Slytherin Raised by Wolfstar: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

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Chapter Five: The Flight To Hogwarts

The end of the summer holidays came quickly after the visit to Diagon Alley. Harry and his parents went to Kings Cross station to see off Canini at platform three and a quarter on the twenty-third, and a week later it was Harry’s turn.

The night before Sirius picked him up so that he could pack. The contents of his travel trunk included all his school books plus a couple recreational ones, his robes, pyjamas and casual wear, additional required school supplies, owl treats, and finally his enchanted two-way mirror. His Nimbus Two Thousand he had in a second case.

Harry was so full of excited nerves that he had a hard time getting tired, but after a long time he finally fell asleep and dreamt of familiar faces and crimson smoke. His nice dream was interrupted by frantic knocking on his door Tuesday September first.

‘Harry, wake up, we over slept!’ Remus said half manic.

‘What?’

Harry shot up and sure enough when he looked at the clock it was half past ten. Harry quickly got dressed while yelling to his parents.

‘What happened?! I thought you had a charm set to wake you?!’

‘We did, never mind that now, we’re going to miss the train! Are you all packed?’

Harry exited his room pulling his truck in one hand and holding Hedwig’s cage in another. ‘Yup, all packed.’

‘Good. We got to go now.’ Remus handed Harry a banana and took his trunk.

They got to the fireplace where there was no Sirius.

‘Where’s Padfoot?’ Harry asked with half a banana in his mouth.

‘He went ahead to flag down a cab. You ready, you got everything?’

Harry suddenly remember two things. His travel bag containing his money, and wand. The second was his invisibility cloak hidden under his bed.

‘Forgot my bag. Be right back.’

‘Hurry!’

Harry ran back upstairs, grabbed the cloak, shoved it in his small bag, and ran back downstairs, his luggage and Remus already through the floo. Harry grabbed a fistful of floo powder and tossed them into the flame turning it emerald green.

‘Leaky Cauldron.’

With that he picked up Hedwig and walked into the magic flames.

The traffic was thankfully light and the three men reached the station with ten minutes to spare. Sirius put his trunk on a trolley, and with his broom case in one hand and travel bag in the other, the three of them started rushing towards platform nine and three-quarters. Harry suddenly stopped however when he heard a familiar voice crying.

‘I need to do something really quick.’

‘Harry, now is not the time.’ Sirius said impatiently.

‘It’s really important, I’ll be there in just a minute I promise.’

Hesitantly they nodded and kept going, while Harry to a few steps back and turned corner to find a young wizard sitting between a potted bush and a bench. He had hair nearly as dark as Harry’s although it was cut military short, skin a few shades darker than Harry, and blueish-grey eyes but you wouldn’t be able to tell because his head was down as he sobbed.

‘Theodore... are you alright?’ Harry asked softly.

The young wizard, startled, suddenly snapped to attention, and tried to quickly dry off his tear stained face.

‘Ha-Harry, I-I’m fine. I didn’t see you there. And don’t call me Theodore.’

‘Right, well we should get going, the train is going to-oh my stars Theodore!’

Theodore had both a black eye and a bruised cheek. Harry had known he had bruises on his arms before, but never his face. Harry suspected that Theodore’s home life was absolutely terrible, but he could never get him to confess.

‘Did you’re father do this?!’

‘No Potter, stay out of it.’

Harry tried a strategy that worked last Easter. ‘Tracey said you were sick, did your sickness cause you to fall again?’

His voice choked up with tears, and not making eye contact he answered. ‘Yeah, I fell a lot. Harry, I-‘

Before he could continue the Weasleys rushed by, Ron noticed Harry and called out to him.

‘Harry, the train leaves in two minutes.’

Out of time Harry took Theodore’s hand and yanked him to his feet, then pulled started rushing to the barrier with Theodore right behind him. They watched Fred go through the tunnel, then Percy, then George, Ginny then went through followed by her mom and dad, then Ron, and when Harry went at half a run towards the barrier-

CRASH!

Harry slammed into the now solid barrier, Theodore proceeded to slam into him, and finally they both fell hard onto their bottoms. People all around them stared and a guard nearby yelled, ‘You boys ok, you shouldn’t be running.’

‘We weren’t looking where we were going, sorry.’ Harry gasped, clutching his ribs as he got up. Theodore was seemingly checking to see if he still had all his teeth.

‘Why can’t we get through?’ Harry hissed to Theodore as he stood and picked up his case.

Theodore stood and looked around but couldn’t find an explanation.

‘Harry, the train leaves in less than a minute, look.’ Theodore pointed at the clock above.

With a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach Harry watched the last few second tick away. Ten seconds...nine seconds...

He put his hand to the barrier and pushed with all his might. The metal remained solid.

Three seconds...two seconds...one second...

‘That’s it, we’re to late,’ Theodore said shocked. ‘We have missed the train.’

They waited a couple minutes, expecting the barrier to open and wizarding families to leave that could help them, but no one emerged. With a lot of eyes still on them from the crash, and no one leaving the barrier, they realized they couldn’t remain waiting there so they started heading for the exit. As they walked Harry started panicking.

‘What do we do, we’ve missed the train, my parents can’t seem to get out just yet, if we aren’t at Hogwarts in a couple hours we’ll most likely be expelled.’

As they reached the outside Theodore pointed to Harry’s case.

‘Is that your broom?’

‘Yes, but I can’t fly it in this broad daylight, that would mean expulsion as well as an investigation from the ministry.’

They stood there thinking for a moment, then an idea hit Harry.

‘Is your stuff already on the train?’

‘Yes, it’s in a compartment.’

‘Good mine is too. The two things that aren’t is my broom, and-‘

He took off his bag and pulled out his invisibility cloak.

‘Harry you’re a genius.’

Harry carefully laid out the large cloaking the ground and then took out his broom.

‘We’ll have to leave the case here. Ok, step onto the cloak and onto my broom and pull the back end of the cloak around you and the broom.’

Theodore did as he was told, and after putting his bag back on he did the same. It wasn’t comfortable but, it would do. The tops of their shoulders and up were still visible, but from the ground no one could see.

Harry tilted the broom upward and instantly they were airborne. He kept rising them until he was positive they were no longer visible from down below.

The ground and the dirty buildings below fell away, dropping out of sight as his broom rose; in seconds, the whole of London lay, smoky and glittering, below them.

‘Now what?’ Harry yelled in the wind, blinking at the solid mass of cloud enfolding them from all sides.

‘I think we got to find the train!’ Theodore yelled back, but it sounded like a whisper, ‘Then follow it to Hogwarts!’

‘We need to get out of this cloud.’

They dropped back beneath the clouds and twisted their heads in every direction, squinting at the ground-

‘I can see it!’ Harry yelled. ‘Right ahead!’

The Hogwarts Express was streaking along below like a scarlet.

‘We got to head north!’ Theodore informed Harry, ‘We can tKe turns keeping it in our sights!’

They shot Up through the clouds. A minute later, they burst out into a blaze of sunlight. It was a different world. The broom skimmed the sea of cold fluffy clouds, the sky a bright, endless blue under the blinding white sun.

Harry jokingly called out to Theodore, ‘I guess we just got to be careful about airplanes!’

‘What’s an airplane?!’

‘A huge metal muggle flying machine!’

‘Yeah, definitely don’t want to run into one of those!’

They both started laughing, Harry was fairly certain this was the first time he had ever heard Theodore laugh and that only made him laugh harder. It was as though they had been plunged into a fabulous dream.

“This,” thought Harry, “is surely the only way to travel.”

Flying past swirls and turrets of snowy cloud, with bright sunlight shining down upon them was the best Harry had ever felt. The only issue was sitting on a wooden stick for hours was not comfortable, but Harry didn’t mind.

They made regular checks on the train as they flew further and further north, each dip beneath the clouds showing them a different view. London was soon far behind them, replaced by neat green fields which gave way in turn to wide, purplish moors, villages with tiny toy churches and a great city alive with cars like multi-coloured ants.

Several uneventful hours later, however, Harry had to admit that some of the fun was wearing off. The scenery was still beautiful, but it didn’t make up for the cold, or that they were hungry and thirsty, and the pain from sitting to long was becoming a true problem. He had stopped noticing the fantastic cloud shapes now, and was thinking longingly of the train kilometres below, where you could buy warm spiced hot chocolate from a trolley pushed by a plump witch. Why hadn’t they been able to get onto platform nine and three-quarters?

‘I think we are almost there,’ croaked Theodore, hours later still, as the sun started to sink into their floor of clouds, staining it a deep pink. ‘Remind me to never ever do this again, I won’t be able to sit for a week. You still got eyes on the train?’

It was still right below them, winding its way past a snowcapped mountain. It was much darker beneath the canopy of clouds, and much colder.

Harry pulled them back upwards where there was at least a little warmth from the sun.

‘I promise I’ll never make us fly nine hundred kilometres on a broom ever again. And if I try, remind me of this.’

The sky became steadily darker, and the stars were blossoming in the blackness. When they flew back beneath the clouds a little while later, they had to squint through the darkness for a landmark they knew.

‘There!’ Harry shouted, making Theodore shake from the startle. ‘Straight ahead!’

Silhouetted on the dark horizon, high on the cliff over the lake, stood the many turrets and towers of Hogwarts castle. Harry landed them where he knew no one would currently be, Hagrid’s hut, as he would be leading the first years to the castle.

Once on the ground they each just took a couple minutes stretching out their incredibly sore legs and bottoms. Then Harry stuffed his invisibility cloak back into his bag, and took out his uniform.

‘We’ll have to spit it. You get the robe since your shirt is similar to uniform, and I’ll get the uniform shirt.’

Theodore put the robe on and Harry switched his shirts. He then picked up his broom and they started making their way quickly to the castle. It hurt at first to walk, but as they continued it helped relieve the tension from sitting.

They entered the castle and cracked the Great Hall door open a smidge and the two peered inside.

Innumerable candles were hovering in mid-air over four long, crowded tables, making the golden plates and goblets sparkle. Overhead, the bewitched ceiling which always mirrored the sky outside, sparkled with stars.

Through the forest of pointed black Hogwarts hats, Harry saw a long line of scared-looking first-years filing into the Hall. Ginny was amongst them, easily visible because of her vivid Weasley hair. Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall, a bespectacled witch with her hair in a tight bun, was placing the famous Hogwarts Sorting Hat on a stool before the newcomers.

Every year, this aged old hat, patched, frayed and dirty, sorted new students into the four Hogwarts houses (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin). Harry well remembered putting it on, exactly one year ago, and waiting, petrified, for its decision as it muttered aloud in his ear. For a few seconds he thought it would listen to him and put him in Gryffindor, like everyone in his biological family and adoptive had been – but he had ended up in Slytherin, along with Tracey, Allison, Theodore and Terence. Last term, Harry and his friends had helped Slytherin regain all the points they had lost, as well as win the Quidditch cup.

The two opened the door just a little further and snuck in and quickly sat next to their friends who were shocked to see them. Harry his his broom under the table.

‘Where were you two, you weren’t on the train?’ Tracey whispered.

‘We’ll explain when the feast starts. How many kids have been sorted so far?’

‘Thirty-six, also Snape is looking for you guys.’

Sure enough as Harry’s eyes wandered past him to the staff table Snape was missing. There was Dumbledore, the Headmaster, sitting watching the Sorting, his long silver beard and half-moon glasses shining brightly in the candlelight. Several seats along, Harry saw Gilderoy Lockhart, dressed in robes of aquamarine. And there at the end was Hagrid, huge and hairy, drinking deeply from his goblet. Indeed though there was no Snape.

Professor McGonagall called out the last of the names.

‘Urquhart, Niall‘ was sorted into Slytherin and then it was ‘Weasley, Ginny,' she became a Gryffindor which saddened Harry a little as he had hoped at least one of his childhood friends would join him in Slytherin, but he was still happy for her and clapped as she took her seat. 'Wilkins, Ella,' became a Slytherin, and then finally 'Yoshioka, Kousuke,' was the final name and he was made a Hufflepuff. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.

Albus Dumbledore had risen from his seat. He smiled brightly down at the students, his arms opened wide like the year before, as if his pride and joy was to see all the students sitting before him.

'Welcome. Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And they are: Halfpace! Serendipity! Eloquence! Marshmallow! Thank you.'

He went back to his seat. Harry and everybody else clapped and cheered. And as Harry looked down he saw that the feast had begun as the golden plates were now full of food. Absolutely starving him and Theodore ravenously took anything that was in front of them and wolfed it down. After a couple minutes they slowed down to a reasonable pace and where ready to answer their friends questions.

‘The barrier closed right in our faces, the train hadn’t left yet so I’m not sure what happened.’ Harry started.

‘Then we waited but no one was exiting so we assumed it would be a while until anyone could help us. So we took Harry’s broom and cloak and flew here by watching the train.’

‘You guys flew all the way here on a broom, by yourselves?’ Tracey said in shock.

‘Trust us, we’re never doing it again if we can help it.’

They kept eating for another couple minutes, but then Allison looked up with a nervous face.

‘Um, Harry...behind you.’

Harry turned around to see a vicious Professor Snape. Harry was almost certain there was steam coming from his ears. Professor McGonagall was right next to him. Snape snarled a request at them.

‘You two,’ he started, his voice was like acid, ‘come with me.’

Harry passed the broom to Allison discreetly and then with Theodore rose and fallowed the two Professors. They lead them to outside the Great Hall. McGonagall lost her temper the second the door was closed.

‘Where have you two been, he have been in a panic trying to find you, Professor Snape has been searching the entire grounds trying to find you!’

‘Your friends claim you weren’t even on the train. I am curious to hear your excuse.’ Snape said coldly.

Harry though quickly and used every ounce of charisma he had.

‘That’s ridiculous. We were both on the train, he just didn’t sit with our friends. And when we arrived we both really had to use the bathroom. We’ve been in the boys bathroom this entire time.’

‘The bathroom?’ McGonagall said, sounding not so convinced.

‘Yes, we drank to many pumpkin juices.’ Theodore said, trying to back up Harry.

Snape looked to Harry, ‘Where then, are your robes?’

‘I packed them in my trunk by accident. I’ll have them in class tomorrow, I promise.’

McGonagall turned to Snape. ‘I don’t believe them either but we can’t prove anything.’

‘True, but they admitted to other things. You’ll both get detention for improper uniforms, yes Mr Nott I can see you’re not wearing the proper dress shirt, and for not informing a teacher of your location. Now out of my sight, I’ve spent to much energy on you both today.’

Snape left in a huff, leaving them just with McGonagall. ‘We’ll go on, or you’ll miss your supper.’

They were happy to be free, and they return to their seats. Theodore was impressed. ‘That was some smart thinking Harry.’

‘Not smart enough though.’

‘It could have been worse, he could have taken off points or even expelled us. We’re lucky we just got detention.’

Soon the dinner plates turned to dessert and they started enjoying the puddings and ice creams. They were good, but where distracted by their friends still asking questions.

‘How did you get your stuff here, you couldn’t have carried them?’ Asked Allison.

‘Theodore arrived a while earlier and already had his stuff aboard, and my parents made it through the barrier with mine.’

‘And it really just closed on your face? It’s never supposed to do that except for emergencies.’ Tracey added.

‘Yeah, and we’re not sure why, sorry to disappoint.’

Eventually the dessert faded away, Dumbledore told the first years the rules, and after everyone sang the school song Harry was absolutely exhausted. Him and his friends left the Great Hall and started heading for the Slytherin common room.

They fallowed the group of First Years being lead by newly promoted head girl Gemma Farley down the marble steps that lead towards the dungeons. As they descended many portraits waved and greeted everyone back for the new school year. Soon the shining marble steps turned to dark stone as they descended deeper under the school. They all then came to a stretch of bare stone wall, Gemma turned towards the wall and spoke a single word.

'Hemlock.'

Harry watched all the young first years awe as stone door concealed in the wall slid open. Through the door they entered the Slytherin common room which was a long, low underground room with stone walls and ceiling, from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains. As always a fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece, and several carved stone chairs where spread out across the room. In the back there were two archways with stairs going up which lead to the bedrooms, and two doors to the bathrooms.

In the corner Harry saw the majority of his Quidditch team discussing something in the corner, however he was to tired to at the moment care. He turned to his friends.

‘I’m sorry, but I have got to get upstairs. I am really tired. I’ll see you all tomorrow.’

‘I’m coming with you Harry.’ Said Theodore, drowsily.

Hey entered the left staircase and hurried up to the third door. Their perfectly sized dormitory comfortably fit the six four-poster beds and a centrally located stove, with their trunks located in front of their beds. Just like the common room there was silver lanterns hanging from the ceiling and medieval tapestries covering some of the stone walls, and a couple of carpets with the Slytherin crest covered the stone floor. What was different from the common room was the fact that there were windows, which showed that they were under the lake, and what looked like a fireplace was an owl sized passage for the massagers to fly up and out of the dungeon.

Theodore just instantly flopped on his bed and passed out, but Harry took the time to write a letter. He realized as they were flying over the countryside that his parents had no idea where he was, and although this letter would be most likely seven hours to late to stop them from panicking, it wouldn’t hopefully put them to ease.

“Dear Paddy and Moony,

I am safe and at Hogwarts. The barrier closed right in my face and after weighting and weighting no one was emerging, so me and my friend Theodore took matters into our own hands. We used my broom, and my cloak (Remus just ask Sirius) and followed the train from above. We landed safely and arrived just in time for dinner. I am so sorry for scaring you.

Deepest apologies,

~Harry”

Harry gave that letter to Hedwig, who took off through the owl tunnel. He then proceeded to get changed and draw the curtains to his bed. He was so tired he hadn’t even removed his glasses before he drifted off to a deep sleep.