Title: A Witch Who Held Immortality
Summary: Plucked from her miserable life with the Dursleys by a hairy half-giant on the orders of a two-faced goat, Clio Potter wasn't sure what to expect at this "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry". She could say this though: the goat had another thing coming if he thought she would play the pawn in his little games. Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone rewrite. Fem!Harry.
Main Pairing: Revealed later
Side Pairings: Blaise Zabini/Luna Lovegood, Ron Weasley/Hermione Granger, George Weasley/Angelina Johnson, Fred Weasley/Daphne Greengrass
Warnings: Mild language and violence, no sexual content. AU (takes place in early 2000s vs 90s). Ravenclaw!Harry. Gray!Harry. Intelligent!Harry. Okayish!Slytherins. Weasley!Bashing. Hermione!Bashing. Dumbledore!Bashing.
Prologue
Life at number four, Privet Drive was not the best for one Cliosara "Just Clio Please" Potter. It was not that the house wasn't nice (because the house was always in immaculate condition), but rather that the other occupants were particularly…unpleasant.
Petunia Dursley was the long-necked, bony, shrieking woman that Clio was unfortunate enough to call her aunt. Clio's mother Lily was Petunia's younger sister who died in a car crash when Clio was around a year old. Any questions regarding Clio's parents and their lives before their deaths were absolutely forbidden in the house. However, in an extremely rare act of kindness on Clio's sixth birthday, Petunia had given her niece a family photo taken when Lily was around thirteen or fourteen. It was the only picture Petunia owned that didn't have her sister's face blackened out with marker.
Vernon Dursley was the exact opposite of his wife; his bones were covered in thick rolls of fat, his neck hidden by three chins, and his face was practically devoured by a big and bushy black mustache. Whereas Petunia was occasionally kind to her niece, Vernon had made it his life's mission to make sure that Clio knew not one strand of happiness. That photo of her mother? Vernon had apparently been too tired to get any firewood one cold wintery night and decided that it would make good kindling. While Clio had been distraught at the loss, it was Petunia who threw the tantrum. It would be one of the few times Clio witnessed her aunt and uncle fight, but it wasn't the first (or last) time she saw a bruise on her aunt's face.
Dudley Dursley never seemed to notice the hand-shaped marks on his mother's face, what with being too caught up in his television programs and computer games. He was an odd mix of Vernon and Petunia, with Vernon's fat and temper and Petunia's blonde hair. However, he seemed to have inherited all of Vernon and Petunia's hatred and disgust for Clio's mere existence. Despite being much, much bigger than his cousin, Dudley had a disturbing obsession for tormenting Clio. Most of it was just verbal abuse, but whenever Dudley managed to corner Clio, it got rather physical.
Somehow, someway, Clio had managed to avoid becoming a desolate and angry child. While far from happy with how she was treated by her relatives, Clio did not let their torment stop her from trying to be a good person. She studied like mad at school and managed to become top of her year because of it. Even though her classmates treated her like she was a disease, it never prevented her from giving someone a dropped pencil or helping someone with a homework question or holding the door during a downpour.
The Dursley's were determined to prove how stupid and worthless Clio Potter was to the world. Clio was hellbent on proving them wrong.
Today was a special day at number four, Privet Drive. It was a day full of laughter, love, presents, and usually several loud tantrums.
Today, of course, was Dudley Dursley's 11th birthday. It would also be the day that Clio Potter's life began to change.
On a tiny stained mattress in a dusty cupboard underneath the stairs, Clio was on the last pages of Celtic Myths and Legends, the most recent book that she had borrowed from the school library. Anything deemed "abnormal" or "mythical" was strictly forbidden in the Dursley home by the mustached walrus himself, so Clio had to hide her readings from her family. If Uncle Vernon caught her reading this "useless hogwash" as he would so eloquently put it, Clio had not a single doubt that she'd get quite the beating from her uncle's belt.
"Up! Get up! Get up! Get up!" Aunt Petunia screeched, wildly smacking her hand against the cupboard door. A pair of narrow, watery blue eyes glared at Clio from the slits in the door. "Put that book down at once and come tend to the bacon! I will not have Dudder's birthday breakfast ruined because of you!"
"Yes, Aunt Petunia," Clio replied dutifully.
"If there's a single piece of bacon burned, Vernon will be told," Aunt Petunia threatened. With a final smack to the door, she turned and walked off to continue making her son's birthday feast.
With a sigh, Clio memorized the page number she was on and pulled out one of the many Ziploc bags she had secretly taken from the kitchen drawers. She slid the book inside before stashing it in her clean knickers box- the one place none of the Dursley's dared to snoop.
Dressed in an ugly yellow, secondhand nightgown that was too large for her small frame, Clio emerged from the cupboard and made her way to the kitchen, so she could watch after the bacon. Aunt Petunia was in front of her fancy new griddle making pancakes to add to the already humongous tower. Clio glanced at the kitchen table as she passed, barely able to make it out under all of Dudley's presents. A quick count told her that there were 37 presents, one less than the 38 from last year. Dudley would no doubt be howling at the loss.
Two strips of bacon had been burnt by the time Clio reached the pan. She tossed them on a paper plate and vowed to scarf them down before Aunt Petunia could notice. Humming a nonsensical tune to herself, Clio started on making fried eggs and toast while she kept an eye on the bacon. If there was one thing that the Dursley's would grudgingly compliment her on, it was her ability to keep track of multiple dishes while she cooked.
A few minutes later, the house started to quake.
"IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!" Dudley howled with glee as he ran down the staircase. Uncle Vernon trailed behind him, a proud smile on his face.
Petunia finished her latest addition to the pancake tower and rushed to greet her son and husband at the entrance to the kitchen while Clio quickly made a cup of coffee for Uncle Vernon.
"There's my birthday boy!" Petunia crooned. When she wrapped her arms around Dudley, she couldn't touch the tips of her fingers together he was so large. She let out a big sniff, her eyes watering. "My son is becoming a man!"
Dudley squirmed out of his mother's embrace and made a beeline towards the present-laden table. Clio had just finished pouring the correct amount of cream into the coffee mug when Uncle Vernon snatched it off the counter.
"Girl," he said venomously after taking a sip. He didn't scream, so she had made it perfectly yet again, much to Clio's delight and Uncle Vernon's displeasure. He cherished the moments Clio gave him an excuse to yell at her.
"Uncle Vernon," Clio replied.
She slipped eight slices of piping hot bacon on Dudley's plate before bringing it over to the birthday boy himself. Uncle Vernon's plate was already on the table, as was Aunt Petunia's. Clio had already eaten her burnt bacon and went back to the frying pan to get the single remaining egg to put on her toast. By the time she returned to the table, a tantrum was already in the works.
"There's less than last year!" Dudley hollered.
Clio calmly ate her breakfast, eyes on the free entertainment, as Aunt Petunia tried to calm the brewing storm.
"Daddy and I wanted to start a new tradition, popkins!" Aunt Petunia said quickly. "We gave you one less gift than last year because we want you to pick out two gifts yourself today."
Dudley calmed down and, to cover up his tantrum, smiled sweetly at his mother as he reached for the nearest present. Clio could have thrown up at the looks of pride that came onto her aunt and uncle's faces as Dudley opened present after present. So far, he had received a brand-new laptop computer, two boxes that each held a dozen or so computer games, a new gaming system, a remote-control airplane, a DVD player, and a rather mean-looking dirt bike. Clio felt a wave of dread at seeing the last gift. Dudley would be able to catch up to her in no time now.
When Dudley had been unwrapping the computer games, Aunt Petunia had gone to answer the ringing telephone. She came back with pursed lips, her eyes immediately zoning in on Clio with even more hatred than normal.
"Vernon," Aunt Petunia said tightly. Her husband looked up at the sound of his name, mustache dripping with bacon grease and yolk. "That was Mrs. Figg. She broke her leg yesterday evening and won't be able to watch the girl."
Uncle Vernon's eyes widened in horror as Dudley dropped the present he was holding. He stood up, chair clamoring to the floor after loosening itself from his fat bottom. Tears flooded his already watery blue eyes as his face turned a rather worrying shade of red. Clio however, felt her heart start to hammer in excitement. Could it be? Was she finally able to-
"NO! NO! NO! NOOOOOOO!" Dudley wailed. He threw himself on the kitchen floor, making the table almost hop a foot in the air. Snot dripped down his face as he slammed his fists into the ground, flailing legs catching Uncle Vernon rather sharply in the shins. "SHE CAN'T COME, MUMMY! S-S-SHE'LL RUIN EVERYTHING! SHE ALWAYS RUINS EVERYTHING!"
Aunt Petunia collapsed on the floor beside the wailing Dudley, who immediately buried his face in her bosom and covering her in snot. He ducked his head under his mother's arm and shot Clio a nasty grin, but it was nothing compared to the glares of his parents.
"I can call Marge," Uncle Vernon said.
"She hates the girl," Aunt Petunia shot the offer down.
"What about Yvonne?"
"Vacationing in Majorca."
"I can stay here," Clio offered. She could make a quick trip to the library a few blocks over and borrow as many books as her arms could carry. "I'll be able to get my chores done early and have Dudley's birthday dinner ready by the time you get back from the zoo."
Dudley looked like he was ready to take the deal (especially at the mention of an early dinner), but Aunt Petunia wasn't having it.
"Like I trust you here by yourself," she snarled. "You'd burn the house down without my supervision."
Never mind that I cook more than you do, Clio thought bitterly.
"We have to take her with us, Vernon," Aunt Petunia moaned with sorrow.
Uncle Vernon looked as if he was going to have a stroke. Dudley looked as if they had taken away all of his presents and said he was getting a strapping instead. The blonde opened his mouth to scream some more when the doorbell rang. All tears dried up immediately as Aunt Petunia ran to answer the door, returning not a minute later with Piers Polkiss. Piers was Dudley's best friend and looked like a starved rat in contrast to Dudley's piggishness. Piers was struggling to hold a large wrapped box with a bow but was quickly relieved of his burden when Dudley ripped the box from his friend's arms.
Not thirty minutes later, Clio had changed into a baggy t-shirt and cargo shorts and was heading off to the zoo for the first time in her life. Sandwiched in between the two jabbering boys after being warned by Uncle Vernon not to screw anything up, Clio couldn't repress the happiness bubbling in her stomach. Maybe, just maybe, she would actually have a good day and be treated like a normal girl.
Oh, how wrong she was.