Harry Potter the Accidental Overlord

CHAPTER 1: Harry Accidentally Inspires a Cult Following

A/N: First attempt at a multi-chapter fan fiction, begins in Harry's second year during the Chamber of Secrets incident. Also since I see this disclaimer everywhere, even though it seems pointless since I assume that if the actual owner of this or any other book, movie or whatever was actually writing more for the franchise they'd just publish under their own name for money, I don't own Harry Potter or any other published work. I include this disclaimer just in case there was actually something I missed when reading the rules and this is actually necessary.

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Harry walked on by, thinking that Justin might be using his free time to catch up on some work, and decided to check the library first.

A group of the Hufllpuffs who should have been in Herbology were indeed sitting in the back of the library, but they didn't seem to be working. Between the long lines of high bookshelves, Harry could see that their heads were close together and that they were having what looked like an absorbing conversation. He couldn't see whether Justin was among them. He was walking towards them when something of what they were saying met his ears, and he paused to listen, hidden in the Invisibility section.

-from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; Chapter 11

As Harry was going to step out and confront them he paused for a moment and considered this particular course of action. While it might have been momentarily satisfying to see the looks on their faces once they realized that he had heard every single word they had just spouted, in the end it would change nothing.

Standing there in the back of the library, listening as Ernie spread malicious rumors about him, he felt himself growing irritated, both at the Hufflepuffs' lack of situational awareness and their general stupidity at spreading the rumors in the middle of the library where anyone could eavesdrop.

Once again, he briefly contemplated stepping out from behind the bookshelf and confronting the Hufflepuffs, but decided not to waste his time. If the Hufflepuffs were foolish enough to believe he was the heir of Slytherin they would probably not be convinced by his denials.

As he observed yet another instance of the sheep mentality and general gullibility that ran rampant throughout the magical world, a rather mischievous grin spread across his face.

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"Ah, just the men I was looking for!" Harry exclaimed as he spotted the Weasley twins coming out of an abandoned classroom near the Gryffindor common room.

The Twins, turning quickly to see who was calling them, spotted Harry and smiled mischievously before in what was an obviously well practiced swift motion, they threw themselves on the their knees and cried out, "All hail the Heir of Slytherin! All hail the Heir of Slytherin!"

Harry waited patiently while the Twins got it out of their systems before continuing, "How would you lads like to make some galleons?" Whereas the Hufflepuffs' insinuations had irritated him the twins' over the top antics amused him.

Instantly the Twins where on their feet and standing on either side of Harry. "Harry, mate how can we be of assistance?" they chorused together.

Grinning at their exuberance, Harry laid out his proposal. If the Hufflepuffs were going to besmirch his good name, he was going to fight back with all the resources at his disposal. Granted unleashing the Weasley twins on them might be over doing it a little, but as the famous proverb said all's fair in love and war.

"Gentlemen, it has come to my attention that there are villainous elements in this very castle who are slandering my good name. And so I've come seeking aid among my … allies to help me in my endeavors." Harry said with a serious face, fighting back a grin.

Seeing that he had grabbed the Twins' attention, he continued his sales pitch, "It has come to my attention that the Hufflepuff second years have been telling everyone that I am the Heir of Slytherin, never mind that Malfoy is still alive when clearly he would have been my first victim." The Twins nodded solemnly, knowing as they did the animosity that existed between the young Potter and the pompous ponce.

"Since they have clearly declared war on me, and by extension challenged the honor of the Noble House of Gryffindor, I felt it only sporting that I invite the devious masterminds and undisputed prank masters of Hogwarts to participate in this inter-house… struggle." At this point, Harry lost the fight and a rather impish grin spread across his face.

A pair of equally wicked grins spread across the Twins' faces as they realized just what Harry was proposing, "Does our employer have a specific target in mind?"

Matching their grins with one of his own, Harry handed them a small piece of parchment with a list of names on it. At the very top was Ernie MacMillan's name, followed by a few Hufflepuffs that had been exceedingly persistent in spreading the rumors.

"If you can pin the title of Heir on Ernie I'll pay you ten galleons. If you include his collaborators I'll pay you an additional eight sickles per head."

Quickly reading through the list Fred noticed a pair of names at the bottom of the list that didn't fit with the rest of the names, "What's this bit here at the end about the Malfoy twit and that overgrown bat, Snape?"

Grinning even wider Harry replied, "Well if I'm hiring you fine gentlemen to defend the honor of House Gryffindor I cannot in good consciousness ignore the slimy snakes now can I? So if after you've beaten those uppity Hufflepuffs, if you manage to prank either Malfoy or Snape in a spectacular fashion I'll pay you seven galleons for each of them. Just to cover expenses, you understand?"

Looking affronted George said, "IF we manage? Brother mine, I think we've just been insulted!"

"Think of it as a … challenge my dear sirs." Harry explained hurriedly knowing full well just how quickly the twins retaliated against challenges to their pranking mastery.

"Prank the Slytherins without getting caught and implicate the enemies of our beloved house and I'll pay you." After all the challenge wasn't in the execution of the pranks but in directing retaliation attempts elsewhere, since the Weasley twins would be the primary suspects in any attack on the serpent house.

Grin still firmly in place, Harry continued, "Impress me, and I might just be willing to finance future plots and pranks."

One Twin laughed, "Harry, old boy, I think that this is the start-"

"-of a beautiful partnership," finished the other. Harry had given up tell the twins apart after the his first semester. Although he wished he would figure out how they managed to synchronize their sentences so well.

"Oh, if you prank or get Lockhart in trouble I'll double it." Thoughts of that foppish fool having his feathers ruffled brought Harry a large sense of joy.

The twins taking his hand and shaking it vigorously in approval, brought him back out of his pleasant daydreams and reminded him of one last thing he had to do.

"There is one condition though, gentlemen," Harry said rather seriously all previous mirth wiped off his face.

"Name it!" They replied rather quickly, eager to get started and to put their new found funds to use.

"You must promise me that not one word of this, or any future financial aid will ever reach your mother's ear." Harry said.

Nodding solemnly the twins vowed to keep their new benefactor's identity a secret.

Smiling at their quick acceptance of his terms, Harry handed them a sack of gold as a down payment of their services, and to help them procure supplies.

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What the trio did not realize as they plotted their nefarious deeds was that they were not alone in that lonely forgotten corridor.

A small blonde child had been hiding from mystical beasties behind one of the many suits of armor found throughout Hogwarts. A suit of armor located coincidentally enough, within hearing distance of the trio, and she had heard every last word of their plot.

As the trio moved away from the hallway, the small girl emerged from the shadowy nook and smiled to herself. Unlike most children who would most likely have blurted out their knowledge to their friends, Luna well knew that information was power.

The daughter of a newspaper editor, she had been well educated in the ways and means of propaganda and for the longest time she had been looking for a worthwhile cause to support, and it seemed like she had stumbled on to an especially worthy cause.

Ernest Macmillan was a marked man or her name wasn't Luna Ridiculously-Long-Wizardly-Middle-Name Lovegood. After all it was well known that Ernest Macmillan was being groomed to eventually take over the Hufflepuff Corporation.

And everyone knew that the Hufflepuff Corporation was the shadowy organization that secretly controlled the underground goblin/house-elf wrestling tournaments and was known to fix fights… and no one, absolutely no one ever screwed over a Lovegood and got away with it.

There was absolutely no reason Huffy the Club Footed Goblin should have lost that last match against Hooky the Super Cleaner elf.

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A few days later as Harry returned to the common room, he received news that Justin Finch-Fletchley had been attacked alongside Nearly Headless Nick.

"I wonder if it's too late to call off the Twins or switch targets," he mused to himself, seeing that it would be almost impossible to blame Macmillan. Well he had challenged the Twins; surely they would come up with something.

Harry had no idea just what he had unleashed upon the poor unprepared Hufflepuffs.

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Abandoned Classroom on the Third-Floor corridor on the Right-Hand Side: formerly known as Fluffy's Lair

"We are gathered here today to—"

"Come on Luna hurry it up! I still need to pack." a small red headed girl sighed.

"Fine," huffed the equally small Blonde. "I called you two here to start up the Harry Potter Fan Club, Hogwarts Chapter."

"Isn't there already a fan club?" asked a small mousy boy, a bit confused.

"Yes, but this is a secret club." Luna replied.

"Secret? Why secret?" asked Ginny rather suspiciously.

"Well—"Luna attempted to hedge, but Ginny had grown up around the Lovegoods and knew extremely well the signs to look for when a Lovegood was trying to hide something.

"It's not a standard fan club per se, think of it more as a support group. Harry Potter has helped all three of us here and I for one believe that he would benefit from having us working from the shadows to aid him in his endeavors."

Ginny and Colin Creevey grinned at each other and nodded, "Why didn't you just say so, Luna, of course we'll join!" exclaimed Colin, happy to aid his idol.

Getting the agreement that she had been looking for Luna pulled a few pieces of parchment from out of thin air.

Handing both Colin and Ginny a set, she said, "Here is our mission statement and agenda for today. Also since we are a secret shadowy organization, here is our standard secrecy agreement."

Ginny immediately began reading the documents, knowing from long association with the Lovegood family that you always needed to read whatever they had handed you, or you might find yourself hunting snorkacks in Austria, poor cousin Ignatius had never been quite the same.

"What's this about eldritch horrors, Luna?"

"Oh, you know just standard secrecy agreements it wouldn't be worth much if you could just break it willy-nilly," Luna replied airily.

"E-El-eldritch H-H-horrors?" Colin asked nervously.

"Nothing, to worry about!" Luna said cheerfully, "Just don't break the secrecy agreement and all will be well!"

Knowing full well the futility of trying to change the mind of a Lovegood once it was made up Ginny shrugged and signed the agreement. After all it wasn't like she would ever dare to reveal a secret organization started by a Lovegood, besides who would believe her.

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"Missy Lunie ma'am?" a high pitched voice pipped up from behind Luna as she walked back to the Ravenclaw common room.

"Yes?" she inquired as she glanced down to see who was calling her.

"Cans Dobby bes joining Master Harry Potter sir's secrety club?"

Peering down at him for a minute Luna grinned widely and nodded, "Just sign here, here and here, and don't forget to initial here."

As Dobby the house-elf filled out the forms with her generous help, Luna gleefully rubbed her hands together. The club was growing faster than she had anticipated, it was lucky that no one had yet thought to check for the invisible ink hidden in the fine print. Soon Daddy and I will have enough people for that expedition to-"

"Dobby is finished!" the excitable house-elf squealed, interrupting Luna's thought. Shaking his small hand, Luna officially welcomed him to the club.

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As Harry was getting onto the Express, he again heard rumors of Ernie Macmillan committing crimes against nature with all sorts of mythical animals. 'Boy, when the Twins ruin someone's reputation, they really go all out.' Thought Harry as he search for an empty compartment.

"Did you hear?"

"Yeah Macmillian, that's right, that's what I heard-"

"- Yes, the Hufflepuff, Ernie -"

Well, surely by next year everyone will have forgotten about it. Harry thought to himself before shrugging and settling into a compartment at the end of the Express.

It had been a good year for Harry Potter, his reputation had grown, he had managed to save a nutty elf from an abusive home and consequently saved his own life from Dobby's attempts to save his life, and best of all he'd managed to sell the Basilisk parts for a good price without having to share the profits with the Dursleys.