A/N: This fanfic will be entirely redited and some/many changes will be made to the plot and characters as well as storylines. Some changes small and others huge. Thanks for your support as always!

Harry Potter, the boy who lived twice, gazed at the dismantled and damaged Hogwarts. It was hard to look at the destroyed school that had been his home since he was eleven years old. It had been approximately a few months since the battle, but the memory was anything but distant. He had helped with repairing as had other students and families. Hogwarts would be rebuilt, but he doubted he would get to see it once it was restored to its former glory.

Because once the dust had settled and Voldemort was no more than a spec, Harry had blacked out. And when he awoke, he was, simply put, a mortal. His magic was gone. No cause or reason. It simply vanished. At first, the others and Harry believed it was temporary and his magic would appear again, but alas, it was wishful thinking. The thought of him being without such an integral part of himself tormented him at night. He had put on a strong face for Hermione and the others but...maybe it was a sign he should have died in the battle too. He wished he had. Living without magic was living without a part of himself. He felt hollow without it.

"Harry," Hermione's voice caused him to turn. He was hanging near Hagrid's old hut and wanted it to be the last place he visited before leaving even if Hagrid was off somewhere else. "You don't have to do this."

"I no longer belong to this world, Hermione." Her eyes saddened by his decision. While a sliver of him did feel guilty, his anger boiled inside him. He calmly exhaled and knew going off on Hermione wasn't going to change anything about them or his situation.

"You'll always be one of the greatest wizards to have ever lived."

"And you'll always be the greatest witch to have ever live." She cracked a smile.

"You are a part of this world. Magic or not." She came closer, and Harry wishes he could hug Hermione for the last time even if there was bitterness and bad blood between them. She was still like a sister to him, but he knew Ron was watching far away somewhere, suspiciously.

"I want to give you a hug." She admitted.

"I know," But in the end, Ron's feelings were chosen over Harry's. Harry knew Ron had felt shadowed by him at times but Harry often times tried to make Ron feel more comfortable by dulling his light. Jealousy was second nature to Ron, and he never learned how to control it or refrain from it. Harry had never seen its intensity until he had lost his magic. Ron was much smugger and would bring Harry's condition up every chance he could get. Which was why people even knew he was magicless. He couldn't help but say it to everyone. At times, he wondered how long Ron's jealousy and hatred of him had festered over the years. How long Ron was waiting to kick Harry off the pedestal and claim it.

Harry and Hermione's eyes met. He didn't feel sympathy for her because Hermione wasn't stupid. She knew Ron's flaws and still dated him. She had chosen Ron, and in the end, it led to a halt in their friendship. Harry had been willing to look past Ron to stay in touch with Hermione, but Ron couldn't stand it. So, he watched as his friend that had promised to remain neutral at the beginning slowly back away from Harry and avoided him. The troublesome trio had disbanded entirely. It hurt Harry. He no longer had his companions to go on adventures with him or keep him out of trouble. It damn near killed him. They readily gave up their years of friendship like it was nothing.

"But you chose him," Harry said, quietly. "And you knew how he really felt about me." Hermione had to know long before the Battle, and Ron had displayed jealousy between them two once while on the run and looking for Horcruxes. It should have been a warning to Harry.

"Ron is just—" He was tired of her giving him excuses. That's all Ron was now—a fucking excuse.

"Did my friendship mean so little to you?" Harry sighed. "I hope you're happy, Hermione. Even if it is with him." He could see her tears swelling in her eyes, but he still had meant what he said. Her promise to remain neutral was just a formality, and if she had really wanted him as a friend, she would have at least talked to Ron. At least attempted to restore their dwindling connection.

"I have a train to catch." He gazed at the scenery one last time. The destruction of Hogwarts, Ron's jealous expression, Hermione's teary eyes, and the gloomy gray skies.

-X-

The train ride had mostly consisted of him reading high school textbooks. He had been studying for several weeks in anticipation of his arrival to the mundane world. Despite growing up in both worlds, he mostly resided in the wizarding world, especially in his later years. He had to play catch-up on what was even going on in the other world and specifically in America.

It was hard not to be saddened about leaving Hogwarts despite the bitter taste it left in his mouth. Besides Neville and Luna, he didn't really have anyone to lean on or confide in. His friends and allies had abandoned him or were dead.

Harry, at first, had no idea what he was going to do once he lost his powers. He did hope he could stay but he could see the disapproval in several people's faces. No matter what he did, everyone was bound to turn back to hating him especially now because he was no longer one of "them." Ron and Ginny had been adamant about ruining his name as well. They used him as a scapegoat for all the lives that had been lost during Voldemort's reign and the battle. Unfortunately, the masses loved scapegoats because no one wanted to face reality or bear responsibility. He knew it was a matter of time before someone did something, so Harry had desperately searched relatives in his mother's bloodline and had discovered a distant cousin named Alaric that lived in America. Harry had sent a letter to Alaric and explained his situation. He was the only living relative he had besides his aunt and uncle. He had falsified a letter from some academy in England that stated Harry attended that school and that a teacher discovered some bruises that were caused by his guardians. Alaric hastily replied and said Harry could stay with him. He felt terrible lying to a relative he didn't even know, but he couldn't survive the muggle world without guidance. So, he had withdrawn his savings from Gringotts and had exchanged it for dollars and transferred to some national bank in America. He may have a significant amount of money, but he didn't how to manage it in the muggle world or knew any rules on what to do with it. It was the equivalent of giving a child a million dollars and expecting them to know everything related to money.

Harry put down his French book and gazed out the window. It was the first time he had been entirely alone. Harry laid back and quietly observed the scenery. It may be the last time he was going to see it, so he made sure to soak it up. Harry hated to admit it, but he was essentially going back into hiding. No one knew where he was going not even Neville or Luna. Harry had only announced his departure last night to them. There was no explanation as to why and he didn't give any clues on where he was heading. He had been surprised Hermione had found out, but he was still happy to see her despite the failure of their friendship. But to the Wizarding World, Harry Potter had vanished without a trace.

-X-

He arrived in America by plane. It was pleasant for the most part, but he did gaze away from the window. He missed riding on his broom and looking out at the sky only reminded him of the fact he would never take to the skies again. When he got off the plane, Alaric was waiting for him near the exit. The 20-something-year-old had light brown hair and blue eyes. He was surprised by how young he was and had expected him to be in his forties. The man pleasantly smiled at Harry.

"Harry," Alaric spoke. "Can't believe it's been so long. When I last saw you, you were a baby." Alaric's eyes eventually gravitated to his lightning scar and looked at with curiosity.

"Yeah," He mumbled while pushing his hair to cover up his lightning scar.

"So um," Alaric embarrassingly turned the other way. "Mystic Falls is about an hour away, so we best be heading."

The car ride had been mostly quiet which Harry didn't mind at all. When they finally reached Mystic Falls' city limits, he was surprised by the beautiful scenery. It was a very wooded town which did give him a sense of Hogwarts. While it would never match the fantastical forests, it was still something. He could at least settle for it.

"It must be weird being in America."

"A little bit."

"We'll drop off your stuff at my house. You can ask me if you want to look around town if you aren't too tired." As they pulled into Alaric's driveway, a blonde guy had come from his house as well as two girls. When the car had stopped, the guy had was next to Alaric's side of the vehicle.

"Need help?" The guy asked.

"Thanks, Matt." Harry got out of the car as Alaric did and awkwardly watched the stranger take Harry's luggage.

"Well," Alaric said. "Guys this is Harry, my distant cousin. Harry, these are a few of my students. They wanted to greet you." He was surprised by the closeness between Alaric and his students but didn't comment.

"Caroline." The blonde girl spoke.

"Bonnie," The dark-haired girl smiled.

"And I'm Matt." The guy nodded before taking his luggage inside. Harry mumbled his name and looked at Alaric.

"Let's go inside." He said. As they were ushered into the house, Harry looked around. It was a beautiful house and was a decent size. He was surprised by how tidy it was, but maybe Alaric had cleaned it up before he arrived.

"So, what was England like?" Caroline's bubbly voice caught his attention.

"About the same as here," He replied.

"Really? Is it odd seeing people drive on the other side of the road?" The blonde had an onslaught of questions that Harry barely managed to answer. Bonnie had chimed in but not to the near intensity of Caroline. He began to become frustrated by the cheery girl's antics and needed to catch up on some much-needed sleep.

"Okay, guys," Alaric cleared his throat. "Harry is probably exhausted. Let him go to bed." Harry was instructed on where his bedroom was, and Matt had graciously taken his bags to his room. After a polite thank you, Matt had left. Harry put his luggage to the side of the room and decided he would start putting things up tomorrow. He scanned the room. It was medium sized and had hardwood floors. There was a window next to his bed. Besides the bed and his closet, the room was relatively empty except for a desk. It was nicer than anything the Dursley's offered him.

When Harry's bladder made itself known, he knew he had to findthe bathroom somehow. He walked out of the bedroom and headed past the stairs. As he passed the staircase, he heard hushed voices. He was always guilty of eavesdropping, and even now he couldn't stop himself from listening in.

"I couldn't say no." Alaric sighed. "I'm his relative. I couldn't let him be put in foster care or keep being abused by his aunt and uncle."

"What about his parents?" He recognized the perky voice of Caroline.

"They both died in a car accident when he was a baby. He was the only survivor. I had no other choice."

"How come we are just now learning about you having other relatives?" Bonnie asked.

"Most are dead and only distant reltives live in England." He sighed. "I didn't even know Harry's parents were dead until he sent the letter, so it's not like I know everything that goes on in my family."

"It's still not the brightest idea to have him here especially with his connection to you." Caroline sad disapprovingly. It seemed no matter where Harry went, disapproval followed.

"It's easy for you to say when you didn't have to decide a child's fate," Alaric replied. "This discussion ends now." Harry hurriedly went back to his room when he heard footsteps coming near the stairs.

-X-

The next day Harry had organized his closet and emptied out his bags. After arranging his room, Alaric had wanted to show Harry around the town, and despite still being tired from the trip, he went without complaints. Eventually, they ended up at Mystic Grill which Alaric described the bar as being a frequent place for the residents to visit. As they entered the bar, Harry had spotted a raven-haired man sitting at the bar drinking some liquor. They had passed him until he called,

"Alaric," The man spoke. Alaric's expression had a brief flash of annoyance, but they both turned to face the man. Harry could feel the man's arrgoance, and it reminded him of Ron's. After being around so many arrogant people in his life, he pretty much could tell by just looking at them.

"Damon," Alaric acknowledged. "I'm not surprised to find you drinking this early in the day."

"It's five o'clock somewhere." He smirked. "Don't worry though. I will leave when some woman catches my attention." A womanizer and an alcoholic, the whole package, Harry thought dryly. Alaric just rolled his eyes which meant Damon must act like this all the time. Yippe. "Besides that, who are you with?" He extended his finger at Harry.

"A distant cousin of mine." Alaric was zip about any other details and Harry could feel the air suddenly shift. Alaric was reserved which had been the exact opposite of what Harry had been used to, and he was looking at Damon with suspicious eyes. Damon seemed amused by Alaric's reaction. He even chuckled.

"I didn't even know you had relatives. Keeping secrets, huh?" Harry disliked the tension between this Damon guy and Alaric. So, he decided he would get out of it as soon as possible.

"Can we eat?" Harry interrupted.

"Yeah. Go get a table." Finally free from the odd atmosphere, he went and found an empty booth for them. He watched from afar the exchange between the two. He sighed when there was no sign of that conversation ending. He looked away and scanned the bar. The residents seemed normal or at least what he considered "normal." Until his eyes landed on him, he was at the pool table chatting with a woman. The pale man had brunette hair and was strikingly beautiful. Almost angelic looking. He must have sensed Harry's gaze because his eyes met his. Harry briskly glanced in another direction and tried his best to ignore the heat in his cheeks.

"Harry," Alaric's voice caused him to jolt. "Sorry… didn't mean to scare 'ya."

"It's fine." Harry turned his attention to Alaric, but he could sense the other guy's eyes on him. He tried his best not to look back. Something about that man intrigued him, and Harry didn't know why. He had never felt pulled to someone.

"Have you decided on what to order?" They looked at the menu, and Harry had decided on a hamburger with fries while Alaric had ordered a steak. They had chatted about miscellaneous things and about high school which he would begin to attend on Friday. He would be considered a "senior." He wasn't sure how well he would do in an American education system, but he hoped for the best because this was his new life now. After a few minutes of eating their food, Harry saw from the corner of his eye that Damon got off the barstool and went towards the pool table. Alaric was still engrossed in his steak that he didn't notice. Damon approached the brunette man and despite not hearing what they were saying. He could feel the atmosphere change. Hostility. Harry had watched the two men exchange words. Damon was smirking and the other had an expression of annoyance and anger. This isn't good, he thought.

"Shit." Alaric suddenly whispered. Harry turned back to him and saw Alaric's worried expression. "I'll be right back." Alaric got up from the table and headed to Damon. He wasn't sure how to respond besides sitting at the table and gawked at the scene. Alaric seemed to be trying to defuse the situation.

Harry could see that neither man was stepping down, but he didn't know either of them or how to defuse a hostile situation. Hell, he was always starting a hostile situation due to his fiery anger. When nothing seemed to settle them, Harry abruptly got up from the table and headed towards the back hoping that he could help Alaric.

"Um," He cleared his throat. Alaric's eyes widened. "Is everything okay?"

"Don't worry Harry," Alaric reassured. "Just go back to our booth." The mystery man and Harry's eyes briefly met before he said,

"I'm leaving. Consider yourself lucky, Salvatore." He sneered. He was sure the sneer would even impress Draco. The man walked passed them and left the bar leaving Harry confused about what the fuck had gone down. Damon shrugged as Alaric glared at him. When Harry didn't move, Damon turned to him.

"Go on kiddo," Damon mocked. "Didn't you hear you elder?" Harry's jaw tightened and his brows furrowed.

"Don't call me that asshole." His blood boiling rage would always be his biggest flaw. Damon and Alaric had both been surprised by Harry's sudden outburst.

"I think he has a temper on him, Alaric. May have to give him a few spanks." The thought of Vernon towering over him with a belt in his hand while saying disgusting, vulgar things at his younger self. He could feel his body heating at the image. The fury igniting him.

"Fuck off!" He hissed. Harry knew that Damon would only enrage him more and the last thing he needed was his anger to take control so, without another thought, he barged out of the bar and headed to Alaric's car.