The grey heir

Harry awoke in the Peverell chamber within Black Hallow Fortress, his mind already reaching beyond its stone walls. It was time.

Marnik, Tolla, and Grimby—the house-elves who had served his ancestors since before Britain had a crown—stood in solemn silence as he dressed. The air pulsed with ancient magic, woven into every flagstone. As Marnik helped him fasten his cloak, he whispered, "We will watch for your return, my Lord. Black Hallow remembers."

Harry nodded. "I'll be back. When I am ready."

At the heart of the warded courtyard, Harry pressed two fingers to the Peverell ring and murmured the phrase taught to him by the Fortress: "Umbrae Transitus." A subtle ripple in the air, and the portkey activated.

He landed softly behind a stack of crates near King's Cross Station, cloaked and unseen. A swift glamour spell disguised his features just enough to blend in. He waited until a red-haired family passed by—seven children and a flustered mother. He slipped through the barrier after the youngest.

Platform 9¾ unfolded like a memory re-lived. The scarlet train hissed against the morning chill. Families bustled about. No one paid the quiet boy in a dark cloak much mind.

Harry boarded early, seeking out a quiet compartment near the end of the train. He placed Hedwig's cage beside him and whispered a calming charm. Then, he lowered the masking charm he'd held since his return in time. The magical trace Dumbledore had relied on to track him had now truly vanished.

He leaned down, speaking in low Parseltongue: "Iskaris, we ride toward lions now."

The black-scaled serpent hissed, curling tighter beneath the bench: "Stone halls, false smiles. One wears a beard and smells like trickery."

Before Harry could answer, the door slid open.

A tall girl with icy blue eyes and perfectly braided blonde hair stood in the doorway. "Is this seat taken?"

Harry shook his head. "No. You're welcome."

She stepped inside, her presence graceful but self-contained. Silence stretched between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable.

"You're quiet," she said at last. "Most boys aren't."

"Neither are you," Harry replied. "Most girls chatter."

That earned a small smirk. "Daphne Greengrass."

"Harry," he replied. No surname.

She studied him but asked no more. The door slid again. Ron Weasley poked his head in.

"Mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is full."

Harry gestured. "Go ahead."

Ron slumped into the seat. Neville joined soon after, mumbling about a missing toad. Then came Hermione, who launched into questions about Hogwarts, wands, and magical theory with breathless intensity.

"I'm Hermione Granger," she announced. "And you are?"

Harry glanced up. "Evan. Evan Blake."

Ron blinked. "Weird name. I'm Ron. Ron Weasley."

"Neville Longbottom," came the mumbled third name.

"You lot excited for Hogwarts?" Ron asked, stretching. "Bet I end up best friends with Harry Potter. Me mum says I've got the luck of a lion."

Harry raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Ronald, what does that even mean?"

Ron ignored her. "Bet Potter'll want a mate who knows the castle. I'll show him 'round and all. Maybe we'll both get into Gryffindor and share a dorm!"

Harry offered a polite, noncommittal smile. "Sounds like you've thought a lot about it."

Ron grinned. "Yeah, well. Famous people need good mates. I figure it might as well be me."

As the train moved, Harry leaned down, casting an Imperturbable Charm beneath the seat. He hissed to Iskaris, who hissed softly and coiled more tightly beneath the seat, his presence quiet and shadowy.

Ron jumped up. "That was a snake!"

Hermione's head snapped around. "You have a snake? That's against the rules! Only owls, cats, or toads!"

Ron shouted, "Are you mental? Bringing a bloody snake to Hogwarts?!"

Harry lifted his trunk lid slightly. Iskaris coiled, tongue flicking.

"He's mine," Harry said calmly. "His name is Iskaris."

"You're barking mad! What are you, some dark wizard? Speaking to snakes and hiding them under your seat?"

Harry met Ron's glare. "You could always leave."

Hermione huffed. "I'm reporting this."

Neville slipped out, whispering an apology. Ron grabbed his trunk and stomped out, muttering about "Snakes and Slytherins."

Daphne remained, expression unreadable.

"You didn't lie," she said. "That's rare."

Harry gave a ghost of a smile. The train rumbled on.

Iskaris let out a low hiss, unintelligible to anyone but Harry—a whisper of sound without meaning to the others.

The window filled with hills. Hogwarts awaited.