Harry Quits: By Racke
Prolog
Harry stared in horror as a the fourth piece of paper was propelled from the cup.
This was somehow related to him, he knew it. Every time something truly weird happened, it was always related to him.
The students are getting petrified by an unknown source? Well, we don't have a clue how that happened, but let's blame the whole thing on Harry Potter, that sounds perfect.
A murderer breaks out from Azkaban? Let's put some Dementors around the school that we think is his target, they couldn't possibly fail to catch him a second time, despite lacking a jail to back them up, and that we haven't actually figured out how he managed to escape the first time. Oh, and did we mention that he's Harry Potter's innocent godfather, and only broke out in order to kill the traitor who caused his parents' deaths?
So, yeah. This was most certainly somehow related to him.
"Harry Potter." Came Dumbledore's somewhat reproachful voice.
And it was never Harry's fault.
He wasn't even sure why he always ended up as the one getting involved in these things. First year, okay, he searched out the Stone, if only so that Voldemort didn't come back to life and kill him, and he was the one who acted since nobody believed his warnings. Second year, he went down into the Chamber of Secrets and killed a basilisk to save the life of his best friend's sister, and found a young Voldemort, but only because nobody who might've been able to help actually listened to him. Third year, he just chased down this big dog that kidnapped his friend, and it turns out that it's his godfather.
So what the hell allowed Dumbledore to sound reproachful? Like this was somehow his fault? Like he'd just destroyed centuries of tradition on some childish whim?
Glancing around, it wasn't difficult to spot the glares from the Hufflepuff table, which, in all fairness, wasn't actually something he could fault them for. They'd gotten their chance in the spotlight, and now he has to come along forcing them back into obscurity.
Fact remained that it wasn't his fault, but they tended to be rather impulsive with their 'unfaltering loyalty'. They'd hailed him as a hero, same as everyone except Slytherin, during his first year. They'd turned on him in second year, same as everyone else, and then they'd hailed him as a hero by the end of it. The House of loyalty really wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. But, then again, perhaps they were more loyal to themselves than the rest of the school.
Ravenclaw was a mix of many expressions, most of them disapproving. Because they just immediately figured that he not only wanted to be part of something that would cause his fame to spiral even further out of control than it already had, but that he'd succeeded where the always resourceful Weasley twins had failed.
Idiots.
Slytherin looked hateful. So that was pretty much the same as always. Bloody gits.
Gryffindor table. Ouch. Ron's jealousy was back, and he was glaring. Hermione was looking just as reproachful as Dumbledore could ever hope to manage. And the Weasley twins looked a bit peeved, but perhaps slightly proud? Hard to tell, they were good at hiding their expressions after all their time as pranksters. Ginny was staring at him in awe, which was mildly disturbing actually. And Colin Creevey looked like he was trying not to pee himself, which was just as utterly horrifying as always.
So, not only are the teachers pissed at him for ruining the tournament. Not only are everyone in the Great Hall absolutely convinced that this is somehow his fault. But now he'll probably be forced to compete in a tournament with a horrifying death toll.
No.
Damn it all to Dursleys. No!
He was not doing this. Not this year. This year things would be normal dammit! It would be normal, or he'd quit!
Quit. Yes, of course. Why hadn't he ever seen it before? He didn't have to go to Hogwarts. In fact, there were at least two other schools in the magical world. He could probably find one that was far away from here. A place where his innocent godfather wasn't thrown into hell on Earth for a decade without even a mockery of a trial.
Perfect.
Harry stared up at the teachers' table. They'd probably complain about this course of action he'd just decided on. But, well, one teacher tried to kill him – and died – one teacher tried to turn him into a vegetable – and became one himself – one made the utterly dry books on goblin wars actually sound exciting by comparison to his own description of them, and one spent most of his lessons insulting his parentage... Why did he want to stick around again? They'd have to have better teachers out there somewhere.
"No. Damn it all. No." Harry Potter got to his feet, glaring at the teachers' table, because from experience, this was probably that guy Moody's fault.
He wasn't sure why Moody would do such a thing, and he didn't really want to suspect him, since he was actually a good teacher. But all of his previous years had somehow involved his DADA teacher trying to kill him. Remus might not have been doing so on purpose, what with the being a werewolf and all, but he still kind of counted.
"I didn't join it. I don't even want to join it!" He spat out at them, making several people start whispering about him making a scene.
He really hated his fame. He loathed it with every fiber of his being, actually. But did anyone ever actually believe him when he said that? No, of course not. That would've made sense, and the Wizarding World couldn't very well make sense, could it? That'd just be absurd.
"Be that as it may, my boy." Came the headmaster's patronizing voice. "But putting your name in the Goblet of Fire counts as a magical contract. So, I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter."
"But I didn't put my name in it!" Harry glared, he'd heard of magical contracts, how they could rip the magic out of someone.
He didn't want to lose his magic. The mere thought of it was horrifying.
But he didn't want to compete, either. And as he stood there, judging which was actually worse, he came to a startling realization.
He'd be free. In the muggle world, nobody knew his name. Nobody would keep him at his relatives after it came to light that they'd been starving him, would they? That's why Hermione never believed him when he told her of it – she couldn't imagine that nobody would've acted against that.
He'd be free. Because why would Voldemort want to kill him? This worthless non-magical coward?
He'd be free.
"I quit." His voice echoed through the Great Hall with a fascinating finality. He was smiling, actually, a small, almost blissful smile. "I, Harry James Potter, hereby resign from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
Then he turned around, making his way towards Gryffindor tower in order to pack his bags, as pandemonium erupted from all around.
"Harry, my boy." Dumbledore sounded oddly choked, as if someone was holding a knife to his throat. "Surely you can't mean that."
"Oh, but I can." Harry could admit that his voice had a slightly gleeful tone that really didn't make him sound old and wise, but he was okay with that. He was fourteen, he still had time to work on it. "I'd rather lose my magic than compete in a tournament that's probably some elaborate plan of Voldemort's to kill me." There was a unanimous gasp at the name. "I figure, at least this way, I won't be famous. And I won't be shipped off to the Dursleys when summer comes around." He did his very best to put in all of his revulsion at his relatives into that statement.
He giggled, wondering briefly if he was perhaps, just a tiny bit hysterical.
"Did you know that I made a Patronus through the memory of believing that I would actually be able to move out? It was a wonderful Patronus," he reflected longingly. "But then Fudge decided not to give my innocent godfather his trial, but to have him Kissed, instead. Because that way nobody would ever blame him for his wrongful imprisonment. And you wonder why I don't trust politicians." He shook his head mournfully at the idiocy of the world.
A lot of people were staring at him in something akin to horror, which was pretty much normal.
But if they were going to stare in horror regardless, he might as well give them one final push, right?
"See you, never." He hissed in all of his parselmouth glory, and then he turned on his heel, and left. Not caring for the horrified gasps, or the way that the Slytherin emblem was following him with its eyes, or the voices of those who were still trying to undo his decision.
Harry Potter was halfway to the tower before he suddenly realized that he could probably make a Patronus from this memory.
The thought actually made him smile a little.
XXX
Ron didn't try to stop him from leaving, but he did start on a rant about how he was making a scene, until Harry Silenced him. It was probably the best use he'd ever put that spell to, and that was including Silencing himself that one time so that nobody would hear his footsteps underneath his invisibility cloak.
Hermione began on her own rant about grades, and Harry cheerfully ignored her. Since he already knew that she'd have studied enough to actually be able to stop him from Silencing her.
The twins were looking worried, but hid it behind their cheers for the chaos he was spreading in his wake.
The members of the Quidditch team were extremely relieved that Oliver Wood wasn't around to cry his eyes out at the thought of losing Harry as Gryffindor's Seeker, but were sad to see him go nonetheless.
Ginny had apparently written home about resigning as well, and was looking at him with a mixture of longing, awe, frustration, anger, and barely veiled lust. Harry was very relieved that Percy was keeping her busy with his own tirade about the wonders of Hogwarts at the other end of the common room, as she was really creeping him out.
Colin was trying to capture this moment with as many pictures as were physically possible, making Harry sincerely hope that he wouldn't go blind from all the flashing.
The rest of Gryffindor kept away, not sure if they should be glaring at him for being a coward, rant about traditions, disapprove of him resigning, or just generally decide that he wasn't worth the trouble.
The only one who actually seemed to support his decision was Neville.
"I don't know what will happen if the Goblet decides you violated its decision, but take care Harry. You were always a good friend."
Harry actually felt tears stinging his eyes at that moment. Sure, he knew that Neville was a nice guy, but that Neville would think the same of him? That he would actually support him, just like that?
For the first time, Harry Potter, well and truly wished that he'd helped a certain boy on the train find his toad.
"Neville, I don't think I deserve that. But thanks." He grinned at him. "And I'll be fine. Worst thing that could happen is I lose my magic, and that just makes me a muggle. Much worse to be an idiot." He nodded pointedly in Ron's direction.
Sharing a laugh at the indignation of the Silenced Weasley, Harry said goodbye and stepped out of the portrait.
Only to run into the Hogwarts staff.
Snape looked caught between murderous rage and unholy glee. McGonagall looked disapproving. Flitwick looked like he didn't really see the point of any of them being there. Sprout looked worried, but supportive. Moody was glaring. Pomfrey looked a bit as if she wanted to give him a hug. And Dumbledore seemed caught between horrified frustration and pompous anger.
"Madam Pomfrey, I won't be needing that reserve bed this year. I hope that you won't fault me for it." He felt a small smile reach his lips as she wiped a tear from her eye, before smiling back at him.
"Try to keep safe."
He nodded, feeling a bit of nostalgia wash over him. She never would trust that he really was trying, and then she'd grumble about it the next time his attempts failed. But she wouldn't. Not anymore.
He completely ignored the headmaster and all his attempts to draw attention to himself, deciding instead to say goodbye to the teachers who'd actually been teaching him things.
Flitwick seemed amused by Dumbledore's inability to rein him in. Sprout was shooting glares at the headmaster's blatant attempts to get him to reconsider – probably due to her being fairly certain that he wouldn't have been trying so hard if one of her Hufflepuff's had been the one deciding to leave. McGonagall's lips were becoming a thinner line every time that the headmaster opened his mouth. And Snape was obviously moments away from snapping and hexing him.
So Harry was extremely polite, and completely ignored the old coot and the greasy git. Then he turned around and began his trek towards the Great Hall.
Once there, he was met with Slytherin's cheering, Hufflepuff's obvious conflict, and Ravenclaw's careful consideration.
Slytherin would no longer have the Boy-Who-Lived around to annoy them, and they were immensely pleased by it. Hufflepuff was feeling guilty about doubting him, disapproval of his quitting, and general curiosity about where he would go from here. And Ravenclaw was beginning to realize that they didn't need to go to Hogwarts in order to learn, and that there might be better choices, possibly without horrible teachers and without a curse placed on a very important teaching position.
Harry's march out of Hogwarts would be the source of legends. The day that the Boy-Who-Lived left the 'best school in England', would, after all, cause quite a bit of waves around the institution.
What could've gone so wrong that Harry Potter would leave Hogwarts? It must've been utterly horrible. Maybe a great scandal? Did he get thrown out? Why? Was it because he was a parselmouth? Had Harry Potter gone Dark?
The questions that would arise from it were endless, and some of them might actually end up denting the reputation of the ancient school.
Regardless, Harry soon found himself in Hogsmeade, quickly getting permission to use the Floo to get to Diagon Alley.
Just because he might lose his magic didn't mean that he would certainly lose his money. Best to check on that, first.
