Chapter Text
Dying and getting reborn was not something that Vil expected would happen to him.
But it did.
He is now called Draco Malfoy. He comes from a noble family with a strict father and a caring mother with who he both developed a pretty strong bond.
Thankfully, this world also has magic. Although, it seems that overblots and unique magic don't exist here.
He tested if his unique magic worked, and it did. But, as far as he was able to tell, no one else was capable of that.
It could be that no one ever managed to discover their unique magic, though that was unlikely.
He spent his early childhood learning the language, new social norms and general knowledge, but also anything that he could get his hands on. Which wasn't hard since Malfoy family had their own personal library.
As a Housewarden of Pomefiore, he had a duty to be the best in academics and beauty, as was fitting for the dorm representing the Fairest Queen.
He intends to continue Pomefiore tradition in this life as well.
However, this world seems to be less tehnologically advanced, than Twisted Wonderland was. They didn't have electricity and they still used candles, so of course they didn't have a telephone or a radio to communicate.
Their news still came from newspapers which are full of propaganda and aren't able to be verified. There is only one newspaper with official news which is called Daily Prophet, others are just magazines filled with cheap gossip.
The media literacy is dead, or most specifically wasn't alive to begin with.
At least they had working plumbing. Vil would have been seriously pissed if he couldn't have access to a normal bathroom.
As sad it was to say it, this society is overly reliant on magic so the hard work isn't rightfully appreciated and is falling behind in every non-magical area.
That's unacceptable.
They should be striving to improve themselves, to improve not only their magical capabilities, but the way their whole system is run.
Vil found out fairly quickly that magical community doesn't live side by side with non-magical community, but is a closed of society with a government that is controlled by the rich noble families, his included.
There were so many flaws that Vil didn't manage to understand how the magical community didn't collapse.
He desires to see the non-magical side since the magical one is quite disappointing. Maybe there he would be able to do what he loved: acting.
He wants to be able to claim the title of the Fairest One of All in this world, but for that he has to have good media coverage which magical community lacks.
It's mandatory for young mages- witches and wizards, apparently- to go to a school for magic once they turn 11 years old and finish it at 17 years, so he will have to wait until he graduates. But it will be interesting to learn the specifics on how the magic differs from the Twisted Wonderland.
It was strange that there weren't any public schools before that, only private tutors who left out subjects like math, physics, chemisty and biology. That doesn't seem like a solution for wizards with lower social and economical class.
So far he was able to gather that wizards claim the title of schoolars, but don't actually expand their knowledge or research any further. The books mostly use references from older books (that date back at least a hundred years) for their own research, and don't include any new information.
He plans to go to non-magical community as soon as he graduates, and from there restart his career as an actor and a model.
While his new family loves him, they aren't big fans of anything non-magical and other magical creatures. They have the superiority complex which is defined by blood status.
Vil would be first to admit that he is prideful about his work and looks, but that comes from years of dedication and perseverance.
This is just about being born lucky or unlucky. It also reminds him to much of that prideful lion, born with amazing capabilities, but wastes it away because of laziness.
Oh, well. He is still just a child so they won't take his thoughts seriously anyway. Not at the moment, at least.
When he goes to Hogwarts, he will see just how much their educational system can offer. While he is rather unhopeful, there is still a chance that it will be worth his time. For example, Hogwarts is said to have the biggest library in whole England.
On the bright side, he looks the same as he did when he was a child in his first life. All of it is the same, from the colour of his hair and eyes, to his face and body structure.
It's both weird and comforting to gaze at the same face upon looking in the mirror. It seems that even death doesn't want to take away his beauty.
What a nice thought.
He will become the best version of himself, and even this wizarding society won't hold him back. If they try, he will break their hold, and curse them right back for he was not the Housewarden of Pomefiore for nothing.
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Vil was shopping for his new wardrobe at Madam Malkin's, that meant getting measured for the necessary school uniform, some formal robes and ordering heaps of fabric he likes because he plans to sew his own clothing in a style he likes.
Wizards tend to wear very unpractical robes with clashing bright colours and unusual patterns, so he has little hope for the look of the uniform.
His new father pretty quickly yielded to him once Vil decided that his sense of style wasn't it, and basically remade his whole closet into something that Vil approved of.
That amusing thought got caught off when the bell by the door announced the arrival of a new costumer.
Vil turned, and he met his gaze with a familiar piercing green eyes.
It couldn't be...
"Your beauty is like a shining sun illuminating this sorrowful world, my Roi du Poison."
It was...
Vil's eyes softened, a light smile on his face as he held out his hand towards...
"Rook."
Rook bowed slightly and brought Vil's hand to his mouth and left a kiss on it. "My new name is Harry Potter, but to you my Queen, I will always be Rook Hunt."
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It turned out that Rook also got reincarnated and his looks were pretty much the same as in his previous life. Although, his hair was now black and unruly, and he had a small lightning scar on his forehead.
Vil can work with it, and judging from Rook's expression, he was all for it.
They caught up, talked about their lives and new families. Rook's situation wasn't as good as Vil's. His parents were dead, so he lived with his aunt and uncle who were very neglectful and emotionally abusive. Had Rook been a normal child, he would have probably been physically abused as well.
Rook made his stance clear to them, and his guardians didn't dare provoke him any further. They tried to mask their new found fear and unease by ignoring him and by making snarky comments.
Rook told him not to worry about it and that he has it all under contol. Vil believes him. After all, he knows that his Vice isn't one to be messed with. The Hunt in his name isn't there for nothing, and judging from the appearance of his body, Rook must have started training as soon as he physically could to regain the skills from his past life.
Another thing to note is that wizards consider Rook a savior for not being killed when he was a baby. Well, that and vanquishing a dark lord, but Vil doubts that baby Rook was resposible for that.
They discussed it, and their memories from their past lives returned gradually, most likely to not overwhelm a young not fully developed child's mind. So, Rook doesn't have any memories of the night that got him the nickname The Boy Who Lived.
That title will follow Rook throughout his whole schooling, which isn't going to be a pleasant experience since Rook won't conform to the wizards' ideal image of their 'savior'.
They had to split up because Hagrid, the groundkeeper came to collect Rook for the rest of his shopping, all while shooting Vil suspicious looks.
Seriously, so called 'light' families are discriminating againts 'dark' families, and are doing exactly the same thing that 'dark' families are doing to them: judging other by the station of birth.
Public perception is so ridiculous here. Your alignment is decided by birth, and you can't change it, otherwise they will be cast out from one side and the other will never fully accept them.
They need to learn that dedication and perseverance are more important that just accepting their given fate ordained by the nature of birth.
Vil and Rook said their goodbyes and agreed to meet up on Hogwarts Express. This goodbye wasn't hard to say because they now knew that they will reunite once more and take the wizarding world by a storm.
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At the Hogwarts Express Vil first met up with Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson, who were both children from pureblood families and thus they met in early childhood.
Pansy is a confident girl who takes the traditions of wizarding world seriously. She expects the same glamour and etiquette she was taught, from others. That often leaves her disappointed since 'light' families consider following strict tradition to be aligning with dark so they don't practise them.
On the other hand, muggleborns are never taught which often leads to them unintentionally insulting wizards from pureblood families, so they in return double down.
And finally, half bloods. They are the most common but they are the worst since they pick and choose what traditions they want to follow and what to disregard. Since they are a majority, they are a deciding factor of what is right and what is wrong, all the while never fully committing to either side.
Pansy was happy that she met Draco because he agrees with her and has his own gripes with how things are done, so he plans to change that while keeping true to the heart of traditions.
Another great thing is that he is also into fashion, so they can spend a lot of time together experimenting with beauty products and different styles.
Blaise is more laid-back and take everything in stride. He is an observer, carefully examining everything and everyone so when he acts he never ends up on the losing side. But he also spent a lot of time with Draco Malfoy, so he knows that standing against him is borderline suicidal.
Blaise picks his battles, and he decided early on that he will stand besides Draco for he will change the social norms until they fit his ideal image.
Thankfully, he already managed to place himself as one of his friends due to their families having political ties.
"Draco! How have you been?" Pansy excitedly shouted when she caught the sight of him. Blaise just lazily waived his hand in greeting.
"I am well. Are you excited to see what Hogwarts has to offer?" Vil, currently known as Draco, asked.
"Yes. I expect to be sorted into Slytherin so I'm looking forward to seeing how our dorm will look. They say that it has a great underwater view, and that that is something no one has never been able to replicate to date.
"I'm more looking forward to the sorting itself, they usually make a great spectacle out of it." Blaise said, and then he locked his gaze with Vil, trying to get a read on his opinion. "This year, Harry Potter is joining as well."
Blaise already chose a side, but he has to know how Draco will stand with the famous Harry Potter, the personification of the victory of the light families.
"That he is." Vil didn't miss the unspoken question. "We already made our acquaintance, and agreed to meet during our train ride to Hogwarts."
Blaise nodded. That answers that question. Civil, hopefully friendly terms until further notice.
Pansy was interested to find out more about their meeting, so she asked Draco about it.
Draco didn't manage to say anything since the door of their train compartment opened, and another voice answered instead. "It was magnifique! Like a meeting from a fairy tale. The sight of his beauty has pierced my heart, and left me unable to stand the thought of us apart!"
All that was said in the most dramatic way possible with a hint of French accent, while gazing lovingly at Draco.
Pansy and Blaise stared blankly with their mouths wide opened. Meanwhile The Harry Potter wrapped his hands around Draco's shoulders and beamed at them.
On the other hand, Draco didn't even blink, his composure relaxed yet elegant, as he asked Harry how the things have been since the last time they saw each other.
Blaise sweatdropped. Why did Draco hint that they were on the good terms? That's pure bullshit. He managed to charm The Boy Who Lived and has him wrapped around his little finger.
He is so glad that he chose to side with Draco because if this is an indicator to anything, it is that Draco will emerge victorious no matter what or who he is dealing with, all while maintaining that stern, unbothered, aristocratic look.
They then continued to chat about Hogwarts houses, Quidditch and upcoming classes. And during all of this, Harry was happily leaning against Draco and spewing French and poetic phrases about his beauty.
Pansy found it romantic, and was eager to find out what else Harry had to say, seeing as he has the right idea about beauty.
Blaise just wanted to get out of here, he was feeling the second hand embarrassment. Any respect he might have had for Harry Potter, vanished as soon as he opened his mouth.
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Very soon, the train stopped and then the first years were lead towards the lake where Hagrid greeted them.
"Hija, 'arry!" Hagrid waived to Rook as soon as he noticed him.
"Hello, Monsieur Hagrid!" Rook greeted back and then picked which boat he and Vil were gonna embark.
He entered first, helped stedy the boat and only then held out his hand to Vil.
Vil already used to his antics, went along with it. But before either Blaise or Pansy entered the boat, Rook stopped them.
"Please use another boat." Rook used his very obviously fake smile to get the message across that this wasn't a suggestion.
Pansy and Blaise exchanged looks, a little disturbed, but decided it wasn't worth to fight about it. Maybe Potter just wanted to have some romantic alone time with his new-found crush.
Vil only raised an eyebrow. Rook usually didn't avoid the company of others, so this must be important.
Rook signaled him to wait.
Alright.
When the last student entered their boat, and their little voyage started, Vil finally asked "What did you want to discuss?"
Rook first checked that no one was listening, and then leaned towards him and said "Hogwarts is being used as a safekeep for some magical item, and there was enough secrecy about it that it must be significant."
"They can't be serious! This is a school for children as young as eleven years old, and they decided to put something dangerous in it!" Vil exclaimed, a little shocked. This wasn't how he planned to start his schooling.
"Correct. When Hagrid showed me my vault in Gringotts, he also took out an object that was wrapped in an old newspaper and was small enough to fit into one hand."
Vil hummed. A magical artifact that was kept in Gringotts which was said to be unbreachable, was pulled out and put into a school. It could be because Dumbledore was here, but even then it's too much of a safety risk for children for it to be kept here.
There was also the fact that Hagrid showed it to Rook when it was supposed to be such a secret. Whether it's just carelessness or some more sinister reason is still up to the debate.
Rook continued on with his findings, his tone and expression solemn. "When I required about it further, he slipped that the object was taken from Flamel's vault for it to be taken to Dumbledore. Afterwards he backtracked, and tried to cover up his slip up."
"You think it's foul play." Vil commented, it was rhetorical. He was quick to grasp what Rook wasn't saying.
Sending someone who slips up quite easily for something important enough to be kept under wraps in a company of an eleven year old is suspicious.
They wanted for Rook, or more specifically Harry Potter to find out that something is going on behind the scenes and investigate.
Rook nodded. Thankfully, he wasn't a normal child, but a reincarnation of a hunter with an exceptional fighting and magical skills.
"Keep an eye out for anything else out of the ordinary. We cannot let whatever is being planned to affect the rest of the students. You are already a symbol, we'll have to deconstruct that image before it can be used against us." Vil said with a stern expression on his face.
School is a place for improvement and these people are actively stunning their students' growth by putting them in potentially dangerous situations.
They'll have to tackle the issue from two fronts.
"I'll take over the Slytherins, and you should try to get into Gryffindor. For now go along with an image of a courageous savior, we'll wait until they show their hand, and then we'll turn their expectations against them.
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The first years gathered around Minerva McGonagall, as she instructed them about the sorting process.
She took a look at the next generation of students, and it seems promising so far.
Their small and hopeful gazes wandered around themselves, trying to soak in the magical scenery. The amazement and wonder in their eyes always brings Minerva joy.
She could already pinpoint few students from familiar families. Little Susan Bones, who looks so much like her aunt Amelia. Little Neville Longbottom, who she saw on few occasions when visiting his parents. Little Ron Weasley, who she hopes will follow his elder brothers' footsteps. (Not Fred and George, obviously. They bring entertainment, but she doesn't need even more chaos.)
The Purebloods: Zabini boy, Parkinson's daughter, Crabbe and Goyle's boys who were keeping to themselves, Nott's son, and...
She paused for a second.
Little head of black tuft was holding hands with a blond boy who stood tall with a grace of a noble with a stern expression on his face. It looked like he was judging everything and everyone, and found it lacking.
Those boys were Harry Potter and the son of Lucius Malfoy. She couldn't miss them. Harry looked like a carbon copy of James with Lily's eyes, and Malfoy had that distinct Malfoy look, the long blond hair.
She was surprised that they seemed to be friends, especially since Malfoys were famous for working with You Know Who, but she supposes that it's a good thing that there doesn't exist animosity between the two.
It's still a bit weird, but cute. Two eleven year old boys decided to become friends despite the unsavory past caused by the Death Eaters.
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Rook and Vil entered the Great Hall. The impressive view on the ceiling welcomed them.
They were holding hands, Rook has been very clingy ever since they reunited, not that Vil minded. He was beyond elated to meet his lover from the past life, and even though he doesn't remember how he died, the feeling of pain, fear and despair still accompanies him.
Rook also denied remembering how he died, so the cause of their death and reincarnation is still unclear.
The sorting itself is similar enough to how the Dark Mirror decided where they belong, except the Sorting Hat is basing it's decision on what it reads in the child's mind, meaning what the child wants, not what they need.
The houses are based on one personality trait: ambition, bravery, intelligence and hard-work. These are all qualities that every single person has, the only thing that differentiates them is the range of those personality traits.
On the other hand, the Dark Mirror reads your soul and puts you in a dormitory whose lifestyle will ensure the growth of a person.
The system is flawed, but fine. That's the tradition of wizards so Vil will accommodate.
"Malfoy, Draco!" Professor McGonagall called out his new name.
He wasn't nervous, he already knew where he will go. He was probably the only first year, besides Rook, to walk confidently without even a shred of nervousness.
He used to be an actor and a model, having over a hundred pairs of eyes aimed at him is nothing.
He sat down on the stool, back straight, and the hat cried out "Slytherin!" the second it ended up on his head.
The older students weren't surprised that a Malfoy ended up in Slytherin. He is the son of a Pureblood Death Eater, so him joining his family's legacy in the house known for blood purity is within expectations.
What no one expected was for this boy to walk confidently to the stool with a grace of royalty, nor that he would carry himself like a king sitting on a throne instead of a small wooden stool.
This left an impression on all the students, and even professors.
The Slytherins clapped, but Harry Potter clapped the loudest. Seeing that other first years also started clapping, following his example.
The sorting carried on until the name "Potter, Harry!" was called out.
The whispers filled the Great Hall, they couldn't believe that The Boy Who Lived joined them at Hogwarts.
Rook walked up to the stool, and the hat started talking to him as soon as it hit his head.
'You are an interesting one. From a different life, I see.' the Hat mused.
'Oui. I would like Gryffindor if you please, Monsieur Hat.'
'Gryffindor? You are brave indeed, but Hufflepuff would suit you better. After all, the loyalty to your Queen knows no bounds.'
'For that reason, the Gryffindor house is needed. My Roi du Poison advises it so, so it shall be.'
'You also have the characteristics of Slytherin, the cunning and ambition. Your biggest goal in life is to protect him and always stay by his side.'
'Indeed. The past mistakes won't repeat in this life, and for that I need Gryffindor.'
'Very well.' and with that the hat cried out "Gryffindor!"
The creers erupted around the Great Hall, the loudest ones from the Gryffindor, with the Weasley twins yelling "We got Potter!"
Rook headed towards his new house, he turned his head towards the Slytherin table, and he briefly locked eyes with Vil.
Both were thinking the same thing. 'The curtain rose, the show starts now.'