Once the feast was over, Dumbledore said something about the third floor which would be the cause of a painful death. Harry snorted to himself. What a thing to say to a group of teenage rebels. He followed the prefect to Ravenclaw tower. The eagle knocker asked a riddle "What is greater than Magic, more evil than killing a unicorn, the poor have it, the rich need it and if you eat it, you'll die?"
The prefect said, "You'll have to answer a riddle every time you enter the tower. If you don't know then someone else can come and help you. That way, you learn, see? Can any of you answer it?", she asked.
"Nothing", said Harry.
"Correct. You have a keen mind young one", said the eagle and the door opened, amidst his classmates, gawking at Harry. The Ravenclaw Common room was beautiful. It had high windows and the ceiling was similar to the one in the Great Hall, showing stars and planets. Unlike the other houses, Ravenclaws and Slytherins got their own rooms. They were small, but it was better than sharing your room with others. Harry was grateful for this. He did not like sharing his room. Once the prefect finished her speech, the new students all walked to their respective rooms. Harry entered the one which had his name on it. It was small but looked homely. It had a large window, a four-poster bed, and a desk. It would do.
"Toby", he said.
The elf popped in front of him. "What can Toby do for Master?", he said.
"Can you please increase the size of this room and change the wall colours to red and silver like the one back home?" he asked.
The elf nodded and snapped his fingers. The room expanded into a good size. The walls changed to deep red and silver. He nodded to Harry and disappeared. Harry looked at the room and was happy with it. He took his wand and made a few movements. There was a flash of light and an enormous Potter crest appeared on a wall decorated red. He opened his multi-compartment trunk by hissing in parseltounge. He had been surprised to discover this trait when he had spoken to a garden snake he found in the grounds of Potter Castle. Not that he would ever tell anyone of this discovery. Harry prized his secrets. And he knew the trait was classified as dark. He pulled out a large picture frame from inside his trunk. He took it and stuck it on the wall above his desk with a strong sticking charm. It was a picture of Charlus, Dorea, James and Lily Potter on the day of his parents' wedding. He changed his clothes and went to bed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.
Harry got up early like he always did. He changed into his exercise clothes and took out a tatty piece of parchment. He touched it with his wand and said, "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good". The parchment expanded and showed the map of Hogwarts. Harry saw that Dumbledore was still in his office. After browsing for several minutes, he was about to deactivate it, when he saw something which he thought wasn't possible. Harry couldn't believe his eyes. "Well, well, well", he whispered to himself. "Look who I found."
Once he had arrived at Potter Castle four years ago, the elves had begun to recover things that had belonged to the family. There were several items belonging to James and Lily that they had found in the possession of Albus Dumbledore, including the precious invisibility cloak that had been in the family for centuries. That was when Harry had found a tatty piece of parchment. While reading his father's journal, he found out that it was the Marauder's Map. It was quite an incredible piece of magic.
Once his morning exercises were done, he took a bath, dressed in his uniform and made his way to the Great Hall. He sat down at the Ravenclaw table amid stares from everyone in the hall and started eating breakfast. His Head of House, Professor Flitwick came around passing everyone their timetables. He looked at his and smirked. The first class was Herbology with the Slytherins, a perfect time to talk to Daphne. He had Charms and Astronomy with the Gryffindors, Defence against the Dark Arts and Potions with the Hufflepuffs and Transfiguration again with the Slytherins. It was a well-rounded schedule he mused to himself.
Professor Flitwick cleared his throat. "Mr. Potter, the headmaster wishes to speak with you after the classes are over. Please come to my office at 3", he said.
"Of course Professor, I'll be there", he said giving the half-goblin a small smile.
He proceeded to the greenhouses while making small talk with his fellow Ravenclaws. They all wanted to know about him, but he tactfully deflected that line of questioning and changed the subject. Harry spotted Daphne and Tracy and went over to them. Before he could say anything, he was rudely interrupted by a voice. "Are you really Harry Potter?"
Harry turned to look at Draco Malfoy. He was flanked by two thick boys who looked like bodyguards. "I am Hadrian Potter, yes. I think people would have figured it out by now if I had been an imposter" he said. A few people chuckled. The entire class stood silently watching, all curious about the Boy Who Lived.
"This is Crabbe and this is Goyle", he said pointing his bodyguards. "And I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. You'll soon find out that some wizarding families are better than others Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there", he said holding out his hand.
Harry shook his hand. "It is nice to meet you Mr. Malfoy. I'm curious as to how you think I'm making friends with the wrong sort as you put it." He looked at Daphne and Tracy who were standing behind him. "Are you referring to the girls behind me? My, my, Lord Greengrass and Lord Davis would be devastated to know the heir of the Noble House of Malfoy's opinion of their families. I wonder what your father would say if he were to hear about this conversation", he said.
Malfoy's face paled and went white as a sheet. He would so be in trouble if his father found out about this. He hastily made a retreat to the other end of the greenhouse. Harry smirked, and the rest of the class realised why Harry Potter was not a Gryffindor. For someone who hadn't been sorted there, he had definitely pulled a move worthy of a Slytherin. He had subtly made life a bit difficult for both Draco and Lucius Malfoy.
The Herbology professor, Pomora Sprout entered and lectured about her subject. And they were instructed to form groups of three and start potting plants in front of them. Harry immediately moved next to Daphne and Tracy. Tracy didn't waste time to start talking to Harry. "So Mr. Evans, we're friends huh?" she said with a grin.
"I don't mind Miss Davis. Please call me Harry. And I wasn't exactly lying when I introduced myself as James Evans. My middle name is James and my mother's maiden name was Evans. I didn't want to draw attention to myself. I hope you understand", he said.
"It's fine. Call me Tracy. You don't look anything like what we had all expected. So it was quite a shock. And that was awesome what you did to Malfoy by the way, right Daphne?" asked Tracy.
Daphne didn't reply. She was lost in her thoughts. Hadrian Potter had thrown her for a loop. First, he managed to impress her with advanced magic and his pureblood etiquette, then he managed to infuriate her by fooling her with his identity, and now he had basically smacked Draco Malfoy in the face with his subtlety. He had single headedly ensured that Draco Malfoy couldn't annoy her and this incident would probably stop Lucius Malfoy from mentioning to her father about creating a betrothal contract between the two families. Not that her parents would ever agree to it, she thought with a smile. Harry's voice brought her back to the present.
"It's nice to see you again Daphne. You look a lot more beautiful when you're not glaring at me" said Harry without looking at her.
Daphne narrowed her eyes. "I don't recall giving you permission to use my first name, Potter." She said coldly.
"You didn't? My apologies, Daphne", he said with a smirk. It was so much fun riling her up! For the first time, he was glad that he read a few of his mother's romance novels he had found in his parents' room in Potter Manor.
Daphne's nostrils flared. Tracy had a small grin on her face. No one had managed to get under Daphne's skin so far. Potter had obviously succeeded. As the class ended, they went their separate ways, Harry sending a wink to Daphne before leaving.
The next class was Defence. Harry couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something definitely wrong with Professor Quirrell. His stutter didn't sound natural. And there was something off with his magical aura. Harry could sense great darkness around his head. He would have to look into that. After lunch, it was History of Magic. He didn't bother listening to the ghost. He took out his book on Elementary Warding and started reading. He had come across a wonderful charm a few months back. He could mask the book and its pages so that no one would figure out that he wasn't reading the first year textbooks. It would also give him an avenue to read in most of his classes after he finished his work. Merlin knows he would be bored otherwise. The last class was Charms. Harry smiled as he listened to Professor Flitwick teach them the Lumos light charm. From what he had read in his mother's journals, Flitwick was her mentor when she was pursuing her Charms Mastery. He was also an International Duelling Champion, a title which Harry himself wanted to achieve someday. He already had plans of taking part in the Under-13 Duelling Championship in Paris the next summer. He reminded himself to register for that during the Yule holidays.
Once the class was over, he remained in the classroom while the rest of his classmates moved out. Professor Flitwick came over to him. "Ready to go, Mr. Potter?" he asked.
"Yes sir. Do you have any idea what this is about Professor?" Harry asked.
"I'm not sure Mr. Potter. I'm just as curious as you are. I was told to escort you to the headmaster's office. I don't know the reason as the why" he clarified.
Harry knew the reason of course. It looked like his suspicions were confirmed. Flitwick was not one of Dumbledore's lackeys, from the looks of it. In that case, the half-goblin would prove to be a valuable ally, especially considering that he was probably already fond of Harry for being Lily's son. And Harry wanted others to know that Albus Dumbledore had lost his precious saviour. He would start small, but he would make his enemies fall. After all, he was a Potter. And Potters were born to conquer.
"This is highly unusual Professor. Today is the first day of school. I would like you to remain during the course of the meeting if you don't mind sir. After all, according to the Hogwarts Charter, the student's Head of House has to be present during all meetings with the headmaster" he said.
Flitwick frowned slightly but nodded. They reached the stone gargoyle and the Professor gave the password 'Lemon Drops' and the ascended the stairs. He knocked on the door and they heard a voice say "Come in". They entered.
HP*LIGHTNING LORD*HP
Albus Dumbledore sat behind his large desk waiting for the arrival of Harry Potter. He was finally going to get some answers. The wards alerted him that they had arrived. "Come in" he said to them.
He watched as Harry Potter calmly entered the room along with Flitwick. He sucked in a breath involuntarily. Albus hadn't been able to take a close look at the Potter heir at the sorting feast. But now that he was standing in front of him, he saw that he looked nothing like what he had expected. He had expected to find a clone of James Potter with the eyes of his mother Lily. Boy, was he mistaken. The young boy in front of him was quite tall for his age, making him look older than he was. His eyes were bright emerald green, the colour of the Avada Kedavra, he thought with a shudder. His hair was not the messy bird's nest like his father, but was silky, while still a bit messy. His face showed a perfect blend of both his parents, mixed with some of the Black heritage no doubt inherited from his grandmother. High cheekbones, glowing eyes, shoulder length black hair and aristocratic features made him a very handsome boy. Not to mention that his presence seemed to fill the room. He was eerily reminded of the young Tom Riddle.
Albus cleared his throat. "Thank you for bringing young Harry here Flilus. You may go."
"I apologise headmaster, but Mr. Potter requested me to be here. As it was pointed out to me, it is according to the Hogwarts Charter that the Head of House of the student be present for such meetings" he said.
Albus thought for a moment. "Very well. Please take a seat. Would you like a lemon drop Harry?" he asked.
Before Harry could take a seat, they heard a trill. He saw a beautiful phoenix perched close to the desk. Harry approached the bird with a hint of a smile and bowed to the creature showing his respect. The phoenix trilled again, and Harry slowly approached it and started stroking his feathers. "Ah, I see you've met my familiar. Allow me to introduce you to Fawkes. He is a phoenix", said Dumbledore.
Harry inclined his head, saying nothing. He wanted to try the subtle power play and see what would happen. He didn't want the headmaster to take control of the conversation. He sat down in his seat and looked around the office. Dumbledore had yet to say a word. After a few minutes, Dumbledore spoke up, "How have you been Harry?"
Harry cocked one eyebrow but kept his face expressionless. "Just fine, headmaster. And for the record, my name is Hadrian. And I don't recall saying that you could address me by my first name, or rather the shortened version. It would not do the Chief Warlock to be found lacking in etiquette, don't you agree?" he said softly. His voice was soft, but Dumbledore could feel his magical aura pulse when he spoke. It brought back memories of the young Tom Riddle again. He did not like this. Before he could respond, they heard a snarl coming from the other side of the room.
Harry turned and looked at the form of Severus Snape. Suddenly, a memory flashed in his mind.
~~~~~~~~~
"Master, I have important news", said a figure kneeling before him.
"What is it Severus?" he asked in a silky voice.
"Master, I did what you asked of me. I went to Hogwarts to request a teaching position. While in the Hog's Head, the old fool was in the process of interviewing a divination teacher Sybill Trelawney. At first, it was all nonsense, but then she said in a weird voice, that the One with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches, born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies. Before I could hear more, I was discovered and the barman threw me out."
He looked at the man in front of him. Who had the power to defeat HIM? He was Lord Voldemort, the greatest wizard ever. But if this prophecy was true, then he had to eliminate the threat. "You have done well to tell me this Severus. You shall be greatly rewarded for this. For now, bring me Rockwood. I need to confirm this with the Department of Mysteries."
~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry sat quietly, but his hands and legs were shaking slightly due to the memory he had just watched. It was only due to his natural ability with the mind arts that he was able to clamp down his Occlumency shields to prevent exclaiming in shock. Prophecy? Was that why Voldemort had attacked him?
Dumbledore cleared his throat again. "My apologies Mr Potter. How has life been for the last four years?" he asked, hoping to draw him out.
Harry gave a hint of a smile. "Pretty good, I have to say. Much better than the life I had led until then. You could imagine my surprise to find out that I wasn't a freak as my relatives said, and that I was a wizard. And that my father wasn't a drunk or my mother a whore who died in a car crash, but rather my father was an Auror and my mother an Unspeakable, and they were both murdered by a dark wizard. A lot of information to take in for a seven-year-old child, I can tell you. But I managed. Magic is such a wonderful thing, is it not Headmaster?"
Flitwick was shocked. What was happening here? Minerva had told him that Harry Potter was living with his muggle relatives. From what he had just heard, it looked like the boy had run away from home. And listening to the lies about his favourite student made him very angry indeed.
Albus paled at hearing that. "I see" he said. "May I know how you found your way to one of the Potter properties?" he asked.
Harry smirked. "That is for me to know and you to never find out Headmaster" he said.
Snape snarled again. He had enough of the impertinent brat. "Potter, you arrogant brat! You're just like your father. Thinking the world is beneath you and that you can get away with everything. It looks like you've inherited your father's lack of brains along with his overly large head" he ranted.
The temperature in the room dropped drastically. The magic in the air became very thick. Harry kept his face neutral and said in a low, dangerous voice. "Please keep your pet on a tight leash headmaster. I don't need a Death Eater to tell me about a man who sacrificed his life without hesitation so that he could protect his wife and child. I can just see the headlines in the Daily Prophet tomorrow. Death Eater condemns the memory of a war hero father in front of the Boy Who Lived. What ever would you do?"
Before Dumbledore could reply, Harry got up. "I think we're done here. Thank you for your time Professor Flitwick. I'll see myself out Headmaster" he said and walked out, followed by the small Charms master.
HP*LIGHTNING LORD*HP
Cyrus Greengrass was sitting in his study in Greengrass Manor, holding a glass of firewhiskey. A piece of parchment was lying on the desk in front of him. He had just come back after a meeting with his account manager at Gringotts. How could his father have not told him about this contract? Then again, his father had died of dragon pox, so mentioning a betrothal contract that might never come to pass would not have been on his list of priorities. How on earth would he explain this to Daphne? He knew that her marriage would likely be a political one, considering that she was the heiress, but he had promised his daughter that she would have the choice in the matter and that he wouldn't force her into it. And now, there was an iron clad contract. He and Elizabeth could try for another child of course, but there was no guarantee it would be a boy. He sighed and drowned his glass just as his wife came in.
"Cyrus, what happened? Why do you look so pale?" asked Elizabeth Greengrass as she approached her husband.
"I'm caught in a bind Lizzie. See for yourself" he said as she handed her the parchment. When she let out a hiss, he realised that she had figured out the problem.
"Normally, I would have been ecstatic to have found out that our daughter would marry the heir of the Potter family. But things aren't as simple. I had promised Daphne that I wouldn't force her into a loveless marriage just for the sake of politics. And now, I have to tell that she is betrothed and that too with the Boy Who Lived, who is probably brainwashed by Dumbledore. And you know that I don't trust that old man. He would probably stick his crooked nose into our family's business. And there is the matter of us getting along with the boy. My father was a good friend of Charlus Potter, but I never knew James, having graduated Hogwarts before he arrived. And his son is a national hero and an international celebrity. How are we going to handle this?" he asked sombrely.
Elizabeth hugged her husband and comforted him. "Don't jump to conclusions dear. Maybe we can stop Dumbledore from interfering in our affairs. And you leave Daphne to me. I'll handle her. You worry about the political ramifications about this. If I remember correctly, the Potters were traditionally a Grey family, though it is now part of the Light faction because of Dumbledore's proxy. The Boy Who Lived being betrothed is going to be big news. Let's keep it under wraps for now. We can offer to meet him during the Yule holidays if possible."
Cyrus sighed and nodded. He prayed to Merlin that it would all work out.