Chapter 10
EDITED
After a few days Harry and Charlus went to Ollivander's to collect his wand.
"Ah, welcome back Mr. Potter, Lord Potter. I have been eagerly awaiting your return. Your wand is finished, and if I do say so myself, it is one of my finest creations."
With that, Ollivander pulled out a long red wand box and flipped the lid open to show the item that was inside. Harry was stunned by the sight of his new wand. The black wood was polished to glisten under the torch light.
When he reached out and picked it up, Harry felt a sudden surge of power run through him, the likes of which he'd never felt before. Elder Thestral wand 12 and a half inches
While his magic continued to bind with the power from the 3 cores perfectly, the two people in the room that were watching him intently; they could now see Harry literally glowing from the release of his magic.
Ollivander was awestruck; this was the most powerful wand binding he had ever seen in his life. He had already met the Boy Who Lived, and while he didn't doubt the boy would one day grow up to be a powerful Wizard, he didn't think anyone he knew could compare to the power the boy in front of him was exuding.
If the child was this powerful now, he could one day grow up to become the most powerful person this world had seen in centuries. If not for the Phoenix that was currently bound as his familiar, Ollivander would have broken his promise to keep his client's secrets confidential, and he would have contacted Albus concerning the boy.
"Incredible, Mr. Potter," Ollivander exclaimed. "I have never seen a wand bind so completely with anyone else. I hope you realise how powerful the wand you hold in your hand really is. Much like the Deathwood that gives it life, your wand's cores are a perfect balance between life and death. Supple but firm, this wand will be excellent for Transfiguration, Dueling, DADA, and the Dark Arts. Unlike other wands that are Dark or Light centric, your wand is a true Grey. I expect to see many great things from you, Mr. Potter. With a wand like that, you have a chance to change the world."
Harry smiled at him "Can I have 2 dragonhide holsters with the correct charms on them, please?" Harry said after he had collected his wand.
Ollivander raised an eyebrow but did not comment. He passed two of them to Harry ``your wand being made from rare items it would cost 300 galleons and for a holster 15 galleons each" Harry's Grandfather kept the money on the desk before walking out of the room. He attached the holster, which had charms so no one else could remove the wand from them, on the inside of his forearm. He popped his wand into the holster on his left forearm and his other wand into the holster on his right forearm, keeping it there for future use. The holsters promptly turned invisible.
When Charlus and Harry returned to Potter Castle they headed to the Ritual, where Harry underwent the rituals his ancestor had performed for strengthening and linking the wand to his core.
Harry was seated in front of his grandfather in the Lord's study, where he had been called for some important work.
Harry noticed his grandparents getting nervous since he walked in. When he was about to speak his grandmother told him
"Harry we have kept a few things from you which we thought you weren't ready to hear before as it would hurt your feelings, but now you are mature enough to understand things." Dorea finished as Harry nodded, indicating he was ready.
"You have a sister who is 5 years old, her name is Rosaline Dorea Potter." Dorea Started
"Seeing your emotional breakdowns back then we decided it was best not to tell you." Charlus finished; Harry had a look of betrayal.
"I remember James telling Lily in Dumbles office on that Halloween night that since Thomas is famous they would not have time for another child, so it was best to send me away as I will be jealous of the fame, and now they have time for other children?" Harry choked as he was about to cry harder when his grandmother took him in her embrace.
"Harry, it doesn't matter if they love you or not, we love you the most." Harry just nodded as he controlled his emotions.
"Harry you may hate your mo-… (she saw Harry frowning at her calling them his mother and father) I mean, you may hate Lily and James, but Thomas and Rosaline have done nothing wrong for you to hate them, I want you to be good towards Rosaline and Thomas, you will see them when you go to Hogwarts. You will meet Lilly and James frequently, keep your temper in control."
Harry told "Grandma I couldn't care less about their precious Boy Who Lived and about my newly found sister, she has done nothing wrong to deserve my hatred."
"Good then, which house are you planning to be sorted into?" Charlus asked.
"No way I am going to be a Gryffindor because I don't want to see the idiotic Boy Who Lived every day, so maybe Ravenclaw or Slytherin." Harry said smiling. At the same time, Molby popped into the room to let them know dinner was ready. Everyone headed to the dinner table, mainly because Dorea forced them, as Charlus was about to protest about Harry going to Slytherin. He saw a smile full of victory in his wife's face and groaned, he had to hold a lot of shopping bags in the coming future; after all, his wife never left a debt uncleared.
1st September 1991
"Grandfather, Grandmother! Can we please go? It's nearly 11!" Harry shouted after performing a quick tempus. The time was 10:30, and he knew that if he wanted a good seat without any idiots like his brother, he would need to get there quickly.
"We are coming, Hadrian!" his grandmother shouted back, a hint of asperity in her voice. Shortly after, both Charlus and Dorea Potter made their way downstairs. "Now, are you ready?"
"Yes Grandmother."
"Do you have your trunk, your clothes, your equipment, your wand and your familiar?"
"I do Grandmother."
"Well, come on then. We'd best be going." Harry's grandfather interrupted, saving Harry from his grandmother's mollycoddling. He offered his forearm to Harry who grasped it tightly. Suddenly, the world spun, and they appeared on Platform 9 ¾. "Take a moment, Hadrian. Compose yourself." his grandfather remarked, adopting a mask honed by years of practice in occlumency. Harry always had felt dizzy whenever he side-apparated, and it was something he could not avoid.
"Thank you. I'll be off Grandfather, Grandmother."
Dorea leant down to give Harry a hug. "Now, make sure you try hard, have fun and behave yourself. Make sure to write at least 2 to 3 times a month."
Harry embraced her warm body and agreed heartily. He waved goodbye to the 2 of them and boarded the train, looking around for his friends. He scoured the compartments, spotting the carriage in which Rigel, Draco, Daphne, and Tracy were residing in. "Hey guys," he said causally greeting them. "And girls," he added as an afterthought.
"Good save." Daphne commented, smirking.
"So, how were your parents when you were leaving?"
"Same as always. Father's been going on about how Dumbledore needs to be removed from the school. He originally wanted to send me to Durmstrang, but mother put her foot down; trust me I'm glad." replied Draco.
"I know my dad meant to support Dumbledore and the light, but I agree. Have you seen how big of a head your brother Thomas's been allowed to get?, Trust me, I know. Every time the Potters get invited to a ball, or it's a family celebration, I have to hear him and his parents bragging how strong he is and who he defeated Voldemort." Rigel said. This statement elicited flinches from a few people in the compartment. "Not that they use his name."
"This one time, I – " Tracy was suddenly cut off by the arrival of a tall and gangly redhead.
"Hey guys. I just wanted to let you know that Thomas Potter is signing autographs."
"Who are you again?" Harry replied.
"I'm Ron Weasley, best friend of Thomas Potter, the boy-who-lived," said Ron, as if this simple statement should get the compartment to grovel before him.
"Well, I don't think anyone in this compartment wants a stupid autograph from him. I can't believe you're thick enough to go around being a fangirl."
"Hey! You need to respect me! I'm the best friend of the boy-who-lived."
"Well, Wallaby, I congratulate you for making a friend. Shame it's the only achievement you'll ever have." said Rigel.
Ron left to inform Thomas how they were disrespecting him. "Know what? I'm pretty sure he's the first male gold-digger I've ever met." said Rigel when Ron had left.
"I would feel sorry for my brother if it wasn't for the fact that he's a git." The 5 friends conversed for a few hours, discussing houses, and showing each other their pets; not to mention gorging themselves on sweets. They were interrupted from their musings by a bushy haired girl who stormed into their compartment.
"Have you guys seen a toad anywhere? A boy named Neville Longbottom has lost his."
"No, we haven't seen it." said Tracey.
"Are you doing magic? Let's see." The bushy-haired girl gestured to Harry who was showing his wand to Rigel.
"I'm not." Harry replied.
"Don't lie to me. You were clearly using it."
"He wasn't you nitwit. Now can you leave, or will we have to make you?" Draco cut it, refraining himself from using the word 'mudblood' as Harry had taught him a lesson the last time he'd said it.
"You're very rude."
"You barged into our compartment without knocking, talked like a harpy, proceeded to insult us and you called us rude?" replied Daphne, having lost her patience. "You haven't even told us your name."
"Fine. My name is Hermione Granger. I'm a muggle born witch and I was so happy when I got into Hogwarts. I want to go to Gryffindor, but Ravenclaw is a good second choice. I heard the headmaster was in Gryffindor as well. I have memorised – " she was cut by Harry who had thrown a silencing charm at her. He flicked his wand, sending her into the hallway and lifted the charm. He then applied several locking charms to ensure they wouldn't be disturbed.
"Finally, some peace. Thank you, Harry." Daphne groaned and slunk into her seat, quickly falling asleep. The rest of the train journey was uneventful with Blaise, Susan and Hannah coming by to say hello. After a few hours, the train lulled to a stop.
Draco got up and woke up Tracey and Rigel, who had fallen asleep on each other, and Harry and Daphne, who had done the same. "Rise and shine, lovebirds. We're at Hogwarts now!" he shouted, startling the others awake. They realised how they had fallen asleep, blushed heavily and quickly retrieved their trunks.
The group of friends were led to the boats along with the other first years by Hagrid. "4 to a boat! Hurry up." Harry, Rigel, Daphne, and Tracey got onto a boat leaving Draco with Hannah, Blaise, and Susan. The boats took them across the lake, allowing them to get a full view of Hogwarts Castle. Magic hung in the air around it, so thick that it looked like a fog. The boats dropped them off in front of the doors that led to the great hall. "Professor McGonagall, the first years," said Hagrid, leaving the group of students and entering through the doors.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." She pulled the door wide. They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right – the rest of the school must already be here – but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing closer together than they would usually have, peering about nervously. She gave a short speech about the system at Hogwarts and a brief explanation about the houses. "The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." she said, her eyes lingering on Ron and Thomas, who were looking very dishevelled. She then left them for a few minutes whilst she entered the Great Hall.
Thomas Potter saw this as a chance to confront this group of friends who had insulted Ron. "Ron told me that you guys didn't want my autograph. Rigel why are you with those evil Slytherins? You are meant to be light, stop hanging out with those death eaters."
"You know what Thomas? I have had enough of you being a git." Rigel moved forward to punch Thomas. However, Thomas was saved by the arrival of Professor McGonagall, who led the children inside.
Then something happened that hardly surprised him, but several people behind him screamed. About 20 ghosts streamed through the wall and greeted the new batch of students. The students formed a line about 20 paces away from a stool on top of which was a battered old hat- the Sorting Hat. The ceiling of the great hall looked to be open. He could hear the redhead and his brother conversing about how they had to wrestle a troll, whilst the bushy-haired harpy was spouting off facts from the history textbook. Harry quietly snorted to himself and could hear his friends doing the same.
The hat was placed on the stool, and for a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth – and the hat began to sing:
'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!'
Susan went into Hufflepuff, with Tracey, Daphne, Draco and Rigel going into Slytherin and Neville and Ron into Gryffindor. The bushy-haired girl went into Gryffindor with him. At last, McGonagall cried his brother's name, eliciting whispers and conversation from everyone in the hall. The hat stayed on his head for longer than usual, before it cried "GRRYFINDOR!" It seemed as if he was arguing with the hat over where he should be placed. When he took the hat off, he looked disgusted but plastered a smile on his face and walked towards the rowdy racket of the Lions.
"Potter, Harry!" Harry was brought out of his thoughts by McGonagall, who called his name. He heard the entire hall go silent. Harry saw Dumbledore's eyes sharpen. Harry heard and saw almost everything going on around him. He walked forward confidently, but not arrogantly, and told handing a file to Professor McGonagall "Professor these are the documents which indicate my name has been changed from Harry Potter to Hadrian Potter" and placed the hat on his head.
" Damn boy your natural occlumency shields are impenetrable." The hat wondered out loud.
Everyone who knew about occlumency were surprised to hear such news.
'Hello Mr. Potter. Or should I say Lord Hogwarts? I see you have great intelligence and a thirst to prove yourself. You are loyal, but only to a select few. And, though you are brave, you do not rush into situations. This rules out Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.'
'I know, Fergus. I do not want to be in Gryffindor, especially with my brother in the house.'
'Well, this leaves Ravenclaw and Slytherin. You would do well in both. Any particular choice?'
'I would prefer Slytherin. Most of my friends are there, and I would love to see the expression on my brother and parents' faces. Plus, they have separate rooms.'
'Well then. It better be "SLYTHERIN!" This statement shocked most of the students and all of the teachers, seeing how the brother of the boy-who-lived, the symbol of the light, would go into Slytherin, the house notorious for producing dark wizards. They didn't know what to think of him.
Severus Snape, on the other hand, was conflicted. He had heard of the child of James and Lily, that had been abandoned in favour of his brother. He had been so disgusted by Lily (expecting this behaviour from James, but not from her) that the affection he once held for her had faded considerably. Thomas Potter was clearly so arrogant that he acted like he owned the castle. At this, Snape felt hatred bubble up to the surface, hidden by a mask forged from occlumency. The elder Potter twin intrigued him, however. He was the immediate heir to the infamous Potter family. He walked with confidence, but not arrogance, and was sorted into Slytherin. He caught Hadrian's eye and was shocked by how vivid they were. They were brighter than Lily's and burned with fire. He could see immense power, knowledge and cunning hidden behind them. Instantly, he could tell that the boy knew of the considerable power and resources he possessed because of the Potter family. This was not someone who he wanted to mess with.
Hadrian walked over to the Slytherin table and sat down, greeting Rigel and Draco. He looked at Dumbledore, who was frowning. The headmaster stood up and began to speak. "Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!" At this, he and his friends looked at each other with a grimace on their face and snorted.
Soon, the feast was underway. Harry looked towards the Gryffindor table and nearly lost his appetite. "Don't look towards the Lions' Table. You'll no longer want to eat once you see my brother and Weasley turn into human waste disposal machines." Harry said to his friends. They all sneaked a look, nonetheless, instantly disgusted by the lack of manners of some of their fellow year mates. After a while, even the puddings disappeared, and Dumbledore began his real speech.
"Ahem – just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. Firstly, I would like to welcome a new member of staff- Professor Quirinus Quirrell for DADA." Harry groaned he was sure this professor was incompetent to teach. "First-years should note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils, and a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well. I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death." Harry and his friends exchanged looks, surprised by the fact that the headmaster had enticed everyone in the school to go there when he could have just warded the corridor off.
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself in a snake-like manner into words. "Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"
And the school bellowed:
'Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot.'
Well, all the school apart from most of the teachers, the Slytherins and a few select students from the other houses. Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand, and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest. "Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"
"What does he think we are, horses?" whispered Draco as the first years were led by the 5th year prefect, Marcus Flint, to the dungeons. They stopped at a stone wall.
"Listen up. The password for the next 2 weeks is 'Purity.' If you forget it, you will have to ask our head of house, and trust me you don't want to do that." At the mention of the password, the stone wall opened to allow the students into the common room. They gathered inside where all other students went to their dormitories, but the first years were made to wait along with the 5th year prefects.
"So, you are now in Slytherin. The best house. You will hear that we are all evil, but that is a lie. Blood does matter, but magical power matters more. In fact, Merlin was in Slytherin. Many teachers and students will be biased towards us, so make sure you give them no reason to be. Loyalty is not for Hufflepuffs only. We stick together outside the common room. If you have a problem with someone in the house, sort it out here. To the rest of the school, we present a united front. This is the house of cunning, so whatever you plan to do, do it without being caught. We expect you to get good grades, and if you struggle, ask a prefect or our head of house Professor Snape. In here, we expect you to do your best but still enjoy yourselves." said Emily Selwyn, the other 5th year prefect.
"Well said, Ms. Selwyn." Professor Snape had walked in through a side door that was probably connected to his office. "I believe she has covered everything of importance. A few more notices from me. Number 1, I want you to prepare for every lesson, especially mine, so read ahead and, if you want to, practice some spells with another person. Number 2, you will meet here at 8 o clock tomorrow morning for a prefect to lead you to breakfast. You will all be there to present a united front to the rest of the school. And finally, each person has their separate rooms. Go through the first door to my left. The boys' rooms are on the right and the girls' rooms on the left. I will leave you to choose whichever rooms you want." With that, Snape walked back through the door he came from, leaving the first years to choose their rooms.
They all chose a room each, their names appearing on the plates above the rooms once they had chosen, with Harry taking a room next to Draco and Rigel. He entered his room, noting the single bed, the closet, and the small sitting desk inside. He propped his trunk on the bed, taking out his clothes and other equipment. He then securely locked the trunk and put up a couple of simple wards around his room, just so that he wouldn't hear snoring or be disturbed in the night.
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