Here we go Ladies and Gentlemen, my second ever story!
For those of you who have read To Change the Past, I'm sorry to say that I probably won't be updating on it. It was a whimsical idea before I set off on holiday, but I just can't bring myself to finish it. However, it's up for adaptation to whoever wants it!
Anyway, on with this story. This is loosely based off mathiasgranger's Open Your Eyes series, a great read by the way. Basically, Harry is going to make himself better, probs ditch Ron (no offence, but I really hate that guy) and will be HHr.
Disclaimer (seriously though, this IS a fanfiction site!): Belongs to JKR, not me la de da.
Chapter One
Coming 'Home'
Harry Potter lugged his heavy trunk out of the car, and into Number 4, Privet Drive. Now, an onlooker to the scene may wonder why a thirteen year old in ill-fitting clothing was doing such a thing – after all, trunks weren't exactly common nowadays. To add to that, his perfectly normal family seemed to have left him to fend for himself – again, quite strange for such a loving family.
However, the reason for why Harry Potter was heaving his heavy trunk, wearing his worn and faded clothes by himself, was that he was not in fact as 'normal' as the rest of his family. In fact, he was as far from it as you can get, for Harry was a wizard.
Not only was he a wizard, but he was also known as 'The-Boy-Who-Lived'. He, at the tender age of just a year and a bit, was the only known human being to survive the Killing Curse from the Dark Lord 'Voldemort'. This powerful wizard, albeit one corrupted by the 'Dark Arts', had (for some unknown reason) attacked the well-loved Potter family, murdering Harry's parents. However, when it came to the little baby, Voldemort's curse, known as 'unstoppable, was somehow rebounded back at the Dark Lord, vanquishing him. Then, whlie the rest of the Magical World rejoiced, the little green-eyed baby was sent off to his Aunt and Uncle's, where he would spend the next ten years before his re-entry into the wizarding world.
Now, looking back on those years, Harry could only wish his esteemed Headmaster had placed him elsewhere. Though the blood-wards were undoubtedly powerful, and had indeed saved his life during first year, he wondered why he couldn't have just lived elsewhere. His relatives had never actually hit him, but the emotional and mental abuse itself was just as degrading.
But now, things were starting to look up. His wrongfully-imprisoned Godfather, Sirius Black, had escaped from the Dementor-infested wizard prison Azkaban. Escaped he may be, but acquitted he was not. Sirius still held the title of 'an escaped murderer'. However, this was but another positive in Harry's life – ammunition to deter the Dursleys. Hopefully, with the threat of Sirius hanging over their heads, life would be better.
As he crossed the threshold, and dragged the trunk upstairs towards the smallest bedroom, Harry now pondered over the events over the last few years. He was wondering about just how impulsive and follish he had been, as a matter of fact.
The problems stemmed back from his very first year at the wondrous Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Flying off after Draco Malfoy, when he had no experience whatsoever on a broom. He was lucky he had such a natural affinity for flying, and though it may have got him a place on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, it had still been a foolhardy decision.
Then, cross to the end of the year, and the fiasco of the Philosopher's Stone. He could have got himself and his friends killed! As it was, the timely arrival of the esteemed Headmaster had prevented the resurruction of Voldemort, and Harry, Ron and Hermione emerged as heroes of the day.
Then, there was Second Year. When he and Ron attempted to get through the barrier to Platforom Nine and Three Quarters, they were rebuffed. That shouldn't have been too much of a problem. But then, Ron had pulled him off to the bewitched Weasley car, and they had driven to Hogwarts. Looking back, they could have easily waited for the reappearance of the Weasley Patriarch and his wife, but no, the duo had to be the heroes. What was it they got in return? Detention, and the notoriety of the fool Lockhart.
Following this was the whole Chamber of Secrets fiasco. Dumbledore may have been gone, but really – was Lockhart ever going to be the best person to take to the Chamber. Never mind the fact that the both of them knew he was a fake, they should have gone to others, such as McGonagall, Flitwick or even Snape. But instead, along came the blubbering fool, who then attempted to wipe their memories and collapse part of the tunnel.
If all that wasn't enough, there was the last year for Harry to think over. The first major wrong decision Harry made, was picking that stupid Divination. It was all in all a total and utter waste of time, and having your death predicted three times per week was not at all fun. Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, Subjects done by his best friend Hermione, would have been much more beneficial, and even fun.
On the topic of Hermione, Harry paused for a moment. He had treated her horribly this year. Ostracizing her over the insignificant case of a broomstick! So what if it was the best on the market, and she may have gone behind his back to report it – she was only doing what was best for his welfare, and he had repayed her by ignoring Ron's subsequent teasing and belittling of her.
Then, there was the whole Sirius Black incident. Though he was glad to know the truth about his Godfather, he had been sneaking around after dark, with the Dementors' evil prescence all around him and an escaped convist on the loose, and was quite frankly lucky to not get killed. And when he confronted Sirius in the Shrieking Shack, what did he do? He attacked him with hand and fist! Had Sirius been an actual murderer, he would probably be six feet under right now.
As Harry placed his trunk in the corner of the smallest bedroom, and sat down on his tiny bed, his thoughts then turned to his two best friends. Or more specifically, Hermione.\
She had been with him all the way since the fateful Halloween in first year. She constantly helped him with his lacklustre approach to his studies, and was perhaps the only reason for his mediocre marks. Harry definitely had a lot of potential – he had created a corporeal Patronus at the age of thriteen – but he hadn't driven himself as far as his studies went. He was all too comfortable passing with minimal effort. Then again, that wasn't totally his fault. His upbringing where he was punished for doing better than Dudley, compounded with Ron's own lack of effort meant he wasn't performing to his top potential.
That was something Harry wanted to change.
This summer, he decided, would be different. No longer would he bvreeze through school without a care in the world. The night of betrayer Peter Pettigrew's escape, his fraud of a Divination teacher had seemd to give an acutal prophecy:
' The Dark Lord lie alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant has been chained these twelve year. Tonight, before midnight, the servant will break free and set out to rejoin his master. The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than ever before.'
And true to her words, Pettigrew had escaped. And since Professor Dumbledore had believed it, Harry was now faced with the very likely possibility that Voldemort would somehow come back. Hence his new decision to improve himself.
'First of all, I need to find a way to practice magic this summer,' he thought to himself. 'And get some new clothes, eat more...'
The list of things in his head grew and grew. 'Better write this down.' he said to himself. Half an hour later, he had his list of goals for the summer written down:
What I need to do
Practice magic this summer – from first through to fourth years
Study Ancient Runes/Arithmancy
Eat better
Get proper clothes
Get fitter – martial arts?
'This is going to be a bit harder than I thought.' Harry mused to himself. 'Where am I going to get all this from?'
Then, it occurred to him almost as though a switch had been flipped. Gringotts! The goblins of the wizarding bank would hopefully be able to help him with the magical aspect of his summer, as well as the money to get his clothes. 'That's two things off the list.'
'As for the books – Flourish and Botts should be some help. He could even get some other books in addition to his basic ones for the year – surely there must be something like Potions For Dummies in the wizarding world. Come September, Harry was going to shock Snape into silence, as well as the rest of his teachers, provided he worked hard enough now.
'But how can I get food?' Harry's thoughts now turned to despair.
All of a sudden, a resounding CRACK shattered the relative peace of the house.
'Dobby?'
Sorry for the slight cliffhanger folks, but can't think of much more for today.
Ratty (HedwigthePhoenix)