A simple choice can have resounding affects. And when a small bundle of Harry Potter was deposited on the steps of Number 4 Privet Drive one of these monumental decisions occurred. As soon as the front door of the Dursley's home was opened that morning by one bleary eyed Vernon Dursley he immediately made up his mind. There was no way in hell he would have this freak of a nephew contaminate his home with his "abnormality", he would not allow that. The child in question-whom was barely a year old was brusquely swept up and into the back seat of Vernon Dursley's company car, and like a bat out of hell he drove to London. Specifically a small orphanage for boys.
…..
Harry Potter was a perfectly abnormal boy, and he even admitted this in his own mind. Everything about him screamed strange and then immediately yelled 'run-run far and run hard'. From his alarmingly green eyes and long-messy raven hair- all the way to his pale, skinny feet he was Odd. Perhaps his Oddest feature of all was the lightning bolt shaped scar that ran from his forehead and finished just under his left eye. No one he had ever questioned about it had been able to tell him how he had received such an injury, all they knew was that it had always been there and wasn't likely to fade anytime soon.
Today was an especially special day at the Saint Peters Orphanage, and that stemmed from the fact that it was the the annual open day. The Matron of the Orphanage had been on a spree in the weeks before, hiring gardeners to tend to the normally weed ridden garden, hanging pictures of children smiling ( even if they weren't actually from the orphanage) and otherwise attempting to make the large group of boys marginally presentable. Unfortunately the last task was doomed to fail, due to the seemingly irresistible temptation all young boys possess- which is to accumulate dirt.
So with these preparations finally over the big day was there and Matron Orville had her boys lined up in some semblance of order while she gave them a final inspection before she set them loose on the waiting prospective couples. As she surveyed the line-up she made sharp orders to "tuck in that shirt" or on some occasions "get that finger out of your nose", until her eyes glanced over the Potter boy. As she reached Harry her gaze darkened slightly, for she was wary, and with good reason. The boy was far to clean- and that in her mind was immediately suspicious, for all little boys got dirty- all that is except for Harry Potter of course. She had other reasons for this distaste of course and they were numbering in the many, but she did not like to think about the strange and frankly frightening things that went on with the child.
"okay boys of we go, and do try to behave- your future parents might be watching" she said sternly, a slight smile making its way onto her usually harsh features. And with that the children moved as one smiling, laughing mass and pushed through the doors to the recreation room where the adults waited.
Her small smile wavered though as she saw one boy not making any move to join the others. "Harry" she started fiercely, "why aren't you moving, get in there and socialise for heaven's sake". Harry though some feet shorter than her levelled her with a fierce glare "no thanks, I'm fine right here".
Orville sighed deeply doing her best to count to ten, "why ever not?" she ground out,
"Well miss" he started condescendingly "I really don't feel like being in the same room, as people who have as a group, have the IQ of a retarded slug"
"Get in there this second Potter! And don't you dare open your mouth again for the rest of today! You will not ruin this for everyone again!" she practically screamed at him, pointing fiercely at the doors which were luckily closed and prevented anyone else seeing this display.
To this outburst Harry gave a conspiratorial smirk and sauntered casually to the doors, and with as much force as his eleven year old frame could muster threw the doors open to the recreation room, and did his best to mingle with the prospective adoptees. Unfortunately for the mood in the room- the wildly swinging doors had managed to knock out one of the older boys, and when Harry uncaringly decided, to step gracefully over the prone child he was not met with much success, in convincing anyone that he might be a good addition to their family.
' Oh what a shame no one wants little old me- just awful, no fun at all' Harry thought happily as he grabbed himself some punch from one of the gaudily decorated tables.
Navigating himself to a more secluded corner of the room and perching himself on a worn sofa, he heartily sipped his drink. ' Little idiots' he coldly thought as he observed the party around him with increasing agitation and not to mention boredom. He was about to get up and sneak outside when something rather unusual caught his attention.
There- framed in the doorway was perhaps one of the largest people Harry had ever seen, and not in the sense that they were fat. This man was simply enormous, towering so high that he had to duck even to get through the high doors.
The man was also, extremely hairy, Harry noted. 'Perhaps wood-apes do exist….' He wondered.
The wood-ape seemed to be searching for something and as his beady eyes scanned the room and landed on Harry it was apparent that he had found it.
'oh sweet Jesus- please don't be moving towards me' Harry pleaded mentally, also wondering how it was that no one else in the room seemed to even notice the giant man ape that had just so casually walked into their little party.
'fuck he is definitely coming for me'
The wood-ape grew closer- 15 feet away…..
' shit! Shit! Shit!…. What does animal planet tell you to do in this situation! Think Potter!'
10- feet….
' just stay perfectly still- maybe he is like a t-rex and follows movement',
Harry froze perfectly still
5 feet….
And then it spoke….
" look at you Arry, aint seen you since your were a baby an all an now look a' ya" the hairy face grinned. Harry did not know what to say so he settled on staring bewilderedly. "Avnt seen you fo' ten years an now I find out tha you ar in a blimen orphanage!" He said this with a bit of anger leaking into his booming voice.
" umm- who (or what) are you meant to be exactly?" Harry asked raising one eyebrow in question,
"oh erm righ you would'n rememba me would ya" the wood-ape said looking a bit crestfallen, and straightening up cleared his throat with a deep rumble. " I am Rubeus Hagrid, keeper o' the keys an grouns of O'gwarts" Hagrid said finishing proudly.
"Okay bully for you, but what the hell is an Ogwarts?" Harry remarked snidely- a slight sneer making its way onto his face.
Hagrid was obviously taken aback by this, clearly he had expected some form of understanding from the boy. "ya mean you don know nuthin bout the wizardin world or nuthin!" Hagrid demanded angrily.
Harry didn't like the man's inference that he knew nothing and he was about to state this when his mind latched onto what else he had just spewed forth.
Now- most ordinary people, upon hearing the words magic or wizard would pretty quickly jump to the conclusion that someone had been of there medication to long, but Harry, for all his other numerous faults- was not one of them. The key reason being that he knew he was no ordinary eleven year old.
His mind flashed back to the strange things he could do. Setting fire to the clothing of one boy who had particulary annoyed him, pushing another kid down the stairs with just so much as a thought and in particular that one time when he managed to turn the punch at last years Open Day into a hallucinogenic cocktail of only god knows what- that one had certainly been a fun ( for him, not so much for everyone else).
"so I am a wizard then?" he asked curiously, " that's what they call what I can do?". Hagrids face seemed to light up as he saw Harry accept his words, " darn righ you ar Arry an a thumpin good one I'd wager, once O'gwarts 'as go' ya all trained up".
Harry suddenly realised that perhaps this was not the sort of conversation you had casually amidst a room full of people. " Can we talk about this somewhere a bit more private?" Harry asked.
Hagrid suddenly got a very guilty look about him at that, " well ya don really need to worry bout tha' Arry, see muggles don really notice much o nothin they don wanna see" he said hurridly, " I used a wee spell to make'em ignore us- though im no' really sposed to use magic ya see" he finished lamely.
" whats a muggle?" harry asked his curiosity piquing. Hagrid answered that one easily " well ya see its what we call a non-magic person".
Harry rolled this word round in his mind. He decided he liked the term very much, it just seemed to capture every part of how inferior these normal people where compared to him, yes- he, was special. Not that he hadn't known that all along of course, but it was always nice to have confirmation that you were amazing.
" So Hagrid tell me more about 'Ogwarts'"….
…..
The very next day Harry awoke bright and early. He was not usually one to get overly excited but this was a special occasion, for today was the first day in a brave new world. A world were magic existed and wood-apes delivered school letters.
Harry hurriedly dressed in his best clothes- after all first impressions lasted- and tied his messy shoulder length black hair back into attempted tidiness (failure on that count). He spared himself a quick glance in the mirror and decided that he looked fairly decent even in his second hand sweater and jeans. ' I will definitely have to do something about these clothes once I get some cash' he thought to himself as he distastefully plucked at one of the threads coming loose. Hagrid had told him that his parents had left him an inheritance in a bank called 'Gringotts', and that was going to be his first stop once he got to Diagon Alley, which as luck would have it was only a short bus ride from the orphanage. As luck would also have it Harrys habit of petty theft also meant that he would have plenty of money to get bus fare there and back.
Making sure his stolen money was located safely in a likewise pilfered wallet in his trouser pocket he was quickly out the door, but not before banging it shut much louder than necessary in order to wake up his sleeping room-mates.
Whistling to himself Harry walked down the street towards the bus stop where he consulted the timetable printed onto one of the signs. Apparently the next was due any minute, and rocking lightly on the balls of his feet Harry waited in the warm August air.
…..
After a short trip on the bus where Harry saw all manner of Muggles, and where Harry's distaste for their kind grew even more after he watched one man sneeze and wipe his hand on the railings, he stood outside the Leaky Cauldron.
All around him people walked by, not even noticing the slightly dingy pub that inhabited an otherwise well to-do street. As Harry opened the door to enter the pub the tiny bell above the door jingled and the igor-esque-bar-keeper looked up from polishing the glasses, eyeing him curiously, no doubt wondering why a child was coming in without any parents.
Harry was not one to be intimidated though and with a determined step he approached the hunched man.
" where are your parents laddie? Your too young to be wandering about on your own" the man asked with a frown.
If there was a list of things that Harry hated it would be a long one, but right at the top of the list, probably second only to people who tried to hurt him or touch his stuff, was the crime of treating Harry like he was a helpless child. Which he definitely was not (at least in his own mind).
" my parents happen to be waiting for me in Diagon Alley- and are probably very worried that I'm not there already" Harry replied icily, " so how about you just let me through so I don't have to deal with my Mother yelling at me again".
The bar-keeper looked slightly taken aback by the boys cold tone but non-the less he decided it was best to just open up the alleyway for the boy, even if he appeared to be a bit of a brat, it wouldn't do to have him separated from his parents.
"Fine boy, just follow me, it's right this way" He grumbled and stumped over to another door, which upon opening, and much to Harrys confusion contained nothing but a red brick wall.
Harry was about to open his mouth to deliver an un-doubtfully scathing remark but no words came out of his now gaping jaws as the wall started to fold back into itself revealing Diagon Alley in all its Magical splendour.
Completely ignoring the barkeeper Harry strode through the newly opened wall without so much as a thank-you. With a grunt about "bloody rude kids these days" the Igor-man stalked back into his pub the wall reforming behind him.
…..
He didn't know which way to look. Everywhere his eyes went there was something happening. Shop fronts displayed vast arrays of magical items doing things, things which Harry, for all his control over his powers, had never thought he would see. Stalls, draped in blindingly garish colours sold strange and exotic foods, potions and knickknacks, and this cacophony going on all around him momentarily distracted him from what he was supposed to be doing. Which was namely getting his hands on some money, so he could actually buy things.
Hagrid had said to look for a huge white marble building, so it couldn't be too hard to find. As Harry made his way through the crowds of witches and wizards of every age he couldn't help but let of a gasp as around the corner he spotted Gringotts. It was a huge monolith of a building, gleaming white in the morning sun. Harry could see why Hagrid said you couldn't miss it.
Another thing that excited Harry however was the fact that Hagrid had told him the bank was run by goblins. Harry had never seen a goblin but he imagined them to look like something he once saw in a movie that had starred David Bowie.
Upon entering said bank he was not let down. The creatures that sat around the edges of the huge entrance hall were all busily counting gold and all manner of valuable gems. Harrys fingers practically itched at the thought of what he could do with all that wealth, but he was still wary given the warning that had been so thoughtfully displayed at the banks doors.
Harry approached one of the counters that where labelled 'service' and came face to face with one of what had to be- nature's most ugly creatures. 'Yep they look just like that movie, but I doubt these ones sing' he thought to himself.
"excuse me? Harry said.
The goblin completely ignored him.
" Excuse me" he tried again raising his voice several octaves trying to gain the creatures attention.
As if just noticing Harrys presence the Goblin slowly lifted its wrinkly-overly large head, and glared at him with mean little eyes. "Key?" it ground out in a nasally voice, extending its sharp nailed hand imperiously.
Harry dug through his pocket for a second, the bloody thing was so small it was hard to keep track of. At last he pulled out a small bronze key and gingerly placed it into the outstretched "hand".
The goblin held up the key to the light as if determining its authenticity. "Very well Mister Potter, right this way"…
…
The ride through the bowls of the Earth on a rickety mine cart was in one word for Harry-exhilarating- it was like being on a roller-coaster at an amusement park, where they had once taken a field trip too. All too quickly it was over though, and they arrived in front of what Harry surmised as the 'Potter Vault'
" Be aware Mister Potter that this is only your trust vault, your will not be able to access the family vault til you come of age at 17" the Goblin whose name was apparently Griphook explained.
Harry could only nod at what was being said as he was far to absorbed with the amount of gold before him. There was literally a tonne of gold, and it was all his! And even better yet there was apparently even more to come (once he turned seventeen that is). He couldn't believe that he had been ridiculously rich all this time and he had been stuck in second-hand everything- living in a shabby old orphanage.
With a bright smile on his face he took the proffered bag from Griphook and proceeded to shove as much gold as possible into the small velvet sack. As he was continuing this he noticed something amazing, the bag was holding way more than it should be able to. 'Is it possible' Harry wondered growing even more excited, ' could this bag be bigger on the inside?', "is this bag a freakin' TARDIS?!" he exclaimed yelling the last part out loud. "Mr. Potter I assure you that I have no idea what a 'tardis' is but the bag has simply been enchanted" the goblin spoke with a sneer, clearly not amused by his antics. Harry looked slightly put-out at this, all those mornings watching Doctor Who, and now when he finally thought that maybe it was all real the bloody goblin had to go and ruin it. 'Damn you goblins…. Damn you David Bowie' he sulked mentally.
…..
After another exilerating ride on the "mine-coaster" as Harry dubbed it ( patent pending), he was thrust back into the hustle and bustle of the alley-way, and now that he finally had his gold he did not know where to go first. At this thought he reached into his trouser pocket and fished out his school supply list.
'Well first things first, better get myself some robes, I seem to be the odd one out, and that's never good for picking pockets' he thought to himself as a few elderly witches eyed up his ratty clothes.
Glancing around he saw a sign that looked hopeful "Madam Malkins- Robes for all Occasions" it read, and he purposefully headed over. 'Yep, time for an upgrade' Harry grinned.
…
The bell over the door jingled in an irritatingly cheerfull manner as he stepped inside, and he saw that it wasn't very busy, just one other boy, around his age he would guess being fitted for some sort of robes. "Hogwarts I suppose?" A curly haired woman said in an all business tone, without waiting for an answer she continued "I wont be a second dearie, just hop up on that stool would you and we will get you measured up". Harry, frowning slightly at being told what to do amazingly did as instructed and no sooner as he placed himself on the short stool was he assaulted by a flying tape-measure.
He nearly fell of in his attempt to bat it away as it tried to measure his crotch area, and he hear the boy next to him laugh at that. Harry shot glare at the platinum haired boy " think its funny, how would you like to be molested by a pervy tape-measure huh?" Harry growled. The boy did not know how to respond to that but he stopped laughing and instead introduced himself " Sorry about that, but I have never seen anyone react to being fitted for a robe like that before, my names Draco Malfoy by the way" the boy said in a slightly snooty tone. "Kay, well I'm Harry, your starting this year too I guess?" Harry asked raising a brow, " yep, and I will be in Slytherin" Draco replied proudly, puffing his chest out and proceeding to get poked by a pin that Madam Malkin was trying to work into his robe. Harry smirked his yelp of pain, and the proceeding scolding from the lady,
"well I really have no idea what house I will be in, I just hope that its one with a cool mascot, not a lame one like a frog or something" he said.
" I see, well my family has been in Slytherin for generations, anybody who matters comes from that House, so if I were you I would aim for being a snake" Draco stated.
" I do like snakes" Harry mumbled lowly, talking mostly to himself.
Draco gave him an odd look then " Your parents ARE wizards aren't they?" he asked,
" Oh yeah they were, it's just their kinda dead now, so it's more like they were wizards" Harry said happily.
Draco continued giving him an even odder look at that " you don't seem very upset about it" he said curiously,
"I never new them, cant really be upset over some dead people you never knew, I mean if I got upset over every single person I didn't know that died I would never be happy, and that would just completely suck ya know?" Harry spoke, still smiling.
Draco obviously did not 'know' so he let the topic drop.
"Well all done with you Mister Malfoy, I will have the robes owled to you by tomorrow" Madame Malkins interrupted then.
With that the blonde boy hoped of the stool and made to leave,
" hopefully I will see you in Slytherin then" he said by way of good-bye, heading out the door to the sound of another cheerful tinkle to meet up with what where probably his parents harry thought, judging by the copious amounts of bright blonde hair and stuck-up expressions.
…..
'