Hogwarts bound
Hadrian spends the next two months holed up in his room reading the books from his library and whatever Theo sends him. He doesn’t get any allowance during this time because he is going through punishment stills so his money pouch only has a couple of galleons in it. He continues to write letters to his two friends. He also writes to Sirius and Remus a lot, which is how he finds out the two are married. Sirius and Remus also continue to tutor him. His parents try to ignore him the best they can living in the same house, which is surprisingly a lot. His siblings call him names every time they see him knowing he can’t respond to defend himself. It’s annoying. Hadrian is happy he only has to see Rose for 6 months in the next 2 years.
The day before he leaves for Hogwarts, Dumbledore comes to remove the silencing charm as he said he would. Once it is, Hadrian doesn’t stay around long. He quickly goes to his room and writes to Theo and Draco to tell them about it. Luckily for Hadrian, he gets an allowance tomorrow since it’s the first of the month. After he sends off his letters, he makes sure all his stuff is packed and then passes out before he even changes.
The next morning, Saturday, Hadrian reads the letters Draco and Theo sent back last night and watches Evans panic.
“Do you have your Hogsmeade permission slip?”.
“Yes, Mom!”. Lily rolls her eyes.
“Well come on then!”. Everyone floos to the train station. Rose is jumping around everywhere excitedly.
“Roseeee...” Evans whines “You’ve been here three times nowww”. James laughs. “Oh, hush Evans, your sister is just excited”. Hadrian thinks he hears Evans mumble under his breath “Yeah to get rid of Hadrian”. He’s excited to get rid of her too!
Once they get near the train Hadrian turns around to face his family “Goodbye Mother. Goodbye Father”. He doesn’t say anything to Rose and doesn’t say he loves them before turning around and boarding the train. He counts 7 down before getting in and waiting for people to join him.
Unsurprisingly Theo joins first. He prefers to spend the least amount of time with his father as possible. Something Hadrian relates to.
“Theo! Hi! It’s nice to see you again!”.
“You as well Hadrian. I’m surprised you got here before me...”.
“I’m slightly surprised as well...but we got here pretty early, and I only just said goodbye to mother and father. I didn’t even look at Rose”. Theo laughs and then sits beside him. “Did you read the book I sent last already?”.
“Yes! It was so interesting! I love how it went into detail about the sequences as sentences!”. Just then Draco walks into the compartment. “Are you two nerding out in here?”. Hadrian laughs.
“Oh, hush Draco. We both know you’re the biggest nerd. You just don’t act like it”. Draco scoffs. “Well, that’s how you know I’m superior! I don’t have a book in my face all the time and I’m still smart!”.
“Yes, dray you’re so smart and amazing” he teases.
“Hey! Don’t call me- “he was cut off by a knock on the door. Just then a tall boy with dark skin comes in. “Oh, Blaise! How have you been?”.
“Just fine Draco, mother and I just came back from a trip to Italy.” That explains the Italian accent. “Theo nice to see you”. Theo nods politely.” And this is?”.
“Oh right! How rude of me! Blaise this is Hadrian Potter, my cousin. Hadrian this is Heir Zabini”.
“Nice to meet you, heir Zabini”. He shook his hand with a smile. “And you, heir Potter”.
“Speaking of introductions, who else is sitting with us, Dray?” Theo and Zabini both laughed “Stop calling me that Hadrian and we should be sitting with Pansy Parkinson, Daphne Greengrass, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle”.
“Ah okay”. Then a girl with a black bob and a girl with long blonde almost silvery hair comes in.
“Daphne, Pansy”.
“Draco dear, who is your friend?”. The girl with the bob asks.
“Pansy, this is Hadrian Potter, my cousin. Hadrian this is heiress Parkinson”. Hadrian bows and kisses her hand “Charmed to meet you heiress Parkinson”.
“And you, heir Potter”.
“Daphne, this is heir Potter. Hadrian heiress Greengrass”. Hadrian repeats what he did with Parkinson “It’s a pleasure to meet you heiress Greengrass”.
“The pleasure is mine, heir Potter”.
“When are Gregory and Vincent getting here?” Parkinson asks.
“Who knows with those nitwits honestly!”.
“Wow Draco, is that how you treat them behind their back?” Theo teases.
“Theo don’t tease dray” Hadrian mock whispers “he’s sensitive” he giggles along with Theo.
“Hadrian, call me that one more time and you’re dis-invited from the Yule Ball”. Hadrian pretends to pass out dramatically onto Theo. “Oh the horror! What ever shall I do Theo?” Everyone minus Draco starts laughing.
“Where are we all sitting then?”.
Theo ends up by the window on the left side with Hadrian sitting next to him. Next to Hadrian is Draco and then Zabini by the doors. On the right side Greengrass is sitting by the window with Parkinson next to her. Once they're settled the train quickly starts moving.
“So, what did you do over the summer Daphne?” Dray asks.
“Oh, we went and visited our beach house and then spent the rest of summer at home. I wanted to spend as much time with Astoria before I left you know?”.
“I’m afraid we don’t, all of us our single children Daph”. Zabini deadpans.
“Oh right! I’m sorry you all!”. She turns towards Hadrian “You have siblings don’t you Heir Potter? I’m sure you understand what I mean Of course!”. Dray and Theo giggle. “I hate my siblings”.
“Oh”.
“Yea, sorry heiress Greengrass...”.
“Speaking of siblings Hadrian, how does it feel to be able to talk again?”. Theo asks.
“It’s been two months, what do you think? Eughh I hate Rose so much!”.
“Your parents are ridiculous Hadrian I can’t believe that’s how they punished you”.
“Calm down dray it’s better than what my aunt and uncle used to do”.
“Were you injured or something to not be able to talk for two months?” That was Heiress Greengrass. Everyone was looking at him curiously.
“Oh no I got in trouble for casting a silencing charm on my sister for a good two or three hours and for speaking with Theo and Dray here. So, my parents and Dumbledore decided I shouldn’t be allowed to speak for two months. They lifted the charm last night”.
“Oh...”. That was all she said. The rest were giving him weird glances and Theo and Draco just looked a little mad. “Don’t worry it wasn’t that bad. I didn’t want to talk to them anyway. Like I said I hate my siblings”. Theo just shook his head and opened his book.
“By the way Draco” Zabini started “why did we pick the 7th compartment?”.
“Oh, actually that was Hadrian and Theo’s idea”.
“Oh?”.
“Yes, actually 7 is a magically powerful number! It symbolizes space, time, and the universe. It’s also attributed to be the number associated with the goddess Athena!”
“Merlin Hadrian you're such a nerd”. “Hush dray”.
The rest of the time was spent talking about school and each other's families. There would be a period of time we’re there would be silence where everyone was reading or sleeping and then conversation would pick back up again. When Crabbe and Goyle finally joined them, Hadrian could see why Dray called them nitwits, but they were pretty nice and every once in a while, had something interesting to say.
4/7 hours into the train ride Evans and Ronald Weasley showed up without knocking.
“Hadrian, what are you doing?”
“What does it look like Evans?”
“Consorting with Reapers of course. What was your punishment not enough?” Don’t make me write home already brother” he spat out.
“If you could kindly leave, that would be amazing”.
“Whatever you were supposed to sit with me and Ron! He’s in your year you know! Plus, he’s going to be your brother-in-law soon!”.
“I do not care if you’re marrying his sister to be honest! I feel bad for Ginny that she has to marry you and that you are her brother Ron! Leave now”. Hadrian waves his hand, and the door shuts and locks.
“Merlin, I feel for Ginny! She has to marry my stupid brother. The poor girl!”.
“Your family has marriage contracts Hadrian?”.
“Hmm yes. I’m pretty sure all three of us are about to be. Evans is just the only one I know about. I’ve actually met Ginny Weasley and she’s not half that bad. Even if she isn’t proper at all. She can’t help how she’s been raised”.
“When did you find out about that” Parkinson asks.
“Oh, she told me herself. I met her two months ago. Everyone else but her and Percy Weasley were being soooo annoying. So, I spoke with them. Turns out that her and my dumb older brother are to be married when she turns 16!”
“Poor girl” Greengrass shakes her head.
“Yes, I’m pretty sure a contract was set up for me as well, but I just don’t know who…”.
“I have one with Daphne's younger sister Astoria”. Dray adds in.
“Yes, I and Theo have one as well”.
“I don’t have one yet”. Crabbe, Zabini, and Goyle nod their head in agreement.
2 and a half hours later they all left to change into their uniforms and came back. Once they had gotten comfortable a girl with really bushy hair and heir Longbottom knocked and opened the door.
“Hello, have any of you seen a toad anywhere?”. The girl with the bushy hair asked.
“No sorry Neville. Did you lose Travers again?”.
“Oh hello, Hadrian… and yeah. I didn’t even want the darn thing, but grandma will be so mad if I lose him”.
“Sorry again we haven’t seen anything. If we do, I'll come find you, okay?”
“Yea, thanks Hadrian”. After that the two close the door and leave.
“You know I’ve never actually interacted with the Longbottom Heir”. Dray says.
“This doesn’t surprise me. I’m pretty sure. Your parents and the light side hate each other. Probably avoid each other like the plague”.
“Yes, that's true but I thought we should at least talk once, especially going to all the parties we go to. I’ve seen him a lot”.
“Neville doesn’t really like people. His sister is the talkative one”.
“Hmm”.
Once the train pulls into the station the group all leave the compartment and find Hagrid the groundskeeper who is yelling “Firs Yer’s ova her’” over and over again. They all crowd around him.
“Okay firs’ yers’ follo’ meh’”. Hagrid leads them to the docks. “Okay fer’ to er’ boat”.
Hadrian quickly grabbed onto Theo and Dray because he was not close with anyone else. Draco also grabbed Zabini. Once they were in the boats, they propelled forward magically.
The waters were calm, but the other first years were loud. “Oh, Merlin everyone is loud” dray complained.
“That’s what happens when children are excited Draco”. Dray glared at him and Zabini laughed.
“Tsk tsk people are going to think you don’t like people, Dray”.
“Hadrian, I swear to Merlin you better stop calling me that! And I don’t like people!”.
“Because you’re so much better than them?” Dray just nods.
Zabini laughs “I like you, Potter. Call me Blaise.”.
Hadrian smiles “call me Hadrian or Harry then”.
They look up to see the Hogwarts castle in all its glory. “Wow” one of them says.
And Merlin was that an accurate description. The castle was amazing in the dark. The castle was huge and glorious. There were many towers and the windows looked yellow because of the torches lighting the castle up.
They went under a bridge and docked up. Then they were forced to walk up a lot of stairs before going through a courtyard and finally going before the entrance hall. They waited there for a moment before a tall woman came out her heels clicking as she went.
“Her’ they ar’ professa McGonagall” Hagrid exclaims”
She, Professor McGonagall apparently, nods at him. “Thank you, Hagrid, I'll take them from here. Okay students in just a moment you will be sorted into your Hogwarts house. There is Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Get in two straight lines please.” She turns around sharply “follow me”. She walks into the doors opening them with a flick of her wrist, looking like a mother duckling with her babies trailing behind her. She puts her hand up to stop them. “When I call your name, come up and sit on the stool”. She walks up onto the platform and summons a scroll.
“Abbot, Hannah” she sorts Hufflepuff.
Crabbe-Slytherin
Goyle-Slytherin
Greengrass-Slytherin
Longbottom- Hufflepuff
Dray- Slytherin
Theo- Slytherin
Parkinson- Slytherin
“Potter, Hadrian” He walks up to the platform and sits on the stool. The Hat is placed on his head.
“hmmm, an interesting mind you have boy. You don’t crack under pressure easily. You're a little manipulative. And you have smarts. Your ambitions aren’t pretty clear but with some polish from those around you .... yes, it’s all here…in your head”.
“So where are you putting me?”.
“Why…. the house of cleverness and ambition of course!”.
“Is that a great idea?”.
“Better be…. SLYTHERIN”.
Hadrian hopped off the stool, head held high, ready to be the family disappointment. He didn’t even bother to look back to see Evans and Ronald’s anger. Or Dumbledore for that matter. Once he reached the Slytherin table he went and sat next to Dray and Theo and waited for the sorting to be over. He ignored the looks of the other Slytherins and waited. Ronald was sorted into Gryffindor and Blaise was sorted into Slytherin, obviously.
“I don’t know why everyone is so surprised you sorted Slytherin ‘Rian. You’re a perfect example of a snake”. Dray says once the hall had started eating.
“First of all, “Rian”? And secondly, they are not surprised I’m in Slytherin Dray…. well kind of. But they were surprised because they had no idea, I was alive”.
“Whatever”. Hadrian laughs.
“Potter. What do you mean alive? We had no idea you even existed”. Parkinson asked.
“You guys don’t know? I assumed you did because of the information circuit of the dark circle”. This earned him such confused looks. “Well, you know how Grindelwald was defeated. I was just born and, in the room, according to my parents. For some reason they sent me away to live with my aunt and uncle and then show up to take me away later”. He gains a contemplative face. “I don’t have the full story, but I’m confused on how my birth was hidden from the dark lords circuit”.
Theo looks up at him. “Yes, that is very weird. How did your parents and ultimately Dumbledore his entire child?”. Everyone seemed to be thinking hard now.
Hadrian clasped his hands together, attracting the attention of the others. “Well let’s not dwell on it right now! Let’s enjoy this meal”. Everyone starts eating.
Pansy looks at him suddenly. “Potter, since we are in the same house you might as well call me Pansy”. Hadrian nods politely. “The same goes for you Pansy”. He smiled at her.
“Well if we’re not going to conspire, we should talk fashion!”. Greengrass laughs. “Do you see those robes Dumbledore is wearing! They’re gaudy. Purple and orange clash so badly with complexion!”. Hadrian smiles, Happy his bet came out with him on the winning side.
“Only you pans”. Dray smiles.
“Dray, you do the same thing, but about the quality of the robes!”.
“Hey! I do not! How dare you sully the good name of Malfoy”. He puts his nose up and sniffs indignantly. Everyone laughs again.
“First years please follow me!”. A girl standing up from farther down the table calls out. “I’m Gemma Farley, a fifth-year prefect. I’ll be showing you to your common rooms”. She turns around and starts walking away.
Hadrian and his group of friends and the other Slytherins of their year get up and scramble to follow after the quickly moving prefect. Along the way, she gives them many useful pointers. “If you guys get lost, ask for the portraits! They may seem boring but they’re actually very useful! Especially since most of them went to Hogwarts themselves!”. Hadrian thinks that was very useful. They continue on their way down to an empty hall in the dungeons. “Once you say the password right here, the snake will seem to come out of the floor and open a door. The password is “venficiis””. The snake comes up and over, forming a door. Hadrian's eyes widened in awe. That was the coolest magic ever! “That's the password for next month! Remember it because you will get locked out otherwise”. She leads them into the Slytherin common room.
It was amazing! It was dark, green, and cool. There was glass leading out into the Black Lake. Snakes adorned the room basically everywhere. Even on the smallest of wood details. It was big and open! There were a couple of fireplaces with furniture surrounding them. There were also two spiral staircases leading up to a second floor. Up on the balcony were two doors in the middle and then hallways off on each side.
All of the sudden Gemma clears her throat, which is when Hadrian sees one of the professors standing next to her. “Ahem. Now that you are all done looking at our amazing common listen up! The password changes every month so pay attention to the announcement board. You will also find important dates there as well. So, pay attention! Now our head of house and potions master, Professor Snape, will be going over house rules”.
“Thank you, Prefect Farley, '' the man drawls “We have 3 rules here in the house of Slytherin.
- Number 1. Always put up a United front. I don’t care if you hate that person with your entire being. Do not be seen at odds with each other in public.
- Number 2. Never travel alone. This goes especially for your first years. Slytherin house is ridiculed for who our families follow and that leaves you in dangerous positions. It’s safer to travel in groups of three or five.
- Number 3. DON'T GET CAUGHT
This may not be a rule, but our house does have certain expectations. So that means don't have less than an Acceptable on anything! If you need help on a subject, we have several people who are in a higher grade who can help. Those of you who are going into your OWL and NEWT years I suggest joining a study group. Thank you now prefect Farley can continue”. Professor Snape turns and walks out of the common room without another glance or word.
“Okay we have a couple more things to go over! We have mandated health checks. This is mostly to make sure you're in good health for sports and to make sure the school and any and all necessary files. Please fill out a time slot on the board before Monday. Also, Breakfast is at 7. Lunch is at 12-1 Dinner's at 6. Snacks are sent up to the room at 9. Curfew is 10 for first years unless you have astronomy. Now as you see behind me, these stairs lead up to the dorms. As you are in your first year, your dorms should be basically right there! Those first two doors are for head girls and head boys so don’t enter them ever! The left is the boys' dormitories and right are the girls. Goodnight little firsties! Even if you ever need help, come and find me or any other prefect!” The kids all head up to their dorms.
The dorm rooms have 4 names, carved into the magically, each. As there’s only eight Slytherin boys and it’s alphabetical, Hadrian got lucky. The people who share his dorm are Dray, Theo, and Blaise. They all stop to grin at each other before rushing in. The room is pretty basic. There’s 4, four poster beds all opposite from each other with trunks on the end of each of them. On the left wall there is another door leading into the bathroom. It is smaller than their rooms at their manors basically, so it is not all that impressive. Hadrian is still grateful though. You had to be after the conditions he’s lived in for a long while before the wizarding world.
Draco calls the bed that you see as soon as you walk in. Hadrian calls the right wall bed and Theo calls the one by his. So, Blaise gets the left wall bed. Hadrian sees this fitting. There are two closets that they have to share, and they work it out all without an argument. After that they all take their showers and do their nightly routines and fall into a deep slumber until breakfast the next morning.