Chapter 5
Platform 9 ¾)
Harry walked onto Platform 9 ¾ with a smile on his face dressed in a black jacket with a blue long sleeved shirt black jeans and his favorite blue and white trainers. He was happy because just before he left the Leaky after one final breakfast Tom did him one final favor to make his day significantly easier. Apparently there was a Floo that wizarding families used to get to the platform without having to deal with the Muggle train station and the bartender knew the address. He wished Daphne or Hannah told him about that, but he would worry about that later.
He arrived on the platform at about 9:45, but unlike the other people who were carrying their large trunks, Harry had the foresight to put his trunk in his jacket pocket using the shrinking and featherlight functions to make it easier to carry. Hedwig was already on the way to Hogwarts having flown earlier in the morning. How the owl knew how to get there was beyond him, but he went with it since it would make his life much easier.
Now that he was here, it was time to find Daphne on the train. Taking out his custom wand which ended up being ebony black and 10 inches long with the horned serpent and thunderbird cores, he cast the Point me Spell which was one of the spells in his birthday gift. As long as you recognized the person magic, you could use the Point me Spell to find anybody you want at any time. With the spell cast, he allowed the spell to lead him down the track and onto the train before it finally stopped in front of one of the many compartments. While he knew she was there, it was always good form to knock since you never knew what was going on inside and Harry did just that.
"Come in." Daphne said and he opened the door to the familiar sight of Daphne Greengrass, and for the first time in a while Tracey Davis. Tracey was in a red jacket with a brown long-sleeved shirt and jeans along with some simple shoes. Daphne looked as lovely as ever in a wintergreen jacket with a white shirt and black joggers along with her signature green and white trainers but his good mood at seeing Daphne didn't last for long.
"I thought you were kidding when you said we'd be sitting with Harry Potter, Daph. This is freaking awesome" Tracey said happily.
Harry twitched in annoyance because if there was one thing he was tired of it was being recognized as the Boy Who Lived, "Seems I'm in the wrong cabin" Harry said coldly before spinning to leave.
Daphne's eyes widened at the action, "Wait a second Harry." Daphne called out before turning to Tracey. "Seriously Tracey, I told you to calm down."
"Yeah but I thought you were joking. Sorry Harry." Tracey replied bashfully.
Harry was not pleased with Tracey, but he would stay for Daphne, still he needed to make it clear that wasn't acceptable, "That's a yellow card for you Tracey." Harry replied firmly.
Daphne was confused but Tracey was not, "Did you really just give me a yellow card of all things." Tracey asked in confusion
"Yes. I'm surprised that you know about that." Harry chuckled.
"Half-blood." Tracey revealed
"Got it." Harry nodded.
"What do you mean yellow card Harry." Daphne wondered.
"There's a Muggle sport called football and one of the ways they punish players for misbehavior is yellow or red cards and I've adopted a similar policy. Everyone I know will get a limited amount of yellow cards before I cut ties with them. If somebody receives multiple yellows in one interaction, that's a red card and I cut ties with them immediately. For her little act, Tracey has received a yellow card which is a warning in this case" Harry replied.
"I get it and I'm sorry."
Daphne was confused but the most important thing was that Harry was here, "Now please sit down Harry. We've got another hour and change until we leave and 8 hours until Hogwarts. I'd rather have the people I'm with be able to tolerate each other." Daphne replied..
"My tolerance will depend on her and the same is true of anybody else."
"I can live with that but at least give me a chance to help things along."
"Sure why not?" Harry shrugged.
Tracey was certainly caught off guard by their interaction, "What the heck. I've never seen you so friendly with anybody besides me." Tracey said in disbelief. Daphne had a reputation in some circles for being an ice queen and this was nothing like that.
"I'm typically not friendly because people do things that annoy me." Daphne deadpanned.
"Good point. So I guess we use this time to get to know each other more." Tracey smiled.
"I've got a better idea. How about we relax for now since we've got plenty of time to talk. Plus, I really don't feel like repeating myself and I've got a feeling I'll do that plenty otherwise." Harry said
"Sounds good to me." Daphne said happily and everyone seemed to settle in.
(Scene Skip)
Things were peaceful for 10 minutes before there was another knock on the door, "Come on in." Daphne smiled. The door opened to reveal a young boy with dark skin wearing a black sport jacket of all things with a white collared shirt black dress pants with a black belt and back dress shoes of all things. Harry had to hold back a whistle because this kid would've been an instant hit in the Muggle world with an appearance like that.
"Hello Daphne." The young man said happily before grabbing her hand and kissing it as was the pureblood way..
"Hello Blaise." Daphne smiled before sitting back down as Blaise took his trunk and put it away before sitting to Daphne's left with Tracey on the right. Once he got settled, Blaise looked towards Harry and smiled warmly..
"It's a pleasure to meet you Lord Potter. My name is Blaise Zabini." Blaise said politely.
Harry smiled back, "Pleasure to meet you Heir Zabini." Harry replied.
"Blaise is actually Italian and when House Zabini was just getting started here in England, House Greengrass was their biggest supporter. Thanks to that connection, Blaise and I have known each other since we were kids." Daphne explained.
"I see." Harry replied and he wasn't pleased. A relationship like that would put a damper on any plans he had to pursue Daphne.
Blaise recognized Harry's annoyance for what it was and decided to help, "Daphne is like the sister I never had which is ironic given my family's history."
Harry was relieved by the news, but he was also curious, "Care to explain this history, if not I understand." Harry probed.
Blaise chuckled, "You'll hear it from others so why not. My mother is known as the Black Widow because she's had 7 different husbands, and they've all died under mysterious circumstances. I have the distinction of being her only son and even more amusingly I'm also from her first marriage" Blaise said calmly.
Harry whistled because that was something, "That is something and for what it's worth I believe in judging somebody based on them personally and not their family so that means nothing." Harry explained.
Blaise was clearly pleased, "I believe this is the start of a great friendship Heir Potter." Blaise smiled.
"It's actually Lord Potter. My situation isn't quite as complicated, but we can get into that later. For now let's relax." Harry replied.
"Agreed." Blaise smiled.
"Glad everyone's getting along." Daphne smiled and everyone just relaxed for now.
Since the introduction was over, Harry decided to see how everyone else was reacting and it was something. The station was starting to fill with people and students of all ages carried around trunks of all sizes and shapes. Inside the train, compartments were filling up and amusingly nobody had come to them at least until there was another knock.
"Come on in." Daphne said again and Harry wondered who would appear this time. He was pleasantly surprised to see two girls walk in. Both had light brown hair and blue eyes with pale skin and slender bodies. Each wore green long sleeved shirts, that hid their B cup breasts, with black slacks and trainers with one wearing white and blue and the other in white and green.
"It seems that Daphne's added quite the person to the group."
"So she has." The two girls said together.
"Harry I'd like you to meet Flora and Hestia Carrow. Flora has the white and blue trainers with Hestia in the white and green."
Harry smiled before getting up and approaching the girls, "Pleasure to meet you girls. I'm new to the pureblood world and while the policy is usually to kiss the hand of the witch since your twins, I'm not sure how to manage without offending you. Help me out here girls." Harry smiled.
Flora smiled from the left in white and blue shoes, "We like this one."
"You may kiss both of our hands." Hestia added from the right.
"Alright." Harry replied before shocking the girls and the watching group by grabbing Flora's left hand and Hestia's right before placing them together and managing to plant a single kiss on both hands at once.
"Smooth." Blaise praised.
"Not gonna lie. Never seen that before." Tracey smirked.
Harry smiled before pulling away, "Since they never said who was older or younger, I figured I'd do both at once, so I didn't offend either."
"I see."
"Very clever Lord Potter."
"Thank you and I'm surprised you called me Lord and not Heir." Harry praised.
"Based on pureblood customs you are a Lord."
"It's only right to call you as such." The twins said together again,
"Will you guys sit down already." Daphne frowned.
"Jealousy is unbecoming Daphne." Flora spoke up as she put away her trunk.
"Besides he should've kissed your hand earlier." Hestia smirked before doing the same.
"About that. I'm typically not a fan of the pureblood greeting and Daphne knows as much so I didn't do it.
"And yet you did it for us."
"Kissed both hands together in fact."
"I just met you and I didn't want to offend."
"Well you certainly didn't."
"Though next time perhaps a kiss somewhere else would be more enjoyable."
"Sit down" Daphne said with a stern tone, and she was clearly annoyed.
'Alright." Harry smiled before taking a seat on the side closest to the window
"What are you doing Lord Potter." Flora wondered.
"Sitting down." Harry said nonchalantly.
"That's true but."
"We can't both sit next to you if you're at the window." Hestia spoke up.
Harry smiled, "I apologize ladies." Harry said before moving to the middle.
"Much better." Flora said before taking the window seat.
"Now we can all relax." Hestia smiled as she took the spot closest to the door.
"I definitely like this guy." Blaise smiled.
Daphne said nothing as the group settled in but on the inside she was furious seeing harry and the Carrows like that. Thankfully things were calm until the silence was broken with about 30 minutes to go.
"Sister it seems the carrots have arrived." Flora smiled from her spot at the window
"The Carrots." Harry wondered as he looked towards the window. On cue a group of 4 red headed children in beat up clothes all ran towards the Express at once holding onto their trunks.
"I can't believe you call them The Carrots." Tracey chuckled.
"They have red hair and the family breeds like bunnies. Carrots fit." Hestia said in a flat tone.
Harry couldn't help but laugh, "That's a new one. So who are they." Harry wondered.
"That would be the Weasley family. As incredible as it sounds there are 7 of them. 6 boys and one girl. The two oldest boys have graduated. One boy is our year. The two who look alike are 3rd years and the final one is a 5th year." Daphne explained.
"I see." Harry replied trying to keep his cool. After all the Weasley's, or at least Molly Weasley, did steal money from him with Dumbledore's help.
"But enough about them." Flora said.
"Let's enjoy the trip before you know who shows up." Hestia replied.
Harry blinked, "You know who." Harry said in confusion.
"Draco Malfoy."
"He's a rather… interesting person." Flora and Hestia said together.
"Girls can we please not talk about Malfoy more than necessary. I'd rather keep my breakfast."
"I see you don't like him." Harry said flatly. She was one of the people she said to avoid.
"Nobody does."
"Besides Pansy."
"Girls!" Daphne said firmly.
"Fine."
"We're sorry."
Harry found the twins to be quite the delight, "Since we have a bit more time until the train leaves. How about we have some fun." Harry smiled.
"What did you have in mind."
"We're very curious."
"You two Tracey and Blaise get to ask me a question each. I've been talking to Daphne all summer, so she knows plenty, but I don't know anything about you guys."
"I assume you get to ask us one each also." Flora asked.
"Sure why not." Harry shrugged.
"Excellent." Hestia grinned.
"Blaise goes first." Daphne said firmly.
"Aww." Tracey complained.
"Phew" the twins said together. It was obvious that they knew Tracey would do something troublesome and ruin it.
"Ask away Blaise."
"What has the great Harry Potter been doing since his legendary battle with Voldemort at 1 year old."
Harry blinked, "It seems you didn't read the Prophet this morning Blaise. I actually did an impromptu interview a few days ago, and it was published this morning. That will answer it for you." Harry answered not wanting to address this at all.
"Ah. I'll have to get a copy from somebody later." Blaise replied.
"Sounds good but since that's a bit unfair. You get a second question." Harry replied.
Blaise grinned, "Very well. Do you know what House you want to be sorted into." Blaise replied.
Daphne listened in curiously as Harry answered, "I want to be sorted into the best house for me and I know which one that is based on what I've heard and no, I won't tell you what that is."
"No fair." Tracey pouted.
"It's the truth. Flora and Hestia you're next." Harry smiled.
The girls seemed to look at each other and nod, "Do you know who the Death Eaters are." Flora wondered.
Harry took a deep breath since this was quite the topic, "One of the first long conversations Daphne and I had was about the war and why I was so famous. I knew bits and pieces about my family's role, but Daphne filled in the rest. She told me all about the war, Death eaters, and the man I supposedly killed at 1 year old. It was… illuminating." Harry admitted. More like terrifying. The fact that wizards would do that to each other was something else.
Hestia took a deep breath, "What would you say if I told you that our father and his sister were among the elites of that very group."
Harry was slightly taken aback but he kept his cool, "As I mentioned earlier to Blaise upon hearing his history, I don't judge people for their family and what they did or didn't do. I'll judge you girls for what you do. Also I have a bit of a system in place: annoy me enough and you'll get a yellow card. Annoy me too often and you'll get a red and our association ends. That association ends if you get two yellows in a short period of time also."
The girls breathed a visible sigh of relief, "Very well."
"We don't plan on giving you a reason to give us a card." the twins said together.
"I hope so." Harry smiled.
"Now it's my turn." Tracey said with a grin.
Harry had an odd feeling in the back of his head, "Alright."
"In a hypothetical situation, if you had to choose between Daphne and the girl you were on a date with when everyone saw you at the Leaky, who would you choose." Tracey asked with a grin.
Daphne's face lit up in a blush, and she was sorely tempted to reach for her wand and send an overpowered stinging hex at her friend, but she focused on an amused Harry, "Well as far as questions go that's a rather interesting one. That said, I'll only answer it if Daphne wants me to." Harry replied in a surprisingly diplomatic tone.
Daphne took a second to calm down, "You don't have to answer it Harry."
"Aww" Blaise the twins and Tracey said at once.
"Very well." Harry replied.
"Well since we got a question each Harry should get to ask us a question." Blaise said with a grin.
Harry smiled, "Very well. I'll start with Tracey and regardless of your answer, I won't issue any more cards." Harry said.
"Luckily for Tracey." Blaise smirked.
"Shut it Blaise." Tracey pouted.
"Anyway. Here's the question I have. If you weren't Daphne's vassal, do you think you and Daphne would still be friends."
Daphne blinked and Tracey smiled, "I think we would. She's got a lot of awesome traits, and I'd have seen those. Being her vassal just means I see them more often than others"
"I see." Harry smiled before focusing on the twins.
"Our turn." They said together.
"Yes. The question I want to ask applies to you both, so I'll ask and go from there."
"Go ahead."
"We're ready."
"Did you ask me about your parents because you were worried that my history with Death eaters would prevent us from being friends."
"Yes."
"We know that many fear us because of them and considering your connection to the group, we were worried you'd dismiss us because of it." Flora and Hestia asked.
"Alright." Harry replied.
"You technically have one question left."
"And we want to know if you're curious about anything else." The twins said again.
Harry chuckled, "Alright. A long-standing joke with twins, particularly identical ones like you two is that you finish each other sentences and that you also have a psychic connection. I know you guys finished your sentences earlier so is that a result of an actual psychic connection or is it played out for fun."
The two blinked before smiling, "A combination of the two" Flora said
"We both know each other so well."
"And what each other is thinking."
"That we"
"Can finish each other's sentences." The two alternated before saying the last bit together."
"Awesome." Harry smiled.
"And it's almost time."
"For the Express to leave." The twins said in their usual twin speak and the Hogwarts express gave a final whistle before it began to move at last.
The journey to Hogwarts has finally begun.
(Scene Skip)
The first hour of the train ride was pretty relaxing as far as Harry was concerned. They started with simple stuff to get to know them and Harry was glad he didn't have to explain the Lordship because it annoyed him to discuss. Then things calmed down for a bit until the silence was broken. "Hey Harry, do you mind if we switch places for a bit." Blaise wondered.
"What are you doing Blaise." Daphne scowled.
"Giving you two a chance to sit next to each other for a bit. I can tell that you're tense for some reason and it's getting sort of uncomfortable." Blaise admitted.
"You do look annoyed." Tracey admitted having watched her master for the last hour and seeing how tense she was.
"I'm tense because I know it's not a matter of if Draco shows his ugly mug, but when and I don't want to deal with him more than I have to."
"That's a good lie."
"Now why don't you tell us the real reason." The twins spoke up.
"Fine. Just get this over with." Daphne huffed.
Harry left the side of the twins as Blaise and him walked over and amusingly the Carrow twins moved next to each other as Blaise took the seat closest to the door.
Harry sat down next to Daphne and smiled, "As your friend I'm going to apologize ahead of time for this." Harry as he sat down and prepared to make his move
"What are you EEP." Daphne squeaked as Harry reached around Daphne's neck and pulled her into his body roughly.
"I find that hugs often help when somebody is frustrated and you're clearly frustrated." Harry smiled as he held Daphne against his body.
"Not so forcefully idiot and do my stomach if you're going to hug me from the side." Daphne said with a blush on her face
Harry smiled, "Then move your body forward a bit." Harry said before letting go of her neck.
Daphne huffed before moving slightly forward so Harry could reach around, "There you go" Daphne blushed.
"Alright." Harry smiled before this time reaching around her stomach and grabbing her before pulling her against his side.
"That's better." Daphne said with a grin as she rested her head on Harry's broad chest.
"Oh my."
"I've never seen this side of Daphne." The twins smiled.
"Don't get used to it." Daphne said with a blush that thankfully Harry couldn't see.
Everyone was smiling and things were peaceful for about 10 minutes before the door to their compartment was opened roughly and in walked three people in casual clothes. The first was a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes flanked by two boys with square jaws and short hair. The two boys had the feel of bodyguards as far as Harry was concerned.
"What's the meaning of this Greengrass." The blonde boy scowled.
Daphne was about to move but Harry kept her against his body, "That would be two yellows and that means this interaction is over. Not only did you not knock on the door like a civilized person but the moment you walked in, you acted like a complete snob." Harry said coldly.
"I don't know who you think you are, but I am Draco Malfoy Heir of Ancient and Noble."
"I said we're through. Petrificus Totalus." Harry said quickly having summoned his wand in a flash from his hidden holster on the arm currently holding Daphne and cast the Full Body Bind on Draco. The Full Body bind was yet another spell from the group and as it's name suggested, it bound a person completely freezing them in place.
"Damn" Blaise smiled as Draco fell to the floor with a thud.
"What the"
"Draco."
Harry focused on the two boys, "If you guys don't mind please take Draco away. We were having a lovely time, and he had to ruin it." Harry replied with a savage grin.
"Yeah."
'We'll do that." the two boys said together clearly shaken by how easily their leader was dispatched.
"Good. When the spell eventually breaks, tell him that if he wants to have a civilized talk, I'm sure we can do that but otherwise I don't want to hear from him." Harry replied coldly.
"He can actually hear you."
"Just not respond." Flora and Hestia pointed out.
"I forgot about that. Thank you girls." Harry smiled before focusing on Draco.
"I may not be used to the magical world Draco but if you're an actual heir start acting like it. If you're going to act uncivilized and foolish, I'll treat you as such." Harry replied coldly.
"Can you fix him." The first boy wondered.
"It's kind of a pain to carry him like that."
"Sorry but no. He seems like the type who will just go back to the same as before and I'd hate to have to paralyze him again. Take him back to wherever your cabin is so he can cool down." Harry answered.
"Got it." The first boy said calmly.
"By the way have you seen Harry Potter. After he saw Greengrass he wanted to go introduce himself to him." the second boy smiled.
Harry chuckled, "What are your names." Harry said to the boys.
'I'm Gregory Goyle Heir to House Goyle. This is Vincent Crabbe Heir to House Crabbe." Goyle said calmly before pointing at Crabbe.
Harry smiled, "It's nice to meet you Crabbe Goyle. Look no further because I am Harry Potter, Lord of House Potter himself."
"You're a Lord already."
"I thought we couldn't be that until we were older." Crabbe and Goyle said.
"I'm the last of my family. Pretty much Lord by default."
"I see."
"Sorry to hear that." Crabbe and Goyle said together.
"It's fine. Now why don't you take Draco and go back to your cabin since you found me and he's not going to be talking for a while."
"Alright."
"Nice to meet you Potter."
"See you Crabbe Goyle." Harry replied politely.
Everyone watched as the two boys dragged a still paralyzed Draco out of the cabin before closing the door. Why they didn't pick him up was beyond Harry, but he didn't care.
"That was"
"Intense" the twins said at once.
"No kidding, I can't believe you just hexed him out of nowhere like that. I barely saw you summon your wand in the first place." Blaise mused.
"I practiced a lot with my holster." Harry smiled as he flared his magic, and the wand slid up his arm and back into the holster. He could do it manually, but he wanted to keep Daphne in his arms.
"Be careful though. Draco's not the type that will take this kindly." Tracey warned.
"Those two dragged Draco along the floor instead of picking him up and carrying him. That should serve as a nice distraction" Harry replied.
"True." Blaise said with a large grin. Depending on how far they had to go, that would be a painful trip.
"Sorry about that." Daphne sighed still in his arms.
"What are you apologizing for. He was the one acting like a git." Harry snorted
"Okay." Daphne smiled before snuggling into him again much to the group's amusement.
"Now where were we." Harry said with a smile and the group just continued to relax.
(Scene Skip)
Things calmed down for a bit after the incident with Draco and soon they were chatting about their lives prior to Hogwarts with Harry giving them as much as he could without saying anything too revealing. When the snack trolley came by, the others got sweets and some pumpkin juice, but Harry declined since none of that appealed to him. He asked if they had grape juice or some fudge and the trolley lady sadly apologized. It was pretty peaceful for a little longer until there was a knock on the door.
"Come in." Harry said politely since Daphne was relaxing on his chest as she had most of the trip.
This time it was a bushy-haired girl.
"Have you seen a toad. A boy named Neville lost it." The girl said quickly.
"That's a yellow card Miss."
"Oh wow. You know football also. I'm a Muggleborn so I didn't expect too many people to know about that"
"In that case your card is rescinded but for future reference it's polite to introduce yourself first before asking questions."
"Very well. I'm Hermione Granger."
"Flora Carrow Heiress of House Carrow."
"Hestia Carrow her twin sister and younger by 90 seconds."
"Blaise Zabini. Heir of house Zabini."
"Tracey Davis of House Davis. The potato in the arms of the stud is Daphne Greengrass heiress of House Greengrass."
"Oi." Daphne protested as the others chuckled including Hermione.
"And I am Harry Potter. Lord of House Potter. Pleasure to meet you Ms. Granger. I'm supposed to kiss the hand of purebloods, but I trust you're okay with me not doing that."
'That's fine. I've actually read about you in books and."
"Let me stop you right there Ms. Granger. I get the feeling you love books, so I believe you'd appreciate a little context before continuing."
"I certainly do so please continue." Hermione said with a grin.
Harry was pleased she was so agreeable and continued, 'If you're speaking about the various Harry Potter adventure books those are fabrications, and somebody used my name without my knowing. If you're talking about the stories about the night my parents were killed, there are a few things you need to know about those that change your perspective."
"That would be helpful." The girl said and the other listened in also.
Harry was pleased, "The night my parents were killed the only people in the House, by design mind you, were me my parents and the man who killed them. Apparently, wizards don't like to say his name, so I'll leave it at that. According to what I was told, the man broke into my home killed my father and mother before using a curse on me that should've killed me also. but the curse backfired and caused him to perish with his body being destroyed in the process and leaving me with my infamous scar." Harry explained relaying what Tom told him about that night.
"Wait a moment. That can't be right." Hermione replied.
"What do you mean Granger." Blaise said curiously and Harry smiled off to the side as everyone else looked more intrigued including Daphne, who finally left Harry's arms to focus on what Hermione was about to say.
"Harry pretty much replayed the events as they happened according to the books, but if the only people in the room at the time were as Harry said, then how could the books have known that."
"What do you mean Granger." Daphne frowned now clearly invested in this.
"I don't know how magical investigation is done, but in the Muggle world something like that would've been investigated by police who gather evidence at the scene and interview witnesses. In this case there are no witnesses aside from Harry to interview and since everyone else is dead and he's a year-old nobody should be able to determine what happened." Hermione explained.
The four alongside Harry widened their eyes, "Merlin she's right."
"Sure the Aurors can figure out some things."
"But there's no way to know the specifics." The twins said in shock.
"So somebody knew what was going on and did nothing OR." Daphne said but before she could continue somebody else barged into the room. Hermione forgot to close the door thanks to Harry's interruption and that allowed for an interruption.
"Were you guys talking about Harry Potter." a familiar looking red head said eagerly.
"Oh look it's one of the Carrots."
"The runt of the litter I believe."
The new boy looked at them, "Shut it snake. So as I was saying."
"That would be two yellows. Petrificus Totalus." An annoyed Harry said having summoned his wand back while the Carrows were talking. Ron fell to the floor just as Draco did also.
"You used magic on him." Hermione gasped.
"I did. He was rude and interrupted us." Harry said flatly.
"You could get in trouble." Hermione replied.
"Maybe, but I have this thing where if somebody is rude and annoying, I respond in kind since asking them to be quiet clearly won't work. If I get in trouble for that, well that says more about Hogwarts then it does about me." Harry replied nonchalantly.
"Fair point." Hermione acknowledged. They couldn't exactly go to a teacher at this moment.
"Mind if we get rid of him."
"He did interrupt us.' Flora and Hestia smiled.
"Please do." Harry smiled.
Flora and Hestia dragged him outside before coming back and sitting next to Blaise.
"Now that we've settled that matter. The truth is that using magic as an underaged student has always been a bit of a white lie. The underaged magic rule is designed to prevent younger students like us from using magic where muggles who don't know about magic live. Most actual wizards have been practicing spells since we were younger and because we're in primarily magical areas, it's understood and considered okay." Daphne explained.
"That's not fair." Hermione pouted.
"You're right. but that's your first and most important lesson about the magical world, Granger. It's not fair to Muggleborn like you and if you're going to be around other wizards for the next seven years, it would be in your best interest to learn as much as possible about our customs and rules. I'm positive that once we arrive and you get sorted, you'll find a book about customs in either your dorm room or the library. Get to know them as soon as possible because otherwise things won't be pleasant.
I can tell you don't like that but think about it this way. If you're on vacation in another country do you follow their rules and customs or do you stick to the ones that you're used to." Daphne said from her spot next to Harry.
"You would follow their rules because it's their country." Hermione answered.
"Exactly and the magical world is the same way. We've done things the way we have for centuries, and it works for us. If you try and change things to suit your preferences you'll find only misery and disappointment." Daphne explained.
Hermione beamed, 'Thank you for being honest. Now as for the toad." Hermione said getting the focus back on the original reason for her being there.
"There are people called Prefects who will have fancy robes with badges that have P's on them on their chest. Find one of them and as long as they don't have a green tie they should be able to help." Blaise spoke up.
'Why a green tie." Hermione wondered.
"Because they're from Slytherin and since you're from the Muggle world all you'll get from there is scorn." Blaise revealed.
"Thank you for telling me." Hermione smiled.
"You're welcome. Now if that's all have a nice day." Blaise replied.
'I will. What about that boy." Hermione wondered.
"Leave him be. Somebody will deal with him eventually." Harry smiled.
"Alright." Hermione said before leaving.
"That was fun." Harry smiled.
"It was."
"Though I imagine you'll be in quite a bit of trouble for what you did." The Carrows smiled.
"And I'll explain what happened and be fine." Harry said nonchalantly.
"We'll see" Blaise smirked.
"Just be careful Harry. I wouldn't want you to be expelled on the first day." Daphne said with a sigh.
"If they expel me for what I did so be it. Certain things are considered standard and one of them is respect and if they don't like that, well too bad." Harry chuckled as he sent his wand back to the holster in the hopes that he didn't have to use it again.
The rest of the group nodded their approval and things calmed down yet again.
Notes:• Harry's journey to Hogwarts has begun and this is just the beginning.
• The Yellow card system is something Harry will employ and while it's harsh, it's pretty simple in concept. Him saying that he'll listen to Draco if he's civilized is part of that. Harry's upbringing for the Dursley's has left him with little patience for certain traits
• Harry rescinded Hermione's yellow card because he assumed that she was a rude pureblood like Draco and because she's a Muggleborn he took it as typical Muggle silliness.
• Petrificus Totalus and the Point me Spell were 2 of the 15 spells that Daphne told him to learn. The others are all basic things, but you won't find out about them for a while.
Chapter 6
Hogwarts Express)
Harry got on the train knowing that the ride to Hogwarts would be interesting and he certainly wasn't' disappointed. Seeing Daphne and his friends was fun but then the drama arrived. Draco appeared and his anger at Daphne's appearance caused him to start complaining but harry was having none of it and hexed him before things could get too frustrating. Not long after, a member of the Weasley's burst in, and decided to inject himself into a conversation because he thought he could. Harry proved otherwise. Now Harry was no fool and he'd have to deal with punishment for that sooner or later. Still things were peaceful for a good thirty minutes until there was a knock on his door.
"Come in." Harry said calmly. Daphne, who was snuggling on his shoulder again, opened her eyes briefly to see who the new visitor was and upon seeing them shot up quickly and practically sat at attention.
"You can go back to relaxing on his shoulder Daphne, I'm not here to cause trouble." The new girl said before focusing on Harry. She had long silvery blonde hair with ice blue eyes with porcelain skin and a diamond shaped face. She was in black robes that emphasized a gigantic pair of breasts.
"So why are you here and who are you." Harry frowned.
"What do you think you're doing." Daphne scowled.
The girl could appreciate Daphne's concern as well as Harry's lack of but continued, "My name is Lucretia Malfoy. I'm the Head Girl at Hogwarts and Draco's older sister. The reason I am here is that I was relaxing in our compartment when Crabbe and Goyle appeared with the latter dragging Draco on the floor suffering from the effects of a Full Body Bind. When I asked what happened, they said that Draco was rude to Harry Potter and he hexed him for it. Pansy was naturally furious and demanded I do something. As Head Girl it's my obligation to look into things so I asked Crabbe and Goyle where you were and came over here to get the full story."
Harry smiled, "We were sitting here relaxing and Draco barged into our cabin. Without introducing himself he said 'What is the meaning of this' to Daphne which caused me to give him a metaphorical yellow card which is a mental warning before verbally pointing out that he acted like a snob by barging in and immediately started complaining. Draco said that 'He was Draco Malfoy, and I will not talk to him like this' which was another metaphorical yellow and I promptly paralyzed him because he clearly wouldn't calm down if I said anything. The two boys next to him were polite so I didn't see a need to do anything." Harry smiled.
Lucretia smiled because using yellow and red cards like he was some referee was amusing, "I see. Thank you for being honest. What about the Weasley who's lying out there in a very similar fashion to Draco." Lucretia wondered.
Harry mentally chuckled at the fact he was still out there but stayed, "A young woman named Hermione was going from cabin to cabin to help find the frog of a classmate. We got caught up in conversation and he barged in out of nowhere and asked if we were talking about Harry Potter, which was a yellow card for him.
While the twins called him a nickname that was admittedly rather rude, and to be fair they should both get a yellow card for that, he called them dirty snakes, so I gave him another yellow before paralyzing him as I did with Draco. The twins brought him outside after that and we sent Hermione away."
'I see" Lucretia chuckled.
"So what's my punishment since I believe the Head Girl is the top authority on the train." Harry said politely.
Lucretia could appreciate that he knew that already, "You're right that I am and frankly I don't think you did anything wrong. I'll write up a report and recommend that you aren't punished for what amounts to self-defense, but I suspect Professor McGonagall will see it differently and she's the one who truly matters.
As for Weasley, I'll back to his brothers and tell them what happened. Percy may not like it but I don't care since his brother acted up first by barging in." Lucretia said calmly.
"Thank you." Harry replied.
"You're welcome and I apologize on behalf of House Malfoy for my brother's rudeness." Lucretia said before giving a small curtsy.
Harry shook his head, "It's my personal belief that the only person who's judged for the actions of somebody is that person. Draco was rude and obnoxious, and you've been nothing but polite, which is proof of my point. You have nothing to apologize for."
"You truly are interesting Lord Potter. I can't speak for my brother, but I do hope that we can have a friendly relationship moving forward."
'I don't see why not." Harry shrugged.
Lucretia beamed, "Excellent. I'll go take care of these incidents and hopefully there aren't any more."
"I won't initiate anything. but I will certainly finish it." Harry replied calmly.
"Very well. Have a nice trip." Lucretia said before leaving.
Harry was all smiles as Lucretia left, "Well that was fun." Harry said while turning to the group.
"That could've been much worse if you weren't totally in the right Harry. She might look beautiful, but Lucretia's nickname is the Thorn Princess. She's not the type of person you want to piss off." Daphne warned.
"Got it." Harry acknowledged.
"Now if you don't mind, I want to continue my nap, and you're a rather comfortable pillow." Daphne huffed.
"Sounds good. Shame I can't conjure a pillow, so you'll have to settle for my shoulder."
"That's perfectly okay" Daphne smiled before lying on his shoulder as everyone watched and grinned.
(Scene Skip)
The train ride was nearly over and soon the announcement came for them to get their uniforms. "Alright boys we're getting changed first." Daphne said firmly..
Harry and Blaise simply nodded before going outside and it was then that Harry had his final twist of the day.
"Oh you've gotta be kidding me. We were next to Harry Potter the entire time." A dark-skinned girl said in disbelief.
Harry looked towards the group seeing the girl in question with an oval face black hair and black eyes. Next to her was a red-headed girl with gray eyes and a round face. The last person outside was Hannah of all people and if the look on her face was any indication she wasn't sure what to do. Harry decided to focus on the dark-skinned girl for now "You clearly know me, but I don't know you." Harry said politely as Blaise just watched with a grin on his face.
"The name is Megan Jones. My sister is one of the Holyhead Harpies." Megan introduced.
"I'm assuming that's a magical sports team but I'm not too familiar with them, thanks to being raised by my Muggle Aunt and uncle. Apologies" Harry replied smoothly.
"I see. Well the sport in question is Quidditch and I'm sure your friend over there can explain it. This is Susan Bones, and Hannah Abbott." Megan said politely looking at Blaise in the process.
"The names Blaise Zabini by the way." Blaise chuckled.
"Hello Blaise." Susan replied calmly.
"Hello." Hannah said as she focused on Harry who couldn't help but appreciate the irony.
A few days ago, Hannah was in his hotel room as he fucked her senseless and now they had to play strangers. In hindsight they should've had a plan but when you were having sex, you tended to forget about other things, "Nice to meet you girls." Harry said to all three. He briefly considered the pureblood introduction but given how nonchalant they were, they probably wouldn't mind.
"So is the article is true. Were you actually raised by Muggles."
"Yes, but like I said in the article, I want to move on from all of that." Harry said calmly.
"Alright. It's just.. never mind." Susan frowned.
Harry could see something was wrong and decided to find out what, "Ms. Bones. You seem very bothered by something." Harry probed.
'It's just. Most of my family was killed by He Who Must Not Be Named, and I ended up being raised by my Aunt in the aftermath. When I read the stories that were written about you I was caught up in all of that and even asked my Aunty if there was a way I could meet you myself. She said she'd try but was told that you were happy and safe in a protected area. I understood that but I still wanted to send you a letter of support. I decided to write something up. I'm guessing if you lived with muggles, you didn't get that." Susan lamented.
"Afraid not." Harry said sympathetically. In truth that was probably a good thing since the Dursley's would freak out if somebody reached out.
"Hey Susan. Why don't you give your hero a hug for some encouragement right now. I know it's a few years late but at least it's the thought that counts" Megan teased.
"Megan!" Susan gasped.
"I don't mind." Harry smiled warmly catching them all off guard.
"See Susan. There's no problem." Megan smiled.
"Alright" Susan said bashfully before coming over and embracing him. Feeling Susan's massive breasts against him was a treat to be sure and Harry couldn't help but wonder if history could repeat itself with Hannah acting as the wing woman for her best friend the way Lacey did for Hannah. A glance towards the blonde saw her give him a quick knowing smile. Though he made sure to glance at both of Susan's friends, so nothing was obvious. Susan pulled away and stared at him with a blush just for the door to the compartment he and Blaise were sharing to open up.
"We're done changing." Daphne spoke up as she saw Susan staring at Harry with their arms around each other.
"Perfect timing." Blaise chuckled as Susan quickly moved away failing to hide the blush.
"I guess it's our turn to change. Nice meeting you girls." Harry smiled before.
"Likewise" Megan nodded, and Harry and Blaise walked in to get changed.
(Scene Skip)
There were only a few minutes left in the ride, and everyone was sitting upright since they didn't want to ruin their new robes. "It's been a fun ride." Harry smiled sitting between Daphne and Tracey.
"It has."
"We're going to miss you Potter." The Carrow twins said together with solemn expressions on their faces.
Harry blinked, "I'm not going anywhere." Harry replied in confusion.
"No."
"But there's no way you'll be in our dorm."
"And because of that."
"Our friendship will end." The Carrows said together.
Harry shook his head, "Forget all of that. I see no reason we can't be friends. If I have to walk over to your house and sit with you guys like we are now, I'll do it."
"But what if"
"People say things."
Harry chuckled, "People are always going to say things, but I don't care. The people I care about are those who I consider friends and right now I'm happy to add all of you to that list."
"You consider us friends."
"From just this conversation." The twins said in shock and even Blaise and Tracey were surprised.
"Daphne was my friend before this and I've gotten along pretty well with you guys, so why not." Harry shrugged.
"Well said." Blaise smiled.
"So if we want to spend time with you in between classes you're okay with that." Flora asked curiously.
"I'd be annoyed if we didn't spend time together." Harry replied.
The twins smiled, "In that case as our friend tell us which one is which."
"You don't have the advantage of our shoes anymore. So it's a true test" Flora and Hestia said together.
Harry glanced at the twins and smiled, "Flora. Hestia" Harry said before pointing at the twin on the right and then the left.
The two girls beamed, "Correct."
"Now stand up because you've won a prize." The twins said together.
Harry rolled his eyes before getting up and Flora and Hestia walked over to him. In perfect sync the twins got on their toes slightly and kissed him on the cheek to the surprise of everyone watching.
"Nice." Blaise and Tracey said together clearly approving of the action.
"Where did that come from." Harry said with a big smile on his face.
"We wanted to reward you for your efforts."
"We hope you don't mind." The twins said together.
"Not at all and there's no way I'm not coming to spend time with you guys now." Harry grinned.
"Good."
"Because we don't want to hear Daphne whine all the time about seeing you with all these other people." The twins smiled.
"What are you guys talking about." Daphne blushed from the side.
"You aren't fooling us Daphne."
"You haven't shown this much affection to anybody outside of Astoria."
"We understand that it's because you want to enjoy your time together while you can."
"So if that's the case stop pretending to be this ice queen and act like a regular girl for once."
Daphne bit her lip before getting up and turning towards Harry, "In that case. Mind if I act like a regular girl for once." Daphne said with a blush on her face..
"Of course." Harry said happily as he wrapped his arms around Daphne's waist and pulled her into his body. Daphne looked up at Harry and wrapped her arms around his neck before pulling him down for a kiss on the lips that Harry gladly went along with. The two held the kiss for a bit but just as Daphne considered escalating things, the moment was ruined.
"We've arrived at Hogwarts. All students please leave your trunks on the express as they will be delivered to you later.
"Oh so close." Tracey frowned.
"Shut it Tracey." Daphne pouted.
"Daphne if you think that's the last time you and I are going to kiss while at Hogwarts you have another thing coming." Harry said happily.
Daphne blushed before looking away from Harry, "What about that girl the Prophet mentioned you were with. Aren't you guys under a contract of some kind? I don't know relationships work in the muggle world but." Daphne said unsure of what to make of this.
Harry cupped her face with his right hand, "I've been wanting to kiss those lips of yours since we met in Diagon, and those desires have only grown since we got to know each other. Honestly, it reached a point where talking was the last thing I wanted to do when you came to visit me." Harry said bluntly.
"Whoa."
"How Bold" the Carrows smiled.
"I see" Daphne said with a blush.
"Thankfully for me, my girlfriend knows that even if I were to explore my desires for other girls, she will always have my heart. Which means that anytime you feel like kissing or doing more than that, we can do it without any issue" Harry said before pecking her on the lips once more.
"Damn. Potter doesn't play." Blaise grinned while the Carrows and Tracey blushed at the incredible scene.
"That's a yellow card Blaise. My friends don't call me by my last name." Harry smirked before letting go of Daphne who was still in complete awe.
"Got it Harry." Blaise said with a grin.
"Oi Daphne. Time to go." Tracey smiled as she watched her friend still seemingly frozen in shock.
Daphne gathered herself and smiled, "Right. Let's go guys." Daphne said and they all made the short walk outside.
(Scene Skip)
After getting off the train their group was led through a large forest by a massive man with lantern before they were put on a boat with groups of four. Harry's group consisted of Daphne Susan and Hannah amusingly. Tracey joined Megan and the Carrows while Blaise was with three guys who apparently were with Hannah Susan and Megan on the train. "This is amazing." Hannah gasped as the group got their first look at Hogwarts as they travelled along the lake.
"It really is beautiful, and we'll spend the next seven years here huh." Harry beamed. The boat ride was pretty peaceful though he did notice dirty glares from Draco and the Weasley kid. Not that he cared truthfully.
"That's right" Daphne said with an odd expression on her face. She was glad to know that Harry liked her, and that he wouldn't let little things like the dorm stop him, but as she watched her other two boatmates she had an odd feeling in the back of her head. Susan's interest in Harry was obvious if the hug was any indication, but something about Hannah bothered her far more. She couldn't explain why the blonde was such a concern, but she was.
"It's kind of funny seeing you in awe of this place considering what everyone was told about you." Hannah smiled breaking Daphne from his musings.
"Really Hannah. Harry said in the article that the books were fake." Susan scowled coming to Harry's defense as quickly as she could.
"It's okay Susan I get it. When I was in Diagon, I had a chance to read some of the stories for myself. As repulsed as I was by them using my name without my permission, they painted an absolutely incredible picture of my life. What I find more surprising is that everyone went along with it so easily." Harry frowned.
"What do you mean." Susan wondered.
"In the Muggle world, there are fictional and nonfictional stories. Fiction are imaginative stories, and they talk about things that most people wouldn't believe are real, an ironic example of that is magic."
"Wait. Are you saying that Muggles know about magic." Daphne gasped out loud and the people around them started focusing on them even more if that was possible.
"Yes and No. Muggles have used magic as a tool to entertain people for the most part. The main examples are magicians who use sleight of hand and misdirection to shock people into thinking that they have special powers. In fact, on Halloween many muggles dress up as witches, wizards, ghosts and other supernatural creatures to celebrate." Harry said explained.
Daphne and many of the watching wizards were pleasantly surprised by that news. Wizards tended to not pay attention to the actions of muggles so hearing that the supernatural was celebrated was a pleasant surprise, "So what do you think would happen if Muggles learned magic was real." Daphne wondered.
"They'd probably want to learn more, and a few would ask if there was a safe way to get powers." Harry said quickly.
"Stop lying Potter." A boy with sandy hair on Blaise's raft shouted out.
"And you are." Harry deadpanned.
"Zacharias Smith. Just so you know, I'm related to Helga Hufflepuff one of the founders of the school." Zacharias huffed.
Harry rolled his eyes and instantly gave this guy a red card but instead of hexing him, decided to take him down a peg in his own way, "It's nice that you're related to the founder of our school from centuries ago, but here's a little piece of modern advice. Using your family name to make yourself seem important is incredibly stupid. Taking pride in your name is one thing, and I have no problem with that, but at the end of the day Helga Hufflepuff isn't going to take classes for you or do anything else for you. As far as I'm concerned her achievements don't matter at all when it comes to you and how I should treat you." Harry said bluntly causing quite a few people to glare at him in anger.
"Harry. You do realize you just basically said that your name doesn't mean anything around people who were raised to believe that your name is everything." Hannah said with a hint of amusement.
Harry wasn't bothered, "Let me spin this a different way. What is your name." Harry said calmly.
"Hannah Jessica Abbott. Heiress of House Abbott" Hannah said calmly.
"Alright. What's your father's name." Harry said calmly.
"Joseph Lawrence Abbott. Head of House Abbott" Hannah answered curious where Harry was going with this.
"If seven years have passed, and you're graduating from Hogwarts what do you want people to say about your time there. Do you want them to say that 'Joseph's daughter was such a great student who did well in all her classes and never got in trouble', or do you want them to say Hannah Abbott was those things. As I said, I don't mind having pride in your family name, but instead of trying to use your family name to make yourself seem better, make your family name better by your own actions." Harry explained..
Most of the group that was furious at him before was taken aback by his words and more than a few found themselves closer to his way of thinking, "I never thought about it like that" Hannah admitted and while they didn't say it, the others around him seemed to agree.
Harry was glad that this was working and decided to deliver the final blow, "Let's continue with this train of thought in a slightly different way. I'm known as the Boy Who Lived because of what happened the night my parents were killed. Putting aside the fact that nobody should know what happened that night since my family and He Who Must Not Be Named were the only people there, somebody took advantage of my name and reputation and wrote a series of books about me and from what I can tell many people already believe they know who I am because of that. There is no doubt that I am the Boy Who Lived, and it will always be a part of me. However, if you only think about me in terms of being the Boy Who Lived and the stigma that comes with that name, you will be in for a massive disappointment." Harry said as his lecture came to an end.
The few who were still on the fence found themselves looking at Harry's point of view far more after that. Every single magical or half-blood there, knew the story of the Boy Who Lived and seemed to have decided ahead of time that Harry would be like that. It made some of the purebloods wonder what others thought when they heard that name and it was a sobering thought indeed.
(Scene Skip)
With the trip down the lake over, the group was led into the castle and the large man from before was replaced by an older women who had that look of somebody who you simply didn't mess with, "Welcome to Hogwarts everyone. I am Professor Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress and head of Gryffindor Dorm. I will be escorting all of you to the Great Hall so take this chance to get yourselves all clean and tidy for your sorting. I understand there were multiple incidents on the way here and rest assured they WILL be addressed by the end of the day, and students will be properly punished. Now please follow me." McGonagall said firmly.
"Why should I be punished, I'm the one who got hexed for absolutely nothing." Malfoy complained.
"That's enough mister Malfoy. As I said we will deal with what happened later." McGonagall said again as she turned around and began walking.
"This is ridiculous. My father will hear of this." Malfoy shouted.
McGonagall stopped and turned around before giving Draco a piercing glare, "Mr. Malfoy, if you continue to complain, you won't have to worry about the sorting because I will expel you personally and your father will do nothing. Now please, let's get going. It is quite late and I'm sure everyone wants to get sorted and get some food in their belly." McGonagall said firmly.
Malfoy grumbled as Harry simply walked with Daphne and the rest of his group. As they walked forward, Harry noticed the Weasley barging through people as he made his way towards them. As he got closer, he noticed that Susan and Hannah were in his way and sure enough he barged over them also not caring at all for those left in his wake, "There you are Harry. I don't know what those snakes did earlier but UGHH" the boy groaned as Harry in a very unmagical like manor punched him into the stomach causing him to fall forward and just in time to get a knee to the face that let out a sickening crunch. McGonagall looked back just in time to see him fall to the ground with his nose bleeding with Harry standing over him.
"What is the meaning of this." McGonagall shouted.
Harry looked at the women calmly, "Mr. Weasley decided to barge through a group of students before running over Susan and Hannah to approach me. As a gentleman I decided that the only appropriate action was to punch him in the stomach and then knee him in the face." Harry said calmly.
"And you considered that an appropriate action why?" McGonagall scowled.
"Because somebody who barges through groups of students when we're all trying to walk to the Great Hall isn't somebody who listens to words. I will gladly take any punishment that you deem necessary for my response."
McGonagall was taken aback by his brutal honesty, "I see. Well I have a few incidents to speak to you about already Mr. Potter. This will be another."
"And I'll gladly address all of them. I apologize for the interruption everyone, but I wanted to make it very clear that running into people like that is not something I tolerate" Harry said honestly.
McGonagall sweat dropped before pulling out her wand and casting a spell on Weasley to stop the bleeding and then fixing his nose, "Mr. Weasley I suggest that you walk slowly and away from Mr. Potter for the remainder of the trip."
Weasley got up and looked at Harry in disbelief, "What was that for mate." Weasley complained ignoring McGonagall..
"You ran over multiple people including Susan and Hannah without saying anything just to come over here. That kind of rude behavior shouldn't be tolerated." Harry replied calmly.
"Oh come on their fine." Weasley dismissed causing McGonagall to twitch.
"Mr. Weasley that's enough. If you continue on I will be expelling you tonight." McGonagall said calmly.
"Fine." Weasley said angrily and he moved away.
Harry walked over to Susan and Hannah and pulled them up, "Sorry about that ladies."
'It's not your fault Harry. Let's just get going." Susan smiled.
The rest of the trip was silent as everyone was learning the hard way not to mess with Harry Potter.
(Scene Skip)
Harry and the group arrived at the Great Hall to the sight of all the students sitting in the various tables. It was easy to tell who was in what dorm by the ties which were color coded and there were a few people who instantly stood out to him. The first was Malfoy's older sister who seemed calm and when she spotted him smiled to his admitted surprise. The second was an older girl with pink hair. The look on her face was one of great joy for a brief minute but it faded. Finally, a group of red heads gathered together who looked at him with curiosity. Eventually they stopped as McGonagall stood up front. She was next to a hat that looked beat up, but Harry knew that it would be the key to his future. "Welcome students to Hogwarts. Before you are to be sorted, it is time for the Hogwarts song." McGonagall announced.
Harry ignored the song as students looked around happily to see the sights and sounds but soon it was all over, and it was time for the sorting.
"When I call your name you will come up to be sorted." McGonagall said firmly.
"Hannah Abbott." McGonagall said and Harry watched Hannah come up. The hat was promptly put on Hannah's head and after about a minute it spoke again.
"HUFFLEPUFF" and the group with the pink haired girl clapped happily as Hannah walked over.
"Susan Bones."
"The lovely red head walked over and the first thing Harry noticed was that the robes were horrifically unflattering, and the mammoth bust she sported earlier was hidden from the world. As she put on the hat a minute or so passed again.
"HUFFLEPUFF."
The sorting continued and a girl named Lavender Brown who reminded Harry of the reporter who he saw alongside Skeeter was sorted into Gryffindor. Slytherin had a nice run of students with a larger girl named Millicent Bulstrode, the Carrow twins and Tracey along with both of the boys with Malfoy.
Not long after and there was a face he hadn't seen since the train, "Hermione Granger." McGonagall shouted and the bushy haired girl walked up and was placed in Gryffindor after a minute or two.
"Daphne Greengrass."
It was Daphne's turn, and she walked up as composed as ever. Most of the sorting took a minute give or take but Daphne took around 4 before a decision was made.
"SLYTHERIN" the hat shouted, and Daphne took a deep breath before walking over. She hugged her two friends at sat down with a smile.
"Now comes the fun part. Daphne is in Slytherin and with Draco not far behind, Slytherin's future leaders will theoretically be in place."
Harry found that foolish but that was Slytherin's problem. The sorting continued and soon it was time for the blonde ponce.
"Draco Malfoy."
Draco walked up and sat down, and the hat was barely on his head when it shouted. "SLYTHERIN" and Draco walked over to join his goons.
The sorting continued and Harry was barely paying attention. There was a pleasant surprise in the form of the Patil twins Parvati and Padma joining different dorms with Parvati in Gryffindor and Padma in Ravenclaw.
He noticed that Flora and Hestia along with the Weasley twins were sorted into the same place but not them. Of course all that was quickly thrown away.
"Harry Potter." McGonagall announced it and Harry walked up. Predictably there were plenty of murmurs but as he approached the hat, he admittedly found himself uncomfortable with the idea of putting on a hat that so many had used already. To the surprise of everyone, he summoned his wand from his holster and pointed it at the hat.
"Tergeo!" Harry shouted with everyone watching as he cast the wiping spell on the hat which had a shine to it afterwards. Tergeo was another spell that came from the book, and it was certainly useful. Admittedly he typically used it clean up after he enjoyed Hannah or Lacey but cleaning a hat was a worthwhile sacrifice..
"Mr. Potter please sit down and for future reference please try and not use magic in the Great Hall." McGonagall lectured.
"Apologies Professor but the hat just had many different students on its head. That can't be sanitary." Harry smiled and quite a few people who were just sorted, particularly the girls seemed to get what Harry was saying and looked nervous.
McGonagall grinned at that, "Just sit down." McGonagall chided.
"Of course." Harry smiled and sat down at last before the hat was placed on his head.
"Thank you for that Mr. Potter it's been years since… oh my." The hat paused.
'What happened.' Harry wondered.
'Dear Albus decided to cast a compulsion charm on me in order to sort you into Gryffindor. He clearly underestimates my power.'
'Did he now?' Harry scowled.
'Indeed. Albus should know better than to interfere with the sorting, and he should pay dearly for that. What do you think?'
'I think that you should tell everyone what just happened before sorting me.' Harry suggested.
"As I look through your mind you are practically made for Ravenclaw, and I was moments away from sorting you there. However, the Headmaster decided to use a compulsion on me to place you in Gryffindor for reasons that I don't know about and frankly don't care for. Apologies to Ravenclaw but the Headmaster needs to learn to let people do their jobs so I'll be sorting you into SLYTHERIN!!!" the hat announced and almost as one, everybody in the Great Hall was stunned silent. A smiling Harry walked over to the Slytherin dorm and watched as Hestia Carrow moved over so Harry could sit next to Daphne who couldn't believe her luck.
"I guess you'll be stuck with me for seven more years." Harry smiled resisting the urge to peck her on the cheek.
"Yeah." Daphne replied still in disbelief at the insanity of the situation. Harry Potter was a Slytherin, and half of the school was unsure what to think while the other half and the entire teaching staff were glaring at a horrified Dumbledore.
Notes:• Let me start off by saying Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday's because along with this chapter brings a special announcement. I have decided to finally create a discord Storm's Palace that will allow readers to interact with me in regard to my various stories. It is a work in progress so please bear with me as I build it. Here is the link https://discord.gg/atGWU2nK
• Some might've been surprised that Lucretia was so dismissive of what happened but keep in mind that she knows Draco and his personality and understands why Harry would react the way he did.
• A bit of a quirk in my writing that people picked up on is that I don't like to name characters until they are officially introduced. That's why even though Ron is used plenty of times I leave his name ambiguous. It's a me quirk but it's just part of how I am.
• This chapter is a further demonstration of the fact that Harry is very much a chaotic neutral. He does what he wants but he's also willing to take responsibility for it. He also doesn't mind stirring the pot.
• Harry is sorted at last and admittedly this was an interesting point for me. If you look up Ravenclaw's traits of intelligence and individualism suit this Harry to a disgusting degree but Harry is also cunning, loyal and resourceful like Slytherin. I did it the way I did so you see what I'm dealing with as I worked it out. Ultimately the story I wrote works better with him in Slytherin and things are about to get fun.