If anyone noticed the obviously underweight boy wearing clothes that were four times his size walking in the opposite direction of Trafalgar Square, they didnt show it. Most figured that the small boy was homeless and were in too much of a hurry to stop and help the child.
The childs name was Harry Potter and he had once again been left to find his own way back to his relatives house. The first time they had left him, he was only four years old and he had gotten very lost. He had spent two nights on the streets of London before a kind old lady had stopped and helped him find his way home. His relatives had put on a show and thanked the woman profusely, only to beat him for coming back when she left.
This would be the fourth time and he was not looking forward to returning. Each time he came back he got beat up by his uncle and thrown in the cupboard under the stairs (that has been his room since he could remember) and denied food for a week, all because he had dared come back.
Harry was now seven years old and he knew this time would be no different. Each year on the same day, his relatives leave him in the middle of London and tell him not to come back. And each time he returns, because he has no where else to go. He may hate his Aunt and Uncle, but he would rather be living in their house than be homeless on the cold unforgiving streets of London.
Harry let out a sigh as he turned down Charring cross road. Normally he would go straight back to his relatives house, but not this time. The older he got, the worse the beatings became. He wasnt looking forward to the one he would get this year, so he was stalling.
He desperately missed his parents, even though he didnt remember them very well. He vaguely remembered a tall man with black unruly hair and hazel eyes laughing as he threw Harry in the air and caught him. He knew the man was his father, as they had many of the same features.
He remembered a woman with red hair, bright green eyes and a kind smile. He didnt know the name of the song she sang in his memories, but he could see and hear her obvious love for him.
He also remembered three other men, that were always around, playing with him and laughing with his parents. The first was a tall man with black hair, grey eyes and several laugh lines. He couldnt remember the mans full name, only remembering calling him pa'foo.
The next man was taller than both his uncle and father, with light brown hair and green eyes. He remembered that the man he called mooy always looked tired, but still always managed to play with him.
The last man was short and fat with brown hair and blue eyes. He remembered not liking the man from the start, but not much else. He couldnt remember the mans name and he desperately wished he could. He didnt know why, but he felt that this man had a hand in his parents deaths.
His relatives had told him that his parents died in a car crash and that it was his fault. They said that his father was a good for nothing drunk and his mother was a whore. He had never believed that story, but never questioned them on it because he knew he wouldnt get the truth from them.
Harry was broken from his thoughts by a small family dressed in what looked to be bathrobes walking in front of him. On his second glance, he realized that they were not bathrobes but robes that resembled what the graduates wear at their graduation from University.
The family of three walked slightly ahead of him. The man was tall, with white blonde hair and bright blue robes. The woman had dirty blonde hair and was wearing a deep purple robe, while their daughter had white blonde hair and was wearing a light purple robe. She looked to be around five or six and was going on and on about wanting to see the goblins again.
Harry scrunched his nose in confusion when he heard the girl mention goblins. Goblins werent real. Were they?
The girls parents laughed and thats when he found out that the girls name was Luna. He heard something about ice cream, magic and an owl before they entered a dingy little pub called the Leaky Cauldron.
Harry raised an eyebrow at the little girl being allowed in a pub, but followed the family anyway. They had peeked his curiosity and he was determined to find out what they had been talking about.
He entered the pub, looking around the smoky dim room until he caught sight of the blonde family walking towards the back of the pub. He ran to catch up with them, only to stop as they approached a brick wall.
There was no door, as far as Harry could see. His shoulders slumped as he started to turn around, not wanting to disturb the obviously crazy family. Before he could fully turn around he saw the man pull out a stick and tap the bricks in a pattern he couldnt see. The next thing he knew the bricks fell away, revealing a large doorway that led into a busy alley full of people.
Harrys jaw dropped as he watched the family move through the doorway. He shook his head to clear it and hurried in after them, not wanting the door to close before he could go through.
His eyes widened and an awed gasp left his mouth, as he looked around at the brightly colored alley that he had walked into. Men, women and children dressed in a similar fashion were laughing and talking as they went from shop to shop.
The shops themselves were all made out of wood or stone and had brightly colored signs in the windows. To his left was a store called Eeylops Owl Emporium, but the name is not what caught his attention. The cages outside the shop filled with various birds, including owls and hawks, is what caught his eye.
He almost forgot about the family he followed as he gazed at the birds on display. He scanned the crowd nervously for the family and let out a relieved breath when he spotted them walking a few yards ahead of him.
He ran to catch up to them, taking stock of the shops he passed by. There was a store with books in the windows called Flourish and Blotts. Gambol and Japes which appeared to be some kind of joke shop. Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions which obviously was a shop that sold the robes these people were wearing. Magical Menagerie an obvious pet store. Potage's Cauldron Shop, Quality Quidditch Supplies, Slug and Jiggers Apothecary, Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment, Twilfitt and Tatting's and Ollivanders Wand Shop.
It was the last shop that made Harry freeze in shock as he realized that the man had used a wand to open the entrance to the alley and not a stick, like he first thought. The family he had followed had magic, something that his relatives had told him didnt exist.
He let out a choked gasp as he realized that magic was indeed real and that the freakish things he had done, were magic just like he had always believed. Did that mean that his parents were also Magical? If they were, maybe someone here could tell him about them.
He again ran to catch up with the family, who were walking up the steps of a tall intimidating building called Gringotts Bank.
He kept his head down as he passed what he believed to be Goblins, as he followed the family through the doors.
He kept his head down, discreetly looking around the giant room filled with people and Goblins, while also following the family in front of him. They went up to a goblin and asked to be taken to their vault, which gave Harry an idea.
If his parents were magical, maybe they had a vault at the bank. Maybe they had left him something here, thinking he would come for it when he got older.
Taking a deep breath, Harry waited for another Goblin to take the blonde family away before he stepped up to the Goblin they had talked too.
"Excuse me sir but i was wondering if my family has a vault here?" He asked just loud enough for the goblin to hear.
He suppressed a shiver as the goblin bent over the desk with a sneer on his face. "Perhaps" he sneered. "What is the family name?"
Shaking alittle in fright, Harry responded "Po...Potter sir." He stuttered.
The Goblins eyes widened slightly as his eyes rose to the small boys forehead, where he could see a lightning shaped scar. The Goblin known as Griphook turned to the Goblin next to him and told him to tell Director Ragnok that the Potter heir had finally emerged, in Gobblygook.
Harry watched the Goblin disappear and waited in silence for the Goblin to come back. Five minutes later he was being led through the bank to the directors office, confused beyond belief.
Eight hours later a very different and improved Harry Potter stepped out of Gringotts, with a small smile on his face as he looked down at the rings on his left hand. They were called heir rings, had many protections on them and could be used to purchase things from the alley like a debit card.
Alot had happened in his meeting with Ragnok. The Goblin Chief had answered all of his questions the best he could. He wasnt able to tell Harry much about his parents, but he did tell him how they really died, or at least the public story of how they died. The Goblins believed there were more people involved in his parents death, but they had no proof.
He also told Harry about becoming the next Lord Potter on his tenth birthday and everything being a Lord to an Ancient and Noble House entailed.
He then suggested for Harry to take an inheritance test to see if he had any other Lordships he could claim, along with any properties and blocks he may have.
What the test showed had shocked and angered them both beyond belief.
Flashback
Harry took the knife that Ragnok held out for him amd cut his finger, letting seven drops fall into the bowl in front of him. Ragnok quickly healed the cut before grabbing the bowl and tipping its contents onto the empty parchment used for the tests.
Less than a minute later the chief Goblin was reading through the results with a mixture of shock and anger. He passed the parchment over and Harry took it with shaky hands.
Name: Hadrian James Potter
Parents: Jameson Charlus Potter and Lily Anne Potter nee Evans
Godparents: Sirius Orion Black (Blood adoption)
and Alice Longbottom nee MacMillan
Titles
Heir Potter (Blood)
Heir Peverell (Blood)
Heir Black (Blood Adoption)
Heir Gryffindor (Blood)
Heir Ravenclaw (Blood)
Heir Slytherin (Conquest)
Heir Emerys (Blood)
Heir Lefay (Blood)
Able to claim Lordships to all but Black on tenth birthday
Properties
Potter Manor
Godrics Hollow Cottage
Mauraders Den
Potter Penthouse
Number 4 Privet Drive
Peverell Castle
Peverell Manor
Peverell Beach Cottage
Gryffindor Castle
Gryffins Den
Ravenclaw Castle
Ravens Nest
Slytherin Castle
Snakes Lair
3/4 Hogwarts
Emerys Castle
Lefay Castle
Blocks
Core Magic- 65% Albus Dumbledore
Horcrux in scar- Tom Marvolo Riddle or Lord Voldemort
Occlumency- 100% Albus Dumbledore
Legilimemcy- 100% Albus Dumbledore
Metamorphagus- 100% Albus Dumbledore
Animagus- 100% Albus Dumbledore
Parseltongue- failed Albus Dumbledore
Parselmagic- 100% Albus Dumbledore
Eidect Memory- 90% Albus Dumbledore
Marriage contract to Ginny Weasley (Illegal)- Albus Dumbledore and Molly Weasley
End Flashback
Harry wasnt sure what all of it meant, but he knew enough to know that this Albus Dumbledore person was evil. He couldnt remember the man but he knew he had met him before.
According to Ragnok Dumbledore had made himself Harrys magical guardian the day after he dropped him off with the Dursleys, illegally. His Godfather Sirius Black was supposed to be his guardian but he had been denied a trial and thrown in Azkaban for betraying the Potters and killing Peter Pettigrew and twelve muggles.
Due to the fact that he had no trial and wasnt actually convicted of a crime, he was still legally his magical guardian. The Goblins believed Sirius was innocent and told Harry that. Harry believed them.
Since Dumbledore had made himself his guardian he had withdrawn over a million galleons from the Potter vault. Depositing the money into his personal account, an account belonging to the Dursleys, an account belonging to a Molly Weasley and one called the bird fund.
Apparently Dumbledore had tried to actually visit the Potter vault but he was denied. A magical guardian could withdraw money, but couldnt visit the vault without the heirs permission. He had tried forging Harrys signature but he was always caught and then denied.
He had immediately claimed all his heir rings and asked Ragnok if he was allowed to live in any of the properties listed. He was alittle disappointed when he was told that he couldnt have access to them until he claimed his Lordships at ten.
He was told that Dumbledore had seeled his parents will and he could not unseel it until he claimed his Lordships. Harry hated that his Godfather was suffering, but he couldnt do anything about it right now. He had no proof that Sirius was innocent and he had a feeling that his parents will would be the proof he needed to free the man.
He was then led down to get the blocks removed and to see a Goblin Healer, who would give him a check up and give him potions to fix his malnutrition, growth and eye sight.
Removing all the blocks had taken three hours and Harry had never felt better than he did at that moment. The healer who checked him over was the one to explain what a Horcrux was and he was disgusted to learn that he had a piece of the mans soul in his head. They would be using the horcrux they pulled from him to find out if the man had anymore and destroy them if he did.
He was given several potions and slept for another hour, while they corrected the damage from all the abuse and starvation he had suffered over the years.
Ragnok had smiled when Harry returned to his office with a much less visible scar, no glasses and overall healthier appearance. He had grown a few inches and filled out, looking his age instead of looking like a five year old.
Ragnok spent another hour telling Harry everything he needed to know. From what books to buy that will help him learn to be a proper Wizard to a trunk that will act as his home. He also suggested Harry visit their wand crafter before leaving, since all of Ollivanders had the underage trace on them, which would stop him from practicing magic.
Harry did as he was told and went to the wand crafter before he withdrew some money, exchanging a good portion of the wizard money for muggle money. He would be returning to the bank in two hours to collect his wand, which would be made out of Acacia, Willow and Yew Wood, a combination that has never before been done.
Along with his magic picking three woods, it had also chosen four wand cores, which apparently rarely ever happened. The four consisted of an opal eye dragon scale, an ice phoenix feather, Basilisk venom and nundu hair. Three of the four had never been used in a wand before, let alone been used together.
He was excited to have his wand, but he had quite a bit of time before he would be able to get it. Instead of counting down the minutes like he wanted too, he made his way to the trunk shop Ragnok had suggested.
He had told Harry that there were many different trunks. From the standard one compartment school trunk, to a trunk with a castle inside. Although he did not recommend the one with the castle, as it would only be him living in it. He planned on getting a suitable trunk and living in it in the Dursley's attic. That way he couldnt get caught and be sent back there, but they also wouldnt know he was there at all.
Arriving at the Trunk shop, Harry walked through the door, immediately bypassing the standard one to two compartment trunks. After ten minutes of searching and not finding what he was looking for, he went to the owner and asked if he could get a specialized trunk owner nodded and handed him a catalogue of what they offered and an order form for him to write it down.
He read the catalogue and wrote down the wood he wanted the trunk to be, which would be yew. Next he chose the compartments, which ended up equaling seven that would have all rooms accessible from the inside.
The first compartment would be his apartment. Three bedrooms (in case he needed extra storage space or had any future friends stay with him), two bathrooms, a full kitchen (because he loved to cook), a dining room and a living room.
The second compartment would be a library/Study, capable of holding fifty thousand books. He loved to read and knew he would need lots of space for his books.
The third compartment would be a greenhouse, that he planned on growing his own potion ingredients in. He enjoyed gardening and couldnt wait to order all the plants he would need for it.
The fourth would be a potions lab big enough for him to brew up to ten potions at the same time. There was also a cupboard that he could keep any ingredients he would not be able to grow in the greenhouse in.
The fifth would be a dueling chamber. Ragnok told him it would be a good place to practice using and harnessing his magic, now that he had full control of it again.
The sixth would be a full gym so he could work out, which would improve his dueling. It also came with a pool and hot tub.
The seventh and last compartment would be a Quidditch pitch with a shed on the side, to hold his broom and gear. Ragnok had explained the basics of flying on a broom and Quidditch to him and Harry couldnt wait to try it.
After he had chosen the compartments, he moved on to the charms. He chose to have the feather-light charm, a self shrinking charm, a water and fire resistance charm, an anti theft charm, a muggle repellant charm and password protection.
The shop owner told him to come back in two hours to pick up the trunk and sent him on his way. Harry thanked him before exiting the shop and heading straight for Flourish and Blotts. He had an hour and a half before his wand would be ready and he knew finding books would take at least an hour.
An hour on the dot later, Harry exited the shop with his books shrunk down in three bags. He had gotten all seven years of the Hogwarts class books, including the elective subjects of care of magical creatures, Arithmancy and Ancient Ruins. He had also gotten the muggle born introduction books, since Ragnok had told him that they would be helpful.
He got books on spell crafting, Warding, Healing, the mind arts (which included Occlumency and Legilimency), Wizarding Customs, Laws, Hogwarts a History and several other books that looked interesting.
Deciding not to get anything else until he had his trunk, he ordered a bowl of chocolate and peanut butter ice cream from Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour and sat at a table in the sun, observing people.
From the position of the sun, he would say it was around 5 p.m. He had no idea what time the shops closed, so he would wait to do the rest of his shopping (besides furniture, clothes and food) the next day.
At what he predicted to be around 5:30, he entered Gringotts, nodded to Griphook and walked straight to the wand crafters office.
Fifteen minutes later he left the bank with his wand securely fastened to his arm by a dragonhide holster and made his way to the trunk shop. It hadnt yet been two hours, but he was hoping the man had finished his trunk early.
He was beyond grateful when he walked in and the man told him that his trunk was finished. The total came to one thousand three hundred and sixty galleons, which Harry paid for with the Gryffindor heir ring. He didnt want anyone to know that he was Harry Potter, just in case word got back to Dumbledore that he was in the alley. He held no trust for the man and didnt want to have a run in with him anytime soon.
He set his password, which was magic (he could change it at any time) and put his bags in the library and shrunk his trunk, before walking across the alley to the furniture store.
He spent half an hour in the shop and purchased everything he needed to furnish his apartment. For his room he bought a king sized bed, with sheets in green, blue and silver, along with a black and dark green comforter and pillowcase set. A nightstand and dresser in yew wood and a black and green rug completed his room for now.
He furnished one of the other rooms with a bed, dresser and nightstand in dark blue and acacia wood. The last he left empty until he figured out what to do with it.
He bought a table with six chairs in Acacia wood for the dining room, along with a black couch and two black chairs for the livingroom. A white and black rug tied the room together nicely.
Lastly he bought a yew desk for the library and reminded himself to come back if he needed anything else. After paying, he left the shop and left the alley. Ragnok had told him not to purchase any muggle clothing from the alley, since it was all very outdated.
He walked the few blocks back to Trafalgar Square and bought a whole new wardrobe from a clothing store he had always wanted to visit.
He put the bags of clothes in his bedroom closet and changed out of his his hand me downs, before shrinking his trunk and walking to the grocery store a few blocks away.
He had the option of his kitchen being magical or muggle or both. He chose both. All he had to do was flip a switch and it would change to the one he wanted.
In the magical kitchen he had the option of ordering premade meals and having them appear in the fridge for him. He didnt understand exactly how it worked, but he would eventually use it and find out.
In the muggle kitchen he had preservation charms put on the cupboards and the fridge, so his food would stay fresh and never go bad.
He went alittle crazy at the store. Buying enough food to fill his fridge, freezer and cupboards, along with all the pans, pots, cutlery, dishes, cups, utensils and bowls he would need.
He also bought other essentials like toilet paper, shampoo, soap, a toothbrush and toothpaste, that he would stock his bathroom with.
He placed everything he bought in his trunk before holding up his wand and calling for the Knight bus (magical transportation that Griphook had mentioned).
Seconds later a triple decker purple bus screeched to a halt in front of him. The doors opened and a skinny man with brown hair stepped down the stairs.
"Welcome to the Knight bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike and ill be your conductor Mr..." he trailed off, waiting for Harry to respond.
"My name is Dudley Dursley." Harry said, holding out his hand to shake Stans, not wanting the man to know who he really was.
He followed the man onto the bus and sat down, telling Stan his address. His hands gripped the seat he was on as the bus shot forward. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, not daring to look out the window as the scenery whizzed by.
Ten minutes later the bus stopped in front of the Dursley residence and Harry exited the bus, after handing Stan seven knuts for the trip.
The only lights were the street lamps as he made his way quietly, to the back of the house. He used the spare key that the Dursleys had forgotten about to get in and made his way to the attic as quietly as possible.
When he was safely in the attic without waking his relatives, he unshrunk his trunk and entered the apartment. It was as he was putting his groceries away that he remembered that he owned the Dursleys house.
A sinister smile formed as he thought about blackmailing them with that knowledge. He could threaten that if they didnt leave him alone, he would kick them out.
He frowned when another thought overrode that one. Ragnok had said that Dumbledore had been paying the Dursleys and that he had been the one to leave Harry on their doorstep. He had no idea if they communicated with the old man or not. Was he willing to take that chance?
What would the old man do if he found out that Harry knew everything that he'd done? Would he erase his memories of magic (something Ragnok had told him the old man does)? Would he put all the blocks that Harry had removed back? Could he risk it?
'No'...he thought. He couldnt risk it. At least not until he claimed his Lordships and became emancipated. Only then would he be safe from the old goat.
He finished putting his groceries away, eating a small salad and some precut fruit he had bought at the market, before heading to his room.
He made the bed, changed his clothes and used the loo before falling into his new comfy bed. 'I could definitely get used to this', was the last thought he had before drifting off to sleep.