6 Chapter 6

Harry got up on the day of his birthday and let a small smile show on his face. Back when he was at the Dursleys, his birthday was never celebrated. He had asked Aunt Petunia about it and had received a major whack to his head with a hot frying pan. So he never knew when his birthday was until he was wished Happy Birthday on July 31st four years ago by his delightful house elves. He had been stunned and couldn't help but shed a few tears. Harry always controlled his emotions, having been a necessity earlier rather than a personal choice as it was now, but the devotion of the house elves, the portraits of this ancestors and Aquila had moved him deeply. But today wasn't like any of this other birthdays. Today was the day he would become The Potter. After today, Albus Dumbledore would find it near impossible to control him through legal means.

He got up, finished his chores and dressed for the day in red and silver robes, the Potter family colours. He walked down the marble staircase, just as many of the portraits wished him. He knew the routine, so immediately entered the entrance hall and stepped outside. He walked on the path created in the middle of the lush, beautiful gardens for several minutes until he reached the lake. All the two hundred of the family's house elves shouted "Happy birthday Master Hadrian" as he approached them. Harry smiled and thanked them and told them to enjoy themselves. He had understood over time that house elves as a species loved to make merry as much as they loved to work.

Harry watched as his thunderbird familiar slowly landed next to him. He heard Aquila's voice inside his mind, "Happy Birthday little one. I can sense today is an important day. The decisions you make from this day onward is going to shape you for life. Don't bow down to anyone, but at the same time listen to the wise and people who truly care about you. And don't ever forget that I'm always here by your side."

Harry's eyes welled with tears as he hugged the giant bird. "I know Aquila. I wouldn't even be where I am if not for you. I am about to take on the duties and responsibilities of my family today. As much as I think I'm ready and willing, I also wish I could be a regular eleven-year-old boy. But whatever the case, today is my birthday and I'm going to enjoy it. Later today, you and I are going on a long flight", he said and grinned.

After breakfast, Harry walker deep into the castle, and entered the ward room. The last time he had been here, he had been fighting for his life. He took a deep breath and entered the ritual circle. He looked at the Potter Crest directly in front of him. It was a large rectangle which was painted deep red, where two silver griffins faced each other, and between them was a golden shield with two swords and a large red 'P' at the centre. He read the family motto below the crest, "Natus Vincere", which translated to "Born to Conquer."

"I, Hadrian James Potter, Heir of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter, do hereby swear by wearing this ring to uphold the values and traditions of my family. As Lord Potter, I swear to bring back my family's honour and strive for the betterment of my magical brethren. This I swear, so mote it be!"

Harry closed his eyes as the family magic swirled around him. It judged him to see if he was worthy, and after what seemed like an eternity to him, the silver and red aura around him settled into his skin. The Lord's ring appeared in his right ring finger and the heir's ring disappeared from his left ring finger. He slowly opened his eyes and took deep breaths. He could feel the wards around Potter Castle and now also had information pertaining to the various other properties as well. Any important, secret information which was only ever shared from one Lord Potter to the next settled into his mind. He looked at the ring. It was made of Platinum and had a large red diamond with the Potter crest visible on the stone with immaculate detail, something which would be impossible without magic.

Harry was now the Lord of the Potter family. He had used an ancient law that had been enacted by the Wizengamot and was also mentioned in the Potter family Charter. If the heir of an Ancient family was the last of the line, he could claim his headship on his eleventh or fourteenth birthday and be considered as an emancipated minor. Albus Dumbledore was no longer his magical guardian. He could not legally use his influence to make Harry bend to his wishes. But this was only the first step. But for now, he had to go to Gringotts. He had a certain Will to read.

Harry spent the next month studying and training rigorously but also spent time flying with Aquila. By September the first, Hadrian Potter was ready to take on the magical world.

Harry got ready on the first of September and made his way to the floo. He had sent Hedwig ahead as he knew she wouldn't like to be caged for several hours during the journey. He knew how it was like to be locked up as it brought back painful memories of his time at the Dursleys.

He traveled to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters by floo and found an empty compartment. He was quite early and there were not many people on the platform. He took out a book on Runes, one of his favourite subjects, and started reading. He knew it was going to be a long journey, and probably an annoying one.

Just before the clock struck eleven, a group of red heads entered the station. Harry shook his head. He had researched about them of course. They were very poor and were considered Blood Traitors by many of the old families. And they worshiped Albus Dumbledore as the second coming of Merlin and were staunch Gryffindors. Lord Rangok had informed him that Dumbledore had tried to create a marriage contract for Harry with the youngest Weasley girl. Thankfully he was unsuccessful because the Potter family Charter prohibited a non-Potter guardian from doing so.

Just as the train started moving, there was a knock on his compartment door and a girl came in and asked, "Hey, do you mind if my friend and I sit here?"

Harry shook his head conveying that he didn't mind. So the girl came in carrying her trunk. With her came a beautiful girl with long dark blonde hair and deep blue eyes.

HP*LIGHTNING LORD*HP

Daphne Greengrass stepped out of the floo at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters with her parents Cyrus and Elizabeth Greengrass, their nine-year-old daughter Astoria in tow. This was the moment. She was finally going to Hogwarts. It was nearly time for the train to depart, so she hugged her parents and sister, promised to write to them and boarded the train along with her friend Tracy Davis. Tracy was her only friend. They knew each other since they were children. Daphne had always been a quiet child, preferred to read rather than play. Unlike other girls her age, she also had a huge weight on her shoulders. She was the Heiress Presumptive of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Greengrass. And that usually attracted the attention of others as the family didn't have a male heir. Many families would consider it as the best opportunity to get their hands on the massive Greengrass fortune and political influence. One Draco Malfoy came to mind, she thought darkly. That arrogant ponce had the gall to come up to her at a party several months ago and say that he was going to be her future husband and that she should be so lucky as to even be considered for that honour. Unfortunately, money wasn't the only issue. She wasn't vain by any means, but she had to admit that she was stunningly beautiful, even as an eleven-year-old. Her petite frame, showing promise for the future, dark blonde hair that extended to the middle of her back and her deep blue eyes only enhanced her aristocratic features. Thankfully her father was all for her learning some good hexes and curses to protect herself. After all, he didn't want anything to happen to his little girl.

Daphne followed Tracy into a compartment and put her trunk down. She turned to look at the boy who she and her friend were sharing the compartment with. The first thought that flashed through her mind was that he was incredibly cute. He was tall, so probably a third year she mused to herself. He had silky black hair that extended to his shoulders and had the most mesmerizing green eyes she had ever seen. She shook her head slightly to clear her thoughts. She didn't want to make a fool of herself even before she got to the school. She wanted to create a reputation for herself so that boys would stay away from her. And staring at a boy would not help matters. She was about to lift her trunk to place it on the rack when she heard a voice.

"Please, allow me", said the boy. He flicked his fingers and his wand came sailing out of its holster. He gave his wand a swish and a flick, and her trunk slowly ascended and sat cleanly on the rack above. He proceeded to do the same for Tracy's trunk as well.

"Wow!" said Tracy. "That was non-verbal magic. I didn't know third-year students could do it!" she exclaimed. Daphne too was stunned. She knew how difficult the charm was. She had only managed to levitate a feather and this bloke had managed to levitate a heavy trunk as well as do it non-verbally!

The boy looked amused. "What makes you think I'm a third year, Miss ?"

"Davis. Tracy Davis. Well, you kind of look like a third-year student. Why, am I wrong?" she asked.

The boy extended his hand. Tracy understood and extended her own hand. The boy took it and kissed her knuckles. "Charmed, Miss Davis. But I'm afraid you're mistaken. I'm a first year, much like yourself", he said amused.

He looked at Daphne and asked, "And you my fair maiden?", ignoring Tracy's slack-jawed expression.

Daphne schooled her expression to remain impassive, but inside, she was unnerved. Who was this boy? He was handsome, from the look of it, rich, but he didn't look familiar as she had met the heirs of all the noble families. And his voice and stare made her nervous.

"Daphne Greengrass", she said in a cool tone. She thought she saw a flash of recognition in his eyes, but later thought she must have imagined it.

"It's my utmost pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Greengrass", he said in a silky voice. He took her hand, and kissed her knuckles, the entire time without breaking eye contact. Daphne felt her face go warm as she realised he was yet to release her hand. This boy infuriated her! How dare he try to charm her like this? Just as she thought he was going to start flirting with her next like Draco had unsuccessfully tried to do, he resumed his seat and continued reading his book. He didn't even look at her after that.

Daphne sat down in shock, looking at Tracy who mirrored her expression. This guy looked like he was full of surprises. Who was he? Tracy took the plunge. "May we know your name? After all, we're going to be classmates soon" she said hesitantly.

The boy looked up with a hint of a smile (or was it a smirk?) on his face. "James", he said. "James Evans"

Daphne and Tracy looked at each other. There was no way a muggleborn would act like a perfect pureblood heir. So, he must be a half-blood.

The journey continued in relative silence. The food trolley came and went, and they all bought a few sweets to eat. Halfway through the journey, a pest decided to make an appearance.

The door rudely opened and Draco Malfoy decided to give them a visit. He entered and said, "I'm looking for Harry Potter. Have you seen him?" he asked.

Harry didn't bother looking up. Voldemort's memories showed him who he was. This was definitely Lucius Malfoy's son. He was also the son of Narcissa Malfoy nee Black, so they were cousins. He didn't bother to reply. He knew the public's perception of his appearance didn't really match his true looks. According to the books published about him, he was a short boy, who had green eyes, adorned round glasses, had a red lightning-shaped scar on his forehead and looked exactly like his father. But the reality was that he was quite tall for his age thanks to the vigorous exercises he did every day, did not wear glasses, did not have a lightning scar on his forehead (it had thankfully disappeared after the Elvin ritual) and did not look like his father's clone. In fact, he had inherited both his parents' looks as well as high cheekbones from his grandmother, giving him a very attractive, aristocratic face. Thank Merlin he was already betrothed. Speaking of which, Daphne looked quite agitated in Malfoy's presence. He decided to keep a close eye on the arrogant boy. He sent a wandless compulsion on the boy to leave. And Draco immediately left with his two confused goons in tow.

"What just happened? I was so sure that he would harass you again", said Tracy.

"I have no idea", said Daphne. She looked at her smirking companion. "What's so funny Mr. Evans?" she asked coldly.

"Nothing, Miss Greengrass", he said, with a small smile.

The rest of the train ride was peaceful except when Neville Longbottom came in asking if they had seen his toad. Daphne heard her companion tell him to go ask a prefect to summon it for him, accepting Neville's thanks for helping him.

Once it got dark, they took turns changing into their uniforms. If Daphne ever had doubts about whether James Evans was rich, she certainly got her answer. His uniform was made of fine silk. She could see he was wearing a silver chain with small diamonds around his neck and also sporting a pair of dragon hide boots. She could have easily mistaken him to be the heir of an Ancient and Noble house.

The train slowly arrived at the station. They had arrived at Hogwarts.

Harry got out of the train with Daphne and Tracy and followed Hagrid to the boats. They sat together, along with another boy who was as tall as Harry, who introduced himself as Blaise Zabini. The boats moved and they slowly saw the approaching castle. It truly was beautiful. Harry, having grown up in a similar castle, was used to it. But he had to admit the view was spectacular. They met Professor McGonagall who informed them about the four houses and told them to wait quietly. He could see people looking at each other and wondering out loud where the Boy Who Lived was. The youngest Weasley boy kept sprouting off that he had probably arrived already with Dumbledore and that he would be a Gryffindor and his best friend. A bushy haired girl was speaking to herself about the spells she knew. Before they knew it, they were being led into the Great Hall. Before they entered, Harry wandlessly cast a compulsion on McGonagall to read out his correct name. He knew the importance of names in the magical world. It had its own power. That's why Dumbledore had such a large name and people feared to say Voldemort's name, even ten years after his defeat. He did not want to be called as Harry. That name was reserved only for family and friends. Besides, he wanted the public to know how very little they knew about their precious saviour.

The sorting hat finished its song and soon the sorting started.

"Abbott, Hannah" McGonagall called out.

A pink-faced girl slowly ascended the stairs and put on the hat. "HUFFLEPUFF", the hat shouted. The sorting continued, until

"Greengrass, Daphne"

Daphne coolly walked to the stool and put on the hat. A few seconds later, it shouted back "SLYTHERIN"

Harry smirked. This was going to be interesting. Hermoine Granger got sorted into Gryffindor, as did Neville Longbottom. Tracy got sorted into Slytherin as well. Harry observed his peers. There were a few heirs of important families who were allies of the Potters. At least they were when his grandfather was alive. Suddenly, McGonagall called out his name.

"Potter, Hadrian"

Harry calmly walked over to the stool and sat down. He could hear whispers around the hall. 'Is that the Boy Who Lived?'; 'I didn't know his name was Hadrian, I thought it was Harry'; 'He looks nothing like what the books said he would'; 'Where is his scar? I can't see it'; 'He looks so handsome!'

Once the hat was placed on his head, he heard a voice in mind. "Ah, difficult. Very difficult. You are immensely loyal to those who are dear to you. While you may not trust blindly, Hufflepuff would be a good choice. After the way you have handled your life until now, you definitely have traits of bravery and cunning. So you can do well in both Gryffindor and Slytherin. You possess an eidetic memory, Rowena's most prized talent. And you love to read. So Ravenclaw is a yes. Well, I must say, you have astounded me, Lord Potter. Do you have a preference?" asked the sorting hat.

"Ravenclaw please Mr Hat. And don't worry; I'm going to make the dear Headmaster's plans crash and burn. I'm sure you'll love the entertainment", he said.

The sorting hat chuckled, "I'm sure I will. It certainly was fun to watch Albus get riled up. Be careful Lord Potter, the headmaster isn't as light as he portrays himself to be. With that said, good luck. RAVENCLAW"

The entire hall was silent. Then suddenly the table under the blue and bronze banners burst into thunderous applause. No one had ever expected the Boy Who Lived to be a Ravenclaw. The Gryffindors looked like someone had killed their puppy. The Slytherins were neutral, calculating as to how there were so many inconsistencies with regards to the Potter heir. Hufflepuffs were happy regardless. Once the sorting was finished, Dumbledore got up, said a few nonsense words which made Harry roll his eyes. The tables filled up with large plates of food. Harry began to eat and started talking to his year mates. He looked at the Slytherin table and found Daphne watching him with a furious expression on her face. Harry smirked and winked at her and went back to eating his food.

Many thoughts were going through various people's minds, all concerning one Hadrian Potter. Daphne Greengrass couldn't believe how easily she had been tricked by Potter. He had completely made her look like a fool. It was infuriating. When the food arrived, she kept staring at Potter. Suddenly, he met her gaze, smirked slightly, winked at her and went back to his food as if she was just a toy he was playing with. But she would not back down. She would show Potter that she was not to be messed with. Oh yes, she would.

Severus Snape looked the son of his most hated enemy and the girl he was obsessed with (not that he ever realised that). It infuriated him to even look at the brat. How dare he come to Hogwarts? The brat did not look like a clone of James Potter. Oh, he definitely was his son, as he had inherited some of his looks, but he was a lot better looking than James Potter and that made him incredibly jealous. The boy must have done something to the sorting hat. How else would Gryffindor James Potter's son be sorted into Ravenclaw? He knew the brat ran away from home too. He had spent several months looking for the brat on Dumbledore's orders. He would make sure that Harry Potter was taken down a peg or two. Besides, there was no way the son of James Potter could be smart.

Albus Dumbledore was furious. He had asked Minerva to call out the boy as Harry Potter and not use his true name. He knew the power of names, and by not using his given name, his magical aura would not grow to be as powerful. He had wanted to cut down his limbs, little by little starting with his name. That hadn't worked. And now, the pawn had the audacity to be sorted into Ravenclaw! This wasn't part of his plan either. Harry Potter had to be a Gryffindor, charging into danger without backup or plans so that Albus could mould him to be the perfect weapon for the light. But a smart Harry wasn't what he wanted. He had also instructed the youngest Weasley boy to befriend the Boy Who Lived and ensure that he had no other friends. But those plans were now ruined. What to do?

Voldemort sat thinking quietly. Harry Potter was not how he had expected. He learned that the headmaster had lost the boy four years ago after Potter had run away from his relatives' house. So he was vulnerable during the holidays. But he didn't expect it. He knew that the Potter family properties were heavily warded. When he was young and was studying the various pureblood families, the Potter family had intrigued him. They were notoriously secretive and highly mysterious, not to mention immensely old and filthy rich. That was why he had targeted the Potter heir. Wormtail had informed him that the Potter child was performing accidental magic when he was just three months old. So he decided that since the child was very powerful, the prophecy must be about him. So he had attacked and lost his body. But he would get his revenge on the brat. And once he did, he would extract all the secrets of the Potter family. So many people tried to eradicate the family over the last two thousand years. He would be the one to claim that honour. After all, he was Lord Voldemort, the greatest wizard of them all. Nothing was impossible for him.