Harry Potter lay down in a comfortable position, pondering the drastic changes his life had been subjected to. Most of his childhood he had lived in an orphanage that by no means was able to fully cover basic necessities, and even before that, he had lived the life of a pauper with overly ambitious goals. Now, he lived in a castle with commodities he had only dreamt of. Once, he needed to save every penny he was able to acquire, now he had money to throw away... Life was good but it was only beginning to get better.

The day after visiting the bank with his sister, they portkeyed to the Potter castle. If he was honest with himself, he had doubts about the place, seeing how magical people seemed to possess bizarre ideas on what consisted style and architecture. His fears were proved pointless at the end of the day because the castle was what sculptors and architects would have given an eye and a hand in order to have the opportunity to admire. Greenfields with dozens of greenhouses, a large lake, and a deep forest crowned a pearl white building which almost shined with an ethereal glow; various sculptures adorned the grounds giving the place the last touches for it to look majestic. The building itself was colossal with ample doors that were exquisitely carved, though, perhaps a tad overdone.

The inside held the same aura of elegance to the point of decadence: attractive marble floors, elegant furniture, and tasteful ornaments. What surprised him the most, however, was their reception of excited little people, of who he had yet to learn all of their names. They had all requested to be bonded to 'Master Potter', process that had exhausted him but was worth the magic given. In total, the castle had a hundred and twenty-two house-elves that were divided by duties: forty to take care of the greenhouses and gardens, forty dedicated to the cleaning, ten for the kitchens, twenty in charge of the security, and the others to help in business or as personal elves. At least those had been their original roles. Considering only two people were living in the house, Harry coordinated with the head house-elf to employ the remaining ones in more appropriate tasks. Remembering his mother's cautious nature, the first task he gave to his little workers was to strengthen the castle wards.

Their visit to Diagon Alley opened their eyes to what the magical world lacked, having this in mind and with the help of the house-elves that had once served as business advisors for his grandfather and mother, he devised a solid business plan to begin a clothes store. The elves, observing his distaste for the uniform the school requested and his reluctance to buy it, had created clothing he would have paid hundreds of galleons for. Having found the best seamstresses and tailors in his talented elves, he was ready to start the clothes shop.

Finding a good location as well as buying it had been simple; making it look like a decent place had been the hard part. Extremely hard. Compared to that, finding fabrics in the muggle world along with different designs for the elves to emulate was a piece of cake. Also, hiring a person to work at the store was less complicated than expected. The girl was desperate for a job after graduating Hogwarts and being rejected in most places for being a first-generation witch; she had signed the strict magical contract without thinking twice and accepted with almost physical gratefulness the flat they offered above the store.

All in all, the business was almost ready to open. Only a few documents needed to be signed by the Ministry, and with golden motivation, the process was sped up a considerable amount of time. The store would open under the alias of Charlus Evans, who a house-elf would personify. He also had plans for opening a restaurant and there were possibilities of a café, all of them in order to drag the people out of their stagnation without them noticing or opposing. At least not too much.

Harry and Elizabeth’s personal affairs in the muggle world were also concluded. Taking his tests and receiving his title was almost too simple, surprisingly so. Ragnok recommended him to forge documents that would convince the muggle system that the Potter siblings were still living in the orphanage. With a bit of magical persuasion on the Matron and a few of the minders, Harry and his sister still existed in the muggle world without really being present. More importantly, they were allowed to leave towards the magical world without repercussions. That last part had been tricky, not to say onerous, yet necessary. He could not afford to leave behind a single loose end.

Thinking about his sister brought the blood adoption to his mind. Elizabeth now displayed carbon black hair thanks to the potion, but that done she was a Potter through and through, a fact that facilitated her inscription to the "Sioux Academy of Magical Science." The top school in the United North American Tribes. It was curious how different the magical and muggle sides were, as a matter of fact, the United North American Tribes had a chief and a council. Reading their curriculum, he almost regretted having accepted a place at Hogwarts; even the "McTavish Educators of Enlightenment”, in Ireland, had a better curriculum. It was fortunate Eliza was attending a school in a civilized society, for she was able to order the magical versions of notebooks, pens, and pencils. He had to conform himself with an elegant fountain pen, arduous hours of calligraphy practice, and constantly nursing his aching hands and even more tender pride. He would have discarded the idea of Hogwarts if not for the knowledge that his mother had left him, which was better than what any other school was able to offer. Besides, he wanted to see in person the castle that his mother had loved so dearly.

As Harry stretched on his bed, he was unable to miss his old life. He now had a firmer grasp on his roots and had never felt more motivated to accomplish his objectives. Thinking about his accounts, his manager in specific, he had to contain a snort of amusement. That clever bastard had recommended aunt Eleadora as the enchantress, requesting a thirty galleon fee for the information. He admitted, although, with grudging respect, that Ragnok was a cunning man.

Aunt Eleadora had enchanted Eliza's trunk, so now it emulated his. The woman also enchanted two leather backpacks, which he had designed himself and had it made in the muggle world. It had been hard to convince the woman to accept the payment, which he deposited in her account anyway, but she was more than happy to accept books he bought for her. It was common for aunt Eleadora to have lunch in the castle, though it surprised him how fast his sister had bonded with the woman, sharing their love for books.

Reading about the history of the magical world had been enlightening, it was true that the founding families have sweated and bled in order build the society and the purebloods had good reasons to be proud of their ancestry. However, the ideals the founders once valued were almost lost in the bigotry and ignorant fear of the people. It was a tradition to celebrate different times a year in order to thank magic for choosing them, a tradition that was deemed dark by an incompetent Ministry. The few things that remained from the Old Ways were the names of the holidays and a few blessings and greetings that were practised by old traditional families, which he considered a shame. It was heart-wrenching to see how much the magical people had perverted their marvellous roots.

"Young master, it's time to wake up, do you wish to take a bath before or after breakfast?" his personal house-elf, Ella, asked.

"Morning, I will be down in twenty minutes," he announced and left his comfortable bed.

Looking at the shower he had to smile, it had taken a bit of explaining for aunt Eleadora to understand what it was, but once she did, she loved the idea and wasted no time in installing it in her own house. Choosing grey fabric pants, a light jumper, and putting on the dragon hide shoes with distaste, he left towards the dining room. He would also open a shoe store, or at least convince his elves to make him shoes that were easier to put on.

"Good morning brother," Eliza greeted him looking cheerful "Are you ready for the train ride?" she asked with mischief shining in her eyes.

"As ready as I can be. What about you?"

"More than ready, and unlike you, I only have to take a portkey at 9:55 in order to be there before five," she smirked.

"I also consider it rather ridiculous to take a train with so many means of magical transportation, but I will survive," he muttered starting to eat his breakfast.

"Aunt Eleadora should be here by now," she commented, looking at the clock.

"Some people actually enjoy sleeping in," he provided. They finished eating in companionable silence and walked towards the library where they found their aunt immersed in a book.

"Since when did you arrive?" asked a surprised Elizabeth, gaining the woman's attention.

"Couple of hours ago, both of you were sleeping so I had breakfast with the elves, visited the greenhouses - which I must say look breathtaking, and I got bored so I came to read. By the way, dear, have you considered opening a potions ingredient shop? There is no way you will be able to use all those samples by yourself," the woman commented with her usual cheerful tone.

"I have not, but I will begin planning for one," he sighed; ready to be dragged into a conversation on which he would be ignored.

They chatted, or better said, the females chatted while the male nodded here and there while reading a thick tome until a house-elf interrupted them in order for them to get ready. Once their aunt applied glamour on her appearance, in order not to attract unwanted or negative attention, an elf handed him his lunch, snacks, and a water bottle plus a tasteful robe to put in his backpack along with his uniform. Deeming themselves ready, Eleadora apparated them directly to the platform. Once they arrived, Harry thanked once again his cautious nature because, even arriving one hour early, the place had people walking all over the place.

"Remind me to never doubt you again," the woman muttered.

"I will, aunt Eleadora, I will. Don't worry, I will also write. Hedwig will give you my letters. You don't forget to write to me, one of the elves will deliver the letter to my room in Hogwarts, and take care of Tyche," he told his sister, sighing at the memory of the baleful grey owl that seemed to love his sister.

"I won't as long as you remember that Apollo and Hades also need to work out," she threatened, referring to the two birds that seemed to enjoy all the attention they received.

"It won't be a problem, Hades will have no respite from Gringotts and Apollo has many future letters to deliver."

"Good," she pouted looking at the floor.

"I will write," he told her kissing her forehead and smiling to his aunt, with fast steps he left towards the train, uncomfortable with the show of affection.

Entering the last wagon in order to avoid human interaction as long as possible, he chose the last compartment, which was considerably more spacious than any other compartment he had seen on the train. Curious. With a shrug, he entered the place and closed the door and the curtains on it, getting comfortable for a long ride.

He was lost in a book about runes when he was interrupted by the violent way in which a savage tore the door open and invaded his compartment. In the entrance, a bushy-haired girl and a pudgy boy with teary eyes were looking at him. Over the past weeks, he had pondered on how to act within the school walls, in the end, he decided to wait and see, wearing his mask of distant politeness that had earned him the favour of authority figures in the past... Being interrupted by these savages, he began regretting his decision.

"Have you seen a toad? Neville here lost one," the girl demanded. "That book was not in the curriculum. Will you lend it to me once you finish it?" she asked without giving him the chance to speak, a fact that annoyed him even further. "My name is Hermione Granger and I’m a muggleborn, but I already memorized the school books. I tried many spells with perfect results, naturally," she stated and Harry decided that there was no reason to be polite to savages.

"Good evening to you too miss, of course, you can get in my compartment, I have not seen a toad and I’m sure you can get the book in a bookstore," he stated with a condescending tone and a stony expression, almost snorting at the sight of the savage flushing.

"You are being rude," she accused.

"I apologize, where I grew up, people have the tendency to knock the door and wait for others to answer when they ask questions. Was it different where you were raised?" he asked, enjoying the way she flushed even further, readying herself to throw a tantrum. It was fortunate for her that the boy had common sense and dragged her out after stammering an apology.

He sneered when they left and locked the door, just in case another idiot dared to interrupt him. Noticing the sun was setting, he changed into his uniform, which had slight differences to the traditional. For starters, his were better looking, unlike the atrocities the other students were forced to wear. Taking out his snacks, he started eating with an absent air while he read until the train arrived at its station in Hogsmeade. Once again, he thanked his cautious nature when a voice announced to leave the entire luggage in the train. His briefcase and backpack now sported a plaque containing his initials, on which his aunt had put on tracking charms. He placed his belongings inside his backpack and left the train once the human traffic lessened.

He saw a gigantic man guiding the first years through a narrow, dangerous-looking path and could only sneer at how little thought the staff placed on the student's safety. He was one of the last people entering a boat on which two girls were gossiping, throwing nasty glares to the other passenger of the boat. Harry ignored them and took a seat. The view of the castle would have impressed him in the past, but after experiencing the magnificence of the Potter castle, the view was rewarded by a fleeting glance and ignored once again. He entered in a trance-like state on which he critiqued the obvious lack of maintenance and the tawdry decor the castle possessed, the only remarkable features about the place was the enchanted ceiling and the worn hat with a superior intellect than most people he had met. Once again, he ignored with apathy his surroundings until his name was called and every eye of the hall was directed at him.

Harry walked towards the stool with graceful steps, a posture that showed confidence, and a visage devoid of expression. He was the ideal image of what a real magician was meant to be and what few could emulate. Surprised eyes followed his steps; he was not what the wizardry world had imagined. He was not a carbon copy of James Potter... While some re-evaluated their opinion of the boy-who-lived, others were lost in his handsome features, so few noticed how long it was taking for him to be sorted.

"What do we have here...? A brilliant mind no doubt, hardworking philosophy, bravery to spare. But what is this... Pride and ambition... Yes, yes, such a fascinating person. It has been a long time since I had such a challenge," the hat spoke in his mind.

"Won't you ask me where I wish to go?" he questioned, annoyed at the way the hat spoke, putting far too much emphasis on its speech.

"So mean, Harry Potter, just like your grandmother. Let’s see now... You have attributes that all the founders cherished. Where would be the fun if you were to choose? Besides, wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of my existence? Mmm... What do we have here? Your bravery and conviction would sit well with the lions. Gryffindor will make you great, there is no doubt. Your loyalty and kindness would make the friendly badgers admire you. In Hufflepuff, you will find loyal friends and devoted followers, I know for sure!

“But that sharp mind of yours, Mister Potter, definitely fits perfectly with the cold ravens. You would rule Ravenclaw within the day with that brain of yours, I’m sure... But Slytherin... Oh, my! Your ambitious goals and cunning nature would enchant even the most hostile snake! If you are able to overcome the obstacles it presents, Slytherin will lead you towards a path of greatness that has never been seen before! So much potential..." it trailed off.

"You gave my mother the option to choose," Harry reminded the hat, somewhat confused by its penchant for theatrics.

"She was the first one to threaten me with my eventual demise... Only because she wanted to wear her favourite colour. The nerve! ...So where do you want to be Harry Potter?"

"Anywhere you decide. I have no preference," he stated, smiling slightly at the idea of annoying the hat that was annoying him.

"I see you inherited your father's sense of humour, eh? Now, where should I put you? ..I have no doubts that this will be the perfect House for you, Harry Potter, especially with that mindset. May Mother Magic protect you, dear child, you are going to need it...” it whispered at last and Harry felt the strange sensation of the hat leaving his mind.

“Better be... Slytherin!" the hat shouted and the hall descended into a sepulchral silence followed by tumultuous whispers.

He nodded, thanking the hat and professor. He walked towards the table ignoring all the curious and judging glances but paying special attention to the people who glared at it with open disdain or even hatred. He would wait and see, however, the moment someone dared to try to cause him any problems he was going to teach them why vermin should never try to attack their superiors.

The headmaster gave a speech that he dutifully ignored, once the man finished food filled the table. Harry stared with a blank expression at the plates in front of him. 'Are they trying to make me fat or perhaps their goal is to cause me a heart attack,' he thought when he caught a glimpse of the greasy feast in front of him. He had never had the possibility of overeating, thus, he got used to reasonable meals and light dinners. Serving himself a few spoons of mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables, he took a sip of the strange juice in his goblet and had to control his desire to spit it out. When he was a child, sweets were a luxury, thus, he never got used to the flavour of sugar, thing that the juice had in excess. Once he finished his food, desserts replaced the feast in front of him, deciding that the juice had been sweet enough Harry ignored them and regretted not bringing a book with him. People around him were chatting, pretending he was not present, which was fine by him. Harry was not attending Hogwarts to make friends, he wanted to learn about magic and his mother’s time as a student.

"I have a few announcements to make now that you are fed and watered," the headmaster declared once everyone finished eating. "First years should note the Forbidden Forest is forbidden to..." tuning out the old man he concentrated on his own thoughts.

Now that he arrived, there were things that needed to be done. First was writing to aunt Eleadora and Eliza, next was evaluating whether his room was decent or not. He was not expecting the luxury he enjoyed at the castle but had certain requirements. If not, he was sure one of his house-elves would be able to fix the situation. Now, the problem lay on his roommates. He was not a patient person but he couldn't get rid of every annoying human he found and, sometimes, fear was counterproductive, therein laid his conundrum. He did not notice they left the hall until they arrived at a stone wall.

"This is the entrance of the Slytherin common room," an older girl explained, glaring at them. "If you look carefully, you will notice the snake in the upper left corner. Only Slytherins are allowed in, by no means you can bring any other person. The password changes the first of every month; it will be announced in the morning in the common room so you better remember. I hope is inferred that the password is not meant to be spoken nor told to anyone who does not belong in this noble House. Atropa Belladonna," she announced for everyone to listen and the wall parted, allowing the group entrance.

His first impression on the common room was that he should have chosen a house where his eyesight would not deteriorate for the lack of illumination. The place was not terrible. Perhaps a bit too gothic for his tastes, but not hideously so. Dark stone complemented the grey walls, there were plush sofas in dark shades of green and black carpets near every fireplace. However, the torches did little to illuminate the place and the wall that showed the depths of the school's loch gave a green tint to the room. It was not bad but it was obvious he would need another place to read.

"Welcome to Slytherin. I’m Aciel Yaxley and he is Ander Rosewood, we are seventh-year prefects. I’m sure you were told some rules already but I will repeat them. Only Slytherins are allowed here, don't share the password, don't lose points, and don't get caught. The most important rule we have is whatever problems you may have with other Slytherins, you keep a united front for outsiders. Understood?" she asked glaring at them.

"That said, that staircase leads to the rooms right side for the girls left for the boys, the first three years you will be in the lower levels, being first years, your rooms are in the lowest level. You will share a bathroom with your year mates; however, you will have your own room. Each door has a plaque with your name that signals your room. It is your responsibility to secure it, but I must warn you, if you are found in someone else's room you won't like the consequences. I want you here at 7:30 sharp tomorrow so we can guide you to the great hall for breakfast, you are free to go," the male announced and both left.

Harry sighed once again and walked towards his floor. He was pleased to note his room was the first one, which meant the closest to the stairs but the furthest from the bathroom, a location he approved of. He opened the door and examined his new quarters, like his first impression of the common room, this place desperately needed light. It was better than any room of the orphanage but had the same Spartan air of his room in his other boarding school: a simple bed with drapes, a desk with a matching chair, and a small wardrobe. What took the crown was the wall-sized window that showed the Black Lake depths, just like the common room, he approached the bed and opened his backpack which was at the feet of the bed in order to write his letter and wondering how his owl was supposed to visit.

"Ella," he called his house-elf.

"Young Master!" the excited elf exclaimed popping in. "What can-" she stopped talking, looking at his room with horror.

"Hello, Ella, could you please install some drapes over that window? I don't fancy being ogled by merpeople," he told the little elf.

"I will master, but first I need to change this room. Good Mistress Dorea would be horrified to know her grandchild is living in such a place!" she exclaimed, with an internal sigh he noted that the elf had higher standards than he did.

"I don't mind as long as you cover that window, but could you please wait until tomorrow?" he pleaded with as much dignity as he could muster.

"Do you wish me to wake you tomorrow, young master?" the little elf asked after snapping her fingers, successfully blocking his view of the loch.

"No, I’m used to wake up early, have a goodnight, Ella."

"Goodnight sir."

Once the elf left he finished organizing his backpack with all the book subjects and other materials. That done, he went to the bathroom to clean himself, changed to comfortable sleepwear, and went to bed.

First of September, 1991, Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts

Albus Dumbledore was sitting on a couch, sipping firewhisky from the bottle, pondering the last disastrous month and the obstreperous beginning of this. First, the Potter heirlooms had been stolen along with many irreplaceable books... And those were just a few. The artefact he created to track the saviour of the magical world was gone, that device alone would earn him a long stay in Azkaban for taking the blood of a child, no one would understand how important or necessary it had been.

If that was not enough, there had been no signs of Harry Potter in Diagon Alley. No one had seen or heard about the child, except maybe Ollivanders, but he was tight-lipped about his clients. Albus had been sickly worried about the elusive child deciding not to attend Hogwarts, but there was no way of confirming his fears. If he went to the orphanage, it would be revealed he was monitoring Harry and Merlin knew that the Matron of the orphanage hated him enough already. Therefore, he took the next available option. He sent former members of the order, except for Remus and Minerva, to the muggle and magical side of the platform to look for the boy.

Dumbledore tended to keep his grandfather persona in almost every situation, but he had been so alarmed when none of his people reported that his mask was almost broken in front of Flitwick, who was perhaps one of the most observant persons he had met. If that was not enough, he had no way of monitoring the train so uncertainty had tormented him for a full day. In his desperation, he went to the orphanage, only to be almost kicked out by the Matron, who told him that Harry Potter had left early in the morning to a good boarding school and let before he could try to use magic on her.

Seeing the child at the feast had almost made him collapse in relief. The feeling showed to be ephemeral when the last Potter was sorted in Slytherin, the resemblance between him a child he had met fifty years ago chilled him to the bone. However, it was done. There was not another sorting. Harry Potter was a Slytherin which meant it would complicate his plans to mould him in order to ensure no other Dark Lord was created.

Observing the headmaster from his high perch, the Sorting Hat was lost in his own thoughts. The Potter boy was dangerous, of that he had no doubts. If he went to Gryffindor, he would have an army at his disposal. An army that would have believed him if he said it was necessary to eliminate all of their enemies in name of heroism. In Hufflepuff, he would have devoted followers who would murder their families if he asked them to, all in the name of loyalty. He would have the Ravenclaw house beguiled before the week was over; he would have willing slaves who considered his wishes their own just because of his sharp mind... But in Slytherin was where he would gain the most dangerous allies, after all, Slytherins tended to hold the characteristics of all the houses guided by a ruthless ambition... And he blamed the part of Helena in him that could not wait to see what the future held.

Harry Potter was an enigma with so much promise...