustration.

As Harry looked amongst his friends, he found himself feeling a little surprised by how different they were all to each other. James and Aila, despite being twins were two sides of the same coin. Aila was more bubbly and lively, though she didn't always think things through properly, always making things up as she goes along, though she was incredibly intelligent at times. James, meanwhile, was more cautious and calculated, armed with sarcastic wit and brutal honesty, to earn his trust was a privilege, he also had a comical side to him too and was extremely intelligent, though he always remained humble about it. Astoria was similar to Aila, the youngest of the Greengrass sisters was also a bubbly person, always trying to make people laugh, however she also had a mean streak, so it was best to remain on her good side. Astoria was nothing like her twin sister, Daphne, who was the eldest of the two. Daphne was not a people person and often preferred her own company, so rarely hung out with the group.

Neville was more quiet and shy compared to the rest of the group. Harry believed it was a result of his grandmothers upbringing. The woman was quite strict with Neville, though that strictness was because she was overly protective of Neville, afraid that what happened to his parents would happen to him. Despite Neville's shy demeanour, he had a heart of gold and it wasn't difficult to bring him out of his shell at times. All he needed was some confidence. Ginny and Susan were the most alike, despite being from completely different families. The two red heads, ironically, were had a fiery temper, with a bigger mean streak then Astoria. The two of them were vicious little spitfires at times. Finally there was Michael. If there was one way Harry could describe him, he would say Michael was the prankster of the group, always coming up with ideas, alongside Ginny's older brothers, Fred and George. As well as his love for pranks, Michael was quite intelligent, though he didn't flaunt it. Between all of his friends, Harry believed James' and Michaels intelligence rivalled his own.

Harry couldn't help but smile, as he looked at his friends. Despite how different they were, Harry couldn't ask for better friends.

…

As Dumbledore sat in his office, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, as he read the recent headline on the front page of the newest issue of the Daily Prophet. The newspapers beautifully calligraphy practically screamed to its audience with what was written in black ink.

Failed Break-In Attempt At Gringotts, Perpetrators Now Reside Within The Goblin Prison Mines!

Reading the article, the Prophet explained that the perpetrators had attempted to break into one of the vaults, however their attempts failed as an alarm rang across the whole bank and they were quickly caught. As they committed crimes within Goblin territory, the Ministry were unable, nor were they allowed, to bring the perpetrators to justice themselves. They committed crimes in Goblin territory, meaning they were going to face Goblin justice. The Prophet explained that nothing was stolen, however the Goblins refused to comment on what the perpetrators were trying to steal. Dumbledore, however, knew. After all, the vault they tried to break into, Vault 713, was the same vault Dumbledore had Hagrid go into a the previous week and retrieve the Philosophers Stone. Knowing what the Philosophers Stone was capable of, Dumbledore theorised Voldemort would try to get his hands on it, to restore his body, because of this reasoning, Dumbledore decided to keep the Stone within a secluded section of the castle. The article in the Daily Prophet confirmed those theories.

Voldemort was a lot smarter than most gave him credit for, so Dumbledore had no doubts that, sooner or later, he would figure out where the Stone was, which is why Dumbledore set up necessary defences to make sure that never happened, should the Dark Lord send someone to retrieve it. Dumbledore could only hope that Harry was kept away from it all. The Headmaster didn't want the boy getting involved.

It would be a long time until he was ready to face Voldemort and any of his Death Eaters.

…

By the time the Hogwarts Expressed stopped at its destination, the sky was black, a sprinkle of stars dotting the darkness, as the moon began to rise, as the students, now dressed in their school robes, got off the train, they were greeted by the Groundskeeper of Hogwarts, Rubeus Hagrid. Harry couldn't help but smile when he saw Hagrid arrive, to greet the new First Years. The jolly Half-Giant was always fun to be around, though Harry thought his cooking skills could do with some improvement. His Rock Cakes lived up to their name, though Harry would always risk cracking a tooth, because he always appreciated the effort Hagrid put in for himself and others. Hagrid was also, usually, the one to find Harry whenever he went for a wander along the castles grounds:

…

A six year old Harry was roaming around the fields that surrounded the castle, not really paying attention to where he was going. It was around this time when Harry was having his first bouts of accidental magic, where Harry was constantly teleporting around the castle randomly. One time, when it happened, Harry found himself stuck on top of one of the turrets of one of the castles towers. He was up there for nearly fifteen minutes before Dumbledore found him and brought him back down to the ground, safely. The same thing happened earlier, but instead of appearing on one of the castle turrets, he found himself in a field and, due to his child curiosity, he began exploring.

As Harry wandered around the fields, he saw a little rabbit sitting by itself, as it peacefully grazed the grass. Fascinated by the little brown animal, Harry made his way towards it, however as he approached the rabbit quickly looked towards Harry before bouncing off, heading towards the forest. Harry immediately began to follow it, before he found himself being picked up. Harry looked to see it was Hagrid, who was joined by Fang.

"Hello there, young Harry" Hagrid said "What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Wabbit" Harry replied, pointing to the rabbit in front of them "Me follows wabbit!"

Hagrid looked to where Harry was pointing, where he saw a small brown rabbit jump into some bushes. His eyes widened, however, when he saw where the rabbit was going.

"Oh no, Harry, that's the Forbidden Forest, you're not allowed in there" Hagrid said, as he began making his way towards the castle "Come on, let's get you back to Dumbledore"

…

Harry jumped slightly, breaking out of his reminiscing, when Michael wrapped an arm around Harry's and James' shoulders as they made their way towards the boats, along with the rest of the new First Year students. As Harry got into one of the boats, alongside Michael, Ginny and Aila, he couldn't help but wonder why they just couldn't take a carriage like the older students. Even if it was tradition, a carriage seemed much safer than a rickety old boat that looked like it was about to break apart at any moment. Once every student had sat down in one of the boats, the boats all began moving on their own, with a sudden jolt, that made every student tighten their grips on the boat, fearing they were about to fall in. Once Hogwarts came into view, however, everyone immediately relaxed. Even though he had seen the castle hundreds of times, Harry couldn't help but smile as he saw it. There was just something about the castle that warmed his heart.

After a while, the boats came to a stop inside the boat house, where Hagrid led them up towards the Castle Courtyard, where Professor McGonagall was waiting for them, a scroll in her hand. After exchanging a few words, Hagrid handed the group of students to her, before heading inside the castle. There was a few moments of silence as McGonagall's stern eyes scanned the group of students, intimidating a few as she did so, before she finally spoke.

"Welcome, First Years, to Hogwarts" She said "Now, in just a few moments, I will lead you through these doors, towards the Great Hall where you will join your classmates, but before you take your seats, you must be sorted into your Houses…they are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin…during your time here, you will do well to remember that your House will be like your family, meaning we look out for each other…good behaviour and obedience will earn you House Points, any rule breaking will lose you House Points…now, please, follow me"

Harry had seen the Great Hall many times in the past, when there were no other students in the castle, however he had never seen it look so bright and lively before. He couldn't help but look around in awe, as the First Year students were led towards the front of the Great Hall, stopping in front of the Professors Table where, in front of them, stood a lone stool, where a hat sat. McGonagall removed her wand and tapped it against the hats fabric, where it immediately came to life and broke out into song.

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty, But don't judge on what you see, I'll eat myself if you can find A smarter hat than me,

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve and chivalry,

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin,

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means,

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

As the Professors and other students gave the hat a round of applause, Harry couldn't help but raise his eyebrow. Whenever he was in Dumbledore's office, he and the Sorting Hat had a few conversations. Whilst the Sorting Hat was many things, a good singer was not one of them. Harry had a feeling his gravelly voice was partly the reason for it. Unrolling the scroll in her hands, McGonagall picked up the Sorting Hat, before addressing the rest of the students.

"Now, I will call each of you up, one by one" She said "You will sit down on the stool, I will place the Sorting Hat on your head and you will be sorted into your House"

The Sorting then began. Harry applauded loudly, when his friends went up and were sorted into their Houses. Aila went to Hufflepuff, whilst James went to Slytherin, which made sense to Harry. He couldn't imagine them anywhere else. Susan also went to Hufflepuff and Michael went to Ravenclaw. The Sorting Hat seemed indecisive when it came to Astoria, but she eventually went into Slytherin, alongside James, and Neville went to Gryffindor, much to Neville's shock.

As the Sorting went on, Harry felt someone looking at him. He could practically feel their gaze burning his soul. Looking towards the Professors Table, where Harry saw a man he hadn't seen before. He must've been a new teacher. Harry recalled Dumbledore mentioning that he needed to find a new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, after Professor Alius resigned. This new Professor was bald, and wore purple and black robes. Harry turned his attention away from the man. He wasn't sure why the man was staring at him, but it made Harry feel more than a little uncomfortable.

"Harry Potter!" McGonagall called out, reading his name from the scroll

Immediately, Harry heard excited whispers coming from all the other students in the Great Hall, as each one tried to get a good look at the Boy-Who-Lived. He wasn't sure what they were saying, though he had an idea. Choosing to ignore them for the moment, Harry walked up to the stool, his attention turning to the Sorting Hat, as he remembered a conversation he had with Dumbledore the previous day.

…

Dumbledore had called Harry up to his office, as he noticed the boy seemed worried about something, like something was bothering him. He was more then concerned when Harry shuffled into his office and took a seat in the chair opposite his desk. Dumbledore didn't know what was going on, but it was clear the boy wasn't himself today.

"Are you okay Harry?" Dumbledore asked "I've noticed you seem to be a little tense, like something is bothering you…is there something wrong?"

"I'm fine…it's just…I'm worried about my Sorting" Harry replied nervously "I…I want to make you proud…and I want to make my parents proud…would they be proud of me if I was in a House that wasn't Gryffindor?"

Dumbledore leant back in his seat, as he now understood why Harry seemed so tense. Over the past year, Harry had read more about his family history. According to the family records, most of the Potters were Gryffindors during their time at Hogwarts. There were also a large majority of Potters who went into Slytherin, as well as the occasional Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. However, despite this, most of the Potter Family had been in Gryffindor. In fact, it had been nearly two centuries since there was a Potter who wasn't a Gryffindor, so Dumbledore could see why Harry would be nervous about ending up somewhere else.

"Harry…." Dumbledore said, in a gentle tone "You shouldn't be nervous…a House is a House…they don't define who we are…it doesn't matter if you are a Gryffindor, a Hufflepuff, a Ravenclaw, or a Slytherin, I know your parents would be proud of you, no matter which House you end up in, just like I will always be proud of you"

…

Shaking the cobwebs from his head, Harry sat down on the stool, allowing McGonagall to place the Sorting Hat on his head. As soon as the fabric, brushed against his skin, Harry felt a tingling sensation in the back of his skull. It lasted for a few seconds, before it faded and everything went back to normal.

"HA!" The Sorting Hat suddenly yelled out, startling Harry, McGonagall and everyone else in the Great Hall from the sudden outburst "Well, well, well…I have been looking forward to this day, for a long time Mr Potter, I am so happy to be Sorting you, at last…and I must say, you have an interesting mind…I can see you excelling in any of the four Houses…I can sense courage, intelligence, loyalty and ambition all at once…you have the four Founders in a squabble, with each one demanding, or should I say, shouting at me to place you in their House, under their guidance…however, looking deeper, things become clearer…your devotion and loyalty to your friends would make you a welcome, and worthy edition to Hufflepuff, under Helga's guidance, but, your thirst for knowledge will definitely be quenched should you be placed under Rowena's care and guidance, in Ravenclaw…hmmm….yes….I see now….I know exactly where you belong, so I welcome you Harry Potter to…RAVENCLAW!"

The students sat at the Ravenclaw Table jumped to their feet as they cheered and applauded, ecstatic to have bagged the Boy-Who-Lived, as Harry got up from his seat and made his way over, the lapels of his robes, and his tie changing to the blue and silver colours representing Ravenclaw House, with the Ravenclaw Crest being displayed on the right side of his robes. Harry took a seat next to Michael, as he looked up to the Professors table, where he saw Dumbledore smiling at him, which made Harry smile in return, as the Headmaster gave him a subtle wink. Head of Ravenclaw House, Professor Flitwick also had a massive smile on his face, ecstatic to have the son of two of his favourite students in his House. Once everyone in the Great Hall calmed down, the Sorting continued where Ginny, being one of the final students to be Sorted, ended up in Gryffindor. Though no one was surprised. Every Weasley, thus far, had gone into Gryffindor.

Once all the students were Sorted and everyone was patiently waiting for the feast to begin, Dumbledore stood up, clapping his hands together, gaining everyone's attention.

"Before the feast begins, I wish to make a few announcements" He said "Firstly, as I warn you every year, the Forbidden Forest is, as the name states, is strictly forbidden to all students, it is full of dangerous creatures and we do not wish to see any of you get severely injured…secondly, the third floor corridors are also out of bounds to all students as well, there is some important work happening that us professors don't want you students wandering in on, it could be very dangerous, so we ask you keep your distance, until told otherwise…now, finally, we have a new professor with us this year, this is Professor Quirrell, he used to work at Ilvermorny school in America, and will be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, after Professor Alius unexpectedly resigned from the position, after the previous year, let's give him a round of applause"

There was a scatter of applause across the Great Hall, as Professor Quirrell stood up from his seat, nervously waving to the students, before sitting back down. Harry wasn't sure what it was about the new professor, but there was something about the man that unnerved him. Harry shrugged it off, however, once all the food appeared on all the empty plates, thus starting the Welcoming Feast.

…

As Quirrell sat at his seat at the Professors Table, he couldn't help but glance back towards the raven haired boy, sat at the Ravenclaw table, his gaze murderous. Harry Potter. That boy was the reason why his Master was in the current state he was in. Hopefully, the fat, useless lump his Master calls a servant will be able to the Dark Lord sustained long enough, until they are able to provide him, with a new body, and they were certain that they found a solution. His master had received word that the Philosophers Stone, a magical artefact capable of granting immortality was hidden inside one of Gringotts vaults. The Dark Lord had sent some of his unmarked followers to retrieve it, but their attempts were unsuccessful and they found themselves locked up in the Goblin Prison Mines, something many considered to be a fate worse than death. Witches and Wizards would take the Veil of Death, or even the Dementors Kiss, over a life imprisonment inside the Goblin Prison Mines. Then, because of the break-in, the Philosophers Stone was removed from Gringotts and placed in a secret location and Quirrell's Master believed Dumbledore had something to do with it and had placed it inside Hogwarts.

Quirrell had been ordered to get the job as the Defence Professor at Hogwarts and try to find where the Stone could be and now, he had an answer. If what Dumbledore said is anything to go by, then it must be hidden somewhere on the Third Floor. He just needed to find out where. Thankfully, Quirrell was an expert at 'playing the fool', making others believe he was just a stuttering, bumbling idiot. No one will suspect a thing, until it was too late. However, the sight of Harry Potter made his blood boil. It took every fibre of his being to resist pulling out his wand and firing the Killing Curse at the boy. Besides, Quirrell wouldn't be allowed to anyway. His Master had laid claim on the boy. Only he may be the one to kill the boy and Quirrell knew better then to defy the Dark Lord. Those that did were tortured…if they were lucky…most were killed in slow, painful ways. Quirrell wasn't about to fall to the same fate.

He will do his Master proud.

…

And that is chapter 2 done. Was it enjoyable for you, as much as the first one?

Now, one thing I'm sure you noticed straight away in this story, is my characterisation of Quirrell. When planning this story, there was one thing that kept coming back to me. If the rest of the Hogwarts staff knew that Harry was living at Hogwarts, then that means Quirrell would know, meaning Voldemort would also know. Because of this, I couldn't have Quirrell as a Hogwarts Professor before Harry goes to Hogwarts and, instead, chose to make him a new professor when the year begins. You may have also noticed, he doesn't have Voldemort in the back of his head. I won't delve too much into plans I have for this story but, in this story, Voldemort is already the deformed baby, creature, thing we see him as in the Goblet of Fire before his resurrection. I have ideas for Quirrell that has him play a bigger role in this story, but I won't say anymore.

There are many ideas for this story. Some set in stone, others still up in the air for me to choose from, so this story will be a wild, yet enjoyable ride for you all. At least, I hope it will be enjoyable. If any of you have ideas or suggestions for things you would like to see happen in this story, feel free to let me know. If I like your ideas I'll include them and give you a shout out in the chapter where that moment appears. But, that is all for now.

Again I hope you enjoyed and I will see you, next time.

Badger Out