This Time We Do It My Way

FIVE: RED, BLACK AND WHITE

I don't own Harry Potter, I'm just borrowing him for a little while.

"Hey have you seen Harry Potter? This is the last compartment and I'm looking for him?" asked Ron Weasely. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Perhaps he's in disguise?" asked Harry.

"Why would he be in disguise?" Ron asked densely.

"To avoid redheaded trolls such as yourself, I would suspect," answered Harry watching as Weasely's face became redder in anger.

"Listen here you smarmy death eater," Ron began before Harry cut him off.

"One," Harry held up a finger as he stood dislodging Hades from where he slept. Hades huffed before settling on the seat to fall asleep again. "I am neither slimy nor a death eater, therefore the insult you are about to spew will have absolutely no impact using such a fallacious basis. Two, furthermore I care not for your opinion therefore your insults again will have no basis. And three," at this Harry began moving towards Ron who backed up out of the compartment. "You will always be more afraid of me, than I will ever be of you." With that Harry slammed his compartment door closed.

Smirking Harry once more returned to his book shifting Hades over so he could pull his legs up to curl up on the seat. Although he looked older than his physical age of eleven Harry was still short at 4 feet 5 inches. He found it not only helped people underestimate him it also allowed him to get unnoticed into places where he honestly shouldn't be. That and he truly just enjoyed being small. He hadn't exactly had a childhood in either timeline and it allowed him to feel a bit more like a child. That and it was easier to get clothes he liked in his size.

He was once more in a pair of tight leather pants, this time forest green. His shirt was a smoky colored dress shirt that shimmered slightly. He'd put his hair up in a bun with a silvery net. A single lock of hair curled loose on the right side of his face. He had contemplated streaking his hair but ultimately decided against it for today. Muggle make up lightly applied concealed his lightning scar. His bright green eyes were clear of the glasses he had required in the first timeline since he had never lived in a cupboard or been hit in the head with a frying pan. He had however outlined them with grey liner making them pop further.

He had just finished putting on his school robe when the door slid open again.

"Have you seen a toad anywhere? Neville's lost his," said Granger, rudely entering his compartment. Neville nervously followed looking at his feet and wringing his hands uncomfortably. Seeing the runes textbook on the seat she lunged for it. Harry quickly picked it up and put it into his satchel.

"I'd thank you not to touch my things," he said.

"But you're a first year, we don't take runes until third year," she whined. "Besides it's rude not to not share." Harry raised his eyebrow.

"Rude?" Harry said rhetorically. "If we wish to speak of manners then perhaps we should start with yours. You did not knock before rudely opening my compartment and barging in. Thankfully I was only dressing in an open over robe or you would have seen much more than I would ever wish to show you. Two you did not ask permission before reaching for my own personal belongings. And three you immediately began berating me for a lack of manners when you have not the decency to display any of your own." Harry turned to Neville.

"You are Neville I presume?" Harry asked despite already knowing the answer. Neville nodded yes and Harry smiled. "I am Hadrian. Could you tell me the name of your toad so I can try a summoning spell?" Hermione scoffed,

"We don't learn how to summon until fourth year; you won't be able to do it." Harry refrained from rolling his eyes. He would enjoy completely destroying her superior attitude. Yes it might be considered cheating since he had already learned it all once but he was going to enjoy it anyway.

"Trevor," whispered Neville. Harry smiled at him once more before drawing his holly wand and saying,

"Accio Trevor." Soon enough Trevor came flying through the open compartment door and into Harry's hand. Harry handed him off to Neville who thanked him. Soon enough both of them left and Harry once more sat in his compartment alone. He sighed rubbing his temples trying to relieve tension. Had Ron always been so dull and tactless? And Hermione so self-righteous and pushy? Probably, he just didn't notice because they were his first friends and when he thought about it basically his only friends. He wouldn't be surprised if they had purposely kept him from making friends last time. His quiet relief was short lived as a knock sounded on the compartment door.

Harry rose from his seat and opened the door. Draco Malfoy stood with his two goons Crabbe and Goyle. He couldn't remember their first names but he hadn't really interacted with them before.

"Can I help you?" Harry asked.

"I heard Weasely ranting about a dark wizard that threatened him and I came to introduce myself. I am Draco Malfoy, and these too are Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle," said Draco.

"Pleasure to meet you; I am Hadrian, Hadrian Potter. You can call me Harry. Can I invite you into my compartment?" answered Harry moving to the side of the door to allow the three boys entry.

"Thank-you, you can call me Draco," said Draco as they sat down. Crabbe sitting next to Harry as Harry picked Hades up and settled him on his lap.

"Are you really Harry Potter? It's not that I don't believe you it's just that you don't have the scar, and you've been missing," asked Draco. Harry smiled slightly reaching up to wipe the concealer away. He hadn't wanted to get mobbed before getting on the train and had made sure he had covered it with muggle makeup.

"I had no wish to be besieged the moment I stepped onto the platform, and I was never missing, I merely had no wish to be found," answered Harry. Draco nodded in understanding. Another knock sounded on the compartment door and a brown haired boy popped his head in a tall black boy right behind him.

"There you are Draco! Daphne said you had passed by her compartment so we've been looking for you ever since," said the brown haired boy as he slide into the compartment with his companion.

"'Lo Theo, 'lo Blaise, this is Hadrian Potter. Harry these are my friends, Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabani," said Draco. To their credit they didn't say anything or blatantly stare at his forehead, just a flick of the eyes and done. Zabani gave him an appreciative once over but Harry thought it was more for his outfit than for his body.

"'Lo boys, do join us," said Harry. The conversation quickly turned to quidditch and Harry enjoyed watching the conversation but eventually turned back to his runes book lightly petting Hades where he lay.

"So Harry," Draco drawled. Harry looked up and marked his page putting his book back into his satchel. "What house do you think you'll be in?" Harry smirked at Draco.

"I don't know Draco. Why don't you tell me?" Harry asked. Draco looked at him for a moment before answering.

"With the way you were reading I'd say Ravenclaw, but something about you screams Slytherin." Harry's smirk got wider.

"Trust me 'Little Dragon'," Harry used Narcissa's nickname for Draco as they pulled into Hogsmeade station. "I'm a snake." And with that he left Draco sputtering in the compartment, satchel over his shoulder as he made his way off the train.