I certainly have no rights to Harry Potter, but this won't stop me writing this story. However, you probably already know this. As it is my specialty, and as in my other big stories, this shows how things go if something went different right at the beginning. Please note that I'm not a fan of bashing and also don't expect the pairings to differ from canon. However, the path to them sertainly will be quite different. I also want to try and subvert certain plots and things that became common in the fandom over the years.
For now, the story will update every second Saturday, until I say otherwise.
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Chapter 15: Journey to Hogwarts, Part II - Six for Hogwarts
At the Burrow, it looked like it would be a silent evening. Now, with everyone else back at Hogwarts, it even was a bit eerie how silent it now was. Ginny was up in her room, clearly being unused to only having her parents around, which was no wonder when growing up with a full house. Arthur and Molly were wondering downstairs how they were supposed to get through an entire year after their daughter had gotten so used to having so many friends.
Molly was about to get up to start dinner, when the fireplace flared up with green flames. They honestly wondered who could call them this late in the day. Their question was answered when Dumbledore's head appeared in the flames.
"Arthur, Molly, I'm sorry that I have to call you so late in the day, but the situation demands immediate action," the Headmaster excused himself.
"Oh my goodness! Has something happened to my children?!" Molly Weasley looked close to fainting.
Dumbledore saw his choice of words had been poor. "Dear goodness, no! They are all in good health, but something truly unexpected has come up, and I need both you and young Ginevra in my office."
"Ginny? But why would you...?" Arthur stopped when hearing Ginny run down the stairs.
"Is everything OK? I heard shouting!" Ginny then saw the fireplace and recognized the face from photos she'd seen. "Oh... is that you, Headmaster Dumbledore?"
"Ah, young Ginevra." Dumbledore then saw her pained expression and decided to no longer use her full name. "It is lucky you are present. A situation has arisen in the school, which requires the presence of you and your parents. Please hurry, because I fear waiting for too long could result in a mutiny by the students."
Now they wondered what was going on. Quickly putting on their shoes - and Ginny was glad she was still wearing her day clothes - they stepped through the fire.
Arriving at what Ginny guessed was the office of the Headmaster, they were greeted with a surprising sight.
"Luna, what are you and your parents doing here?" Arthur wondered when seeing the Lovegoods waiting together with Professor McGonagall.
"That is a good question," Xenophilius Lovegood said, for once looking more confused than anything. "The Headmaster told us to come and bring our daughter along."
"I will quickly bring you up to date what happened. Essentially, Ms. Weasley, Ms. Lovegood, the Sorting Hat is outright refusing to sort your friends unless the two of you are sorted as well," Dumbledore quickly explained the problem at hand.
"It can do that?" Pandora Lovegood asked, this being the first time she heard of the possibility.
"It pulled the Inclusive - it's right to demand someone to be allowed into the school. It decided that your daughters are to start Hogwarts this year, and there is noting that can make it change its mind," McGonagall explained.
Luna looked very much unfazed by the explanation. "Oh, that is nice of the hat. It must have listened to how unhappy we were about being separated."
"Pumpkin, I don't think it's about that," her father said.
"As it might be, there is little choice. If we do not give in, their friends won't get sorted, either, and believe me, that could cause a riot." Dumbledore made it clear he was not joking, since a castle full of children and teenagers witnessing their savior not getting sorted was an explosive combination.
"Mum? Dad?" Ginny asked her parents, overwhelmed by the sudden realization that lightning had struck twice at the same place after all and she would be spared a year of hell.
Molly and Arthur had need been emotionally prepared for this, but many small crisis over the years allowed them to not get swept up by their emotions. "Oh, this is really all of a sudden..." Molly clearly knew there was little choice in the matter. "Ginny, you remember how proud we were when you skipped a grade in primary school?"
"Does that mean you allow it?" Ginny asked, now very hopeful.
"We can't exactly forbid you from going, not without hurting all of your friends and your brother in the process," Arthur added. "Yes, we will allow it."
The Lovegood parents had also exchanged hushed whispers, before looking to their daughter, who had stayed silent. "Luna, do you want this?"
"Why would I not want this? It is exactly what I wished for, so it would be strange of me to say no." Luna clearly felt the decision was a no-brainer.
Her parents were used to such blunt honesty. Xenophilius looked to the Headmaster. "Sir, our daughter will attend as well."
"This is a relief... Due to the highly unusual circumstances, it was decided to have you as their parents to stay with them until they go home for the night and then buy their school supplies first thing in the morning, before they move into Hogwarts and attend lessons," McGonagall explained.
"Oh, I forgot that!" Now Molly looked scared at the reminder that Ginny had no school supplies.
"Breathe, Molly!" Arthur told his wife. "We call Mr. Lupin first thing in the morning, and he will take care of it."
"Actually, I will do so. This is a surprise burden for all of you, so I will take it upon myself, to explain the situation to him, so that he'll expect you in Diagon Alley," the Headmaster explained. "For now, we do have a sorting to attend."
While they walked to the great hall, Ginny couldn't help but to whisper to Luna "This is not exactly how I imagined entering Hogwarts."
Luna gave her a knowing look. "Perhaps not, but on the other hand we now get to see things that normal students do not on their first day."
Ginny had to admit, there was something to that.
...back at the great hall of Hogwarts...
The atmosphere in the great hall by now had become highly nervous. Ever since the headmaster and his Deputy had left to try and find these two girls that the hat was insisting on sorting today, the students at the tables had fallen into discussion. The whole order of the ceremony had been thrown into chaos, which led to ample fodder for speculation. The four friends, having to wait next to the faculty tables, felt awfully exposed during the wait.
"What is taking them this long?" Ron asked, the wait starting to raise doubts in him.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "They have to contact your parents, and Luna's as well. That takes time and do you honestly think your mother agrees without discussion?"
"Good point." Ron knew his mother wouldn't agree right away. "What do you think made the hat decide they have to be sorted now? Not that I complain."
Now, that was something Hermione had asked herself. "Honestly, even after you told me what it told you, I can't find a good reason. That hat is awfully cryptic when it wants to be. Who knows what it is thinking?"
"I find it weird that we talked about that yesterday, and now the hat decides to do that. Maybe it did see that?" Neville speculated. "Though we will probably still be put into different houses. I mean, what are the chances we all end up in the same house?"
"Very low from a mathematical standpoint." However, Hermione couldn't help but remember the hat's words. Did it mean the hat wouldn't put her into Ravenclaw? "Harry, what are your thoughts about this?"
"I'm just happy that Ginny and Luna can be at school in the same year as us. I honestly don't care how it came to be, nor if we could end up in different houses." Harry took off his glasses to wipe them clean. "I'm more concerned about how the other students are reacting to me. It's exactly like I was warned it would be."
"Now that you say it..." Ron knew, had he not met Harry years earlier, he would have reacted the same. By now however he knew Harry well enough to know that his friend detested his fame. "I'm actually glad I met you long before Hogwarts, or I would've gotten jealous over all the attention you get."
"Considering how you had to compete for attention..." Harry then stopped when seeing a door open, but then saw it were the blond Slytherin girl, who still looked a bit pale, and the school nurse. Both of them looked confused, before walking to their respective tables.
At the Slytherin table, Daphne, who now felt a bit better, sat down in the other seat beside Dudley - that no one sat there was telling. "What have I missed? When I left, it was only that Granger girl up there."
Both of them told her what had happened while she was absent - it looked like the teachers were doing the same for Madame Pomfrey. Listening it it, Daphne's eyebrows rose considerably. "Alright, this is truly unusual."
"Everyone wonders what this means, but some certain others clearly seem think it's just a ploy to cause attention..." Millicent said, looking to where Draco was complaining to others about the delay, while he seemed to have found an attentive audience in that Parkinson girl.
I better wait before revealing to them Harry is my cousin... No way Dudley wanted to open that can of worms while sitting at the house table. Maybe he should even ask Harry for permission, before doing so.
Finally, the door opened.
The Headmaster and Professor McGonagall were back, together with the two girls and their parents. It was unheard of that parents were present at the sorting, but this was a highly unusual situation anyway. The parents felt strange, since it had been many years since they had seen Hogwarts from the inside. Ginny looked in awe at the hall, while Luna seemed to take it all in with somewhat detached interest.
Finally, the Headmaster called for attention. "Now, I'm sure this has been an exciting evening for all of us. Since you obviously are already informed about the ramifications of the Sorting Hat's decision, I can announce that due to these circumstances, Ms. Luna Lovegood and Ms. Ginny Weasley will be joining Hogwarts one year early."
He waited until the chatter had died down. "Due to the highly unusual circumstances, they will both go home after the feast, so that they can buy their supplies at the morning, before joining our school. Thus the presence of the parents of these two young ladies. Now we can finally continue with the sorting."
Luna was first to be sorted.
"Oh my, Ms. Lovegood, please do not try to block me by moving your thoughts in such a way! I could still get through, but it would be unpleasant to you," the hat told Luna as soon as it was on her head.
Oh, my thoughts are unusual? This is the most normal thing to me. Nonetheless, Luna made an effort to clear a path for the hat.
"Oh, much better! Now, you certainly are a very intelligent girl, even though in your own way. As I said before, on the surface it would have been an easy sorting, but I have seen underneath and found more. You are a highly complicated girl."
Should I try to become less complicated? Luna wondered honestly.
"No, you should never change who you are just to please others." The hat then spoke aloud "Very interesting. Now please Ms. Weasley, then I will reveal my decision."
Thus it now was Ginny's turn.
"This is the first time I've sorted someone this young." Ginny knew the hat played on the fact then she'd only turned ten in early August, being the youngest of their group. "This was not meant negatively."
Sorry, it's only I heard others too often tell me I'm too young.
"Yes, I can see that. You are an incredibly stubborn girl, you know? And to put down any fears, you are a Weasley to the core, with all the good qualities that come with it," the hat explained further.
You've already decided where me and my friends go? Ginny wondered.
"That I did. So please put me onto the stool and I will reveal all your sortings to everyone. I bet you can't wait to hear them."
Ginny did as told, standing beside her friends to wait what the hat had to say.
"Now, this certainly was very exciting, wasn't it?" the Sorting Hat joked. "I certainly waited long enough to reveal the sorting of these six, but first I need to explain something."
Many of the students groaned, feeling the hat was now openly trolling them.
"I have often seen the misunderstanding that people think the students I sort only have one certain character trait. It is kind of insulting that the children I sort are seen so one-dimensionally by others. I only announce the strongest trait of many, even if it is one that only appears later on. Take these six for example, their stronger secondary character traits are an interesting mix."
The six of them - even Luna - felt uncomfortable so so much attention on them.
"Take Mr. Longbottom and Ms. Weasley for example. Despite my choice they also have strong loyalty that could have earmarked them for Hufflepuff. Or take Ms. Granger and Ms. Lovegood, both also showing an intellect in their own right, alas this is not their strongest trait, otherwise they would have been Ravenclaw for sure. And Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter; both are very eager to prove they are more than they appear to be and can be quite sneaky, yet despite that it's not Slytherin for them."
There was some discussion amongst the other houses, especially the Slytherins being shocked that Potter and a Weasley shared some of the trademark traits of their house. Neville and Hermione were surprised that the hat would not put them into the house they imagined to be in, while Ron looked uncomfortable at the mention of Slytherin traits in him.
"However, I found one unifying trait in all of them. One that is especially strong and has grown on the fertile ground that is friendship. For each of them in their own way, their courage is without doubt. And thus I'm proud that all six of you have found your home in Gryffindor!"
Applause erupted from the Gryffindor table and Professor McGonagall was relieved, since up to that moment her house had gotten the fewest number of first-year students. The six friends were just glad this was finally over and walked to the table. Ginny felt a little odd not wearing a uniform, while Luna didn't seem to care.
"Well done, Ron," Percy said, sounding more like some kind of official than his brother. "And you too, Ginny, though it comes as a surprise."
"Now, this certainly was a severe test of your patience. Thus dig in right away, you have earned it for your patience," Dumbledore announced, and the food appeared on the tables.
After all the excitement, they all didn't have to be asked twice and did exactly that. Even Daphne was surprised when before her a bowl of soup appeared; something she realized she could eat without risking it coming out early.
"Everything all right, Ginny?" Ron wondered while loading his plate, seeing that his sister was uncharacteristically quiet.
"I still have not fully understood this really happened," Ginny said, while reaching for a plate of her own. "I guess I'll need until Mum wakes me up next morning for supply shopping."
"Just wait until tomorrow's newspapers," George told them from the side. "Not only will they print that Harry is attending, but about the two girls who got in early. Hope you have a thick hide."
"Thanks for reminding me..." Ginny could have lived without that circus, and looking to Harry after he'd heard that, so could have he. She then looked to Luna, who was carefully filling her plate. "I wish I could take things in stride like you do."
"Oh, I am actually a bit overwhelmed as well. The difference is, that I do not know how to convey that properly, so I don't," Luna explained. "Just enjoy these delicious treats, knowing all is being taken care of."
"I must say, this was the most exciting sorting I've ever was witness to," a ghost said while flying over. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."
"My brothers told me about you," Ron realized. "They called you nearly headless, but please don't do that while we are eating, all right?"
"Oh, I would no dare to spoil your appetite," Sir Nicholas said. "It's only, after 45 strikes with a blunt axe I sometimes forget I no longer have a connected spine to hold my head straight."
"Eh..." Hearing Hermione, Sir Nicholas floated closer so that she could whisper her question. "45 strikes? Please tell me the blunt trauma and blood loss caused you to lose consciousness far earlier than that."
"Oh, don't worry, I blacked out after the fifth strike, so I didn't suffer too much," Sir Nicholas reassured her.
Next to them, Neville had gone a bit pale when hearing the exchange. "Please tell me the other ghosts don't have such a morbid history."
"Well, you wouldn't see with the others how they died, so they are safe to look at. The one exception is the Bloody Baron, the ghost of House Slytherin. Do not ask him why he's covered in blood, that's a sensitive topic for him," Sir Nicholas warned Neville.
"Oh... good. Do you know why he's covered in blood?" Neville couldn't help it and asked.
"No idea. I never dared to ask him. He has seniority over me anyway, since he was already here long before I arrived," the ghost admitted, looking a bit scared when looking to the Baron.
Harry, while eating, also used the time to study the teachers at the head table.
Some of the teachers were quite distinctive, like the one man who was smaller than him or the teacher with a prosthesis. There also was a woman with black skin and a sharp-lined face. Hagrid of course was easy to recognize due to his height. However, two teachers stood out to Harry. One was a bit pale and his black hair looked a bit like he didn't wash it often. The other teacher, looking quite meek, was wearing a purple turban of all things.
"Eh, Percy, who are these two teachers?" Harry asked, knowing the fifth-year would know the answer.
Percy clearly was delighted to be asked such a question. "Oh, the man with the turban is Professor Quirrell. Used to teach Muggle Studies, but then left for a year. Used to be quite a meek fellow and perhaps he still is. Next to him is Professor Snape. He only teaches fifth year and higher, so you won't have any dealings with him for several years. I've heard he's the strictest teacher at this school, though I haven't yet attended his lessons, so I don't know if that is true."
What a relief, Harry thought. He got some strange vibes from Snape, so he was glad he wouldn't have him as a teacher for years to come.
The feast progressed to desserts, and once those were done as well, the Headmaster asked for attention.
"Now that we are all well-fed, I have to make several announcements," he said once everyone was silent.
"First off, some announcements for our older students. As you can see, this year's teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts is Professor Quirinius Quirrell, whom those of you in older years certainly remember as teaching Muggle Studies."
There was some applause, but it seemed the older students had not missed the man too much.
"As much as I hate to say it, you better apply to the Defense support group, if you want a good grade in Defense," Percy whispered to Ron, knowing of the lack of quality in the first four years of the topic.
Dumbledore then continued. "I also have to announce that this will be the final year for Professor Kettleburn teaching Care for Magical Creatures, as he will go into retirement at the end of the year. Those having his course should show respect to his assistant, as Mr. Hagrid will ascend to that position come the next year."
There was much more applause. Kettleburn actually was a popular teacher due to always showing interesting creatures and how to deal with them. Hagrid also had grown quite popular over the years and many anticipated him taking over.
Dumbledore waited until the applause was over. "Now for other things. I have to make it clear that the Forbidden Forest next to the castle grounds is forbidden for a good reason, due to the dangers in it. No students can pass the age line around it and I implore everyone to not try it, as the punishment will be severe."
Fred and George had the feeling he was meaning them in particular as a bad example of students who tried anyway and failed utterly.
"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. Sadly, only second year and up," Dumbledore continued.
That caused excited chatter, since that was a favorite sport of many who had grown up in the magical world. However, many first-years were a bit miffed that they were excluded from the tryouts.
Dumbledore then came to one final point. "Also, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side and the adject rooms currently are under extensive remodeling and thus closed to students. Due to the stones of the castle being saturated with magic, work on it will take all year and is highly dangerous in its nature. Thus, clearly marked age lines have been drawn for the safety of all of you under the age of 19. Please don not get tempted to try and cross these lines, as it won't work."
Dumbledore then lightened up. "But before we go to bed, the school song!"
All the students from second year up groaned at this, but had no choice in the matter.
...Gryffindor dorms, a little later...
"Well, they did deliver our stuff, as promised," Ron remarked when seeing their trunks in front of the beds in the first-year boys dorm. Hedwig's cage on Harry's trunk was empty, so she most likely already was in the owlery.
First things first, however, they did have three dorm mates. While they somewhat knew Dean Thomas from the preschool and he thus didn't have much in the way of questions, Seamus Finnigan from Ireland had a witch as a mother, and thus obviously had a number of them. The last boy was someone German named Stefan Schuster, and the sheer number of times he'd looked annoyed told them he'd rather want to be somewhere else.
"So you are really Harry Potter? I honestly didn't recognize you until you stepped forward," Seamus finally said. "My Ma couldn't stop talking about you, even bought me these books about you."
"Oh no..." Harry groaned, rolling his eyes.
"Uh, did I say something wrong?" Seamus wondered.
"Some good advice: never bring up these adventure books in Harry's presence," Ron told Seamus, taking Harry's reaction in stride. "I know them because of my sister, and let me tell you: they are full of crud. The publisher made all of it up only to make money and didn't even give Harry his share, until his godfather got a judge to force them."
"Ouch," Dean commented. "Never heard of that one before, but then again, I wasn't exactly close to your group."
"You know each other?" Seamus wondered. "Makes me feel like I'm the only one who doesn't."
Harry gave Dean a look, and the black boy understood. "Yes, but only from a distance. I knew of him, but I was never part of his circle of friends. Still, better don't get all fanboy on him."
Seamus understood well enough, that Harry didn't exactly want it common knowledge how he and Dean knew each other. "All right, I understand it's something private..." He then noticed the final boy in the dorm, who was silently unpacking. "You didn't say anything yet. I thought you would be excited finally being at Hogwarts."
"Actually, I'm not," the boy, Stefan Schuster, said with a strong German accent.
Everyone looked floored by the tone of bitterness from the boy. Finally, it was Neville who asked the question. "Why not? All of us couldn't wait to finally be here."
"Well, I don't. This was forced on me." Stefan looked bitter. "My parents are as non-magical as it can get, but back in Germany that made no difference. Would you believe ever since I started school at age six I learned actual schoolwork and magic stuff at the same school?"
"Since the age of six?" Ron looked astounded at the mere concept.
"Yes, our authorities are way more progressive than this here. I lived no different from everyone else and enjoyed the modern world. Then my parents were forced to move to England because of their jobs just a month ago, and suddenly there's a bunch of dicks who treat my parents like they're morons and me like I'm magically illiterate," Stefan ranted, finally letting it out. "Of course they deny my parents hiring a magical tutor for me and I'm forced into this archaic place where the middle ages seem to have never ended and my actually useful education is flushed down the toilet. I have learned to hate this place."
Now he clearly was done, grabbed his pajamas and left for the connected bathroom to change.
There was some silence, before Harry sighed. "In a way I can understand him. He never wanted this and any degree from Hogwarts is worthless for what he had seen as his future."
"Why is the Ministry forcing him into this?" Ron wondered.
Dean laughed humorlessly, having an idea. "They're foreigners, so someone in the Ministry clearly wanted to show them who is boss. Really disgusting, if you ask me."
This left them with the realization, that perhaps not all students were actually happy to be at Hogwarts. Feeling awkward, they all fell silent while they unpacked in order to get ready for bed, since tomorrow would be their first day of school.
While the boys were left with silence, it was a different matter in the first-year girls' dorm.
Hermione felt ready to rip out a good chunk of her bushy hair in sheer frustration. She had not imagined that settling into the dorm would include being interrogated by no less then three girls. Lavender Brown was by far the worst, clearly being a massive gossip. Parvati Patil and Fay Dunbar were following her example. Their rapid-fire questions ranged from the actually reasonable to the inane to outright crossing a line.
Great, I went from girls at school disliking me to being sought after by gossip hens. Not a real progress, Hermione thought while trying to get ready for bed.
At least the other two girls, Kellah Miller and Elizabeth Stone, held back and looked embarrassed at that kind of behavior. It certainly helped that both of them came from non-magical families and thus had met her and her friends at the preschool. Thus to these two, Harry and his friends were not that big of a deal, especially since they had not grown up with these Boy-Who-Lived stories. Hermione knew these stories would be a problem.
"Oh, come on! You've told us nothing really interesting!" Lavender whined, feeling that what little Hermione had told them sounded rather mundane.
"No, no, no!" Hermione insisted while finally having stripped down to her underwear. She felt weird for doing this in front of other girls while picking up her nightgown.
"What's the matter? It's just harmless gossip," Pravati insisted.
Hermione snorted while putting on the nightgown. "I learned that gossip is never harmless and actually can be very hurtful. I won't do that to my friends."
There was something to that. In primary school she had been the target of a lot of hurtful gossip, all of it false and put into the world by girls who didn't like her. Hermione felt it unfair that she now was triple-teamed, while she had to wait until tomorrow before Ginny and Luna would arrive, both of them being very good at shutting up other girls in their own way.
Lavender looked a bit hurt. "Harmful gossip? I think you only want to keep all of Harry's secrets for yourself."
That hero-worship is bad, Hermione thought. "Think what you want, I honestly don't care," Hermione said, before walking to the connected bathroom to get her dental braces out of their cleaning solution and put them in for the night.
Fay Dunbar recoiled a bit when Hermione returned. "Why are you putting that thing into your mouth?" she asked, looking repulsed at the metal over Hermione's teeth.
"It's to correct my teeth, otherwise I would suffer from an even worse overbite," Hermione said, unfazed due to children at her old school constantly having made fun of her braces.
Lavender looked a bit sickened at doing it that way. "Why not use magic to correct it instead of this torture?"
Hermione wondered if that girl was just that thick. "Did you already forget I'm from a non-magical family? Also, my parents both have treating teeth as a profession and would feel offended if I do that behind their backs. Oh, and I got a good lesson in that using magic as a quick fix for everything in the end will get you nowhere."
Seeing how Hermione then straight went to bed without giving them anymore attention, the gossiping girls agreed that perhaps they should call it a night as well and don't bother Hermione anymore for the time being - which essentially only meant until sometime the next day.
They also didn't want to go near the bed because Hermione's rather big cat, who was sleeping on a pillow beside it, had given them suspicious looks the entire time and seemed intent on guarding his master. No chance they would go anywhere near that thing.
o
The dorms of House Slytherin were located underground, like the whole of this house's rooms were. Despite that, the dorms actually were really homely and cozy, as if to make up for the lack of windows and fresh air. However, that right now was of little concern inside the first-year girls dorm, where a small confrontation was taking place.
"Why are you giving me these looks?" Millicent asked in annoyance while unpacking.
Pansy Parkinson said nothing for some moments, before she decided to get to the point. "What were you doing with that boy? He's not worth it, so why are you so close to him?"
Millicent glanced to Daphne, who nodded to say she should go ahead. Millicent looked back to Pansy. "Because he was really friendly with me and didn't make fun of me. That's something I can't say about the circles that you frequent."
"What do you mean with that?!" Pansy hissed.
"Don't tell me you need help to understand," Daphne snarked. "And don't pump yourself up so much. If I remember right, your family is still sucking up to the big players, so don't act so high and mighty."
Pansy held down a growl at the reminder. Her family, despite being pure-blood for several centuries, had only become wealthy two generations ago. The old money pure-blood families treated them like nouveau riche and her family was constantly trying to improve their status in the community. They were relying on her to make new connections at school to elevate the family further.
"Davis, don't you have something to say about this?" Pansy asked the fourth and final girl in the dorm, who hadn't said anything yet.
Tracey Davis held up her hands in defense. "Oh no, forget it! I won't get pulled into this argument. If you are so eager to start a feud, then leave me out of it."
Pansy grumbled, seeing that she got no allies in the dorm, and thus decided that there was nothing to be won right now. "I won't forget that."
Watching Pansy vanish into the bathroom, Millicent shook her head. "Of course we have to share a dorm with someone like her. That's lousy luck."
"I think Dudley will have it worse," Daphne remarked. "Remember, he has to endure Malfoy and his shaved gorillas. That won't be fun for him."
Millicent grimaced. "I don't envy him. At least I know he's capable of defending himself, should they try anything."
Having listened to the exchange, Tracey was left wondering how these two girls could already care so much for someone they'd only met today. Finding no answer, she continued to put on her sleepwear, hoping that the night would be peaceful.
In the boys' dorm at the same time, a small confrontation took place.
"I'll tell you one time Dursley: you're not welcome here. You better believe I'll make sure you'll be removed very quickly," Draco told Dudley while being flanked by Crabble and Goyle.
Dudley knew exactly what Draco was doing; after all he'd done so himself often enough in the past. Draco was trying to bully him. As a former bully, he however also knew how to stand up to people like that. Never give them an inch and they will be at a loss how to proceed. So Dudley stood up to his whole height and made sure to show off his bulk, which was not fat.
"If your think you can bully me, Malfoy, then you're very wrong," Dudley told Draco. "Also, you've not been here one day, yet you think you have to power to have me removed?"
Draco looked a bit taken aback by that reaction, before collecting himself. "You better believe it! Once I tell my father..."
"Oh, your great power is running to your daddy, so that he can do the dirty work for you? Have you listened to yourself? That's really pathetic," Dudley said, looking very unimpressed. "Don't let me stop you telling them to attack me. I know 23 ways to calm down someone barehanded."
Draco was just about to tell Crabble and Goyle to teach him a lesson anyway, when one of the two other boys in the dorm spoke up.
"Man, Malfoy, being in your place I wouldn't dare to do anything to him," Theodore Nott told Draco. "I've heard that Professor Slughorn has eyes and ears everywhere in Slytherin. Also, he might look like a jovial chap, but harm another student in any way and you can prepare for your own funeral."
"You sound like a coward, Nott," Draco criticized the boy.
"No, I'm a realist. Dursley is untouchable. Do it anyway, regardless what, and Professor Slughorn will know right away and make your life here hell. I won't stop you, but remember which house you are in." That said, Nott removed himself to get ready for the night.
Now not so sure anymore, Draco looked around and spotted the final boy in the dorm, Blaise Zabini, being silent. "You are really silent, Zabini."
"That's because I think antagonizing someone right on the first day is not a smart move. Also, better make sure that nothing happens to Dursley, especially when he sleeps or is in the bathroom. Should something happen, Bulstrode would snap you like a twig, and no one can stop her from doing so," Zabini reminded Draco.
Draco, who had completely forgotten about Millicent, paled a bit. The girl was strong enough to do him real harm, and if angry enough not even his bodyguards could probably stop her. Trying to save face, they quickly retreated to the far end of the room, where their beds were located.
"You don't sound like his biggest fan," Dudley remarked to Zabini.
"He's only in this house because he wants to be here, same for the two trolls with him. Maybe he is ambitious, but all three of them have no subtlety at all - a poor fit for Slytherin," Zabini lamented. "Let's keep neutral to each other for now, all right?"
"Good, live and let live," Dudley agreed, then went to his bed to get ready for the night as well.
While he knew he was safe for the time being, he now got a better idea of Malfoy. Having been there himself, he knew a sore loser when he saw him. Sooner or later, Malfoy would do something stupid anyway and Dudley hoped to stay away from whatever fallout that would produce.
...at the same time, Dumbledore's office...
It had been a long day, today's surprises only making it more packed than on normal sorting days. Now that everything was done for the day, Dumbledore had retreated into his office.
First things first, he had called Remus and told his exactly what had happened. The man had been as perplexed as all of them, but then quickly agreed to meet the two families early in the morning at Diagon Alley and get the needed funds to help the Weasleys stem the sudden need for a full set of school supplies. That had been the easy part.
Much more an exercise in frustration had been asking the Sorting Hat about the reason for its actions today. The hat seemed to enjoy not giving a straight answer, even apologizing that there would be no direct answer forthcoming. Clearly, trying any further would only be a waste of his time.
Now he was waiting, giving Fawkes some much-needed attention, while being deep in thoughts over the implications of the day's events. His eyes moved to the pile of notes on his desk that got delivered to him by owl from Minister Fudge this morning. As feared, Fudge was having severe problems with his office, and even though he was trying to advise the man as best as possible, he had been told Lucius Malfoy had started to give him advice in person.
Exactly as I feared it would happen. Cornelius does not have a strong personality, and he soon will do exactly as Malfoy wants him to, he thought, feeling a bit resigned that he had been unable to stop it form happening.
Finally he heard McGonagall walk up the stairs. The Headmaster waited until they were both seated, before he spoke up. "Well, today certainly had been full of surprises, hasn't it?" he asked.
"I could have lived without all this drama, even though it did benefit my house in the end," McGonagall admitted, leaning back due to sheer exhaustion. "Albus, do you have any idea why the Sorting Hat did this? It used an awful lot of its influence to ensure that these two girls would start this year already. When was the last time it pulled the Inclusive?"
Dumbledore clearly had expected that question. "The last time it pulled the Exclusive had been almost 60 years ago. As for the why... I asked the hat myself as soon as I could in the privacy of my office. It was... not very cooperative; only said that such close friends should not be separated."
"It had no problem with that in the past... Just look at how it separated the Patil twins this year into different houses. You know something, Albus, I can see it in your eyes." By now she always could tell if the Headmaster knew more than he said.
Now Dumbledore sighed. "Alas, right now it only is speculation. I was reminded of Sybill's prophecy, and it certainly would explain a lot if it's true, but right now we can only wait and see." The Headmaster took a Sherbet Lemon out of a tin on his desk, looking thoughtful.
Knowing that it really was wait and see, McGonagall turned her attention to the other topic at hand. "I hope that your ruse with the remodeling work being done works. I know some students will get too curious for their own good, regardless of your announcement."
"Oh, it certainly is far better than simply declaring the corridor off-limits. We now have a believable reason why the corridor is closed off and the means to keep students outside got installed. There is no reason for them to doubt our word, especially since the remodeling work is really being done and no lie at all." Dumbledore certainly felt proud of thinking ahead like that, as it ensured the safety of the students.
"I still feel a bit unwell with the whole thing," McGonagall admitted. "It feels to me like we are needlessly endangering our students by pointing whoever is after the stone towards the school. despite how much we are trying to keep it secret."
"Sadly, I'm aware of that possibility. But after the break-in at Gringotts, we are out of other options. We have done everything to ensure whoever is after the stone would gain nothing from endangering the students, as it would be counterproductive." It however was clear that Dumbledore feared the possibility of someone irrational being after the stone.
"We only can hope the security measures hold up until the final component is installed," McGonagall said, feeling this was the most critical part. "Too bad a Fidelius Charm was out of question due to the stone simply being too well-known for the spell to work properly."
"There are still some remaining troubles, but by the new year the mirror should be installed. Then it no longer will be relevant if the security measures hold up. Considering someone managed to break into Gringotts, I'm pretty sure they'll be overcome eventually." Dumbledore held no illusions in that regard. "Severus assures me he will monitor the situation but not interfere."
McGonagall leaned back, sighing loudly. "All of this could have been avoided, had Flamel done the right thing and destroyed this stone. Its mere existence is opening Pandora's box."
"Alas, Nicolas is only human and of course has no wish to depart from this world. However, recent events have shaken him badly. Perhaps he will change his mind once this affair is over."
McGonagall knew the Headmaster was right, and now it was getting late, but she did have one final question. "Albus, one last question. What makes you so sure that it is him who is after the stone? Immortality is after all a great lure. Many would want it."
"Minerva... ever since I learned that Lord Voldemort does still exist, regardless in which kind of reduced existence that is, I concluded he would seek a way to restore himself. This is right up his alley. Question is... how is he doing it? After all, his body was fully destroyed that night ten years ago."
This left both of them with the uneasy feeling that Voldemort was somehow fooling them and they had no idea where to even start looking.
o
Only one small candle was lit in Quirrell's room, bathing everything in a reddish twilight. He had made sure to thoroughly lock the door with powerful magic, so that no one would walk in on him. His turban sat on his nightstand and he was kneeling on a rug in front of his bed.
"Dumbledore's ruse is proving it, Master. The stone is hidden behind one of the doors on that corridor," Quirrell said.
"Of course it proves it, even the blind could see that. The old goat must be overconfident if he thinks the stone is safe in his precious school."
"My Lord, how should we approach this matter? It surely will be impossible to even try and do further investigation during the day. The construction workers are a clever security measure, making sure no one approaches the corridor during the day," Quirrel said after listening to Voldemort's doubts about Dumbledore's wits.
"As much as I dislike it, discretion is what we need. Not only is it very likely he has already installed security measures, but it's also likely that he got some of the other teachers to snoop around for him. For the time being, we need to carefully investigate."
Quirrell had no trouble to hear that Voldemort was not happy with having to work from the shadows like that. "What about the Potter boy, my Lord? It would be easy to get him out of the way; he is pretty much helpless."
"Don't you dare to touch him!"
Quirrell was taken aback but that sudden outburst. "My Lord?"
"The Potter brat is mine. The only one who has the right to kill him, is me, and I will do so with my own hands, which I right now can't do. So don't even think about it, as that would only cause us undue attention as well. Perhaps I need to remind you of the meaning of the word 'discreet'?"
"No! No need, Master, I understand!" Quirrell knew what his Master's punishments were like by now, and he had no wish to get another one.
"Good."
...23:14, in 10 Downing Street...
Norma will give me a piece of her mind for working so late, John Major thought while his hands were busy with typing on the keyboard.
His office in Downing Street was only illuminated by his desk lamp and the glow of his computer monitor, the rest of the office was either dark or stuck in an eerie twilight. The keystrokes also were the only sound in the otherwise silent office. The bulky computer on his desk was a recent addition to his office and it certainly was an advantage in that this way he could get the really sensitive work done himself.
He knew his wife would not be happy with him for working so late, but it seemed like the world was never stopping to give him one crisis or another to keep him busy. This job was nothing for weaklings, that much was sure.
Right now the biggest headache was the collapse of the USSR. That was something no one had really expected to happen, but now facts were being made, causing politicians around the globe to have sleepless nights. De facto, the USSR was already at its end, but it was still a challenge for those involved to also make it official. It was a giant mess that would take years to get done with.
He honestly found it a bit weird that the USSR and the Cold War ended like this. His generation had always imagined that either communism and the USSR would exist for centuries to come or that the Cold War could only end with the planet being blown apart. Now it just ended with a whimper, the big enemy of decades failing due to their own errors and unsustainable economy, which was based on force and wishful thinking, rather than reality.
He was pulled out of his thoughts when he saw a light on his phone flare up.
He quickly recognized the line as the special one, which would not cause any telephone to ring, and which he could not use in his own office. Looking to the ugly portrait, which was cast in shadows, the Prime Minister quickly saved the document he was working on, before leaving his desk and walk to the anteroom.
All of the staff already had went home, he knew only security was still present. Walking to the desk of his secretary after making sure the door was closed properly, he picked up the receiver of the green phone, another lamp blinking on it, and pushed the button for the line.
"Yes, Major here. It must be important if you call me at this time of the day," he answered the phone.
"And I'm really sorry, Sir, that I called so late, but I felt this should be conveyed as soon as possible."
"Don't worry, I was working late anyway. So, what is so important that you call me on the green line?" Major asked.
"I just got informed by our contact in the Daily Prophet that something happened and the first few pages were hastily redone due to it. While it may at first look unimportant in the grand scheme of things, we are sure that it will have far-reaching effects."
The Prime Minister then listened to a longer explanation. When the man at the other end was done, Major's eyebrows had risen considerably. "You have done the right thing to inform me personally, considering his importance. While he is a child now, all projections show he will be very important in the future."
"Thank you, Sir. Our contact also managed to swipe one of the first printed newspapers. A courier is already on the way to you, so that you practically are the first to see it, though much in it is of course wild speculation, as usual."
"Even tabloid journalism and red tops have their uses. I will wait for the courier. Inform me if something else happens." Hanging up, he sighed. Now I know for sure my wife will be disappointed with me for working way too long.
Walking back into his office, the Prime Minister looked out of the window. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office sat brightly illuminated across the street, while the streetlights lit up the otherwise dark Downing Street. He could make out the Bobby standing guard at the front door and the regular patrol of policemen, who were a constant presence in the street ever since the IRA mortar attack in February. Otherwise, the street was empty. He was alone with his thoughts.
Finally, he saw a man walk into Downing Street, having passed the guard post at the entrance gate. The Bobby at the door walked forward and checked his papers, before knocking at the door so that it would be opened from the inside. Major left his office to meet with the man in one of the downstairs rooms, where they could do business in peace without eyes on the wall.
...the next morning...
It was breakfast time - their first breakfast time at Hogwarts - and thankfully the older years did guide them to the great hall for that. Many would have some difficulties to get used to live in a boarding school, that much was for sure.
The day's excitement was not only with the first-years, as many students were reading the early edition of the Daily Prophet - clearly the mail call had already gone through. Harry didn't even bother with getting one, as he already had a good idea that it mainly revolved around him, his friends and the highly unusual circumstances of their sorting. Some of the older years clearly had contacted the newspaper directly after the feast, and considering he'd glimpsed a photo of all six of them in front of the faculty table, someone must have had a camera as well.
And then there were the whispers and pointing, like he was some especially interesting exhibit in a zoo. Some students even seemed disappointed that his ah-so-famous scar was so faint and not easy to see. Harry hoped this would blow over fast, since he already was fed up with all of it. He just wanted to be one student of many, and not be famous for all the wrong reasons.
All of us could have lived without that publicity, Harry thought while sitting down, noticing how Ron already was busy with eating.
Hermione was trying very hard to ignore Ron's eating habits - something she'd had two years to perfect - while Neville was busy with writing a letter to his parents, clearly not trusting them not to worry after reading the sensationalist writings in the Daily Prophet.
Harry looked around, before asking the obvious questions. "Any idea where we'll go from here? And when do you think Ginny and Luna join us?"
Hermione looked up from where she'd just poured herself some milk. "Oh, I think our Head of House will give us our class schedules really soon. But for these two... it can't be soon enough."
That caused the boys to look up and they noticed that Hermione's bushy hair looked more chaotic than usual. It was Neville who finally asked the question after Ron had chickened out. "Are you... eh... are you all right?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Let me put it this way: three of the girls in my dorm are very nosy and I was their only target. You have no idea how many of their questions I had to block. Once Ginny and Luna are here, they can deal with it themselves, without me inbetween."
"Hah, good luck with that," Ron snorted. "Ginny will tell them more often than not it's none of their concern. As for Luna... they will wish she didn't answer."
There was something to it. Despite her young age, Ginny was very headstrong and not someone to be bullied into anything. If she didn't want to reveal something, then nothing could get her to do so. And Luna... while she was brutally honest, she also tended to quickly turn the conversation against someone if she felt annoyed with them, by making the whole thing highly uncomfortable with some simple words.
It was at this point that they saw Professor McGonagall approach.
"These are you class schedules for this year," she said while handing out some papers. "I give you two extra, so that you can hand these over to Ms. Lovegood and Ms. Weasley."
"Speaking of them, Professor, any idea when they arrive?" Harry asked, hoping she would have some information regarding that.
As it turned out, she did. "Mr. Lupin took them to Diagon Alley very early in the morning together with their parents, and they are already done getting all supplies. They are right now changing into their uniforms and should be here in mere minutes."
"Ehm, Professor?" Ron asked. "Why is the first morning class empty throughout the week?"
Clearly, she didn't see it as a stupid question. "It's because you are first-years and thus won't have the workload of the higher years yet. Starting with second year, the first morning class slot is used as well. Now excuse me, I have more schedules to hand out."
Ron waited until she was gone, before smiling. "Awesome! That means we can take our time in the morning."
"Ron, that means we should better use the time to ask around where we do need to go. The castle after all is quite big," Hermione reminded him.
"Hey, look at the back of the schedule, there is some sort of plan of the castle on it," Neville remarked.
They did turn their schedules around and saw that indeed there was a simplified plan of Hogwarts printed on the back, with all the important places for their year being marked in color and a line showing the important corridors. If they made sure to follow these instructions, they would not get lost on their first days until learning the layout of the castle.
"They really think of everything..." Hermione remarked.
"Thank all goodness!" Neville's sense of direction was not the very best, so having such a help was great. He already had enough problems memorizing the password to enter the tower.
What they would only learn later, was, that the faculty had gotten sick of students always getting lost. After finally making sure that the staircases no longer would change where they led to or tricked people - they still wondered what sick mind thought it would be great to have stairs in a school do these things - they also did install signs for better orientation as well as several floor plans. That had helped to vastly reduce that headache and as a bonus the excuse of 'I got lost' had lost a lot of its power.
"According to this, our very first class is Herbology," Hermione read from the schedule.
"Oh, good!" It was no secret that Neville had a love for plants, so this being the first class of the day was a bonus for him. "The greenhouses should be quite easy to find."
"Look! There they are!" Harry told them.
Indeed, they did see Ginny and Luna enter the hall, wearing their school uniforms. They looked very different in these uniforms; quite a bit more mature. That their uniforms also fit them so well proved that there was a demand from girls a bit smaller than others when starting first year. Luna looked unfazed by all the eyes suddenly on them, while Ginny became a bit shy and looked around, until spotting them. Taking Luna by the hand, she made a beeline for them.
"Did you two settle in without trouble?" Hermione asked, knowing the other girls could have 'ambushed' them.
"Oh, the dorm was empty, so we had no problems with dropping off our trunks and changing," Ginny told them while they sat down in two empty seats that allowed them to directly face their friends. "Your cat makes a good guard, you know? Though he didn't mind us. However, something is telling me it won't stay that easy."
"It is never easy to be the center of attention. Though all of them currently are acting like there is an infestation of Aquavirius Maggots with the way they are looking at us," Luna remarked while starting to fill her plate.
"Another of these things from you father's imagination?" Ron asked between bites. Hermione didn't kick him for it, because after all, she had the same opinion.
"Ronald," Luna only said while she finished loading her plate, but it was clear she didn't like the reminder that her father simply claimed these creatures existed.
That normally was something of a point of friction between her and Hermione. Luna was still at an age where she believed the things her parents told her without question. Add to it her personality and imagination, and her easy belief in such things clashed with Hermione's need to have proof before she would believe in something. It no longer was as heated as it used to be, but it still flared up at times, often when it was least expected. That it now was Ron who had stepped on her toes was an exception to the rule.
"Please not as the first thing in the morning," Neville groaned.
"None of us need that right now... So, both of you still look a bit sleepy, was it that early?" Harry asked.
"You have no idea. That was not how I imagined my first Hogwarts shopping to go, since we needed to get done as fast as possible. Thankfully, Mr. Lupin really knows what he is doing. Well, too bad many people already read the newspaper and shopping was a huge chore. Mum looked close to hexing someone. On the other hand, there are not many ten-year old who can claim to have their own wand," Ginny said proudly, before showing them her new wand.
"Even though the other person to do so sits besides you," Luna remarked dryly.
"Eh, Hermione, I just remembered something," Harry said. "Didn't you say your parents also get the Daily Prophet?"
Hermione was silent for some moments, before starting to freak out. "Oh no, I completely forget! What will they think when reading what they wrote about us in there?!" She jumped up, almost knocking over her half-eaten breakfast. "Harry, please tell me I can use Hedwig!"
"Uh, yes, sure..." Harry hadn't expected her to freak out like that.
"Thanks. I need to write a letter..." Hermione then hurried away.
"Man, I didn't expect that." Ron then noticed Neville finishing his own letter. "I've seen you writing it. You fear your parents could react badly to what's written in the Prophet?"
"It's not so much my parents, but how Gran will react. I think I better send this one off, before she writes one to me," Neville decided, hoping he could find his way to the owlery without too much trouble.
"Harry, you are not writing a letter to your guardians?" Ginny asked when seeing that Harry was not getting up.
"No need to. You told me Remus took you for school shopping along with your parents, so he'll tell them. I bet he's doing so right now. That's way faster than a letter and I can still write one in a few days," Harry explained his reasoning.
Ginny shook her head and Luna gave Harry an interesting look. "You must do what you feel is right, of course," Luna commented, before returning to her breakfast.
Suddenly Harry didn't feel so confident anymore.
...at the same time, Black home...
"No, Kathleen, cereal is not for spitting around," Diane reminded her daughter. The two-year old girl, while not exactly understanding, knew she had disappointed her mother somehow and now tried to eat properly. "Why can't you be as well-behaved as your brother?" Diane then wondered, seeing how Steve was peacefully eating his cereal, clearly finding it yummy.
"Proves the conventional wisdom wrong, that it's girls who are more well-behaved," Sirius remarked with amusement. "Creates the question where she's getting it from?"
Diane took it with humor while cleaning up the mess Kathleen had caused. "I admit I was told I was a little hellion at that age. I now understand what my parents went through with me, though in the end I turned out all right."
Truth to be told, no one, not even themselves, would have guessed them to become good parents. Sirius had had a horrible childhood, which had made many doubtful he could become a good parent. Diane in turn was a big tomboy and many people simply could not imagine one of those being a good parent. As it turned out, Sirius and Diane proved all of them wrong.
Hell, Diane was a hundred times better a mother than Petunia, whose parenting had caused Dudley to go to a dark place, until the boy himself had made an honest effort to better himself, and even afterwards Petunia had not changed her parenting. Diane knew the woman was very jealous of her for various reasons: how much more pretty she was without even trying, how much better her marriage was, how the neighborhood saw her as a good mother and how beloved her children were.
She has no one to blame but herself, that she looks so bad in comparison, Diane thought, being annoyed at Pentunia constantly trying to spy on them.
Leaning back, Sirius watched his wife tending to their children, his mind drifting to Harry.
Yesterday, he had felt the very moment Harry got sorted, as that was when the bond of the godfather forged between him and Harry after his parents' deaths had ended. Only now did he notice, as for ten long years it always had been a small background noise in his mind. Now that it was gone, he noticed its absence, but was assured in the knowledge that Harry was in good hands.
-rriiiiing- That was the doorbell. Sirius got up to answer it, and returned moments later with Remus, Thomas and Veronica. "Look what the wind brought us," Sirius announced.
"Oh, hello, what brings you by so early in the morning?" Diane asked.
"Padfoot, you got an owl from Harry yet?" Remus asked his friend.
"No, why do you ask? I thought he would write Thomas and Veronica first to tell which houses he and his friends got sorted into," Sirius wondered.
"We thought so as well, until Remus came to us a few minutes ago after we sent Mark to school," Thomas said, then nodded to the table so they could talk without questions from the children.
"Take a look at this," Remus said once they were all seated, putting today's Daily Prophet onto the table.
Looking at the front page, Sirius' and Diane's eyes widened when seeing the photo of Harry and all five of his friends standing in front of the faculty table of Hogwarts, even though Ginny and Luna were not wearing uniforms. The fat headlines above it stated:
BOY-WHO-LIVES ENTERS HOGWARTS!
BRINGS FRIENDS ALONG!
GIRLS CHOSEN EARLY BY THE SORTING HAT!
"Explain," Diane said in sheer disbelief, also wondering how a newspaper could throw eleven-year old children into the spotlight like that.
"I got the story from Dumbledore himself. Essentially, the Sorting Hat refused to announce in which house Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville got sorted into, unless Ginny and Luna would already start Hogwarts this year and get sorted as well," Remus explained.
"What made it do so? Not that I complain, considering how unhappy they had been they would be in different years," Sirius asked, not bothering to read the article, knowing the lack of quality in the Prophet.
Remus shrugged. "No idea, Dumbledore himself couldn't get the hat to talk. Before you ask, all six of them were then announced as Gryffindors. Very early this morning, I had to take both girls on an emergency school shopping trip so they get all the needed supplies, and let me tell you, it turned into a massive circus and I was tempted to forget myself. I got the newspaper in the alley."
"I think none of us expected this to happen," Diane remarked.
Sirius looked at the newspaper again. "Looks like I need to have a little personal chat with Dumbledore. Not that the outcome is bad, but I want to hear it from him in person how this happened."
"Can you show me how to send a letter to Harry? I want to give him a reminder that in the future we don't want to learn such things from the newspaper," Veronica commented.
"Perhaps I should have given him that mirror..." Sirius muttered, then noticed the attention he got. "Sorry, I do have something like a magical telephone, but felt Harry doesn't need that until next year. Didn't want him to feel like he's under constant observation."
Thomas and Veronica looked conflicted for a moment. "No, perhaps it's better this way. We don't want to make him think we are watching every single step he makes; a boy his age needs his freedom," Thomas finally said, speaking for both of them.
Diane again busied himself with the twins, who were done with eating and started to get bored. "Maybe we should all write to Harry together in a single letter? Besides a gentle reminder he could have told us something this big right away, we should be supportive. Remember, he's only starting out."
That was something they could agree on.
to be continued...
Next Episode:
"The Wizards, the Witches and the School"
Notes:
Here the notes.
As you can see, I put quite some thought into the way the two girls enter Hogwarts (like the parents having to be involved). Also, I HAD toyed with the idea of creating a "House Hogwarts", then realized how much of a nightmare it would be to write that and instead had the hat reveal their secondary traits (I hope you found those interesting).
I did my best to make the feast interesting, despite it being a canon event. I also hope that unlike in canon Dumble made a good effort in ensuring that the corridor is left alone. Giving a logical reason for it being off limits and drawing an age line is certainly much more reasonable than the cryptic warning in canon.
As I show with Schuster, there are jerks at the Ministry, as he could have been homeschooled, but someone at the Ministry decided to be an asshole to him an his parents. He has every right to be bitter.
Ah, and I hope you like the Slytherin dynamics I introduce here. Those won't be important however, until second year, it's for now only to set some ground rules and show why Draco and Pansy right now are in a weak position.
Another look at what's going on in Downing Street.
I have to be honest, the whole breakfast scene was written, because the chapter came up too short. Please excuse that I had the stairs disarmed, but something like that not only was highly disruptive to a functioning school, but also a massive safety hazard. That, and I think the teachers also got fed up with students always getting lost.