Date: Wed, 24 May 2006 13:23:36 GMT
From: jpw20@kent.ac.uk
Subject: Hogwarts story: begginnings part 1

This is my first post and, incidentally, my first fan-fiction. Feedback
greatly appreciated, but make sure you mention the title in the subject
line as I get a lot of emails. Something like "feedback Hogwarts story"
would be good. It is also assumed that you have read the Harry Potter
books. I do not wish to write books myself, so descriptions etc. a sparse,
besides I think they limit the imagination. If you haven't read the books
and want to understand this series you should, at the very least, read the
philosophers stone, it's not long.

Usual disclaimers, I didn't think up, create or claim credit for the Harry
Potter universe, kudos to J K Rowling for that one. Nor is this a story of
truth. It is all lies, and any resemblance to truth is pure co-incidence.
Finally, and most importantly, if you are too young or disallowed by
whatever law to read gay fiction STOP READING. While the first lot of posts
will not contain anything remotely sexual it all gets a little ... steamy
... later.

Quick Reference: R/OC HP/Ginny W (implied: FW/George W)
NC-all


The Hogwarts Story

Greetings reader. My name is Yoni Wiccatta. You might be a little surprised
that picking up a book plunged into a memory, my memory, with my seemingly
ready and waiting to great you but don't panic. This is all part of the
charm. This book is one of seven, the first of my years at Hogwarts, and
this and its brethren have been enchanted to tell you of the events at
Hogwarts that surround the legend of Harry Potter

You can see, feel, hear, smell and, if you wish, taste the memories into
which you are taken, but none in the memory will perceive you except
me. Ask question at any time, my function is to answer. Ah, you are worried
that I am not what I appear, those of you who already know something of the
history of Harry Potter will already have heard of a book that can show you
memories, well don't worry. I am not a horcrux, I am merely heavily
enchanted. What I am exactly will be explained at the end of the last book
so please, restrain your curiosity. If you wish anything, food drink, bed,
chair etc. voice the wish and it shall appear. Now, are you ready? Then let
us

Begin

"This is most unusual" remarked Dumbledore as he stared down at the letter
on his desk. Resting his fingers together he contemplated them. He sighed,
picked up a quill and hesitated. The school is meant for all, he though, I
have lived by that precept, yet can I, in conscience, admit this student?
He glanced up at Fawkes who regarded him beadily.

"Professor McGonagall won't like it if he comes here." He remarked. Fawkes
just blinked. "Yes" laughed Professor Dumbledore "Perhaps that's the least
I should worry about".  With new-found resolution he picked up the pen and
wrote a short paragraph, walked over to the waiting owl and sent it winging
into the night.


"You've been accepted" remarked a woman. This woman was sitting in a
high-backed chair next to a roaring fire. She would not be considered tall,
just the opposite, but she had an aura of command that made mere height a
technicality. She was dressed in a deep ocean blue, with a porcelain pale
face, blond hair and black eyebrows. She had a golden hairnet suspending a
blue sapphire.

She was addressing a young man, or old boy. He looked about 10 but
something in the eyes spoke of age and pain. And loss. He had blue eyes,
while the woman's were black He had black hair and blond eyebrows, but they
look bleached, almost white. He was tall for his age, and the word gangling
comes to mind. He is dressed in sever black; the only unusual thing about
his clothes is that he has an ocean-blue shoulder cloak that extends to his
elbow.

He nodded a response to his mother's statement.

"You are to transport yourself to Hogwarts as soon as possible. Do you wish
to leave tomorrow?"

"What of the supplies I shall need, at the very least I shall require
school robes." He responded

"There is still time today if you hurry. Buy the robes, obtain some money
for the year, not too much mind, and whatever else you think you will need,
I shall purchase the reminder tomorrow and send them on."

"Shall I travel by floo powder?"

For those of you wondering, Floo powder is a type of emerald green powder
that magically links fireplaces including in the 'Floo network' this
network includes most wizarding fires. It is a common, if uncomfortable,
form of travel for large groups.

"To Diagon alley certainly, but not to Hogwarts. That school is protected
by more than walls and I think it best if you arrive in a manner that
behoves the average student, insofar as that is possible now term has
started" She pondered for a moment. "First year students are not allowed
broomsticks, nor are they allowed to dissapparate. Obviously so, since you
have not the necessary licence. I do not want you walking from Hogsmeade to
Hogwarts so I think you will have to travel by Thestral.

His eyes lit up

"Just this once" She continued "and you are to land outside the gates and
walk to the door. No showing off."

"As you wish mother." Her eyes flashed amusement at this comment, as if she
suspected he was already planning how to make an impact anyway.

"Now you had best rush if you wish to get to Diagon Alley before all the
shops shut. You had best take your staff as well, since you cannot get a
wand that doesn't mesh with it. Remember, while you know more than any
except you father about that staff Mr Ollivander knows more than anyone
about wands. Mind his knowledge."

With that she dismissed him. He walked sedately out of his mother's
presence, as was appropriate, but couldn't help but run up the stairs to
his room and grabbing his staff and bank key, then running down stairs
again.

Out of breath before the sitting room, where the Floo Powder was kept he
called for their house elf

"Arev!"

"Yes young master?"

A house-elf is a short beige coloured creature, always dressed in something
other than clothes. This particular one was wearing what looks, at first
glance, to be a Poncho, until you see the back a realise it is an oversized
slipper. House-elves live to work, and usually accompany huge manors which
they keep meticulously clean, as well as cooking and washing the clothes
and everything really.

"I am leaving for Hogwarts ... pack a selection of my clothes ... something
for every occasion please ... and my favourite books ... the ones most
worn."

"Yes young master, are you leaving tonight sir?"  "No ... tomorrow ... as
early as I can get away with"

"Then I shall pack young master some breakfast as well."

"Thank you Arev."

"A pleasure to serve young master" With that the House-elf bowed and
scampered off."

Once Yoni had composed himself he sedately walked in, fighting to keep a
serene face as behoves the heir of the Wiccatta tradition. He bowed to his
mother, Moraine, who responded with a nod of her head. He walked over to
the mantle and picked up the Floo powder and threw it into the flames.

"Keep safe my mother" he said ritually

"Travel well my son" she responded as formally, though the amusement
sparkling in her eyes, and the excitement in his belied the formal tomes.

He turned and stepped into the flames and said very clearly "The Leaky
Cauldron"

The world become a whirl of brick and snatched glimpses of other rooms as
fireplace after fireplace flashed past. The trick, he reminded himself, was
to keep knees in and wait until the right fireplace, not to get out early
or late. Oh, and not suffer from vertigo, he thought ruefully as his dinner
heaved in his stomach. Eventually the spinning slowed and he toppled out
into the leaky cauldron. This late, the place was fairly busy so no-one
paid too much attention to him.

Yoni picked up his staff, which he had desperately clutched to himself as
if it was his lifeline, and hurried out into the yard behind the pub.

Now, in good light, we can pay some attention to the staff he is carrying,
out of the dim light of his manor house. It is tall and, like his clothes,
black, the two seem almost to fade into one another so it is difficult to
tell where staff ends and clothes begin. Unless it is near the shoulder
cloak at least. It appears to have runes carved into it that you can only
perceive as they seem to glow a very deep blue, almost black, but they are
just perceptible. For those who are wondering, staffs are a larger and
cumbersome version of a wand. People stopped using staffs for a number of
simple reasons * They are large, difficult to hide * They make it obvious
you are a wizard * It is harder to cast spells with them as many spells
require staff or wand movements * They are heavy

He counted three up and two across above the bins in the yard and tapped it
with his staff. The entrance to Diagon alley appeared as a hole grew from
that brick into an archway. Yoni moved into the street.

Diagon alley was fairly empty at this time of the day, many of the shops
were closing, but Yoni was only really interested in two of them. He nipped
into Ollivander's first, the most important in his opinion.

"Good evening" said Mr Ollivander. Yoni had met him once before when his
elder brother had come to purchase a wand.

"Good evening Mr Ollivander. I am interested in purchasing a wand, but I
need to obtain my money from Gringotts first, are you staying open much
longer?"

"In something of a hurry Master Wiccatta? I shall remain open for another
hour if I think a customer likely to return."

"Thank you" yoni bowed, the niceties of manners engrained now. "Would you
happen to know if Madame Malkins remains open to business?"

Mr Ollivander glanced at a clock embedded in the wall opposite the door,
above stacks of wands. It read 1638.

"I believe she is open but not, I fear, for much longer. You had best
hurry"

"My thanks Mr. Ollivander" and with that they bowed to one another and Yoni
left the shop. He proceeded quickly to Madam Malkins who was on the point
of closing the shop.

"Oh." She exclaimed when he entered the shop "I was on the point of
closing." She quickly picked up her pincushion however and advanced towards
him

"How can I help" She enquired.  "Madam." He said gravely "I require robes
for Hogwarts, three sets if you don't mind, though I shall require but one
for tomorrow at the latest, though I hate to rush you"

She blinked at that, and looked behind him for an adult. She was not used
to young children addressing her so it seemed. However she quickly regained
her poise

"Certainly, if you would care to stop into the back and I shall take your
measurements"

"One thing, before we begin however, before I can pay I must visit
Gringotts, will that be a problem."

"No problem dear. I shall take your measurements and see if I can just
adjust a robe to fit, and whip up the rest tomorrow, you can pay on your
way back, and hopefully I shall have your first robes ready."

"My thanks Madam, and I apologise most sincerely for so grievously
inconveniencing you."

"Oh, not to worry dear. I've dealt with rush jobs before now, and shall do
so again."

With that she proceeded to take his measurements. Shortly he was hurrying
up the steps into the glittering main room of Gringotts. After presenting
his key he was whisked by mining cart to his vault, number 105. His family
were some of the first to start banking with Gringotts, and he had
inherited his Grandfathers vault.

"We took the liberty of transferring your father's money to yours here"
Said the Goblin Griphook. "As per the terms of his will. Do you wish any
special arrangements to be made for it?"

"Just do with it what my family always has done thank you. Keep adding to
my mothers account as usual. I doubt I would live long if I stopped that."

The Goblin just grinned at that. Yoni took near 100 galleons. Hoping that
would be enough for a year. He didn't anticipate too much expenditure

He collected his first robes from Madam Malkins, who had indeed been able
to simply adapt one of her stock robes, and proceeded to Ollivander's.

He was already waiting and had a wand box open on his counter

"You must hold your staff at the same time. I took the liberty of inquiring
from Madam Malkins what your measurements are so we can skip that."

Yoni merely bowed and picked up the wand. He gave it a quick wave and the
clock on the wall exploded.

"Apparently Dragon heartstring and willow don't suit." Mr Ollivander
remarked, he took the wand, replaced it in its box and replaced the box in
an empty space. Yoni meanwhile repaired the clock with his staff.

Time and again they tried wands as the hour grew later everything from
Unicorn hair to manticore hair. Kraken scale to Harpy scale. Dragons blood
to gargoyle blood until finally

"Well, let's see. Well why not, you never know. Ettercap fang and Alder"

When Yoni held this wand a warm feeling entered his arm, as it had before,
but this time his wand did not spit and spark to shame a cat. He felt an
answering glow from his staff, bring his arm up he swished down to point at
the stool. This promptly burst into bloom.

"Well done!" Clapped Mr Ollivander A curious combination, very suited for
hexes, but the wand chooses the wizard

A little shaken Yoni paid and left. "Suitable for hexes" he muttered and
looked at his wand. He hadn't noticed before but his wand was as black as
pitch, very in keeping with his clothes today.

"Tomorrow" he vowed "I'll wear something colourful" as he had sworn every
day for a week. He knew he wouldn't. Black suited his mood.

He returned home and told his mother about madam Malkins and showed her his
new wand. He also told her that her monthly stipend would continue. She
smiled at that

"Lord knows you can afford it now, but do not forget that I am not beholden
to you. You need feel no responsibility to me and I will not bow to you."

He smiled "would you bow to anyone?"

"When the situation requires it" she replied icily. She relented and smiled
back "Perhaps to Dumbledore, he has earned my admiration, and the day may
come when I bow to you. Until then however...Sleep well and wake my son."

"May your dreams soar among the stars my mother."

The next morning saw, at dawn, Yoni saying farewell to his
mother. Formalities observed they embraced and he proceeded to the orchard
behind the house. It may as well be called forest however; there was no
order there, though every tree was a rowan tree. Family legend puts the
original inhabitant of the manor, a dark wizard, somewhere in that forest,
his tomb guarded by some fierce monster. It's never been proved of course,
but makes a conversation point for visitors. More importantly the forest
contains the Thestrals the family have laboriously trained over many
generations

Arev followed behind with his luggage, not much but then a Thestral
wouldn't want to carry much, though it could.

Yoni whistled for his Thestral, he had named him Starseeker, as he flew the
highest of all the Thestrals.

Thestrals are a type of horse, traditionally thought of as, if not bad luck
then evil. They can be seen only by those who have witnessed a death,
though they are solid enough that people can walk into them. They are very
rare and very intelligent. They feed on blood and freshly killed meat and
use their wings and speed to quickly fly from place to place unless
domesticated. Naturally training them is difficulty. With their high
intelligence and unsettling prerequisite for sight it is more like a
negotiation than a training regimen. They are also jet black with leathery
wings, sharp pointed teeth and red eyes. This doesn't help their 'bad boy'
reputation.

Starseeker stepped out and, for the first time, Yoni could see him. He
grinned as he held out his offering of beef, dripping blood and still
warm. Starseeker met his gaze and daintily accepted the offering.

Yoni and Arev quickly saddling Starseeker to secure the luggage, though
yoni preferred bareback this once he would have to use the saddle. Soon
enough Yoni was winging his way north observed from a window by his mother
who had tears in her eyes. A very rare thing. "Be well, my son. And do not
lose who you are" she whispered. She turned from the window and progressed
out to the eaves of the forest. There, in a small cemetery lay her husband,
or at least his heart. The Thestrals get the rest, as much as they want.

She sat there, next to the grave until the sun went down, and then returned
to the house. Watched by the remaining Thestrals, though she did not see
them.