The Other Potter

Hogwarts/Year 1

Harry awoke with a headache. His scar was hurting, and he had a feeling he had a
bad dream, but could not remember what it was. The curtains were drawn around his
bed, keeping most of the light out. His alarm went off a few minutes later. He pushed the bed curtain open and shut off his clock.

"What was that," a tired sounding Ron said from the bed over. Harry sat up and pushed the other curtains open.

"My alarm clock," he told his new friend. As bad as the day ended, the rest of it had been brilliant. No one had ever wanted to be his friend before.

Ron yawned, stretching. "It's annoying. I can't wait to learn to cast a tempus or alarm charm, then you can get rid of it."

Harry frowned. He rather liked his alarm clock. Waking to it had been a constant for years and he wasn't sure if he would like that change. The rest of the dorm stirred. Seamus was already up and making his way to the door, a pile of clothes and his cloak in his arms. "Percy came by a few minutes ago and said he would guide us to the Great Hall about 7:30."

"Thanks, Seamus," he heard Greyson say. His gut twisted as he looked at the boy.

Harry did not have a brother. Grabbing his stuff, he rushed to the bathroom with Ron.

Greyson was checking his bag, already ready for the day, his hair still a little wet.

Neville was doing the same. It bothered him that the boy would be ready to go before him. At the Dursley's, he was typically up before or at the same time as Aunt Petunia. Dudley had always slept later than he should. To see other boys ready before him didn't seem right.

It was a good thing that the boys had three bathrooms, each with half a dozen shower stalls, three toilet stalls and sink. There was a small wall with wooden lockers with each of their last names on it. It was big enough for a towel and toiletries. Ron took a few minutes more than him, thus Harry was putting on his
school robes as Ron came running back into the room.

"Three more minutes," Harry said looking at the old mechanical alarm clock on the bedside.

"You would think they would give us more time," he said in a huff throwing his trunk open and rifling through it for his stuff.

Harry and him walked down to the common room three minutes late to find Percy had
left. At least they weren't the only stragglers.

Lavender Brown and Pavarti Patil came down the stairs right after them. "He left without us," Ron said incredulously.

Harry understood his ire. Percy was his brother after all.

"Any idea how to get to the Great Hall," Pavarti asked.

Ron shrugged, looking totally lost and perturbed at his brother. Harry sighed. "I think I remember the way," he told them. Looking around, there were no upper classman around.

Either they were already down in the Great Hall, or else having a lie in. It would be later that day that he learned first day back was only orientation and classes for First Years.

He led them to the portrait and took off in the direction he knew they had come from. Down two stairs and through a wall hanging he started to feel more confident as he recognized paintings and certain suits of armor. "Are you sure it's this way? I remember the staircase being to the left," Lavender asked as they walked into a large central tower of staircases.

Looking around, Harry had to admit that it did look different. "I think it was too, but there isn't anything there," Harry said to her. They decided to go straight, since that was the only choice. They turned at the bottom and kept going the same direction they had been. Two wrong turns and a dead end later, they finally made it to the Great Hall. Ron was grumbling about being hungry and the girls where thankful that Harry seemed to have a good sense of direction. he didn't know why, but there was some feeling that he knew where it was.