This is the first long story I've attempted in a very long time, and also if I'm honest my first attempt in years to delve seriously into the fanfiction world. I wrote a lot in the past, but found my inspiration dying resulting in an endless stream of songfics and oneshots that were quite frankly nothing like what I would like to be known for. Entertaining and theraputic at the time, I'm finding more and more now I have time to read again that as a reader this type of fic irritates me greatly. It's a nice idea, and I'll admit that years ago I found enjoyment and relaxation by writing these fics, but looking back they required very little writing or thought as a writer and didn't really challenge me to try harder, or even at all. That, I guess, is the inspiration for this fic, and for my returning to the fanfiction world with hopefully what will become my most epic story to date. For the first time ever I have a plot set out in my head, or at least the basis of one, and know where I want this story to go. The plot isn't set in stone, my ideas are still only thoughts but I am hoping that I'll be able to turn them into something worth reading and that others will find enjoyment from my little ideas. I can't be sure that this won't be like other stories read before, I can honestly say that I have taken ideas from a lot of other stories I've read in recent months, but I do hope I can put my own spin onto things and not just re-hash those overused storylines that while enjoyable are over done and over used. I warn you quite openly that I do dislike Dumbledore, and most of the Weasleys, and I don't have much time for Hermione as a character either. I found cannon to be full of many plot holes and that the original character of Harry Potter was a weak and unassuming character, reacting in my personal opinion extremely mildly to the situations he was put under. This story will contain a lot of Dumbledore and Weasley bashing, and my Harry will end up being extremely AU, because that's the way I see him turning if he was a real person faced with that which he has to go through.
And now my rediculousy long Authors Note is done with, I leave you with the intro to my story. I can't gaurantee regular updates, as I'm a full time mum with my second due in 3 months time so I only get to write in the evenings, but I hope to post weekly at the least (my last long-ish story with 3 regular reviewers I was posting almost daily) dependant on reviews and remembering to pay my internet bill, and I hope you all enjoy the story to come.
Disclaimer: While I wish I owned Harry Potter for the money, I hate the way the character was portrayed in cannon and am just playing around with him and others with the permission of the copywrite holders.
To anyone passing by Privet Drive would seem like any other suburban street in any other town in Britain. There was nothing on the outside to suggest that any of the inhabitents were anything but normal, well meaning and law abiding members of society, but this wasn't necessarily the case for number 4. To outsiders it might have seemed like just a normal home, the residents went to school, went to work, kept their gardens immaculate and were Perfectly and Completely Normal, but hidden in the back bedroom was their dirtiest little secret.
That dirty little secret was currently sitting at a small desk next to the window staring intently at the letter in his hand as he tried to comprehend the meaning behind it. His name was Harry Potter and he was everything the Dursleys of number 4, Privet Drive, detested. It wasn't that he was a bad mannered boy or even particularly troublesome, but he was everything that they saw as against the norm, everything that defied their perfect little world. Harry Potter was a Wizard, and at almost sixteen years old he had just finished his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardary. Quiet and unforthcoming, there was very little about Harry to suggest this to anyone on the outside, but the mere fact of his skills was enough to enfuriate his aunt and uncle, the owners of the house and during the summer months his legal guardians.
Harry absentmindedly pushed his messy black hair back from his forehead revealing a lightening bolt scar, the only lasting mark that set him out from anyone else. Sighing he went back to reading through the letter, trying his hardest to make sense of it.
Mr Potter,
Our sincere apologies for contacting you in this way, but unfortunately due to a lack of response from any of our owls we at Gringotts feel we have no other option. We would like to arrange a meeting with you at your earliest convenience to discuss discrepancies to your account funds and your lack of regular contact with our bank and persons, something that should have by all rights been rectified by your guardians as set out by your parents will.
Please write your reply on the back of this letter and it will be recieved by us in due course.
Yours,
Chief Goblin Growlburp.
He stared again at the letter, trying his hardest to make some type of sense out of it. He had always been lead to believe that his parents hadn't left a Will, that they'd died before they had the chance to write one. He'd never recieved any post from Gringotts either, but this seemed undermined by the underlying message in the letter, that things were going out of the ordinary with his accounts and there were things that he should have been made aware of long ago. There was also the suggestion that he wasn't with his rightful guardians, although that could easily be explained away by the situation with Sirius. With his godfather in prison there wasn't much that could be done in terms of his care other than what the headmaster had decided. But then that also brought up the question of the Will again. If, as the letter suggested, there was in fact a Will in place, then wouldn't that have led to the conclusion that his parents had left alternate guardians for him as well? Anyone preparing for their own deaths during war time must have thought about the possibility that others wouldn't survive either. He might not have known much about his parents, but he assumed from what knowledge he did have that they would have thought more than to leave no alternate options. He should have recieved his post from the bank at least, as the letter mentioned that there were statements and the like that were due to go to him, and that itself brought up more questions. It was pretty clear to him that owl post could reach him at Privet Drive as his friends and at times the ministry would send him letters, so it stood to reason that these particular letters were being blocked somehow.
Sighing, the young Harry Potter turned over the parchment and began to scribble a quick reply, his mind reeling but his hands managing to keep to the steady script that came from years of writing on parchment and quill.
Dear Sir,
I would be happy to come and meet with you at your earliest convenience, however due to my current situation and the fact that I am almost sure I am being watched at all times I am not sure how easy it will be to arrange transportation without people questioning it or trying to stop me. If there is anything you can suggest to get around these issues then it would be most appreciated, as I wasn't even aware that my parents had written a Will.
Awaiting your response
Harry Potter.
Yes, I am aware that this intro was short and didn't really say much, its just the first intro of two really, although I am choosing to title the second intro as a full chapter. I am hoping that after these two introductions to the story my chapters will begin to get longer and my writing style improve with practice. I can't be sure I won't always write long a/n's because to be perfectly honest they help me to focus my writing both before and after my chapters, but hopefully these too won't put off readers too much. If you've read this far, I thank you, and look forward to sharing the rest of my story with you. You can expect the next chapter within the next day depending on response, as it is written and waiting and reviews make me want to post and write more, so fingers crossed! Keep reading, keep writing, keep reviewing and keep enjoying.