Chapter 10: The Serpent's Year
The summer months passed quickly within the warded sanctuary of Potter Castle. Training, studying, and strategizing consumed Harrison's time. He split his days between mentoring Harry, Daphne, and Astoria in magical arts—particularly Eldritch and Egyptian—and preparing for the Horcrux hunt that still loomed over their family's fate.
By the time the Hogwarts letters arrived, excitement buzzed through the castle. Harrison's letter bore the familiar Hogwarts seal, now accompanied by a note from Professor McGonagall inviting him to attend a private session on Transfiguration Theory. The implications were clear: the professors were not done testing his limits.
---
Back to Hogwarts
Platform 9¾ was bustling with energy on September 1st. The red steam engine loomed like a sentinel of the magical world, its whistle cutting through the air. Harrison, clad in tailored Hogwarts robes lined in silver thread, led his siblings toward their carriage.
Inside the train, they were soon joined by Fred, George, Cedric, and Lee Jordan. The compartment was alive with talk—of summer, of pranks, of Quidditch and old rivalries.
"So, O Serene One," George said dramatically, "what do we expect from Year Two?"
"Less excitement," Harrison replied dryly. "Hopefully."
The twins mock-gasped in unison. "You wound us!"
As the train sped through the countryside, Harrison leaned back, absorbing the rare moment of peace. Though his vigilance never waned, his instincts sensed no immediate danger this year. For once, Hogwarts felt like a school—and not a battlefield.
---
Settling In
The Sorting Ceremony passed without incident. Harrison sat beside Cedric and the twins at the Gryffindor table, observing the new first years. Dumbledore's speech was short, his eyes occasionally drifting to Harrison.
Classes resumed the following day, and with them came a routine both welcome and unfamiliar. The professors, now aware of Harrison's brilliance, presented him with advanced materials or allowed him to assist in demonstrations.
In Transfiguration, he transfigured stone into sentient metal birds that mimicked natural flight. In Potions, he successfully brewed a modified Draught of Peace using alternative ingredients, earning a rare nod of approval from Snape. Flitwick invited him to tutor some Ravenclaws struggling with levitation and elemental spells.
Even Binns seemed less boring as Harrison challenged the ghost to rethink historical narratives, especially around the Founders.
In the library, Harrison spent hours in deep study—delving into the magical architecture of wards, the history of the Hallows, and curse-breaking texts he acquired via the Black Market network disguised in eldritch runes.
But it wasn't all academics.
---
Friendship and Flame
Fred and George kept the Gryffindor common room lively with antics. Daphne and Astoria often visited via enchanted mirror-communication and shared essays with Harrison. Even Cedric, from Hufflepuff, joined him during evening duels in the Room of Requirement, where they sparred with magic Harrison recreated from his past lives.
Lee Jordan began recording Harrison's feats in a leather-bound journal he dubbed The Chronicles of the Real Chosen One, a name Harrison found both amusing and inaccurate.
Once, late at night, Cedric asked, "Do you ever think about... just being a student? No prophecies, no darkness. Just Quidditch, exams, and bad food?"
Harrison looked at him. "I try. Days like this help."
---
Whispers and Wards
Though the year was peaceful, Harrison sensed a subtle stirring in the school's magical ley lines. Wards needed strengthening. The castle itself felt more reactive.
He poured over schematics of Hogwarts' magical underlay and theorized that the castle had developed a mild sentience through years of exposure to ambient magic. It responded to willpower, bloodlines, and sometimes fear.
Harrison meditated on this with the Time Stone, using ancient techniques to commune with the stone walls. In one such moment, he saw a shadow in the Chamber of Secrets—dormant. Waiting.
But it was sealed—for now.
---
Expanding the Circle
With quiet came opportunities.
Harrison expanded his inner circle to include select Ravenclaws and Slytherins who showed promise. One, a half-blood named Selene Arkwright, possessed a natural gift for mirror magic. Another, a Slytherin boy named Darius Flint, proved remarkably adept at non-verbal magic once shown respect.
Harrison's goal was simple: build a future where blood didn't determine worth.
The Potter common room in the castle often hosted debates, lectures, and dueling showcases. Under Harrison's leadership, it was becoming a true house of innovation and honor.
---
A Message in the Walls
One day in December, while alone in the Restricted Section, Harrison encountered a whisper in Parseltongue. It slithered through the air, ghostlike:
"Not yet, Heir... but soon."
The Chamber was still sealed. Whatever resided in its depths remained dormant. But it watched. And it waited.
Harrison left the library that night with a fire renewed in his chest.
---
Exams and Endings
Final exams came quickly. Harrison again shattered records, acing practical and theoretical segments across the board. Flitwick claimed he could've taken his OWLs and passed with distinction.
On the final day, Harrison stood beneath the giant squid's shadow near the lake, watching Harry and Daphne race across the grounds.
Peace, he thought, was unfamiliar—but not unwelcome.
"Year Two," he whispered. "Done."