Disclaimer: Don't own blah blah blah. Wishbones don't work by the way. *pouts*

AN: Started a second story so now I have two to work on. Still hoping to add a new chapter to each one sometime during this week. I'm curious as to which one will be liked more.

The dark haired boy looked up as the girl came into the compartment. Her hair was chestnut in color and bushy from being so curly. She had a bit of a superior air about her but seemed friendly enough to him. At least she didn't seem dangerous so that was a good thing.

"My name is Hermione Granger. I'm a first year this year. I'm a muggleborn as far as I know but I'm adopted so I don't really know, you know? Oh, I'm going to either be in Ravenclaw or Slytherin; definitely not Gryffindor. I mean, the traits seem all well in good but they have a reputation for being stupid and reckless so I think I'd rather not. What about you?"

He stared at her for a moment—at least it was clear someone besides him had a brain and had read up on things. He had met a red head earlier that would be in their year. He almost made a face at that. Ronald Weasley. Had made an incredibly big point about how he was pureblood and proceeded to stick his foot in his mouth saying how he was looking for Harry Potter because they were going to be best friends because Dumbledore had paid him to be.; stupid, stupid, and more stupid.

He really had better answer the girl before she thinks he's ignoring her.

"My name is Harry Potter. And before you go there, yes I know I'm famous, no I do not particularly care. I am a pureblood even though a lot of people thought my mother was a muggleborn. She was not. I believe in superiority but not based on blood. I do not believe in dark versus light. I see it only as power. I think I will be in Slytherin. I absolutely refuse to be in Gryffindor, like you. They are weak. Ravenclaw would be alright, but I really think Slytherin would be best. You seem very familiar, so it is either a pleasure to meet you or re-meet you. Would you like to join me?"

He smirked at her momentary need for silence to catch up with him again. His monologue had been longer than her own and had probably shocked her; it was likely she wasn't used to it. Or she was shocked about how friendly he was. And if that was the reason she was shocked, he would be very annoyed about what the spoke about her past.

"Can I? Really?"

Well hell. That just made her past incredibly obvious. He had a feeling there was more to it though and simply nodded his acceptance. He stood up and took her trunk, lifting it up to the carriage over top of them.

"I'm going to say this one time and one time only, Miss Grang—"

"Call me Hermione. I really don't like association with my muggle adoptive….parents." Her slight snarl was apparent and that bore some thought…later.

"Alright, Hermione then. We will go into Slytherin together. We will become more powerful. We will both be leaving the castle for Christm—"

"I don't want to go ho—"

"Would you quit interrupting? We will be leaving for break and figuring out something during break so hopefully it will not be necessary this summer. Then we will become even more powerful, kill your parents, and start our own following. Neither Dark nor Light—we will be the Grey and only the Grey. Magic is magic Hermione. And I don't like people too weak to seek it."

"That sounds like a good plan."

Harry smirked and nodded once. He sat down across from her and put his feet up on the bench with him just in time to see the compartment open. It didn't occur to him at all that he was in the compartment meant for the upper years and usually claimed by them. It was larger, more spacious and better accommodations. So he took it. In his experience, Slytherins deserved only the best—and he was definitely a true Slytherin.

The compartment opened this time to reveal six students their own age. Each held a superior air that masked the obvious nerves behind it. Obvious to Harry anyway. He bet they were each his age.

"Hello, can we join you?" One of the girls asked it. This girl was clearly the braver of the pack. Her hair was a darker blond but still light enough so it would never be considered a dirty blond. He felt it could likely be considered strawberry. It was her eyes that stood out to them. They were a very pure dark blue. A color he had never seen before and they glittered with hope and excitement. All in all, she was very pretty.

"Do you have names?"

She spoke again, her lips the perfect shape as they moved. "My name is Daphne Greengrass. This is Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, Tracy Davis, and Pansy Parkinson."

"A dragon, a fire, and a flower in the midst of three slightly more normal names—interesting…and what houses do you think you will be in?"

"Slytherin."

"And are you aware I intend to be King?" He smirked at her, feeling this would test their patience. They were clearly of the pureblood lot.

She tilted her chin up further and studied him. The other five watched her carefully. Either she was the leader or the best judge. She apparently liked what she saw whatever it may have been because she dropped into a very low curtsy. "You already are."

The other five let out small gasps but Harry—he just smirked. This was a surprise. "You may get up Daphne and sit next to me." His approval at her behavior was clear to the other five who instantly mimicked their friend as she took the seat to his left. Hermione easily moved to the spot on his right without question. "Draco, you may sit across from Hermione."

"May I inquire as to her last name, my King?"

"No. You may not. She detests the name as well as it is not her real name. We need to find out what her real name is."

Draco nodded once and rose to his feet, he lifted his trunk into the overhead and, with a nod from Harry the trunks of the rest of them as well. Then he took his seat.

"Blaise, next to Hermione. Theodore, across from Daphne. Pansy by the window next to Draco and Tracy next to Theodore and in between him and Draco."

They all moved to their seat immediately. Harry noticed Draco studying him. "Yes Draco?"

"You don't look like a Lord."

Harry raised an eyebrow at him in both disapproval and question and Draco raced to explain.

"I know you're the last of the Potters so you should have taken up Lord Potter and been emancipated when you went into Gringotts on or after your eleventh birthday. If you miss doing it while you are eleven, you have to wait until you're seventeen."

"I don't know how this is Dumbledork's fault, but I am very, very sure that it is."

"We can fix it."

"Draco, we are on a train to Scotland. How do you propose we fix it exactly?"

"Dobby!"

Harry raised an eyebrow as a creature popped into existence. He turned his gaze back onto Draco who flinched ever so slightly.

"Dobby, the eight of us need to go to Gringotts immediately but we need to be back in this compartment by the time the train hits the stations. We will need to do some shopping while we are there and we will need this compartment door warded until our return so NO ONE can enter. Do you understand?"

This….Dobby…nodded quickly.

"Um, Harry, we should change into our uniforms before we go….or at least bring them." Hermione mumbled it into his ear and he just nodded his acceptance.

"Everyone will back a uniform into my bag on the floor there. It's expandable so no worried about that. Also pack a robe."

Everyone hurried to do their King's bidding and, at a glance from Daphne, Theodore picked it up. Their King should never have to carry anything unless he wants to, of course.

Two by two, Dobby took four trips and then they were all on the steps leading into Gringotts. At Harry's gesture, Draco led the way inside and immediately up to a teller.

"What can I do for you young wizard?"

"Harry Potter is eleven," Draco gestured slightly to Harry. "He need to take up the Lord Potter mantle and be emancipated, even though the goblins clearly failed to inform him of such a thing. He would like to see the Director. Now."

The Potter name must have been powerful because the goblin was scurrying away before Draco even finished the word "Director". It was slightly funny to see, but none of them laughed.

A few minutes later, the goblin came back. "The Director will see you now." He turned away from them and led them down a hallway and then opened the door to an office.

"Ah, Mr. Potter. Come to take up Lord?"

Draco spoke for him again. "Yes he has. Even if the goblins failed to inform him of such being necessary. He will also be taking a heritage test and while we are here, our friend Hermione will be taking one too. Do you think you can manage that?"

The goblin looked at Harry who just raised his eyebrow again. It was becoming his signature move. "You heard Heir Malfoy." He was suddenly very glad he had read the pureblood etiquette rules and laws.

The goblin nodded once and got out all the tools necessary. Within a few minutes, Harry was cutting his hand open to get to his blood in the ritual. The ritual in question would tell him not only his heritage but also any vaults he could claim which meant lordships, any blocks or issues with his magic, and any magical skills he possessed.

They waited a few minutes and then the goblin picked up the book…and promptly dropped it. "We were told she was dead." He was staring at Hermione. Harry stepped easily in front of her.

"Explain. Right now."

The goblin nodded. "You said the witch's name is Hermione, did you not?"

"We did."

"And why did you give no last name?"

"Because I am adopted and do not approve of my last name or those I live with. Why?"

"Well, my dear, I would say someone forced potions and magic upon you to change your appearance. Your birth name is Hermione Athena Persephone Potter. Hadrian James Charlus Potter is your brother. James Charlus Potter is your father and Lillian Marie Potter nee Malfoy is your mother."

"Well who were you told was dead?"

The goblin stared at them both for a minute. He seemed very unwilling to answer.

Harry got annoyed after only five minutes of the pure silence and slammed his hand onto the desk. "WHO?!"

"Hermione Potter. Hermione Potter was supposed to be dead. Your parent's house was attacked on Halloween night in 1981. Lillian Malfoy came into the bank five days later and told us to close the Potter accounts until her son or daughter came to claim them. James died in the attack but Lillian told us the full story. Particularly me.

She was hit with the killing curse and she said she went into limbo for a few hours. Apparently long enough to take the two of you and believe her fully dead. When she came to after fighting to regain her life, you were both gone. She was furious. She created a dummy of her own body so she could fully fake her death and disappeared with the intent to find you both.

Her older brother, Lucius Malfoy, has been trying to find you both since the attack but to no avail. He had heard mention of Harry but none of Hermione and nothing about the location of either of you. She feared for her daughter's death and it took her on a self-destructive spiral. Currently, as far as we are aware, Lucius has her locked in the west wing of Malfoy Manor on 24 hour elf watch."

Harry and Hermione looked at each other. Then he spoke, "Draco, we will be coming home with you for Christmas break. You will not warn your parents."

"Of course, my King."

"In fact, I believe Christmas to be a family holiday. I believe all of us will come home with you."

"Whatever your desire."

They finished reading through the parchments and Harry claimed all the Lordships available to him. Hermione even claimed a few Ladyships that were available through James because they were both only carried through the matriarchal line of Potters.

They did a bit more shopping and grabbed some more books before Dobby finally took them back to the train. They all changed into their robes…after making them slightly more fashionable with the help of Dobby.

As the train pulled into the station, Draco turned to look fully at Hermione. "I suppose we should make sure you are aware. Your name at the sorting will now come up as one of two things."

"And those would be?"

"Either Hermione Potter or your ladyships will be added to them."

Hermione pulled off a perfect smirk. "Sounds like they'll be in for a surprise."

They all chuckled. Harry grinned at his sister's vindictive nature. They all left the train and got in the boats. No one seemed to notice as they each held hands to the boats, paired off or when Harry wandlessly enlarged one boat to fit all eight of them in pairs easily.

Daphne was tucked slightly against his side and breathed four words to him as they pulled onto the opposite shore and departed the boats, heading up the stairs. "Adventure down into hell."

An: Um, does Daphne mean the sorting, Slytherin house, or Dumbledore? Maybe she just doesn't like Hogwarts.

Daphne: I resemble that!

GilmoreKitten: Uh, you mean resent?

Daphne: No, I meant resemble. I really don't like Dumbledore. Or the sorting. I'm fine with the other two things though. Well, actually, if I could persuade you to fix a few things and change a few teachers?

GK: Oh come on! I already gave Harry his mother!

Harry: I'll avada you...

GK: *waves white flag* File a complain, I'll see what I can do. *apparates away*

Daphne: Where'd she go Harry?

Harry: I'm powerful not psychic.