Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All rights and properties belong to their respective owners.

Inspired by - For the Love of Magic - by Noodlehammer. Check it out if you haven't read it, along with the other works. They're really good.

While the beginning may seem very similar, to the point where it begins to enter the blatant rip off area, it will diverge soon. I plan on taking a different route than Noodkehammer did.

Lord Raven

Chapter one

Harry woke to the sound of pounding against his door, he was up immediately, frantically pulling at his clothes trying to get dressed as quickly as possible.

"Hurry up Freak!" The shrill voice of his aunt Petunia shrieked. "You have breakfast to make! If Vermont's late because if you, you'll get an extra beating for the day!"

Harry rushed out of the cupboard under the stairs, buttoning his pants as he went. Reaching the kitchen, he immediately began preparing, getting bacon, sausage, eggs, the pancake mix, and of course the pans needed.

Despite his scrawny and arguably underfed body, he moved with a grace that showed years of experience. It would have been entertaining sight, had he not been six years good, and bruised in many places.

The ones who were meant to be his guardians, his foster parents, sneered as they watched him go about. Offering nothing but the common taunts and jeers at the boy.

The boy, much to their irritation, ignored their taunts and continued working. He had heard the jeers and taunts since he could remember. How could he not grow used to them? He had long since drowned them into the background.

A heavy foot connected to Harry's side, throwing him from the stool he had stood on. He gave a cry of surprise and pain as Hot grease splashed onto him. His skin blistered almost instantly.

"Listen to us when we talk to you Freak!" Vermont snarled.

Harry looked up in fear and resignation as the fat man cheeks and chins shook like a bore ready to charge.

Vermont stormed towards the frail boy, the next strike came, another heavy foot, to his opposing side. "Get up! Finish cooking before I really beat you!"

The boy did so, doing his best to hide the wincing and limp he now had. If they saw either, it would only encourage them to beat him more and 'give him something to cry about.'

Harry hated his family.

He wished he had somewhere else he could go, even school didn't protect him.

Finishing breakfast, the scrawny boy set it out on plates for the family, after their meal was served, the boy huddled in the corner of the room, knowing he was not welcome at the table.

The time rolled around that the family had to take their son, Dudley, and the boy to school. The ride was painful for Harry, with Dudley pushing, pinching, hitting and kicking him at every chance.

After arriving at school, the boy was ignored and avoided, the only time attention landed on him was whenever someone wanted to pick on him. Being the 'misfit' and 'outcast' of the school made it much easier for anyone to do so.

One day, Harry was sitting alone in the share of a large tree, listening to the sounds around him. Hearing what little of nature there was left in the cramped urban area.

His moment of peace was interrupted by the familiar sounds of jeers and taunts. He looked up to find Dudley and his gang of friends. He felt fear, and rage immediately. Fear because he knew what was going to happen, rage because he knew he was too weak to do anything about it.

When they reached him, the first strike was almost instant, a first to his face. His head knocked back into the tree before a foot slammed into his gut. The boy cried out in pain, and another foot came out, into his side this time.

The beating continued, and the boy felt his rage growing, his hatred for these people, most of all, for Dudley. His hatred grew rapidly, as his body was beaten and battered, shoved to and fro by the painful kicks of his cousin and cousins friends. Something snapped. He didn't know what it was, all he knew was that it felt like a plug being pulled and his hatred drained out like water in a tub.

Dudley and his friends didn't know what happened, one moment they were punishing the freak, the next, they were flying back, having been blasted away from the green-eyed boy by some unknown force.

Dudley hit the ground and rolled, his body flipping over itself. Once he stopped, he screamed. He screamed in pain. The most pain he had felt to this point had been stubbing his toe. This was far worse than that.

The other boys too, they cried out in pain, save for one, who lay almost motionless.

Harry, however, looked on with fear and awe. He knew he was the one that caused it to happen, he didn't know how or why he also knew this would mean much worse punishment from Vermont and Petunia.

After returning home, Harry had been beaten more than he had ever been beaten before. Having had passed out more than once during the ordeal, he didn't know how long it had lasted.

Harry soon found himself in their vehicle with Vermont ranting and raving. "We took you in! We raised you as our own! Gave you a house to live in and clothes to wear! And this! This is how you repay us?!"

Shortly thereafter, they arrived at a large run-down building, Vermont merely stopped and pointed towards the shabby structure. "Out." He ordered.

Harry fearful did as he was told, and the vehicle pulled away, the boy, seeing no other option limped to the entrance of the building and knocked. Not knowing that he would be stepping from one hell, into another.

The door swung open. "Patrisha's Orphanage- Oh, who... Ah, Vermont did call, I see, you're the troubled child, are you? Well, come in now. Theirs's a broom over there grab it and get busy."

Harry ducked his has and did as he was told.

Two and a half years later found a now nine-year-old Harry Potter being taken to his new home, having just been adopted.

His new family cast worried glances at the boy, in truth, they hadn't been wanting to adopt anyone yet, but being able to see the bruises and scars on the boy, no matter how he tried to hide them with his clothing, they decided to do so simply to get the boy somewhere safe.

It would be seven months before the boy spoke to either of his new guardians, and that had only been to beg them not to beat him after he had woken up late and hadn't fixed breakfast. The two were shocked and outraged. They had known the boy had been abused, but not to the extent that he was.

They had called the police, and within a few long months for the couple, the detectives and physiologists had been able to coax information out of the boy. Nearing his tenth birthday, the boy was informed that both Vermont and Petunia had been arrested, along with the owner of the orphanage, and unless something truly terrible happened, would be spending many years in prison.

After the boy had figured out just what it meant for someone to go to prison, for him it meant that his aunt and uncle would have no way of reaching him, he had thanked his guardians profusely.

Then, nearly a year later came the day that none of them were expecting, that none of them could prepare for.

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry..." Johnathan Wicker muttered. "Is this some kind of joke?"

Harry sat with his guardians, Catherine Wicker sitting beside Johnathan. Johnathan was a fairly average looking man, brown hair, a fair complexion, and brown eyes. He wasn't tall, nor was he short, standing at five feet and eight inches. He looked like any other normal man, right years in S.A.S. however, had made it so he would never be just normal.

Catherine had pale skin, black hair, and bright blue eyes. She was a fairly short woman, standing at five feet and one inch. She was thin, not showing much fat on her body. Her skin stayed pale due to her job, teaching law, keeping her inside almost always.

The two guardians glanced between each other before Johnathan sighed. "I suppose we can continue on with our lives. If this is real, I am sure we will find out, if not then nothing will come of it. I personally have never heard of anything like this before."

"Nor have I." Catherine stated. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about this would you Harry?"

The boy shook his head, a small frown on his face as he wondered what it all could mean.

"Nothing to do for it now. We just wait for the moment."

As it turned out, they did not have to wait for long. Four days after the letter arrived, came an old woman dressed in robes and a tall pointed hat.

Catherine answered the door when the woman knocked. "Hello...?" Catherine said, a little shocked at the appearance of the woman. "I didn't know there was a festival going on... I'm sure I can find some directions of that's what you're wanting..."

The older woman looked scandalized for a moment before muttering something about muggles. Clearing her throat, she spoke. "My name is Minerva McGonagall, I am the deputy headmistress and professor at Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Ah..." Catherine said. "Well then, come inside." Catherine lead the woman to the living room where they usually took their meals. McGonagall watched, excitement coursing through her as Catherine stepped into another room, speaking softly.

Minerva trimmed, she couldn't wait to meet the baby boy again. She did idly wonder how he ended up here, but that was of no consequence now. She would soon explain what he needed to know, then in a few months, take him to the Diagon Alley with, and finally Hogwarts express.

She was pulled from her thoughts as she saw Catherine approaching, with a man who was decidedly not Harry Potter.

"You're with Hogwarts?" The man asked. "My name is Johnathan Wicker, my wife here is Catherine, we are the current legal guardians of Harry Potter."

"And where is Mr. Potter?" McGonagall asked. "I came here so I could explain what it was he would need and what to expect when going to Hogwarts."

"And who said he's going to Hogwarts?" Johnathan asked.

McGonagall frowned. "Why would you say anything about it? You're not his-"

"Parents?" Jonathan cut her off. "No, but we have raised him for the past several years, we've done our best to nourish him, spent several thousand dollars to help him recover from mental trauma, not to mention the surgical fees for fixing the bones that had been broken and healed improperly. We've spent more money and time on him than each other. We did so at first because we pitied him, after the first year, it was because we loved him. We may not be the ones who gave birth to him, but we damn sure care for him like we were. So it's obvious that we would be cautious of sending him off to someplace we don't know, with people we've never met and don't trust. So let me ask you, why should I let you take the boy I love like son, to some place that may endanger him?"

McGonagall frowned deeply. "Our students' safety us our priority, especially his. You may not know it, but he is very famous is the wizarding world, a hero. Furthermore, while I will not do anything to you, the Ministry of Magic will be very upset if he doesn't come to school, which he has been enrolled in since he was born. The only way they would not take him, and wipe your memories of him, would be if he gave a written form stating that he did not wish to attend, along with his reason for it. Ultimately, it is not up to you, as you are not his blood parents or Magical guardian, that position belongs to the headmaster himself. The only ones who can have a say in it are him and the headmaster."

Catherine looked livid, barely restraining herself from lashing out at the woman, however, Johnathan looked thoughtful. "Well... When you put it like that, what do you think Harry?"

McGonall spun around, seeing a young, healthy boy, his skin was a light tone, a healthy pale, his hair was black and messy, his eyes were bright, emerald green and seemed to glow with intelligence.

"I would personally like to know why I was left at the Dursleys, not that I don't like the Wickers, but if this headmaster is my magical guardian, why did he let me stay in a place where I was starved, beaten, abused and shunned for existing. Why should I trust this headmaster to protect me at school when he couldn't keep from harm where there are less than ten people in one room? As a guardian, he seems to be a total failure. How much more terrible will be as a headmaster?"

Minerva's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, while Catherine smirked, she had, since the boy began to talk, been having debates with him to tea h him how to defend himself verbally, and if needed, attack others in the same manner.

"W-well... Headmaster Dumbledore has a lot to take care of, you see he is one of the most powerful wizards in the world, and he has a high position in the ministry that takes up a lot of his time-"

"Then it would have been simple for him to find someone to care for me right?" Harry asked.

She winced, then decided to go a different route. "Don't you want to learn about magic? About your parents? They would have wanted it for you."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Firstly, they're dead, so I don't really give a damn about what they want, secondly I never really knew them and I don't really care to, the fact of the matter is I don't have parents. Again, don't get me wrong, I love the Wickers, but the ability to look at someone and call them mother or father was taken from me by the Dursleys. And lastly, I want to know why I'm famous, I want to know why I am so important that you would try to emotionally blackmail me to get me to come to this school of yours."

"That's a very difficult subject. One we don't talk about." She stated.

"Well then, you can forget about me going. If it's too hard to talk about, then this school obviously isn't worth it."

"The ministry won't take kindly to that. They'll make you go by force if they have to." Minerva said, not liking how the boy was baiting the conversation to get information.

"Then I guess I'll bite off my tongue. After all, you can say a cut throat or wrist was murder, but biting your tongue is obviously suicide. What would the wizarding world think when they found out I killed myself because the ministry tried to force me to leave my guardians? If I'm as famous as you say, it'd be open rebellion."

Minerva grit her teeth, she was not liking this conversation at all. "Very well." She all but growled out. "There was a dark lord, an evil wizard, as powerful as Dumbledore, and elusive enough that we couldn't catch him. His favored spell was one of three forbidden spells. A curse, the killing curse. It cannot be blocked or redirected. Most spells you can throw up a barrier or magical shield and block or bounce a spell off, but not that curse. No one has ever survived it, no one, except you. That night, years ago, the dark lord came to Godric's Hollow, where your parents were in hiding with you. He killed your mother and father, James and Lily Potter, then turned the curse to you. No one knows how you survived, but you did and killed the Dark Lord too. When Dumbledore arrived, your parents were dead, and the Dark Lord's ashes were spread throughout the room. That's why you're famous. Because you did what no one could, not only did you kill the dark lord, you survived the curse that no one can. You're the boy who lived."

Harry looked up to Jonathan, and nodded, both then looked to McGonagall and spoke at the same time. "Sound's like a load of bullshit."

Minerva nearly toppled out of her chair at the declaration.

"Seriously." Harry said. "If I could beat this all-powerful dark lord, why couldn't I protect myself from my shrieking aunt and pig of an uncle? Besides, if magic works anything like in games or books, there is no way a child, much less an infant could kill such a person or protect himself from such a spell. It's obvious either my mother or father did -something- that kept me alive and killed the fucker."

"Harry." Catherine said. "Please stop cursing before it becomes a habit."

"I'm sorry Ma'am, but I dislike it when people are trying to use me, lying to me, trying to manipulate me or trying to force me to do something I have no intention of doing."

McGonagall sighed. "So... You're not going?" She asked with a resigned voice.

"I... I will go." Harry said, shocking Johnathan and Catherine. "At least until I can control my magic. I've known I had it for a while, but I didn't know what exactly it was. I've been able to keep it contained, for the most part, for the last three years, but I've been feeling my control slipping recently. Like it's growing and about to pop. I don't know what exactly will happen when it does 'pop', but I'm not entirely sure I want to find out."

"I should hope not Mr. Potter, best case scenario is that you use accidental magic and cause a little destruction. Worst case is that you become an obscurial. Which is when magic builds up enough to become a semi-sentient force of destruction."

Harry frowned but nodded. "I see." He muttered.

"Well then, good day. I will return within a week with a book on magic control for you. Then nearing the start of the school year so we can get your supplies."

Harry nodded, along with his guardians. The youth sighed as she left. "That was exhausting. I'm going to take a nap."

"Not yet." Johnathan spoke. "Why didn't you tell us about this power Harry?"

The boy looked up at him like the man was stupid. "It is the reason I was hated and abused. I was not going to risk having the same reaction with you two."

"Ah... I see." Johnathan spoke.

Later that evening as Harry lay in bed, he couldn't help but feel a little excitement at the prospect of learning magic. 'I'm a wizard... I wonder what it's like...'

Chapter End

Alright. I'm sure people's are tired of me posting new stories and not updating on the several others I've posted. I will update them, it's just that this popped into my head and I was like "Oh crap crumpets! I NEED to do this!"

Anyway, I'm hoping with the different stories I can work on one and when I begin to feel burnt out on that one, I can hop to another, that way I'm not trying to force myself to write on something I don't have the drive to do.

Well, thanks for reading. I hope y'all liked it. Please leave a review. Is there anything I can do better? I'd like to know what you thought of it.

Now as for my other stories. I'm currently working on fleshing out a more detailed plot for The Greater Sin, as well as trying to get a new chapter for a new Naruto House of Shadows, as well as a more detailed plot for that.

Until next time!