January 1st, 1976

Harry woke up late in one of the many spare guestrooms at Potter Manor. It was the first day of the new year and he kept thinking back about last night. Celebrating New Year's Eve with the Potters had been a wholesome and very intimate experience. The entire family had canceled their plans to attend a New Year's Eve Ball at the MacMillan's, simply so Harry would not have to remain alone by himself. No matter what Harry said, the Potters had stood to their decision. When Dorea threatened to not let him have any more ice cream if he did not stop arguing, Harry quickly shut up and accepted their choice.

The food last night had been amazing and when James pulled out some muggle board games, the entire family played until in the early morning. When his father shared the most memorable stories from school, Harry had to force himself to act as if he heard them for the first time. Yet, Sirius had told them about most of them already during the summer at Grimmauld Place. He also noticed how James blushed furiously when Dorea asked him about the certain muggle-born girl with red hair.

Meeting his mother was something Harry had pondered over for some time already. There was also the question of whether or not he should engage in certain events that might lead to his parents starting to date earlier. Perhaps it was better to simply let things run their course. If James Potter and Lily Evans were truly meant to be, then surely, they would find towards one another without his involvement, right?

Thinking about Hogwarts got Harry really excited. Dorea and he had gone shopping for schoolbooks and robes a few days ago. His grandmother had insisted on paying for everything, which he really appreciated this time around. He was virtually broke, after having invested all his remaining Galleons into Nimbus. Still, if things continued as they did in his timeline, the business would take off soon enough and Harry would be very rich indeed.

Nevertheless, he had been rather embarrassed when Dorea stepped in to buy him the expensive books and even some school robes of the finest quality. Since he had arrived in 1975 without any clothes, besides the ones he was wearing on his body, Dorea had also taken him to muggle London for a small shopping spree. It was safe to say his wardrobe was more than prepared for the imminent term.

James and he were getting along better each day. Almost to the point where Harry felt like he gained an actual brother. They shared a common interest in Quidditch and transfiguration. James had also been very eager to learn a few tips on dueling after Harry admitted to having gained some experience.

The only problem was that Harry kept forgetting that he was not in fact a 25-year-old Unspeakable, but a 15-year-old boy who did not even sit his OWLs yet. Luckily, he could avoid many of the nosy questions by referring to his private tutoring. Still, forcing himself to cast spells out loud had been a very annoying habit to pick back up.

Harry had decided to also let loose a bit during the next years at Hogwarts and simply enjoy life as a student. Sure, the threat of Voldemort was looming over him, but from what he had learned, the actual war did not break out until after his parents had graduated from Hogwarts. He deserved at least a few months of peace and quiet before doing everything in his power to stop the monster.

Nevertheless, he had already picked up his regular workout routine to stay in shape. Each morning he ran a large lap around the Potter estate and followed it up with some push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups. James had joined him on a few occasions after Harry told him that it would come in handy for Quidditch, dueling and dealing with the ladies. Of course, the latter in particular had convinced his father...

Tomorrow, Harry would take the Hogwarts Express for the first time in almost 8 years. He would finally be returning to his first true home...

January 2nd, 1976

"Please make sure to keep him in line, Harry!" Dorea frowned as she pulled Harry in a tight embrace while sending a sharp look at her own son.

"I can't promise anything, Dorea." Harry grinned sheepishly and earned a high five from James.

"Yeah, mum. Harry will probably be the one to come up with the most pranks." James grinned: "From what I have heard so far, I would not be surprised if he did actually get sorted into Slytherin."

"Take care of each other boys." Charlus gave his son a hug and Harry a firm handshake: "We will pick you up here for the Easter Holidays."

"Yeah, sure." James shrugged, clearly more excited to finally board the train.

"Thank you for everything." Harry said sincerely, taking some time to address the Potters: "You have really made me feel welcome over the last week."

"Of course, Harry." Dorea smiled kindly: "We are family. Always remember that."

Harry thanked his grandparents once more, allowing James to tug him towards the train. The Potters had arrived very early on Platform Nine 3/4 because Charlus had some important business to attend to right after. Of course, James intended to use the opportunity to play a prank on the other Marauders.

They walked all the way towards the end of the train, where the group of friends usually occupied a compartment and stored their trucks up in the luggage area. As soon as they were done, Harry and James took position in front of the large window and remained on the lookout for the other Sirius, Peter, or Remus.

The first one to arrive after roughly 15 minutes, was Sirius. He looked exactly as Harry had seen him in Snape's memory. Tall for his age and undoubtedly good-looking. However, by the looks of it, he could not wait to get away from his parents. One look at Walburga Black was enough to confirm that the Portrait of her at Grimmauld Place had been a rather accurate resemblance of her character.

"Showtime!" James whispered as they watched Sirius enter the Express. The Elder Wand flicked into Harry's palm and with a small wave, he fully disillusioned himself. It might not compare to his and James' cloak, but it was very close to perfection.

Soon, the door opened and Harry watched the emotional reunion between his father and godfather. The two literally fell into each other's arms and Sirius almost cried tears of joy. Shortly, Harry would reveal himself. James helped Sirius lift the heavy trunk when suddenly an additional pair of hands supported them.

"Thanks, Prongs!" Sirius grinned after the luggage was securely stored. His grin quickly fell when he stared from James to Harry, who had revealed himself, and then back to James.

"I must have hit my head pretty hard this morning in the bathroom, because I am certain I'm seeing you twice, mate..." Sirius rubbed his temples and squeezed his eyes shut. Apparently, he was not dreaming because his frown only deepened when he opened his gray eyes once more. He gaped in-between Harry and his father, with his mouth wide open: "What the actual fuck is going on?"

"Padfoot, allow me to introduce my twin, Harry Potter." James laughed.

Harry suppressed his reaction upon hearing that name and offered Sirius his hand with a large grin: "At your service, Padfoot."

Sirius seemed too perplexed to even realize what was going on and slammed into one of the benches. After almost a minute of scolding, in which Harry and James could barely contain their laughter, Sirius spoke up: "You don't have a twin, Prongs. I would have seen so under Aunt Dorea's name on the Family Tapestry!"

"Very astute of you, Padfoot!" James smiled: "Allow me to introduce Harry..."

Just then the door opened once more, and Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew walked in. Harry felt mixed emotions about seeing either of them. Fate might have played a devastating role in the Werewolves' life, and it was certainly not fair that he would never get to see his son growing up. No one deserved that.

However, the man had vanished after Harry's parents had died and not once inquired about the health of his best mate's baby. Even when Harry reentered the wizarding world, Remus had been absent for the first two years and vanished after the third year. To this day, Harry did not regret calling the man a coward for leaving his wife and newborn son just to go on an adventure with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Pettigrew was even more difficult. Harry pretty much had to force himself not to strangle the small, fat boy as he entered the compartment. This little shitstain was the reason he grew up without his parents. How the traitor had been sorted into the House of the Lions was a mystery to Harry. He had vowed himself to keep a very close eye on Peter. As soon as the rat showed even the slightest sign of switching sides, Harry would get rid of him permanently.

James and he waited a few minutes, enjoying the looks of utter confusion on both Peter's and Remus' faces before finally introducing Harry properly.

"So, let me get this straight?" Sirius asked after 15 minutes of explaining, with a raised eyebrow: "This dude shows up out of nowhere, lets Aunt Dorea think her husband had an affair, outflies you on a broom, is a prodigy in Transfigurations and Dueling and intents on joining our little group and playing pranks with us?"

"I'd say that was rather well summarized." James nodded: "However, I would appreciate it if you could stop mentioning the Quidditch part. It still hurts a bit, you know."

Harry slapped James on the shoulder: "No worries, mate, I will make sure to let you score enough goals before I catch the Snitch, so you still have a chance with Evans."

The Marauders apart from James roared in laughter as the Express left London behind and their journey began. Hanging out with the Marauders was pretty much exactly as Harry had imagined it. Sirius' and James' jokes were more than entertaining and Harry decided to open up a bit about himself and let the Marauders in on everything he had shared with the Potters so far.

"What kind of classes do you guys take?" Harry inquired curiously.

"Padfoot and I are taking Runes and Arithmancy with you. Moony is also taking Care of Magical Creatures. Wormtail takes Muggle studies and Care of Magical Creatures." James explained happily.

"What's with the names then?" Harry inquired: "Prongs, Padfoot, Moony, and Wormtail... Any hidden meanings?"

He noticed that James gave Remus a very short shake of the head, indicating that he had not told him about the furry little problem yet.

"Perhaps we will tell you some other time, mate" Sirius grinned: "It's a long story... Let's play some Exploding Snap and see how good you are at that!"

A Few Compartments Up The Express

Marlene Elizabeth McKinnon did her best to make it seem like she politely followed the conversation of those around her. This year's Yule holidays had been among the worst in her young life. Things had started going downhill when she caught Lord Corvus Lestrange holding a serious conversation with her own father during a Yule Ball at the Crouch family's Manor.

The two men have never been overly friendly, so Marlene could only guess what the topic of that particular exchange could have been about. Both their families were as old as they come, rivaled in prestige only by the Black family. With the recent engagement between Bellatrix Black and Corvus' oldest son, Rodolphus Lestrange, it solely made sense for the Lestrange family to find a suitable match for their youngest son as well. That was how she found herself sitting in an apartment full of upper-year Slytherin males and being forced to act like she actually enjoyed their company...

Flashback

Marlene did her best to hide her nerves as she knocked on her father's study. Lord Alfred McKinnon did not often call his children into this part of their Manor, but when he did, it was always serious. Two days have passed since she caught her father conversing with Lestrange. She could only pray that she had misinterpreted their overly polite interactions.

"Come in, Marlene." Her father's voice chimed through the thick wooden door. She pushed down the handle and glimpsed over the office. Everything looked like the last time she had been here, which had been over half a year ago when her father called her into his office to tell her that he was proud of her for earning the status of Prefect. Unfortunately, this time the circumstances seemed less joyful... At least for her.

"Take a seat." Her father kept scratching away with his quill on a piece of parchment, not even looking up at her. She patiently waited for him to finish his correspondence. Her sharp eyes instantly found the recently broken seal of an envelope on the table. Her heart fell instantly. It displayed the Crest of the House Lestrange.

As a pureblood witch and a child to one of the Sacred 28 families, she had been taught the Crests and family trees of all major pureblood lines in Britain and even the most prestigious European ones. She recognized the black raven of House Lestrange immediately. Suddenly, her father peered up and caught her gaze

"Apologies, I did not mean to snoop around." Marlene instantly stated and lowered her gaze.

He folded the letter he just finished and placed it to the side: "I will make an exception, since it actually concerns you, Marlene. As I assume you identified for yourself already, this is a letter from Lord Lestrange, asking for permission for his youngest son to court you."

Marlene gulped heavily. She knew this moment would come one day. Arranged marriages were a very popular tool in the wizarding world to form strong alliances between families. For generations, it had been a tradition the McKinnon family followed. Only recently, her father had tried to set up her two older brothers, Marcus and Matthew with a marriage contract to the Rosier and Selwyn families respectively.

"Father, plea..."

Alfred McKinnon held up a single hand and his eyes narrowed on his only daughter: "I want to make this very clear, Marlene. This is a very favorable match for..."

"How so?" Marlene interrupted him, not caring that her rude behavior would surely have consequences: "Are we not on a superior standing than the Lestranges?"

Her father's jaw clenched momentarily: "We were on superior standing, daughter. However, that changed with the recent marriage between Bellatrix Black to the older Lestrange brother. This is an ideal opportunity to elevate the standing of our House."

"Rabastan Lestrange is a pig." Marlene whispered with a pleading look.

"I was assured the boy would behave like an absolute gentleman to you. He is from an adequate family. I am confident he will follow tradition." Her father tried to calm her: "You two will be courting each other for the remainder of your fifth year. I want you to make a serious effort to get closer to him and try to get to know him."

"Father, please..."

"Do not interrupt me, daughter!" Her father's tone grew colder and his piercing blue eyes, the one she inherited herself, sharpened on her: "You should be grateful that I am giving you this time to grow fond of each other. I could have simply set up a contract immediately as Lord Lestrange had suggested. I want you to be seen together and make public appearances. You will not be speaking to any other boys without Lestrange's explicit approval! Do not mess this up, Marlene!"

Marlene focused on the elementary Occlumency exercises her aunt had taught her over the summer. The blonde witch forced herself to keep her face at a neutral expression, despite the tumult of emotions she was feeling: "I understand, father."

His voice softened only slightly but the words brought her no comfort: "This is how it has been done for centuries and this is how it will continue, Marlene. With the recent political climate, it is of the greatest importance for us to align ourselves with the right families. Do you understand?"

What kind of question was that? Of course, she understood. She had been reading the Daily Prophet for as long as she could remember. Her father's goal was to remain on a neutral footing in whatever conflict was brooding on the British horizon. The marriage of his only daughter to a family of the supposedly conservative faction would secure their positioning. She had always known that this might be her future. However, fate could not have been any more cruel.

As astute as she was, she had watched members of the prominent families for years during her time at Hogwarts. Calling Rabastan Lestrange a pig had not been an understatement. If anything it was rather conservative. The seventh-year boy was arrogant and rude, and always picked fights at any possible opportunity. He thought, simply because he was gifted with a wand, that everyone else should bow to him and as such strode around the castle similarly to how Lucius Malfoy did before he had graduated two years ago.

Courting and especially marriage to Lestrange would rob Marlene of all her freedoms. She could forget seeing the few people she got along with or even continuing to play Quidditch as a chaser for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. Rabastan Lestrange would undoubtedly spit on her long-term dream of becoming an Unspeakable, too. From the moment she wore his ring, her sole purpose was reduced to pumping out babies for him, satisfying his physical needs, and being a good, pureblood trophy wife...

Nevertheless, unless she could persuade her father of a better match or find out something so horrendous, that Alfred McKinnon would stop the arrangement, there was nothing she could do: "I understand, father. Thank you for setting me up with such a prestigious match."

Perhaps the man missed the slight hint of sarcasm in her voice because he simply nodded: "Your mother's and I's marriage had been arranged by our fathers as well, Marlene. There is no reason why you should not be as happy one day as we are now."

Marlene simply remained silent. However, she vowed that this would not be the end of it. There was a reason the Sorting Hat had taken almost a minute to decide whether to put her in Slytherin or Ravenclaw. Her ambition was only rivaled by her thirst for knowledge. Marriage to Rabastan Lestrange was out of the question. Marlene Elizabeth McKinnon would not let things simply run their course. She would actively shape her own future, no matter what it took.

End of Flashback

"She might be a Mudblood bitch, but I would not mind having some fun with her." Thomas Avery barked in laughter.

Marlene forced the corners of her mouth to tug upwards in a fake smile at the boy's crude and sexist remark. Next to her, the boy that was supposed to be courting her, laughed the loudest: "I am not saying I disagree, but who needs a Mudblood whore, when they have secured themselves an even better-looking pureblood girl, already?"

Marlene flinched slightly as the young man placed an arm around her and tucked her closer by the waist. Now, their shoulders were almost touching... Feeling his disgusting hands on her body and hearing his unsophisticated comments became very aggravating.

Of course, she had been raised to believe that her pure blood made her superior to others. In a few areas, she still believed her parents' teachings. However, there was no denying that blood was not a guarantee for intelligence. The very same girl the seventh-year Slytherins had just lusted after, Lily Evans, was the only girl that rivaled Marlene academically. Sure, Marlene was slightly better in Defense, Ancient Runes, and Arithmancy. But Lily Evans, despite not even knowing about the wizarding world for the majority of her life, was a bonafide prodigy in Charms and Potions.

Marlene knew that both of them worked extremely hard for their grades. Therefore, towards the beginning of their fourth year, something like mutual respect had developed between the two. They were by no means friends of course. She could never associate with someone of her blood status, after all. However, there was no bad blood between them.

Despite her blood status, Evans was very popular as well. Sure, for the first three years she had been an annoying know-it-all, but afterward, she had truly blossomed. Marlene was not jealous of her. She got by just fine having only one very close friend. In addition, her rather cold demeanor had stopped most of the boys from approaching her. The fact that both her older brothers were Aurors also demotivates most boys from asking her out... Still, every now and then someone tried. Yet, she could hardly fault the boys.

Academics were not the only aspect Evans and she stood on equal footing. The mudblo... No!... Marlene told herself. The fifth-year Muggleborn was considered one of the most beautiful girls in the school, along with seventh-year Head Girl Narcissa Black and Marlene herself.

"Then I guess we will be seeing you two in a few broom closets this year?" Mulciber snickered disgustingly.

"Perhaps..." Lestrange smirked down at her: "As far as I know she does not have any experience yet. I will be... her first..." Something possessive sparkled in his dark eyes: "... but I can be a patient teacher… with the right student of course…"

She felt his finger dig deeper in the soft skin on her waist, right above her butt. This was too much; he had crossed a line: "If you will excuse me." Marlene stood up abruptly and fixed her long blond curls, placing them over one shoulder: "I will get some fresh air and check when it is my time to patrol the compartments."

Lestrange's eyes narrowed dangerously: "Suit yourself. Just make sure to come back later."

Marlene ignored the remark and turned around for the door. She should have known that the boys would use that opportunity and felt her blood boil as the compartment filled with catcalls and lusting cheers. They would never have dared to do this in front of her brothers. She stormed out of there as quickly as possible. Her outfit was not even that provocative! It was simply a form-fitting dark dress, for Morgana's sake!

She was so distracted that she almost ran into the person passing her compartment. Her fingers slammed into a broad, firm chest. Strong but gentle hands steadied her on her shoulders. She parted her long hair, which blocked her vision, and placed it back over her shoulder before looking up: "Apologies, I did not see you..."

Bright, emerald green eyes looked down at her in amusement, the corner of his lips tucked upwards. He was tall. Taller than her and she was quite tall for a witch already. At first, she thought it was James Potter, but the young man in front of her was built differently. James Potter was definitely skinnier and smaller. Besides, the eyes and facial bone structure did not match, they looked more like a Black than a Potter. The boy was very handsome and Marlene forced herself not to blush, as she caught herself staring at him. Marlene McKinnon does not blush at boys.

"No harm done, Ms." He flashed sparkling white, straight teeth and his hands left her shoulder immediately after she steadied herself: "Are you alright?" He asked with slight concern in his strong voice.

"Yes... Yes, of course..." Marlene gulped and pulled herself back from wherever her mind had travelled to: "Thank you again."

"May I ask for your name?" He inquired, shooting her a very familiar overly cocky Potter grin. So, it was James Potter! Did he apply some glamour charms to his face? How did he gain three inches in height and 20 pounds of solid muscle over the winter break? Not liking the way he caught her off guard, she decided to take a defensive approach: "You know my name, Potter. Now could you please get out of my way?"

The stupid grin got only cockier and confirmed her theory that it was, indeed, Potter. He flashed her another brilliant smile and actually had the balls to wink at her. Who did he think he was? Boys don't dare to wink at Marlene McKinnon!

"I guess you and everyone else will learn soon enough." His grin widened and he stepped to the side to allow her to pass. Marlene looked at him in confusion for only a second, before quickly stepping past him. The longer she remained in his presence, the worse it would get. Not only did he radiate confidence and smell incredibly good, but he also made her blush. Marlene McKinnon could not be seen blushing when right in the compartment next to them, was the boy, who was supposed to court her.

She remembered her father's words as her long legs took her to the closest restroom and she locked the door behind her. No talking to any other boys and only after Lestrange's approval. Still, Potter's... Was it really Potter? appearance confused the hell out of her. Perhaps he was right, and she would find out soon, indeed. She hated the fact that she was actually rather curious about it.

Five Minutes Earlier, Marauders' Compartment

They played for almost an hour before Harry excused himself to search for the trolley and grab something to eat. He had been growing quite a bit lately and his appetite had increased substantially. Dorea's sandwiches had been devoured over an hour ago already and he did not feel like waiting until dinner at the Great Hall. Besides, it could not hurt to familiarize himself with some of the faces of other students.

As always in the Express, the corridor was jammed with students talking about their Christmas holidays, the many gifts they received, and their plans for the new term. Curious looks and whispers followed him when people took notice that he looked different from the well-known Gryffindor prankster, James Potter.

Thanks to his height, Harry finally spotted the trolley towards the end of the compartment ahead of him. However, the door to his left was opened abruptly and a body almost ran into him. Harry felt soft fingers slam into his chest and stopped their heads from colliding by steading the person's shoulders.

"Apologies, I did not see you." A waterfall of honey blonde hair parted and a girl looked up to him. A girl unlike any he had seen before...

Harry felt something bizarre stir in his chest. The girl was incredibly good-looking. She had long, honey blonde curls, which fell over her left shoulder like a lustrous waterfall. Icey blue eyes, underneath incredibly long, thick eyelashes and delicate eyebrows glanced at him with a hint of curiosity. The high cheekbones accentuated her heart-shaped face and gave her an almost royal look. This girl was undoubtedly a pureblood...

Her beauty rivalled Fleur Delacour's, perhaps even surpassed it, because, with the Veela's allure, there was always something slightly superficial about her. The girl in front of him was absolutely stunning, yet in a more natural sense. Neither at Hogwarts nor during his time in Switzerland had Harry ever encountered a girl as desirable as her. The stir in his chest grew stronger. Perhaps his most charming Potter - No! Peverell-smile - would win her over?

"No harm done, Ms." Harry flashed her a grin and forced himself to let go of her soft, yet slightly athletic shoulders. Even without checking her out fully, he could tell that the girl in front of him must be physically active. Kind of strange for a pureblood girl...:  "Are you alright?"

"Yes... Yes, of course..." She cleared her throat in an attempt to stop herself from staring at him: "Thank you again."

Naturally, Harry did not miss the way her body and face had reacted to him. It was good to know that even in this slightly smaller frame he had very much the same effect on a woman. He wanted to get to know her. Something possessive inside of him, that he had never felt before, roared that the blonde in front of him should be his. The grin on his face automatically widened: "May I ask for your name?"

Her piercing blue orbs trailed over his body, resting on his eyes. She frowned: "You know my name, Potter. Now could you please get out of my way?"

Harry groaned internally. His prankster of a dad was pretty much actively cockblocking him at this point. Well, it should all be clear very soon. He kept the grin on his face as he stepped to the side and allowed her to walk past him: "I guess you and everyone else will learn soon enough."

With a curious stare and the most adorable pout he had ever seen on a girl, she stepped past him, her shiny blonde curls swaying over her shoulder. Harry caught a whiff of something that smelled like strawberry and lemons. Perhaps her shampoo?

Forcing himself not to look after her, he approached the trolley with sweets. Yet, his mind was still swirling with images of the blond beauty. He had never been caught off guard by a girl like that before. What was wrong with him? Somehow, she had completely turned his head around. Could there be a bit of a Veela in her?

No, he had not felt anything scratching on his Occlumency shield. Her beauty was pure and natural. He only wished he had gotten her name... Shit! Undoubtedly, it was a bad idea to ask the Marauders about it. The boys would never stop teasing him if he was head over heels for a girl before even arriving at the school.

The only good thing was that a girl like her stood out so much that it should be easy to catch her in the Great Hall. No matter what table she might sit at. Not that something petty like house tables mattered to him anymore. Harry's mind was occupied by long, blonde curls as he walked back to the Marauders with his pockets full of sweets.

Unknowing to him, someone watched him as he passed the very compartment, he met the girl previously. A pair of dark eyes narrowed in anger and bore into his back. He was not even at Hogwarts and yet, he already made his first enemy. Almost like during his first-ever ride on the Express... Only for very, very different reasons...