Chapter 21: Beginnings

The three boys quickly found an empty compartment half -way down the train and stored their belongings overhead before sitting down to play a game of exploding snap. At his friends' insistence Harry had packed away all of his books for the journey. While not quite the bookworm Hermione had been, he had garnered a reputation with his friends with his apparent love of books. He wasn't obsessive over the things, it was simply that he had come to appreciate the knowledge they could give him. He constantly found new spells that would have made his future life so much easier, if only he had taken the time to learn them.

When he had arrived back in the past he had made a promise to himself, a promise he intended to keep. His parents and the many countless other lives that were lost in this senseless war would not perish again. He might not be able to save all of them, but he stood a much better chance now than he did before. And if burying his nose in a book for a few hours could help him save a life, then so be it.

When the trolley rolled around the boys bought a load of sweets that emptied their money pouches by a few galleons apiece. Harry ate a few chocolate frogs and Cauldron Cakes, while Regulus and Arcturus gorged themselves on their selections of sweets. It had never ceased to amaze him how much sugar children and teenagers could stomach; it was beyond mind boggling. The three joked as the pile lessened until Harry couldn't watch another Chocoball be stuffed down Arcturus' throat. Harry politely excused himself on the grounds of having to go around the train to say his goodbyes.

He gave some animated goodbyes and well wishes to some of his older classmates that he had got to know this year, and a few of the Ravenclaws he had become friendly with before heading to the Hufflepuff section.

Finally finding the compartment he was looking for, he rapped on the door before entering.

"Harry!"

The black haired boy smiled at the enthusiastic greeting.

"Abigail!" He mock-yelled back in a slightly high pitched voice.

The other kids in the compartment laughed lightheartedly as Harry walked in and closed the door before taking a seat next to the brown haired girl.

She scrunched up her nose and crossed her arms over her chest, "Must you always mock me Harry?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment before turning his serious green eyes on her, "Only on days when I like you. The days when I'm ill-tempered I'll leave the mocking to Regulus."

"How thoughtful and considerate; you do realize that I have two older brothers who would beat you up if I asked them to, right?"

"The thought hadn't escaped me for a moment, but I have a feeling they like me better than their annoying little sister. Though you may be able to convince James to do it for you, he's been rather cross with me lately."

Abigail smiled happily, "Oh?"

Harry leaned in conspiratorially, "Yes 'ooh'. He's been in a downright foul mood since the Quidditch cup. Seemed to be under the impression that he would have played better if hadn't been circling the pitch underneath my seating. For some reason he thought I was going to jump. A delayed reaction to me being sorted into Slytherin."

"Harry that's awful! You really shouldn't make jokes like that." The girl smacked his arm before sticking her bottom lip out again.

"I thought it was rather funny, in the 'oh so wrong' sort of way." Another Hufflepuff offered with an amused smile, "We all heard, if not saw, that nasty fall."

"Ah-ha I knew it!" Harry exclaimed excitedly.

The Hufflepuffs looked confusedly at the Slytherin.

"Knew what?" The same Hufflepuff boy asked with a bemused expression.

"You Hufflepuffs really are sadistic underneath that entire smiling and friendly exterior. Admit it! It's all a part of the master plan to take over the world bit by bit, really cunning if you ask me." Harry trailed off thoughtfully while Abigail rolled her eyes, much to the Hufflepuff boy's amusement.

"Harry I think it's time we said goodbye before you start a revolution with my housemates. I'd really love to see you explain that one in the history books." Abigail said as she pulled the boy to his feet and with a 'cheerful' goodbye from Harry, she had them through the door and down the hallway.

"What was the rush all about? I wasn't really trying to start a rebellion…" He trailed off questioningly.

"The boy you were talking to, Isaac Wellington, has been jokingly talking about starting a rebellion among the house the whole semester…the worrying part is I don't know if he's joking or not." Abigail shrugged her shoulders, "I thought it best to remove you before you gave him any ideas about how to go about it."

"You're kidding!" Harry breathed with a chuckle.

She glared at him with a frown, "Of course I'm not! Why else would I remove you?"

"Well considering we are heading back to my compartment, I would guess that you wished to say goodbye to Regulus and Arcturus?" He grinned devilishly at her.

"And your point?"

"My point is this, I have other people to say goodbye to so you can keep on walking. I'll meet you in my compartment in a few."

"Fine!" Abigail huffed before stomping gracefully forward.

With another grin Harry turned back around and made his way to the very back of the train where he knew the two students would be.

He peered in through the glass as he watched the red head threw back her head and laugh at something her companion said. She grinned, her green eyes sparkling madly, as she gazed at the black haired boy. The boy gazed back, his obsidian orbs glinting, and a small smirk stretched his lips.

Harry pulled himself from the scene and knocked on the door lightly, slightly hoping that they wouldn't hear him and continue on with their with their laughter, but it was for naught.

Both pair of eyes looked up, and a single black eyebrow rose in question at the intrusion.

With a slight smile Harry slide open the door and stepped into the compartment.

"Well, well, well another year gone and passed."

"Very observant Potter." Severus drawled, rolling his eyes.

"I thought so myself, besides with the glare I was getting I couldn't think up anything else on the spot." Harry agreed with a solemn nod, to which he received a glare.

"Sev be nice, I'm sure Harry here can have some very intellectually stimulating conversations when he wants." Lily mocked with a smile.

Harry frowned and grabbed his chest while his other hand flew to his forehead, "Lily you wound me," he staggered sideways into the wall before sliding down on the seat, "I can't go on…the pain."

Snape snorted in a cross between amusement and contempt, "How did you manage to land in Slytherin again Potter?"

Cracking a wry smile Harry shrugged his shoulders noncommittally, "You know how it goes…tell the Sorting Hat 'anywhere but Hufflepuff' and you land in Slytherin. It makes you wonder just how many Hufflepuffs asked not to be in Slytherin, eh?"

"You-you're kidding? Aren't you Potter?" Snape asked, though his face was pinched in horror and contemplation as he studied the younger boy.

Harry attempted to look uncomfortable under the scrutiny of the other boy, "If I knew it would bother you I wouldn't have mentioned it."

"Oh Harry come off it! Leave Sev along, he might really believe you." Lily smacked his shoulder with a smile.

Harry mock glared back as he rubbed his shoulder, "Spoilsport. The one time I have him and you have to ruin it. You know that only happens once a year, correct?"

"Haha Potter, haha."

"I thought so too and when are you going to start calling me by my name? I know calling me Potter is painful for us both."

"Maybe in a few years when you've grown up." Snape rolled his eyes.

"Ouch, if I didn't know that somewhere deep down inside you cared about me, that would have hurt Severus." Harry furrowed his brows as he spoke, "Though I'll let it slide. Now…who wants their present?"

"Present?" Came the surprised responses.

"Is there an echo in here?"

At the glares he received back he quickly withdrew two small books from his pocket, enlarged them back to their full size, and held them out to Lily, "Pick a color."

Lily looked between the two and her eyes narrowed in on the pink book, a mischievous glint in her eyes, "I'll take the green one."

She started to reach forward only to stop at the exclamation, "Don't be ridiculous! The other one is pink!"

Both Lily and Harry raised their eyebrows at the same time and Snape drew a sharp breath in.

"What?" Lily immediately demanded.

"The color-"

"Yes Sev, the color is pink. We have already established that."

The pale boy scowled slightly at his oldest friend, "Not that. I just realized something, look at Harry's eyes!"

Said boy widened his eyes in surprise as Lily turned curiously to look at Harry, "What's wrong with my eyes?"

"They're Lily green." Snape said still with a hint of surprise while Lily studied the green eyes.

"Lily green? I've never heard of it-" Harry started nervously.

"Not Lily Green you dolt, Lily's green. As in Lily's eye color."

"And that is amazing, because-?" He trailed off uneasily.

"Well, it's not…not really." Lily said dismissively., Harry breathed out a sigh of relief before she continued, "Though it is rather unusual. I've never run across another person with my color before."

She snorted in amusement, "Maybe we are related somehow Harry, down the line."

Severus twisted his lips in distaste, "Lily, do not joke like that, that would mean you are related to Potter."

At the proclamation all three flinched, but Harry for a totally different reason than the other two, before he coughed, "I can almost assure you that you are in no way or shape related to James."

"You find us relieved."

"Yes, I'm sure. Well here's your book!" Harry handed the book to Snape who took it with slight distaste before turning slightly pleading eyes on Lily.

"Oh all right!" She finally huffed before switching books.

Snape smirked slightly as he took the green book and opened it, "A dairy, Potter?"

Harry smirked back before taking a fountain pen out of his pocket and handing it to him, "Try writing in it, but first address it as a letter to Lily."

Sitting down, Snape flipped the book open and popped the cap off the top of the pen, before starting to write while Lily looked on in interest.

She gave a slight start as her book began shaking and she quickly flipped the book open and watched in fascination as Snape's spidery handwriting began to fill the page.

"Wow…Harry? Where did you get this?"

Smirking Harry handed her a pen, "Try writing back. No need to address it, just write underneath the writing."

Lily excitedly took the pen and wrote a few lines in her perfect cursive script.

He looked on in amusement as the two wrote a few more lines back and forth, proud that he had been able to create the books. He had actually gotten taken the idea from the muggle messenger he had seen Dudley used in the summer when he was home for the summer, mixed combined with Riddle's diary. He figured that it would not seem odd or out of place for someone to write in a book, as Lily and Snape both already did that. The margins of their textbooks were filled with notes expanding on the subject.

"Oh they're absolutely brilliant!" Lily gushed with a wide smile, "Where'd you get them?"

"James picked up the books for me on the last Hogsmeade visit. I had planned on being finished with them some time ago, but I was restricted to the Hospital Wing and unable to finish them before now."

"Finish them?"

Eyes twinkling Harry pulled another book out of his pocket and enlarged it, "Charmed them myself," he smiled at her surprised gasp before continuing, "This book helped in the theory, if you figure out the basics by the end of the summer I'll show you how to do the charms come fall."

"But you're a first year!" She exclaimed.

"Didn't we have this conversation at the beginning of the year?" Harry asked bemusedly.

"But, but-"

He gave a sheepish grin at the pair, "You know I don't like a lot of attention, I just have a talent in Charms. It's no big deal really. You'd be just as good, if not better at Charms at my age if you had been raised by wizards. I started learning at a young age. Me and Charms are like Snape and curses."

Lily and Snape cracked smiles at that and both seemed content to let it go.

"If you need me this summer just write my name and I'll get back."

Severus nodded curtly as Lily leaned in and gave Harry a quick peck on the cheek, "Have a good summer and do not forget to write. See if your aunt and uncle will let you visit for part of the summer with us, and do us a favor and kill that cousin of yours."

"I'll try my best, but my aunt and uncle seem rather fond of him. Have a good summer!"

With a grin he made his way from the compartment, the grin almost immediately dropping as he did so and a slightly sad frown took its place. Raising his hand to his cheek a fleeting look crossed his features. The first kiss he ever remembered from his mother.

The rest of the ride passed fairly quickly, Abigail was already gone when he returned to the compartment and Arcturus and Regulus were busy with a game of Exploding Snap. Shrugging the girl's quick disappearance off, he decided to simply owl her the book later. Harry sat back, trying to distract the other two as they concentrated on the heating cards. When the game was finally won, Regulus sent him a dirty look and claimed loudly that it was Harry's fault he lost the game.

This was met by disagreement from Harry and Arcturus.

Once they settled down he asked, "You know Reg, you never did tell us what you were doing all summer."

The long haired boy sighed before swiping his hair away from his face with an annoyed huff, "The same thing I've done every summer since I was seven, visiting the Black branch in Russia."

"Why?" Arcturus asked, interested.

Regulus rolled his eyes in exasperation, "Mother believes that they can educate my wayward brother and me on the proper wizard etiquette that escapes so many English Wizards. Her mother was from the Russian line and therefore mother believes that Russian purebloods have the right idea. Father isn't nearly as fanatic." He trailed of at the end thinking he may have said too much.

Arcturus looked awkward, but didn't seem to either disagree or agree. Finally Harry cracked a grin, "I can't imagine Sirius taking to his education too well."

Regulus let out another groan and dropped his head into his hands, "He's horrible I tell you. It wouldn't be nearly as bad if he just bit his cheek and ignored it…but no, my dear brother has to show his hard head and go against them all. He'll never learn the art of subtle resistance. His pigheadedness just makes them all the more nasty, which makes mother all the more nasty, which makes father all the more grouchy, which means makes me a very unhappy target."

Both Harry and Arcturus stared.

"Well Regulus," Arcturus began, "the Blacks and the Yaxleys have always gotten along fairly well, right?"

"Of course."

"Since you have started Hogwarts, it would expected of you to forge new alliances and uphold old ones, correct?" Arct continued.

"Yes?"

"How are you expected to up hold those new alliances when you are in Russia? I'm sure I can convince my parents to hold several parties for our age groups to inhabit the social scene. Purebloods would be there, not only from Hogwarts, but Durmstrang, Beauxbaton, and Salem as well."

Regulus smiled widely, "It seems like a profitable venue."

"Also, I do remember something about your cousins kicking Sirius back to the UK because he set their dinning room on fire?" Harry grinned with a smile.

"Oh how they hate Sirius., I'd wager they would be happy if neither of us came." The black hair boy grinned with a large smile, "Even I have to admit, Uncle Karkon's face, when my brother set his beard on fire was priceless."

All three boys laughed as the train slowed down and slowly came to a halt.

They looked out the window to at the crowd of parents and siblings outside, "So…" Harry's eyes focused on a small girl giggling as she tugged on her father's robe. A small smile tugged at his lips.

"So." Arcturus agreed seriously.

Regulus smiled at them, "So."

"I made it through alive." Harry stated.

Regulus and Arcturus snorted.

"There's always next year Harry." Arct finally said, using Harry's first name, something the boy rarely did.

"Is this the part where we do something sappy?" Regulus asked amused.

"'fraid not, Black. I don't do sappy."

Harry snorted, "Of course not Yaxley, you have an image to uphold."

"Damn straight." The brown haired boy agreed, "So you two keep those books handy, right?"

At their nods of agreement he gave them one last nod before grabbing his trunk and leaving.

The two continued to stare at the door for a moment after he had gone.

"And just like that he walked away, out of my life for the next two months." Harry muttered with a distant look on his face.

Regulus tore his eyes from the door and shot him an incredulous look before bursting out laughing.

"I cannot believe you just said that." He gasped out.

"What? You were the one who wanted sappy." Harry shrugged with a grin.

Regulus grinned, "Well not quite that sappy…"

Their conversation paused as the compartment door slide open and James poked his head in.

"I've found Mum and Dad. Need help with your trunk?" James asked grinning widely.

Harry shook his head before turning back to Regulus.

"Just write if you need anything, yeah?"

Regulus gave a small smile before standing, "Yeah. Take care of yourself Harry" his eyes flicked to where James was still loitering in the doorway, "and keep your cousin out of trouble."

"Impossible on both accounts, but I'll try."

On impulse Harry pulled the other boy in a hug, before whispering in his ear, "You are not alone. Talk to Sirius, you're more alike than either of you realize."

Regulus tightened his grip for a second in acknowledgment, before pushing his friend back. Glancing to the doorway where the older Potter stood, he narrowed his eyes before breaking out in a smirk.

"If you refuse to take care of yourself Harry, James will have to do it for you."

James nodded in agreement while the younger boy rolled his eyes.

"I'm not a child to be mollycoddled. Whether both of you refuse to see it or not, I can take care of myself."

"If you claim." Regulus said with a smirk before picking up his trunk. "Potter, do you know where my brother is?"

James nodded, moving from the doorway while answering, "Four compartments down on the right. He's saying goodbye to Remus and Peter."

Regulus nodded his head in acknowledgment before swiftly walking out of the compartment.

Silence reigned while Harry opened his trunk and packed away the deck of cards and the last of his Chocolate Frogs, while shoving the Cauldron Cakes in his pocket for after dinner. He glanced down and smiled. Taking the snake pendent he happily tossed it in the trunk before snapping the lid close.

"You're sure you don't need a hand?" Something in James' voice caused Harry to glance up.

The older boy was staring at him intently and with an emotion Harry couldn't decipher.

Finally the smallest Potter asked, "Do I still look that bad?"

Harry kept his face blank as James pursued his features; the eyes pausing on some of the faint scratches, before lingering on the large visible bruise on his left temple.

"Yes." James said, his eyes snapping down to Harry's gaze, "It looks painful still."

"It's not. Honestly, I'm fine. Madame Pomfrey is a fabulous healer and it was really nothing more than a scratch."

The hazel eyed boy glared in disbelief. "A scratch that knocked you out and caused memory loss? I also seem to remember quite the an amount of blood on the pitch, not to mention all those broken bones."

Harry gave his most winning smile, "Odder things have occurred. Will you lay off if I let you carry my trunk?"

"Until we get home."

Both boys agreed in amusement.

"James, Harry!"

Both boys paused and looked down the crowded walkway. Remus pushed his way through the crowd and to their sides.

"Thought you could get away without saying goodbye Harry?" Remus asked with a teasing grin.

The younger boy rolled his eyes good-naturedly "Goodbye? What goodbye? You and Black practically lived at Potter Manor last Summer. I suspect that I will only have a few days of peace before I am ducking buckets once again."

The older boys laughed.

"Actually you won't see me until mid-summer at the earliest. My mother and I are visiting my aunt for the next three weeks. So this really is goodbye until then."

Harry held out his hand and Remus took it with a smile, "Well take care of yourself, Remus. Maybe you'll actually get some rest without these hoodlums to look after."

"I'll have you know that I am not a hoodlum. That is so blasé, "James waved his hand in the air," We are much more troublesome than hoodlums could ever wish to be. We are like...men of the road, pirates, or marauders."

Remus and Harry grinned grinned, bemused.

"Really? Pirates, James?" The brown haired boy teased.

James shrugged back before defending, "There's nothing wrong with pirates. There was even a pirate from the Black line."

"James, Blackbeard was not from the Black family." Harry snorted.

The older boy looked downtrodden at that before shrugging.

"Fine we're marauders then. The Marauders."

Harry and Remus laughed at the bright tone in which James proclaimed his friends 'marauders'.

Exiting the train the two boys made their way , through the lessening throng over to the Potters, through the lessening throng. Mary and Harold who were talking with a couple Harry didn't know, faced slightly away from them. The couple was obviously muggle, as their clothing was too well coordinated and up-to-date than anything a witch or wizard would wear.

As they approached James called out, "Oi! You there! Old man!"

Harold looked up at his son's voice, a small frown sporting on his lips.

"Old?"

The unknown couple smiled, and the man hid his laugh with a slight cough.

"It got your attention didn't it?" James asked still a good ten yards away from the older man.

Harold was about to reply when his eyes narrowed in confusion and apprehension crossed his features.

Unease suddenly gripped Harry and he began to spin around, surprised that he hadn't sensed the approaching man, but it was already too late.

The cloaked figure, which had only been a few feet away, lunged and gripped the first-year's shoulder. Before he could react he felt the well-known pull from his naval.

As the scene blurred and he was whisked away, he heard a surprised and terrified yell from his grandmother.

The wind whipped through his hair and the scenery flew past the pair at an alarming speed. His thoughts whirled about frantically, as he struggled, trying to wrench himself from the man's grasp. With an irate snarl the man raised a hand and knocked him in on his bruised temple before pulling him closer to his body. Slightly dazed, Harry slumped forward and allowed himself to be held tightly, his thoughts going becoming sluggish.

When they began to slow Harry lifted his head and made another attempt to struggle free but the man held on. The floor rushed up to meet the pair and Harry would have fallen flat on his face if it wasn't for the fact that the unknown man still gripped him tightly by the arms. Even then, he stumbled slightly, leaning forwards, and with a grunt the man pulled him up straight, though he did not let go.

The room they had landed in was large and lavishly decorated. It was a room Harry knew well, both from his future and his visions in the past. His eyes drifted to the middle of the room to the expensive throne like chair sitting on the raised platform. The man that sat on it was the most feared and hated in the entire Wizardering World. His red eyes stared back.

"Ah, Harry Potter, I've been expecting you."