A/N: Grammar checker and/or co-writer are welcomed. Most of what I write is from my search of the series, books that is, and if there are any mistakes, I welcome your opinion and criticism, no insults please. ICW is the wizarding world's combined ministry.
Daphne is the friend. Neville will be a parseltongue as a hocrux and BWL but Harriet's from her distant heritage, wizards have long connections and frankly, I will not bother tracing it nor does her background matter here. Harriet doesn't need to be a child of prophecy to be special and influential in the future, Dumbles and Grinds didn't either. Otherwise, her magical aptitude will be that of canon but she will use more, dangerous spells than a disarming one. Her appearance is of the cover art, which I absolutely do not own.
There will be major changes since Harriet is not the "boy who lived" or a Gryffindor or one of the Golden trio thus, the plot will diverge and I am making it a challenge of how well I can do that, so it's advisable not to skip much since there are clues and small but influential changes early. Harriet has a Grey personality which borders dark at some times, definitely not a goody two shoes.
Please bear with me on this boring long first chapter, the rest will be 3-4K long unless you vote against shorter chapters.
PS: I have doubtful and disturbing morals sometimes, and this fic is not to fix and save canon-dead characters. It's not a tragic story though and you will enjoy the humor.
"… and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have the power the Dark Lord knows not… "
Peter Pettigrew betrayed the Potters' location to Voldemort and they were attack to create a diversion to the Longbottoms by the Dark Lord himself when he marked Neville Longbottom as his equal and his body destroyed. Sirius believed to be the secret keeper, was arrested for the betrayal and murder of the Potters, Pettigrew and 12 muggles.
Albus Dumbledore ordered Hagrid to send Harriet Potter to her last remaining relatives with but a letter explaining her identity and her parents' demise.
Harriet lived 10 years with the Dursleys, it was an arduous life filled with nothing but misery. Physical abuse came from her cousin Dudley and his friends in form of beatings, emotional and verbal abuse from her uncle and aunt. Neither had a tolerance for any unusual behaviors or imaginations and the punishment for such things always ends up with no food for the rest of the day. With them, she did all sorts of chores and any mishaps would not bode well for her.
However, things started taking a turn for the better ever since the letters started arriving.
She met the first person who ever treated her with kindness, he gave her a cake for her birthday; a kindness she would never forget. She learned from him that she was a witch, capable of doing magic and her parents were not drunks who died in a car crash but respected wizards who were murdered.
It all made sense, how her long mane always grew overnight whenever her aunt shaved her bald, her vanishing and appearing on the school roof top, glass disappearance in the zoo and her conversation with the Boa.
So here she was, with Hagrid, the giant of a man she never thought possible escorting her to a place called Diagon Alley for her supplies for the new school full of witches and wizards she would be attending. The list was long but Hagrid had assured her that her parent were not as poor as she thought.
LEAKY CAULDRON-DIAGON ALLEY
"This is it, the Leaky Cauldron." Said Hagrid as the came to a halt.
"Only a wizard can see it with all the protective enchantments." Hagrid answered flippantly as they entered the shady dark building.
The bartender reached for a glass as he called out, "The usual, Hagrid?"
The name attracted a lot of attention as many people looked over to their direction to greet the well-known Hagrid.
"Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business." The bartender peered at Harriet's small form.
"Taking her to buy her supplies for her first year at Hogwarts?" Tom smiled at her to appear friendly and harmless, Harriet knew the man took her for a cautious animal, after all, she always had that same indifferent expression on her face.
Dull emerald eyes passed scanned the room; everyone wore clothes that would really drive her uncle mad. Everyone seemed to go on with their own business after greeting Hagrid.
"Come along, lots ter buy." Her observations were cut short as she followed the man.
They stopped by a wall and Harriet watched the man fumbling for something only to pull out his umbrella.
"Three up… two across." He muttered as he did as he tapped the wall with his umbrella.
Harriet's mouth opened and closed in amazement as the wall opened up to a different world.
"Welcome," he said, "to Diagon Alley."
'Too bright' was her impression of the world and its people she saw, they seemed too outgoing, too exuberant.
"C'mon, let's get yer money first." Hagrid led the way to a tall white building she easily spotted for its imposing structure.
They passed by many shops, which has signs with things she would eventually have to buy.
They passed by as others bargained and argued over the products sold in some establishments, witches and wizards going about in their own businesses.
"Look," She heard to the side, "the new Nimbus two thousand - fastest broom ever -" She could not fathom why these people would adore brooms so much. Maybe her uncle might have been right questioning these people's sanities.
"Gringotts," said Hagrid.
The building seemed a little too extravagant with two set of doors, the first being made of bronze and the second of silver, the floor made with marble.
Two goblins wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold stood outside as guards.
Passing by the guards and the silver door with the warning to thieves, both arrived at hall with a long counter and about hundreds of goblins sitting on high stools. All seemed to be scribbling ledgers, weighing coins and examining precious artifacts. Both Harriet and Hagrid made their war to one of them goblin.
"Morning," the free goblin looked up to them as Hagrid greeted. "We've come ter take some money from Miss Harriet Potter's safe."
"You have her key, Sir?"
Hagrid started fumbling with his pockets, emptying them of while spilling biscuits over the goblin's book.
"Gotcha," in his hands was a golden key. Harriet's eyes went to the key.
"Is that my safe key?"
"Of course it is. Why do you ask Harry?" she ignored the boy's name and pressed.
"Will I be holding onto it from now? In case I need to withdraw money myself?" While they were talking, the goblin had already called to another who would be taking them to the safe.
"I suppose," the man sounded unsure. "Oh! I've also got a letter from Dumbledore," he said to the goblin after he remembered something and gave him the letter. "It's about You Know what in vault seven hundred and thirteen."
"Very well," he turned to another Goblin that had just arrived. "Griphook, take them to both vaults."
Both girl and giant followed the goblin to one of the many doors leading off the hall.
Harriet's curiosity of the "you know what" was piqued. Wizards tend to name things with questionable labels whenever afraid of the subject or if the subject was quite serious and of high importance. They were bad at it, but Hagrid despite his good nature cannot seem to keep a secret at all.
Unsurprisingly to her surprise, behind the door was a completely opposite of the marble hall, a cave?
"Are we riding this cart?" she said with a raised eyebrow at the unending absurdness of it all. The amazement in her facial expression had mostly worn off to her usual dull one. Indeed, too Far East is west.
After the poor but fast imitation of a rollercoaster ride was over, Harriet climbed off a little woozy from the ride and Hagrid even worse.
"I saw a dragon!"
"They guard the wealthier vaults. The lower the vault level, the more the security." Griphook said as he unlocked the door to the vault.
Harriet gasped at the amount she saw inside, mounds of gold, columns of silver and piles of bronze coins filled the place. At the side, she spotted a pile of well-stacked things like bookshelves, wardrobes, trunks, lamps and other house furniture.
"Are these from my parent's house?"
"Yes indeed. After your parents' death, all of their possessions in perfect condition were transferred to this vault, the house suffered some damages but the lack of wards would have left them in the mercy of thieves."
Harriet forgot about the heaps of money and went to collection of his family's things. She went through most of the things but a cough informed her that they did not have all the time.
"How much would it take to repair the house and replace the wards?" She quickly asked the goblin. Hagrid looked a little taken aback at the ferociousness she expressed.
"We would simply have to reassess the damage and find the necessary wards you want placed."
"Harriet," Hagrid said, "It advisable to not make such decisions now, yer still a child and should live with a guardian as well as leave it to them to take care of your requests."
"I'm sorry Mr. Hagrid," the resolution in her voice was unshakeable, "But I won't return to my relatives anymore. As you have seen who they are, I am sure my experience with them has made me capable of taking care of myself."
Hagrid sighed but did not say anything, he hoped that Dumbledore would convince her otherwise.
Harriet had observed the man to know that he is easily swayed with the right words. "How long would it take to inform me of the costs and the repairs themselves?"
"By the end of the day the cost will arrive to you as well as the amount you currently own and a week at most for the repairs and wards setting." Her mind raced with thoughts, a week of waiting before the repairs were complete.
Hagrid pulled out a bag and helped Harriet pile some of the money into it as he continued to explain.
"17 silver Sickles are worth one golden Galleon, and twenty nine bronze Knuts to a silver Sickle." After collecting some of what Hagrid thought was enough to last her a term, they left the vault with a small bag full of coins and a picture of her parents.
They took the cart and travelled even deeper underground to vault seven hundred and thirteen.
Griphook stroked the door and it gently melted away. To her surprise, the vault was almost empty except for the small package lying on the floor in the middle of the vault. Hagrid quickly picked and pocketed it.
"That is what's worth more than my entire vault?" Harriet asked curiously.
"Of, course it is, it's the…"
"Ehem!" the goblin's cough made Hagrid clamp him mouth.
"Did you do that on purpose?" Hagrid said suspiciously, about his near slip.
"Do what?" the blank expression and tilted head blew even the elf's suspicions, both attributed it to a child's curiosity.
"Nah, forget it" Hagrid said as he exited the vault. "Just don't mention it again, best if keep me mouth shut." He mumbled to himself as they were led back to the cart and out of the bank.
"Might as well get yer uniform," Hagrid said, nodding towards Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Err, you get there while I have a quick visit in the leaky cauldron fer a pick me up."
It suddenly hit her that all her clothes were hand me downs from her aunt. With no desire to return to them, she would need to buy new clothes.
"Hogwarts, dear?" a smiling which said to Harriet, presumably the owner from the way she was dressed. "Got the lot here, two other young men are being fitted in the back right now, in fact."
"Do you have other sorts of clothing?"
"Of course dear, just pick and say what you like and I'll get the right size for you." She led her away from where the two boys were and to another place filled with female clothes.
After collecting all of new clothes and robes, they ate ice cream, which Hagrid bought for them. They went to buy her books in the Flourish and Blotts shop, with Harriet sneaking in a curses and counter curses book that caught her eye but Hagrid was adamant that she shouldn't.
They bought her quills and parchments, a collapsible brass telescope, a cauldron, a set of scale for weighing potion ingredients, an advanced potion kit after a visit to the apothecary and an expensive trunk with a strong expansion charm as well as other security locks and featherweight charm.
"Just yer wand left now." Hagrid said after checking her list again.
Her excitement had perked up during the adventurous shopping. The mention of a wand made her normal dull green eyes brighten.
"Ollivander's the best place for the best wand I tell yer," Hagrid said as he led her to the last shop. It was narrow and shabby with a sign in golden letters and a single wand on display in the dusty window. "Why don't you get yer wand and I run some errand over there." He said pointing at another shop, Eeylops Own Emporium.
Harriet stepped inside the shop alone and a bell rang announcing her presence. Magic of the tiny place tingled the hair in the back of her neck, the place was filled with thousands of neatly stacked slim boxes.
"Good afternoon," said a soft voice, which made her jump in shock. An old man was standing before her, his gaze firmly on her.
"Hello," she said.
"Ah yes," said the man as if remembering something. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you Miss Potter."
"You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself buying her first want. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."
"Your father got a Mahogany wand. Eleven inches, pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration."
"Do I really need a wand?" Harriet suddenly asked
"How do you expect to study and do magic then little miss?" Ollivander say amused.
"I have been able to make things vanish, regrow my hair, teleport, move things with my mind and even talk to snakes." She listed some of the things she did. "And I never had a wand for those." Harriet watched as a look of amazement flashed by the old wand maker's face.
"Only powerful, experienced and well trained wizards are capable of using such level of skills consciously and voluntarily." He explained to the little girl whose knowledge despite little of the wizarding world asked excellent questions.
"What you experienced was accidental magic, something prone to young witches and wizard during heightened emotional states," The man wisely said. "The wand helps you channel your magic more easily and helps you be more in tune with your magic."
"And since you asked, I would advise you to not be entirely dependent in your wand. Most witches and wizards find themselves incapacitated without their wands thus why most powerful ones tend to learn wandless and nonverbal magic for simple or even most of the substantial spells."
Harriet took the words to heart. It also explained why she never managed to replicate the oddities when she wanted to.
"Well, now miss Potter. Which is your wand arm?"
"I'm right handed?" said Harriet unsure.
Ollivander proceeded to measure her arm as left the sentient tape on her.
They tried all manner of wands suggested by Ollivander yet none produced the desired reaction. Piles of boxes and wands lay on the chair and floor, yet despite the mess and trouble, the old man did not seem to care and appeared even happier.
"As tricky as when I was picking up young Neville's wand." He said. Harriet remembered that Neville was the name of the famous boy in the wizarding world, dubbed as the Boy Who Lived, a name she saw on many of the books and heard some of the passersby utter.
He went to the far back of his shop and came with a couple more that he selected.
After more wands passed, "Cedar wood and horned serpent's horn, eleven inches."
Harriet held the red wand and felt it vibrate in her hand releasing a low melodious voice. With an experimental wave, the littered boxes and wands all rearranged themselves and in a flurry of motion, they all stacked themselves neatly into their respective places.
"What a strong bond," Ollivander said in amazement. "You, Miss Potter will be a powerful witch indeed."
"The cedar wood always picks those with great potential, keen insight and great perception of anything around them. One often finds themselves in a regretful situation when challenging the owner of such wands." While the wood itself was common, it rarely chose people and forming such a strong connection was unheard of from such a wood.
However, that was not what surprised him to that degree, for first wands, most are more compatible with either unicorn hair, dragon heartstring or the rare phoenix feather cores. More advanced and rare cores that exhibited other unique traits were only for the older and experienced wizards who came for replacement wands.
He had a hunch when he thought of her parseltongue ability and decided to try different ones after the common combinations failed. The Horned serpent's horn core was as rare as the phoenix feather, and like both the dragon heartstring and phoenix feather its core also has a great power range.
"The core of the wand is sensitive to parseltongue," Harriet's brow furrowed. "The ability to speak to snakes. It's rare and quite frankly, not a really appreciated one, best to keep it to yourself."
Harriet took heed of the advice and left the shop only to see Hagrid waiting outside with a beautiful snowy white owl and a smile.
"How much was the owl?" She said in surprise and wonder. The color made her feel less creeped out for owning an owl as a pet and messenger.
"Doesn't matter," he said handing the cage to her, "Its yer birthday present, doubt the Dursleys ever gave you anything."
Harriet hugged the giant, which was comical. Hagrid was the only person that has ever treated her with kindness. To her, he was her only friend.
"Just come visit me in Hogwarts every once in a while." The man said nervously.
"I definitely will." She promised. "You can tell me more about my parents."
"Yeah, let's take you to Tom's inn."
"I'll be staying at Leaky Cauldron?"
"Yap, good food they cook there," He rummaged through his stuffed pockets and pulled out a ticket. "Yer ticket fer Hogwarts, All of the information is in there."
LONDON TO HOGWARTS
for ONE WAY travel
Platform 9 ¾
01 September 11:00 AM
"Tom," Hagrid called out as they entered the inn. "Got a room fer the lady?"
"Certainly, room seven's free," Tom said.
"She'll be staying for about a week."
"Follow me then." Tom said as he helped her with her trunks. Harriet turned to see Hagrid waving at her good-bye.
"See yer at Hogwarts"
The bald wizened landlord led her up the stairs and to a very comfortable looking room. It was bigger than room she has ever slept in and the bed just sung to her.
"Well, this is it." The man said as he retreated. "Breakfast, lunch and dinner, if you ever need anything, don't be afraid ask."
With the door closed, Harriet found herself alone. The room was warm and cozy and in the cage was the still sleeping owl.
"A name for you would be wise." She said as she opened her trunk and took the first book in sight. A History of Magic.
After skimming through it, she found a name she thought would fit the owl.
"Hedwig," And the sleeping owl, now Hedwig, woke up in response to the name. Harriet smiled proudly as she shut the book.
The sky outside was already darkening and it would not be long before night arrived. But Harriet simply could not stay still for longer.
The moving picture of her parents and her infant self didn't hold as much closure and even the letter from the goblins seem to be running late.
She left the leaky cauldron with a reminder and warning from Tom to be back as soon as possible and not to wonder off anywhere else except Diagon alley.
As if programmed, Harriet went directly to Gringotts, the once majestic and wondrous alley lost its luster in her eyes.
A few minutes later accompanied by a different goblin, Harriet was inside her vault going through her family possessions.
Emptying trunks, she collected any written journals she could find, most of them being her mother's, while her father's trunk only had a logbook.
The goblin seemed impatient as she too her time sorting through everything she felt like collecting and placed it all in her father's trunk which possessed more powerful extension charms. She collected her mother's jewelry, her father's cloak and their wands amongst other things. By the end of it, the trunk was mostly full yet almost weightless in her hands when lifted.
The relieved goblin escorted her to the surface and walked away.
Feeling foolish, she approached the counter again.
"I was to receive a message about fixing my home and reapplication of wards. Harriet potter"
The goblin skimmed the enchanted book in front of him until he found the name.
"Potter's cottage?" she nodded, "85 galleons for full repairing of the entire damage and fixing and replacing all its previous security wards."
"How long will it take?"
"3 days."
"Alright," She was about to leave when she remembered something important. "Can you get me there when it's done?" she said shyly.
"We will send you a portkey once we are done." And he didn't even look at her again.
She refrained from asking what a portkey was as the goblin looked annoyed already from her constant pestering.
Three days passed, and Harriet spent most of it going rather slowly and painstakingly.
Her father's logbook was surprisingly, a record of his group known as the marauders, which composed of him as Prongs, Sirius Black known as Padfoot, Peter Pettigrew as Wormtail and Remus Lupin as Moony.
It detailed all their adventures that involved causing mischief and bullying. Her father and Mr. Black seemed to be the best of friends among the group of four and were the brains and resources suppliers for the book.
Black contributed to most of the charms the group used, which includes some of the permanent sticking charm and the homunculus charm used in a map of Hogwarts, which was confiscated by the school's janitor.
The charms workings were in the book but it was useless unless she had an actual map of the entire school.
Her father was the one who had the advanced potion recipe not even taught at Hogwarts. One such potion was the Animagus potion, a potion to grant the user an ability to turn into their innermost animal.
Problem was, it was too difficult and the consequences for mistakes in the creation of the potion were too drastic.
Her mother's journals held detailed accounts to her life at Hogwarts and after. Apparently, she was a potioneer after her Hogwarts' graduation and most of the books she had were on potions.
True to her speculation, even her mother considered her father in his early years as a bully. He antagonized her friend, Sevs, Snivellus by the marauders. However, he started changing in his late years in an attempt to impress her mother, even marrying her, which revoked the Potter's status of being a pureblood family, and became one of half bloods.
From Her mother's books, she fortunately found information on portkeys after her first run in with them and Harriet was glad she did or she would have had to return to the leaky cauldron for her things and apologizing to the innkeeper.
Her gaze fell on the silvery gray cloak lying on the bed. It was the most fascinating thing she had found amidst the books and jewelry. The cloak of invisibility, and from her father's notes, it was a family heirloom passed down every generation. This was currently her most prized possession, more than her wand and owl.
The letter from Gringotts had arrived with a key inside a package. The letter informed that it was a one use portkey of the key to her house.
"Thank you Mr. Tom" Harriet said as she handed some galleons to the innkeeper and collected the two trunks she had.
GODRIC'S HOLLOW
Portkey travel has always described as an unpleasant experience, and it is advisable to keep travelling things well organized before attempting.
With nothing to throw up, Harriet felt burning bile on her throat.
In front of her was the Potter Cottage. She took her time admiring the outside of the house, including the well trimmed grass that she would have puked on had she not stopped herself from eating anything.
Opening the door, she saw stairs running up, the living room, dining room and the spacious kitchen. There was a locked room at the end, which turned out to be a portion room.
Upstairs had one master bedroom, a nursery, guest room and bathroom.
Harriet sighed as she sat on her parent's bed, she chose to stay in the master bedroom.
"Why don't I feel anything strong?" Were her emotions so crippled by the Dursleys that the feeling of lose only came out as nothing more than a tug on her heart?
She has seen many who wept at the being reminded of those they lost, unfortunately, she did not share the same sentiment.
KNOCK!
Her thoughts were jolted by the unexpected knock on her door.
"I just got here," she muttered under her breath, as she knew it was most likely the neighbors.
When she opened the door, her expression could not have gotten any blanker from its usual.
"Hello dear," Said an old woman who was smiling with a plate what appeared to be cauldron shaped cookies. "Would you like some?"
"Who are you?" She did not beat around the bush.
"I'm Bathilda Bagshot, your neighbor," she said pointing at the house across that of Harriet's.
Suddenly, the woman was in her personal space, intently examining her face. Harriet could see her cloudy eyes from old age.
"Merlin's beard, Harriet?" said the woman in shock.
"Uhm, Yes?"
"It's been ages since I last saw you when you were but a little baby." Of course, it would seem disrespectful to let an old woman stand outside her door. She just did not have the heart.
"Mrs. Bagshot?" Started Harriet,
"Would it be okay if I came to your house for all the stories after I finish unpacking my things?"
"Then I'll help you with that."
The old woman came in without waiting for the invitation and Harriet stepped aside begrudgingly.
"I was mortified when that Dumbledore informed me you were sent to your magic-hating muggles." The woman entered but only went to the chair and sat.
"I know you have a lot to learn of this world and I will tell you everything I can."
Harriet cursed under her breath as she remembered who the woman was. She was a historian who wrote about one of the books written in her acceptance letter.
But Harriet could never have predicted that she traded one demon for another, her last 3 weeks on Godric's Hollow were filled with boring recital of books and stories about people she never cared about, who also would not appreciate her hearing their private secret life.
While she had some interesting stories Harriet enjoyed, including those spent with her parents, the woman also explained about some of the wizarding world's important structures, be it politics, sports, communication, transportation, etc. but most touched upon topic was Hogwarts, enough that she wouldn't have to open most of books again.
It wasn't a lie to say that Harriet knew as much as any wizard or witch about their secret community when she spent 3 weeks with the gossiping old woman. She tires her with long monologue tales while equally helping her familiarize herself.
KING'S CROSS STATION
"That you for your help," Harriet said sincerely to the old woman, who smiled kindly at her and pinched her cheek.
"Take care dear, and remember to owl me every once in a while." She said, "I'm sure you'll make Lily proud, did I ever tell you how she was the greatest witch of her age?"
"Yes ma'am, you did mention it." She replied with a tight smile. Without wasting any time, she pulled her things and passed through the magical barrier to the train platform.
ooo00000OOOXOOO00000ooo
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