Chp 2: The Fawley Family

Brian went through the rest of the staff until he came upon Professor Flitwick. He almost missed the tiny little professor because of the pile of food on the table.

Almost all of the teachers and staff were easily recognisable, save for a few side characters whose names he had forgotten.

Turning his head away, Brian shifted his gaze to the students seated at the Slytherin table. It was well known that many Slytherins were proud members of prominent wizarding families.

The vanity and fixation with one's own superiority that were so common among old nobility could be seen in many young wizards in the Slytherin house.

Draco Malfoy was now talking with a pair of stocky boys who seemed a little...off their rockers. He had a sneaking suspicion that their genealogy might include some giants. They were way too big for eleven-year-olds.

The two young wizards in question were unmistakably Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, but Brian couldn't tell them apart. They remarkably resembled one another, right down to their stupid grins, aside from their differences in height.

Sitting directly across from Draco was a girl with a pug face who occasionally raised her head to converse with the other girls while sneaking a peek at Draco. Brian overheard the girl next to her refer to her as Pansy.

Harry was pretty honest in his descriptions of the characters in the book.

However, Brian's attention soon was drawn to the blonde girl across from him. She was strikingly attractive, with bright blue eyes, a porcelain skin tone, and the poise of a lady with an icy disposition.

At this time, she was skillfully slicing a steak while nodding along with the girls at the table. She had the same proud air as the other Slytherins.

The beautiful witch seemed to have noticed Brian's gaze as she looked up, her blue eyes meeting his. They exchanged polite nods and then both turned their attention elsewhere.

All of sudden, the food and desserts on the table vanished like how they appeared. Headmaster Dumbledore rose to his feet and with a wave of his hand brought silence into the hall.

"I have a few start-of-term notices to give you," he began, "First years should note that the forest on the grounds is full of horribly dangerous beasts that want to kill and devour you. Also Hagrid, our gamekeeper, likes to keep pets there. So stay out."

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, our caretaker, to remind you that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. It's like the rule forbidding underage wizards and witches from using magic during holidays. But you know... I wonder when you are supposed to practise your magic if you can neither use it here or at home? Food for thought!"

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in hurtling through the air high above the ground with very little safety equipment and absolutely no adult supervision should contact Madam Hooch."

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

A few of the students laughed, but it was quickly silenced by the deadpan look on Dumbledore's face.

"I'm serious," he continued. "Stay the hell out of there. It's not safe."

However, Brian noticed that when Dumbledore said this, his eyes under the half-moon glasses shone mischievously.

Finally, the Hogwarts Welcoming Feast ceremony came to an end with the singing of the school song.

After Dumbledore dismissed everyone, Brian heard a ding sound in his head. When he closed his eyes, he saw a string of cryptic words that appeared to be imprinted in his mind.

[Be present at the sorting ceremony; gain one point!]

Feeling his head begin to pound, Brian shook himself out of it and decided against investigating further at the moment. He barely managed to stay conscious as he followed the new Slytherins led by the Slytherin prefect out of the Great Hall, down the marble staircase, going further down and deeper into the dungeon until they stopped in front of a bare section of stone wall.

To the confusion of the first years, the female prefect spoke out to the blank wall, "Pureblood."

Slowly, a passage hidden behind the stone wall was revealed, leading into a long, low underground room with green lights hanging from the ceiling and the Black Lake outside the window. Occasionally, shadows could be seen moving across. The room remained warm however, thanks to the large fireplace.

Finding his bedroom at last, Brian threw himself onto the four-poster bed with his name written on it and quickly fell asleep. He was too tired to care about anything else.

A huge amount of information flooded into his mind while he slept. Through the eyes of a boy, he experienced the first eleven years of his life over the course of that night.

Brian's headache was gone when he got out of bed the following morning. He took a look at the young boy in the mirror who was frail and pallid. His sleek black hair had bangs that fell in the front and partially hid his eyes.

Pulling his bangs to the side, the boy in the mirror had pale skin as if he hadn't seen the sun all day. His black eyes were mesmerising and bottomless, drawing everyone who looked into them.

Brian inherited his father's hair and eyes, as well as his mother's good looks. Although Harris Fawley, his father, sometimes lamented that he did not inherit the aquiline nose that had been passed down through the Fawley family for generations.

As one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight pureblood families, the Fawley family of three lived in a large manor in Hampshire and were extremely wealthy.

Harris Fawley possessed an exceptional business acumen. He shared Mr. Malfoy's position on the Hogwarts board of governors and was well-connected within the Ministry of Magic.

He declined to work for the Ministry of Magic. Since Hector Fawley, who served as the Ministry of Magic's Minister during Grindelwald's rise, was kicked from his office, the Fawley family had been less than thrilled about joining the ministry.

Harris Fawley, like the majority of pure-blood families, ardently supports the pureblood ideology. He too was a Death Eater. Brian had seen the Dark Mark on his father's arm before, and his former self even thought it was cool.

Harris was a silent supporter of Voldemort's cause during his reign of terror, contributing money, connections, and artefacts that had been passed down through the family. His involvement was mostly unknown to the public, but remained on excellent terms with the Dark Lord's inner circle.

He even kept up a cordial contact with the Lestrange family. They had a good relationship, and Brian's godmother was Bellatrix Lestrange, nee Black.

However, when the Dark Lord fell, Harris, like several Death Eaters who escaped prison, claimed that he was only under the Imperius Curse, and denied everything about his involvement with the Dark Lord. A little something to smooth things out under the table probably helped as well.

Harris also avoided mentioning Bellatrix, who was presently in Azkaban, with Brian. It was because Brian's former self overheard his father and mother discussing this in the study that Brian knew about his godmother.

To learn that his father was a Death Eater was a terrible shock to Brian. He sighed helplessly. Purebloods were a thing of the past in today's wizarding world in his opinion.

Betty Fawley, his mother, was a Prewett. She and Molly Weasley nee Prewett were sisters. So, that made him a cousin of the Weasleys. To be honest, it didn't matter anyway. All the pureblood families were related in some way.

His mother had never spoken to her sister since they both got married and she even forbade him from contacting anyone from the Weasley family. When he accidentally mentioned the Weasleys, she made no secret of the resentment towards them in her tone.

Betty Fawley was a woman who lived by the most stringent of standards. She was like the polar opposite of Molly Weasley. She kept to herself like a lady, speaking softly and meticulously upholding her manners and demeanour.

The former Brian Fawley was a quiet and introverted child who usually preferred to bury his head in a book most of the time, which left his mother helpless.

He didn't talk much and kept his head slightly bowed when walking to avoid making eye contact with others. Because of his upbringing, he handled all situations with grace and dignity.

Like most little wizards of pure blood families, he firmly believed they were superior to others. That was, until he took over this body.

The new Brian, while retaining the elegant demeanour of his former self, also became much more outgoing and open. Now, he preferred to slick his hair back, revealing his black, steady eyes. (AN: Patrick Batemen's haircut)

As he pulled down his hand from his head, he could still feel the grime from last night on his hair. Oh, how he hated that hat now. He swore he would give it a good scrubbing one day.