Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, I am just playing in the sandbox of my imagination for a few minutes. I leave ownership and all the stress related to it to J.K. Rowling.

A/N: At the request of one of my readers, who has special needs, I am moving all future author's notes to the end of each chapter.

-DCM-

For dinner that evening, Susan and Hannah sat with their friends at the Gryffindor table. Classes had all gone well, except for History of Magic, which was surprisingly taught by a ghost, Professor Binns. He was extremely boring and dry, which wasn't all that surprising. Hadrian had tried to pay attention and take notes, but after 15 minutes he had started to lose focus and his mind started wondering.

Daphne had been quick to notice this, and had to send him more than one mental prod along their bond, to get him to pay attention. None of which had much of an effect on keeping Hadrian focused. Daphne herself had struggled with staying awake, but had managed it, if just barely. The only other student that she had seen that had made it all the way through the very dry and boring class without falling asleep was Hermione. If Daphne was honest with herself, she would have to admit that the girl's thirst and love of knowledge was almost scary.

"Hey Susan! Hey Hannah! How were your classes today?" Daphne queried her two Hufflepuff friends while taking a seat across from them.

"Hey Daphne!" Both girls greeted the blonde in return. "They weren't bad. Potions wasn't too bad, we just went over a lot of safety rules, and proper equipment usage. We had just started talking about what ingredients do well together, and what don't when the class period ran out. Professor Slughorn really knows what he is talking about, and was actually quite nice." Susan took a bite of her mashed potatoes and let Hannah carry on describing their class.

"From what I heard from the older students, He is at least ten times better at teaching than Professor Snape was. A seventh year named Tonks was throwing a fit in the common room last night because she still has to take Professor Snape for her Newt so she can become an auror."

"Was he really that bad?" Daphne was shocked to learn that a teacher with such a bad reputation would be kept on staff, and not fired.

"I've heard he has a real attitude problem and a pretty big chip on his shoulder, especially when it comes to Gryffindors." Hannah looked at Daphne and Hadrian. "It's probably a good thing he won't be teaching you two, he'd probably take points off for looking too good."

Daphne's mind had a hard time processing what Hannah had just told her, and all she could do was stare at the young honey blonde girl across from her for a minute.

"Well, at least from Daphne." Hadrian piped up next to her. "The looking good part that is. He's probably try and take points from me for being more masculine that he is…" Hadrian looked over at Neville who was sitting next to Hannah. "Now Neville here, he'd lose points for being too handsome." Neville had stopped eating and was staring at Hadrian, unsure of what Hadrian was trying to say. "Or from Susan for having a great smile." Hadrian looked at Susan and winked at her, causing her to blush.

"Trying to make all the first year girls fall for you Hadrian?" Hadrian sensed amusement in the bond he shared with Daphne.

"Have to keep my options open…" Hadrian turned and looked at Daphne with a lopsided grin. His retort was cut short when she raised a single eyebrow at him. "Erm…that is..uh..no, no I'm not."

Daphne looked at him in amusement for another minute. It was just as he was starting to squirm under her stare that she finally let herself smile a small smile. "Good…I don't like to share…" Daphne reached under the table with her left hand, and took his hand in hers and gave it a gentle but firm squeeze. "Besides, I've put too much work into training you properly to let someone else have you…"

Hadrian turned and looked at Daphne with a slight look of incredulity, which she promptly ignored while she continued eating. Giving it up as a lost cause, Hadrian turned back to his Shepard's pie.

"How was Defense against the Dark Arts?" Hermione had been listening to the conversation while she was eating. She had a book out beside her plate, and looked torn between reading her text in preparation for her classes the next day, and discussing how Susan and Hannah's classes had gone. Getting to know a little bit about the classes and professors finally won out in the end.

"Kind of useless…" Susan was a bit hesitant in her answer. Professor Quirrell had a real hard time talking, and stuttered more than he spoke. I heard he had a really bad run in with some vampires over the summer, and he's come a bit unhinged."

"Quirrell? I don't remember seeing him at the opening feast last night." Hermione looked up at the head table, and didn't see anyone unfamiliar, but then again, she hadn't had a chance to really get to know all the professors, so she couldn't say for sure if she knew which professor Quirrell was.

"He wasn't at the feast last night, or breakfast either this morning. I guess he didn't make it here until just before his first class started this morning."

"Huh, that's weird. I wonder what kept him?"

"Well, when you see him, you will know it, he wears this…"

"What are you puffs doing at our table!?" Susan was cut off rather abruptly as another of the Gryffindor first years arrived for dinner and took exception to Susan and Hannah sitting at the Gryffindor table. "You two need to shove off, and go sit with the rest of the Huffle-poofs". The red headed boy smiled at his own wit.

Daphne looked at Hadrian with a raised eyebrow. "I got this Daph, you keep eating…" Hadrian answered her silent query.

"What are you waiting for?" The red head started getting mad when the girls didn't immediately move to a different table. He was so focused on the two girls, that he didn't see Hadrian stand up next to him, and turn to face him.

"Excuse me Reginald" Hadrian reached out and put a restraining hand on the boys shoulder "Susan and Hannah are sitting with us as our friends. You are more than welcome to join us, but I ask that you be respectful and courteous to them and us while we eat."

"My name is RONALD! RRROOONNNAAALD!" Ron pronounced his name slowly, thinking it would make a difference to Hadrian.

Hadrian slowly blinked his eyes, and appeared nonplused "Whatever…all I'm asking you to do is to s how the ladies some courtesy while they eat with us as our guests."

"Why would I be nice to a couple of duffers? They need to shove off and go back to their own table. Besides, I need to save some space for my best mate when he arrives."

"Your best mate?" Hadrian couldn't remember anyone else in any of his classes even talking to the red head, let alone becoming friends with him.

"Yea, Harry Potter! He's going to be my best mate!"

"…"

"My sister is totally in love with him too! She's a red-head just like his mother was, so they are bound to get together. He's the perfect Gryffindor, and my family has always been in Gryffindor, so naturally he's going to want to be a part of my family…"

"….."

-DCM-

"Stupid wards, useless brats…tell me again why we are here master?" Professor Quirrell was not in a good mood. He had tried very unsuccessfully to enter Hogwarts the day before, only to repelled by the upgraded wards. He had tried several ways to get in, and had to finally resort to making his way through the dark and dirty chamber of secrets. He had entered through the basilisk's forest entrance, and had to climb those dirty and slimy stairs. He had tried using cleaning charms, but it had been too much dirt and grim, and he had tired quickly. At least he had finally gained entrance to the castle, and had been on time for his first class, even if it was just barely.

"Because we need the stone you weak minded fool!" Quirrell cringed at the harsh tone his new master took with him. He knew he needed the stone to survive the possession, but wondered if there wasn't a better way of getting it other than trying to steal it from Dumbledore.

"Now be silent and play your part, and you'll be rewarded above all others."

-DCM-

Hadrian was so shocked by the rant from the boy, that he didn't hear Borash's warning growl the first time. A second, louder and more urgent growl brought Hadrian out of his stupor. It seemed that an adult had just walked into the great hall. An adult that was wearing a turban. An adult who reeked of darkness and possession.

"Who is that?" Hadrian was looking really hard at the adult who was making his way around the end of the Gryffindor table towards the head table.

"That's Professor Quirrell." Susan answered after looking over to see who Hadrian was looking at.

The closer the professor came to the students, the stronger Hadrian felt certain something was off. Amnock's armor was already flowing up over his tall frame, and his war hammer appeared in his hand as he moved away from the door and started coming up behind the man. Borash's armor had already settled into place, and he had a pair of 'short' battle axes in his hands. Hadrian could feel him take up a position behind and to the right of him, and felt Daphne's resolve, as her armor started flowing out her medallion. She withdrew her daggers, and moved up on his left. Both a couple paces behind him to give him some room to maneuver.

Hadrian kept his eyes on the man, who had noticed something was going on, and slowed his footsteps in confusion. "Dorvan" Hadrian spoke the third Yeti's name and felt a burst of ice and snow on the other side of the table off to his left.

To his credit, Dorvan didn't even blink at being summoned. His armor quickly flowed out over his body, and a very large two hand battle axe appeared in his thick paws as he turned towards the coming confrontation.

Borash lifted his left arm slightly, and twisted his battle axe in his paw slightly to the left. 'Raptor stalks prey' was the signal. Dorvan let out a low growl and gnashed his teeth, letting a bit of saliva fall from his lip, keeping the professors attention on him, and not on the yeti slowly and silently making his way closer from behind.

"Raptor stalks prey" Hadrian didn't take his eyes off the professor, nor did he acknowledge the brief message form Daphne.

"What are you doing here?" Hadrian's tone was cold and harsh.

"I…I'm…g..gg…going to d..dd…dinner" came the stuttering reply.

The great hall had gone silent, everyone's attention was on the group. Professor McGonagall, and the Headmaster had both risen to their feet, followed quickly by Professor Snape and were quickly making their way over.

"I wasn't talking to you Professor."

"Y…yo…you w..w….wern't?" Quirrell seemed to cringe in confusion.

"No, I was talking to the spirit you are possessed by."

Professor Quirrell's head snapped up in surprise at this statement, and he stood a bit taller and looked at the young Lord in front of him. "You have no idea, the trouble you're causing, or who you are messing with, boy."

Hadrian lifted his right hand up in front of himself. In it he held a short round rod that was about six inches in length, and appeared to made out of a very pale white crystal. As everyone watched it started to grow, and continued until it was almost 5 feet in length. Once the staff stopped growing, a wicked looking blade, made of a clear crystal, grew out of one side of the top. It's appearance both deadly and beautiful.

A cold wind had started blowing around Hadrian, Daphne and Borash, stirring their hair, robes and fur. "I think I'll take my chances."

"Kill him!" a raspy and dark voice came from the professor even though his lips never moved.

With a deceptively quick movement, the once bumbling professor fluidly drew his wand, and pointed it at the boy in front of him. "AVADA KA….GLURK!" His spell was cut off by Amnock's war hammer in mid cast as he was flattened on the floor of the great hall.

Hadrian stared at what was left of the body impassively for several seconds while blood and viscera started pooling around the now dead professor. Slowly a black mist started seeping out of the body, and coalescing just about where the professor had once stood.

The mist had the same foul stench of decay that the professor had had, and Hadrian knew that this was the spirit that had once possessed the now dead man. When the spirit had fully formed, it turned and looked at Hadrian. "You were a fool to interfere boy…." It's voice and demeanor threatening. "Do you know who I am? When I get my body back, I will be coming for you…."

"Take your time, I'll be right here waiting for you…"

The spirit screamed loudly, and flew through the wall, disappearing.

Hadrian watched the spirit go and was silent for a brief moment before turning back to the red head standing a few feet from him. Absently he noted, that the boy was now covered in blood splatter, and that a pool of blood was quickly forming around the boys shoes.

"Sooo…Weatherby...you were saying?"

-DCM-

AN: Thank you everyone for your patience with me as I have been settling into my new job. I realize I have been absent for the last couple months, but I do have about three chapters written, and will be posting them every couple weeks. I have also written a chapter or two on my other stories, so I am going to try and get those posted as well.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, I am just playing in the sandbox of my imagination for a few minutes. I leave ownership and all the stress related to it to J.K. Rowling.

We are now at Hogwarts and all the adventures there. Some events will play out similar to cannon, others will be added, and some others will be dropped.

Does anyone really read these author's notes? Post me a review saying "I read the AN" and then ask me a question, and I promise to answer your question the best I can.

I would like to take a minute to thank my editor/beta reader Singmeonesong. Thank you for taking the time to help me write a better story, and for kicking me in the butt and letting me know I needed to work on my stories more.

Please feel free to private message me with any comments or questions, and I will try and get back to you with an answer. All reviews are welcome, both good and bad. They help me improve both the story and my writing skills.

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