For the want of a nail...
By SeriousSierra
Announcements: 1. I have no Beta reader, so write a review or PM me if you spot a mistake.
2. I have made a discord server for this fic where all the readers can interact with me if they'd like to do so. Link in the author profile.
Author's notes: To start with, I love the Harry Potter universe, but many discrepancies annoy me to no end.
First, Harry, in my opinion, doesn't show any signs of emotional abuse when he leaves the Dursley's after ten long years of being cooped up with them. A child who is starved for love and has seen adults all his life, unwilling to help him cannot have a selfless personality. Harry might have a saving people thing but having a selfless character is contradicting.
Secondly, the fact that there was never a single time in the books where it was even hinted about Harry having feelings for Ginny. He had no feelings for anyone except Cho at the end of book four and in book five. Now in the sixth book, with the introduction of love potions, he suddenly falls in love with Ginny. Coincidence…Oh please!
Thirdly, the idea of Horcruxes was executed poorly. It was a chore reading the Horcrux hunt camping trip. Again, the cheery tone of the epilogue didn't match well with the darkness of the last book.
Rowling should not have written an epilogue, but that's my opinion.
Also, I can't believe that Rowling turned Harry into an average Joe later on. An Auror in the Ministry? Hell no! Harry was unwilling to lend his support to the ministry under Rufus Scrimgeour in book seven. Plenty of Death Eaters got off scot-free after the war. The Ministry was still corrupt after Lord Voldemort died. Harry working as Auror in the ministry is not consistent.
Furthermore, Ron and Hermione would never remain married, if they ever married- that is merely a divorce in the making. Their personalities don't match. They bicker too much; Hermione pushes too hard, and Ron gives up too easily. Opposites attract, but like-minded draws more.
One more inconsistency that comes to mind is the Patronus charm. It's shown to us as a beyond NEWT level Charm. Only some Aurors are able to learn it. It takes Harry over four months to learn it with a Boggart as a Dementor. He also struggles with finding a happy memory, etc. But, come the fifth year, and the whole damned DA is learning it like an average charm in a matter of weeks.
Lastly, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Let's pretend there's no such thing!
Future A/N's won't nearly be this long. Moving onwards, as this is my first fic, your reviews are very much appreciated. They bring me so much joy.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter Universe nor do I make any money from writing this fanfic. All of this belongs to J.K. Rowling. I thank her for allowing me to play in her world.
Chapter One: Departure
11 July 1994
The Smallest Bedroom
Privet Drive
Harry felt the ground shaking and, saw the walls of the library crumble as he focused on keeping them stable and standing. Despite his efforts, the boy failed to keep the library intact. It slowly crumbled to dust in front of his eyes.
Building a Memory Palace was hardly an easy job. It was an advanced Occulumency technique which he'd been trying to master for the last two years. It helped in memorising large amounts of information very quickly. It was also utilised in hiding secrets from even your conscious self. It also boosted one's ability to make quick, accurate decisions.
Dumbledore had given him various books and tips over the years when he'd asked him about Occulumency in his first year. Unfortunately, Harry had discovered that he had no particular skill nor affinity with this branch of magic at all. He just couldn't give up on it though; some of the techniques described were too good to be passed.
Thus, he was struggling with Occulumency techniques. He'd successfully built a hall, two bedrooms and a balcony overlooking the grounds on Hogwarts in his Memory Palace. The library was his next goal. Determined to drudge through the mud if that was what it took for him to learn a few of these techniques, Harry practised them for an hour or so every day. It was slow and laborious work, but he ploughed through.
Disappointed, he gave up for the day. Looking at the clock, Harry saw it was time for breakfast. He got up, after tidying his attire he went downstairs.
Downstairs in the Kitchen...
Dudley's wails for more food weren't stopping. Petunia fretted as to what to do. It was all that wretched school nurse's fault. The letter from Smeltings had come just ten days ago stating that Dudley had grown too fat. He couldn't fit in his school uniform anymore.
That wretched nurse had recommended a diet plan for her poor baby; already he'd grown so weak from not eating his fill; Petunia cursed as she gave Dudley a plate of grapes against the plan. As Dudley ate on the couch, Vernon grumbled from the kitchen table at the injustice happening in front of his eyes.
Petunia had enforced Dudley's diet on everyone else too. "We'll diet with you to give you moral support, Dudders" she'd said that day, and looked at Vernon with a glare for support. He smiled encouragingly at both of them.
Now, Vernon suffered because of his silence that day. His stomach grumbled as did his mind with his planning to eat some doughnuts at the bakery near his office. His mind wandered to his nephew, specifically why he hadn't come down for breakfast yet.
Harry entered the Kitchen, just as his Uncle was about to shout for him.
"Speak of the devil" Vernon muttered.
"Comb your hair!" Uncle Vernon yelled at him and returned to his newspaper. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank, Harry were just a few of his favourite subjects.
Harry took a seat at the table and Petunia handed him a plate of breakfast and some juice and then promptly forgot that he existed and solely focused her attention on Dudley. Meanwhile, Dudley also thought about where could he get some proper food.
Dudley thought about cajoling his friend Piers into getting him some real food from his home. As the gears in Dudley's mind worked, he smiled deviously at his genius.
After finishing his breakfast, Harry booked a cab for the airport, while Petunia watched him from the corner of her eye like a hawk.
Vernon soon left for work with a proud smile on his face that he couldn't hide, probably thinking about his cunning plan. Piers Polkiss, Dudley's best friend, came to get him 15 minutes later in full cricket uniform, Dudley changed too and left to play cricket or at least that was what he told his mother. Petunia also got on with her day as she baked some delicacies for poker at Mrs Taylor's house in the afternoon.
Upstairs, Harry was packing his stuff.
"Meet me at the airport." he said as he opened the window for Hedwig.
The Dursleys all knew he'd be leaving for Paris today. Harry couldn't help but show off his wealth in front of the Dursleys; otherwise, they would have made his life miserable as they'd done with his childhood. Flaunting his wealth kept them appropriately cowed. Owning 30% shares of Grunnings might also have had something to do with it.
The cab arrived and blew a horn to let the residents know he was here.
On the road…
Finished with his packing, Harry carried his trunk and owl cage to the cab, where the driver loaded it in the car. On the way to the airport, Harry thought about his slow progress in Occulumency and got suitably depressed.
He'd decided on visiting Paris for a vacation after overhearing Hermione describe it to Penelope last year. Hermione Granger: a Gryffindor who had consistently secured the first position in academics over the previous years; a fact which irked many Ravenclaws including Harry.
Soon the airport came into view and, the car pulled into the Departure Terminal. Harry got off, and the driver went to get a trolley for the luggage. Hedwig who'd followed the car chose that time to swoop below and land on the car's roof. Harry locked the snowy owl in her cage. The driver loaded the trunk and the owl cage on the trolley on his return, looking at the boy curiously.
According to what he remembered from school; Owls were supposed to be nocturnal creatures. The boy paid for the cab and entered the airport.
Harry had told his lawyer to get him a passport last year, after deciding to spend a month in France. His lawyer, Brenda Gosnold was an elderly witch and the attorney for the house of Potter; she usually took care of all his legal problems and fulfilled an advisory role as well.
Two hours later as Harry's flight left British aerospace, a device stopped whirring in the office of Albus Dumbledore and, started flashing red. This particular Knick knack was one of many which kept an eye on the boy for Dumbledore, a task which otherwise would require a lot more manpower than a single squib. Its purpose was to locate Harry Potter over the British soil. The reason it was now flashing red was that Harry Potter had left the British land and the device was unable to find him.
The problem was that if he didn't return back in 12 hours, the device would permanently lose the ability to track him. Harry obviously didn't know about this as his flight entered the French aerospace.
Unfortunately for Headmaster Dumbledore, Harry Potter had planned his departure to coincide with Albus's Wizengamot sessions where Brenda was simultaneously representing his interests and running interference for him and would continue to do so for the whole day.
Three hours later though, the captain of his flight welcomed Harry and his passengers to Paris on the PA.