It was the next day.
At Platform 9¾ of King's Cross Station, the familiar chaos of the start of term filled the air. Students from both magical and non-magical families bustled about, dragging their luggage, owls hooting in cages, cats meowing, trunks rattling over the cobblestone floor. Laughter and chatter echoed through the space as excitement and nerves mingled in the September air.
Then—Pop!
A loud crack of magic echoed through the station as a group of figures appeared right in the middle of the crowd.
Harry, Theo, Blaise, Daphne, Draco, Millicent, Tracey, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle had arrived via group Apparition.
Next to Harry stood the ever-watchful Tristan, his guardian. By Daphne's side stood her poised and proud mother Rosa Greengrass. Blaise was accompanied by his elegant mother, a vision of grace and danger. Theo was standing with his older brother, the sharp-eyed and ever-ready Thaddeus Nott, who looked like he was already planning a duel in his mind.
Draco, of course, had both of his parents flanking him—Lucius Malfoy radiating aristocratic superiority, and Narcissa giving off that faint but constant look of "everything is beneath me." Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle were also with them, tagging along under Lucius's informal protection.
Millicent was beside her father, Mr. Bulstrode, who had the energy of a retired gladiator trying to look civil. Tracey was with her soft-spoken but sharp-eyed mother.
Harry blinked rapidly, trying to steady himself. "That spell is both a blessing and a curse," he muttered, legs wobbling slightly from the jolt of Apparition.
Thaddeus Nott checked his watch with a sigh of precision. "We're an hour early. The train's not even here yet. Whatever. Go be… social."
Theo blinked at his brother and said flatly, "For someone who goes to Durmstrang, you're terrible at social interaction."
Harry looked at Theo and Blaise. "So, what now?"
Blaise smirked, folding his arms. "Simple, Lord James, we do what Theo's brother said—be social. Let's go and see if we can find other students from the different clans."
Harry blinked. "Okay… and how exactly do we do that?"
Theo pointed to the gleaming Hydra pin on Harry's Hogwarts uniform, then to the Naga pin on Blaise's robes, and finally to the House of Apophis insignia on his own.
"Simple," Theo said with a shrug. "We look for others wearing clan pins on their Hogwarts uniforms. Each major clan has a crest embedded in their attire."
He began listing them off casually:
"If you see a lion, tiger, or any mythological big cat, that's Gryffindor Clan."
"A bird—raven, eagle, phoenix—means Ravenclaw Clan."
"Anything else—badgers, wolves, mythical beasts like kitsune or tanuki—they're from Hufflepuff Clan."
Harry blinked again. "So we're basically playing 'Where's My House Mascot' with people?"
Blaise chuckled. "Pretty much."
As they spoke, the platform around them buzzed with life. Children dragged trunks bigger than they were. Owls hooted. Cats weaved between legs. Parents gave last-minute hugs, or in some pureblood cases, emotionally distant nods.
Thaddeus, Theo's older brother, glanced back at the trio. "Try not to start a duel before boarding. First impressions matter."
"Noted," Theo muttered, rolling his eyes.
Meanwhile, Rosa leaned over to Daphne. "Your boyfriend is already attracting stares, you know."
Daphne, flustered, hissed, "He's not my—!" But her voice trailed off as she looked over at Harry, who was now chatting with a younger girl from the Gryffindor Clan about Cerberus hunting and how cocoa can apparently kill giant dogs.
Rosa grinned. "Right, of course not."
Behind them, Draco was sulking as his mother fixed his collar for the fifth time, ignoring his quiet grumbling.
Millicent and Tracey shared a look.
Tracey whispered, "Ten galleons says Draco tries to duel Harry within the first week."
Millicent smirked. "You're on."
The crowd continued to grow, and somewhere in the distance, a faint whistle sounded—the Hogwarts Express would be arriving soon.
Harry looked around at the platform, eyes flicking from crest to crest.
The magical world felt real now. Not just swords and snakes and shadows.
This… this was the beginning.
Harry continue to talk to the girl, in the Gryffindor House as he spoke. "So, your not a heir".
The young girl, same as him, a fair skin, brown hair, and blue eyes, as in her Hogwarts uniform was a Winged Cat. "Yup, unlike you, I am just a Memeber of House Winged Cat in Clan Gryffindor".
Harry looker at her as he spoke. "So, what your name"
The girl looked at him as she spoke. "Lavender Brown, Memeber of House Winged Cat"
[Insege Image of Lavender Brown]
Harry looked at her as he spoke. "Nice to meet you, I should also probably interduce my self fully, Harry James Potter, Head or House Hydra of the Slytherin Clan".
Lavender stopper as she spoke. "Your Harry Potter?".
Lavender's eyes widened, her hand pausing mid-air as she processed what Harry just said. Her surprise was genuine—not the wide-eyed gawking of someone reacting to a celebrity, but rather the disbelief of someone who had just been told the moon really was made of cheese.
"You're Harry Potter?" she repeated, blinking rapidly. "Like, the Harry Potter? Scar, lightning bolt, Dark Lord go boom—that Harry Potter?"
Harry rubbed the back of his neck, offering a sheepish smile. "Yeah… That's me. Though these days, most people know me as the Head of House Hydra."
Lavender let out a low whistle. "Wow. And here I thought this year's drama was going to be about who got caught sneaking love potions again…"
Harry chuckled. "I'm hoping to avoid all that… Well, mostly."
She gave him a sly smirk. "Well, if you are trying to avoid it, you probably shouldn't have that hair. Or that pin. Or that sword-shaped shadow that sometimes hovers behind you like a cursed guardian spirit."
Harry's eyes twitched slightly. "Wait—you can see the shadow?"
Lavender blinked innocently. "Can't everyone?"
From a distance, Blaise and Theo were watching.
Theo nudged Blaise. "So… Harry's making friends already."
Blaise folded his arms. "Mhm. And this one's cute. That could be a problem."
Theo raised an eyebrow. "A problem?"
"For the line of succession. You know some of the Slytherin girls already made bets."
Theo grinned. "At this rate, we're going to need a House Hydra court registry."
Back with Harry and Lavender, she looked at the others in the crowd, her eyes scanning the different pins. "So, tell me something, Lord Hydra—what's it like being the head of a house? Isn't it stressful?"
Harry paused, glanced at the serpent-shaped pin on his chest, and then looked back at her.
"…Stressful doesn't even begin to cover it."
He smiled softly. "But I've got good people with me. That helps."
Lavender nodded, looking genuinely thoughtful.
"Well, Lord Hydra," she said, mock-bowing slightly with a teasing grin, "If you ever need a contact in House Winged Cat, you know where to find me."
Harry smirked. "I'll keep that in mind."
Just then, the Hogwarts Express gave a loud whistle in the background, steam billowing into the air.
Theo clapped his hands. "Well, time to get on board before someone takes our compartment."
Blaise rolled his eyes. "Last time someone tried that, they ended up crying. You'd think they'd learn."
Harry gave Lavender a nod. "See you on the train?"
Lavender smiled. "Definitely."
As the group began moving toward the train, Draco—further back—watched the exchange and scowled in his mind.
"Of course Potter's already networking with Gryffindors. Probably trying to build a cross-clan alliance or something. Ugh."
He turned away dramatically.
"If I see him shaking hands with a Hufflepuff next, I might scream."
Harry was making his way through the train when he suddenly stopped.
Standing by the platform edge was a kid—smaller than the rest. He looked far too young to be boarding Hogwarts. Black hair. Wide, unblinking eyes. Dressed in a simple shirt and pants. No trunk. No owl. No robes. He looked… out of place.
Harry glanced at Blaise. "Save me a seat."
Without waiting for a reply, he walked over.
The train wasn't set to leave for another 40 minutes, but almost everything had already been taken.
"Hey," Harry said gently, crouching a little. "Are you lost?"
The child looked up at him.
And for a fraction of a second, Harry froze.
His eyes—those weren't a child's eyes. Something feral stared back at him. Something old. Bestial. Monstrous.
A hallucination? A trick of the light?
The boy blinked, and it was gone. Just a regular kid again.
"I'm not lost," the child said with an eerie calm. "I'm just here to see my siblings off."
Harry frowned. His instincts flared—something about this kid was wrong. Not dangerous yet, but off. "Oh… uh, who's your older brother, then?"
The boy tilted his head, eyes still fixed on Harry. "You might meet him in Hogwarts. For now… I'm only here to watch him go."
Cryptic. Creepy.
Harry forced a polite smile. "Right. So… what's your name?"
The boy's smile widened. "Grayback."
Harry blinked. "That's… a rather unique name."
"Isn't it?" the boy said, grinning too wide. "Some names carry weight."
Before Harry could respond, the train gave a soft whistle—boarding time.
He stepped back. "Well… I hope you see your brother soon."
As Harry turned and walked back toward the train, he could still feel the boy's gaze burning into his back.
Behind him, the child remained still.
His shadow twitched.
Then stretched.
Something slithered within it—massive and coiling.
Two blood-red eyes emerged from the writhing shadow.
The boy, Grayback, didn't turn. He just whispered to it, almost fondly:
"He's the one they call the Boy Who Lived. But honestly? He doesn't seem very special."
A low, guttural growl rumbled from the shadow.
"…Which makes him even more interesting."
Harry was halfway onto the train when he heard a voice call out.
"Harry."
He stopped.
Slowly, he turned his head—recognizing the voice.
It was her.
Aunt Petunia stood at the platform, flanked by Uncle Vernon and Dudley.
For a long moment, no one spoke. The silence between them was heavy. Unspoken realizations passed through their eyes like flickers of lightning.
The Dursleys. Tristan. And Harry.
The pieces had been put together.
Harry said nothing. No goodbye. No glare. No words.
He simply turned and stepped onto the train, walking calmly to find Theo and Blaise—who had been watching from the corridor, their eyes briefly flicking toward Tristan.
Back on the platform, Petunia's lips tightened as she turned to the officer.
"…So," she said, voice low. "Did you know?"
Vernon opened his mouth, already red in the face. He was about to yell—blame the officer for everything. The child protection case. The scrutiny. The trial.
But Tristan cut him off.
Just one word.
"No."
It stopped them cold.
He continued, voice steady. Cold. Honest.
"I didn't know the boy was a wizard," Tristan said. "Not until the letter arrived. Before that, I saw a child being abused and did what was right. That's all."
He stepped closer, looking Vernon and Petunia directly in the eyes.
"If you want to discuss more, your nephew's next major court trial is this summer. We can talk then."
He turned, expression unreadable again.
Unbeknownst to them, Tristan had seen both letters. The one from Hogwarts, and the one Rosa—on behalf of the Slytherin Clan—had delivered to Harry days earlier.
But the Dursleys had only seen one.
And that was enough.
Petunia gripped Dudley's hand tightly as he climbed onto the train. He waved goodbye to his parents, unaware of the heaviness behind them.
She stayed behind a moment longer, eyes lingering on the man who had upended their lives.
"I see," she said softly.
But in her mind, the words were different.
"We deserve this."
Harry was now aboard the Hogwarts Express, but once inside, he hesitated.
He had no idea where to go.
He'd overheard people talking about special compartments—private ones reserved for old wizarding families and ancient clans. Apparently, even the Slytherin Clan had their own.
He looked down the corridor, unsure which direction to take. Every compartment seemed full already—students laughing, talking, casting minor spells. It was overwhelming.
He wasn't used to this.
"Earth to Potter."
Harry blinked, snapping out of his daze. He turned to see Theodore Nott giving him a dry look.
Theo tilted his head with a half-smirk. "You've been standing next to us for the past two minutes."
Blaise, already lounging in one of the seats behind him, added with a grin, "We were starting to wonder if Beelzebub ate your brain."
Harry blinked again, then gave a sheepish nod. "Right. Sorry. I was just… trying to figure out where to go."
Theo stepped aside and motioned to the open seat across from him. "You are part of the Slytherin Clan now, Harry. That makes this compartment yours too."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "That simple?"
Blaise shrugged. "Slytherin Clan rules are simple. Blood, name, and strength. You've got all three."
Harry stepped in, closing the door behind him as he sat down. It was a surprisingly comfortable space—nothing like the loud, cramped compartments he passed earlier. In here, it was quiet. Luxurious.
And private.
Harry looked out the window for a moment, then back at Theo and Blaise.
"…Thanks."
Theo nodded once. Blaise gave him a playful grin. "Get used to it, mate. Things are different now."
Harry didn't respond.
But in the back of his mind, the weight of the unknown—about his clan, his sword, and this strange new world—pressed heavier than ever.
To be continued
Hope people like this ch and give me power stones and enjoy