In the Shadow of Power - Hogwarts Legacy

Chapter 1

Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry is a most prestigious school in the wizarding world accepting students from all over the British Isles. Only the greatest and brightest minds attend this school and many become powerful witches or wizards in their own right.

This of course means, that not all young witches and wizards attend Hogwarts. Some do not show enough magical prowess to be accepted into the school. Their names will never be written in the registrar and their owl will never arrive.

For Alayna Donellan's family, this was a common occurrence. Their family did not have a long history of powerful magic users. Occasionally, a member would be accepted to Hogwarts, but for most they were content with leading peaceful and simple lives. Alayna's parents, despite their magic aptitude, were skilled herbologists and potion makers. They made their money selling what they grew and made to neighbors and merchants in their hamlet, Damerel. They were happy with what they had.

But they were all the more excited when an owl arrived one shining morning with a letter addressed to their daughter. The contents explained that she had inexplicably been accepted to Hogwarts as a fifth year. None of them had any idea why she had been suddenly accepted, but the pride of having a daughter attend Hogwarts was enough to toss aside their confusion.

Alayna was whisked away to London where she spent a few weeks with a professor from Hogwarts to spend some time building up her skills before she was thrust into school five years late. It was overwhelming. It was exciting. And most of all...

It was here.

Trunks sat stacked upon the awaiting carriage pulled by invisible thestrals, creatures Alayna had only ever heard of. She had never witnessed death and so was unable to see them. The carriage driver waited to take them to Hogwarts so that they would arrive just in time for her to be sorted into her house that evening. It was the part Alayna was most looking forward to that day, finding out which house she would be placed in.

Hufflepuff, no doubt. She, her parents, and her younger sister Felicity had debated this endlessly before she left. Of the few witches and wizards in their family who had attended Hogwarts, most of them had been sorted into Hufflepuff and it was known that house placement often ran in the family. Alayna had also suggested Ravenclaw as she had always loved learning, but her parents had been adamant. They knew their daughter best.

"Alright, everything should be packed. Are you ready?" Professor Fig clapped his hands together as he approached. The gentle older wizard had been a loving mentor for the few weeks he and Alayna had been together. She had taken to him quickly and had been eager to learn all he would teach her.

Which honestly, hadn't been very much. Some basic wandwork using a secondhand wand provided by the school and only a few useful spells. She would get her very own wand after she arrived at Hogwarts. Her parents had never set aside the money to buy their daughters wands and they only had one that they shared between the two of them for their work.

"I'm ready, professor. I can't wait-" Alayna was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a man on the corner of the street near them. He spun around for a moment before his eyes landed on the pair.

"Ah! Eleazar!" The podgy man with glasses and a mustache waved as he approached them. "I'm glad I caught you before you left."

"George! My friend, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Professor Fig smiled.

"I was hoping to speak with you about a...potentially urgent matter."

"Of course, well, perhaps you should join us then? We do have a feast and a sorting ceremony to get to," he gestured to the carriage.

"If you wouldn't mind! It would be nice to see the castle again, it has been a few years." George winked at Alayna and she smiled.

"Not at all! Please," Fig raised an arm to invite the two of them to step into the carriage before him. Alayna settled into the seat next to Professor Fig before their driver drove the invisible thestrals forward. She had to wonder if he could see them or not, if it was a requirement of the job. Soon they were launching into the air, reminding Alayna of another fact about thestrals; they had wings.