Chapter 3: Growing up at Hogwarts
(Harry is 8 years old)
"Let's go Draco. But you need to be quiet, we don't want Uncle Sirius to wake up." Harry whispered as he and Draco Malfoy, with water balloons in hand, crept up to the couch where Sirius fell asleep. Harry gave Draco their signal and both boys launched their balloons at their target. "AHHHHHHH!" Sirius jumped up, soaking wet and glared at the two laughing boys, "Who would prank the mighty padfoot?! This means war." He smirked as he pulled out his wand. The two 8 year olds stopped laughing and immediately bolted out the portrait into the hallway. "Quick we need to find Uncle Sev, he'll save us." Draco said as he led Harry to the dungeons with a black grim running behind them. The boys got to Severus's rooms and immediately dove behind the couch. Severus was on his favorite chair reading when he saw a blur of black and blonde hair dive behind his couch and black grim not too far behind them. He just raised his eyebrow at Sirius who transformed and had his wand at the ready, "Do I even want to ask mutt?" Sirius huffed, "Our godsons threw water balloons at me…while I was sleeping! Sev I was defenseless!" He whined dramatically. Severus smirked and stalked towards the couch, "You know Sirius I know two boys who would look fabulous with some new hair." and with a wave of his wand Severus changed the boy's hair to a bright pink with purple stripes. "Ah Uncle Sev, why did you take his side?" Harry pouted, "You're no fun." Draco laughed and said, "We do look funny though. Maybe we can take a picture and send it to Fred and George. Harry just high fived his pink haired partner and the boys went to find a camera and some parchment.
Severus and Sirius both watched the moment with amusement dancing in their eyes. "Who would have thought a Potter and a Malfoy would be friends." Sirius mused. Severus looked at him, "I don't think anyone could have predicted that or a Malfoy being friends with Weasleys. I am glad after Lucius and Narcissa were found guilty of their crimes I was allowed to take Draco in. Growing up in Hogwarts with Harry is the best thing for him. I can't even imagine the type of boy he'd be if he was living with his parents." Severus shuddered. "A miserable pure blood." Sirius said in a haunted voice as he thought about his childhood.
Harry and Draco had become fast friends when they met as toddlers. Draco came to live with Severus when he was two years old and when Severus taught, Sirius watched both boys. Once the two boys turned five their guardians enrolled them in a wizarding elementary school where they met other magical children, both pureblood and half blood. The boys were close friends with Neville Longbottom, the Weasley children (especially their three youngest boys), Susan Bones, and the Greengrass girls. Harry and Draco also loved their cousin Nymphadora Tonks. They loved growing up at Hogwarts with their unique family. Even though both boys had no parents they had a grandfather in Albus, a grandmother in MInerva, and many aunts and uncles in the professors, Sirius, and Remus. Their family taught them magical theory since they were too young to have a wand but they loved learning anything they could ("I think we are raising Ravenclaws" Filius would say excitedly when the boys were excited about something they learned)
The boys decided to leave their uncles in the dungeon and went to search for their grammy. Since it was the middle of the summer, the professors had more free time so the boys spent a lot of time with their family members. They found their grammy in the head office with her husband. "Hi boys! Love the hair." Albus chuckled. "Who did you prank this time?" Minerva asked. "Us prank someone?" Harry asked, feigning innocence. 'Yeah Grammy, you know us…sweet and innocent. Just ask Uncle Sirius, he'll agree with us." Draco smiled and both boys gave their best puppy dog eyes. Minerva rolled her eyes and Albus's eyes twinkled with amusement."So your Uncle Sirius is the one to blame for your new hair color?" She asked. "Well uh no." Harry told her. "It was actually Uncle Sev! Can you believe he sided with Uncle Sirius?!" Draco exclaimed. "All we did was wake up Uncle Sirius." Draco said innocently. "With water balloons." Harry added. Albus and Minerva laughed at their two adopted grandsons. "Honestly you are the next marauders!" Minerva laughed. "Grampy and I have just finished up some work so why don't we get ready to go to the muggle world to see a movie and get some dinner?" Both boys jumped around in excitement. Going to the muggle world was always a special treat for them. The adults wanted the boys to experience both worlds to show them how to blend in if they ever needed to escape to safety in the muggle world and to show the boys the pureblood ideology was senseless.
(Harry and Draco are now 11 and Harry is about to get his Hogwarts letter)
It was the morning of July 31st and there were two very excited boys practically vibrating as they sat eating breakfast in the Great Hall. "The owl post should be coming soon!" Harry whispered excitedly to Draco. "I know! Can you believe we are going to get our letters today?" he asked. (The adults had decided both boys would get their letters on Harry's birthday so the boys could celebrate the moment at the same time) Albus and Minerva kept an extra close eye on the boys this morning to make sure in all their excitement they remembered to actually eat. The boys were asking everyone many questions about classes in Hogwarts (they had never been in the classes when the professors were teaching. They had only been in their classrooms when no other students were there.) when the sound of owls filled the hall. The boys gave their owl a piece of bacon and carefully opened their letter. "Grammy, can we owl our friends to plan a trip to the alley soon?" Draco asked after they read their acceptance letters. Minerva smiled, "Of course dragon. I was going to owl Molly, Augusta, and Amelia to see if we could plan a shopping day for all you kids." The two boys high fived each other and devoured their breakfast.
A few days later
It was a beautiful sunny August day and Diagon Alley was bustling with parents and students getting school supplies. Harry and Draco buzzed around with excitement as their Grammy looked on with amusement. "Boys calm down, we are a little early because we need to head to the bank before we meet everyone at Flourish and Blotts." she said to them. "Okay Grammy" both boys said as they walked a few steps ahead of Minerva plotting their latest prank for Sirius and Remus. The boys loved visiting the bank because they loved the cart rides and for some unknown reason the goblins loved the mischievous duo. Once the trio finished their business with the goblins, they made their way to the bookstore to meet their friends.
"Hey squirts!" a pink haired Nymphadora Tonks called out as she saw her cousins approaching. "Hi Dora!" Harry said. "Are you ready for your last year at Hogwarts?" Draco asked. "I'm excited to be able to join the aurors after graduation but I'll miss pulling pranks with you guys." Dora said. Pretty soon the Weasleys, Bones, and Longbottoms came and the adults allowed the kids to split up. Harry, Draco, Ron, Neville, Susan, and Ginny decided to check out the quidditch store first because they all wanted to see the new Nimbus 2000. "Wow," Ron gasped. "Such a beautiful broom." Susan and Ginny admired. "I wish first years were allowed a broom." Harry sighed. "What a shame to not be able to show off our talents on a broom like this." Draco said. Neville was the only one of the group not obsessed with flying so he dragged his friends out of the shop and said, "Come on guys, we need to get our supplies before we have to meet back with everyone else at Ollivanders." The other five gave one last longing look at the broom before heading to Madam Malkins to get fitted for robes. Ginny watched the others with sad eyes. "Don't worry Gin, you'll be at Hogwarts with us next year. We promise to write lots of letters to you and Luna this year." Draco told the young red head. Ginny smiled at her friend, "I know. But I'll miss you guys a lot." The others hugged her. "How about we go look at the pet store. Seeing all the animals always cheers you up." Ron suggested as he threw his arm around his sister's shoulder. Ginny agreed and all the kids left with their new robes towards the magical menagerie. The only ones who got a pet were Harry and Susan. Harry got a beautiful snowy owl, who he named Hedwig, and Susan got a gray british shorthair cat, who she named Pearl. Neville already had an eagle owl , Loki, Ron had their family owl, Errol, and Draco had his own black cat, Shadow. "Do you think we have time to go back to the bookstore?" Harry asked. "No more books, you bookworm. You have enough at home!" Draco said as he dragged his brother in all but blood away from the bookstore. "Let's go get our potions ingredients before getting our wands." Neville suggested.
A little while later the kids were back with their guardians and the five eleven year olds were practically bouncing as they entered Ollivanders. "Ah what a group. I have been expecting all of you" Mr. Ollivander said as he looked over the quintet, "I remember selling all your parents their wands when they were young students like yourselves. How about we start with the young lady first?" Susan nervously stepped up and stuck her right arm out to be measured. It took Ollivander five minutes to find the perfect match for Susuan, an eight inch english oak wand with a core of unicorn hair. Ron was next (Molly has her own books that deal with household chores, recipes, and tips for raising children in this world and she is very successful) and he got a nine inch wood made from cherry wood with a dragon heartstring as its core. Draco was able to find his wand, a nine inch wand made from dogwood with a unicorn hair core, quickly like the other two. Neville and Harry took longer than the other three to find their wands. Both were feeling hopeless after thirty minutes before they both found their wands. Neville's wand was ten inches long, made from chestnut wood with a dual core of unicron hair and dittany stalk. Harry's wand was ten inches long made from holly wood with the dual cores of phoenix feathers and basilisk venom. "I have never sold a wand with dual cores. Selling two in one day is amazing. I expect we will see great things from the two of you." Ollivander whispered. Harry and Neville just stared dumbfounded at their wands. "All right everyone" Minerva broke the silence, "Let's go grab a bite to eat before heading home." she said as she ushered the kids outside.
September 1st
"Come on Draco, hurry up! You don't need to spend that much time in front of your mirror" Harry shouted as he banged on the bathroom door. Draco pushed the door open up and huffed, "Well some of us want to look put together and not like we just rolled out of bed, scarhead." Harry laughed at the blonde and just pulled his hand to lead him to the floo. "Okay I got the princess out of the bathroom," Harry joked (Draco rolled his eyes), "Can we please go to the train station now?" Harry pleaded to Sirius and Remus. "Okay pup. Keep your pants on." Sirius laughed. "What about a goodbye hug for your grammy? Or are you two both too old now?" Minerva asked in mock sadness. Both boys rushed over and gave Minerva and Albus a big hug. After saying their goodbyes to the their family, the two boys plus Sirius and Remus flood to Platform 9 ¾.
The boys saved a compartment for their friends and headed back to their uncles. "Now don't get into too much trouble." Remus said. "Play lots of pranks," Sirius told them. "Don't listen to padfoot. Remember we are only an owl away. Also remember at school everyone is not only your family but they are your professors now so you have to follow their rules." Remus reminded them. "Yes Moony we know." Harry said. "We promise not to cause too much trouble but we were raised by a few marauders, are close friends with the Weasley twins, and Uncle said taught us Slytherin cunning so we truly stand no chance when it comes to avoiding trouble." Draco smiled innocently at them. "That's why I am afraid for the staff," Remus muttered. Draco was the first to spot their friends so after greeting everyone the kids boarded the train and settled into their compartment. "Can you believe we are going to Hogwarts as students!" Harry exclaimed. "This is going to be so fun!" Neville smiled. "No matter what house we go in, we stay friends." Ron said. The rest agreed with Ron and soon the train was moving and their first year at Hogwarts was about to begin.
A/N:
I will be working on a sequel for this story soon!