Too Late To Correct Your Mistakes

by ThatBadger

Neglected by his parents, who favour his arrogant younger brother as the supposed Boy-Who-Lived, a cold Harry Potter forges his own path in Slytherin. Raised by Sirius and Remus, Harry harbours ambition, resentment and a hidden darkness. Haunted by his scar and a strange connection to Voldemort, he navigates power, mortality and a desire to prove himself. No matter the cost.

1. Chapter 1

I do not own anything from Harry Potter.

Hello guys, Badger here. Back again, with a new story, well kind of. Now, you're probably thinking, Badger, don't you already have a story called Too Late To Correct Your Mistakes? Yes, yes I do. However, truth be told, I feel like I lost the plot with what I was writing beforehand. Try as I might, I couldn't think of a good way to progress the story, nor did I like what I was writing, so I decided to completely redo the whole thing.

There will be a few minor changes here and there, but most of it will remain the same or similar to the original. In the meantime, read on, enjoy and I hope to see you at the end.

…

Chapter 1

The Night That Changed Everything

…

31st October, 1981

That was the night that had changed everything.

The night that Pettigrew had betrayed the Potters, to Voldemort. Like the cowardly rat that he was, when things were beginning to look bad for the light side of the Wizarding war, and looked like Voldemort and his Death Eaters were on the verge of victory, Pettigrew became a turncoat and joined the Dark Lords ranks as a Death Eater, as well as giving him the location of the Potters who had been hiding under the Fidelius Charm for months. Ever since he had learned of a prophecy, about a child destined to one day defeat him, Voldemort had been on the search for the Potters. He had reasons to believe that their spawn was the destined child, the prophecy had spoken of. He couldn't have that. With the knowledge of this prophecy, Voldemort figured that the wisest thing to do now, was kill the child before they became a true danger to the Dark Lord.

Now, thanks to Peter Pettigrew, Voldemort could do exactly that.

The wards surrounding Godrics Hollow all shattered as the Dark Lord stepped towards the house, walking in a slow and elegant grace, his cloak billowing behind him in the wing. A small smirk crossed his lips as he heard panicked voices coming from within the building, before waving his wand with a small and sharp flick, causing the door to swing open with force. As he steppped into the house, Voldemort was immediately met with the sight of James Potter at the bottom of the staircase, wand in hand, as Voldemort heard the sounds of people upstairs. James wasted no time and immediately fired a spell at the Dark Lord. A spell which Voldemort easily stopped, with a swipe of his wand. James Potter stood his ground, as best as he could, but was quickly sent flying into the wall and fell unconscious at the bottom of the stairs.

Voldemort gave the man a small sneer, as he started to make his way up the stairs. He had contemplated killing the man, as well as the Mudblood that he called a wife. However, Voldemort eventually decided against it. After all, he wasn't there to kill them and he found the idea of leaving the two alive and childless, sickeningly twisted and satisfying.

Once he had made his way to the top of the stairs, Voldemort found Lily Potter down the corridor, standing in front of a closed door. She tried to look brave as she stood there defiantly, but Voldemort could see the slight shaking of her hand, as she held her wand. Before he could even take a step closer, Lily quickly fired a spell at him. A spell which Voldemort effortlessly blocked with a small shielding charm. Their duel had then ended as quickly as it began, as Voldemort had hit the door Lily was standing im front of with a Blasting Hex. The resulting explosion had sent Lily flying forward, unconscious, as shrapnel and shards of wood scattered about the place.

Walking through the broken doorway, as the dust cleared, Voldemorts gaze landed on the two children that were the only ones present in the room. One was a black haired boy, with bright green eyes, akin to the Killing Curse, and seemed to be around four or five years of age. The other was a red headed boy, much younger with dark brown eyes, no older than a year old. They were Harry and Nathaniel Potter. Voldemort paused for a second, as he gazed upon to the two siblings. When contemplating which family housed the child the prophecy had spoken of, not once did he consider the possibility of the family having more then one child. There was no way of knowing which boy the prophecy could have been speaking of. Voldemort would have no choice but to kill the both of them. As he stepped closer the red head, Nathaniel, had started crying at the sight of the Dark Lord whilst the black haired child, Harry, merely looked upon the Dark Lord without an ounce of fear in his eyes. Or, at the very least, none that Voldemort could see physically.

If Voldemort was a lesser, and weaker, man then he probably would've been intimidated at the sight before him. Probably.

Despite that, Voldemort had no doubt that the black haired child had the potential to grow up to become a powerful wizard. The same couldn't be said for the crying irritation behind him. The Dark Lord did consider taking Harry to raise the boy as his own and train him in all kinds of black magic and the Dark Arts. However, due to the prophecy, Voldemort couldn't risk it. Either one of these boys could be the one destined to defeat him.

"A pity…you would've been an excellent heir…" Voldemort said to Harry, as he raised his wand once more, "Avada Kedavra!"

Voldemort watched, as the green light of the Killing Curse hit the two boys in front of him. However, what he didn't expect was for the spell to rebound and head straight towards him. It all happened so fast that the Dark Lord didn't have time to react, or process what had happened, before the Killing Curse hit him head on. His screams echoed throughout the house, as he felt his soul being ripped from his body. Voldemort felt a pain he had never felt before as he felt his body break and crumble into dust, as he was ripped away, leaving him as nothing more than a cloud of black smoke, a wraith.

Voldemort let out a yell of rage, upon seeing the state that he was in. However, before he could do a thing about it, he heard the familiar cracking sound of someone apparating nearby and so flew away from the building to safety.

…

Dumbledore paced back and forth, in the living room of Godrics Hollow, as James and Lily sat on the nearby couch with Harry and Nathaniel in their arms. The Headmaster of Hogwarts had been inside his office at the castle, when he felt the wards surrounding Godrics Hollow. That could only mean one thing. Voldemort had discovered the location of the Potters. Dumbledore immediately arrived at Godrics Hollow, as soon as he could, fearing the worse. Thankfully both James and a Lily were okay, as were the boys themselves. Inside their nursery, there was no signs of the Dark Lord besides his wand and his black cloak laying amongst the dust and dirt.

The prophecy was true, as Dumbledore had expected.

Upon waking up the Potters, Dumbledore immediately had the two boys examined. Both Harry and Nathaniel were sporting matching scars upon their foreheads, in the shape of a lightning bolt. At first, Dumbledore was lost on which boy could be the prophecy had been speaking of. Mark as his equal. That is what the prophecy had said. However, a quick diagnostic charm on their scars gave Dumbledore his answer. Whilst Nathaniel's scar came up clean, nothing more then an ordinary scar, the same couldn't be said for Harrys. It was faint, but it was there. A piece of dark magic. A piece of Voldemorts power.

Thankfully, it seemed to be benign, at this current moment. Though Dumbledore planned to keep an eye on it, in future. However, seeing as Nathaniel didn't have a piece of such magic inside his scar, led Dumbledore to believe that Nathaniel had been the one to deflect the Dark Lords Killing Curse and therefore, was the child the prophecy had spoken of. With this knowledge, Dumbledore started to draw up plans as James and Lily tended to their children. Voldemort may be gone, but Dumbledore knew it was only temporary.

One day, the Dark Lord would return. When he did, it would be Nathan and only Nathaniel who will be able to defeat him.

…

1991

Harry woke up suddenly, with a sharp jolt, when he felt a heavy weight land upon his chest, knocking the wind out of him for a moment. Brushing his hair from his face, as his vision cleared, Harry saw that the weight on his chest turned out to be none other than his five year old sister, Evelyn bouncing up and down on top of him. Something that did nothing to lessen the pain in his chest, whilst her childish excitement radiated the entire room. As much as he loved his little sister, she could be a handful sometimes.

"Harry! Harry, up!" She said excitedly, shaking him a little, "Harry, up! Up! Up!"

Harry groaned tiredly, as Evelyn then jumped off of his chest and ran out of his bedroom. Harry held his head in his hands, as he sat up in his bed slowly, recalling his dream. He remembered that Halloween night, vividly, as if it only happened yesterday. The attack. Voldemort. The Killing Curse. All of it. Every single second. It had been ten years since that night. The night that changed everything. Shortly after the attack, news quickly spread and soon enough Nathaniel was being praised as 'The Boy-Who-Lived', the saviour of the Wizarding World for defeating Voldemort and surviving the impossible. It made Harry scoff to think about it. Not only did he find the thought of a mere one year old baby defeating the most feared Dark Lord since Grindelwald utterly ridiculous, but it infuriated him that people were praising Nathaniel for surviving the Killing Curse, all the while forgetting that Harry had survived the very same thing.

Then again, it wasn't just the people of the Wizarding World.

It didn't happen at first, but as time went on there was a change in his parents behaviour. As time went on, the more they fussed over and spoiled Nathaniel, the more they forgot about Harry. As the days passed, the less attention they gave him to the point that, some days, they don't acknowledge him at all. They weren't abusive however, more so neglectful. They weren't there for him, when he needed them most. They weren't there, on the day he received his Hogwarts letter. They weren't there the day he went to Diagon Alley. They weren't there the day he boarded the Hogwarts Express to start his First Year at Hogwarts. Whilst their neglect wasn't as bad today, as it once was, his parents still didn't pay attention to Harry as much as they should.

Harry didn't even know if he could consider them his parents anymore. If anything, in Harrys eyes, Remus and Sirius were parents to him more than his own mother and father. Remus and Sirius were the ones that were there for him. The two Marauders practically raised him. They were the ones to take him to Diagon Alley to buy school supplies. They were the ones to watch him board the Hogwarts Express. They were the ones to buy Harry gifts, and hand him money if needed. Harry couldn't remember the last time he received a present from either of his parents. On his birthday or Christmas.

Not like Nathaniel. Harrys younger brother received everything he wanted, and more, on a silver platter. If Nathaniel wanted toys, he got them. If Nathaniel wanted the latest broom, money, or the finest clothing bespoke and made specially for him, he got them.

It made Harry sick.

However, despite all of that, Harry didn't necessarily hate his parents for their neglect. At the very least, he believed he didn't.

Although, Harry would be lying if he said he didn't feel cold around them whenever he had to be in their presence, or even think about them. Being around them was enough to make him angry sometimes, with his scar burning a little.

Choosing not to dwell on the matter any longer then he had to, Harry pushed himself off from his bed and started getting dressed and ready for the day, choosing to dress into a simple white shirt and dark jeans. After trying, and failing, to tame his wild hair Harry opened his bedroom door, to find Evelyn waiting for him again impatiently, with a look of adoration on her face. Harry couldn't help but smile down at her, as he picked her up and held her in his arms as he carried her down the stairs. Harry remembered the day his parents announced that they were going to have a third child. Initially he was quite surprised at the news, considering the rarely seemed to acknowledge his own existence.

That surprise quickly turned to anger, as he then started to believe that they were having another baby to replace him entirely. Harry wouldn't put it past them, to do such a thing. As the days had passed during his mothers pregnancy, his resentment grew as he started believing all sorts of ideas. That they were having a third child to replace him. That they saw him as a failure for not being the Boy-Who-Lived like his younger brother. It was all nonsense of course, but at the time he believed it.

However when little Evie was born, all Harry's anger and resentment was gone. Harry loved her the moment he first lay eyes on her. A sentiment that seemed to be mutual as the first time Harry held Evelyn she had clung onto him and to this day, she was practically glued to his side whenever he wasn't at Hogwarts. Whilst Harry didn't know the reason for why his parents decided to have her, he was glad they did. However, even though they didn't neglect Evelyn the same way that they have done with Harry, they still didn't pay her as much attention as they gave to Nathaniel. As annoying as it was, though, Harry didn't mind so much seeing as it gave him an excuse to look after her. He loved her dearly.

The same couldn't be said for Nathaniel. Harry not only hated his younger brother, but he despised the boys attitude. Over the years, all the fame had gone straight to the Boy-Who-Lived's head which, not only gave Nathaniel a huge ego but also turned Harry's younger brother into a self-absorbed and arrogant brat, who threw a tantrum whenever the spotlight wasn't on him every second. His brothers attitude was the reason why Harry loved being away at Hogwarts for most of the school year, so he wouldn't have to put up with his brothers ego.

Unfortunately, this year Nathaniel was starting his First Year at Hogwarts, whilst Harry was starting his Fourth, much to Harry's annoyance. Not only did he have to put up with his family proclaiming their joy for such an occasion day in, day out, but it meant he'd have to put up with his brothers pigheadedness at Hogwarts as well.

Harry shuddered, trying not to think about the horrific thought, as he placed Evelyn down within her chair at the table, giving her a small kiss on her forehead before he made his way over to the stove to start preparing some food for the both of them. Despite the Potters having House Elves, like most Pureblooded families, Harry still preferred to cook food for himself most days. Not only was it something he had to do sometimes, growing up, but there was something about cooking that was soothing to him and kept him calm. After a few moments, he plated up some bacon and eggs for himself and Evelyn, who squealed with joy when a plate was placed in front of her. Harry couldn't help but smile as his little sister attacked and ate her eggs in an unladylike manner, that would cause many upstanding Pureblood Lords and Ladies to fume.

As Harry was finishing up his own breakfast, he looked up as he noticed his mother standing in the doorway. Harry felt his scar prickling a little, as he scowled at her presence.

"Morning Harry" Lily said, "We'll be heading to Diagon Alley soon, to buy Nathaniel's supplies…do you need any help buying yours this year?"

"No!" Harry replied in a cold tone, his scar flaring a little, "If I need your help, I will ask for that…not that I ever will, considering you were never there to help me beforehand!"

Lily flinched, feeling a small pain in her heart, from her sons words and cold tone. No matter how many times she heard the coldness in his voice, it always hurt. Harry paid her no attention, as he got up and helped Evelyn out of her seat, the House Elves popping in to grab their plates and disappearing again. Harry then gently put Evelyn back on the ground and kissed her forehead, softly.

"Evie, be good" He said, the coldness in his tone gone, "I'll be back soon…"

Evelyn nodded but it was clear that she didn't like Harry leaving, judging from the pout on her face. Harry chuckled a little, not even giving Lily a second glance or another word, as he walked passed her. Harry grabbed a jacket on his way out, as he walked out of Potter Manor. He made his way through the gates and passed the wards, onto the nearby roads. Looking around briefly, Harry took out his wand and held it into the air as he signalled for the Knight Bus. He wasn't waiting for long, until the purple tower on wheels quickly zoomed down the road a few seconds later, which came to a stop in front of him, with a screech of its brakes. Harry gave a nod to the conductor as he handed over a few galleons, before grabbing onto the nearest handlebar, as the bus started zooming off once again.

The bus raced through busy streets, throwing Harry about the place a little bit, before it came to a stop once again in front of the Leaky Cauldron. Giving his thanks to the driver, Harry brushed himself off and got off of the bus where it immediately shot off once more, the second his feet touched the concrete. Harry rolled his eyes as he watched the Knight Bus race off, before entering the Leaky Cauldron. His nose wrinkled a little as the smell of damp wood and stale alcohol reached his nostrils. No matter how many times he came to the Leaky Cauldron, he never got used to the smell. It might explain why Tom never had many patrons. Harry squared his shoulders, giving Tom a small hello, before making his way out to the back of the pub, where the entrance to Diagon Alley waited.

Standing before the brick wall, Harry removed his wand once more and tapped it against the necessary bricks in the correct sequence to open the entrance. With the sequence complete, the bricks started to scrape against one another as they began to shift and move to create an archway to Diagon Alley. Harry couldn't help but watch in awe as the entrance opened. No matter how many times he saw it happen, it still fascinated him every time. Pocketing his wand, Harry had only just stepped into Diagon Alley before he was approached by Penelope Clearwater and Susan Bones. Two of his friends.

Penelope, otherwise known as Penny to her friends, had fair skin, with bright blue eyes and curly brunette hair that went down to her elbows. She was the most sensible and levelheaded of Harry's friend group. As she was a Ravenclaw, that didn't come as a surprise to Harry. Susan, meanwhile, was the very definition of a Hufflepuff. With chocolate brown eyes and an attitude as fiery as her auburn hair, Susan was incredibly loyal to her friends and would hex someone for merely insulting them. And has done as such in the past, several times.

Harry couldn't help but smile, as they appeared.

"Hey Harry!" Penelope smiled, "What took you so long?"

"Got caught up at home…" Harry shrugged, "Where are the others?"

"I'm not sure where Roger is, but Draco and Cedric are over at Flourish and Blotts" Penny replied

"And Fred and George won't be coming to the Alley until tomorrow…" Susan added

"That's a shame, I was hoping to see them today…" Harry sighed as the three made their way to the book store

It wasn't difficult to find Draco and Cedric, seeing as the formers platinum blonde hair stood out amongst the sea of black and brunette. Draco Malfoy, like Harry, was a Slytherin though sometimes the boy did have a habit of charging in without thinking, like the stereotypical Gryffindor. To begin with, Draco had often come across as pompous and self-absorbed amongst the group. Not intentional on his part, the Slytherin just lacked self awareness to what he was saying. A curse from being part of a politically and financially powerful Pureblood family. Over the years though, with the help of his friends, Draco had become more humble with his attitude. However, his pompous and haughty demeanour still rose to the surface on occasion.

Especially when dealing with idiots.

Cedric Diggory on the other hand, was definitely the quietest amongst the group. Modest too. To begin with, Harry believed this was some kind of introversion on the boys part but that wasn't the case. The Hufflepuff just didn't like having attention on him. He preferred keeping out of the spotlight. Despite that though, Cedric was hard working and always made sure he was well kept, as evidence by his dark hair always been neatly combed every day. Something that often left Harry envious, due to being unable to tame his black locks no matter how much he tried.

Even now, Harry was glaring at the boys hair as if it offended him, as the two boys made their way over upon noticing the others.

"It's about time you arrived, Potter…" Malfoy smirked, "I was beginning to think you weren't coming…"

"Shove off, Malfoy…" Harry replied, with a small smile and roll of his eyes, "I just got caught up at home, because of…"

"Your brother coming to Hogwarts?" Cedric guessed, "How do you feel about that?"

"He's not my brother, as far as I'm concerned!" Harry growled, "However, it is starting to piss me off…all I've heard from my parents since he received his letter is how happy and proud they are…it's almost sickening…"

"Well, should you choose to hex the little bastard, I'd like front row seats…" Draco said

There were chuckles amongst the group, as they made their way through the book store to get their curriculum for the year. It was well known amongst them that Draco hated the middle child of the Potters. Almost as much as Harry does. A couple years back, Draco had went to Potter Manor to visit Harry, and had a personal experience with Nathaniel. Whilst Draco would never say what the boy had said or done to make the Slytherin hate the boy so much, the group had a clue. They had all experienced the Boy-Who-Lived's arrogance and pigheadedness.

An arrogance and pigheadedness which they all saw, the moment they left Flourish and Blotts. Across Diagon Alley, they saw the sight of Harry's parents smiled and spoke to some reporters whilst a small, slightly overweight boy with red hair and glasses posed, flexed and blew kisses for the camera. It made Harry gag seeing the reporters practically tripping over themselves to get a personal interview and picture of the legendary Boy-Who-Lived. Legendary. The very idea of his younger sibling being 'legendary' was enough to make him laugh. Harry was almost certain that their parents still wiped his own ass and helped him clean and get dressed every day.

Legendary indeed.

Nathaniel was nothing like Harry. Whilst Nathaniel was short and on the chubbier side, Harry was tall for his age. He wasn't the tallest of the group, as that honour went to Cedric. Harry was also well built with toned muscles due to playing Quidditch for Slytherin alongside his friends. As well as his height and build, his eyes were a bright and beautiful emerald green, and his jet black hair was long, touching the base of his neck and shoulders in messy and untameable waves. For many of the female student population in Hogwarts, Harry was perfection and sought after by many. Needless to say, Harry was an eye catcher.

The same couldn't be said for Nathaniel.

"You'd think, if you were the famous 'Saviour of the Wizarding World', you'd make yourself more presentable…" Draco sniffed as he looked upon the red heads chubby physique and messy clothing, with severe judgement

"You're lucky, you don't have to live with the git…" Harry replied, sneering a little at the sight of his brother, "Let's go…I'd rather not have my day ruined by the prat prancing around like a peacock…"

The rest of the group nodded, as they made their way down Diagon Alley, choosing to ignore the Boy-Who-Lived who strutted about the place like he owned it, as he waited for everyone to run over and ask for his autograph.

It just so happened that he always carried a quill for such moments.

…

It was a few days later when Harry was on the platform of Kings Cross Station, heading towards the barrier that led to the Hogwarts Express. Harry chose to walk far behind his parents and brother, choosing to not associate himself the them as he carried Evelyn on his shoulders, who was squealing happily from how high up she was, her hands gripping onto Harry's hair. Many onlookers couldn't help but smile as the two passed by, smiling at the sight of an older brother with his younger sister on his shoulders, the brotherly love clear to all. Harry ignored them all, as he walked through the barrier where he was immediately blinded by the flashing lights of cameras.

Shielding his eyes, and Evelyn's, to protect his vision from the blinding lights, Harry looked to see a sea of reporters who were all hoping to get a picture of Nathaniel, on the day he departs for Hogwarts, who posed dramatically for the cameras. It made Harry roll his eyes, just as one of the reporters approached him.

"Mr Potter, I am Rita Skeeter from the Daily Prophet!" She said, with a gleam in her eyes as she held a notepad in hand, "How do you feel about your brother starting Hogwarts?"

"No comment!" Harry replied coldly, before walking away to Draco who he spotted alongside his parents further down the platform

"Ah, Harry my boy…" Lucius smiled as Harry approached, "Good to see you!"

"Hello again, Mr Malfoy…" Harry smiled back

Harry quite liked the Malfoy's. He first met them, when Remus and Sirius brought him to Diagon Alley to buy his supplies for his First Year at Hogwarts, after he bumped into Lucius Malfoy as he wasn't paying attention to where he was going. His wife, Narcissa, had practically adopted Harry that day and it was no secret that she saw Harry as one of her own.

Unlike the Malfoy ancestors, Lucius and Narcissa were kind and generous people, doing anything possible to help those who need it. Lucius, especially, knew that his family name didn't have the best reputation due to its history with dark magic. His ancestors were cruel people and Pureblood supremacists who killed, raped and pillaged wherever and whoever he pleased. Ever since he became Lord of the Malfoy Family and Fortune, Lucius had been trying his best to redeem his family name for what his ancestors had done. In Harry's opinion, Lucius was doing a good job. The fact that the Malfoy Patriarch fought against Voldemort, to the best of his ability, during the Wizarding War was enough in his eyes.

Harry remembered reading about how Lucius had been marked as a Blood Traitor by the Dark Lord himself, when Lucius refused to join the man's side and rejected the Dark Mark. An act which Lucius has stated many times in the past, was the best decision he ever made.

"Please Harry, how many times must I say, none of this 'Mr Malfoy' formality…" Lucius smiled, "Just call me Lucius, you are practically part of the family after all…"

"Oh I agree!" Narcissa spoke up, as she gave Harry and Evelyn a hug, "It is so good to see you again Harry, have you been well?"

"We've been great…" Harry couldn't help but smile, "However, Evie here has a bit of a habit of jumping on my chest to wake me up in the morning…"

"Is that so?" Narcissa asked, a small amused smirk on her lips as she looked to the small child on his shoulders, "Evie, have you been bothering your brother again?"

"No!" Eveyln said innocently as she shook her head, unknowingly doing a very good impression of the Malfoy's House Elf, Dobby

"Mother, we need to get going…" Draco spoke up, when he saw the time, "The train will be leaving in just a few minutes!"

Narcissa merely smiled, giving Draco a hug goodbye before hugging Harry and Evelyn once more. Whilst Draco boarded the train, Harry removed Evelyn from his shoulders as he took her back to their parents. Evelyn hugged onto his legs tightly, not wanting him to leave again, much to Harry's amusement. He made sure to give her a big hug, before forcibly removing himself from her grip. He didn't even give a single look or goodbye to his parents, as he spun on his heel and boarded the train, to catch up with Draco.

…

Lily watched as Harry boarded the Hogwarts Express, completely ignoring her in the process. The coldness of her eldest son never failed to hurt her. She was so hurt, she barely registered that Nathaniel had said goodbye before he boarded the train too. Lily failed to understand why Harry treated her husband and herself, the way he did. They cared for the boy, giving him food and shelter, yet he treated them horribly by either ignoring the both of them, or speaking to them both in harsh, icy tones. She wondered if it was because of Nathaniel. Maybe he was jealous. That thought only hurt her even more. Lily hoped that Harry wasn't jealous of Nathaniel's fame.

Didn't Harry realise why Nathaniel was famous in the first place?

Whatever the case may be, Lily was going to have to speak to James about their sons behaviour, whilst they're at Hogwarts. Hopefully they'll be able to sort everything out.

…

Harry quickly caught up with Draco and the two of them walked down the train, until they came across a compartment where they found Penelope and Susan chatting amongst themselves. Their conversation was halted, when the compartment door opened. The two girls smiled, and looked to see if anyone else was with them.

"Hey guys" Susan said, "Anyone else with you?"

"No, it's just us, we haven't seen the others" Draco replied, "Have you?"

"No, but I'd imagine Cedric is with Cho somewhere" Penelope said

Harry and Draco smirked a little as they sat down. Cedric had started dating Cho Chang, a Ravenclaw and Quidditch Seeker respectively, shortly before the end of their previous school year. After months of longing gazes and notes passed to one another throughout the whole year, relief was spread throughout the group that one of them eventually decided to ask the other out. Despite how happy the group was for Cedric, that didn't stop the gentle ribbing and teasing they'd often give Cedric for it.

Mere seconds had passed, when Harry and Draco had sat down, before the compartment door opened once again where the group was greeted by the sight of Roger Davies and the Weasley Twins, Fred and George.

"Hello you lot!" Fred greeted

"Got any room for a couple of pranksters?" George smiled

"Get in here you cheeky bastards…" Harry said, with a small grin

Fred and George were notorious pranksters inside Hogwarts and a main cause of stress for the Deputy Headmistress, Professor McGonagall. Both completely identical, down to the last freckle, with bright blue eyes and the famous red hair that the Weasleys were known for, pranks were the Twins bread and butter. The two of them were constantly inventing and coming up with new ideas for pranks, be it sweets that cause illness or disfigurement, or trinkets to stain one's robes a multitude of colours. Many learned the hard way, to never accept anything the Twins may gift you. Thankfully, their pranks were never harmful or meant in malice. They were all in jest and nothing more then harmless fun.

However, underneath their light hearted pranks, the two of them were true Gryffindors through and through. Brave with the heart of a lion, if a little reckless at times, and were never ones to back down if one of their friends are in trouble.

Then there was Roger Davies. Despite being in Ravenclaw, he would never say no to joining in with the Twins on their pranks from time to time. When he wasn't doing that, he was either studying or playing as captain for Ravenclaws Quidditch Team. Sometimes the others had to drag him away from his books, to get him to come out from time to time. If the didn't, the boy would spend the whole day lost in his books studying, without taking a break to get some food or water.

"So how was your summer?" Harry asked, as the three sat down

"It was fine…" George shrugged

"But what about you?" Fred asked, "How are you feeling, now that your brother is starting Hogwarts?"

"I cannot begin to describe how irritating it is…" Harry replied, "Bad enough that I have to deal with the git at home, but now I have to deal with him at Hogwarts too…"

"Our youngest brother, Ron, is starting Hogwarts too don't forget…" Fred said

Harry shivered at that news, wishing he could forget. Nathaniel had quickly made friends with Ron, the youngest son out of the bunch. How could he not. Both of their superiority complex was almost as big as their egos. Not to mention they had horrible table manners. Pigs had better table manners then those two.

To distract themselves from the dreadful thoughts of Nathaniel and Ron inside Hogwarts, the group decided to spend the rest of the journey to Hogwarts sharing snacks and playing some Exploding Snap. As usual, it was dark outside by the time the train arrived at Hogwarts. No matter how many times Harry walked through the doors, he felt like he was at home once again. Upon entering the Great Hall, Harry and Draco took their seats at the Slytherin table, whilst Cedric and Susan sat at the Hufflepuff table, Penelope and Roger sat down at the Ravenclaw table and Fred and George sat down at the Gryffindor table. The diversity of Hogwarts Houses in their friend group, had been a surprise for many inside Hogwarts.

House rivalry was rampant amongst Hogwarts. Whilst it wasn't bad as it once was, many still wouldn't dare to make friends outside of their own House.

Harry ignored the stares however, at the doors opened and Professor McGonagall led the new First Years into the Great Hall. Harry didn't know if it was just because he was getting taller, but he swore they got smaller every year. As the First Years were sorted, a girl called Hermione Granger caught his eye as she was called up. Harry guessed the girl to be a Muggle-Born, judging from the look of awe in her eyes, mixed with fear. In a way, it reminded him of his own Sorting. At the time, he was incredibly nervous and timid when he sat on the stool in front of the stool. Harry recalled how the Sorting Hat struggled to sort Harry, claiming that Harry's intelligence and cunning ambition made him a perfect split between Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Eventually though, the Sorting Hat had placed Harry in Slytherin after taking in Harry's ambition to prove himself into consideration.

Harry shook himself from his thoughts, just as Hermione was sorted into Gryffindor, where after a few more students McGonagall had called out Nathaniel's name. There were whispers all across the Great Hall, as people watched the Boy-Who-Lived swagger up to the stool. Many were surprised, as Nathaniel looked nothing like what they expected. Over the last decade there have been many story books written about Nathaniel, about him battling trolls and dragons and saving princesses from towers. The chubby, spectacled boy was the exact opposite of what was written in the books so for many, especially the younger years and those who haven't read the Daily Prophet, it was a surprise.

Harry watched the sorting, with a small smirk on his face. Judging from the look on Nathaniel's face and the folds of the Sorting Hat's fabric, the two seemed to be having a mental argument of some kind whilst Nathaniel sat on the stool. The argument seemed to go on for several minutes, before the hat eventually yelled out.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

If Harry didn't know any better, the Sorting Hat sounded annoyed and frustrated. Harry couldn't exactly blame it, anyone would after dealing with his brother. However, at the same time, Harry couldn't help but question the Sorting Hats choice. Out of all houses, it placed Nathaniel in Gryffindor? The House of the Brave and Chivlarous? His brother couldn't say, or even hear, the name Voldemort without pissing his pants. Harry then looked over to Draco, when the blond nudged him a little.

"Look at Cedric and Susan…" He said, "They seem relieved that he's not in Hufflepuff…"

Harry looked to the Hufflepuff table and smiled, when he saw that Cedric and Susan had looks of relief on their faces. Cedric seemed to be thanking Merlin himself, as he looked to the ceiling. The same could be said for Penelope and Roger over at the Ravenclaw table. Not that Nathaniel would end up in Ravenclaw anyway. The same couldn't be said for Fred and George, who didn't look happy to have the Boy-Who-Lived in their House, scooting away a little bit as he sat down. After a while the Sorting was eventually over, with Ron going to Gryffindor which wasn't a surprise as the Weasleys have been a Gryffindor for as long as anyone could remember, and a boy called Blaise Zabini going to Slytherin.

With the Sorting over, Dumbledore then stood up to make his mandatory speech.

"Welcome students, new and old, to a new year at Hogwarts!" He said, jovially, "Before we have our welcoming feast, I would like to announce a few words…as I must say, to every new First Year, the Forbidden Forest is, exactly what it says, strictly forbidden to all students…do not enter, for if you do, you might die the most painful of deaths from many of the inhabitants that live there…"

Harry couldn't help but roll his eyes. No matter how many times he heard it, he couldn't help but scoff at how ridiculous it was. Just imagine, being excited to go to a school of magic, only for the first thing to be told is that you might die if you went into the nearby forest.

"Secondly, we have a new Professor joining us this year…" Dumbledore said, gesturing to a Professor near the end of the Professors table, "This is Professor Quirinus Quirrell, who will be taking over as Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor this year…"

As the students applauded their new Professor, Harry couldn't help but scoff at the man. Quirrell looked nervous and afraid of his own shadow, as he timidly waved to everyone. Harry didn't have much hopes for Defence this year. However, as Harry looked upon the man he felt something. He couldn't explain it, but he felt like there was something beneath that nervous demeanour. It made him a little uncomfortable, as his scar prickled lightly. He shook himself a little, squaring his shoulders, as he turned his attention back to Dumbledore. As weirded out as Harry felt, by the Professor, he doubted that anything would happen.

Nothing interesting ever happened at Hogwarts.

…

And that is chapter 1 and…my god, I did not expect it to be so long.

The original chapter was roughly 3000 words long, this is around double or triple that amount. I will admit, the length of this chapter is partly what prevented me from uploading sooner, but we got there in the end. However, the main reason why it's been a short while since any updates, is because I had my heart played with by someone I was talking to for a few months and they stood me up, ditching me in the dirt, which sucks because I really liked them and wanted to be in a relationship with that person. So yeah, that left me in a dark place for a while, still not fully out of it.

But anyway, enough of that. There isn't much difference between this chapter and the original, besides Harry now being in Slytherin instead of Ravenclaw and his friend group. You may have noticed that, as well as Harry, Draco and Susan have also been aged up. This is because I didn't know of any older Slytherin or Hufflepuff students to join the friend group and I didn't want to fill this story with lots of OC's like in the original so I aged up Draco and Susan. Seemed fitting.

But that is all for now. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you all next time, in whatever story I see you all in.

Badger out.

…