Everyone in the Wizarding World knew the story of the Boy-Who-Lived. Hermione Granger discovered his name mentioned in at least three of her textbooks and other books she bought upon discovering the truth of her magical abilities. What really amazed her was the lack of mention of the boy after that? Where did he go off to after his parents were murdered?
Hermione only recently found luck the modest house of two wealthy dentists. They took her in upon finding that she was orphaned and brilliant. So Hermione felt a special tiding towards the orphaned and famous boy. Likely, he would be treated for his fame, and most would forget about the tragedy that befall him. Similar, Hermione imagined, to how adults treated her brilliance. They ignored why she had to be so brilliant.
See, Hermione, muggle-born, was fatherless by five, motherless by seven. The former abandoning the pair of females; the latter dying of a curable disease that almost took Hermione as well. The next five years consisted of her having to be smart to survive. To survive the streets, then the foster system, then finally navigating the strange powers she discovered in herself. The young girl taught herself to read while incompetent teachers attempted to hold her back for social behavior issues. She couldn't help it; she did not care for children.
She was right, though, as she often was, in believing Harry Potter may someone who might understand her. Harry, besides being dumped in a forgotten home with family who hated him, suffered his own set of tragedies which provided him with skills above his age group. While his intelligence fell below that of the young Granger's, he obtained survival, fighting, and planning skills in the plenty.
Starved and abused, Harry continued in the Dursley household only for a lack of other options. However, when he was ten, his Aunt Petunia killed herself. She supposedly left a note, but Harry was never allowed to see it. He might have tried to sneak a look, but immediately following her burial, his Uncle Vernon threw him out of the house.
"YOU! YOU KILLED HER! YOU WILL NEVER PLAGUE THIS HOUSE AGAIN! GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT! IF YOU HAD NEVER COME, SHE WOULD STILL BE ALIVE!" The large, pink-faced man bellowed from the doorway as Harry scrambled out of the house. He had no belongings. As the only family he ever knew slammed his front door, Harry stood there uncertain of what to do. Like Hermione found a reprieve in the kindly dentist, Harry found his in the name of Bathilda Bagshot.
While all the neighbors on Privet Drive stared at the abandoned boy, only one came out to greet him.
"Well, Harry, I believe it's time for you to come back to the Wizarding World," Mrs. Figg said, waving him to follow her. Despite believing her to be absolutely batty, Harry followed her, not having many other options. When she had explained everything, Harry no longer took her to be insane.
"I suspect, boy, you could live wherever you would want. There would be plenty of families who would be willing to take you in. I would be more than willing to allow you to live here as well, although I am unsure if I could protect you from Vernon's wrath were he to become angry with you so close," Mrs. Figg offered kindly. Harry nibbled on delicious biscuits and sipped at extraordinary tea. The tastefulness of the treats alone gave Harry enough to believe that his life had not always been as it had seen.
"I think you are right. It would be dangerous for both of us for me to stay here. I don't want to be a charity case either. The Dursleys have treated me as a charity case my whole life. I refuse to live in another location like it. Is there anyone who I could work for and earn my own keep?" Harry asked, more mature than a ten-year-old ought to be. Mrs. Figg studied him. She knew she ought to tell someone from the ministry about the child being removed from his family's house, but technically she was only placed there to assure that no wizards came looking for Harry. So she felt if the family refused to care for the child, Harry had the right to decide what he wanted to do next. Mrs. Figg stood up and went over to the fireplace. She grabbed a container off the mantel. She held it out to him.
"Take this, step into the fireplace, drop it, saying very clearly 'Godric's Hollow, Number 11,'" she ordered. Harry did as she asked, taking extra care about the word even as he wanted to cough, and looked up to find himself in someone else's home. An older witch came scurrying down, much more sprightly then he thought possible with how old she appeared.
"Well, who are you? Are you lost?" She asked, flitting around him never stopping for a moment. Then, Mrs. Figg pushed him forward as she came through the fireplace as well. "Arabella!" The witch then pushed Harry out of the way and embraced Mrs. Figg with a large hug.
"Bathilda," Mrs. Figg returned the hug with significantly less enthusiasm.
"Well, what brings you here," Bathilda said, pulling out a stick and waving it around so tea cups came flying through the air. Bathilda ushered Mrs. Figg into a chair as she sat in one herself, appearing to completely forgotten the mystery boy. One tea cup and saucer settled in front of Mrs. Figg and the other in front of Bathilda. Even as she sat, Harry noticed, the older witch still appeared to be moving. Mrs. Figg nodded to Harry to take a sit next to her.
"I'm afraid Harry, here, has been abandoned by his muggle family members and now must find new living conditions," Mrs. Figg began as Bathilda finally paid Harry attention. Now that her eyes were on him again, she studied him with the ferociousness of a predator.
"Well, that is unfortunate. What can I possibly do to help? I am in no condition to raise a child?" Bathilda sniffed.
"You are in perfect condition, but I'm not asking you raise him. I'm asking you to house and employee him. I know how you hate every day chores, so I believe you could use a hand around the house. Harry has skills in cleaning and cooking. He can take care of the house as well as be your aid in whatever your latest research is. You have an extra room, I understand?" Mrs. Figgs simply waited for Bathilda to nod hesitantly before going on. "You can provide him with a place to stay and home school him. If you do not want to do the latter, then you can send him to the muggle school. He has been going to one of them for years and appears okay for it."
"I do not like children. I would have had one of my own if I had wanted to be forced into raising one, Arabella," Bathilda said darkly. Harry frowned. He knew he was only ten, but he was surely better than his peers. He had essentially been raising himself for years now.
"Well, lucky for you, Harry is a unique child. I doubt he will take any kind of raising what-so-ever. His family was quite abusive and the interactions between them largely consisted of them treating him like a house elf. He is above his age, Bathilda," when Bathilda just stared tenaciously back, Mrs. Figgs continued, "if it is a problem, you can send him back to me and I will find somewhere else to go. He is going to resent anyone who treats him like a child. You are the best person for him." Bathilda turned her stare on Harry once again. The older witch frowned heavily at him, but he didn't flinch. He stared right back into the grey eyes.
"Fine. And I will homeschool you. Going to muggle school isn't going to help you at Hogwarts."
So began the life of Harry Potter with Bathilda- whose last name he later learned to be Bagshot. At first, Bathilda appeared to snap and complain about everything about Harry. His untidiness, his food wasn't as good as it should be, he took too long going to the store. Eventually, however, Harry gained her trust.
The regular schedule for their day would be Harry getting up early to make breakfast. Bathilda gave up on Harry's appearance, but she taught him tricks and tips for making food with wands ("for when he was of age"). He couldn't practice any of it, but he made notes in a notebook he kept nearby at all times. Both because it was necessary for him to keep up with what she wanted him to research for her latest project, and because he wanted to gain her approval. Her occasional smile when he did something correct refilled Harry's motivation to try his hardest.
After breakfast, Bathilda would spend the morning tutoring Harry on the magical world and basic skills it would assume he would have entering Hogwarts. They practiced mathematics and then would talk about magical creatures commonly encounter. Bathilda encouraged critical analysis and his reading skills then would describe the enforcement of laws and the Ministry of Magic. Harry would review research methods and magical laws then ask Bathilda about Quidditch and other information he read from the Daily Prophet which arrived daily.
After lunch, which Harry made, they would focus on Bathilda's research, digging into books or Harry searched through her notes. Sometimes they made visits to locations or people. They even took trips out of country to visit exotic locations or libraries abroad. Harry saw more things in the world in his first week with Bathilda then in his whole life with the Dursley's.
Dinner and the evening following would be when Harry would clean up whatever mess they made or run errands to the store for Bathilda. Occasionally, Bathilda joined him and introduced to the various individuals in Godric's Hollow. They introduced him as James, Bathilda's muggle-born ward. They glammored his scar and cut his hair to hide it when possible. If some residents became suspicious, they never said anything. Sometimes, if nothing needed to be cleaned, Harry spent the evening just enjoying himself.
Several weeks in, around when Bathilda stopped nit-picking everything Harry did, Bathilda sat down and told Harry about the war currently taking place. The year before Harry came to join her, Lord Voldemort had returned. It was said he broke into Hogwarts where Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, had been hiding an extraordinary object that he discovered Voldemort was searching for. Supposedly the object was captured back from Voldemort and destroyed, but not until Voldemort had already managed to use it to return. Since then, Voldemort had Death Eaters, his followers, everywhere. Some were planted in the Ministry of Magic to do his bidding. The only place that still remained free of his followers was Hogwarts.
After Bathilda described all of this to Harry and what kind of atrocities Voldemort committed, a group arrived at their home to cast a number of protection spells. The group was called the Order of the Phoenix. Harry hid while they were there, because they were trying to prevent anyone from suspecting Harry's location. However, he stood near doorways and listened as they talked about the war effort. He was transfixed. He wanted to be able to help fight the prejudice and horror Bathilda described to him.
After they came, Harry began asking about his parents, and Bathilda took him to the cemetery where they lay. He cried, and Bathilda put her arm around him, saying nothing. Later, she told him a lot. Bathilda told him stories of his parents and how they were brave beyond doubt.
Meanwhile, Harry learned to live with the witch that never stopped. Bathilda was an eccentric woman. She hated children and vocalized it whenever a child came in view. Bathilda talked to herself and often would stop in the middle of a sentence to start another thought. Harry learned to follow her erratic thoughts and learned to love her, although affection never breached their conversations.
The year before he turned eleven and started his first-year at Hogwarts went by in a blink. When Harry gained his letter; they celebrated with cake, one Bathilda made. Bathilda sent him to Diagon Alley alone, because they needed to keep up pretenses. He walked from store to store, following the directions Bathilda gave him. She told him to have everything sent to Mrs. Figg's house, so that's what he did, after finding out he was more then wealthy enough to pay Bathilda for staying there. Not that he minded working for her, and he decided to not offer, because he wanted to do what he could for the woman who took him in.
In Diagon Alley, he ordered his books and other materials. Robes he only need to order some for school. Bathilda had gotten him a whole new wardrobe when he arrived at her house with no belongings. He, in return, cleaned her extremely dirty attic. Robes took moments, as the witch updated his measurements and sent him on his way.
Harry waited for his wand for last, excited the most for it. He knew, in the next couple weeks, he would be able to perform magic without repercussions. He entered Ollivander's and found a girl and two nervous muggle-dressed individuals sitting waiting as the girl tried wands. Harry watched with interest as Mr. Ollivander gave her wand after wand, grinning with the challenge. The girl seemed determined to make one work. Finally, one shot out with a rainbow of color, raising the girl temporarily off the ground and setting her gently back.
"That is your wand." The girl turned swiftly to show the two adults, presumably her parents, sitting behind her, but she caught sight of Harry and stopped.
"Oh! How do you do?" the girl's brown hair sprayed out in all directions, bouncing as she held her hand out to him.
"Are you starting Hogwarts this year, too?" Harry asked, taking her hand.
"Yes! Hermione Granger," she introduced herself. Harry hesitated.
"Harry Potter," Harry told her. Her eyes widened only slightly.
"Are you really? How wonderful? Are you here alone?" Hermione asked glancing around. Harry immediately felt uncomfortable, and Hermione appeared to notice. "Sorry. I only wondered. None of the books I read about you in mentioned what happened to you. I was merely curious to know if you were living with wizards this whole time." Harry frowned, but answered.
"Yes, I was with my aunt and uncle. What about you?" Harry asked, wondering how he could get out of this conversation.
"Muggle-born. Found out recently about the fact I was a witch. If you are here alone, you can join me and my parents," she nodded to the man and woman, "Well, my adopted parents." She added, taking in Harry's interest.
"I'd love to, but all I really need still is to get my wand then I'll be done," Harry said.
"Well, how about we wait for you, and we can go out to lunch. I don't know anyone yet, I would love to get to know someone," Hermione smiled and Harry decided to say yes. Despite her immediate friendliness, Harry didn't believe she wanted to be his friend because of who he was.
"I suppose if you don't mind, Mr. and Mrs. Granger," Harry looked to her parents who nodded consensus. Hermione watched with excited and gave cheers when Harry finally found his wand. When Ollivander explained its uniqueness, Hermione "oohed" and added a commentary of "how interesting" to the background. Harry had to admit, she said out loud what she thought.
When they went to lunch, Hermione took over the majority of talking. She was an intelligent, mature girl who engaged Harry with her knowledge. She bordered on know-it-all, but when Harry provided her with some of the information he gained from Bathilda, she proved a willing listener. She asked questions of Harry, and Harry asked questions of her. At the end of the lunch, Hermione gave him a hug, much to his surprise.
"Harry, would you mind if I get your address and write to you? Or I can call you?" She looked down at Hedwig's cage in Harry's hand. "Perhaps you can use your owl. I suppose you just bought her." He looked around something to write with.
"I don't have anything to get your address. I don't know anyone either," Hermione's mother, presumably, handed her a small piece of paper and pen. Hermione scribbled down on it, handing it immediately to him.
"I am sorry for your loss, Harry," Hermione said as he looked at the address. Harry looked up surprised.
"Oh. Thanks. I'm sorry for yours," He replied back.
"I look forward to your letter," Hermione said.
In his first letter, he only wrote a few lines. Hermione's reply made up for it. She admitted why she was so interested in getting to know him. She explained about her father, her mother, and her subsequent life in various places. Harry wrote back and admitted of the abuse he saw in the Dursley household. He admitted to living in the Wizarding World and explained that for now he couldn't say who because he needed to be kept safe. They wrote back and forth until the first of September. Harry waited for Hermione at the front of the train station, Bathilda having stayed at home to avoid suspicion (although, Harry admittedly thought she sounded quite depressed at having to see him go). Hermione and the Grangers greeted him enthusiastically, all four of them traveling through the pillar the Platform of 9 ¾ as Bathilda told Harry to.
They took a seat and squirmed in excitement to begin a new journey.