Ripples
Chapter 3: First Year #1
The door to the Castle opened, a stern looking woman opened the door. Harry found that she matched the description of Minerva McGonagall that his parents used.
"Thank you, Hagrid," Said McGonagall, looking over the First years, "I'll take them from here."
Hagrid strode past McGonagall, who led them to a side room, just off the Great Hall. Harry caught sight of one of the Weasley's, he wasn't sure if it was one of the Twins or Percy, before they were pulled through the door.
McGonagall stopped, before turning and facing the children.
"At Hogwarts, there are four houses," Began McGonagall, "You will live, sleep and work with your housemates, good deeds will earn you house points, and any rule breaking will result in you losing points."
Harry then decided to tune the rest of what McGonagall had to say out and focused on what looked like a cat climbing onto a suit of armour. Harry was so distracted, that Neville had to drag him through to the main hall. Harry felt his mouth drop open when he saw the ceiling, he quickly closed it when something tried to fly into his mouth. McGonagall walked in, carrying a stool and a hat.
"You've got to be kidding." Muttered Bones, frowning, "We have to try on a hat?"
"Seems like it." Murmured Harry, "Five galleons that we have to listen to it sing."
"Done."
A few minutes later, Bones was handing Harry five galleons.
"When I call your name, you will sit on the stool, and I shall place the sorting hat on your head, and you'll be sorted into your new houses." Said McGonagall, unfurling a scroll of parchment, "Abbott, Hannah."
A blonde-haired girl timidly stepped forwards and nervously made her way over to the stool. A minute later, the hat cried out, "Hufflepuff!"
Harry, once again, decided to ignore what was going on and looked around the Hall. Harry was suddenly jerked from his little daydream when Bones smacked him with his metal arm.
"Your name was called." Whispered Bones, prompting Harry to amble forwards. Harry noticed that Neville and Hermione had been sorted, while the hall was muttering about him. Then the hat covered his eyes.
Bones frowned as Harry sat on, subtly adjusting his arm so it didn't fall off his stump and onto the floor. The hat opened its brim and yelled, "Gryffindor!"
The Gryffindor table erupted into a din, with Bones able to make out the Weasley Twins yelling "We've got Potter!"
Bones quietly listened to a few more names being called, before he heard McGonagall call, "Stevens, Mercutio."
There were some sniggers around the hall, before Bones walked forwards, sat on the stool and had the Sorting hat cover his eyes.
Harry watched Bones's face curl into a scowl, no doubt having found out what the hat was like. The entire hall watched for nearly ten minutes, before McGonagall tugged the hat off of Bones's head and held it to eye level.
"We still have other students to sort, so will you please hurry up." And with that, McGonagall dropped the hat back on Bones's head. After a few moments, the hat grumbled and said, "Gryffindor."
It didn't a take a genius to know that the Hat wasn't particularly happy with that decision, While Bones stomped over to Gryffindor table, sat down next to Harry and dropped his head down onto the table with a loud thud.
"Stevens, Wulfric." Called Professor McGonagall, making Bones bolt up. Harry watched Bones's cousin shakily make his way over to the stool. Wulfric's father was the reason Bones was missing his left arm, he'd been preceded by two older brothers, Jacob and Charles.
"Slytherin!" Yelled the Hat, prompting Wulfric to take the hat off and walk over to Slytherin table.
"Well," Muttered Bones, watching his cousin, "That's going to make Christmas awkward."
Harry nodded, before looking up and down the table and spotted Dudley looking red faced at the rest of the sorting.
"He's probably wondering why everyone else is being treated the same as him." Muttered Neville, accidentally knocking his goblet of pumpkin juice over.
"What's that?" Asked a dark-skinned boy, Harry thought his name was Dean Thomas. Dean was pointing as a sixth year Slytherin, who had a sword attached to a belt.
"That's Greenseer," Said Harry, getting Dean to look at him, "The ancestral Sword of House Stevens. That's one of Bones' cousins, he's holding the Sword until Bones is old enough."
"What's so special about the sword?" Asked Dean, confused.
"Most Wizarding families has had at least one ancestral sword at one point in time," Said Harry, as Ron sat down, "House Weasley has Weasel's Fang, House Malfoy had Peacock's Quill, they lost it a few decades back, House Bones has Femur, House Black has Grim and House Potter, my House, has a few, but our main one is Giant's Bane."
"But why are they so special?" Questioned Dean, repeating his question.
"The Swords were forged during the Age of the High Elves." Said Hermione, suddenly speaking, "Elven Steel is known to be more powerful and stronger that Goblin Silver, they were also made with killing Goblins in mind, so they glow when either Goblins or any other dangers are nearby."
"When does he become old enough to have the sword?" Asked Dean, leaning forwards.
"Fourteen." Said Bones, flexing his gloved hand, "Greenseer was being kept by my dad's sister when he was arrested."
Seamus suddenly spoke up, "Isn't your uncle the one that's wrongfully imprisoned?"
Harry's face lost all traces of joy, "Yeah, the Ministry's refusing to listen. Dad says it has something to do with pride."
"Why does everyone call Mercutio 'Bones'?" Asked Dean, making Bones freeze.
"I'll show you later." Said Bones, carefully making sure no one was listening to them.
As is waiting for a pause in the conversation, a ghost's head popped up from beneath the table. Harry froze, a chunk of chicken he'd taken from the plate half-way to his mouth.
"Greetings, new students, I am Sir Nicholas-" The Ghost was cut off by Harry.
"Please tell me you didn't leave any ectoplasm in or around the chicken." The boy demanded, looking disgusted.
"No, I'm not Peeves." Retorted the ghost, insulted.
"How are you, Sir Nicholas?" asked Percy, gaining the attention of the ghost.
"Positively awful." Responded Sir Nicholas, "My request to join the headless hunt was rejected, again."
"I know you," Gasped Ron, dropping his fork, "You're Nearly Headless Nick!"
"I prefer Sir Nicholas-" Sir Nicholas was cut off again, this time by Hermione.
"Nearly headless?" Asked Hermione, incredulous, "How can you be nearly headless?"
Sir Nicholas huffed, before grabbing his ear and pulling his head to the side, where it was only held by a few flaps of skin. Nick jerked his head back to its original place, "Like that."
Sir Nicholas floated away, leaving the students of Gryffindor table in relative silence.
"Not even a day, and you've already insulted a ghost." Dead-panned Bones, tearing a piece of chicken from a chicken leg.
R
The Potters and the Dursleys both stared at each other, neither really moving to leave the platform. James glanced up at the clock. 11:05. James looked back at the Dursleys.
"Since you're the ones who came to us, I assume you want something." Stated Lily, folding her arms, "What is it?"
"I wanted to get back in touch." Said Petunia, making Lily frown.
"What, since your precious darling is at Hogwarts?" Snapped Lily, glaring at Petunia and her husband, "I remember the last time we had you under our roof."
"Your little freak spoke out of turn." Snarled Vernon, in an attempt to intimidate Lily.
"What do you want?" Lily snarled back, while James kept the girls behind him.
"I need to speak to Poppy." Petunia admitted, "I already destroyed my relationship with you, I want to at least be on good terms with one of my sisters."
"Use a phone book," Growled Lily, "She's a dentist, I'm sure you'll find her eventually."
With those parting words, Lily stalked away from Petunia and her husband, James and the girls following her.
R
The morning after the sorting, Harry and his dorm mates woke up to Bones walking into the bathroom door and muttering in a hoarse voice.
"A sombra axexa na escuridade, agochándose detrás dun veo. Buscará e reinará o terror sobre os mozos, mentres unha pedra escóndese na posesión dun reflexo, intentando non ser usada nunca. O espectro desmoronarase a un poder descoñecido."
Harry rolled his eyes and grabbed Bones' shoulder, "Wake up." Harry gave Bones a shake, which made Bones open his eyes. Harry froze when he saw Bones' eyes rolled into the back of his head. Bones suddenly stiffened and, like a marionette that had its strings cut, collapsed to the floor.
"Haha, the spastic wet himself." Sneered Dudley, only for Neville to bury his fist in the fat boy's face.
"Is this a common occurrence, Harry?" Asked Dean, as Seamus moved to help Harry.
"Not really, he hasn't done this in ages." Grunted Harry, as he and Seamus lifted the unconscious boy onto his bed.
"You know, I don't think he's actually wet himself." Said Seamus, sniffing Bones, "He just smells like sweat to me."
Harry nodded, before he looked at the floor. Bones' prosthetic arm was crawling across the floor, the metal skeletal fingers clinking against the floor.
"It's too early for this." Groaned Harry, making his way back to bed.
"It's almost seven." Said Percy, poking his head into the dorm, "Everyone get up and get dressed. Harry, please try and keep Mercutio's arm at hand."
Percy then vanished from their doorway.
"Did Percy just make a joke?" Slurred Bones, slowly waking up.
"At your expense, yes." Confirmed Harry, getting back up, "Five galleons he's yelling up at the girls."
"Ten if someone tried to kill him." Muttered Ron, as everyone slowly got up.
"Has anyone seen my arm?" Asked Bones, just as the appendage sprung out from under Ron's bed and grabbed his face, "Never mind."
Harry dragged himself down to the common room, finding Percy nursing a red cheek and a furious Scottish girl screaming at him. Harry winced, he remembered seeing Grandma Ariana lose her rag once and it wasn't pretty.
Dropping himself into one of the comfy chairs, Harry waited for the rest of his friends to make an appearance. Ron and Neville came down, carrying Bones between them, who was trying to stem the flow of blood coming from his nose.
"What happened?" Asked Harry, as Bones shoved two of the fingers of his glove up his nose.
"The pig happened." Growled Ron, carefully guiding Bone to the Portrait hole.
"What do you mean 'the pig happened'?" Demanded Percy, spotting the state Bones was in.
"Dursley tried to withhold his arm and punched him in the face to stop him from getting it." Said Ron, as Dudley came down into the common room looking very smug.
"Remove your glove." Instructed Percy, levelling his wand with Bones's nose, "Episkey."
Bones's nose snapped back into its proper shape and Percy rounded on Dudley, "Dursley, explain."
"He's a spaz." Shrugged Dudley, slowly losing his smug look at the look of rage Percy was giving him.
"Stealing and attacking your fellow students is not only against the school rules, but it's also illegal." Started Percy, "Especially if said fellow student is an heir to an ancient and noble house."
"I bet my dad has more money than everyone in this school." Sneered Dudley, trying to throw his weight around.
A bright orange spell hit Dudley in the gut, making him vomit on the floor. Percy slowly turned and looked to the source of the spell. The Scottish girl that had been yelling at Percy had her wand pointing at Dudley.
"Oops." Said the girl, not sounding a bit sorry, "I thought I was straightening his uniform."
"Audrey, you're a prefect." Started Percy, before Audrey cast a silencing charm on him.
Audrey slowly waltzed up to Dudley and crouched down to his level, "If you even think about bullying any of the other students, throwing up will be the least of your concerns."
They all watched as Audrey left the common room, just as Percy cancelled the charm on himself, "Audrey!" Percy ran after the girl, leaving everyone staring after them. Bones wrinkled his nose and sniffed the air.
"Did someone wet themselves?" Questioned the boy, as Dean and Seamus came down from the dormitories.
"I think they did more than wet themselves." Coughed Seamus, making his way past Dudley, "Coming through, poo boy."
Everyone carefully made their way past Dudley, who just stood there, red faced. Harry took a deep breath as soon as he was out of the portrait hole.
"Bloody hell, that stank." Said Harry, as Bones readjusted his arm.
"You're telling me," Grumbled Bones, as Ron and Hermione bickered a head of them, "The first thing I smell after getting my nose fixed was your cousin soiling himself."
"I'd rather not think about it." Responded Harry, carefully watching the steps, as Neville tripped on the missing step.
"Alright, shutting up." Said Bones, looking down the stairs, "Imagine if you fell off this."
"Bones, I swear to Merlin." Groaned Harry, throwing a look at Bones.
"Sorry." Said Bones, falling silent.
Harry went back to looking at the stairs, keeping an eye out for any vanishing steps. Eventually, the group made it to the great hall.
"Finally, I'm starving." Groaned Ron, getting a giggle from Hermione.
"I didn't ask for you to wait for me." Grumbled Harry, tripping as he missed a step, "I don't suppose your cousin told how we're supposed to navigate through this place?"
"No, Charles was too busy with his girlfriend." Grumped Bones, scowling, "And Jacob was expelled during his sixth year after his friend died while they were looking for a cage or something."
"Oh, you mean the vault things that were making a mess last year," Asked Harry, looking at his foster-brother, "I remember hearing Dad and Sev talk about it."
"You do remember that we can't call him 'Sev', right?" Questioned Bones, looking at Harry, "We're gonna have to call him Professor Snape."
"Oh, yeah." Harry remembered, "I also heard he's a bit authoritarian in class."
"Did you hear that from the twins?" Asked Bones, getting a nod from Harry, "Then forget it."
"How are you not tripping?" Demanded Neville, once the rest of the group reached the great hall.
"My third eye was watching my feet." Deadpanned Bones, as Harry snorted.
Harry looked around, before spotting the teachers, "Who's the guy in the towel?"
"It's called a turban, Harry." Corrected Hermione, making Harry look at her, "They're a type of headwear very common in the middle east and a number of other places. They protect the wearer's hair and-"
Harry shoved a slice of toast into Hermione's mouth.
"He's not a morning person." Supplied Bones, as Harry stared into his breakfast.
"Is it too late to get back on the train?" Muttered Harry, making Hermione hit him on the head with a piece of parchment.
"Yeah." Said Ron, through a mouthful of food.
Harry groaned.