I'm posting this straight after the first chapter. The recognisable section belongs to J.K. Rowling. Enjoy!
31st of August 1994, Central London
Three months later, Adrian found himself in a cosy flat in central London. The early morning sun filtered through the curtains of his room, making him squint his eyes. He stretched and yawned and got out of bed lazily and went towards the kitchen to prepare himself some breakfast. After a quick breakfast of eggs and toast, he sat by the window with a cup of tea gazing out the window to see the city. The memories left behind in Durmstrang were still fresh in his mind, but his resolve was stronger than ever. He had gotten a second chance and he was going to make the most of it.
He had gotten his letter of enrolment at Hogwarts about two months ago. It was quite stressful that morning, waiting for confirmation, and when he finally heard the owl knocking on his window on a random Tuesday, he literally jumped out off his seat. There was a crisp letter bearing the Hogwarts seal tied to the owl's feet, and his heart was pounding as he broke the wax seal and took the parchment inside.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr Valor,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You will be joining the fourth years and will be sorted into one of the four Hogwarts houses upon arrival.
Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1 September.
We await your owl by no later than 31 July. Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
Please find attached the list of school supplies that are needed for the fourth years.
Required Textbooks:
Required Textbooks: The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4 by Miranda Goshawk
Unfogging the Future by Cassandra Vablatsky (for Divination students)
The Monster Book of Monsters (for Care of Magical Creatures students)
Numerology and Grammatica (for Arithmancy students)
Intermediate Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
Other Required Supplies:
Uniform:
Three sets of plain work robes (black) One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar) One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
Other Equipment:
One wand One cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) One set of glass or crystal phials One telescope One set of brass scales
Optional Supplies (depending on electives taken):
For Astronomy: Star charts and celestial globe For Herbology: Dragon dung compost and pruning shears For Potions: Ingredients and a set of potion vials
Personal Items:
Quills, ink, and parchment A broomstick (optional, if participating in Quidditch) Protective gear for Quidditch (if applicable)
Additional Requirements:
Students are also allowed to bring a pet: either an owl, a cat, or a toad.
After reading the letter he had given the owl a piece of sausage he had in the fridge and thanked it for its work. The owl hooted affectionately, nibbling his finger, and proceeded to leave from the window. So, he had to get a lot of supplies. His old books from Durmstrang while very important to him weren't in the syllabus here. That meant that he had to visit Diagon Alley. It was a magical district inside muggle London that his father had taken him once when he was very young. Though he didn't remember it that much. He had no money problems as all his father's duelling winnings had amassed into a small fortune and were his to use after his unfortunate passing.
He took a quick shower and after putting his hair into a manbun he dressed in some casual muggle attire. Black chino trousers accompanied by a plain white t-shirt and sports shoes. He walked towards the door of the house he was renting and grabbed his black trench coat from the hanger and put it on. It was time for some shopping.
He decided to walk to the Leaky Cauldron instead of getting a cab as he always liked a nice walk in the morning. The streets of London were very crowded like they always were. He hadn't gotten used to that yet. Back home the streets he used to wander were mostly empty. Eventually he arrived at his destination. The pub was tucked away in a side street and its entrance was probably enchanted to deter most muggles away from it. Inside the pub, it was filled with many wizards and witches going about their day. He did stand out a bit his trench coat as it wasn't common magical attire but hey, he liked his style.
He made his way to the back of the pub where he knew the entrance was. With a few well-placed taps on the brick wall they started shifting and rearranging themselves, forming an archway that led into the alley. And now before him was many coloured shops and even more wizards and witches walking through the area.
"This must be like half the economy that magical London generates." he thought to himself. Truly it looked like an amazing place. And the amount of people, magical people, were nothing like he ever saw. The most amount wizards he had seen were in Durmstarng and that was because it was a damn school.
Adrian took a moment to take it all in and decided that there would be more time for being amazed later. He had shit to get done. So he decided that his best option would be to get into Flourish and Blotts to get his books. They were very important after all. As he walked into the bookstore, the smell of parchment and ink filled the air. It was a very inviting shop with wooden shelfs and colourful books all around. He approached the counter where a friendly witch with curly hair greeted him.
"Hello, dear! How can I help you?"
Adrian scratched his head. "So, I don't know if you have these in a section but, I need the year four Hogwarts books. And for my electives I need the Arithmancy book 'Numerology and Grammatica' and the 'Monster book of Monsters' for Care of Magical creatures." He handed the witch his letter that had the list of books.
"Sure we have all those books but I noticed that I have never seen you here before, are you a new student or something?" she asked curiously.
Should he tell people that he was expelled from Durmstrang? That probably wouldn't be the best conversation starter. "Uh.. yeah I decided to transfer from another school and give Hogwarts a try you know?" He prayed that the lady didn't ask what school. Thankfully she didn't.
"Oh alright, that's wonderful! I'm sure you'll have a great time in Hogwarts its the best in the world you know!" said the witch happily.
Okay, first of all British propaganda much? And secondly, he doubted that this lady new about the other wizarding schools such as Ilvermorny and Castelobruxo who guarded their schools education and magical knowledge very secretly. Alright whatever.
"Yeah.. uh right, so where can I find my books here?" Adrian asked impatiently.
"Don't worry I'll get them for you, meanwhile you can have a look at some the other stuff we have if you like." she turned around and disappeared from eyesight back into the shop's bookshelves behind.
As she did, Adrian wandered through the aisles, taking in the titles and occasionally picking up a book to examine. Just as he saw a very interesting title called, 'Warding Arts' he saw a girl in the back about his age, in a black and green robe struggling to carry a few books. She had wavy blond hair and a very pretty face.
"She's definitely something." thought Adrian.
The girl must have realised that Adrian was staring at her a bit too much as she turned to him and gave him a cold look, almost as if to say 'Fuck are you looking at?'
Right, shouldn't stare, my bad. Probably a Hogwarts student. No need to burn any bridges before stepping a foot into the school.
He walked back towards the counter a few books in his hand and saw that the witch had brought him all his books that he needed for the school year. "Anything else dear?" she asked kindly.
"Just these few books as well. Nothing else." he placed the books he picked up on to the counter. "So how much's the damage then?" he asked sarcastically.
The shop clerk laughed. "With these additions its going to be 4 galleons and 2 sickles altogether."
Alright not too much but still expensive. He imagined it would've been cheaper had he got these second hand but hey, It was his first time buying books here. Might as well treat himself to some fresh books.
He handed the clerk the money and placed the books into his space-extended bag. It was a wonderful thing that he picked up in Norway. Enchanted so that it has little to no weight and a very large interior. he had also placed his own charms and curses on the bag to protect it from unsavoury individuals that would feel very...'uncomfortable' if they ever tried to open it.
He thanked the kind witch and went out of the store. Next stop was Madam Malkins.
Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions was situated towards the middle of Diagon Alley, a quaint little shop with large windows displaying clothes and robes for both males and females. Adrian pushed the door open, causing a tiny bell to jingle, letting the clerk know someone had entered. The shop was moderately busy with different students and their parents, all shopping for their school robes and other attire.
"Hello there!" called a short and plump woman dressed in elegant dark purple robes. He assumed that this was Madam Malkin. "Hogwarts, I presume?" she asked warmly.
Adrian nodded, stepping further into the shop. "Yes I'd like four sets of robes if that's alright."
"Four? Wow, really shopping today aren't we? What's your name dear?" she asked.
"Adrian Ma'am." He didn't want to give any more information.
She must have realised he didn't want to talk that much so got to work. "Alright then dear lets get your measurements and then you can choose the material for them alright?
Adrian took of his trench coat and Madam Malkin hung it on a coat hanger. A magical tape measure that was floating in the air came closer to her. "Alright stand still, arms out."
He did as he was told and the woman got on with taking his measurements. After a while she told him that everything was done and asked him what material he wanted them from.
"Silk if possible Maam." They were expensive, but fuck it. Gotta look good to feel good right? And plus it wasn't like money was a problem. Madam Malkin nodded and told him that he could come back in two hours and the robes would be done by then. He paid the money for the robes and grabbing his coat, left the store in search of more supplies.
He went to the Apothecary to get his potions ingredients and picked them up relatively quickly. He didn't need to get anything else as he already all his other stuff from his time in Durmstrang. So the last place to visit while waiting for his robes to get made was Gringotts. He had all his gold in his bag right now and while he liked having his money on him around 55,000 galleons wasn't exactly chump change so decided to put most of it in Gringotts for safe-keeping. That meant he had to make himself an account.
He walked towards the bank passing many wizards and witches, be it adults going about their business or students picking stuff up for the new school year. He reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold was-
"Fucking hell that's a goblin" Adrian said quietly as he walked up to white stone steps close to him.
The goblin was about two heads shorter than him. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, he noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as Adrian walked inside. Now he was facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:
Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn.
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
What a strange poem. But it did the job he thought. You'd have to be completely crazy to try and rob Gringotts. Well, that or ridiculously powerful. "One day..." Adrian whispered to himself in amusement.
A pair of goblins bowed him through the silver doors and he was in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. He walked up towards the counter.
"Morning." he said to a free goblin. "I would like to open an account with the bank."
The goblin eyed him for a second and looked over at another goblin. Then the goblin sighed.
"Name and surname?"
"Adrian Valor" he answered.
"Heritage?" he asked.
Fucking racist bastards. "Half-blood, Sir."
The goblin looked very bored. He wrote some stuff on a paper and handed it to another goblin that was sitting next to him, whispering some stuff in his ear.
"Have you ever used a different branch of Gringotts Wizarding Bank?" The goblin asked once more.
"No, sir not that I know of." Adrian replied.
He grabbed a needle from a drawer under the desk and gave it out to him. "Draw blood." he said.
"What do you need the blood for, if you don't mind me asking?"
"I do mind it wizard, but since I have nothing better to do I will explain it to you." he said his voice dripping with sarcasm.
What an asshole. This is your job you motherfucker!
"The blood is for identification purposes. It is impossible to conjure or rather replicate real blood, so that's what we use to key the vault to you." he said knowingly.
Adrian remembered that blood was the strongest magical medium. That's why its used in Magical rituals and such. "I guess it's used in banking as well." he thought.
He tapped his finger on the needle and drew a tiny amount of blood. The goblin then grabbed his finger and pressed it onto a sheet of yellowed parchment.
He waited for about fifteen minutes while watching different wizards and witches come and do their business. After that the goblin that was helping him snapped his fingers to draw Adrian's attention.
"Your account has been opened with us Mr. Valor" he said grabbing a key that materialized from the sheet of parchment that had his blood on it.
"From now on you can use your account to deposit or withdraw gold. You are also able to invest in different business if you wish to do so. You will need the key to withdraw money from the account. But to deposit you just have to bring the gold over to us here and we will do the rest for you. If you have muggle money to exchange for Wizarding gold, we will be able to do that fairly easily with better rates than any other establishment." he finished talking and handed him the small black key. "Try not to lose this as we will have to charge you for a new one." he said with a grin.
Goblins were truly greedy bastards.
He thought about how much gold should be one him. "I will need some for my Hogsmeade visits, but not that much. so the rest should probably be deposited here." he thought to himself.
"I'd like to deposit about 53,000 galleons sir." Adrian said politely. The goblin's eyes widened. "Absolutely sir, if you just come this way with me I'd like to offer you a cup of tea or coffee while we transfer the gold to your vault." said the goblin greedily.
Money talks huh?
The goblin took him to a separate room that was very luxurious. It was clearly designed for high-value clients. Golden chairs, ornate rugs and a shining chandelier decorated the room. He took a seat on one of the chairs and was offered a cup of tea by one of the goblins that walked in later on. He accepted it with a nod and the goblin that sat across him eyed the enchanted bag that Adrian carried.
"Now then, if you could please place the bag on the table we would like to start carrying out the gold from it." the goblin instructed, his voice was much smoother than before.
Adrian complied, setting the bag down and opening it. He reached inside and took a few handful of galleons from it and placed them on the table. "There is a lot more where that came from so please, do carry on, I have temporarily lowered the charms on it for now. You can proceed as you like."
The goblin nodded approvingly. "Very well, Mr. Valor Our team would like to take the bag for a bit and transfer them to your vault. Its number is 1745. This process will take a while so in the meantime, do you have any additional requests?"
He shook his head. "No questions, just make sure that everything is secure you know?"
"Of course, sir. Gringotts prides itself on security and and discretion." the goblin assured him, snapping his fingers. A pair of goblins dressed in red suits entered the room, bowing before them before taking his bag and walking out.
As they waited for his bag to be brought back he decided to make some small talk with the goblin that had helped him today. "By the way, if its not too much trouble I'd like to learn your name?" Adrian asked politely.
"Its Burnok Mr. Valor." the goblin answered. "But I actually have a question for you Mr. Valor. What brings you to our bank today? We don't often see such large deposits from new clients."
"I have recently transferred from another school and had a lot of cash on hand. It was a bit risky to carry all that so I decided that Gringotts was the best option. I never really trusted banks before but your reputation precedes you." said Adrian with a smile.
If he was going to be dealing with these goblins, might as well be on good terms with them.
"Ah I see... may I inquire where did you go to school previously?" asked Burnok, curiosity clear in his eyes.
Adrian decided that the goblins knowing that he was previously in Durmstrang wouldn't be that big of a deal. Of course he wasn't going to be talking about the expulsion. That was going to be a secret. At least for now.
"I transferred from Durmstrang, Mr Burnok. The weathers really cold there, so I thought a change of scenery would do me good you know?" he said trying to be as neutral as possible.
The goblin was clearly surprised to hear Durmstrang. The school's reputation of being so heavily involved with Dark Arts was well-known through out the magical world. That could be to his dis-advantage... or advantage if he played his cards right.
"Oh, Durmstrang you say? well well, you are a very interesting person Mr. Valor. Very interesting indeed." goblin said nodding, amusement clear in his voice.
After about thirty minutes of waiting, the two goblins that took his bag from him came back with it and placed it on the table. "53,000 galleons have been deposited into your vault Mr. Valor. The rest are in your bag untouched." said one of the goblins politely.
Adrian grabbed his bag from across the table and took a two galleons out of it. "These are for you two, for your trouble eh?" he said grinning. Both of the goblins eyes widened in shock and they bowed and thanked him profusely as they left the room.
Burnok shook his head and laughed with a gravely voice. "Very, interesting indeed."
They then both walked out of the room and started going towards the exit of the bank. "Thank you for all your help today Burnok." said Adrian as he opened the silver door.
"No, thank you for your patronage Mr. Valor." said the goblin bowing his head. "If you have any needs in the future, please feel free to ask for me."
Adrian smiled and nodded his head and went outside of the bank. Started a bit rough but manged to turn it around in the end, mostly because of the obscene amount of money but hey, got to use what you have right? And having good relations with goblins wouldn't hurt.
After he left he decided to take little bit more time exploring the Alley before heading back to Madam Malkins's. There were still some places he wanted to see and a bit of curiosity that needed satisfying. As he walked down the busy streets, he was having a lot of fun just watching people and random shops that were popping up that had colourful windows and interesting trinkets decorating the shelves.
After a while he found himself venturing into a quieter part of the alley, away from the main street. The noises and sounds of people began to fade which were being replaced by the more subdued sounds of hushed conversations and the occasional chirping of a bird. It was here that he heard a couple of voices, a bit louder than what he was hearing previously.
"Yeah, my father just got me this new massive house," a smug voice said. "It has a huge garden and a very fancy fountain. Only the best for me, you know. Not that you would know anything about that Longbottom." Two different voices laughed.
Adrian slowed his pace, curiosity piqued. Who the fuck was this trust fund baby? He turned a corner and saw three boys standing together. The one who had been speaking had slicked-back blonde hair and an arrogant look on his face. The other two, larger and more brutish looking, seemed to hang on his every word. And a bit further away was a slightly chubby and quite nervous looking boy. His round face was flushed, and he seemed to shrink under the three boys' mocking laughter.
Adrian approached slowly trying not to get too close and listened to the scene.
"What's the matter Longbottom? Probably afraid of his own shadow this one! What a pathetic excuse for a pure-blood wizard! You shouldn't even get to call yourself one!" laughed the blonde one. The other two joined in.
He wasn't planning on intervening but hearing the word 'pure-blood' just made his blood boil. Fucking bastards. Who the fuck did they think they are?
He stepped forward making his presence known. "Hey," he called out his voice firm but calm. "That's enough there. Leave him alone."
Three people turned to face Adrian, and the blonde's smug expression faltered slightly at the newcomer. His eyes narrowed as he sized Adrian up. He was shorter than him by a few inches so he had to look up to Adrian.
"And who the hell are you?" he sneered, trying to look bigger as he puffed his chest.
Adrian met the boy's gaze with a cold and unwavering stare. "None of your damn business. But I don't like dickheads who gang up on someone for fun. So, I'll say it again. Leave him alone."
The larger boys exchanged uncertain glances, not sure what to do in this situation, waiting for any words from their leader. the blonde boy however didn't seem ready to back down yet. He stepped forward trying to assert some dominance over him.
"Listen, you little shit do you have any idea who you're talking to?" he demanded, his voice dripping with anger. "My father is-"
"I don't give a flying fuck about your father, your house or your stupid fountain blondie. What I am asking right now is for you to leave him alone. So either you walk away, or I make you. Your choice." Adrian said with a sharp voice.
The tension in the air was palpable. The blonde boy's face turned an angry shade of red but he also seemed to be reconsidering his stance. Adrian's confidence seemed to be making him doubt his odds.
"C'mon Draco," one of the larger boys muttered. "Let's leave this idiot alone. Longbottom's not worth it." Draco glared at Adrian, his pride was clearly wounded, but he grudgingly stepped back. "Fine," he spat. "But this isn't over. You're going to regret this, wait I tell my father about it. What's your na-"
"I don't have to tell you shit blondie." I calmly answered. "Now get the fuck out of here before I decide to do some target practice on you."
Draco looked really caught off guard. He probably never had someone treat him this way. Pure-blood my ass. Pure-dickhead more like.
Adrian watched them retreat, not moving away until he saw them turn the corner. He then turned to the boy they had been harassing. "You alright man?" he asked, his tone a bit softer now.
The chubby who had been watching the exchange with wide eyes, nodded slowly. "Y-yeah, thanks. That was amazing! I've never seen anyone talk to Malfoy like that before! Oh my god... you were so- so- so cool!" he exclaimed. "I'm Neville by the way, Neville Longbottom."
"Adrian Valor," he replied. offering a hand. Neville shook it, still looking a bit shaken. "So next time anything like this happens you know what to do yeah?"
Neville managed a small smile. "I'll try... I just don't think I will be able to talk like you, that was honestly amazing."
"I'm sure you'll be fine. Are you a Hogwarts student by the way?"
"Uh... yeah I am. I'm a fourth year Gryffindor from Hogwarts. Wait... you look like my age and I have never seen you in Hogwarts or anywhere for that matter." Neville said curiously. "Why are you here?"
"I have been expelled from Durmstrang for torturing and killing a student, so now I am transferring to Hogwarts and will probably be joining Gryffindor. I think we will be best friends, don't you think?" said Adrian with a happy voice.
"W-w-wha-wha-what?" stammered Neville, a new fear in his eyes.
"Relax man, I'm just kidding." Adrian said as he nudged Neville's arm. "It was a joke don't worry. I actually got expelled form Beauxbatons."
Neville laughed this time, or at least he tried to. Adrian could tell that Neville was impressed but also a bit scared of him. Well, that combination never hurt.
"I'll see you around Neville," said Adrian as he started walking away from him. "Take it easy okay?"
"Ye-yeah sure." said Neville nervously.
Huh, what a strange boy. Maybe his sarcasm was a bit too much. Oh well.
He walked back from the way he came and decided to get some ice-cream before picking up his robes.
That meant that his next stop was Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. He felt like treating himself after the day. There were a decent amount of people in the shop all enjoying various flavours ice cream. He ordered a scoop of chocolate and strawberry in a cone and found a seat outside, watching the passers-by and enjoying the lovely ice-cream.
After finishing his ice cream, he made his way back to Madam Malkin's to collect his robes. As he entered the shop, Madam Malkin greeted him with a warm smile. "Ah, Mr. Adrian! Your robes are ready. Here you go," she said, handing him a neatly wrapped package.
Adrian took the package and thanked her. "That was really fast, I appreciate it.."
"You're welcome, dear. Have a wonderful term at Hogwarts," she said, waving as he left the shop.
With all his supplies in hand, Adrian went back to his apartment. This time he got a cab as he was tired from the day. Now, this was about two months ago. Right now, in the moment while he was sipping his tea gazing out the window, things were about to get good. Tomorrow He was going to King's Cross, to finally go to Hogwarts.
Just to clear some confusion, Adrian is 15.
I think most students in year four are either 14 or 15 so that should be fine. This took a while to write but I had a lot of fun while writing it. I have some ideas on where to take this story but nothing set in stone yet. I am aiming for a 5k chapter length but I think the next chapter is going to be around 7k to make 3 chapter lengths equal to 15k. Yes, I am weird like that.
Hopefully y'all enjoy.
Leave a like and a review if you feel like it.